Particulate material mixing machine having sealing mechanism

Claim 2

In a machine for mixing particulate materials, a drum, means for mounting the drum to revolve about a substantially horizontal axis in one normal angular direction, said drum having a tubular wall and a rear wall at one axial end thereof, said tubular wall having a front annular edge portion, a stationary hood enclosing the opposite end of the drum, said hood having an end wall adjacent said front edge portion and a tubular wall portion having a first annular part of substantial axial length surrounding said front edge portion and a second part extending between said first part and said hood end wall, annular seal means mounted on at least one of the first part and the drum for providing a seal between the first part and the drum, and a generally annular flange mounted on the front edge portion axially between the seal means and the hood end wall and extending radially toward the first part to within close proximity of the first part, said flange being mounted to rotate with the drum, the improvement comprising said annular flange having a plurality of circumferented spaced cut outs adjacent the radially outer peripheral portion thereof and vanes that extend toward the seal means in the direction of normal rotation of the drum for directing material back through the cut outs toward the hood end wall as the drum is rotated in said normal direction, said vanes at least in part being located radially between the drum and said first part.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in said flange has an annular portion having said cut outs, said cut outs opening radially toward said hood tubular portion and said vanes extending axially relative the drum axis of rotation at least a major portion of the distance between said flange annular portion and the seal means and being joined to said flange annular portion.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized in that the vanes at their juncture with the flange annular portion are of radial heights at least as nearly as great as the radial depths of the cut outs and of lengths greater than their radial heights.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that said hood and drum have cooperating means in part mounted by said hood and in part by said drum to rotate therewith for elevating material from a low position to a higher position as the drum is rotated and selectively discharging at least part of the above mentioned elevated material exterior of the hood, the drum cooperating means including a plurality of scoops, first generally annular means including said flange for mounting said scoops on the drum in circumferentially spaced relationship to rotate with said drum, said scoops being joined to said flange on the opposite side thereof from the seal means, and second means for elevating material within the drum to an elevation intermediate the lower and uppermost portions of the drum and directing the last mentioned elevated material toward the hood end wall, said second means being mounted in the drum to rotate therewith and extending axially more closely adjacent to the rear wall than said scoops, the hood cooperating means including a discharge chute mounted on the hood end wall, said chute having an inlet axially beneath an upper portion of the drum cooperating means to receive material from a scoop, and an outlet opening exteriorly of the hood, and means for selectively blocking flow of material from a scoop to the chute inlet.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 further characterized in each scoop has an axially elongated, radially outer edge located in close proximity to the hood second part, that each cut out is located angularly between a circumferentially adjacent pair of scoops and located substantially more closely adjacent the leading scoop of the respective pair of scoops in said normal direction than the trailing scoop.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5 further characterized in that there is provided a retainer plate that extends between each said pair of scoops and joined to the radially outer edges thereof, is of an axially length less than the half the axial length of the scoops, abuts against the flange, and is arcuately curved to be within close proximity to the hood second part, said cut outs opening to the space between the flange and the hood end wall radially inwardly of the retainer plates.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6 further characterized in that each retainer plate has an edge axially remote from the flange that extends between the respective pair of scoops and more closely approaches the flange in said normal direction.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 further characterized in that each cut out has a trailing edge that extends predominantly radially, that the flange has an annular portion having said cut outs opening through the outer peripheral edge thereof and that the vanes have predominantly radially extending edge portions joined to the flange annular portion adjacent the cut out trailing edges.

Claim 10

In a machine for mixing particulate materials, a drum, means for mounting the drum to revolve about a substantially horizontal axis in one normal angular direction, said drum having a tubular wall and a rear wall at one axial end thereof, said tubular wall having a front annular edge portion, a stationary hood enclosing the opposite end of the drum, said hood having an end wall adjacent said front edge portion and a tubular wall portion having a first annular part of a substantially larger diameter than said front edge portion and of a substantial axial length surrounding said front edge portion and a second part extending between said first part and said hood end wall, annular seal means on at least one of the first part and the drum for providing a seal between the first part and the drum, drum cooperating means in part mounted by said hood and in part by said drum to rotate therewith for elevating material from a low position to a higher position as the drum is rotated and selectively discharging at least part of the above mentioned elevated material exterior of the hood, the drum cooperating means including a plurality of scoops, first and second axially spaced, generally annular means for mounting said scoops on the drum in circumferentially spaced relationship to rotate with said drum, said scoops extending axially between the first and second annular means, said first annular means including a generally annular flange portion that is joined to the front edge portion to rotate therewith, extends radially within close proximity of the hood tubular wall portion, and is at least in part located axially between the scoops and seal means and substantially axially spaced therefrom, said scoops having radially outer, axially extending edges, and a retainer plate that extends between each pair of circumferential adjacent scoops and joined to the radially outer edges thereof, is of an axially length less than the half the axial length of the scoops, and many times greater than the axial thickness of the flange portion, abuts against the annular flange portion, and is arcuately curved to extend within close proximity to the hood second part.

