Claims
- 1. A method of making first and second rotors for use in a two-rotor continuous mixer for plastic materials having openable chamber means forming an openable mixing chamber comprising the steps of:
- forming a first rotor for assembling in three main pieces: a first drive journal, a first body section, and a first driven journal;
- forming a second rotor for assembling in three main pieces: a second drive journal, a second body section, and a second driven journal;
- disconnectibly coupling said first drive journal and said first driven journal to opposite ends of said first body section with said first drive journal, said first body section and said first driven journal having aligned axes of rotation; and
- disconnectibly coupling said second drive journal and said second driven journal to opposite ends of said second body section with said second drive journal, said second body section, and said second driven journal having aligned axes of rotation.
- 2. A method of making first and second rotors as claimed in claim 1, comprising the further steps of:
- rotatably supporting said first drive journal and said second drive journal exteriorly of an end of said openable chamber means; and
- rotatably supporting said first driven journal and said second driven journal exteriorly of another end of said openable chamber means; wherein:
- said rotatable support of said first and second drive journals and of said first and second driven journals remain undisturbed when said openable chamber means are opened and said first and second body sections are uncoupled from their respective drive and driven journals for removal from the opened mixing chamber.
- 3. A method of making first and second rotors as claimed in claim 2, comprising the further steps of:
- rotatably supporting said first drive journal and said second drive journal exteriorly of said end of said openable chamber means at a location spaced sufficiently far from said end of said openable chamber means for uncoupling said first and second drive journals from said first and second body sections, respectively, without opening said openable chamber means; and
- rotatably supporting said first driven and said second driven journal exteriorly of said other end of said openable chamber means at a location spaced sufficiently far from said other end of said openable chamber means for uncoupling said first and second driven journals from said first and second body sections, respectively, without opening said openable chamber means.
- 4. A method of making first and second rotors as claimed in claim 1, comprising the further steps of:
- providing a drive bearing assembly;
- positioning said drive bearing assembly exteriorly of said openable chamber means and being spaced from an end of said openable chamber means;
- providing a driven bearing assembly;
- positioning said driven bearing assembly exteriorly of said openable chamber means and being spaced from another end of said openable chamber means;
- rotatably supporting said first drive journal and said second drive journal in said drive bearing assembly; and
- rotatably supporting said first driven journal and said second driven journal in said driven bearing assembly.
- 5. A method of making first and second rotors as claimed in claim 4, wherein:
- said first drive journal and said second drive journal remain rotatably supported in said drive bearing assembly and also said first driven journal and said second driven journal remain rotatably supported in said driven bearing assembly when said first body section is uncoupled from said first drive journal and from said first driven journal and is removed from an opened mixing chamber and when said second body section is uncoupled from said second drive journal and from said second driven journal and is removed from the opened mixing chamber.
- 6. A method of making first and second rotors as claimed in claim 4, wherein:
- said drive bearing assembly is spaced sufficiently far from said end of said opening chamber means for uncoupling said first drive journal and said second drive journal from said first and second body sections, respectively, without opening said opening chamber means; and
- said drive bearing assembly is spaced sufficiently far from said other of said opening chamber means for uncoupling said first driven journal and said second driven journal from said first and second section, respectively, without opening said opening chamber means.
- 7. A method of making first and second rotors as claimed in claim 1, comprising the further steps of:
- providing first and second non-split visco seals;
- positioning said first non-split visco seal in encircling relationship around said first body section while said first body section is uncoupled from said first drive journal and from said first driven journal and said first body section is outside of an opened mixing chamber; and
- positioning said second non-split visco seal in encircling relationship around said second body section while said second body section is uncoupled from said second drive journal and from said second driven journal and said second body section is outside of an opened mixing chamber.
- 8. A method of assembling a two-rotor continuous mixer having openable chamber means defining an openable mixing chamber comprising the steps of:
- providing a first drive journal and a first driven journal;
- said first drive journal and first driven journal each having a rotational axis;
- positioning said first drive journal and first driven journal near opposite ends of said openable mixing chamber with the rotational axes of said first drive journal and first driven journal being aligned;
- providing a first rotor body having a rotational axis;
- assembling said first rotor body in said openable mixing chamber between said first drive journal and said first driven journal by the step of removably coupling an end of said first rotor body to said first drive journal with the rotational axis of said first rotor body being aligned with the rotational axis of said first drive journal and by the step of removably coupling another end of said first rotor body to said first driven journal with the rotational axis of said first rotor body being aligned with the rotational axis of said first driven journal;
- providing a second drive journal and a second driven journal;
- said second drive journal and second driven journal each having a rotational axis;
- positioning said second drive journal and second driven journal near opposite ends of said openable mixing chamber with the rotational axes of said second drive journal and second driven journal being aligned and with said first drive journal and said second drive journal being positioned near a first end of the openable mixing chamber and with said first driven journal and said second driven journal being positioned near a second end of the openable mixing chamber;
- providing a second rotor body having a rotational axis;
- assembling said second rotor body in said openable mixing chamber between said second drive journal and second driven journal by the step of removably coupling an end of said second rotor body to said second drive journal with the rotational axis of said second rotor body being aligned with the rotational axis of said second drive journal and by the step of removably coupling another end of said second rotor body to said second driven journal with the rotational axis of said second rotor body being aligned with the rotational axis of said second driven journal;
- whereby said first rotor body is removable from said openable mixing chamber by uncoupling ends of said first rotor body from said first drive journal and from said first driven journal and said second rotor body is removable from said openable mixing chamber by uncoupling ends of said second rotor body from said second drive journal and from said second driven journal.
- 9. In a two-rotor continuous mixer having openable chamber means defining an openable mixing chamber, a method of assembling a three-piece first rotor and a three-piece second rotor in said continuous mixer comprising the steps of:
- providing a first drive journal in the openable chamber means near a first end of the openable mixing chamber;
- providing a first driven journal in the openable chamber means near a second end of the openable mixing chamber and having a rotational axis of the first driven journal aligned with a rotational axis of the first drive journal;
- providing a second drive journal in said openable chamber means near said first end of said openable mixing chamber;
- providing a second driven journal in said openable chamber means near said second end of said openable mixing chamber and having a rotational axis of the second driven journal aligned with a rotational axis of the second drive journal;
- providing a first rotor body having a rotational axis;
- assembling said first rotor body in said openable mixing chamber between said first drive journal and said first driven journal by removably coupling an end of said first rotor body to said first drive journal with the rotational axis of said first rotor body being aligned with the rotational axis of said first drive journal and by removably coupling another end of said first rotor body to said first driven journal with the rotational axis of said first rotor body being aligned with the rotational axis of said first driven journal;
- providing a second rotor body having a rotational axis,
- assembling said second rotor body in said openable mixing chamber between said second drive journal and second driven journal by removably coupling an end of said second rotor body to said second drive journal with the rotational axis of said second rotor body being aligned with the rotational axis of said second drive journal and by removably coupling another end of said second rotor body to said second driven journal with the rotational axis of said second rotor body being aligned with the rotational axis of said second driven journal;
- whereby said openable mixing chamber is conveniently fully accessible by uncoupling ends of said first rotor body from said first drive journal and from said first driven journal for removing said first rotor body from said openable mixing chamber and by uncoupling ends of said second rotor body from said second drive journal and from said second driven journal for removing said second rotor body from said openable mixing chamber.
Parent Case Info
This application is a divisional of prior application Ser. No. 07/711,805 filed Jun. 7, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,089.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
711805 |
Jun 1991 |
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