US2077228A - Continuous thermodisintegrator - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1937. G. s. P. DE BETHUNE f2,077,228 v CONTINUOUS THERMQDISINTEQRATOR I `F'iled Aug.'17, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1- ff A BY* Wazaa, 02.`

' ATTORNEY.

April 13, 1937. G.s. P. DE BETHUNE 2,077,228

`CONTINUOUS THERMODISINTEGRATOR Filed Aug. 17, 1934 5 sheets-sheet 2 BY nu@ l/77 ATTORNEY.

April 13, 1937. G, s p. DE, BETHUNE 2,077,228

CONTINUOUS THERMODISINTEGRATOR Filed Aug. 17, 1954 s sheets-sheet s .zl'gr-. l

fo y 7? V 742 d :IH E E E n HI:

E I3 j-f`6 Q Ll ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT ortica Gaston S. P. de Bethune, New York, N. Y. Application August 17, 1934, Serial No.1740,253

15 Claims.

This invention relates to the treatment of raw materials, such as alimentary materials, in bulk, with the general object of effecting their thermodisintegration as such operation is defined 1n a previous application for patent filed by me July 24, 1934, seriai No. 736,653.

The present invention has for one of its ob'- jects to provide a machine of a unitary structure by which are continuously and concomitantly performed the steps of intra-magma disintegration and intra-magma heat transfer. More particularly, an object of the present invention is to provide a machine embodying in a unitary 1 structure a disintegrating stage, including a disintegrating element, a .mixing stage, including a mixer element, and an impeller element, all of progressively increasing efliciency, and allof said elements being mounted coaxially on a common shaft, and cooperating rotatively with the interior walls of a suitably shaped casing.

By this novel arrangement I am enabled' to elect the several steps of the intra-magma disintegration without loss, either of time or of space, and to avoid, by `improved means, any tendency toward separation of the juices and more liquid part of the magma from the pulp contained therein, which is an essential `condition for ,insuring a good intra-magma heat transfer, and also to prevent any tendency to separation of the juices or more liquid part of the finished product. 7

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a novel and desirable method of securing at will various vdesirable changes in the currents set up in the magma during the operations of disintegration and/or thermodisintegration characteristic of my improved process.

A cognate object of the invention is to provide apparatus by which these changes -of current flow may be k accomplished by a simple adjustment'of appropriate devices without interrupting the continuity of the operations.

Still' another object is to provide means of a 43 novel and more efiicientcharacter than those used conventionally for eiecting disintegration of .the pulpy content.

A further object is to provide' a novel means to entrap automatically any alien, bulky substances which mig-ht otherwise injure the working parts or otherwise interfere with the eilicient performance `by the apparatus of its in tended f anctions. l

A concomitant object is to provide for carry- 55 ing on the process in such a manner and by such means that masses of the material undergoing treatment which may be entrapped with the alien materials may be dislodged readily and returned to the disintegrating means for complete disintegration. Among other objects of the invention are the provision for imparting to the magma in the intake and in the mixer paroxysms of turbulence u between which there is a smooth, uniform flow of the magma throughout the system of devices comprised in the machine, including anovel arrangement of adjustable baille members, a ynovel Aconformation of the disintegrat'or element, and a streamlined contour ,of certain parts of the mixer element; also a novel conformation of the mixer chamber, and the provision for moving the finished product in a steady flow, including a manifold by which the said'product can be either l discharged continuously, or selectively may be discharged continuously in part, ,and in part returned to th'e intake. i

The above and 'other fea ures of the invention are illustrated and described fully in the accompanying drawings and specification and are pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in end elevation of a machine in the construction of which thel invention has been embodied and which is Aespecially designed for carrying my novel method into effect.

, Fig. 2 is a central, longitudinal sectional view,

taken on the line scale.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary, detail view in horizontal section on the line l-I of Fig. 3. I l

Fig; 5 is a vertical, sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a similar vertical'sectional view on the line 6-6 .of Fig. 2. y

Fig. '7 is a. similar vertical sectional view on ,the line 1--1 'of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectionalview similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a modification. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the machine. Figs 10, 11 and 12 matic views respectively illustrating different positions of certain operating parts and of the diierences 'in current dow induced thereby.

