Reactive component mixing with metered dry filler

Claim 1

An apparatus for combining at least one dry filler with at least one liquid component comprising: a feeder for dry filler; a compression chamber having an inlet in communication with said dry filler feeder to receive dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the inlet; a compression auger received within the compression chamber; a first drive motor linked to said compression auger for imparting rotation thereto for moving the dry filler from the compression chamber inlet to the compression chamber outlet; a mixing chamber having an inlet in communication with said compression chamber outlet to receive the dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the mixing chamber inlet; a mixing element rotatively mounted within the mixing chamber; a second drive motor linked to the mixing element for imparting rotation thereto for mixing the dry filler and liquid component and conveying the mixture out of the mixing chamber outlet; at least one liquid component inlet in fluid communication with one of said mixing chamber and compression chamber for injecting a liquid component therein; a pressure sensor mounted to the compression chamber for measuring the relative pressure of the dry filler within the compression chamber and for generating a signal representative of the pressure of the dry filler in the compression chamber; and a controller connected to the first drive motor and to the pressure sensor, the controller being responsive to the signal representative of the pressure of the dry filler in the compression chamber to control the speed of the first drive motor to maintain the pressure within the compression zone within a predetermined range.

Claim 2

An apparatus for combining at least one dry filler with at least one liquid component comprising: a feeder for dry filler; a compression chamber having an inlet in communication with said dry filler feeder to receive dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the inlet; a compression auger received within the compression chamber; a first drive motor linked to said compression auger for imparting rotation thereto for moving the dry filler from the compression chamber inlet to the compression chamber outlet; a mixing chamber having an inlet in communication with said compression chamber outlet to receive the dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the mixing chamber inlet; a mixing element rotatively mounted within the mixing chamber; a second drive motor linked to the mixing element for imparting rotation thereto for mixing the dry filler and liquid component and conveying the mixture out of the mixing chamber outlet; at least one liquid component inlet in fluid communication with one of said mixing chamber and compression chamber for injecting a liquid component therein; a pressure sensor mounted to the compression chamber for measuring the relative pressure of the dry filler within the compression chamber and for generating a signal representative of the pressure of the dry filler in the compression chamber; and a controller connected to the first drive motor and to the pressure sensor, the controller being responsive to the signal representative of the pressure of the dry filler in the compression chamber to control the speed of the first drive motor to maintain the pressure within the compression zone within a predetermined range.

Claim 13

An apparatus for combining at least one dry filler with at least one liquid component comprising: a feeder for dry filler; a compression chamber having an inlet in communication with said dry filler feeder to receive dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the inlet; a compression auger received within the compression chamber having flights mounted thereon and oriented in a first direction for moving dry filler from said inlet to said outlet of said compression chamber; a first drive motor linked to said compression auger for imparting rotation thereto to move the dry filler from the compression chamber inlet to the compression chamber outlet; a mixing chamber having an inlet in communication with said compression chamber outlet to receive the dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the mixing chamber inlet; a mixing element rotatively mounted within the mixing chamber having flights mounted thereon and oriented in a second direction for mixing the dry filler and liquid component and conveying the mixture from the mixing chamber inlet to the mixing chamber outlet; a second drive motor linked to the mixing element for imparting rotation thereto to mix the dry filler and liquid component and further to convey the mixture out of the mixing chamber outlet; at least one liquid component inlet in fluid communication with one of said mixing chamber and compression chamber for injecting a liquid component therein; and wherein the orientation of the compression auger flights is opposite the orientation of the mixing element flights and said first drive motor rotates the compression auger in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the mixing element as controlled by the second drive motor to thoroughly mix the dry filler and breakup any agglomerates of dry filler.

