Abstract: A mixer implement for liquids in which longitudinally spaced guard rings are supported by a rotary shaft through radial struts formed as impeller blades and which also support complemental helically formed impeller blades extending between them. Liquid motion patterns are set up by shaft rotation which effects rapid thorough mixing action which can be accelerated by an attendant stirring motion if desired.

Abstract: Disclosed is a continuous bulk polymerization reactor comprising a cylindrical reaction vessel elongated in the direction of the reacting fluid and a shaft installed within the reaction vessel. A plurality of flow of double helical-ribbon agitators are attached to the shaft in such a way that they face in the same direction, and a plurality of baffles having a relative open area of 5 to 40% based on the cross-sectional area of the internal space of the reaction vessel, are disposed between any adjacent ones of the agitators. Thus the formation of stagnant fluid pockets is avoided and excellent piston flow properties are achieved.

Abstract: An improved agitating device in a developing apparatus for use in an electrophotocopying machine, wherein the developing apparatus includes a sump for holding a two-component developing material made up of a marking constituent and a magnetic carrier constituent, and a hopper for holding and dispensing the marking constituent to the sump. The improved agitating device agitates the marking constituent held in the hopper, and includes a straight section of wire rotatable through the marking constituent in the hopper, and a compression spring surrounding and hanging on the straight section of wire.

Abstract: A top loading, side discharge vacuum massage apparatus, has a spaced pair of agitators rotating about horizontal axes in upward counter-rotation. The tub sidewalls enshroud the agitators over 180.degree. of angle and above the horizontal plane to promote the massage action in the zone between the agitators at the medial section of the tub.

Abstract: A mixer for use in combination with a vessel having a detachable lid is provided which comprises a helical blade rotatably mounted upon a vertical shaft pivoting at its upper end within a bearing member disposed within the lid of said vessel, said helical blade providing a vertical mixing, and means for imparting a vibratory motion of low vertical amplitude to said blade, said vibratory movement being generated from the rotating motion of the mixer shaft.

Abstract: A mixing machine is provided with a temperature regulating jacket surrounding the outer circumferential surface of a mixing tub, and with mixing vane members each composed of an upper portion being fixed to a vertical shaft, a lower portion being fixed to a vertical blade member, a center plate member to which are fixed the shaft and the lower end of the blade member and scraping vane members fixed to the outer circumferential portion of the center plate member. The mixing machine generates a large pulling and cutting force to produce a bread dough and the like in an extremely short period of time while the machine prevents degradation in the quality of dough due to the mechanically generated heat during the mixing operation by using the temperature regulating jacket for the mixing tub.

Abstract: An agitator wiper for a tubular chemical vessel in which agitation of the vessel contents is achieved by a blade positioned helically around a central rotating shaft and wiping of the vessel walls is achieved by segmented plates positioned along the blade and constructed to provide wiper tips which wipe all portions of the vessel walls.

Abstract: A comestible freezer has a freezing barrel with a cold wall, an input end and an output end and a feeder therewithin having a ribbon auger flight helix and a stationary blending bar within the helix. A portion of the ribbon auger flight helix has an outward twist or skew diverging from a radial plane through the axis of the helix and outwardly toward the barrel wall whereby to exert a component of thrust on the comestible toward the cold wall. A portion of the ribbon also has an inward twist or skew diverging from the radial plane and inwardly toward the blending bar whereby to exert a component of thrust on the comestible toward the bar.

Abstract: A chip washer comprising a tank holding washing fluid, a conveyor for supplying chips into the tank, a vane for setting the fluid and therewith the chips into motion in the tank, a conduit provided with valve for removal from the tank of the foreign substances separated from the chips and a washed chips removing conveyor, this latter consisting of a screw conveyor ascending obliquely upwardly from the tank with its lower end extending into the washing fluid and the mantle of which is constituted by a strainer tube. The strainer tube of the screw conveyor is encircled by a collecting tube or trough, which returns the washing fluid running off the chips, back to the tank.

