Stationary Mixture And Method For Mixing Material

Abstract

A conduit has at least first and second pairs of material guiding plates angularly disposed therein with each plate pair attached to a separate wall means for separately dividing a material stream and individually rotating and mixing each stream portion passing therethrough.

Description

It is desirable to provide a material mixer and a method for passing material into contact with stationary members of the mixer and mixing together the components of the material while passing said material therethrough.

This invention therefore resides in a conduit having at least first and second mixing segments with first and second material-guiding plates within the segments for rotating divided streams of material about the axis of the conduit and mixing said streams. The guiding plates of each first and second segments are angularly disposed relative one to the other and to the axis of the conduit. Each guiding plate is connected to its associated plate by a separate wall for dividing the stream with each successive wall and associated guiding plates oriented about 90.degree. relative one to the other.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus having no moving parts for mixing the components of a material stream.

Other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the disclosure, the appended claims, and the drawing.

The drawings are diagrammatic views of the apparatus of this invention.

FIG. 1 shows the mixer of this invention in partial section,

FIG. 2 shows the guiding plates and walls of the first and second mixing segments of the apparatus,

FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of the walls,

FIG. 4 shows a portion of another embodiment of the walls, and

FIG. 5 shows one embodiment of the material-guiding plates of the apparatus.

Referring to FIG. 1, a stationary material-mixing apparatus 2 has first and second ends 4,6 that are connected to a line (not shown) carrying material to be mixed. The material desired to be mixed by the method and apparatus of this invention can be any material that can be caused to shear, separate, and be mixed by a tumbling action such as, for example, liquids, granular material, coarse powders, and the like. The apparatus 2 has a conduit 8 or housing that extends preferably coaxially with the line delivering said material into the apparatus 2. The conduit 8 has an axis, a length that is dependent upon the amount of mixing that is desired by the operator, a chamber 10 that extends longitudinally through the apparatus 2 opening on the first and second ends 4,6 of the conduit and chamber walls 12. The conduit 8 also has at least one first and second mixing segments 14,16 each extending a distance along the length of the conduit 8. For providing an apparatus with greater material-mixing capabilities, it is preferred that the conduit 8 has a plurality of first and second mixing segments 14,16 with said first mixing segments 14 being separated one from the other by an intervening second mixing segment 16.

At least first and second pairs 18,20 of material-guiding plates (better seen in FIG. 2) with each plate pair 18,20 having first and second material-guiding plates 22,24 are installed within the chamber 10 of the conduit 8. As in the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, where there are a plurality of first and second mixing segments 14,16, there is a pair of first and second guiding plates 22,24 in each segment.

Better seen in FIG. 5, each guiding plate 22,24 has a length (L), a first surface 26, a linear edge 28 having first and second end portions 30,32 and a middle portion 34, and an arcuate edge 36 of a configuration for abutting the chamber walls 12 of the conduit 8 in the installed position of the plates 22,24 in the conduit chamber 10. In that installed position, a plane of the surface 26 of each plate 22,24 extends a distance longitudinally through the conduit 8 and is angularly disposed relative to the axis of the conduit 8 over the length (L) of the plate 22,24. The first and second plates 22,24 of each plate pair 18,20 is positioned adjacent one another with the middle portion 34 of the linear edge 28 of said plate 22,24 being in confronting relationship. In this installed position, the arcuate edge 36 of each plate 22,24 of each plate pair 18,20 abuts the walls 12 of the chamber 10 with the plane of the first surface 26 of each plate 22,24 intersecting the plane of the associated plate of that plate pair. In this crossing relationship of the plates 22,24 of each first and second plate pairs 18,20, the first plate pair 18 has the first end portions 30,30 of the first and second plates 22,24 laterally spaced one from the other, forming an acute angle one with the other and an acute angle between the opposed ends 32,32 of said plates. In the installed position, the second plate pair 20 is differently oriented. The first end portion 30 of the first plate 22 of the second plate pair 20 is laterally spaced from the second end portion 32 of the second plate 24, forming an acute angle therewith and an acute angle between the opposed ends of said plates 22,24 of that plate pair 20. The first guiding plate pair 18 is positioned in the first mixing segment 14 of the conduit 8 and the second guiding plate pair 20 is positioned in the second mixing segment 16 of said conduit 8.

