US2635860A

US2635860A - Centrifugal mixing device

Info

Publication number: US2635860A
Application number: US230863A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mcleod Ian
Original assignee: Premier Mill Corp
Current assignee: Premier Mill Corp
Priority date: 1951-06-11
Filing date: 1951-06-11
Publication date: 1953-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1970-04-21

Description

April 1953 1. Mom-:00 2,635,860

CENTRIFUGAL MIXING DEVICE Filed June 11', 1951 INVENTOR. IAN M LEOD,

fi TT RNEY Patented Apr. 21, 1953 GENTRIEUGAL MIXING nsvron Ian Mc eod Geneva N- ssi ns? t9 lirsmi r Mill Corporation, Geneva, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 11, 1951, Serial No. 230,863

Claims, (Cl. 259-996).

This invention relates to a centrifugal mixin device.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a centrifugal mixing device which ape plies suction forces upon the fluid being mixed in two spaced areas. More specifically, the centrifugal mixing device herein claimed in a doubleended mechanism which provides a suction effect at both ends. In the normal course of operation of this mixing device, it is held in vertical position so that its lower end provides a suction effect upon the fluid at the bottom of the mixing vessel and the upper end provides a suction effect upon the fluid at the top ofthe mixing vessel. Consequently, if the fluid has two components, one of which is relatively heavy and the other of which is relatively light, the lower end of the mixing device will apply a suction force to the heavier component, which normally tends to settle to the bottom of the mixing vessel, and the upper end of the mixing device applies a suction force to. the lighter component, which normally tends to. rise to the top of the mixing vessel.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a dOllb1B+ndBd centrifu al mixing device of the character described, wherein each end is provided ith its own mixing chamber, the two mixing chambers. being in communication ith each other throug p ssa ways. which link them. It is by this means that the fluid drawn into the upper end of the mixing device is, itself thoroughly mixed and the fluid drawn into the lower mixing chamber is simultaneously thoroughly mixed and then both mixtures are brought together and intimately intermingled. The invention is presented in several forms. In some of these forms the passageways between the two mixing chambers are fixed dimensionally, but in one form they are adjustable so as to control the flow between the two mixing chambers.

The centrifugal mixing device herein claimed is very effective in many applications. Its double tion re r it t e s us and twi ev as sil ient. many p icat ns. as promo iona ins sv -t h Qeutr iusal mixing de i es.- I is highly uit bl for mixin liquids of ifierent viscosit and. dif er nt sp c s ityt s g ly us l in mixing liquids which are relatively h avy and thick; it is equally useful in mixing liquids which are relatively thin and light in weight.

The p nt de i hi h y uit b e f r b en ins .colq s h i f mix n a d bl nding color pas es an ds d h l ke Th double ac on o he pres nt ev ce also nder i hi hly su table fer romoti g d sired 2. chemical reactions which are intended to take place during mixing operations.

It will be understood that thisv mixing device is anpliuable not only to. fluids but also to solids in powder form. Thus, it may be used to mix two or more fluids and it may also be used to mix two on more powders or a fluid and a powder. The present device is useful not only as a mixing device, butv also as a dispersing device where it is desired to disperse one material or substance throughout another material or substance.

Preferred forms of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a centrifugal mixing device made in accordance with one form of the invention, said section being on the line I71! of Fig. 2.

l t-1g. 2 is a bottom end view thereof.

Fi 3 is another. section through a centrifugal mixer made in accordance with a second form of his invention- Fig. a is still another sectional view through a centrifugal mixer made in accordance with a third r of this. invention.

Fig, 5 is another section through a centrifugal mixer made in accordance with a fourth form of this invention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through a centrifugal mixer made in accordance with a fifth form of thisinvention,

Fig. 7 shows the centrifugal mixer of Fig. 3 in operative position in a mixing tank filled with a fluid.

Fig. 3 s a view similar to that of Fig. 7 but showing a pipe leading to one end of the centrifugal mixer and a second pipe leading to the opposite, end thereof, both pipes carrying liquids to the centrifugal mixer for mixing purposes.

