US3003751A - Blender - Google Patents

Description

C. M. TROST BLENDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 21, 1958 INVENTOR.

COA/PAD M. T8057 Z] I A Tram/22% Oct. 10, 1961 c. M. TROST 3,003,751

BLENDER Filed April 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOPNEV United States Patent 3,003,751 BLENDER Conrad M. Trost, 334 Newbold Ave., Moorestown, NJ. Filed Apr. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 729,787 3 Claims. (Cl. 259-4) This application refers to apparatus for the continuous blending of materials, at least one of which is dry and pulverulent.

The blending or other intermixing of two or more materials, at least one of which is dry and pulverulent, has been carried out for centuries by a multitude of different operations, all of which, insofar as I am aware, have been limited to batch procedures. That is, a preselected quantity of a pulverulent material is placed in a receptacle with a preselected quantity of one or more other materials after which the entire mass is then agitated in one of many ways. This procedure may be satisfactory for small operations and for specialized industrial processes where only limited quantities of the product are needed at one time. However, in larger scale activities, the batch procedures tend to produce variations in the final product and, at best, create serious control and handling problems, all of which increase the cost and reduce the acceptability of the final product. These problems are particularly acute where one or more of the materials is moist or sticky. Thus, there has long been a pressing need for a method of blending, and an apparatus for carrying out said method, whereby two or more materials, at least one of which is a dry material, can be continuously and uniformly blended, said apparatus having a minimum of moving parts, being small and inexpensive and, when set, being able to operate efiectively and accurately over an extended period of time without other or further attention.

Accordingly, a principal object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for continuously intermixing two or more materials of which at least one is primarily dry and pulverulent.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, the operation of which requires no moving parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which is extremely simple in its construction and, therefore, can be made very inexpensively, particularly in view of the ease of its operation and the accuracy and magnitude of its output.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus, as aforesaid, which is not only capable of blending a variety of difierent materials, at least one of which is primarily dry and pulverulent in nature, but is also adaptable for surface coating a substantially solid pulverulent material with a liquid material and for intermixing materials to effect a chemical reaction therebetween.

Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons acquainted with apparatus of this general type upon reading the following disclosure and inspecting the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a blending apparatus embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line IIII in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line IIL-III in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is partially a plan and partially a central cross-sectional view of a modified blending apparatus.

For convenience in description, the terms upper, lower and derivatives thereof will have reference to the structure described herein in one normal position of operation, namely, that appearing in FIGURE 1. The

terms inner, outer and derivatives thereof will have Patented Oct. 10, 1961 reference to the geometric center of the blending apparatus of the invention and parts associated therewith.

General description The apparatus selected to illustrate apparatus aspects of the invention comprises a generally cylindrical chamber having feeding means at one end of said chamber, and having at the other end a plurality of fluid openings arranged in a pattern which is preferably a coaxial circle of relatively large diameter. An outlet pipe communicates with said cylindrical chamber closely adjacent said last named end thereof. A hopper introduces the material into at least one stream of pressure fluid to provide a materials-laden stream which is preferably directed substantially coaxially into said chamber through said feeding means. Pressure fluid is forced inwardly through said fluid openings in the other end of said chamber so that they enter said chamber in substantially parallel streams surrounding the materials-laden stream. This arrangement, in combination with the particular shape of the chamber and control of the fluid pressures effects a thorough circulation of the streams within said chamber and a thorough blending of said material before it passes through the outlet into a suitable collector.

It will be recognized as the description proceeds that the material entering the feed opening may be a single material or it may be a combination of one dry pulver ulent material with at least one other material, which may be dry, tacky, moist or otherwise. Furthermore, materials may under some circumstances be entrained with the streams entering through the other end of the mixing chamber.

Detailed construction The blending apparatus 8 (FIGURES 1 and 2), which has been selected to illustrate apparatus of the invention, is intended to blend 2. single solid material with one or two fluid materials, but its principles, when understood, can be readily modified to meet other specific situations. It includes an elongated hollow casing 9 which may be comprised of two substantially identical and semi-cylindrical shells 10 and 10a. Each of said shells has a pair of radially projecting flanges 11 and 11a, which extend lengthwise of said shells adjacent to their edges. The flanges, hence the shells, are held together by the bolts 12 to form said casing 9. A pair of removable end walls 13 and 14 are held within the opposite ends of said casing by means such as the set screws 16 and 17. The end wall 14 has a coaxial threaded opening 18 into which an inlet pipe 19 is threadedly received, said inlet pipe being connectible to a source, not shown, of pressure fluid such as compressed air. The end wall 13 has a coaxial conical bore 21 which converges from an inner diameter substantially identical with the internal diameter of the cylindrical casing 9, to a relatively small diameter at the outer end thereof.

