Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
Apparatus for comminuting a process mixture, said apparatus comprising: a comminuting vessel; a comminuting media that is contained by the comminuting vessel; and an agitator extending into the comminuting media and being rotatable therein, said agitator having a shaft with radial members extending therefrom with at least some of said radial members having surfaces that are inclined with respect to the plane of rotation of the radial member, said surfaces of radial members at a given angular position on the shaft having a sense of inclination opposite from the surfaces of adjacent radial members having the same angular position such that the rotation of said agitator causes pulsating flow of the mixture during comminution thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
115 words
Apparatus for comminuting a process mixture, said apparatus comprising: a comminuting vessel; a comminuting media that is contained by the comminuting vessel; and an agitator extending into the comminuting media and being rotatable therein, said agitator having a shaft with radial members extending therefrom with at least some of said radial members having surfaces that are inclined with respect to the plane of rotation of the radial member, said surfaces of radial members at a given angular position on the shaft having a sense of inclination opposite from the surfaces of adjacent radial members having the same angular position such that the rotation of said agitator causes pulsating flow of the mixture during comminution thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said radial members redirect a portion of the comminuting media such that the random motion of the elements of the comminuting media is increased.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the radial member has an elliptical cross-section, the major axis of which is inclined with respect to the plane of rotation of the radial member.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the radial members extend from opposite sides of the agitator shaft.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the radial member on one side of said shaft has a shorter radial extension than the radial member on the opposite side of said shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the radial member extends through a hole in said shaft.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein radial members that are longitudinally adjacent on the agitator shaft are angularly disposed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein longitudinally adjacent radial members have an opposite sense of inclination with respect to the plane of rotation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
156 words
Apparatus for comminuting a process mixture, said apparatus comprising: a comminuting vessel having an input port at one end and an output port at an opposite end; a comminuting media that is contained by the comminuting vessel; means for circulating the process mixture through the comminuting vessel from the input port to the output port; a screen transversely arranged in the comminuting vessel at a longitudinal position between the input and output ports; and an agitator extending into the comminuting media and being rotatable therein, said agitator having a shaft with radial members extending from said shaft, said radial members adjacent said screen having a redirecting face that is inclined with respect to the plane of rotation of the radial member, the sense of inclination of said redirecting face with respect to the direction of rotation of said shaft being such that the radial member, redirects the elements of the comminuting media away from said screen.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
156 words
Apparatus for comminuting a process mixture, said apparatus comprising: a comminuting vessel having an input port at one end and an output port at an opposite end; a comminuting media that is contained by the comminuting vessel; means for circulating the process mixture through the comminuting vessel from the input port to the output port; a screen transversely arranged in the comminuting vessel at a longitudinal position between the input and output ports; and an agitator extending into the comminuting media and being rotatable therein, said agitator having a shaft with radial members extending from said shaft, said radial members adjacent said screen having a redirecting face that is inclined with respect to the plane of rotation of the radial member, the sense of inclination of said redirecting face with respect to the direction of rotation of said shaft being such that the radial member, redirects the elements of the comminuting media away from said screen.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the inclination of redirecting surfaces of radial members on opposite sides of said shaft is in the opposite sense.