Small volume mixing and recirculating apparatus

Claim 1

A small volume mixing and delivery system for supplying small particles suspended in a vehicle so as to form a slurry for delivery and recirculation, comprising: a mixing chamber having cylindrical sides, a conical bottom having an opening at its lowest point and a pivotable inlet tube adjustable to introduce recirculated slurry into said chamber in a manner to selectively enhance or diminish the establishment of a vortex in said chamber; a high speed rotatable impeller; an outlet tube; an impeller housing encasing said impeller and connected to said chamber at said opening and to said outlet tube, said opening being such that the housing receives the slurry from the mixing chamber and closely couples the housing with the mixing chamber so that the high speed rotation of the impeller coupled with the force of the recirculated slurry produces a vortex in said chamber for mixing said slurry in the chamber while the impeller pumps said slurry through said outlet tube; shaft means for rotating said impeller in said housing, said shaft means extending through said slurry to a point above the level of said slurry for connection to a power drive train arranged to drive said impeller.