PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR VISCOUS MATERIALS

Abstract: Processing apparatus for viscous materials, comprising a vertically disposed annular space (6), the materials to be processed being fed in at the bottom of the annular space (6) and the processed materials being removed at the top, a vertically disposed rotating shaft (1) and a mul­ tiplicity of essentially radial arms (3) which are attached to the shaft (1) and to the ends of which vertical components (4) are attached which travel round in the annular space (6) as the shaft rotates (1), whereby the inlet of the materials to be processed debouches tangentially into an annular chamber (13) beneath the annular space (6), the width of which is greater than the width of the inlet and is greater that the width of the annular space (6).

Description: The invention relates to a processing apparatus for viscous materials, comprising a vertically disposed annular space, the concentric circular cylindrical walls of which may optionally be cooled and/or heated, the materials to be processed being fed in at the bottom of the annular space and the processed materials being removed at the top, a vertically disposed rotating shaft at the centre line of the circular cylindrical walls which is mounted at the top in a wall and is sealed with respect thereto, which wall seals off the top of the innermost circular cylindrical wall, and a multiplicity of essentially radial arms which are attached to the shaft above the wall and to the ends of which vertical components are attached which travel round in the annular space as the shaft rotates. Such a processing apparatus, in the form of a scraping heat exchanger, is known from Dutch Patent Application 7809531 filed by the Applicant. The processing apparatus can be used for all kinds of purposes, such as, for example, the preparation of products in which whole fruits are present. In that case break up of the fruits has to be avoided as far as possible. The object of the invention is to supply the product in such a way that damage of the fruits is avoided and this is achieved in that the inlet of the materials to be processed debouches tangentially into an annular chamber beneath the annular space, the width of which is greater than the width of the inlet and is greater than the width of the annular space. Preferably, the width of the annular chamber is 1.5 to 2.5 times the width of the inlet and of the annular space. Since the inlet debouches tangentially into the wider annular chamber, the materials to be processed are first able to gather speed before moving upward through the narrower annular space in which the vertical components rotate. When the materials to be processed arrive between the rotating vertical components, the speeds are substantially the same. No collision with the vertical components takes place and damage to the product such as fruit, is thus avoided. The processing apparatus according to the invention comprises in a known manner a vertically driven shaft 1 which is attached at the top to a head 2 to which a multiplicity, for example four, of arms 3, extending essentially radially, are attached. Attached to the ends of said arms 3 are vertical stirring and scraping components 4 which are linked at the bottom to a ring 5 which rotates at the same time. Said vertical stirring and scraping components 4 move in a circular cylindrical space 6 which is bounded by a circular cylindrical inner wall 7 and a circular cylindrical outer wall 8. Said inner and outer wall 7 and 8 respectively are each constructed in a known manner in a double-walled configuration. Connected to the inner wall 7 are pipes 9 and 10 and connected to the outer wall 8 are pipes 11 and 12 for cooling and/or heating of said walls with the aid of a cooling and/or heating medium. The materials to be processed, for example fruit in a liquid, are fed in at the bottom of the apparatus, for which purpose an inlet pipe, which is not shown, connects tangentially to an annular chamber 13 beneath the space 6. Said chamber 13 has a greater width than the space 6, as will be explained below. The materials to be processed are removed at the upper side at the usual way. As a result of the presence of wide annular chamber 13 to which the narrower inlet, which is not shown, for the materials to be treated, for example fruits in liquid, is tangentially connected, said fruits have the opportunity to gather speed before they are guided upwards into the narrow annular space 6, in which the scraper components are rotating. As a result of this, damage to the fruit is avoided as far as possible. With the same object, the stirring and scrapping components 4 are of as flat construction as possible.

Claims: 1. Processing apparatus for viscous materials, comprising a vertically disposed annular space (6), the concentric circular cylindrical walls of which may optionally be cooled and/or heated, the materials to be processed being fed in at the bottom of the annular space and the processed materials being removed at the top, a vertically disposed rotating shaft (1) at the centre line of the circular cylindrical walls which is mounted at the top in a wall and is sealed with respect thereto, which wall seals off the top of the innermost circular cylindrical wall (7), and a multiplicity of essentially radial arms (3) which are attached to the shaft above the wall and to the ends of which vertical components (4) are attached which travel round in the annular space as the shaft rotates, characterized in that the inlet of the materials to be processed debouches tangentially into an annular chamber (13) beneath the annular space (6), the width of which is greater than the width of the inlet and is greater that the width of the annular space. 2. Processing apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the width of the annular chamber (13) is 1.5 to 2.5 times the width of the inlet and of the annular space.

Inventors: BOER, JORT
Applicants: N.V. MACHINEFABRIEK TERLET
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A23B7
IPC codes: A23B7, A23N15