Claim 14

An apparatus for combining at least one dry filler with at least one liquid component comprising: a feeder for dry filler; a compression chamber having an inlet in communication with said dry filler feeder to receive dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the inlet; a compression auger received within the compression chamber having flights mounted thereon and oriented in a first direction for moving dry filler from said inlet to said outlet of said compression chamber; a first drive motor linked to said compression auger for imparting rotation thereto to move the dry filler from the compression chamber inlet to the compression chamber outlet; a mixing chamber having an inlet in communication with said compression chamber outlet to receive the dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the mixing chamber inlet; a mixing element rotatively mounted within the mixing chamber having flights mounted thereon and oriented in a second direction for mixing the dry filler and liquid component and conveying the mixture from the mixing chamber inlet to the mixing chamber outlet; a second drive motor linked to the mixing element for imparting rotation thereto to mix the dry filler and liquid component and further to convey the mixture out of the mixing chamber outlet; at least one liquid component inlet in fluid communication with one of said mixing chamber and compression chamber for injecting a liquid component therein; and wherein the orientation of the compression auger flights is opposite the orientation of the mixing element flights and said first drive motor rotates the compression auger in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the mixing element as controlled by the second drive motor to thoroughly mix the dry filler and breakup any agglomerates of dry filler.

Claim 23

An apparatus for combining at least one dry filler with at least one liquid component comprising: a feeder for dry filler; a compression chamber having an inlet in communication with said dry filler feeder to receive dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the inlet; a compression auger received within the compression chamber; a first drive motor linked by a first drive shaft to said compression auger for imparting rotation thereto for moving the dry filler from the compression chamber inlet to the compression chamber outlet; a mixing chamber having an inlet in communication with said compression chamber outlet to receive the dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the mixing chamber inlet; a mixing element rotatively mounted within the mixing chamber; a second drive motor linked by a second drive shaft to the mixing element for imparting rotation thereto for mixing the dry filler and liquid component and conveying the mixture out of the mixing chamber outlet, one of the first and second drive shafts being concentrically mounted in the other of the first and second drive shafts; at least one liquid component inlet in fluid communication with one of said mixing chamber and compression chamber for injecting a liquid component therein; a first port mounted to said mixing head; and a vacuum source applied to said first port; wherein said port and vacuum remove air expelled from the mixing head.

Claim 24

An apparatus for combining at least one dry filler with at least one liquid component comprising: a feeder for dry filler; a compression chamber having an inlet in communication with said dry filler feeder to receive dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the inlet; a compression auger received within the compression chamber; a first drive motor linked by a first drive shaft to said compression auger for imparting rotation thereto for moving the dry filler from the compression chamber inlet to the compression chamber outlet; a mixing chamber having an inlet in communication with said compression chamber outlet to receive the dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the mixing chamber inlet; a mixing element rotatively mounted within the mixing chamber; a second drive motor linked by a second drive shaft to the mixing element for imparting rotation thereto for mixing the dry filler and liquid component and conveying the mixture out of the mixing chamber outlet, one of the first and second drive shafts being concentrically mounted in the other of the first and second drive shafts; at least one liquid component inlet in fluid communication with one of said mixing chamber and compression chamber for injecting a liquid component therein; a first port mounted to said mixing head; and a vacuum source applied to said first port; wherein said port and vacuum remove air expelled from the mixing head.

Claim 33

An apparatus for combining at least one dry filler with at least one liquid component comprising: a feeder for dry filler; a compression chamber having a dry filler inlet in communication with said dry filler feeder to receive dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the inlet; a compression auger received within the compression chamber; a first drive motor linked to said compression auger for imparting rotation thereto for moving the dry filler from the compression chamber inlet to the compression chamber outlet and for compressing the dry filler; a mixing chamber having an inlet in communication with said compression chamber outlet to receive the dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the mixing chamber inlet and forming an exit nozzle; a mixing element rotatively mounted within the mixing chamber; a second drive motor linked to the mixing element for imparting rotation thereto for mixing the dry filler and liquid component into a slurry mixture and conveying the mixture out of the mixing chamber outlet; at least one liquid component inlet in fluid communication with one of said mixing chamber and compression chamber for injecting a liquid component therein; wherein the amount of dry filler contained in the slurry mixture is consistently maintained by matching the diameter of the nozzle to the diameter of the dry filler inlet according to the formula; ##EQU6## where; G m is the desired mass flow rate of the slurry from the mixing head; N is a constant for venturi flow, which for English units of measurements equals 0.099; C is a sizing factor equal to 0.995; D is the diameter of the dry filler inlet; ΔP is the change in pressure of the dry filler from the dry filler inlet diameter to the exit nozzle diameter; p f is the density of the dry filler; and x is the exit nozzle diameter.