In a now-preferred embodiment of the invention selected for illustration and description, the machine shown comprises .a casing l I; which may be'divided vertically, as shown; or horizontally, or

' both, as found convenient, the casing supporting 2-2 of Fig'. 1 and on a larger are similartypical. diagram- ,v

t nalled in bearings I 4 a rotor comprising a shaft I3, shown as horizontal (although the entire machine may be organized on a verticalaxis). The shaft is jourand is provided with stuifing boxes I5.

On the shaft are mounted, in succession a shearer or disintegrator element I6, a mixer element I1 comprising radial vanes I8 and I9; and

an impeller element 20 of a centrifugal pump.

These parts rotate in properly profiled cavities 2|, 22, 23, 24 and 25 of the casing.

'Ihe disintegrator element I6 operates near the bottom of the 'intake chamber or cavity 2| of the machine, on top of which is located the hopper I 2 in'order to increase the hydrostatic head of the v magma under treatment (see Figs. 1 and 9).

The hopper is preferably jacketed, and in general jackets may be provided wherever desirable, although the jackets have not been shown, for the Sake of simplicity lin the drawings. l

On top of the hopper may be mounted a special feeding device such as that described in my previous application above referred to.

On the discharge end of the pump; rises a mang ifold system of piping, designated generally by the reference character P, and in which the product discharged by the pump circulates, due to the kinetic energy imparted to it by the impeller. All or a part of the said product is finally discharged, as through an outlet valve 50 or 6I, in a condition suitable for consumption or for further treatment, as for preservation; and another portion of the-product may be returned to the cavity 2| by means ofpipes 46, 41 forming part of the system P and provided with suitable valves 5|) and 6U. A- thermometer of any suitable type assembled on P, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9, permits an easy and continuous check upon the temperature.

The disintegrator I6 is of preferably cylindrical shape, with a periphery formed with parallel annular ridges 21 and intermediate grooves 28, and

the ridges aredivided by longitudinal grooves 29 (see Fig, 4) `thus forming a multiplicity of pyramidal teeth 30'. 'I'he groves 23 may desirably be of helicoidal formation to promote feeding .of the v magma toward the mixer. The bottom of the disintegrator cavity 3| may be inclined, as shown, for the same purpose.

Bailles 32 and 33 are provided to cooperate withv the dlsintegrator. These baiiies are, or may be, of similar structure, comprising respectively an' elongated body 34 with aserrated margin 35 corresponding in contour, and cooperating with, the serratedperiphery of the disintegrator, toward and from which the bailies are individually and independently adjustable by means of supporting arms 36 mounted slidingly in bearings 31 traversing the walls 33 -of the casing, the baiiies being preferably situated at diametrically opposite regions of the disintegrator.l

A set-screw 39 is provided for each baille, and nuts 40 are desirably used as means to limit the inward thrust of the bailles.

The baiiies may be used to produce the following effects, viz.

The baille 33, on the side of the disintegrator where the tangential force is directed downwardly, (see the arrow, Fig. 3) has for one eifect to prevent accidental passage-of large lumps from the cavity r2| into'the passage underneath the disintegrator, and it also serves to regulatel the rate of flow fromI the disintegrator to thev mixing chamber.

2,077,228 a hopper I2, and within the casing is mounted 'I'he baille 32, on the other sideof the disintegrator, serves also to regulate the rate of flow of magma, in cooperation with the bale 33, by controlling the flow of magma returning back to the cavity 2I from the under passage or cavity 3 I and` creates a condition of pressure below the disintegrator element which is favorable to the steady feeding of magma to the mixer.

It thus cooperates with the feeding moment derived from the spirally arranged disintegrator teeth and with the gravitational moment along the inclined surface 3Ix.

