Apparatus for dispersing finely divided solid particles in a liquid vehicle

Claim 1

Apparatus for deagglomerating and dispersing solid particles held in agglomerated form and carried in suspension in a liquid vehicle by the action of a dispersing media on the solids comprising: a mixing vessel having a fluid inlet at one end thereof and a fluid outlet at the other end thereof, said vessel being adapted to have a charge of dispersing media introduced therein, said inlet also being adapted to be operatively connected to means for introducing a fluid mixture into said inlet under pressure and moving said fluid mixture through said inlet, and through the dispersing media to said outlet; a rotatable shaft extending into said vessel and adapted to be driven from a power source; agitating means operatively associated with said shaft within said vessel for agitating the dispersing media; a separator for separating dispersing mEdia from the fluid mixture, said separator being operatively associated with said shaft and closely adjacent thereto and disposed in the path of flow between said vessel inlet and outlet; means defining inlet means and outlet means in said separator, said separator outlet means being in fluid communication with said vessel outlet; said separator including a plurality of removable screen segments attached to said separator and surrounding the outside thereof; retaining means on said separator for holding the screen segments in a continuous annular arrangement about said separator; and opening means in said vessel wall defining a hand hole of sufficient size to provide access to said separator and said removable screen elements to permit removal of the latter from said separator.