Apparatus and method for mixing and comminuting materials

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF MIXING AND COMMINUTING MATERIALS, FEEDING MATERIALS TO BE TREATED INTO AN AXIALLY EXTENDING CENTRAL ZONE, PROPELLING SAID MATERIAL SUBSTANTIALLY ON ALL LEVELS OF SAID CENTRAL ZONE IN RADIAL OUTWARD DIRECTIONS INTO A COAXIALLY PROVIDED MATERIAL-TREATING ZONE ANNULARLY SUROUNDING SAID CENTRAL ZONE AND BEING DEFINED BY STATOR MEANS AND ROTATING ROTOR MEANS, SAID CENTRAL AND MATERIAL-TREATING ZONES COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER SUBSTANTIALLY ON ALL LEVELS OF BOTH OF SAID ZONES, SAID STATOR AND ROTOR MEANS BEING AT LEAST PARTLY OF CONICAL SHAPE, SAID MATERIAL-TREATING ZONE BEING OF CONICAL SHAPE, SUBJECTING SAID MATERIAL, WHILE IN SAID MATERIAL-TREATING ZONE, THROUGHOUT THE AXIAL EXTENT OF SAID MATERIAL-TREATING ZONE TO THE ACTION OF MATERIAL-TREATING ELEMENTS, SPIRALLY MOVING SAID MATERIAL IN SAID MATERIAL-TREATING ZONE IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE WIDER END THEREOF, RETURNING TREATED MATERIAL FROM SAID MATERIAL-TREATING ZONE TO SAID CENTRAL ZONE, AGAIN RADIALLY PROPELLING RETURNED MATERIAL SUBSTANTIALLY ON ALL LEVELS OF SAID CENTRAL ZONE INTO SAID MATERIAL-TREATING ZONE, AGAINS SPIRALLY MOVING SAID RETURNED MATERIAL TOWARD SAID WIDER END OF SAID MATERIAL-TREATING ZONE, AGAIN CARRYING OUT THE TREATMENT OF SAID RETURNED MATERIAL THROUGHOUT THE AXIAL EXTENT OF SAID MATERIALTREATING ZONE, AND REPEATING THE CYCLES OF SAID OUTWARD MOVEMENT, SAID TREATMENT, SAID SPIRAL MOVEMENT, AND RETURN MOVEMENT.