, As both bailies are adjustable, this condition can be regulated at will.

`Another object of the baille 32 is, by controlling the return flow back to the intake, to control its velocity, and so to control the energy available for creating currents within the cavity 2|.

When the clearance between the baille 32 and the disintegrator, (see Fig. 1'0) is rather small, there can be produced inthe cavity 2I intense and turbulent currents, as indicated by the arrows a, b, c, d. The raw materials, such as M, in the magma under treatment, are driven by the return currents c and d and they overcome the longitudinal currents a and cause flow of the magma into contact with the disintegrator,

whereby pulpycontent of the magma is rapidly removed abraslvely in a continuous operation, the-amount removed at any given instant constituting a slight part of 'its volume. As the magma materials have the same`density as, or a density very near, the average density of the liquid magma, this contact with the disintegrator is smooth, being lubricated by the magma, and as soon as the abrasion is eifected the solid, undisintegrated parts of the materials are taken away bythe current b, and so on. I have created and observed the currents shown in Fig. 10 by adjusting the baiile 33 at a clearance of Myinch and the baille 32 at a clearance of gli inch.

When the said clearance betwen thejba'ilie 32 and the disintegrator is large, (Fig. 11) there is formed in the intake another, slower, current along the arrows e, fly, h, and the raw materials 'come down along h toward their contact `with the disintegrator. Inbetween, there is a, position for the baffles in which, (seeFig. 12), there are Y produced two vertical ascending currents along the sides of the cavity 2I, in the direction of the arrows f, f', g, gf; and a vertical descending current h which brings the materials into contact with the disintegrator. I have created and observed the currents shown in Fig. 11 by adjusting both the bail'les 33 and -32 at a clearvided, in the irst place, for separating from the magma any alienmaterial such as a stone or a piece of iron, or a knife, etc., which by chance could have fallen into the intake. Such a part, being of much higher density than the magma, sinks more rapidly toward the disintegrator, and while its contact may be a little harsh, still it is lubricated by the magma; and as soon as the contact is over, said alien parts are deflected toward the pocket A, where they remain, the energy of the ascending current f' being insuiicient to move them. In the second place, I have made provision of means to dislodge theV parts of raw materials that would have a tendency to accumulate toward A, and for this purpose I may provide, as a modification, in this part of the cavity 2|, a device, such as that shown in Fig. 8, comprising l0 a rotating baille 4| and a stationary adjustable baille 42.

The rotating baie 4| is shaped with annular ridges 43 in alinement with the grooves between the teeth of the disintegrator I6. It can be rotated either by hand control, or automatically at any convenient speed, and in either direction, as may beconvenient in each particular case. This rotary baille prevents accumulation of raw m'aterials on the teeth of the disintegrator.

The rotary baille is shown as having pyramidal teeth 43, bounded by annular grooves,similar to grooves 28V of the disintegrator I6 and arranged so as to mesh therewith with a predetermined appropriate clearance, and by longitudinal grooves. These longitudinal grooves may be given any 'desirable shape depending upon the nature of the material to be dislodged, but the provision ofV such grooves is not an essential feature of the rotating baille. The contour of the rotating baille may be determined in advance, accordingv to the nature of the material to be disintegrated.

The baiile system is completed by the stationary, adjustable baille 42, meshing with 4| in the same manner the baille 33 meshes with the disintegrator I5, and so as to prevent thepassage of large parts from the cavity 2| to the passage toward the mixing chamber. i

The rotating baille 4| is carried by a shaft 45 entering the casing through stufling boxes (not shown) and is supported by bearings (not: shown). When it can be rotated slowly, at say 200 R. P. M. it may be supported on an inside bearing (not shown) provided in the casing.

By regulating the currents in the intake and the hopper, it can then be arranged that any raw materials entrapped in pocket A canbe washed out of the pocket, whereas alien materials, being usually heavier, will remain in this pocket. Under said currents the magma is maintained in a state of intense turbulence in the intake.

