Top driven material shearing mixer and aerator

Claim 2

Apparatus for treating a body of fluent material comprising a support, a vertically elongated drive shaft assembly rotatably mounted by the support and extending downwardly therefrom into the fluent material, rotor means connected to the shaft assembly vertically spaced below the support to form a shear zone within the fluent material, power means mounted only above the support and drivingly connected to the shaft assembly for imparting rotation to the rotor means to activate said shear zone, means connected to the shaft assembly above the support for injecting a treating medium into the shear zone through the shaft assembly and the rotor means, a downflow tube depending from the support enclosing the shaft assembly above the rotor means, and an aerating blade connected to the shaft assembly partially immersed within the fluent material and baffle means fixed to the support above the fluent material in operative relation to the blaDe.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said support is a flotation device carrying the power means and the medium injecting means above the surface of the fluent material.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 wherein said rotor means comprises an upper flow dispersing member at most diametrically equal to the imperforate tube and a lower flow directing member diametrically larger than the imperforate tube, said members having confronting faces between which the shear zone is formed, and material shearing projections on said faces having outlet orifices through which said treating medium is discharged into the shear zone.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 3 including a flow dispersing rotor mounted on the shaft assembly within the imperforate tube.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 4 wherein said shaft assembly includes an inner shaft enclosing a first flow passage for the treating medium and an outer shaft enclosing a second flow passage for the treating medium.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 5 wherein said inner and outer shafts are respectively connected to the lower flow directing member and the upper flow dispersing member transmitting counter-rotational movement to said members.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 6 wherein said support is a flotation device carrying the power means and the medium injecting means above the surface of the fluent material.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 7 wherein said medium injecting means includes a source of gas under pressure, and pressure sealed means connecting said source to the inner and outer shafts for fluid communication with said first and second flow passages.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 8 wherein said outer shaft is formed by a hollow annular wall within which the second flow passage is formed.

Claim 11

Apparatus for treating a body of fluent material comprising a support, a vertically elongated drive shaft assembly rotatably mounted by the support and extending downwardly therefrom into the fluent material, rotor means connected to the shaft assembly vertically spaced below the support to form a shear zone within the fluent material, power means mounted only above the support and drivingly connected to the shaft assembly for imparting rotation to the rotor means to activate said shear zone, and means connected to the shaft assembly above the support for injecting a treating medium into the shear zone through the shaft assembly and the rotor means, said shaft assembly including inner and outer shafts driven relative to each other by the power means and respectively enclosing flow passages for the treating medium, said rotor means including a pair of impellers respectively connected to said inner and outer shafts and a sealing unit mounted on the inner shaft through which the treating medium is conducted from the injecting means into the flow passage enclosed by the outer shaft.

Claim 12

Apparatus for treating a body of fluent material comprising a support, a vertically elongated drive shaft assembly rotatably mounted by the support and extending downwardly therefrom into the fluent material, rotor means connected to the shaft assembly vertically spaced below the support to form a shear zone within the fluent material, power means mounted only above the support and drivingly connected to the shaft assembly for imparting rotation to the rotor means to activate said shear zone, and means connected to the shaft assembly above the support for injecting a treating medium into the shear zone through the shaft assembly and the rotor means, said shaft assembly including inner and outer shafts driven relative to each other by the power means and respectively enclosing flow passages for the treating medium, said rotor means including a pair of impellers respectively connected to said inner and outer shafts and a sealing unit mounted on the inner shaft through which the treating medium is conducted from the injecting means into the flow passage enclosed by the outer shaft.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 10 wherein said sealing unit includes an outer housing enclosing one end of said outer shaft, a removable end wall mounted by the housing in axially spaced relation to said one end of the outer shaft, packing means mounted by the end wall about the inner shaft, and pressure responsive sealing means enclosed by the housing in abutment with the end wall for sealing a receiving chamber establishing fluid communication between the flow passage enclosed by the outer shaft and the injecting means.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 11 wherein the outer shaft includes inner and outer walls between which one of the flow passages is formed, the inner wall having an extension in wiping engagement with the pressure responsive sealing means.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 11 wherein the end wall is provided with a radially inner sleeve surrounding the inner shaft in overlapping relation to the outer shaft and in engagement with the pressure responsive sealing means.

Claim 16

Apparatus for treating a body of fluent material comprising a support, a vertically elongated drive shaft assembly rotatably mounted by the support and extenDing downwardly therefrom into the fluent material, rotor means connected to the shaft assembly vertically spaced below the support to form a shear zone within the fluent material, power means mounted only above the support and drivingly connected to the shaft assembly for imparting rotation to the rotor means to activate said shear zone, means connected to the shaft assembly above the support for injecting a treating medium into the shear zone through the shaft assembly and the rotor means, and a downflow tube depending from the support enclosing the shaft assembly above the rotor means, said rotor means comprising an upper flow dispersing member at most diametrically equal to the downflow tube and a lower flow directing member diametrically larger than the downflow tube, said members having confronting faces between which the shear zone is formed, and material shearing projections on said faces having outlet orifices through which said treating medium is discharged into the shear zone.

Claim 17

Apparatus for treating a body of fluent material comprising a support, a vertically elongated drive shaft assembly rotatably mounted by the support and extenDing downwardly therefrom into the fluent material, rotor means connected to the shaft assembly vertically spaced below the support to form a shear zone within the fluent material, power means mounted only above the support and drivingly connected to the shaft assembly for imparting rotation to the rotor means to activate said shear zone, means connected to the shaft assembly above the support for injecting a treating medium into the shear zone through the shaft assembly and the rotor means, and a downflow tube depending from the support enclosing the shaft assembly above the rotor means, said rotor means comprising an upper flow dispersing member at most diametrically equal to the downflow tube and a lower flow directing member diametrically larger than the downflow tube, said members having confronting faces between which the shear zone is formed, and material shearing projections on said faces having outlet orifices through which said treating medium is discharged into the shear zone.

Claim 18

The combination of claim 14 wherein said inner and outer shafts are respectively connected to the lower flow directing member and the upper flow dispersing member transmitting counter-rotational movement to said members.