Pin mixer

An apparatus for mixing material comprising:

• an enclosure defining a cavity therein and having an inlet and an outlet;
• material mixing and transport means disposed in said cavity for mixing said material in said cavity and transporting said material from said inlet to said outlet;
• and
• baffle means movably disposed in said outlet whereby said baffle means is variably movable from a fully open operating position with respect to said outlet, in which said baffle means is adjacent an inner surface of said cavity, to a fully closed position in which said baffle means is adjacent said material mixing and transport means, such that material being mixed in said apparatus is substantially prevented from exiting said outlet when said baffle means is in said closed position.

An apparatus for moving substantially particulate materials comprising:

• an enclosure having an inlet and an outlet and comprising:
• a substantially tubular shell having two opposite ends and defining a central opening longitudinally therethrough;
• and
• bearing housings, each defining a cavity therein and each attached to one of said ends of said shell;
• a rotary bearing mounted in each of said bearing housing cavities;
• a rotor and shaft assembly disposed in said central opening of said shell and rotatably received in said bearing;
• a seal mounted in each of said bearing housing cavities and longitudinally inwardly spaced from said bearings for sealing between said rotor and shaft assembly and said bearing;
• and
• pressure connection means in communication with a portion of each of said bearing housing cavities between said seal and said bearing therein for connecting said cavity portion to a pressure source having a sufficient pressure level whereby any leakage through said seal is away from said bearing.

An apparatus for moving materials comprising:

• a substantially tubular shell having two opposite ends and defining a central opening longitudinally therethrough;
• a drive end bearing housing, defining a cavity therein, removably attached to one of said shell ends;
• an outboard end bearing housing, defining a cavity therein, removably attached to the other of said shell ends;
• a rotary bearing mounted in each of said bearing housing cavities;
• a rotor and shaft assembly, disposed in said central opening of said shell, comprising:
• a rotor having two opposite ends;
• a drive end stub shaft detachably connected to one of said rotor ends and rotatably received in said drive end bearing housing;
• and
• an outboard end stub shaft detachably connected to the other of said rotor ends and rotatably received in said bearing in said outboard end bearing housing;
• and
• mounting means for mounting said bearing housings to a base surface such that at least said outboard end bearing housing may be moved from an operating position in which it is attached to said shell, to a shell-removal position in which it is detached from said shell, wherein when said drive end bearing housing is detached from said shell, said rotor is detached from said stub shaft, and said shell and said rotor therein are thereby removable from said bearing housings.

An apparatus for mixing materials comprising:

• an enclosure defining a cavity therein and having an inlet and an outlet;
• a rotor rotatably disposed in said enclosure;
• a plurality of spaced pins extending radially outwardly from said rotor and forming a plurality of helices around, and axially along, said rotor for mixing and moving said materials from said inlet to said outlet, wherein the pins forming each helix are radially and axially staggered with respect to the pins forming the other helices;
• and
• a ribbon helically disposed in at least one of said helices, said ribbon interconnecting at least two of said pins forming said helix, wherein:
• said pins interconnected by said ribbon define a radially outer end extending substantially perpendicular to a radial axis thereof;
• said ribbon extends radially outwardly and inwardly from said outer ends of said interconnected pins;
• and
• said pins not connected by said ribbon define a radially outer end having an outwardly directed conical tip.

An apparatus for mixing materials comprising:

• an enclosure defining a cavity therein and having an inlet and an outlet, said outlet comprising a neck having a central opening therethrough and extending outwardly from said enclosure;
• material mixing and transport means disposed in said cavity for mixing said materials in said cavity and transporting said material from said inlet to said outlet;
• baffle means movably disposed in said outlet whereby said baffle means is variably movable from a fully open operating position with respect to said outlet in which said baffle means is adjacent an inner surface of said cavity to a fully closed position in which said baffle means is adjacent said material mixing and transport means;
• and
• baffle adjustment means for adjusting said operating position of said baffle means, said baffle adjustment means comprising:
• a handle extending externally from said nozzle;
• and
• retaining means for retaining said baffle in said operating position.

