US3297309A - Mixing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 10, 1967 R. E. ADAMS 3,297,309

MIXING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 29, 1964 V 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIGZ INVENTOR.

B ROBERT E. ADAMS ATTORNEY Y M M Jan. 10, 1967 R. E. ADAMS 3,297,309

MIXING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 29. 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w INVENTOR. ROBERT E. ADAMS BY law/WW}.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 10, 1967 3,297,309 MIXING APPARATUS Robert E. Adams, Hudson, N.Y., assignor to Giiford- Wood, Inc., Newton, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Oct. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 407,403 3 Claims. (Cl. 259115) This invention relates to a mixing apparatus of a type which may be utilized to prepare whole fresh milk from a mixture of water, skim milk powder and whole creamery butter. The invention may also be used for other mixing operations in the dairy industry and elsewhere.

An object of the invention is to provide a mixing apparatus of simplified, economical and compact construction which is easy to assemble and disassemble, sanitary and highly efficient in operation.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a mixing head including rotor and stator components which are detachably connected without the use of screwthreads, thereby rendering the design much more sanitary than conventional prior art mixers.

A further important object of the invention is to provide an improved turbine and coacting stator ring which is substantially open at the top and bottom and constructed in such a manner that a definite shearing action is obtained in liquids with minimum aeration and bubbling while maximum dispersion of solids is obtained to the point of homogenization as in the case of whole milk.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a high speed mixer of the mentioned type whose main bearings are mounted in a one-piece housing well above the mixing vessel, such as a standard milk can.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a mixing apparatus embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus partly in central vertical section;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary central vertical section through the main bearing of the mixer and associated elements;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a similar section taken on line 55 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary central vertical section through the mixing head of the apparatus.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a suitable electric motor having a depending armature or output shaft 11, coupled by a two-part coupling 12 to the upper reduced end 13 of a mixer or turbine shaft 14. A mounting plate 15 of the motor 10 is bolted at 16 to a mating flange 17 of an adapter or support 18 having a lower mounting flange 19, in turn bolted at 20 to a top flange 21 of a tubular bearing housing 22.

The housing 22 which forms a feature of the invention contains axially spaced ball bearings 23 and 24, receiving shoulder portions 25 and 26 of shaft 14, as best shown in FIGURE 3. A spacer tube 27 is interposed between the two ball bearings. The upper bearing 23 has its outer race seated upon a shoulder 28 formed in the bore of housing 22. A threaded portion 29 of shaft 14 immediately above the upper bearing 23 receives a nut 30, from which the shaft 14 is suspended through the bearing 23. Immediately above the nut 30, a shaft seal 31 is contained within a retainer 32, secured at 33 to the top of housing 22. The retainer 32 encloses the seal 31 and retains the upper ball bearing 23 as shown in FIGURE 3. A second seal for the shaft 14 designated by the numeral 34 is contained within the bore of housing 22 immediately below the lower bearing 24.

The apparatus further comprises an elongated stator tube 35 having a top coupling head 36 rigidly secured to its upper end by soldering or the like. As shown in FIGURE 3, the coupling head 36 mates with a lower head 37 of stationary bearing housing 22. The stator tube 35 is secured detachably to the lower end of housing 22 by a quick release clamp 38 shaped in cross section to embrace the heads 36 and 37. Thus, the stator tube and all parts associated therewith may be quickly disengaged from the upper power assembly which includes the bearing housing 22.

Adjustably mounted upon the stator tube 35 is a generally semi-circular main support plate 39 formed in two companion sections 40 having a split hub 41 which is clamped securely to the tube 35 by bolts 42. The assembled support plate 39 is releasably clamped on the tube 35 at any desired elevation with respect to the bottom of the stator tube, depending upon the depth of a milk can 43 or the like upon which the entire apparatus rests. That is to say, the properly adjusted support plate 39, FIGURE 2, rests directly on top of the mouth 44 of can 43 to bodily support the mixer apparatus in a vertical position. The support plate 39 has preferably three spaced locator lugs 45 thereon to guide the apparatus into proper engagement with the can mouth and to maintain the apparatus properly centered. The plate '39 has a forward large recess 46 formed therein to allow a major portion of the can mouth 44 to be unobstructed so that the necessary liquid and solid ingredients to be mixed may be introduced into the can 43 while the apparatus is in place thereon. As best shown in FIGURE 5, the axis of the mixing shaft 14 and surrounding stator tube 35 is offset or to one side of the center of the can 43 during use.

As shown clearly in FIGURE 6, the lower end of stator tube 35 carries an enlarged stator ring 47 suitably rigidly secured thereto and extending radially therefrom in surrounding relation. The stator ring 47 is essentially open vertically and has a large lower cavity 48 forming a chamber for a rotor or turbine 49 to be further described. The upper portion of the ring 47 immediately above chamber 48 has a plurality of closely spaced openings 50 formed therethrough with solid wall portions therebetween as depicted in FIGURE 1.

