Continuously operating machine for mixing and/or reacting materials

Claim 1

A MIXING APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES A HOUSING HAVING AN INLET FOR INTRODUCING MATERIALS TO BE SUBJECTED TO MIXING TREATMENT AND AN OUTLET FOR DISCHARGING MIXED MATERIALS, A WORM THREAD MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING FOR ROTATION RELATIVE THERETO FOR CONVEYING MATERIALS MIXED THEREIN FROM THE INLET TO THE OUTLET THEREOF, AND A WORM CORE MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING FOR ROTATION RELATIVE THERETO, AND DISPOSED WITHIN SAID WORM THREAD MEMBER FOR COAXIAL ROTATION RELATIVE THERETO FOR MIXING MATERIALS CONVEYED BY SAID WORM THREAD MEMBER, SAID WORM CORE MEMBER HAVING AN EXTERNAL DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OF THE WORM THREAD MEMBER FOR WIPING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH WHEREBY MATERIALS PROGRESSIVELY MIXED BY THE ROTATION OF THE WORM CORE MEMBER ARE CONVEYED FROM THE INLET TO THE OUTLET BY THE WORM THREAD MEMBER SUBSTANTIALLY WITHOUT INTERMIXING OF MATERIALS CONVEYED BY ADJOINING CONVOLUTIONS OF THE WORM THREAD MEMBER TO MAINTAIN A UNIFORM MIXING RESIDENCE TIME OF THE MIXED MATERIAL PRODUCT DISCHARGED AT THE OUTLET.