It should be noticed that, whereas the free.

air-magmaboundary surface (or the free boundary surface of the magma with a gas or a vapor if an appropriate feeding device is used) is always maintained at a certain gravity level in f the intake cavity 2|, or in the hopper I2 surmounting said cavity 2| (see Figs. 10-11-12), the disintegrating action of the disintegrator I6 is always performed intra-magma and so out of contact with air or any other gas or vapor, which is an essential feature of the intra-magma disintegration.

The object of the mixing chambers 22, 25 and 24 is to 'complete and perfect the distintegration by insuring a perfect homogeneity of the product before its discharge through the pump. When this homogeneity is achieved, the final product moving said homogenized product, any tendency to separation of the juices from the pulp is effectively overcome and the magma in the intake cavity 2| is maintained'in the best fluidity by means of the by-passed flow through pipes 46, 41 of the system P. The mixing chambermay be of any desirable character, but is preferably of my own system as covered by Patent No. 1,727,753,

and by application Serial No. 645,363. Inshaptoward the inlet of the pump. I have found further an advantage in providing adjustable baiiies 5|, 52, 53 in the mixing chamber by which to control the amount of friction imparted to the magma at this mixing stage.

By the very nature of my mixer and its herein disclosed improvements the magma in its progress through the mixer, which is always kept full, is submitted repeatedly to actions accompanied' by turbulence of alternating and controllable intensities, said actions culminating in the homogenization of the product. I have shown three sets of these bailles, at each side of the mixer chambers 22, 23, the` pair 5| at the intake of the chamber; the pair 52 at the middle; and the pair 53 at-theoutlet 53' from' ber, and may be secured in adjusted position by having threaded engagement as indicated. Their forward ends 56 are shown as cylindrical in shape but the exact contour may be varied as found suitable for particular uses.

There is provided'in each bay of the mixing chambers two tangential openings 51, 58. The openings 51 may be used-for injecting into the liquid under treatment any additional material that may be desirable, the same openings may also be used as air drains. 'Ihe openings 58 may be used either as drains or for setting upbypasses toward the intake if desirable lat this stage, as shown in my previous application, Serial No. 645,363 and they may also be used for injecting under an appropriate condition of pressure, into the materials under treatment, any desirable additional material.

There is also provided in the cavity of the pump an opening 58 which is intended to be .used

as an air drain.

Any of these several openings, when not'in use,

is plugged or tapped. f

The pump cavity is shown as a simple spiral volute and the impeller 20 is shown as of the open type; it is obvious that any kind of centrifugal or rotary pump may be used if convenient in regard to the nature of the products under treatment.

A pump is provided at the stage Where the disintegration culminating in the homogenization of the product has been perfected and the mixer has to deliver the final product for discharge. There are two reasons thereforz-the first reason is to impart to said product an additional amount of' positive pressure driving it toward the manifold system-P; the second reason is to impart said additional' pressure in such a manner that the is obtained and, if proper care is takenin further product is advanced ina steady flow. A centrifugal pump such as the one shown in 25 with an of the mixer; when this fact occurred, it was exceedingly difficult to rehomogenize the product by further mixing, unless previously to being so re- Eample I-Producton of orange marmalade Themachine is rst primed so as to create a certain gravity level of magma in the intake and bring said magma to an adequate temperature of say 190 degrees F. Then whole, unpeeled oranges and granulated sugar at say 70 degrees F. are continuously fed into the magma in the proportion of, say, oranges to 55% sugar. The manifold valve 6| being closed, valves 50 and 60 are regulated so as to return to the intake about onehalf of the product advanced by the pump, while the other half of said product is discharged through 50, for further utilization, at a rate of iiow equal to thsaverage increments of raw materials.

