Claims
- 1. Apparatus for mixing together two or more flowable materials comprising
- (a) an annular elongate chamber having a central axis and defined by respective first and second wall surfaces radially spaced apart from one another about said axis;
- (b) means mounting a structure having one of said wall surfaces thereon permitting movement of such wall surface relative to the other;
- (c) material flow passage means for introducing the materials, to be mixed, individually into said chamber adjacent one end thereof; and
- (d) means permitting discharging the mixture of materials from said chamber adjacent an opposite end thereof, said chamber tapering in a direction from the inlet thereto in a direction toward the outlet therefrom.
- 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said chamber tapers increasing in diameter in a direction from the inlet thereto toward the outlet therefrom.
- 3. Apparatus for mixing together two or more flowable materials comprising
- (a) an annular elongate chamber having a central axis and defined by respective first and second wall surfaces radially spaced apart from one another about said axis;
- (b) means mounting a structure having one of said wall surfaces thereon permitting movement of such wall surface relative to the other;
- (c) means selectively to vary the distance between said first and second wall surfaces;
- (d) material flow passage means for introducing the materials, to be mixed, individually into said chamber adjacent one end thereof; and
- (e) means permitting discharging the mixture of materials from said chamber adjacent an opposite end thereof.
- 4. Apparatus for mixing together two or more flowable materials comprising:
- (a) an annular elongate chamber having a central axis and defined by respective first and second wall surfaces radially spaced apart from one another about said axis, said first wall being the outer surface of a first conical member and said second wall being the surface of a cavity in a second member and wherein at least one of said first and second members is rotatable about said axis and thereby being movable relative to the other;
- (b) means mounting a structure having one of said wall surfaces thereon permitting relative movement of the wall surfaces in a direction longitudinally along said axis to thereby selectively adjust the spacing between said wall surfaces;
- (c) material flow passage means for introducing the materials, to be mixed, individually into said chamber adjacent one end thereof; and
- (d) means permitting discharging the mixture of said materials from said chamber adjacent an opposite end thereof.
- 5. Apparatus for mixing two or more flexible materials comprising:
- (a) an annular elongate chamber having a central axis and defined by respective first and second parallel wall surfaces radially spaced apart from one another about said axis;
- (b) means mounting structures having said wall surfaces thereon permitting rotational and axial movement respectively about and along said central axis of one such wall surface relative to the other;
- (c) material flow passage means for introducing materials, to be mixed, individually into said chamber adjacent one end thereof;
- (d) means permitting discharging the mixture of said materials from said chamber adjacent an opposite end thereof; and
- (e) a centrifugal separator in fluid flow communication with the mixer and located downstream therefrom with respect to the direction of fluid flow through the mixer.
- 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said centrifugal separator is disposed coaxially with said annular elongate mixing chamber.
- 7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said centrifugal separator has an elongate separating chamber extending axially along and concentric with said annular elongate mixing chamber.
- 8. Apparatus for mixing together two or more flowable materials comprising
- (a) a first annular elongate mixing chamber having a central axis and defined by respective first and second wall surfaces radially spaced apart from one another about said axis;
- (b) means mounting a structure having one of said wall surfaces thereon permitting movement of such wall surface relative to the other;
- (c) material flow passage means for introducing the materials, to be mixed, individually into said chamber adjacent one end thereof;
- (d) means permitting discharging the mixture of said materials from said chamber adjacent an opposite end thereof; and
- (e) a second annular elongate mixing chamber in material flow relationship downstream from said first mixing chamber, said second mixing chamber being disposed coaxial with said first annular mixing chamber and in concentric relation therewith.
- 9. Apparatus for mixing together two or more flowable materials comprising:
- (a) a tapered annular elongate chamber having a central axis and defined by respective inner and outer wall surfaces closely adjacent but radially spaced apart from one another about said axis;
- (b) means mounting structures having said wall surfaces thereon permitting rotational and axial movement of such wall surfaces relative to the other;
- (c) material flow passage means for introducing materials, to be mixed, individually into said chamber adjacent one end thereof; and
- (d) means permitting discharging the mixture of said materials from said chamber adjacent an opposite end thereof.
- 10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said chamber tapers outwardly in a direction from the inlet thereto toward the outlet therefrom.
- 11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein the inner wall of the chamber comprises the outer conical surface of a member movable in a direction into and out of a cavity in another member and wherein said other member is journalled for rotation about said central axis.
- 12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said central axis is vertical during operation of the apparatus.
- 13. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein material flow through said passages is assisted by gravity and wherein flow through said annular chamber is resisted by gravity.
- 14. Apparatus for mixing two or more fluids comprising:
- (a) an annular tapered elongate chamber having a central axis and defined by respective inner and outer opposing wall surfaces radially spaced apart from one another about said axis, said wall surfaces being parallel to one another;
- (b) means mounting one of said wall surfaces for movement in a direction axially along said central axis and means mounting the other of said wall surfaces for rotation about said central axis thereby providing axial and rotational movement of the surfaces relative to one another;
- (c) fluid flow passage means on the mounting means of said one wall surface for individually introducing the fluids to be mixed into said chamber adjacent one end thereof; and
- (d) means permitting discharging the mixture of said fluids from said chamber adjacent an opposite end thereof.
