Mixing and agglomerating device for thermoplastic material

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR MIXING AND AGGLOMERATING PULVERIZED THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL AND LIQUID, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL MIXING VESSEL HAVING A BOTTOM FAIRED INTO THE CYLINDRICAL WALL OF THE VESSEL BY A ROUNDED WALL PORTION, A ROTARY AGITATOR, AND A DRIVE SHAFT FOR SAID AGITATOR DISPOSED PARALLEL WITH THE AXIS OF THE VESSEL AND SUPPORTING THE AGITATOR CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL PARALLEL THERETO, SAID AGITATOR INCLUDING A HUB RECEIVING SAID SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF LONG BLADES SUPPORTED ON SAID HUB IN CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED ARRANGEMENT AND EXTENDING FROM THE HUB CLOSE TO SAID ROUNDED WALL PORTION, A RING SECURED TO SAID LONG BLADES INTERMEDIATE THE RADIAL LENGTH THEREOF AND DISPOSED COAXIALLY AND SUBSTANTIALLY CO-PLANAR WITH SAID HUB, A PLURALITY OF SHORT BLADES SECURED TO SAID RING ALTERNATING WITH SAID LONG BLADES AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD, EACH OF SAID LONG BLADES HAVING RADIALLY OUTWARD OF SAID RING A BLADE ANGLE OF ABOUT 80* TO 90* AND A PITCH ANGLE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 1* TO 90* AND A HEIGHT APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THAT OF SAID ROUNDED WALL PORTION, THE PORTION OF THE LONG BLADES RADIALLY INWARD OF SAID RING HAVING A REDUCED HEIGHT AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL, EACH OF THE SHORT BLADES HAVING A HEIGHT LESS THAN THE RADIALLY OUTWARD HEIGHT OF THE LONG BLADES, A DISCHARGE DUCT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID VESSEL NEAR THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND RADIALLY OUTWARD OF SAID RING, AND CLOSURE MEANS IN SAID DUCT FOR SELECTIVELY OPENING AND CLOSING THE SAME.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR MIXING AND AGGLOMERATING PULVERIZED THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL AND LIQUID, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL MIXING VESSEL HAVING A BOTTOM FAIRED INTO THE CYLINDRICAL WALL OF THE VESSEL BY A ROUNDED WALL PORTION, A ROTARY AGITATOR, AND A DRIVE SHAFT FOR SAID AGITATOR DISPOSED PARALLEL WITH THE AXIS OF THE VESSEL AND SUPPORTING THE AGITATOR CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL PARALLEL THERETO, SAID AGITATOR INCLUDING A HUB RECEIVING SAID SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF LONG BLADES SUPPORTED ON SAID HUB IN CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED ARRANGEMENT AND EXTENDING FROM THE HUB CLOSE TO SAID ROUNDED WALL PORTION, A RING SECURED TO SAID LONG BLADES INTERMEDIATE THE RADIAL LENGTH THEREOF AND DISPOSED COAXIALLY AND SUBSTANTIALLY CO-PLANAR WITH SAID HUB, A PLURALITY OF SHORT BLADES SECURED TO SAID RING ALTERNATING WITH SAID LONG BLADES AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD, EACH OF SAID LONG BLADES HAVING RADIALLY OUTWARD OF SAID RING A BLADE ANGLE OF ABOUT 80* TO 90* AND A PITCH ANGLE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 1* TO 90* AND A HEIGHT APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THAT OF SAID ROUNDED WALL PORTION, THE PORTION OF THE LONG BLADES RADIALLY INWARD OF SAID RING HAVING A REDUCED HEIGHT AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL, EACH OF THE SHORT BLADES HAVING A HEIGHT LESS THAN THE RADIALLY OUTWARD HEIGHT OF THE LONG BLADES, A DISCHARGE DUCT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID VESSEL NEAR THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND RADIALLY OUTWARD OF SAID RING, AND CLOSURE MEANS IN SAID DUCT FOR SELECTIVELY OPENING AND CLOSING THE SAME.