Multiple orbiting screw mixing apparatus

Claim 2

Mixing apparatus comprising: a container having semiconically shaped sidewall surfaces and adapted to receive material to be mixed or treated; first and second rotatable longitudinally extending screws mounted for orbital movement about first and second upwardly extending and spaced-apart axes, respectively, within said container; said first and second rotatable screws each being mounted for rotation about its own longitudinal axis for mixing material within the container, the longitudinal axes of said first and second screws being upwardly extending and parallel; said screws including intermeshing lands with portions of the lands always being in wiping engagement to effect a mutual cleaning action therebetween, said lands each including upper and lower flanks; and means for orbiting said first and second screws about said first and second upwardly extending axes, respectively, in a manner to cause the upper and lower flanks of one screw to alternately engage and wipe the lower and upper flanks of the other screw.

Claim 3

The mixing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said longitudinal axes are parallel to at least a portion of said sidewall surfaces at any one time during said orbital movement.

Claim 4

The mixing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second screws are orbited in a path to wipingly engage different portions of the said sidewall surfaces to remove material attached thereto; said longitudinal axes of said first and seconD screws being parallel with the generatrices of the sidewall surfaces which said first and second screws respectively engage during said orbital movement.

Claim 5

Mixing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first and second screws cyclically slidingly engage portions of said sidewall surfaces to remove matter secured thereto.

Claim 6

Mixing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for orbiting said first and second screws includes a pair of downwardly, outwardly, and parallelly extending portions pivotally connected at their lower ends with the upper ends of said first and second screws.

Claim 7

Mixing apparatus as set forth in claim 5 including drive means for rotating said screws about their respective longitudinal axes; said upper ends of said pair of parallelly extending portions being rotatably mounted along first and second parallel, vertically extending, spaced-apart axes; and the lower ends of said first and second screws being connected with said drive means along said first and second axes respectively.

Claim 8

Mixing apparatus comprising: a single container adapted to receive material to be mixed or treated and including first and second symmetric sidewall surfaces which are generated about first and second spaced-apart axes respectively; first and second rotatable screws mounted for orbital movement about said first and second spaced-apart axes, respectively, within said container; said first and second screws each being mounted for rotation about its own longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of said first and second screws being parallel and said first and second screws being in intermeshing relation, with portions of each of said screws always being in wiping engagement to effect a mutual cleaning; means for rotating each of said first and second screws about its own axis to mix material within the container; and means for orbiting each of said first and second screws within said container, about said first and second axes respectively, to wipingly engage alternate ones of said pair of said sidewall surfaces with alternate ones of said screws to remove material attached thereto.

Claim 9

Mixing apparatus comprising: a single container adapted to receive material to be mixed or treated and including first and second symmetric sidewall surfaces which are generated about first and second spaced-apart axes respectively; first and second rotatable screws mounted for orbital movement about said first and second spaced-apart axes, respectively, within said container; said first and second screws each being mounted for rotation about its own longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of said first and second screws being parallel and said first and second screws being in intermeshing relation, with portions of each of said screws always being in wiping engagement to effect a mutual cleaning; means for rotating each of said first and second screws about its own axis to mix material within the container; and means for orbiting each of said first and second screws within said container, about said first and second axes respectively, to wipingly engage alternate ones of said pair of said sidewall surfaces with alternate ones of said screws to remove material attached thereto.

Claim 10

Material mixing apparatus comprising: a single container adapted to receive material to be mixed or treated and including a pair of opposed symmetric sidewall surfaces generated about first and second spaced-apart axes; first and second screws each mounted for rotation in said container about its own longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of said first and second screws being parallel, said first and second screws being in intermeshing relation with portions of each of said screws being in wiping engagement to effect a mutual cleaning; means for rotating each of said screws about its own axis; means mounting said first and second screws for movement in orbital paths about said first and second axes respectively to alternately wipingly engage alternate ones of said sidewall surfaces with alternate ones of said screws to remove material attached thereto, said orbital mounting means including first and second drive members connected with said first and second screws and movable in paths of travel so as to alternately overlie each other as said screw members alternately engage said opposite sidewall surfaces.

Claim 11

Material mixing apparatus comprising: a single container adapted to receive material to be mixed or treated and including a pair of opposed symmetric sidewall surfaces generated about first and second spaced-apart axes; first and second screws each mounted for rotation in said container about its own longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axes of said first and second screws being parallel, said first and second screws being in intermeshing relation with portions of each of said screws being in wiping engagement to effect a mutual cleaning; means for rotating each of said screws about its own axis; means mounting said first and second screws for movement in orbital paths about said first and second axes respectively to alternately wipingly engage alternate ones of said sidewall surfaces with alternate ones of said screws to remove material attached thereto, said orbital mounting means including first and second drive members connected with said first and second screws and movable in paths of travel so as to alternately overlie each other as said screw members alternately engage said opposite sidewall surfaces.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said drive members comprise first and second radially outwardly and parallelly extending portions pivotally connected to said first and second screws.

Claim 13

The apparatus set forth in claim 8 wherein said pair of opposed symmetric sidewall surfaces comprise semiconically shaped portions connected by generally straight sidewall portions having a length equal to the distance between said first and second axes.