US 3,946,997 AGranted

Agitator for nonhomogeneous, liquid materials in a tank

OwnerHans Grenzebachinventor

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Abstract

Agitator for nonhomogeneous materials held in a tank. The agitator here in question is particularly intended for use with mixed liquid and solid materials, the solids thereof being of easily damaged nature and wherein the liquid and solid components of the mixture tend to separate. The agitator is thus intended to maintain the materials in a thoroughly mixed condition and to move same lengthwise through a tank to the outlet thereof and yet to do so with minimum physical damage thereto. The agitator of the invention comprises a relatively narrow blade arranged spirally for rotation about an axis positioned in the lower part of a horizontally aligned tank, the blade thereof being either perpendicular or inclinedly positioned with respect to the imaginary cylinder enclosed thereby. If inclined, the outer edge of the blade leads the inner edge as same rotates. The agitator can also be used in vertical alignment if desired and used with or without a central shaft.

Claims7

Dependent claims

An agitator for a normally nonhomogeneous mixture of must and floating mash, comprising:

an elongated tank means of circular cross section for holding said nonhomogeneous mixture having a central axis;
a single rotatable spiral-shaped blade thin in axial dimension and wide in radial dimension in said tank means, said blade being spaced from the axis of rotation therefor and extending between the opposite ends thereof, the external diameter of said blade being less than the inner diameter of said tank means and the axis of rotation of said blade being offset from and parallel to the central axis of said tank means so that a portion of said blade, in its lowermost position relative to the bottom internal wall surface of said tank, is radially spaced from said bottom internal wall surface a distance which is smaller than the radial width of said blade and, in its uppermost position, is radially spaced from the upper internal wall surface of said tank means a distance which is substantially greater than the radial width of said blade;
and
means defining an outlet opening in said bottom wall of said tank means, said blade, during rotation, mixing said must and said floating mash so that said mash and said must are nearly homogeneous within a theoretical cylinder defined by said spiral-shaped blade and simultaneously conveying said homogeneous mixture toward said outlet opening.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.