When dropping into the hot magma, the oranges are wetted by it, thereby liberating the adhering bubbles of air. Similarly the sugar starts to dissolve and the air. entrained with the sugar also escapes. Intra-magma heat exchange' starts immediately along the outer boundaries of the oranges and of the sugar crystals. An intensive mixing of sugar in the magma, accompanied by its dissolution, takes place under the action of turbulent currents such as f and f' in Fig. 12. The oranges, as well as the still undisintegrated parts of previously admitted oranges, are continuously driven toward the disintegrator I6, and smaller parts (which may, however, happen to be up to 74; inch in size) are progressively abraded from said larger parts, intra-magma, out of contact with air or any other gas or vapor, thus creating new boundary surfaces along which immediately starts the intra-magma heat exchange, while the liberated juice is admixed with the magma. A part of said magma, in the form of a still very heterogeneous product, is continuously pushed by the disintegrator I6 into the cavity 3|, and a portion of this part is pushed, under a positive pressure, into the mixer, which is maintained full of materials in progress, while the other portion of said part is returned from the cavity 3|.to the cavity 2|.

'I'he mixer in the present description is of my own improved system (see my Patent l1,727,753, and application Serial No. 645,363) and acts consequently as a further disintegrator of increased efficiency, the materials being submitted to repeated actions accompanied by turbulence of a1- ternate and controlled intensities, and under a regime of increased. pressure. The solid frag.- ments are consequently reduced progressively to a very small suitable size. At each reduction in size the particles are admixed with the more uid elements and the heat transfer is thereby fostered. 'I'he final result is a homogeneous, hot duid product which is ready to be discharged.

' Said product, as the treatment progresses, becomes also more viscous, due probably to the liberation of the pectinofus elements of the fruit,

V'and it is eiiiciently advanced in a steady flow in the manifold system P by theaction of the impeller 20, imparting to it an adequate amount of centrifugal momentand pressure with little turbulence.

The portion of the final product which is returned to the intake through l1, as it comes into contact with freshly liberated juices and with some of the added sugar, dissolving this latter and warming it up, acquires an enhanced fluidity, thus insuring a good fluidity in the magma.

Heat is supplied to the magma under treatment by friction of the rotating elements, and such heat may be supplemented, if necessary, by heat supplied to the magma, or to the returned product, or to both, by circulating hot water or steam in jackets conveniently provided on the several parts of the apparatus, as hereinbefore mentioned, in order to raise continuously the temperature of the increments of raw materials from their initial temperature of 70 F. to the desired temperature of 190 F., the total amount of materials in progress of treatment being at each instant at that average temperature, undisintegrated parts being under 190 F., while'the fluid parts are above or at 190 F.-

'I'he discharged product when` put in jars and cooled down, gels rapidly, and with proper care keeps indefinitely. It is a very tasty and smooth paste having an unusual degree of the distinctive flavor of fresh oranges. If it be desired toproduce the conventional form of marmalade -with shredded orange peels, the thermodisintegrated product is used, with an adequate proportion of sugar, as a stock base, in which to immerse an adequate proportion of shredded peels.

. Example II-Prodzwtion of tomato puree .a part of the finished product to the intake, so

that the valves and 60 are kept closed. The bailies facing the disintegrator are regulated as shown in Fig. 11. The newly admitted tomatoes, at say 70 degrees F., as they drop into the magma, are wetted by it and the entrained Iair escapes, and -intra-magma heat exchange starts. 'I'hese sov tomatoes, as well as the still undisintegrated part's A of previously admitted tomatoes, are driven toward the disintegrator I6 by the current h (Fig. ll) and as soon as they come into contact with it, intra-magma, out of contact with air or any other gas or vapor, parts are abraded and a great quantity of juice is liberated, which fosters the fluidity of the magma and the intra-magma heat transfer. The seeds are, as a rule, liberated from the pulp and some of them may even be crushed. 'I'he skins are shreddedto small fragments. A part of the magma is continually pushed by the disintegrator I6 into the cavity 3|, and a portion of this part is returned to the cavity 2| where it produces a current as shown at e (Fig. 11), while the other portion of lsaid part is pushed under a positive pressure into the mixer, which ylatter being of my own system (see Patent No.

