Apparatus for blending liquids and solids including improved impeller assembly

In apparatus for blending a liquid with solid particles wherein an impeller housing has an upper solid particle inlet and a lower liquid inlet, a center drive shaft extending vertically through said housing, and an outlet in communication with an annular space in outer spaced surrounding relation to said drive shaft, the improvement comprising:

• upper impeller means including a plurality of arcuate vanes mounted for rotation on said drive shaft for directing solid particles from said particle inlet in a radial outward direction toward said annular space;
• a plurality of expeller blades in said particle inlet and extending radially from said center shaft in inner concentric relation to said upper impeller means for directing particles into said upper impeller means;
• and
• lower impeller means including a plurality of arcuate vanes for directing liquid from said liquid inlet through said annular space to intermix with solid particles from said upper impeller means.

In a pump adapted for pumping liquid or solid materials, comprising:

• a center drive shaft;
• a mounting plate mounted for rotation on said shaft;
• a series of circumferentially spaced vanes disposed for rotation on said mounting plate, each of said vanes having an intermediate arcuate portion with a convex surface facing in the direction of rotation over the greater length of each said vane, and an outer tip extending radially and outwardly from each said vane in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of rotation of said vanes;
• and
• a plurality of expeller blades mounted for rotation on said shaft and extending radially outwardly therefrom and being substantially aligned with inner concentric ends of each of said vanes.