The rotor 49 has a tubular hub 5-1 engaging freely rotatably in the lower end of tube 35 and this hub has quick release bayonet-type slots 52 formed therein on opposite sides of the hub and opening through the top of the hub. The hub 51 engages over a reduced bot tom extension 53 of mixing shaft 14 with the top of the hub abutting an annular shoulder 54 of the shaft. The shaft extension 53 carries a cross pin 55 projecting from opposite sides thereof and engageable within the bayonet slot 52 as shown in FIGURE 6 so that quick separation and assembly of the rotor 49 and shaft 14 may be effected.

The rotor or turbine 49 further comprises within the chamber 48, FIGURE 6, a plurality of circumferentially equidistantly spaced blades 56 integral with the hub 51. These blades, preferably four in number, are contoured to fit closely within the confines of stator ring chamber 48. The upper inclined edges of blades 56 have a liquid shearing action during rotation with the bottoms of openings 50. The individual blades 56 are generally radial but offset bodily from the rotational axis of the rotor.

The blades are all slanted somewhat from the true vertical and their lower edges are perpendicular to the main rotational axis of the rotor. The blades 56 are thus skewed and are a compromise between straight centrifugal-type blades and a true helical type. The rotor 49 per se forms the subject matter of a separate patent application and need not be described further herein.

The stator tube 35 preferably has drain openings 57 slightly above the rotor 49 and also has a thin fiat ci-rcular deflector plate 58 near and above its lower end, tending to arrest the upward flow of liquid from the openings 50 and reduce turbulence within the can 43, bubbling, etc,

In operation, the proper ingredients, such as water, powdered skim milk and whole creamery butter are introduced in the proper proportions into the can 43 and the apparatus is set into motion by starting the electric motor 10. The mixing shaft 14 is directly driven by the motor together with the turbine 49. The stator tube 35 and associated parts by definition are stationary.

The rotor or turbine 49 revolves at a speed in the vicinity of 10,000 rpm. inside of the ring 47. The turbine produces a very high degree of mixing or dispersing of the solid ingredients within the liquid in the can 43. The sharp lower edges of the blades 56 produce a pronounced shearing action in the mixture and the slanting of the blades also tends to pump the liquid upwardly through the openings 50 where the liquid is further sheared while passing through these openings at high velocity. A thorough mixing is accomplished with this mixing head shown particularly in FIGURE 6 with minimum aeration, as is particularly desirable in the case of milk.

As explained previously, the turbine 49 is quickly detachable from the shaft 14 and the tube 35 is quickly detachable from the upper bearing housing 22. This aids substantially in sterilizing operations, convenience and utility.

It is thought that the advantages of the construction should now be fully apparent to those skilled in the art without the necessity for a further description herein.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A mixing apparatus comprising in combination an elongated stator tube having an enlarged stator ring on its lower end, a mixing shaft extending rotatably through the stator tube, a bladed mixing rotor on the lower end of said shaft rotating within the confines of said ring, an adjustable mounting plate clampingly secured to the stator tube, an enlarged head on the upper end of the stator tube, a bearing housing extending above the stator tube and having a head at its lower end abutting said head of the stator tube, quick release clamping means holding said heads detachably in abutting relation, said mixing shaft extending through said bearing housing and above said head, a pair of spaced ball bearings supporting said mixing shaft within the bearing housing, and motor means on the bearing housing and coupled to the mixing shaft near and above the bearing housing.

2. The invention as defined by claim 1, and a pair of shaft seals for the mixing shaft within said housing adjacent said bearings.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, and a deflector plate on the stator tube near and above said stator ring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,206,266 7/1940 Schmidt 25996 2,787,449 4/ 1957 McElroy 259 2,801,083 7/1957 Balassa 2598 2,963,281 12/1960 Reitfen 25996 X 3,135,500 6/1964 Perrinjaquet 259-435 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,325,785 3/1963 France.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM 1. PRICE, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A MIXING APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN ELONGATED STATOR TUBE HAVING AN ENLARGED STATOR RING ON ITS LOWER END, A MIXING SHAFT EXTENDING ROTATABLY THROUGH THE STATOR TUBE, A BLADED MIXING ROTOR ON THE LOWER END OF SAID SHAFT ROTATING WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID RING, AN ADJUSTABLE MOUNTING PLATE CLAMPINGLY SECURED TO THE STATOR TUBE, AN ENLARGED HEAD ON THE UPPER END OF THE STATOR TUBE, A BEARING HOUSING EXTENDING ABOVE THE STATOR TUBE AND HAVING A HEAD AT ITS LOWER END ABUTTING SAID HEAD OF THE STATOR TUBE, QUICK RELEASE CLAMPING MEANS HOLDING SAID HEADS DETACHABLY IN ABUTTING RELATION, SAID MIXING SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BEARING HOUSING AND ABOVE SAID HEAD, A PAIR OF SPACED BALL BEARINGS SUPPORTING SAID MIXING SHAFT WITHIN THE BEARING HOUSING, AND MOTOR MEANS ON THE BEARING HOUSING AND COUPLED TO THE MIXING SHAFT NEAR AND ABOVE THE BEARING HOUSING.

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