A first wall 38 is attached to the first and second material-guiding plates 22,24 of the first plate pair 18 for connecting said plates 22,24 one to the other. The first wall 38 extends along a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the conduit 8, along the linear edge 28 of said plates 22,24 and between the first end portions 30,30 and the second end portions 32,32 of the first and second material-guiding plates 22,24 of said plate pair 18.

A second wall 40 is attached to the first and second material-guiding plates 22,24 of the second plate pair 20 for connecting said plates 22,24 one to the other. The second wall 40 extends along a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the conduit 8, along the linear edge 28 of said plates 22,24, between the first end portion 30 of the first plate 22 and second end portion 32 of the second plate 24, and between the second end portion 32 of the first plate 22 and the first end portion 30 of the second plate 24 of the second plate pair 20.

FIG. 4 shows a wall portion 42. In this embodiment, first and second wall portions 44,46 as shown in FIG. 2 are connected to a plate pair 18 or 20 thereby covering the acute angles between the plates. FIG. 3 shows a wall 48 that is of unitary structure having first and second end portions 50,52 with each of said end portions 50,52 being of a substantially triangular configuration. It should be understood that any or all of the first and second plate pairs 18,20 of the apparatus can be attached together by either the first and second wall portions 44,46 or by the unitary wall 48. In order to simplify construction of the apparatus, it is preferred that the unitary wall 48 be used with all plate pairs 18,20.

In order to provide for more uniform mixing of the materials in the apparatus 2, it is desirable to have either the first or second plate pairs 18 or 20 having first and second guiding plates 22,24 that are of a common configuration. More preferably, it is desired that all plates 22,24 of the apparatus be of a common configuration to provide more uniform mixing, avoid channeling and equalize the moments exerted on the apparatus by the material passing therethrough. It is also preferred that a portion of at least a portion of the walls be linear and pass through one axis of the conduit dividing the chamber into equal portions in the portion of the chamber 10 adjacent an end 54 of the first end portion 30 of the first material guiding plate 22. More preferably, it is desired that each wall adjacent the end 54 of its respective first end portion 30 of the first material-guiding plate 22 be linear and pass through the axis thereby equally dividing each chamber segment.

The formed guiding members are then inserted into their respective mixing segments 14,16 and oriented relative one to the other such that a plane of the first wall 38 intersects a plane of the adjacent second wall 40, preferably at an angle of about 90.degree. in order to promote uniform mixing of material passing therethrough. That angle of rotation can be greater or less than 90.degree. but at these other angles the uniformity of material mixing decreases. The walls 38,40 are preferably in abutting relationship and there maintained by means such as welding the inserted members to the chamber walls 12 or by clamping, bolting or other means known in the art.

In the material-mixing method of this invention, the material is passed longitudinally through the chamber of the conduit. At the initially encountered mixing segment, the material contacts the wall 38, or 40, which longitudinally divides through one plane the material into first and second material portions. Each first and second material portions are passed, by the force from following material, longitudinally through the chamber segment for contacting the guiding plates therein and rotating each material portion about the axis and separately mixing the components of each material portion. The first and second material portion thereafter contacts the walls 38 or 40 of the next succeeding mixing segment for longitudinally dividing, through another plane that is disposed substantially 90.degree. relative to said one plane, the first material portion into third and fourth material portions and the second material portion into fifth and sixth material portions. During this division, the third and fifth material portions are brought into contact one with the other as are the fourth and sixth material portions. The combined third and fifth and fourth and sixth material portions are then passed through the chamber segment for contacting the guiding plates therein and rotating each combined portion about the axis and mixing the third portion with the fifth portion and the fourth portion with the sixth portion to form a resultant mixed first and mixed second material portions. For further mixing of the components of the initial stream together, the resultant streams can be consecutively passed through additional first and second mixing segments to mix the material components together as set forth above. It should be understood that the initial mixing segment contacted by the stream of material can be either the first or the second mixing segment type.