A relatively thick, transverse partition 22 is held by means of pins 25 within the cylindrical casing 9 near to but spaced from the end wall 14. The partition 22 combines with the end wall 14 and a portion of the cylindrical casing 9 to provide a plenum chamber 23. Said partition also combines with the remainder of the cylindrical casing 9 and the conical bore 21 in the end wall 13 to define a mixing chamber 24. Means including the pipe 26 provides an outlet passage 27 from the mixing chamber 24 near to the partition 22. A threaded opening 28 through the wall of the casing 9 communicates with the plenum chamber 23. An externally threaded sealing ring 31, having a coaxial opening 30 for snug reception of a temperature indicating device 29, as the temperature sensitive elements of a thermocouple, is threadedly received into said threaded opening 28, whereby said elements extend into said plenum chamber 23'. In this particular embodiment, said sealing ring 31 is flanged at its outer end.

7 The. partition 22 has a plurality of preferably parallel passageways 32 (FIGURES 2 and 3) which, in this particular embodiment, are arranged in a circle substantially coaxial with the casing 9. The diameter of the circle defined by the passageways 32 is sufficiently large that the streams of pressure fluid created by such passageways impinge upon the conical surface of the bore 21 in the end wall 13 near the rightward end thereof and are thereby deflected toward the central axis of the casing 9.

The end wall 13 has a coaxial extension 36 which has a coaxial central opening 37 preferably having the same diameter as the adjacent minimum diameter of the conical 'bore 21. A cylindrical connector pipe 38 has one end slidably receivable into the opening 37 in the cylindrical extension 36 Where it is releasably held by any convenient means, such as a set screw 39.

The materials feed assembly 41 includes in this embodiment a support tube 42 which is slidably supported upon the connector pipe 38 and releasably secured thereto by convenient means such as the set screw 43. The connector pipe 38 may have its inner bore 44 divergently beveled at both ends thereof in order to efiect a minimum of obstruction to the passage of materials and fluid therethrough.

The support tube 42 has a substantially semi-cylindrical opening 46 through its sidewall for communication with the lower end of the hopper 47 which hopper is here shown for convenience in illustration without any agitator or feeder appearing in the discharge opening thereof. A pressure fluid pipe 48 extends into the tube 42 and has a nozzle 49 pointing toward the chamber 24 and disposed directly below the opening 46, hence the hopper 47. Said nozzle 49 is, however, spaced from the adjacent end of the connector pipe 38, which is flush with the inner wall 51 of the hopper 47. Accordingly, materials within the hopper 47 can drop down into the support tube 42 between the nozzle 49 and the adjacent end of the connector pipe 38 for entrainment with pressure fluid discharged from the nozzle 49 and subsequent movement through the connector pipe 38 into the mixing chamber 24. A suitable collector 52, shown in broken lines in FIGURE 3, may be mounted upon the outlet pipe 26 as desired. Here a bag is shown fastened to the outlet pipe 26 by means of a flexible resilient ring 53.

Operation Solid, pulverulent material is fed into the hopper 47 in preselected continuous quantities at predeterrninable rates by means such as a conventional conveyor, not shown. Pressure fluid, from a source or sources not shown, is connected to the pipes 48 and 19, said fluid being the same at both pipes 48 and 19 if the solid material is to be blended with only one fluid or if two fluids are involved they can be connected, respectively at 48 and 19. The pressure fluid in the pipe 48 discharges through the nozzle 49 into the material disposed in the bottom of the hopper47 and the adjacent portion of the support tube 42, thereby progressively entraining such material and moving it through the connector pipe 38 into themixing chamber 24 in a stream which moves substantially'along thev central axis of said mixing chamher. For reasons well-known in the art of fluid-handling devices, the materials-laden stream, indicated by the broken lines 55 in FIGURE 2, will tend to diverge as it moves through said mixing chamber 24. V

The pressurefluid in the inlet pipe 19 flows into the plenum chamber 23 and thence through the fluid passage- Ways32 in the partition 22, thereby forming jet streams,

such as that indicated in broken lines at 56 in FIGURE 2.

In the absence of interference, the major part of each jet laden stream 55. However, when the jet streams strike the bore 21, they are deflected into the materials-laden stream, thereby diverting portions of said materials-laden streams into the path of the oncoming jet streams. This pattern of deflections and resulting interferences compounds itself infinitely within the mixing chamber 24 to produce a turbulent continuous blending action. Both streams of fluid are, however, for a pure blending action held to a sufliciently low velocity that no impingement of the particles between each other can take place, particularly of such magnitude as to effect appreciable abrasion or shattering. The pressure fluid within the mixing chamber 24 and the solid material blended therewith then passes through the outlet passageway 27 into any convenient collecting device 52 and the flow of the materials from the central part of the chamber past the streams'entering from openings 32 will further agitate and mix the materials. As long as solid material is available in the hopper 47, the nozzle 49 continue to entrain it and move it into the mixing chamber 24 where it will be blended with the fluids in the manner set forth hereinabove.