Referring now to the first form of this invention as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that a, centrifugal mixin device In is provided which includes a rotatably mounted shaft l2 connected to an electric motor M. The motor is mounted n a brac et 16 which is, in turn, swivelly sup ported by a ramp 1 which may be mounted on the side wall of a mixing tank or vessel at. A sleeve 22 is secured to the lower end of shaft [2 and a nut 2Q on said shaft prevents displacement Q d slodem nt of said sleeve relative to said shaft. SliifiYQ 32 has an annular shoulder 26 intermediate its ends for a purpose which will shortly appear. A .coneeshaped'cup 28 and a second coneshaped cup 30 are both mounted on sleeve 22 concentrically with each other and coaxially with said sleeve and with shaft 12; A web or wall 3'2 forms the base of cup 28 and a corresponding web 3 or wall 34 forms the base or floor of cup 30. It will be noted that the two

bases

32 and 34 are juxtaposed so that as the two cups are situated in Fig. 1, base 34 constitutes the bottom wall or floor of cup 36, and base 32 constitutes the upper wall or ceiling of cup 28. An opening 36 is formed at the top of cup 30 and a corresponding opening 38 is formed at the bottom of cup 28 which may more precisely be designated as an inverted cup. The two

openings

36 and 38 are in registration with each other and they constitute the inlet openings of the mixing device as will hereinafter more fully appear. It will be noted that a center hole is formed in the two web or

bases

32 and 34 to accommodate sleeve 22, and hence the shaft on which said sleeve is mounted. Web or base 32 rests on annular shoulder 26 of the sleeve and a lock ring 40 secures both webs or

bases

32 and 34 to said sleeve 22. The precise mean used in anchoring cup 30 and inverted cup 28 to shaft 12 are not critical and any suitable and conventional means may be used for that purpose.

It will be seen that a plurality of radial openings 42 are formed in the web or base 32 of inverted cup 28 and that corresponding openings 44 are formed in web or base 34 of cup 30. These

openings

42 and 44 register with each other and they constitute the passageways'through which communication is provided between the two cups. More particularly, communication is thereby provided between the inside of cup 28 which may be designated as the lower mixing chamber 46 and the inside of cup 30 which may be designated as the upper mixing chamber 48.

It will also be seen that a plurality of openings 50 are formed in the side wall of inverted cup 28 and it will be understood that these latter openings constitute the outlet openings of the mixing device. These outlet openings are formed in only one of the two cups and hence Whatever fluid enters both cups must pass through said outlet openings. In the case shown in the drawing, outlet openings 50 are formed in the lower cup 28 and hence such fluid as enters upper cup 30 through openings 36 must pass through

openings

44 and 42 in order to make its way to the outlet openings 50.

It is important to note the overall shape of the two cups. It will be seen that each cup is tapered or cone-shaped. Its base is relatively large and the opening opposite the base is relatively small so that each cup may be described as resembling or constituting a truncated cone. When the two cups are juxtaposed as shown in Fig. 1, they form a unit which resembles two truncated cones placed base to base in coaxial relation to each other. This overall shape is, of course, merely preferred and other shapes may be provided Within the broad principles of the invention. Witness the other forms of the invention shown in the drawing.

The operation of the centrifugal mixing device last above described is clearly shown in Fig. 7, although the precise construction of Fig. 1 is not carried over into Fig. 7. It will there be noted that the shaft I2 is supported in vertical position and that the two cups, which may collectively be described as the mixing head of the device, are immersed in a fluid '52 contained in mixing tank or vessel 20. As the mixing head rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, fluid A enters the upper chamber and fluid B enters the lower mixing chamber through

openings

36 and 38, respectively. The fluid A which enters the upper mixing chamber passes through the passageways between the two mixing chambers in order to enter the lower mixing chamber where it mixes with the fluid B which enters the lower mixing chamber through the lower opening 38. The mixed fluids AB are then thrown out of the lower mixing chamber through openings 50 in its side wall, this action taking place under the influence of centrifugal force generated by the rotating mixing head. The process continues until the fluid or fluids, as the case may be, is or are thoroughly mixed in the mixing tank.

