Mixing and emulsifying apparatus

Claim 1

A MIXING AND EMULSIFYING APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOLLOW HOUSING OPEN AT OPPOSITE ENDS, SAID HOUSING HAVING A FRUSTO-CONICAL INNER SURFACE CONVERGING DOWNWARDLY, A ROTARY IMPELLER RECEIVED IN SAID HOUSING, SAID IMPELLER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ANGULARLY SPACED RADIALLY EXTENDING BLADES HAVING THEIR GENERATRICES PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID IMPELLER, SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE OUTER EDGES OF SAID BLADES CONFORMING TO THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING AND HACING A CLOSE CLEARANCE FIT THEREWITH, THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID BLADES BEING OPEN ALONG THE ENTIRE PERIPHERY OF THE IMPELLER AND BEING OPEN AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS TO PROVIDE UNOBSTRUCTED AXIAL PASSAGES FOR THE AXIAL FLOW OF MATERIAL THROUGH SAID IMPELLER BETWEEN SAID BLADES AND THE WIDER ENDS OF SAID BLADES TERMINATING IN THE SAME PLANE, A PLURALITY OF ANGULARLY SPACED RADIALLY EXTENDING VANES DISPOSED AT THE WIDER END OF SAID HOUSING WITH THE RADIAL EDGES OF SAID VANES ADJACENT THE WIDER ENDS OF SAID BLADES SPACED THEREFROM TO PROVIDE A CLOSE WORKING CLEARANCE, A SHAFT FIXED TO SAID IMPELLER, AND A MOTOR CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT FOR DRIVING SAID IMPELLER, WHEREBY UPON IMMERSION OF SAID HOUSING IN MATERIAL TO BE MIXED AND ROTATION OF SAID IMPELLER, SAID MATERIAL WILL FLOW INTO THE SMALLER END OF SAID HOUSING, RADIALLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING AND AXIALLY THROUGH SAID IMPELLER BETWEEN SAID BLADES TO BE DISCHARGED AXIALLY FROM SAID HOUSING BETWEEN SAID VANES, THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE OUTER EDGES OF SAID BLADES AND THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING PROVIDING A SHEARING ACTION ON SAID MATERIAL OVER SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE AXIAL LENGTH OF SAID BLADES AND THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN SAID VANES AND SAID BLADES PROVIDING A SHEARING ACTION ON SAID MATERIAL OVER SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE RADIAL LENGTH OF SAID BLADES.