Claims
- 1. A blending apparatus comprising:
a blending vessel having an axis of symmetry and at all points along the axis of symmetry having a racetrack-shaped cross section in a plane perpendicular to the axis of symmetry, said racetrack-shaped cross section consisting of two opposed semicircles, spaced, and with their concave sides facing each other, the ends of the semicircles joined by parallel straight line segments, said blending vessel extending downward from an upper end to a lower end; and, means for introducing into said blending vessel in a controllable manner materials that are to be blended, said means connected to the upper end of said blending vessel.
- 2. The blending apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diameters of the semicircles decrease in the downward direction.
- 3. The blending apparatus of claim 1 wherein the length of the parallel straight line segments decreases in the downward direction.
- 4. The blending apparatus of claim 1 wherein said blending vessel includes an upper part and a lower part and wherein, in the upper part the diameters of the semicircles decrease in the downward direction, and wherein, in the lower part the length of the parallel straight line segments decreases in the downward direction.
- 5. The blending apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for introducing further comprise a feeder and a chute, said feeder discharging said materials into said chute, and said chute discharging into said blending vessel.
- 6. The blending apparatus of claim 5 wherein said chute is so positioned with respect to said blending vessel that portions of the material introduced into the blending vessel at a particular time take different paths through the blending vessel and arrive at the lower end at different times.
- 7. A blending apparatus comprising:
more than one identical blending vessels connected sequentially in a vertical direction so that material to be blended passes through them in succession, each of said more than one identical blending vessels having its own axis of symmetry and at all points along its axis of symmetry having a racetrack-shaped cross section in a plane perpendicular to the axis of symmetry, said racetrack-shaped cross section consisting of two opposed semicircles, spaced, and with their concave sides facing each other, the ends of the semicircles joined by parallel straight line segments.
- 8. The blending apparatus of claim 7 wherein the axes of symmetry of said more than one identical blending vessels are displaced laterally one from another.
- 9. The blending apparatus of claim 7 wherein the major axes of the racetrack-shaped cross sections of said more than one identical blending vessels are oriented in different directions.
- 10. The blending apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of said more than one identical blending vessels includes an upper part and a lower part, and wherein, in the upper part the diameters of the semicircles decrease in the downward direction, and wherein, in the lower part the length of the parallel straight line segments decreases in the downward direction.
- 11. The blending apparatus of claim 7 wherein one of said more than one identical blending vessels is uppermost, and further comprising means for introducing into said uppermost blending vessel in a controllable manner materials that are to be blended, said means connected to the upper end of the uppermost blending vessel.
- 12. The blending apparatus of claim 11 wherein said means for introducing further comprise a feeder and a chute, said feeder discharging said materials into said chute, and said chute discharging into the uppermost blending vessel.
- 13. A blending apparatus comprising:
a blending vessel having an axis of symmetry and at all points along the axis of symmetry having a racetrack-shaped cross section in a plane perpendicular to the axis of symmetry, said racetrack-shaped cross section consisting of two opposed semicircles, spaced, and with their concave sides facing each other, the ends of the semicircles joined by parallel straight line segments, said blending vessel extending downward from an upper end to a lower end; and, means for rotating said blending vessel about an approximately horizontal axis.
- 14. The blending apparatus of claim 13 wherein the major axis of the racetrack-shaped cross sections of said blending vessel is oriented in a different direction from the direction of said approximately horizontal axis about which said blending vessel is rotated.
- 15. The blending apparatus of claim 14 in which the major axis is displaced in angle from the horizontal axis by an amount between 15 and 75 degrees.
- 16. The blending apparatus of claim 13 further comprising an introduction vessel for receiving and holding the material as the blending vessel is rotated to an inverted position, and for re-introducing the material to the blending vessel as the blending vessel is rotated to an upright position, said introduction vessel having a lower end connected to the upper end of the blending vessel and having an upper end.
- 17. The blending apparatus of claim 16 wherein said introduction vessel is cylindrical shaped, and is closed at its upper end.
- 18. The blending apparatus of claim 16 wherein said introduction vessel is a vessel identical in size and shape to said blending vessel and is joined to said blending vessel in an inverted posture.
- 19. The blending apparatus of claim 18 wherein said introduction vessel is joined to said blending vessel with the major axis of the racetrack-shaped cross section of said introduction vessel oriented at a different direction from the major axis of the racetrack-shaped cross section of said blending vessel.
REFERENCE TO EARLIER APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/230,735 filed Sep. 7, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60230735 |
Sep 2000 |
US |