Fig. 8 shows the apparatus of Fig. '7 with three additional elements: a fluid feeding pipe 66, a second fluid feed pipe 82, and an outlet pipe or nozzle 64. Feeding pipe Bil is so situated that its outlet end feeds directly into the upper mixing chamber of the centrifugal mixer. The second fluid feeding pipe 62 is so situated that its outlet end feeds directly into the lower mixing chamber of the centrifugal mixer. Hence, the mixer is enabled to mix the two fluids before they flow into' the mixing tank 66. The two fluids C and D are mixed together to form a single mixture CD at the time they are caused to leave the lower mixing chamber through the side openings formed in the side wall thereof. It is the mixed fluid CD which flows out of the tank through outlet pipe or nozzle 64.

It will, of course, be understood that the centrifugal mixer above described may be provided,

and preferably is provided, with a pair of vanes 58 extending diametrically across the two mixing chambers on a common vertical plane, as

viewed in Figs. 1 and 2.

' fluid to rotate therewith. This has the effect of emphasizing and amplifying the centrifugal action upon the fluid so as to'enhance the mixing action.

The centrifugal mixer 70 shown in Fig. 3 is similar in principle to the mixer shown in Figs. 1 and 2 except that its two cups are integral with each other and with'the further exception that it is mounted directly upon shaft 12 instead of upon a sleeve which is mounted on the shaft. The centrifugal mixer shown in Fig. 3 corresponds to the mixer shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and it may be described as comprising an upper cup 14 and a lower cup 16 which have a common base or end wall 73. These two cups are cone-shaped as above described, their open ends 80 and 82, re-' spectively being smaller than their base 18. Openings 84 are formed in base 18 to provide communication between the upper mixing chamber 86 and the lower mixing chamber '88. Openings 90 formed in the side wall of cup 16 are the outlet openings through which the mixed fluid is thrown out of the lower mixing chamber by centrifugal force. The operation of this centrifugal mixer has above been described in connection with Figs. 7 and 8. Here, too, a pair of vertically extending vanes 92 are preferably provided so as to enable the mixer to carry the fluid around in a rotary path in the two mixing chambers and thereby to enhance the mixing action and to amplify the centrifugal force which is exerted upon the fluid.

Centrifugal mixer I30 shown in Fig. 4 differs only slightly from the mixer shown in Fig. 3. It will be noted that the two cups Hi2 and H14 are integral with each other since they have. a common base N36. The upper cup I02 is coneshaped in the manner above described. The lower cup I04, on the other hand, has a cylin- I08. The upper cup I02 also has an inlet opening. I-IIl which corresponds to the inlet, opening- I08. of the lower cup. In this construction, lower mixing chamber '2 is considerably larger than the upper mixing chamber H4 and the advantage is apparent from the fact that the. lower mixing chamber I I2 receives fluid. not onlyfrom its own inlet opening I08 but also from the upper mixing chamber H4: through communicating passages IIB in base I06. Mixer I may also be provided with vertically extending vanes IIB to assist in the mixing action. It may here be stated, that these vanes may also be employed for the additional purposes of properly securing the mixing head to the shaft.

Centrifugal mixer I20 shown in Fig. is very similar to centrifugal mixer I00 shown in Fig. 4, except that the cylindrical portion I22 of its lower cup I24 projects radially outwardly so as to provide added mixing space in its lower mixing chamber I26. It will be noted that the outlet openings I20 of both centrifugal mixers I00 and I20 are provided in the cylindrical portion of the lower cup rather than in its cone-shaped portion. It will be understood that the greater the diameter of the cylindrical portion wherein the outlet openings are formed, the more powerful will be the centrifugal force upon the fluid, all other conditions being equal.

In Fig. 6 centrifugal mixer I30 is shown. Here lower cup I32 is integral with shaft I34 and upper cup I36 is integral with sleeve I38 on said shaft. The shaft is provided with screw threads I40 and with a nut I42 thereon. It will be understood that sleeve I3'8 is movable angularly relative to shaft I34 and that nut I42 is provided to fix the relative positions of said sleeve and said shaft. It will be noted that openings I 44 are formed in the base I46 of cup I36 and that corresponding openings I48 are formed in the base I50 of cup I32. These openings I44 and I48 may be made to register with each other either wholly or in part depending upon the relative positions of the two cups. Hence the amount of flow from the mixing chamber I52 to the mixing chamber I54 may be controlled by changing the relative positions of the two cups and then fixing them in place relative to each other by means of nut I42. Outlet openings or slots I5I are provided in the conical wall of the lower mixing chamber.

