Untitled record

Application filed April 1,1902. Serial No. 100,939. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ernest Leslie Ransome, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greater New York, in the State of New York, 5 have invented Improvements in Mixing-Machines; and I hereby declare the following to be a description thereof.

My improvements relate to mixing-machines.

io The objects of my improvements are to make a mixing-machine that will mix more thoroughly than the present continuods mixers now in use and that will avoid the locking and binding so common in such mixers.

My improvements consist, first, in the provision of means by which one or more helical bafflers are mounted within a revoluble hollow member, such as a drum or shaft, in a way.to rotate therewith and to be withdrawn 20 easily therefrom and replaced with despatch;

secondly, in the provision of means for maintaining a space between the revoluble member and one or more bafflers in order to prevent the lodgment or accumulation of ma25 terial and to insure the operation of the bafflers without binding or locking the material undergoing treatment against any part of the machine; thirdly, to provide an improved construction of bafflers which operates in an 3° efficient manner to quickly and thoroughly mix the materials, and, finally, in the construction and arrangement of parts which will be defined by the annexed claims.

Figure 1 is a revolving hollow shaft or drum 35 with the head K. It is partly in section showing two helical bafflers of the same diameter placed inside. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the drum and bafflers of Fig. 1, the plane of the section being indicated by the dotted line X 4° X, said view looking toward the head K.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section .on the line S S of Fig. 4, also looking toward the head K and showing a preferred form of bafflers within a revoluble hollow member, such as a drum, 45 shaft, or cylinder. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a mixer of the type shown by Fig. 3, illustrating a preferred arrangement of two helical bafflers within a revoluble hollow member. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the mixer, with the revoluble hollow 50 member partly broken away and in section, said view showing one means for revolubly mounting and rotating said member. Fig. 6 is an elevation looking at the charging or inlet end of the machine. 55

Similar letters refer to similar parts in every figure.

My invention is as follows.

Within the revolving shell A, I place a plurality of helical bafflers B, each of said baf- 60 tiers being of normal pitch, as shown by Fig. 1. In many cases one is sufficient; but in drums of large diameter it is often advantageous to use two or more bafflers of equal size and of normal pitch, as indicated at B C, 65 as shown in Fig. 1, for by so doing the capacity of the machine is increased without detriment to the quality of the mixing.

A preferred form or construction of the invention consists in placing within the larger 7° baffler D, Fig. 4, another one of smaller diameter, E, and by preference the smaller one has a greater pitch than the outer and larger one.. The object of this arrangement is to attain a more thorough admixture, for the baf- 75 fler E, conveying the material quicker than the baffler D, will cause a constant commingling of the materials in the two lines of travel, and to attain this end more fully by preference I make one or both bafflers of ir- 80 regular pitch and place them so that at points equidistant from the end of the mixer where the pitch is greater in the one it is normal or less than normal in the corresponding part of the other, so that where the pitch is less in 85 the outer baffler the material in its passage will so pile up that a greater portion thereof than usual will come under the influence of the inner baffler of greater relative pitch at that point and will be carried forward to in- 90 termix with the material farther ahead on the lower line of travel, and vice versa. Where the pitch of the inner baffler is less at that point, the outer baffler will receive within its sphere of action more of the material from 95 the inner line of travel.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have shown a plurality of bafflers B C within the revolving

770,477* drum, said bafflers being of equal diameters | and intertwined one with the other·· Fig. 4 of the drawings shows a plurality of bafflers D E, the latter, E, being of smaller diameter 5 than the former, 15, and arranged within the same. It is evident to those skilled in the art that instead of using a single baffler D or E in the construction of Fig. 4 I may use a plurality of interwined bafflers of uniform diamio eter, similar to the bafflers B C of Fig. 1; but as such duplication of the bafflers D or E is an obvious expedient I have not considered it necessary to illustrate the same by the drawings.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings I have represented one embodiment of means for mounting and driving the drum which constitutes the hollow revoluble member. The drum A is shown as being provided with circumfer20 ential track-bands a, with which engage a plurality of bearing-rollers a', the latter being journaled in suitable bearings δ, which are supported by a suitable horizontal base or frame B'. This revoluble member A is also pro25 vided with an external.gear C', the same having intermeshing engagement with a driving gear-pinion c, which is carried by a horizontal shaft D', the latter being journaled in suitable bearings d, provided on said base or 30 frame. This shaft D' is adapted to be rotated by any suitable means, and the motion of the gear c is communicated to the gear C' for the purpose of rotating the drum A, the latter being supported by the rollers a', so as 35 to turn easily and freely on the base or frame B'.

