Method and apparatus for mixing glass batch materials

Claim 2

IN A METHOD OF PREPARING GLASS BATCH MATERIALS WHEREIN SEPARATE BATCH INGREDIENTS ARE CHARGED INTO A MIXING PAN INTERMIXED BY MIXING PADDLES AND A ROTOR CAGE WITHIN SAID PAN, THE STEPS OF ROTATING SAID MIXING PAN IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, ROTATING THE MIXING PADDLES AT A RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED IN TH DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID MIXING PAN, DEPOSITING A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF A LIQUID MEDIUM ONTO THE SURFACE OF THE MIXING BATCH MATERIALS AFTER SAID MATERIALS HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY INTERMIXED AND SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATING SAID ROTOR CAGE AT A RELATIVELY HIGH SPEED TO INTENSELY INTERMIX SAID BATCH MATERIALS AND BREAK UP THE AGGLOMERATE THEREIN, AND CONTINUING TO ROTATE THE MIXING PAN, MIXING PADDLES AND ROTOR CAGE AFTER SAID LIQUID MEDIUM HAS BEEN DEPOSITED UNTIL THE GLASS BATCH MATERIALS BECOME A SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS MIXTURE HAVING THE LIQUID MEDIUM UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED THERETHROUGH.

Claim 3

APPARATUS FOR MIXING GLASS BATCH MATERIALS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A MIXING PAN FOR RECEIVING PREDETERMINED QUANTITIES OF GLASS BATCH CONSTITUENTS, SAID MIXING PAN BEING ADAPTED TO ROTATE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID PAN FOR INTERMIXING SAID BATCH CONSTITUENTS IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID PAN, SAID MEANS FOR INTERMIXING THE BATCH CONSTITUENTS COMPRISING MIXING PADDLES IN OPPOSED QUADRANTS OF THE MIXING PAN ADAPTED TO ROTATE AT A RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED IN THE DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID MIXING PAN AND A ROTOR CAGE IN ANOTHER QUADRANT OF SAID MIXING PAN ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN AT A RELATIVELY HIGH SPEED FOR INTENSELY MIXING SAID BATCH CONSTITUENTS AND FOR BREAKING UP AGGLOMERATE THEREIN, AND A SPRAY SYSTEM MOUNTED ABOVE SAID MIXING PADDLES AND ROTOR CAGE FOR DEPOSITING A LIQUID MEDIUM ON THE SURFACE OF THE INTERMIXING BATCH CONSTITUENTS, SAID SPRAY SYSTEM INCLUDING DISTRIBUTING LINES CARRYING A PLURALITY OF SPRAY NOZZLES ALONG THEIR UNDERSIDE, SAID SPRAY NOZZLES BEING POSITIONED SO AS TO AVOID SPRAYING OF THE LIQUID MEDIUM ONTO EXPOSED PORTIONS OF THE ROTATING MIXING PADDLES, ROTOR CAGE AND MIXING PAN.

Claim 4

APPARATUS FOR MIXING GLASS BATCH MATERIALS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A MIXING PAN FOR RECEIVING PREDETERMINED QUANTITIES OF GLASS BATCH CONSTITUENTS, SAID MIXING PAN BEING ADAPTED TO ROTATE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID PAN FOR INTERMIXING SAID BATCH CONSTITUENTS IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID PAN, SAID MEANS FOR INTERMIXING THE BATCH CONSTITUENTS COMPRISING MIXING PADDLES IN OPPOSED QUADRANTS OF THE MIXING PAN ADAPTED TO ROTATE AT A RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED IN THE DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID MIXING PAN AND A ROTOR CAGE IN ANOTHER QUADRANT OF SAID MIXING PAN ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN AT A RELATIVELY HIGH SPEED FOR INTENSELY MIXING SAID BATCH CONSTITUENTS AND FOR BREAKING UP AGGLOMERATE THEREIN, AND A SPRAY SYSTEM MOUNTED ABOVE SAID MIXING PADDLES AND ROTOR CAGE FOR DEPOSITING A LIQUID MEDIUM ON THE SURFACE OF THE INTERMIXING BATCH CONSTITUENTS, SAID SPRAY SYSTEM INCLUDING DISTRIBUTING LINES CARRYING A PLURALITY OF SPRAY NOZZLES ALONG THEIR UNDERSIDE, SAID SPRAY NOZZLES BEING POSITIONED SO AS TO AVOID SPRAYING OF THE LIQUID MEDIUM ONTO EXPOSED PORTIONS OF THE ROTATING MIXING PADDLES, ROTOR CAGE AND MIXING PAN.