Method and apparatus for mixing pulverulent or fine-grain material

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR MIXING PULVERULENT MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER PROVIDING A SINGLE MIXING CHAMBER, A ROOF FOR SAID CONTAINER AND HAVING AIR OUTLET FILTER MEANS, A DOWNWARDLY NARROWING CONICAL PORTION AT THE LOWER END OF THE CONTAINER AND HAVING AN OUTLET, AN ANNULAR SERIES OF NOZZLES DISPOSED IN SAID CONICAL PORTION, SAID NOZZLES DISCHARGING OBLIQUELY TO THE AXIS OF THE CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER, AND AIR PULSING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID NOZZLES TO CREATE SUCCESSIVE WAVES OF AIR PRESSURE OF SHORT DURATION WITH RELATIVELY QUIESCENT MATERIALS SETTLING INTERVALS THEREBETWEEN, WHEREBY, THE MATERIAL IN THE CONTAINER IS ALTERNATELY WHIRLED UPWARDLY IN THE FORM OF A VORTEX BY EACH PRESSURE WAVE TO MIX AND DISTRIBUTE THE MATERIAL THROUGHOUT THE CYLINDER, AND THE INTERVALS BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAUSE THE MATERIAL TO SETTLE TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER AS PRESSURE IN THE CHAMBER REACHES EQUILIBRIUM DUE TO THE PULSING PRESSURE PASSING THROUGH SAID FILTER MEANS BEFORE THE NEXT WAVE BEGINS.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR MIXING PULVERULENT MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT SPECIFIC GRAVITY, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER PROVIDING A SINGLE MIXING CHAMBER, A ROOF FOR SAID CONTAINER AND HAVING AIR OUTLET FILTER MEANS, A DOWNWARDLY NARROWING CONICAL PORTION AT THE LOWER END OF THE CONTAINER AND HAVING AN OUTLET, AN ANNULAR SERIES OF NOZZLES DISPOSED IN SAID CONICAL PORTION, SAID NOZZLES DISCHARGING OBLIQUELY TO THE AXIS OF THE CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER, AND AIR PULSING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID NOZZLES TO CREATE SUCCESSIVE WAVES OF AIR PRESSURE OF SHORT DURATION WITH RELATIVELY QUIESCENT MATERIALS SETTLING INTERVALS THEREBETWEEN, WHEREBY, THE MATERIAL IN THE CONTAINER IS ALTERNATELY WHIRLED UPWARDLY IN THE FORM OF A VORTEX BY EACH PRESSURE WAVE TO MIX AND DISTRIBUTE THE MATERIAL THROUGHOUT THE CYLINDER, AND THE INTERVALS BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAUSE THE MATERIAL TO SETTLE TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER AS PRESSURE IN THE CHAMBER REACHES EQUILIBRIUM DUE TO THE PULSING PRESSURE PASSING THROUGH SAID FILTER MEANS BEFORE THE NEXT WAVE BEGINS.