Abstract: A mixer especially for mixing materials such as cement and sand with water and with a fibrous reinforcing material such as glass fibre. The mixer consists of a tubular casing containing a skeletal rotor constructed from a plurality of rods extending longitudinally of the casing and spaced apart laterally of each other at positions circumferentially spaced apart around the axis of rotation of the rotor and the longitudinal axis of the casing. The rods are supported on end plates and a central shaft or stub shafts extending from the end plates. The rods are enveloped along at least part of the axial length of the rotor by a helical, outwardly-directed flight having widely-spaced convolutions to impart a component of movement to the mix along the inside of the tubular casing to an outlet.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for continuously preparing a mixture of two or more constituents with the apparatus including a first container having an input for the reception of a first one of the constituents, an output, and advancing means for advancing the first constituent through the output. The apparatus further includes a second container having an input for the reception of a second one of the constituents, an output, and advancing means for advancing the second one of the constituents through the output of the second container. The apparatus includes a third container having an input opening for receiving the first and second constituents from the respective outputs of the first and second containers, and the third container further includes an output and mixing means for blending the first and second ones of the constituents into a blended air-free mixture and for advancing the blended mixture through the output of the third container.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for mixing and/or conveying, in particular for mixing and conveying a developer composition in an electrophotographic copying machine. The device comprises an elongated member which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis, this member comprising a T-shaped lateral cross-section which has been spirally twisted about its longitudinal axis, whereby at least two portions of the T cross-section comprise helically extending mixing and/or conveying elements. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing such a device.

Abstract: Apparatus for receiving and conveying a plurality of different powders simultaneously and delivering the powders continuously as a blended mix, in which a number of concentric tubes define annular bores carrying helical screw members driven at one end for axial rotation. At the delivery end the tubes are progressively inset from the outermost tube to the innermost tube. A core in the innermost tube defines the annular bore therein and is expanded diametrically at the delivery end of each tube to extend the annular bore to the end of that tube with the pitch of the helical screw member of that tube being increased over the expanded portion of the core to the end of the tube. Preferably the tubes, the helical screw members and the bore are laterally flexible.

Abstract: A spiral stirrer unsupported at one end, for mixing and stirring free-flowing solids, especially in continuous gas phase polymerization. The stirrer comprises a plurality of turns formed from hollow profiles. The botton end of the spiral, facing the bottom of the stirred vessel, is attached to a hub seated on a drive shaft. In the vicinity of the transition from the hub to the first turn of the spiral, a distributor spiral is provided to avoid flowless zones in the hub region. Uniform distribution of the gas entering at the bottom of the vessel is also achieved.

Abstract: The freezing chamber of a frozen or semi-frozen confection freezer has a mixing rotor having a shaft which extends through an opening in a wall. The seal between the shaft and wall comprises an elastomeric cup having a rim engaged with the wall about said opening. The cup has a hub engaged with the shaft and a yieldable skirt between the hub and the rim. The hub has a socket which receives a metal ring with an oblique wear surface. An O-ring is engaged between a fillet on the shaft and the oblique wear surface on the ring whereby the cup is self-centering with respect to the shaft, notwithstanding any tendency of the shaft to nutate.

Abstract: The invention is directed to apparatus for conditioning and dispensing particulate solid material which includes a conditioning chamber having an upper receiving inlet and a dispensing outlet, a first auger disposed within the chamber and extending towards the outlet and having a helical blade for propelling material towards the outlet in response to rotation thereof, a second larger open spiral auger mounted coaxially with respect to the first auger for feeding the material into the first auger in response to rotation of the second auger, the second auger being disposed concentrically and in overlapping relationship with respect to the first auger, a third open spiral auger mounted in side-by-side parallel relationship with respect to the second auger, the third auger being of substantially the same diameter as the second auger, and a driving mechanism for rotating the three augers at a predetermined ratio of speeds one with respect to the others.