- 15. Apparatus for mixing fluids comprising:
- (a) a pair of members having opposing wals facing one another and spaced apart a selected distance to provide a chamber therebetween, said opposing walls surrounding a common axis;
- (b) fluid flow passage means having inlets into the chamber for introducing thereinto individually two or more fluids to be mixed;
- (c) an outlet from the chamber for discharging therefrom, in continuous flow, a mixture of fluids introduced into the chamber; and
- (d) means mounting one of said wall surfaces for movement relative to the other by rotation about said common axis, and means mounting the other of said walls for movement toward and away from the said one wall selectively to vary the spacing between such walls in a range of 2.7 mm to 0.35 mm, said inlets to said chamber being closer to the axis of rotation than the outlet from said chamber.
- 16. Apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein said outlet is an annular gap extending around said common axis.
- 17. Apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein said outlet from the chamber is an annular gap between said spaced apart wall surfaces and wherein said gap is concentric and symmetrically disposed about said common axis.
- 18. Apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein said chamber is annular in the form of a truncated cone.
- 19. Apparatus for mixing together two or more fluids comprising:
- (a) a pair of members having opposing walls facing one another and spaced apart a selected distance to provide a mixing chamber therebetween, said opposing walls surrounding a common axis and at least one having a plurality of grooves disposed concentrically in radial spaced relation about said axis;
- (b) fluid flow passage means having inlets into the chamber for introducing thereinto individually two or more fluids to be mixed;
- (c) an outlet from the chamber for discharging therefrom, in continuous flow, a mixture of fluids introduced into the chamber; and
- (d) means mounting one of said wall surfaces for movement relative to the other by rotation about said common axis and means movably mounting such other wall for movement toward and away from said one wall adjustably to vary the distance between such walls, said inlets to said chamber being closer to the axis of rotation than the outlet from said chamber.
- 20. Apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said outlet is an annular gap between said opposing walls.
- 21. Apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said opposing wall faces each have a plurality of said concentric grooves and wherein the grooves in one face are radially offset from the grooves in the other face, whereby said mixing chamber comprises a plurality of annular tapered chamber portions in series in a direction radiating out from said common axis.
- 22. Apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said grooves are V-shaped.
- 23. Apparatus for mixing together two or more fluids comprising:
- (a) a pair of members having opposing walls facing one another and spaced apart a selected distance to provide a mixing chamber therebetween, said opposing walls being disposed transverse to a common axis and each having a plurality of grooves disposed concentrically in radial spaced relation about said common axis, said grooves in one face being radially offset from adjacent corresponding grooves in the other face and thereby providing in series a plurality of tapered annular mixing chamber portions;
- (b) fluid flow passage means having inlets into said mixing chamber for introducing thereinto individually two or more fluids to be mixed;
- (c) an outlet from the chamber for discharging therefrom, in continuous flow, a mixture of fluids introduced into the chamber; and
- (d) means mounting one of said wall surfaces for movement relative to the other by rotation about said common axis and means movably mounting such other wall for movement toward and away from said one wall adjustably to vary the distance therebetween in a range of from 2.7 mm to 0.35 mm, said inlets to said chamber being closer to the axis of rotation than the outlet from said chamber.
- 24. Apparatus for mixing together two or more fluids comprising:
- (a) a mixing chamber defined by respective first and second spaced apart wall surfaces each symmetrically disposed about a common axis;
- (b) means mounting a structure having one of said wall surfaces thereon permitting selective adjustment movement of said wall surface in a direction toward and away from the other to selectively vary the spacing between said walls;
- (c) fluid flow passage means having inlets into said chamber for introducing thereinto individually two or more fluids to be mixed;
- (d) one or more outlets from the chamber for discharging therefrom a mixture of the fluids introduced into the chamber; and
- (e) means mounting at least one of said wall surfaces for rotation about said common axis thereby providing for movement of one of said first and second wall surfaces relative to the other to effect mixing of fluids disposed therebetween.
- 25. Apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein said mixing chamber is defined by the outer surface of a first cylindrical member and a conical cavity in a second member.
- 26. Apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein said mixing chamber is defined by the outer surface of a first conical member and a cylindrical cavity in a second member.
- 27. Apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein said mixing chamber is defined by the outer surface of a first conical member and a conical cavity in a second member.
- 28. Apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein said mixing chamber is defined by a pair of members having opposing surfaces facing one another and spaced apart a selected distance to provide a chamber therebetween, said opposing walls being perpendicular to said common axis and each having a plurality of grooves concentrically disposed about said axis.
- 29. Apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein the inner and outer wall surfaces forming said mixing chamber have separate parallel axes.
RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 771,606, filed Sept. 3, 1985, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
771606 |
Sep 1985 |
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