Claim 11

In a machine for mixing particulate materials, a drum, means for mounting the drum to revolve about a substantially horizontal axis in one normal angular direction, said drum having a tubular wall and a rear wall at one axial end thereof, said tubular wall having a front annular edge portion, a stationary hood enclosing the opposite end of the drum, said hood having an end wall adjacent said front edge portion and a tubular wall portion having a first annular part of a substantially larger diameter than said front edge portion and of a substantial axial length surrounding said front edge portion and a second part extending between said first part and said hood end wall, annular seal means on at least one of the first part and the drum for providing a seal between the first part and the drum, drum cooperating means in part mounted by said hood and in part by said drum to rotate therewith for elevating material from a low position to a higher position as the drum is rotated and selectively discharging at least part of the above mentioned elevated material exterior of the hood, the drum cooperating means including a plurality of scoops, first and second axially spaced, generally annular means for mounting said scoops on the drum in circumferentially spaced relationship to rotate with said drum, said scoops extending axially between the first and second annular means, said first annular means including a generally annular flange portion that is joined to the front edge portion to rotate therewith, extends radially within close proximity of the hood tubular wall portion, and is at least in part located axially between the scoops and seal means and substantially axially spaced therefrom, said scoops having radially outer, axially extending edges, and a retainer plate that extends between each pair of circumferential adjacent scoops and joined to the radially outer edges thereof, is of an axially length less than the half the axial length of the scoops, and many times greater than the axial thickness of the flange portion, abuts against the annular flange portion, and is arcuately curved to extend within close proximity to the hood second part.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 9 further characterized in that each retainer plate has an edge axially remote from the annular flange portion that extends between the respective pair of scoops and more closely approaches the annular flange portion in said normal direction.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 9 further characterized in that said flange portion has circumferentially spaced cut outs between circumfereNtially adjacent pairs of scoops that open radially toward the hood tubular portion and other than for the cut outs has an outer peripheral edge in close radial proximity to said hood tubular wall portion and that vanes are joined to the annular flange portion for moving material between the flange portion and said seal means through the cut outs as the drum is rotated in said normal direction.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11 further characterized in that the flange portion has predominantly radially extending edges defining trailing edges of the cut outs in relation to said normal direction and that the vanes are joined to the flange portion adjacent said trailing edges, and have radially outer edges that extend away from said flange portion in close proximity to said first part.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 12 further characterized in that said flange portion has an inner diameter substantially less than the drum tubular wall inner diameter, that said first part has a cylindrical portion and an annular seal mounting portion that extends radially inwardly from its cylindrical portion, that the seal means is mounted on the seal mounting portion radially inwardly of the cylindrical portion, and that the vanes extend a major portion of the distance between the flange and the seal mounting portion.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 12 further characterized in that the vanes are generally planar and that the include angle in said normal direction between the plane of the flange portion and the plane of a vane is about 60*.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 12 further characterized in that said second annular means comprises a second annular flange that is between the hood end wall and the annular flange portion and axially adjacent the hood end wall, said second flange having a plurality of angularly spaced cut outs of varying radial spacings from said axis to permit material between the flange and hood end wall moving therethrough to prevent a buildup of material that would move the flange away from the hood end wall.

Claim 18

A machine for mixing particulate materials comprising a drum, means for mounting the drum to revolve about a substantially horizontal axis in one normal angular direction, said drum having a tubular wall and a rear end wall at one axial end thereof, a stationary hood enclosing the opposite end of the drum, said hood having an end wall adjacent the end of the drum opposite the drum rear wall, and hood and drum cooperating means in part mounted by said hood and in part by said drum to rotate therewith for elevating material from a low position to a higher position as the drum is rotated and selectively discharging at least part of the above mentioned elevated material exterior of the hood, the drum cooperating means including a plurality of scoops, first generally annular means for mounting said scoops on the drum in circumferentially spaced relationship to rotate with the drum and an annular flange joined to said scoops axially remote from the first annular means and being closely adjacent the hood end wall, the annular flange having a smaller number of cut outs than the number of scoops that are angularly spaced from one another and of varying radial spacings from said axis to permit material between the flange and hood end wall moving therethrough to prevent a buildup of material that would move the flange away from the hood end wall.

Claim 19

A machine for mixing particulate materials comprising a drum, means for mounting the drum to revolve about a substantially horizontal axis in one normal angular direction, said drum having a tubular wall and a rear end wall at one axial end thereof, a stationary hood enclosing the opposite end of the drum, said hood having an end wall adjacent the end of the drum opposite the drum rear wall, and hood and drum cooperating means in part mounted by said hood and in part by said drum to rotate therewith for elevating material from a low position to a higher position as the drum is rotated and selectively discharging at least part of the above mentioned elevated material exterior of the hood, the drum cooperating means including a plurality of scoops, first generally annular means for mounting said scoops on the drum in circumferentially spaced relationship to rotate with the drum and an annular flange joined to said scoops axially remote from the first annular means and being closely adjacent the hood end wall, the annular flange having a smaller number of cut outs than the number of scoops that are angularly spaced from one another and of varying radial spacings from said axis to permit material between the flange and hood end wall moving therethrough to prevent a buildup of material that would move the flange away from the hood end wall.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 16 further characterized in that the flange has an inner peripheral edge, and that the hood end wall has an inlet port having an edge furtherest radially remote from said axis that at its maximum spacing from said axis is closer to said axis than said inner peripheral edge.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 17 further characterized in that said hood has a top charging inlet, and that the hood has annular seal means surrounding the drum that is axially opposite the annular means from the flange forming a seal with the drum and that the annular means includes an annular portion and means on the annular portion for returning material radially between the hood and drum and axially between the seal means and the annular portion to a location axially between the flange and annular portion as the drum is rotated in said one normal angular direction.