Abstract:
A mixer includes a housing having one or more augers therein. The augers are turned so that they lift the material being mixed upwardly. Fixed on the side walls, which include baffles, are one or more deflectors which impart a downward motion on the mixture being mixed so that the mixture is tumbled upwardly by the augers and downwardly by the deflectors.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a vertical mixer with deflectors. The deflectors are on the side walls and deflect the material being mixed downwardly whereas the augers propel the material being mixed in an upward direction. 
     Counter cutters have been provided on the interior of the chamber, but these counter cutters do not deflect the material downwardly as in the present invention. Examples of prior art showing these counter cutters are shown in Faccia U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,553,937; 5,553,938; and 6,983,902. These show counter cutters that are resistant to the movement of the rotational direction imparted on the material by the augers. However, they do not respond by pushing the material downward, but instead resist the movement of the material in a circumferential direction. Furthermore, these cutting devices are pivoted and include a hydraulic cylinder on the outer surface thereof. They are pivoted about a horizontal axis, and protrude through side walls of the mixer into the interior of the mixer. Because they are vertically oriented, and because they protrude through a slotted opening in the sides of the side walls of the mixer, they create an ability of the mixer to resist the movement of the direction in a circumferential direction and the slots also cause material being mixed to fall through the slots of the mixer. 
     It has been found that imparting a downward movement to the material being mixed with deflectors that are positioned on the side walls of the mixer, creates a mixing action that is superior to the prior art. Therefore an object of the present invention is the provision of an improved vertical mixer having one or more deflectors projecting the material downwardly. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of one or more deflectors which are fixed to the side walls of the mixer and resist the upward movement of the material caused by the rotation of the augers. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of a mixer which includes one or more deflectors that are fixed to the side walls of the mixer and extend downwardly so as to impart a downward motion in response to the upward motion created by the augers. 
     A further object of the present invention is to improve the rate of discharge of the material, especially bulky material through the discharge opening. 
     A further object of the present invention is to cause the material to be deflected downward toward the discharge opening. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved mixer which does not include openings in the side walls of the mixer. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of one or more deflectors which project the material downwardly and which are not pivoted to the side walls of the mixer. 
     A further object of the present invention is the provision of one or more deflectors which impart a downward movement to the material being mixed and which are attached to the side walls of the mixer. The sidewalls may include a baffle which protrudes inwardly from the sides of the mixer. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing objects may be achieved by a vertical mixer comprising a housing having a continuous side wall and a bottom wall forming a mixer chamber therein, the housing having a front end, a rear end, and a top end. A material is within the mixing chamber. At least one vertical auger is within the housing and is adapted to rotate about a vertical axis in an upward direction that causes the material within the housing to move toward the top end of the housing. A mechanism is provided for rotating the at least one vertical auger about the vertical axis in the upward direction. A deflector is within the housing attached to the side wall and positioned to cause downward movement to be imparted to the material towards the bottom wall within the housing in response to the movement of the material towards the top end imparted by the vertical auger. 
     According to another feature of the present invention, a door opening is provided therein having an upstream side and a downstream side relative to the rotation of the auger within the mixer chamber. The deflector is positioned within the housing adjacent the upstream side of the door opening. 
     According to another feature of the present invention, the door opening is in one of the front and rear ends of the mixer housing, and the deflector is within the housing adjacent the upstream side of the door opening. 
     According to another feature of the present invention, the door opening is located in the side wall of the mixer housing adjacent one of the front or rear ends thereof. 
     According to another feature of the present invention, the side wall of the housing includes at least one baffle and the deflector is attached to the baffle. 
     According to another feature of the present invention, two augers are provided within the mixer housing and the deflector is provided to deflect the material downwardly in resistance to the upward lifting of the material caused by the flighting on the first and second augers. 
     According to the method of the present invention, the mixing material is within the housing having a front end, a rear end, a top, a side wall, and a bottom wall forming a mixing compartment. The method comprises placing the material within the mixing compartment. Then the material is moved upwardly toward the top of the housing within the compartment by rotating one or more of the augers. The material is downwardly deflected within the compartment with at least one deflector that is attached to the side wall of the housing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a sectional view of the mixer of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is an exterior elevational view of the mixer of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the mixer of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a view of a modified form of the present invention placing a deflector on the upstream end of the door opening. 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view showing the door opening positioned at the left hand view as viewed from the direction facing the tongue. 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional top view showing the location of deflectors when the door opening is located in the front corner of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-6 , a vertical mixer  10  is shown. Mixer  10  includes a mixer housing  12  having a tongue  13  ( FIG. 6 ). Mixer housing  12  includes a plurality of side walls  14  comprising a front wall  16 , a rear wall  18 , a left hand wall  20  (as viewed facing the direction of the tongue  13 ), and a right hand wall  22 . A bottom wall  24  is also provided on the mixer housing and a vertical left hand baffle  26  and a vertical right hand baffle  28  are included in the side walls. The baffles  26 ,  28  extend inwardly toward the center of the mixing chamber  29 . They are each provided with a vertical line  31  which designates a ridge formed on each of the baffles  26 ,  28 . The baffles  26 ,  28  protrude inwardly to form two chambers  33 ,  35  which are in communication with one another, but  5  which are circular in shape. 
