초록 ▼

Apparatus and method for automatically and continuously feeding, blending and mixing particulate material. In a non-mixing mode, a primary material is gravity fed through a vertical flow tube disposed in a chamber. Material flows into the chamber until an equilibrium level is established within the

Apparatus and method for automatically and continuously feeding, blending and mixing particulate material. In a non-mixing mode, a primary material is gravity fed through a vertical flow tube disposed in a chamber. Material flows into the chamber until an equilibrium level is established within the chamber. The volume of material fed through the system is governed by the through-put of a take-off screw, which communicates with a port in the bottom of the chamber. In a mixing mode, secondary materials, such as additives, are metered into the chamber at a point above the equilibrium mixing level, which secondary materials are mixed with the primary material, thereby automatically proportioning the final product feed. The vertical flow tube can be rotatable about its longitudinal axis in either mode to enhance mixing and feeding.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus for mixing and blending solid particulate materials, comprising: a mixing and blending chamber, said chamber having a downwardly sloping bottom wall, a port at the lower end of said bottom wall, a vertical flow tube having an upper and lower end, said tube having a vertical axis, suppor

An apparatus for mixing and blending solid particulate materials, comprising: a mixing and blending chamber, said chamber having a downwardly sloping bottom wall, a port at the lower end of said bottom wall, a vertical flow tube having an upper and lower end, said tube having a vertical axis, support means for rotatably supporting said tube for rotation about said axis within said chamber, agitating means mounted on said tube for agitating materials in said chamber, drive means to rotate said tube about said vertical axis, an opening in said tube at its lower end, deflecting means adjacent the lower end of said tube for radially deflecting material toward said agitating means, a first source of primary feed material communicating with said tube to admit primary material to said chamber for mixing, a second source of secondary feed material communicating with said chamber at a point above said opening in said tube, means for metering said secondary material into said chamber, discharge means for receiving and feeding said first and secondary feed materials away from said chamber, said discharge means being below said port, whereby said primary material flowing through said rotating tube and said secondary material being metered into said chamber are mixed together within said chamber prior to flowing through said port to said discharge means.