Other modifications and alterations of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing discussion and accompanying drawing, and it should be understood that this invention is not to be unduly limited thereto.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A stationary material-mixing apparatus, comprising:

a conduit having an axis, a length, a chamber extending longitudinally therethrough opening on first and second ends of the conduit, chamber walls, and at least a first and a second mixing segment each extending a distance along the length of the conduit;

at least first and second pairs of material-guiding plates with each plate pair having first and second material-guiding plates, each guiding plate having a length, a first surface, a linear edge having first and second end portions and a middle portion, and an arcuate edge of a configuration for abutting the chamber walls of the conduit along a plane extending a distance longitudinally through the conduit and angularly disposed relative to the axis of the conduit over the length of the plate, said first and second plates of each plate pair being positioned adjacent one another with the middle portion of the linear edge of said plates being in confronting relationship, the arcuate edge of each plate abutting the walls of the chamber and the plane of the first surface of each plate intersecting the plane of the associated plate of that plate pair, said first plate pair having the first end portions of the first and second plates laterally spaced one from the other and forming an acute angle one with the other and said second plate pair having the first end portion of the first plate laterally spaced from the second end portion of the second plate and forming an acute angle therewith with said first guiding plate pair positioned in the first mixing segment of the conduit and said second guiding plate pair positioned in the second mixing segment of the conduit;

a first wall means connecting the first and second material-guiding plates of the first plate pair one to the other, said first wall means extending along a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the conduit, along the linear edge of said first and second guiding plates and between the first end portions and the second end portions of the first and second material-guiding plates;

a second wall means connecting the first and second material-guiding plates of the second plate pair one to the other, said second wall means extending along a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the conduit, along the linear edge of said first and second guiding plates, between the first end portion of the first plate and second end portion of the second plate and between the second end portion of the first plate and the first end portion of the second plate; and

means for maintaining the first wall and associated first guiding plate pair in a first mixing segment and the second wall and associated second guiding plate pair in the second mixing segment and oriented relative one to the other whereby a plane of the first wall intersects a plane of the adjacent second wall at an angle of about 90.degree..

2. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second material-guiding plates of the first plate pair are of a common configuration.

3. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein a portion of the first wall is linear and passes through the axis of the conduit dividing the chamber of the first mixing segment into substantially equal parts at a first end of the first end portion of the respective first material-guiding plate.

4. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second material-guiding plates of the second plate pair are of a common configuration.

5. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, wherein a portion of the second wall is linear and passes through the axis of the conduit dividing the chamber of the second mixing segment into substantially equal parts at a first end of the first end portion of the respective first material-guiding plate.

6. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein all material-guiding plates are of a common configuration.

7. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 6, wherein a portion of each wall is linear and passes through the axis of the conduit dividing the chambers of each of the mixing segments into substantially equal parts at a first end of the first end portion of each first material-guiding plate.

8. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the wall means comprises first and second wall portions each of substantially triangular configuration.

9. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the wall means comprises a unitary structure having first and second end portions with each of said end portions being of a substantially triangular configuration.

10. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each wall comprises a unitary structure having first and second end portions with each of said end portions being of a substantially triangular configuration.

11. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of first and second mixing segments with said first mixing segments being separated one from the other by an intervening second mixing segment.

12. A method for mixing a material passing through a chamber of a conduit having an axis and at least first and second longitudinally extending chamber segments with material-guiding plates within each segment, comprising:

1. passing a material longitudinally through the chamber of the conduit;

2. longitudinally dividing the material into first and second material portions at the segment;

3. passing each first and second material portions longitudinally through the chamber segment for contacting the guiding plates therein and rotating each material portion about the axis and separately mixing each material portion;

4. longitudinally dividing through another plane disposed substantially 90.degree. relative to said one plane, the first material portion into a third and fourth material portion and the second material portion into fifth and sixth material portions and bringing into contact one with the other the third and fifth material portions and the fourth and sixth material portions at the next succeeding mixing segment;

5. passing each combined third and fifth and fourth and sixth material portions longitudinally through the chamber segment for contacting the guiding plates therein and rotating each combined portion about the axis and mixing the third portion with the fifth portion and the fourth portion with the sixth portion to form a resultant mixed first and a mixed second material portion.

13. A method, as set forth in claim 12, including repeating steps 3-5.

14. A method, as set forth in claim 12, including repeating steps 3-5 a plurality of times.