In order to prevent the material from caking up or lodging within the angle form'ed between the baffler or bafflers and the shell of 40 the drum or hollow shaft, I prefer leaving a space at that point, as shown at F. For the purpose of convenience in cleaning and repairs I prefer to have the baffler or bafflers so constructed that they can be bodily and 45 easily withdrawn through the open delivery end of the drum or shell. This 1 accomplish by attaching the baffler or bafflers to the bars G, of which there are two or more. One or more of these are in turn engaged by the bar 50 or bars H, which are rigidly attached to the shell of the cylinder and by which the baffler or bafflers are fixed in relation thereto. When the drum or hollow shaft is in motion, the action of the material mixing will cause 55 the baffler or bafflers to thrust against the head K of the drum A, which will keep it or them from further independent movement; but in cases where there is no head the bars G and H can be bolted together, as at R, to 60 prevent this movement, or other of any of the well-known devices may be used to attain this end.

The head K of the mixer shown by Figs. 1 and 2 is attached in a suitable way to the receiving or charging end portion of the revo- 65 luble member. This head is provided with a central· opening 7r, which is shown in elevation by Figs. 2 and 6 and in section by Fig., 5, said opening k being of less diameter than the baffler or bafflers in order that the mate- 7° rial may be supplied to the revoluble member. The head may furnish an abutment for the baffler to restrain it from endwise displacement in one direction within the revoluble member. 75

The head K in the construction shown by Figs. 3 and 4 has an opening k' of less diameter than the smaller internal baffler E. (See Figs. 3, 5, and 6.) The material is adapted to be charged into the drum through this 80 opening in the mixer. The head K in this form of construction affords an abutment for both the bafflers D E to restrain them against endwise movement in one direction.

From the foregoing description, taken in 85 connection with Figs. 1, 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings, it will be seen that the hollow revoluble member or drum A is provided at its receiving or charging end with a head having an opening, while the other end of the drum 90 is open for the free delivery of the material which is mixed by the operation of the bafflers and the rotation of the drum or member. The baffler or bafflers extend continuously throughout the hollow member or drum, so 95 chat the machine will serve as a continuous mixer, the material being received through the head K of the drum and discharged through the other open end thereof.

The baffler or bafflers in the mixing-ma- i°o chine of my invention are not attached permanently to the drum or hollow member nor to one another, but the connection between the part or partsis afforded by longitudinallydisposed bars, which are arranged to insure 105 the rotation of the baffler or bafflers with the drum and which also permit the baffler or bafflers to be withdrawn, endwise from said drum through the open delivery end thereof.

In the construction shown by Figs. 1 and no 2 the drum is provided on its inside with longitudinal bars H, while the bafflers B C are furnished with comple.mental longitudinal bars G, the latter being disposed in lateral abutting engagement with the bars H. On 115 the rotation of the drum or member the bars H engage with the bars G to insure rotation ' of the bars G and bafflers B C with the member or drum A; but when the machine is at rest the bafflers B C and the bars H may be 120 withdrawn endwise from the drum without disconnecting the latter from its supporting devices, such as . the rollers a', on the frame or base.

The construction of parts shown by Figs. 3 125 and 4 is similar to the devices of Figs. 1 and 2, except that the inner baffler E is connected by longitudinal bars L to the larger baffler

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D, the latter being provided with longitudinal bars G, which are disposed for engagement with similar bars H, which are fastened to the inside of the drum or member A. This 5 construction permits the baffler E to be withdrawn endwise from the drum and the baffler B, and, if desired, said baffler B may also be removed from the drum, the bars G sliding lengthwise of the bars H. The bolts R are 10 only used in cases of emergency and when the hollow member or drum A is not provided with a head, as K.

The inner baffler or bafflers E by preference are rigidly attached to the outer baffler 15 or bafflers at two or more points, as shown at L, or by any convenient means. For the purpose of mixing such material as mortar, &c., I prefer to break the bafflers or puncture them with holes, as at M„ Fig. 1.

2o I do not limit my invention to cylindrical drums, for the periphery of the drum or shaft may be many sided and of any convenient shape and the helical bafflers may be shaped to more or less conform thereto; nor do I con25 fine my invention to mixing-mills, for the use of these helical bafflers, in combination with a hollow revolving shaft, makes an excellent conveyer for broken stone and such like materials.