1,727,753 application Serial No. 645,365) acts as a further disintegrator for the larger fragments, such as parts of the skin and the seeds, and reduces them to a very small size, insuring therebya very effective heat transfem-and finally l Example III- Production of banana puree The machine is first primed so as to create a certain gravity level of magma in the intake and bring said magma to a suitable temperature of say 32 degrees F. Then fresh, peeled bananas and granulated sugar at, say, 'l0 degrees F. are Icontinuously fed into the magma in the proportion of 80% bananas and 20% sugar. The manifold valve 6I being closed, the valves 50 and 60 are regualted so as to return to the intake about one'third of the product advanced by the pump, lwhile the other two thirds of the product are discharged at a rate of flow equal to the average increments of raw materials. The baiiles facing the disintegrator I6 are regulated as shown in Fig. 10. Heat is continuously removed from the materials in progress of treatment by circulating brine or any, suitable cooling medium through adequate jackets on the equipment.

The other details of the operation are substantially the same as in Example I.

The product is a fine and tasty puree, showing very little or no discoloration. It can be used, for example, for iiavoring ice cream.

Food products, as a rule, when disintegrated and not properly homogenized, being undertreated or over-treated, exhibit a tendency to liberate juice and to form compact residualmasses of pulpy or fibrous materials, which fact is very detrimental to their circulation through any kind of equipment.

They are highly sensitive to even slight changes in temperature, and, at certain temperatures,

'45 sometimes within the range of temperatures at which they should be treated to insure their further utilization, they exhibit a tendency-to form heavy pastes which may become highly resistant to ow.

' -50 Moreover, when not maintained under a certain positive pressure, or when submitted to a certain degree of vacuum, their more volatile elements separate, and, as said elements are very diiiicult to recondense afterwards into a uid 55 mass from which they originate, they are likely to be lost, thus injuring the flavor of the product.

Due to these circumstances, it is very important to reduce as much as possible in time and 60 in space the contact of the materials with the` walls of any. piece of equipment in order to avoid any possible disturbance causedv by slight accidental variations in the treatment, and to check the temperature by appropriate means such as 65 the thermometer shown assembled on the mani.-

fold. For this reason, in carrying out my novel process, I have departed from the lconventional practice, carrying out the concomitant steps of intra-magma disintegration, and of intra-magma 70' heat transfer, by using anapparatus of a unitary structure of the novel type herein disclosed, thus avoiding any multiplicity of separate machines with their necessary inter-connections.

From the foregoing, it will be clear that my 75 novel apparatus has the following characteristicproperties: it maintains the materials under treatment in stagesof turbulence appropriate to their degree of disintegration at every step, in order to maintain them always in a condition of optimum fluidity for circulating or moving them with no separation of their` fluid constituents;

also, between said paroxysms of turbulence the materials are moved, in accordance with my method, in smooth, uniform flow; itperforms rapidly and progressively their mechanical disintegration, culminatingl in their homogenization under states of pressure appropriate to their degree of disintegration at every stage, reducing greatly the risk of losing volatile elements; and. it permits and causes an effective intra-magma heat exchange, which is perfected during the period of homogenization, at which stage, due to the flneriess of the particles, there is no point at which the desired temperature is not reached, this heat exchange being-effected not only in a very short time, but also with greatl accuracy and under easy control by thermometers located at crucial points of the apparatus. l It will also be clear from the foregoing disclosures that I` have provided in a novel, compact, unitary structure, instrumentalities organized and cooperating in combination to effect continuously and progressively, intra-magma, out of ,contact with air or any other gas or vapor, the operations, accompanied by desirable heat exchanges, of first disintegrating pulpy or,

brous substances thoroughly and effecting an admixture of the'divided pulpy or brous product with suitable uid and/or other materials, and advancing smoothly the same in the form of an improved product to a mixing element which progressively carries the disintegration to a desirable culmination, homogenizing the product in the form of a smooth, fine puree, and

delivers this latter in turn smoothly and continuously to the` impeller element, by which it is delivered in a steady. flow for useful employment or storage.

