Mixing apparatus and method for forming a blended composite material from a plurality of components

Mixing apparatus adapted for dispensing a selected quantity of composite material at a downstream location, said composite material formed by mixing a selected quantity of an upstream first component measured from a first source and a selected quantity of an upstream second component measured from a second source, comprising:

• (a) a housing having an interior defining an elongated mixing chamber defining an elongated flowpath and having a dispensing nozzle located downstream of said chamber and in fluid communication therewith;
• (b) a first metering cylinder in switchable fluid communication with said first component source and said mixing chamber;
• (c) a second metering cylinder is switchable fluid communication with said second component source and said mixing chamber;
• (d) control means for placing said first and second metering cylinders respectively in said first and second cylinder fill modes whereby said first metering cylinder is filled with a first selected quantity of said first component and said second metering cylinder is filled with a second selected quantity of said second component and for concurrently placing said first and second metering cylinders respectively is said first and second cylinder discharge modes;
• (e) ejection means for concurrently ejecting the first and second selected quantities out of said first and second metering cylinders so that said first and second selected quantities are introduced concurrently into said mixing chamber and then dispensed through said dispensing nozzle;
• (f) at least one dynamic, rotatable blending element disposed in the flowpath;
• and
• (g) drive means for rotating said blending element whereby said first and second components are thoroughly mixed to form said composite material.

A method of mixing a blended composite material from two components, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a first source of a first component and a second source of a second component;
• (b) measuring a first quantity of said first component at a selected first volume and a second quantity of said second component at a selected second volume;
• (c) simultaneously introducing said first and second selected volumes into and flowing said first and second quantities through an elongated mixing flowpath having a blending element therein;
• (d) thoroughly blending said first and second quantities to produce said blended composite material as said first and second quantities flow through said elongated mixing flowpath;
• and
• (e) dispensing said blended composite material through a dispensing nozzle.

Mixing apparatus adapted for dispensing a selected quantity of composite material blended from a first component measured from a first source and a second component measured from a second source, comprising:

• (a) a blending assembly operative to intimately mix materials flowing therethrough, said blending assembly including a dispensing nozzle for dispensing said composite material and a blending element;
• (b) first metering cylinder operative to meter a first selected quantity of said first component, said first metering means switchable between a first measuring mode wherein said first metering means is in fluid communication with the first source whereby the first selected quantity of said first component is measured and a first discharge mode wherein said first metering means is in fluid communication with said blending assembly whereby the first selected quantity may be introduced into said blending assembly;
• (c) a second metering cylinder operative to meter a second selected quantity of said second component, said second metering cylinder having an interior and a distal end and including a rod seal housing removably mounted on the distal end to enclose the interior, a displacement rod slidably received through a bore in said rod seal housing to defined ejecting means for said second metering cylinder, and rod seal means in said rod seal housing for maintaining a seal against said rod during reciprocal sliding motion of said rod into and out of the interior of said second metering cylinder, said second metering cylinder switchable between a second measuring mode wherein said second metering cylinder is in fluid communication with said second source whereby the second selected quantity of said second component is measured and a second discharge mode wherein said second metering cylinder is fluid communication with said blending assembly whereby the second selected quantity may be introduced into said blending assembly;
• (d) control means for cyclically operating said first and second metering cylinders to place said first metering cylinder in said first measuring mode and said first discharge mode and said second metering cylinder in said second measuring mode and said second discharge mode, said control means operative to concurrently place said first and second metering cylinders in the respective said first and second discharge mode;
• and
• (e) ejection means for concurrently ejecting the first and second selected quantities out of said first and second metering cylinders so that said first and second selected quantities are introduced into said blending assembly and thereafter dispensed through said dispensing nozzle.

Mixing apparatus adapted for dispensing a selected quantity of composite material blended from a first component measured from a first source and a second component measured from a second source, comprising:

• (a) a blending assembly operative to intimately mix materials flowing therethrough, said blending assembly including a dispensing nozzle for dispensing said composite material and a blending element;
• (b) first metering means for metering a first selected quantity of said first component, said first metering means switchable between a first measuring mode wherein said first metering means is in fluid communication with the first source whereby the first selected quantity of said first component is measured and a first discharge mode wherein said first metering means is in fluid communication with said blending assembly whereby the first selected quantity may be introduced into said blending assembly;
• (c) a second metering means for metering a second selected quantity of said second component, said second metering means switchable between a second measuring mode wherein said second metering means is in fluid communication with said second source whereby the second selected quantity of said second component is measured and a second discharge mode wherein said second metering means is fluid communication with said blending assembly whereby the second selected quantity may be introduced into said blending assembly;
• (d) a mixing chamber disposed between said dispensing nozzle and each of said first and second metering means and defining an elongated serpentine flowpath having a plurality of flowpath portions parallel to one another and in fluid communication with said first and second metering means whereby said first and second components are concurrently introduced into said mixing chamber and then dispensed through said blending nozzle, said blending element formed by a plurality of static blending element sections disposed in respective ones of said flowpath portions;
• (e) control means for cyclically operating said first and second metering means to place said first metering means in said first measuring mode and said first discharge mode and said second metering means in said second measuring mode and said second discharge mode, said control means operative to concurrently place said first and second metering means in the respective said first and second discharge mode;
• and
• (f) ejection means for concurrently ejecting the first and second selected quantities out of said first and second metering means so that said first and second selected quantities are introduced into said blending assembly and thereafter dispensed through said dispensing nozzle.

Mixing apparatus adapted for dispensing a selected quantity of composite material blended from a first component measured from a first source and a second component measured from a second source, comprising:

• (a) a blending assembly operative to intimately mix materials flowing therethrough, said blending assembly including a dispensing nozzle for dispensing said composite material and a blending element;
• (b) first metering means for metering a first selected quantity of said first component, said first metering means switchable between a first measuring mode wherein said first metering means is in fluid communication with the first source whereby the first selected quantity of said first component is measured and a first discharge mode wherein said first metering means is in fluid communication with said blending assembly whereby the first selected quantity may be introduced into said blending assembly, said first metering means including a valve assembly operative to switch said first metering means between said first measuring mode and said first discharge mode;
• (c) a second metering means for metering a second selected quantity of said second component, said second metering means switchable between a second measuring mode wherein said second metering means is in fluid communication with said second source whereby the second selected quantity of said second component is measured and a second discharge mode wherein said second metering means is fluid communication with said blending assembly whereby the second selected quantity may be introduced into said blending assembly;
• (d) control means for cyclically operating said first and second metering means to place said first metering means in said first measuring mode and said first discharge mode and said second metering means in said second measuring mode and said second discharge mode, said control means operative to concurrently place said first and second metering means in the respective said first and second discharge mode;
• and
• (e) ejection means for concurrently ejecting the first and second selected quantities out of said first and second metering means so that said first and second selected quantities are introduced into said blending assembly and thereafter dispensed through said dispensing nozzle.