Mixing equipment and agitator therefor for use with granular material and method of producing prepared granular material

In mixing equipment including a mixing compartment, and at least one mulling assembly rotatably driven about an upright axis within the compartment for dispersing within the compartment material, including granular material, the mulling assembly producing a rolling and rotating torus of the granular material mixture, agitating apparatus comprising:

• means including an upright wall defining a rotor cavity opening into said mixing compartment;
• an agitator having a rotor mounted for rotation about an upright longitudinal axis thereof disposed within said cavity, said rotor including a plurality of impacting fingers extending laterally from said rotor axis;
• and
• motive means for rotating said rotor about said rotor axis;
• said rotor being mounted with respect to the wall of the rotor cavity and being adapted with said motive means to exert a force exceeding the resistance to its rotation afforded by the material therearound;
• and
• said fingers being adapted to extend outwardly from said cavity and into said mixing compartment as the rotor is rotated, for impacting material being dispersed within the compartment.

In mixing equipment including a mixing compartment, said compartment including a pair of side-by-side, generally cup-shaped bowl portions communicating at a common opening in side walls thereof, and a pair of mulling assemblies rotatably driven about upright axes within the respective bowl portions for dispersing within the mixing compartment material, including granular material, each one of the assemblies producing a rolling and rotating torus of the material dispersion and causing an interchange of dispersed material between bowl portions via the common opening, agitating apparatus comprising;

• at least one means including an upright wall defining a rotor cavity which opens into said mixing compartment and which is disposed at one side of said common opening;
• an agitator having a rotor mounted for rotation about an upright longitudinal axis thereof disposed within said cavity, said rotor including a plurality of impacting fingers extending laterally from said rotor axis;
• and
• motive means for rotating said rotor about said rotor axis;
• said rotor being mounted with respect to the wall of the rotor cavity and being adapted with said motive means to exert a force exceeding the resistance to its rotation afforded by the material therearound;
• and
• said fingers being adapted to extend outwardly from said cavity and into said mixing compartment as the rotor is rotated, for impacting material undergoing said interchange between bowl portions.

An agitator for use in mixing equipment, which equipment includes a mixing compartment, a mulling assembly rotatably mounted within the compartment for dispersing therein material, including granular material, and means including an upright wall defining a rotor cavity which opens into the compartment, said agitator comprising:

• a rotor adapted for being mounted for rotation about an upright longitudinal axis thereof disposed within such a cavity, said rotor including:
• (a) a hub having a substantially imperforate and smooth outer peripheral surface encompassing it therearound;
• and
• (b) a plurality of impacting fingers extending laterally from said hub surface therearound;
• said rotor being adapted for being mounted with respect to such wall defining the cavity and for being rotated by motive means to exert a force exceeding the resistance to its rotation afforded by such material therearound;
• and
• said fingers being adapted to extend outwardly from such a cavity and into such compartment in turn as the rotor is rotated, for impacting material dispersed in the compartment.

In mixing equipment, including a mixing compartment for confining therein material, including granular material, means for supplying material to be mixed to the mixing compartment, and a mulling assembly for dispersing the material in the mixing compartment, apparatus for discharging prepared material from the mixing compartment, said apparatus comprising:

• means defining a discharge opening in a side wall of the mixing compartment;
• door means mounted for movement between open and closed positions relative to said opening;
• means for sensing the consistency of the material being dispersed;
• means responsive to said sensing means for opening said door means at a predetermined first consistency, thereby to permit prepared material to overflow the bottom of said opening for discharge from the mixing compartment;
• means for closing said door means and for enabling the discontinuance of the supply of material to be mixed to said mixing compartment to commence a shutdown cycle of operation during which material is retained within the mixing compartment;
• retention timing means for closing said door means for a predetermined retention period of time, and subsequently for opening said door means while continuing to disperse material in said mixing compartment, to discharge the retained material from the mixing compartment;
• and
• discharge timing means for discontinuing said discharging of material from said mixing compartment after a predetermined discharge period of time, whereby the production of material is shut down with the mixing compartment at least partially empty of prepared material.

In a method of producing prepared material, including granular material, in a mixing compartment having a mulling assembly for dispersing the material therein, the mixing compartment being defined by a bottom wall and a side wall having a discharge opening therein and spaced above the bottom wall, the steps comprising:

• providing a door movable between open positions and closed positions over said opening;
• supplying material to be dispersed to said mixing compartment and dispersing the material therein by said mulling assembly with said door closed;
• sensing the consistency of the material being dispersed;
• opening said door when the dispersed material reaches a predetermined first consistency, thereby to permit prepared material to overflow the bottom of said opening for discharging the material from the mixing compartment;
• closing said door and discontinuing the supply of material to said mixing compartment to commence a shutdown cycle of operation, whereby material is retained in the mixing compartment;
• discharging the material from said mixing compartment after a predetermined period of time by opening said door while continuing to disperse material in said mixing compartment, to discharge the material from the mixing compartment;
• and
• discontinuing said discharging from said mixing compartment after a predetermined discharge period of time, whereby the production of prepared material is shut down with the mixing compartment at least partially empty of prepared material.