'I his series of operations is carried on continuously without loss of time or space by submitting the raw materials, intra-magma, out of contact with air or any other gas or vapor, to distintegrating and mixing actions of progressively increasing emciency, 'accompanied by heat exchanges also lof progressively increasing einciency, under progressively increasingpressures, and with a regime of turbulence of alternating .and appropriate intensities, until the desired efvfect is obtained, after which the turbulence is eifectively and permanently reduced to a minimum compatible with a steady outflow of the finished product at a rate balancing the average increments of raw. materials. o I do not know of any apparatus or machine of a unitary structure effecting the same rejsults, and; Vwhile I prefer to use the disintegrator, the mixer and the pump in substantially the shape herein shown and described, it will be apparent that variations therein may be made within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claimt- 1.' In a wet thermo-disintegrating apparatus, the combination, inv a unitary structure, of a rotary disintegrator, a rotary mixer, and a ro,- ta`ry impeller, all, mounted coaxially in succession on a single' shaft and individually each within a 'chamber of a continuous series of comi municating chambers, said disintegrator stage being characterized by an intake chamber in atl which said disintegrator is arranged to rotate -in a fluid magma of the .material undergoing disintegration, said other rotary elements being coordinated with said disintegrator stage by 5 their relative proportions and disposition within their respective chambers, and by the provision of now-controlling means within, and intermediate, said chambers, to maintain said magma with substantially constant characteristics of l volume, fluidity, temperature and pressure, while permitting withdrawals ate additions to, said magma.

2.An apparatus characterized by. the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in l claim 1, and further characterized by having a baille member mounted in substantial proximity to the disintegrator and adapted to control the size of particles fed from the disintegrator stageV to the mixer stage.

3. A n apparatus characterized by the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 1, and further a bale member mounted in substantial proximity to the disintegrator and adapted to coritrol the return to the disintegrator stage of disintegrated product removed therefrom by the disintegrator element, and to cause the building up and feeding of a steady stream of magma containing particles selected for transmission to the mixer stage of said apparatus.

4. An apparatus of the class described comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 1 whereby a pressure head is set up in the impeller chamber, said apparatus being further characterized by having a by-pass connection between said impeller chamber and an earlier chamber in said series, and'controlling means to permit selectivedirection under said pressure head of the material to said earlier 40 chamber for priming and other purposes.

5..An apparatus of the class described, comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 1, whereby a pressure head is set up inthe impeller chamber, said apparatus being further characterized by having a manifold connection between said impeller chamber and an earlier chamber in said series, and controlling means for said manifold to permit selective direction under said pressure head of the material to said earlier chamber for priming and other purposes, and to the discharge.

6. In anA apparatus of the class described, the combination, in an apparatus of unitary structure, of a rotary disintegrator, a rotary homogenizer, and a' rotary impeller, all mountedV in the order named on a single shaft and individually each operating within a chamber of a continuous series of communicating chambers, and a manifold leading respectively and selectively to the intake land to the discharge of the apparatus.

7. The combination in a unitary stationary and of rotary parts, the stationary parts comprising a casing with an intake, a disintegrating chamber, a mixing chamber, an impeller chamber and a manifold on the discharge end of this latter chamber, the rotary parts comprising a disintegrating member, a mixing member and an impeller, each rotating in the corresponding chamber, said manifold leading respectively and selectively to the intake and to the discharge of the apparatus.