Claim 34

An apparatus for combining at least one dry filler with at least one liquid component comprising: a feeder for dry filler; a compression chamber having a dry filler inlet in communication with said dry filler feeder to receive dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the inlet; a compression auger received within the compression chamber; a first drive motor linked to said compression auger for imparting rotation thereto for moving the dry filler from the compression chamber inlet to the compression chamber outlet and for compressing the dry filler; a mixing chamber having an inlet in communication with said compression chamber outlet to receive the dry filler therefrom and an outlet a spaced distance from the mixing chamber inlet and forming an exit nozzle; a mixing element rotatively mounted within the mixing chamber; a second drive motor linked to the mixing element for imparting rotation thereto for mixing the dry filler and liquid component into a slurry mixture and conveying the mixture out of the mixing chamber outlet; at least one liquid component inlet in fluid communication with one of said mixing chamber and compression chamber for injecting a liquid component therein; wherein the amount of dry filler contained in the slurry mixture is consistently maintained by matching the diameter of the nozzle to the diameter of the dry filler inlet according to the formula; ##EQU6## where; G m is the desired mass flow rate of the slurry from the mixing head; N is a constant for venturi flow, which for English units of measurements equals 0.099; C is a sizing factor equal to 0.995; D is the diameter of the dry filler inlet; ΔP is the change in pressure of the dry filler from the dry filler inlet diameter to the exit nozzle diameter; p f is the density of the dry filler; and x is the exit nozzle diameter.

Claim 40

A method for combining at least one dry filler with reactive liquid components comprising the steps of: continuously conveying dry filler through a feed zone to a mixing zone; measuring the pressure of the dry filler within the feed zone; mixing said dry filler and reactive liquid components; conveying the dry filler and liquid component mixture from said mixing head; and altering the rate at which the dry filler is supplied to the mixing zone in response to the pressure measurement to maintain a desired pressure of dry filler in the feed zone.

Claim 41

A method for combining at least one dry filler with reactive liquid components comprising the steps of: continuously conveying dry filler through a feed zone to a mixing zone; measuring the pressure of the dry filler within the feed zone; mixing said dry filler and reactive liquid components; conveying the dry filler and liquid component mixture from said mixing head; and altering the rate at which the dry filler is supplied to the mixing zone in response to the pressure measurement to maintain a desired pressure of dry filler in the feed zone.

Claim 47

A method for combining at least one dry filler with reactive liquid components comprising the steps of: continuously conveying dry filler from a feed zone to a mixing zone through the rotation of a compression auger in a first direction; mixing the dry filler with the reactive liquid components in the mixing zone through the rotation of a mixing element in a second direction, the second direction being opposite the first direction; applying shear forces to the dry filler to break up any agglomerates in the dry filler at the junction between the feed zone and mixing zone through the opposed rotation of the compression auger and mixing element; and conveying the dry filler and liquid component mixture from the mixing zone.

Claim 48

A method for combining at least one dry filler with reactive liquid components comprising the steps of: continuously conveying dry filler from a feed zone to a mixing zone through the rotation of a compression auger in a first direction; mixing the dry filler with the reactive liquid components in the mixing zone through the rotation of a mixing element in a second direction, the second direction being opposite the first direction; applying shear forces to the dry filler to break up any agglomerates in the dry filler at the junction between the feed zone and mixing zone through the opposed rotation of the compression auger and mixing element; and conveying the dry filler and liquid component mixture from the mixing zone.