Rotary processor

In a processor for plastic and polymeric materials which are or become in the course of processing viscous liquids comprising:

• (a) a rotor including a substantially cylindrical surface portion and a plurality of coaxial channels having opposing side walls extending inwardly from said cylindrical surface portions,
• (b) a stationary element providing a closure surface coaxial with said rotor and cooperating with said cylindrical surface portion of said rotor to form with said channels, enclosed annular passages,
• (c) inlets for polymeric or plastic material to said annular passages,
• (d) means for causing relative rotation between said rotor and said closure surface providing element about their common axis to move said side walls and said cylindrical surface portion of said rotor relative to said closure surface,
• (e) an outlet from each of said annular passages circumferentially spaced from the inlets to that passage in the direction of rotation of said rotor relative to said stationary closure surface,
• (f) a blocking member disposed in each of said annular passages between the outlet and the inlet of each passage in the direction of rotation of said rotor, the improvement which comprises a plurality of transfer channels to receive material from at least one annular passage and discharge it to at least one further annular passage, said transfer passages being formed in said closure surface of said stationary element so that the open side of the transfer channel faces said cylindrical surface portions of said rotor and extending from said at least one annular passage to said further annular passage, portions of the length of the open side of said transfer channels extending over and communicating with the channels forming part of said annular passages to serve as an outlet to discharge material from said at least one annular passage and as an inlet for said further annular passage to receive material from said at least one annular passage and where portions of the length of the open side of the transfer channels between said annular passages are sealed by said cylindrical surface portion of said rotor to form an enclosed transfer passage in which said sealing cylindrical portion of said rotor is movable relative to said transfer channel to act on material in said transfer passage and where said blocking members and transfer channels are circumferentially spaced about said stationary closure surface to develop radial forces in at least one of said annular passages through unsymmetrical development of pressure in said annular passage opposing the radial force developed in at least one other of said annular passages by unsymmetrical development of pressure in said other annular passage or passages.

In a processor for plastic and polymeric materials which are or become in the course of processing viscous liquids comprising:

• (a) a rotor including a substantially cylindrical surface portion and a plurality of coaxial channels having opposing side walls extending inwardly from said cylindrical surface portions,
• (b) a stationary element providing a closure surface coaxial with said rotor and cooperating with said cylindrical surface portion of said rotor to form with said channels enclosed annular passages,
• (c) inlets for polymeric or plastic material to said annular passages,
• (d) means for causing relative rotation between said rotor and said closure surface providing element about their common axis to move said side walls and said cylindrical surface portion of said rotor relative to said closure surface,
• (e) an outlet from each of said annular passages circumferentially spaced from the inlets to that passage in the direction of rotation of said rotor relative to said stationary annular surface,
• (f) a blocking member disposed in each of said annular passages between the outlet and the inlet of each passage in the direction of rotation of said rotor, the improvement where said processor comprises a processing section including axially outer processing passages at opposite ends of said section, inlets for material to said outer processing passages, and transfer channels formed in said closure surface of said stationary element so that the open side of the transfer channels faces said cylindrical surface of said rotor, portions of the length of the open sides of said transfer channels extending over and communicating with channels forming parts of said outer annular passages to serve as outlets for material processed in said outer annular processing passages, portions of the length of the open side of said transfer channels also extending over and communicating with channels forming parts of annular processing passages inward of and adjacent to said outer annular passages to serve as inlets to said adjacent annular processing passages, said transfer channels being directed generally helically in the direction of rotation of said rotor from said outlets to said inlets and where portions of the length of the open side of the transfer channels between said annular passages are sealed by said cylindrical surface portion of said rotor to form an enclosed transfer passage in which said sealing cylindrical portion of said rotor is movable relative to said transfer channel to act on material in said transfer passage.

In a processor for plastic and polymeric materials which are or become in the course of processing viscous liquids comprising:

• (a) a rotor including a substantially cylindrical surface portion and a plurality of coaxial annular channels having opposing side walls extending inwardly from said cylindrical surface portion,
• (b) an annular surface coaxial with said rotor and cooperating with said cylindrical surface portion to form with said channels enclosed annular passages,
• (c) inlets for polymeric or plastic material to said annular passages,
• (d) means for causing relative rotation between said rotor and said annular surface member about their common axis to move said side walls and cylindrical surface portions relative to said annular surface.
• (e) an outlet from each of said annular passages circumferentially spaced from the inlets to that passage in the direction of rotation of said rotor relative to said annular surface.
• (f) a blocking member disposed in each of said annular passages between the outlet and the inlet of each passage in the direction of rotation of said rotor to hold a body of material in each annular passage against movement with the side walls of the annular channel forming part of said passage so that there is relative movement between the side walls of each annular channel and the body of material in the passage whereby said side walls operate to drag forward material in contact with said walls for processing and discharge,
• the improvement which comprises a plurality of transfer passages to receive material from at least one annular passage and discharge it to at least one further annular passage and in which said blocking members and transfer passages are circumferentially spaced about said annular surface to develop radial forces in at least one of said annular passages through unsymmetrical development of pressure in said annular passage opposing the radial force developed in at least one other of said annular passages by unsymmetrical development of pressure in said other annular passage or passages.