An apparatus for mixing materials comprising:

• an enclosure defining a cavity therein and having an inlet and an outlet;
• material mixing and transport means disposed in said cavity for mixing said material in said cavity and transporting said material from said inlet to said outlet;
• baffle means movably disposed in said outlet whereby said baffle means is variably movable from a fully open operating position with respect to said outlet in which said baffle means is adjacent an inner surface of said cavity to a fully closed position in which said baffle means is adjacent said material mixing and transport means;
• and
• indicator means for indicating said operating position of said baffle means, said indicator means comprising:
• a calibrated, fixed scale on an outer surface of said enclosure adjacent said outlet thereof;
• and
• a pointer attached to said baffle means, and movable therewith, for pointing to a position on said scale corresponding to said operating position of said baffle means.

An apparatus for mixing materials comprising:

• an enclosure defining a cavity therein and having an inlet and an outlet;
• material mixing and transport means disposed in said cavity for mixing said material in said cavity and transporting said material from said inlet to said outlet;
• baffle means movably disposed in said outlet whereby said baffle means is variably movable from a fully open operating position with respect to said outlet and which said baffle means is adjacent an inner surface of said cavity to a fully closed position in which said baffle means is adjacent said material mixing and transport means;
• and
• a vent substantially radially opposite said outlet, said vent comprising a second baffle means movably disposed in said vent whereby said second baffle means is variably movable from a fully open operating position with respect to said outlet and which said second baffle means is adjacent said inner surface of said cavity to a fully closed position in which said second baffle means is adjacent said material mixing and transport means and also adjacent said baffle means in said outlet.

A method of mixing particulate materials comprising:

• feeding solid materials to be mixed substantially radially into an annular space;
• concurrently mixing fluid with the materials;
• moving the materials axially in the annular space by rotating a series of helically arrayed pins through the annular space to impact, mix and move the solid materials and fluids;
• adding additional fluids to said solid materials as said solid materials are moved axially in said annular space;
• and
• continuously developing a pressure gradiant acting axially in the annular space to prevent said solid materials and fluid from moving out of said annular space in a direction opposite the direction the materials are moved axially by said rotating pins.

A method of mixing particulate materials comprising:

• feeding solid materials to be mixed substantially radially into an annular space;
• concurrently mixing fluid with the materials;
• moving the materials axially in the annular space by rotating a series of helically arrayed pins through the annular space to impact, mix and move the solid materials and fluid, arraying said pins in doing so to sweep through substantially the entire volume of said annular space;
• continuously developing a pressure gradient acting axially in the annular space to prevent said solid materials and fluid from moving out of the annular space in a direction opposite the direction the materials are moved axially by said rotating pins;
• and
• removing mixed solid materials from said annular space at an adjustably controlled rate.

An apparatus for mixing and moving materials comprising:

• an enclosure having an inlet through which a substantially particulate material may enter said enclosure, and having an outlet;
• fluid injection means for injecting fluid into said inlet for mixing with said particulate material, said fluid injection means, comprising:
• a fluid nozzle;
• radial adjustment means for adjusting said fluid nozzle radially with respect to said enclosure, said radial adjustment means comprising a plate radially slidable with respect to said enclosure inlet, and defining an opening therethrough for receiving said nozzle;
• nozzle axial adjustment means for axially advancing said nozzle toward said inlet and axially retracting said nozzle away from said inlet;
• and
• fluid flow adjustment means for adjusting the flow rate of said fluid through said nozzle into said inlet;
• and
• material movement means disposed in said enclosure for moving said material from said inlet to said outlet.

An apparatus for mixing and moving materials comprising:

• an elongated cylindrical enclosure having a radially extending inlet at one end thereof through which a substantially particulate material may enter said enclosure by radial movement relative thereto, and having an outlet;
• fluid injection means mounted on said inlet for injecting fluid into said inlet for selectively mixing the fluid with said particulate materials, said fluid injection means comprising:
• at least one fluid nozzle;
• radial adjustment means for adjusting said fluid nozzle in a radial direction toward and away from said cylindrical enclosure;
• nozzle axial adjustment means for incrementally advancing said nozzle toward said inlet and toward the path of material flow through said inlet, and for incrementally retracting said nozzle away from said inlet;
• and
• fluid flow adjustment means for adjusting the flow rate of said fluid through said nozzle into said inlet;
• and
• material movement means disposed in said elongated cylindrical enclosure for moving said material from said inlet to said outlet.