8. A thermodisintegrating system characterized by a compact unitary structure comprising a casing having an intake cavity, a mixing cavity, a pump cavity withl a pump discharge, and

from, and proportioncharacterized by having i ed intercommunicating passage,

structure of bination, a rotatable passages connecting said cavities; a manifold leading to the intake cavity and to a discharge of the system, a rotor mounted rotatably therein comprising a disintegrating member, a mixing member and an impeller, all assembled coaxially on the same shaft, and ineans to transfer heat to or from the system;

9. In a wet disintegrator, in combination, a casing and a rotary disintegrating member, the casing being characterized by having two enclosures in juxtaposition, one being an intake enclosure shaped as a hopper extending upright and having large inside dimensions in relation to the dimensions of said member, and the other being a discharge enclosure having an inner surface shaped in such manner that the cross-sectional areas between casing and member have crescent-like contours, the disintegrating member being positioned intermediate said enclosures in such manner that substantial portions of said member are located for operation in each of the two enclosures, a boundarybetween the two enclosures and common to both. said boundary, limiting with said disintegrating member a restrictsaid boundary being contoured in conformity to the shape of the surface of the disintegrating member including both ends thereof and Asubstantially located in a plane .approximately parallel to the axis of rotation, the corresponding walls of the casing at the boundary clearingsaid member with moderately close clearances, thereby causing the disintegrating member to disintegrate the materials in the intake while keeping them in tur bulent motion,

and simultaneously toV `create av pressure head in the materials moving into the discharge enclosure.

10. In a. wet disintegrator, a stationary casing and a rotary disintegrating member, said casing having an intake enclosure shaped as a hopper extending upwardly, having large inside dimensions in relation to the size of said member, and provided with an intake opening of large area proportioned to the size of the enclosure, and a discharge enclosure having an inner surface shaped in such manner that the cross-sectional areas between said inner surface and said disintegrating member increase from one lateral end towards the other lateral end of said member, said casing being provided with a discharge opening of small area in regard to the area ofthe intake opening, the direction of flow through said discharge opening being substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said member, said enclosures being in juxtaposition and having a common inner boundary line of a certain closed contour limiting an intercommunicating passage beboundary line and with generally larger clearances at every other point of the iner surface of saiddischarge enclosure, said intercommunicating passage being restricted to a reduced area by the spatial relations p between said boundary and the surface of said disintegrating member.

11. In a distintegrating machine, and incomcylindrical ldisintegrator element having a series oi' substantially parv allel annular peripherial ridgesdivided by longitudinal grooves into a. multiplicity of pyramidal teeth, and a .rotatable balie element comprising a body member with a serrated face in juxtaposition with, and conforming to, said serrated cylinder, and an auxiliary bafile element comprising a bame member adjustable to and from said rotatable bafie at a region thereof spaced from the region of said disintegrator cylinder.

V12. In a machine of the class described, a mixer chamber having a plurality of adjacent bays each of approximately lenticular shape with central inter-communication openings defined by annular walls of V-shape in crosssection at the annular region of juncture between said bays, and a mixing device comprising a rotor having radial vanes spaced apart coaxially and connected by a streamlined concave surface, and further characterized by having the peripheries of said vanes in close juxtaposition with the inner peripheral walls of said lenticular bays at their greatest diameter and by having said annular concavity of said rotor in alinement with the annular joint between adjacent walls lof said lenticular bays.

13. A mixer device comprising a chamber havlng a plurality of mixing bays in communicating relation, a rotor having a plurality of vanes, one in each bay and connected by a streamlined annular concavity, and a series of adjustable baflies, each baille being of substantially cylindrical form and extending from the wall of a bay toward the axis of said rotor past the vanes and grouped in series, respectively in alinement with said annular, streamlinedconcavity and at the sides oi said anges remote from said concavity. l

14. A mixer element for machines of the class described, comprising a rotor having radial vanes adapted to create paroxysmic turbulence in 'the mixture, said vanes being spaced apart coaxially i and connected by a streamlined concave surface of semi-torio contour, said vanes having peripheral notches inclined relatively to the plane of the vane.

l5. In a machine of the class described, a mixer chamber having a plurality of adjacent bays each of approximately lenticular shape with central inter-communication openings defined by annular Walls of V-shape in cross-section at the annular region of juncture between said bays.

and a mixing device comprising a rotor having radial vanes spaced apart coaxially and connected by a U-shaped annular concave surface i into which said V-shaped junction walls extend concentrically.

. GASTON S. P. DE BETHUNE.

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