It will be understood that the foregoing is descr'iptive of preferred forms of this invention.

These forms may be modified in many ways and other forms may be provided within the broad scope and spirit of the invention and of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A centrifugal mixing device, having a vertically extending, rotata-bly mounted shaft, 2. hollow housing secured to the lower end of said shaft, said hollow housing being open at the top and at the bottom, a horizontal partition in said hollow housing extending from wall to wall thereof and dividing it into upper and lower mixing chambers, openings formed in said horizontal partition to provide communication between said upper and lower mixing chambers, and a plurality of openings formed in the side of said hollow housing entirely on one side of said partition for communication between the outside of said housing and only one of said mixing; chambers.

2. A centrifugal mixing device having a veritiw cally extending, rotatably mounted shaft. a hol low housing secured: to the lower end of; the shaft, said hollow housing being open at. the too and. at the bottom and being provided with. a horizontal partition which extends from wall t wall thereof and divides it into upper and lower mixing chambers, openings. formed in said horizontal partition to. provide communication between said: mixing chambers, and a plurality of openings formed in the side wall of said hollow housing below said horizontal partition, to. pro vide communication between the lower mixing chamber and the outside of the hollow housing.

3. A centrifugal mixing device having a vertically extending rotatably mounted shaft, a hollow housing having an inlet opening at the top and an inlet opening at the bottom, a horizontal web formed on the inside of said hollow housing extending from wall to wall thereof and securing said hollow housing to the lower end of said shaft, openings formed in said horizontal web to provide communication between the inside of said hollow housing above the web and the inside of said hollow housing below the web, said housing having a plurality of outlet openings extending through the side wall thereof below said web to provide communication between the inside of the hollow housing below said web and the outside of said hollow housing.

4. A centrifugal mixing device having 'a tubular housing which is open at the top and bottom, a horizontal partition in said tubular housing which divides it into upper and lower :mixing chambers, a vertically extending, rotatably mounted shaft which is secured at its lower end to said horizontal partition, a plurality of openings formed in said horizontal partition to provide communication between the upper and lower mixing chambers, said housing having a plurality of openings extending through the side wall thereof, below said horizontal partition, to provide communication between the lower mixing chamber and the outside of the tubular housing.

5. A centrifugal mixing device in accordance with claim 4, wherein the tubular housing is conically tapered inwardly at its upper and lower ends so that its upper mixing chamber is relatively small at the top and relatively large at the bottom and its lower mixing chamber is relatively small at the bottom and relatively large at the top.

6. A centrifugal mixing device comprising a cone-shaped cup which is open at the top, a cone-shaped cup which is open at the bottom, the two cups being arranged coaxially with their bases facing each other, passageways formed between the two cups to provide communication therebetween, openings formed in the side wall of only one of said cups, and a. rotatably mounted shaft secured to both cups, coaxially therewith.

7. A centrifugal mixing device comprising a pair of cone-shaped cups, each having a relatively broad base and a relatively small opening opposite the base, said cups being secured coaxially to each other at their respective bases, openings formed in said bases to provide communication between the two cups, a plurality of openings formed in the side wall of only one of said cups, and a rotatably mounted shaft secured to the bases of the two cups coaxially therewith.

7 8. A centrifugal mixing device in accordance with claim 7 wherein one of said cups is angularly adjustable relative to the other cup so as to adjust the sizes of the openings in the bases of the two cups and thereby to control communication therebetween.

9. A centrifugal mixing device in accordance with claim 7, wherein vertical extending vanes are provided in the two cups. 7

10. A centrifugal mixing device in accordance 10 with claim 6 wherein means are provided for varying the size of the openings in the bases of the two cups and thereby to control communication therebetween.

IAN McLEOD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date 'Groch Oct. 15, 1918 Greenwalt Apr. 12, 1921 Greenwalt Feb. 17, 1925 Schonelborn Mar. 6, 1934 Underwood Aug. 26, 1941 Chilson Apr. 20, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Jan. 21, 1932 Germany Oct. 2, 1929,