Mixing applicator
AssigneeThe Fountainhead Group, Inc.
InventorsMario J. Restive, Jeffrey James Birt, Thomas Lowell Waggoner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An applicator mixes an additive with a fluid stream and dispenses the resultant mixture. The applicator includes a housing having a fluid inlet, a downstream auger chamber, a downstream mixing chamber, and a flow path fluidly connecting the fluid inlet to the mixing chamber. A turbine auger assembly including an auger and a rotor is rotatably connected to the housing to move the additive towards the mixing chamber, help mix the additive with the fluid stream, and then disperse the mixture to the auger chamber, which includes a hopper port and a downstream auger chamber exit exposed to the mixing chamber. The turbine auger assembly is rotatably connected to the housing.
Claims24
An applicator comprising:
- a housing having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a flow path fluidly connecting the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet;
- an auger chamber supported in the housing and having a downstream auger chamber exit proximate the fluid outlet;
- an additive supply providing an amount of additive to the auger chamber;
- and
- an auger rotatably disposed within the auger chamber for advancing additive supplied to the auger chamber to the downstream auger chamber exit,
- wherein additive exiting the auger chamber exit mixes with fluid exiting the fluid outlet to form a mixture.
An applicator comprising:
- (a) a housing having a fluid inlet, a downstream mixing chamber, and a flow path fluidly connecting the fluid inlet to the mixing chamber;
- (b) an auger chamber supported in the housing, the auger chamber having a hopper port and a downstream auger chamber exit exposed to the mixing chamber;
- and
- (c) a turbine auger assembly rotatably connected to the housing, the turbine auger assembly having an auger in the mixing chamber and a rotor in the flow path.
A method of entraining an additive with a fluid flow, the method comprising:
- rotating a turbine blade and a coupled auger by impacting the fluid flow against and past the turbine blade;
- and
- introducing the additive to the fluid flow with the rotating auger;
- wherein the fluid flow that impacts and moves past the turbine blade flows downstream and mixes with additive.
An applicator for entraining an additive in a fluid stream, comprising:
- a main housing having an auger chamber, a hopper port in the auger chamber, a flow channel and a mixing chamber;
- and
- a turbine-driven auger rotatably disposed within the housing wherein at least a portion of the auger is located within the auger chamber;
- wherein said fluid stream causes rotation of the turbine-driven auger by impacting the fluid stream against and past the turbine, and further wherein the fluid stream that impacts and moves past the turbine blade flows downstream and mixes with additive.
An applicator for entraining an additive in a fluid stream, comprising:
- a main housing supporting an auger chamber and having a fluid inlet, a flow channel fluidly connected to the inlet, and a mixing chamber downstream from the flow channel;
- an auger disposed in the auger chamber and rotatable relative to the auger chamber;
- and
- a turbine, outside the auger chamber, coupled to the auger;
- wherein said fluid stream causes rotation of the auger by impacting and moving past the turbine, and further wherein the fluid stream that impacts and moves past the turbine flows downstream and mixes with additive in the mixing chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.