Milling, mixing or dispersing apparatus

Milling apparatus of the type including an input chamber for receiving material to be milled and for passing it on to a main milling chamber where it and a charge of particulate material are subjected to agitation and shearing forces, wherein the improvement comprises:

• a centrifugal pumping element disposed between said input chamber and said main milling chamber, said pumping element having at least one radially outwardly extending passage formed therein, and
• wherein said input chamber includes a ribbed element, said main milling chamber includes agitating means and further comprising a single rotatably mounted shaft carrying said ribbed element, said pumping element and said agitating means disposed sequentially along the longitudinal axis of said shaft.

Milling apparatus comprising a main milling chamber for containing a charge of particulate material, agitating means for submitting the particulate material and the material to be milled to agitating and shearing forces, and an input chamber containing a ribbed element wherein the improvement comprises:

• a predispersing chamber including an annular walled space between said input and milling chambers which space contains a centrifugal pumping element with at least one radially outwardly extending passage terminating in a narrow gap between the pumping element and the wall of the predispersing chamber.