After the blending operation has been completed, the blending apparatus 8 can be easily disassembled and cleaned by removing the set screws 16, 17, 39 and 43. If a more thorough cleaning is desirable, the bolts 12 can be removed thereby permitting separation of the semi-cylindrical shells 10 and 10a and the removal of the partition 22.

Modified structure FIGURE 4 illustrates a modified blending apparatus 60 wherein a plurality, here three, of solid pulverulent materials are to be blended with each other. The pressure fluids involved may be merely conveying and agitating agencies or one or more of them may also be blended into the final product. In this embodiment, the three feed assemblies 61, 62 and 63 are utilized for directing solid materials into the mixing chamber 64. Each of the feed assemblies 61, 62 and 63 may be substantially identical in structure and function to the'feed assembly 41 described and disclosed hereinabove. The center feed assembly 62 is arranged to direct its materials-laden stream 66 of pressure fluid substantially along the central axis of the mixing chamber 64 in substantially the same manner as does the feed assembly 41 of FIGURE 2. The feed assemblies 61 and 63* produce materials- laden streams 65 and 67, respectively, which converge with the materials-laden stream 66 of the feed assembly 62 at a common point 68 in the chamber 64. This convergence of the streams 65, 66 and 67 creates an initial turbulence and blending which is compounded and intensified by the jet streams 69 produced by the pressure fluid passageways 70 through the partition member 71. and yet without producing any appreciable abrading or grinding action. The remainder of the construction and operation of the modified apparatus 60 may be substantially the same as that set forth hereinabove with respect to the apparatus 8 of FIGURES 1 and 2.

Where the entire final mixture is the desired product, the collector 52 may be merely a receptacle, but where one or more of the pressure fluids is functioning only as a. carrying or agitating agent, then the collector will be any convenient device for separating the product from the fluid. For example, where such pressure fluid is gaseous, as steam or compressed air, the collector may be a cyclone or a porous bag.

While the apparatus of the present invention is intended primarily for mixing and blending solid and/ or semi-solid materials, it is also adaptable for applying a liquid or plastic coating which is either polymolecular or monomolecular, to the particles of a solid pulverulent material and/ or for intermixing materials to effect a chemical reaction therebetween. It will also be recognized that the references to dry pulverulent materials and similar references may also include solid materials having other characteristics. For example, materials such as DDT, which are somewhat waxy in their nature, or materials which are slightly moist may also be handled by the apparatus of the present invention, providing only that the handling characteristics thereof are primarily those of dry pulverulent solids.

The fluid passageways 32, which are in the lower part of the partition 22 (FIGURE 3), are of larger diameter than the passageways near the upper part of the partition. This arrangement not only tends to prevent the solid materials from collecting in the bottom of the casing, but also creates more turbulence in the mixing chamber 24.

Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail hereinabove for illustrative purposes, modifications or variations of such disclosure, which lie the scope of the appended claims, are fully contemplated.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for blending two or more materials, at least one of which is pulverulent, comprising: a substantially horizontally disposed housing defining an elongated mixing chamber at least part of which is cylindrical; a feed passageway communicating with said mixing chamber coaxially through one end thereof; nozzle means arranged coaxially with said feed passageway for directing a stream of pressure fluid through said feed passageway into said mixing chamber substantially along the lengthwise axis thereof; a materials hopper communicating with said feed passageway adjacent to said nozzle means, the materials in the lower end of said hopper being entrained by said pressure fluid stream and entering therewith into said chamber; means defining a plurality of substantially parallel passageways communicating with said mixing chamber through the other end thereof, said passageways being arranged substantially in a circle substantially coaxial with said mixing chamber; means for directing pressure fluid through said parallel passageways; deflecting wall means extending at an angle to the lengthwise axis of said mixing chamber and sloping inwardly from a point on the wall of said chamber intermediate the ends thereof toward said feed passageway; and an outlet passageway through the side wall of said mixing chamber near the other end thereof, said chamber being closed except for said feed passageway, said outlet passageway and said pressure fluid passageways so that the entirety of the materials and fluid admitted thereinto are removed through said outlet opening.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical portion of said mixing chamber is adjacent to said other end thereof and said deflecting wall means is a conical wall converging toward said feed passageway, whereby at least part of the pressure fluid entering said mixing chamber through said plurality of parallel passageways is impinged upon the conical wall and thereby directed toward the materials-laden stream.

3. The structure of claim 1 including a plurality of additional feed passageways communicating with said mixing chamber through said one end thereof; nozzle means arranged coaxially .within each of said additional feed passageways for directing a stream of pressure fluid therethrough into said mixing chamber, the streams of pressure fluid from all of said feed passageways converging at a point along the lengthwise axis of said mixing chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,762,762 Cofley June 10, 1930 2,005,800 OBoyle l June 25, 1935 2,600,253 Lutz June 10, 1952 2,609,185 Eisner Sept. 2, 1952 2,658,847 Macdonald Nov. 10, 1953 2,692,764 Hanson .l Oct. 26, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 663,974 France Apr. 16, 1929 666,515 Germany Oct. 21, 1938

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