Apparatus for reacting and devolatilizing prepolymer and like materials

Claim 2

The combination defined in claim 2 in which a dam assembly is provided between said mixing compartment and chamber and includes a radially movable dam member for varying the flow from the mixing compartment to said chamber.

Claim 3

The combination defined in claim 3 in which said dam assembly includes a partition plate having spaced-apart through bores for said shafts and a bore portion connecting said bores; said dam comprising a plate movable to a position to close the said bore portion.

Claim 4

The combination defined in claim 4 in which said mixing compartment and chamber are both of figure eight configuration in cross section and said bores are concentric with the cylindrical portions thereof; and said dam plate is configured to provide a radially inwardly projecting neck with curvilinear sidewalls shaped to correspond with said bores movable from an outer open position to a position in which the sidewalls align with said bore walls and said neck closes the bore portion between said bores.

Claim 5

The combination defined in claim 5 in which said neck terminates in a plate portion and ways are provided in said portion plate to slidably receive said plate portion.

Claim 6

The combination defined in claim 6 in which said bores are of slightly greater diameter than necessary to pass said shafts to form material-passing passages therearound in addition to the bore portion which may not be closed by said dam plate.

Claim 7

The combination defined in claim 7 in which a tapering portion on said shafts disposed in said chamber just upstream from the screw portions therein leads material radially.

Claim 8

Continuous mixer apparatus for materials giving off a vaporous product comprising: a barrel providing a mixing compartment closed except for spaced-apart inlet and outlet means for respectively admitting and discharging material thereto; corotating mixer shafts extending axially in said barrel; radially interwiping paddle sections on and rotating with said shafts configured to also wipe the entire perimetral surface of the mixing compartment; said compartment being entirely of a shape generated by said paddle sections as they rotate with said shafts; said paddle sections comprising lobular portions extending axially in linear extension to provide linear axial flow paths for vapor through said paddle sections; a vacuum source for removing vapor out an end of the compartment; means for supplying material to said inlet means and for discharging it from said outlet means at a rate to only partially radially occupy the free space in said compartment as it is moved therethrough, and to occupy it such that linear axial cylinders of material extending generally the length of said compartment are continuously formed in said compartment by said paddle sections; and means for driving said shafts.

Claim 9

The combination defined in claim 9 wherein radially adjustable dam means is provided at the discharge end of said mixing compartment to maintain the desired volume of material therein.

Claim 10

The combination defined in claim 10 wherein intermeshing screws, provided in a chamber which they also completely wipe, receive material from said mixing compartment around said dam means.

Claim 11

The combination defined in claim 10 in which said dam means is movable to a position to tangentially control the path of the material and pass it to said screws in a proper flow path.

Claim 12

The combination defined in claim 9 in which said mixing compartment has a charge end with cowiping material advancing portions therein leading to said paddle sections; and vacuum duct means communicating with said charge end at the downstream end of said material advancing portions and so communicating substantially directly with said vapor flow paths.

Claim 13

The combination defined in claim 9 in which said barrel is jacketed and includes heating jacket means around the charge end of the mixing compartment to raise the temperature of the material and cooling jacket meaNs downstream thereof to remove heat from the material.

Claim 14

The combination defined in claim 2 in which said barrel is jacketed and includes a heating jacket for the inlet end of the mixing compartment to raise the temperature of the material, and a cooling jacket downstream thereof to remove a predetermined degree of heat from the material.

Claim 15

The combination defined in claim 15 in which said barrel extension is also jacketed in the region of said cowiping screw sections.

Claim 16

The combination defined in claim 10 in which said dam means discharges to a second mixing compartment into which said shafts extend; radially interwiping paddle sections on said shafts within said second compartment configured to also wipe the perimetral surface of the mixing compartment; said latter paddle sections also comprising lobular portions extending axially in linear extension to provide linear axial flow paths for vapor through said paddle sections; a discharge section is connected with said second compartment; and second damming means is provided at the discharge end of the second mixing compartment to maintain the desired volume of material therein.

Claim 17

The combination defined in claim 9 in which said shafts are driven in the same direction of rotation and at the same speed.

Claim 18

Continuous mixer apparatus for materials giving off a vaporous product comprising: a barrel providing a perimetrally closed material smearing compartment having spaced-apart inlet and outlet means for respectively admitting and discharging material thereto; corotating shafts extending axially in said barrel; radially interwiping paddle sections on and rotating with said shafts configured to also wipe the entire perimetral surface of the compartment; said closed compartment being entirely of a shape generated by said paddle sections as they rotate with said shafts so that material may be smeared anywhere on the perimetral surface thereof; said paddle sections comprising lobular portions, extending in an axial direction in a manner to provide continuous and uninterrupted axially leading vapor flow paths through said paddle sections, from one end of said compartment to the other, for vapor and to achieve substantially peripheral as distinguished from axial mixing of the material; a vacuum source for removing vapor from an end of the compartment; means for supplying material to said inlet means and discharging it from said outlet means at a rate to only partially radially occupy the free space in said compartment as material is moved therethrough such that linear axial cylinders of material extending generally the length of said compartment can be continuously formed and reformed in said compartment by said paddle sections and smeared thereby on said surface; and means for driving said shafts.

Claim 19

The combination defined in claim 19 in which said paddle sections are of generally lenticular configuration and said mixing compartment is generally of figure-8 shape.

Claim 20

The combination defined in claim 19 in which advancing screw sections are provided on said mixer shafts upstream from said paddle sections; and said means for supplying material to said inlet means supplies it at a rate gauged to the pitch of said screw sections such that substantially no mixing occurs in said screw sections which serve principally to advance said material.

Claim 21

The combination defined in claim 19 in which a discharge chamber, provided in communication with said mixing compartment, is reduced considerably in cross-sectional area relative thereto and has discharge screw means therein receiving the material from said outlet means, the available space in said chamber being such that said discharge chamber remains fully occupied by material.

Claim 22

The combination defined in claim 22 in which a radially adjustable member movable radially inwardly and outwardly provides an adjustable orifice between the discharge chamber and said compartment.

Claim 23

The combination defined in claim 22 in which said discharge Chamber is of generally the same cross-sectional configuration as said compartment.

Claim 24

The combination defined in claim 21 in which said vacuum source communicates with said barrel at said advancing screw sections.

Claim 25

The combination defined in claim 19, in which means is provided for heating the material from the temperature at which it is received by the advancing screws, at which it is nonreactive, to a temperature at which it is reactive in the mixing compartment.

Claim 26

The combination defined in claim 19 in which said paddle sections comprise linearly axially extending lobes of uniform cross-sectional shape throughout their length.