     A first auger  30  is provided in chamber  33 , and a second auger  32  is provided in chamber  35 . The augers  30 ,  32  include helical flightings  36  thereon which reduce in circumference from the lower ends toward their upper ends as can be readily seen in  FIG. 1 . An auger shaft  34  extends upwardly and is vertical in its orientation and the augers  30 ,  32  pivot about the vertical axis provided by the shaft  34 . Mounted on the flightings  36  of the augers are a plurality of cutting blades  38  and a plurality of kicker bars  40 . ( FIG. 6 ). 
     A door opening  42  is provided in the right hand view as viewed from facing the tongue  13 . Door opening  42  includes a door  44  ( FIG. 5 ), tracks  46 , and hydraulic cylinders  48  which are connected at their opposite ends to the door gate  44  and the side walls  14  of the mixer. While door  44  may be varied in its design without detracting from the invention, but the important thing is that door  44  includes a door opening  42  and a moveable gate  44 . 
     A door side deflector  50  is provided immediately adjacent the upstream end of the door opening  42  and is attached to the side walls. Preferably, the first deflector  50  is positioned at right hand baffle  28  upstream from door  44 , but it may be attached at any place to the side wall  14  within first chamber  33 . 
     Similarly, an additional side deflector  52  is mounted adjacent the opposite baffle  26 . Deflector  52  may be positioned at any place in the second chamber  35 , of the attached at the side walls  14  in any position within the second chamber  35 . Furthermore, additional deflectors  50 ,  52  may be positioned on side walls  14 . 
     The angles of additional deflector  52  are shown in  FIG. 1  similarly in  FIG. 2 . In  FIG. 1 , the deflector  52  is shown at a 25 degree angle side to side position. The first side  63  at which the auger turns is higher than the second side  65  furthest from the way the auger turns. 
     In  FIG. 2 , the lower edge  61  of the deflector  52  is below the upper edge  59  of the deflector  52  and the preferable angle is 25 degrees. Non-door side deflector  52  includes an upper surface  57  and a lower surface  55 . Deflector  50  is also at the same angle. However, both of the angles (side to side in  FIG. 1 , and upper to lower as shown in  FIG. 2 ) may be varied depending upon the particular application. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 , a gear box  58  includes a reservoir  60 . Extending upwardly from the gear box  58  is a shaft  66  to which a first drive gear  62  is attached and a second drive gear  64  is attached. A first driven sprocket  68  and a second driven sprocket  70  include a first chain  72  and a second chain  74  respectively trained there around. A first shaft  75  and a second shaft  77  attach the gears  68 ,  70  to the augers  30 ,  32 . Thus, the gear box  58  drives the sprockets  62 ,  64  and the chains  72 ,  74  drive the sprockets  68 ,  70 , which in turn drive the augers  30 ,  32 . The augers  30 ,  32  are driven in the same rotational direction indicated by arrows  67 ,  69  in  FIG. 6 . This causes the augers to propel the material in an upward direction from the bottom wall  24  to the top  14 . As indicated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the arrows  76 ,  78 ,  80  and  82  indicate the direction of movement of the drive auger  62 , the driven auger  70 , the drive auger  64 , and the driven auger  68  respectively. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a first modified form of the mixer is designated by the numeral  84 . This modified form shows a door opening  86  which is adjacent the front of the mixer designated by the numeral  13 . The augers are shown driven in a direction indicated by arrows  88  which causes the augers to be driven in a direction which propels the material upwardly. A first deflector  90  is positioned immediately upstream relative to the rotational direction of the auger  30  from the door opening  86 . A similar second deflector  92  is positioned 180° therefrom. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , a modified form indicated by the numeral  94  is shown.  FIG. 8  shows a left hand door opening  96  as viewed from the position of facing toward the tongue  13 . The first deflector  98  and the second deflector  100  are positioned so that the first deflector  98  is immediately upstream from the door opening  96  relative to the rotational movement of auger  30 . 
     A third modified form is shown at  102  in  FIG. 9  and reflects a door opening  104  which is positioned at the upper front corner of the mixer housing. Immediately upstream therefrom is a first deflector  106 . A similar deflector  108  is positioned 180° therefrom. 
     In operation, the devices  10 ,  84 ,  94 ,  102  operate with the augers lifting the material upwardly in the mixer housing  12 . This upward action is countered by the downward action caused by deflectors  50 ,  52 ;  90 ,  92 ;  98 ,  100 ; and  106 ,  108 . The result is that the mixture is better mixed than in prior art devices, merely by the addition of deflectors. The doors can be placed at various locations within the mixer housing, and preferably the deflectors are located upstream of the door. However, the deflectors may be placed anywhere in the sidewalls. Also, additional deflectors may be used. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is an improvement in the rate of discharge through discharge opening  42 . Positioning the deflectors  50 ,  52 ,  90 ,  92  and  98 ,  100  improves the rate of discharge through opening  42 , especially bulky material that is deflected downwardly toward the discharge opening  42 . 
     In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, these are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Changes in the form and the proportion of parts as well as in the substitution of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as further defined in the following claims.