Abstract: A motor rotated agitator is adapted to be inserted within a container of liquid wherein the agitator has a plurality of curved blades secure at their top edges to a disc adapted to be rotated by a motor. The lower edges of the blades have a circular plate secure thereto, having a central circular opening for input of fluid to inner ends of the blades. A sparge ring is disposed about the periphery of the agitator for ejecting a gas into output of fluid at the periphery of the agitator in an area spaced from the input area of the agitator, which is limited by use of the circular plate.

Abstract: To introduce and mix fluids, particularly gas (air) with liquid, which is called sparging, an airfoil blade impeller is used for pumping the liquid and for introducing the fluid to be sparged into the liquid through holes in the suction surface of the blade. The airfoil blades are characterized by camber, thickness and location of holes which result in high stripping efficiency of the gas into the liquid without significant decrease in power use efficiency over conventional sparging systems.

Abstract: A machine for mixing solids in portable containers, such as shipping containers, is provided with a drive station which has a mechanism for holding the containers at one end thereof and contains motors and associated drive elements for revolving the container continuously about a generally horizontal axis. The entire drive station is pivotable about another axis which is perpendicular to the axis about which the container and holding mechanism revolves by actuators which are spaced on the opposite side of the drive station from the holding mechanism. The arrangement makes efficient use of factory floor space and provides an opening in the holding mechanism almost entirely around the front of the machines so as to facilitate loading and unloading of containers.