Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 6th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 7th Jan., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by BAPTISTE FELIX GIRAUD, of Dijon, in the Republic
of France, Pharmaceutical Chemist.]
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street,
Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of an improved apparatus for mixing,
kneading, and grinding substances of a somewhat soft nature.
The apparatus consists mainly of a sphere or ball of suitable weight moving in a
tube having a circular section and preferably of an annular form rotating upon its
axis. The section of the tube and of the ball are nearly equal, thereby allowing only
just sufficient play to suit the material under treatment. While the apparatus is in
operation and charged with material to be treated, there is a constant contact between
all the points of the surface of the sphere and all the points of the internal surface of
the tube and as a consequence thereof, there is always immediate action upon the
substances under treatment.
In carrying out the invention the annular tube of circular section is formed of two
metallic shells fitting one upon the other and containing the sphere or ball. The
annular piece is mounted upon a shaft terininated at one end by a screw thread having
a thumb screw serving to hermetically lock the two shells together and at the other
end by a square carrying a crank handle by means of which the apparatus is operated.
The crank handle may be replaced by a pulley in large sized apparatus which are
intended to be operated by a motor. The shaft rotates within a sleeve its end resting
upon a cast iron support of the shape of a vertical dise and provided with a foot. The
sleeve is pivotted upon the support at the centre of the vertical disc and carries two
screw threaded pins moving in two slots formed in the said disc and allowing the
shaft to be rotated a quarter of a revolution in order to bring it in a vertical position
and thereby bring the annular piece in a horizontal position. Two thumb screws
serve to secure the shaft in its various positions. An opening closed by a screw
stopper may be formed when required in the periphery of the apparatus.

page_text: The operation of the machine or apparatus is as follows:-
When fatty matters, for example, are to be treated the annular tube is first brought
into a horizontal position and the upper part thereof is removed. The mixture of the
liquid fatty matters is then poured into the lower portion of the said annular tube and
the ball is then also placed therein after having been previously heated in a bath; the
upper half of the annular tube is subsequently fixed hermetically over the lower half
and by a quarter of a revolution this annular tube is brought back to a vertical position,
the apparatus being then ready to operate:
The apparatus is chiefly designed for mechanically mixing and kneading one or
simultaneously mixing or kneading several fatty substances having the same or
different melting points either alone or added to vegetable or mineral powders, such
mixing being effected in a perfect manner in a very short period of time, and in a
hermetically closed vessel. It can serve also for mixing, kneading, or grinding sub-
stances which are easily broken or crushed.

page_text: An Improved Mixing, Kneading, and Grinding Machine or
Apparatus.
I GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, No. 4, South Street,
Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of
this invention (a communication from abroad by Jean Baptiste Felix Giraud, of Dijon,
in the Republic of France, Pharmaceutical Chemist) and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to the construction of an improved apparatus for mixing,
kneading and grinding substances of a somewhat soft nature.
The apparatus consists mainly of a sphere or ball of suitable weight moving in a
tube having a circular section and preferably of an annular form rotating upon its
axis. The section of the tube and of the ball are nearly equal thereby allowing only
just sufficient play to suit the material under treatment. While the apparatus is in
operation and charged with material to be treated, there is a constant contact between
all the parts of the surface of the sphere and all the parts of the internal surface of the
tube and as a consequence thereof there is always immediate action upon the sub-
stances under treatment.
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 represents a vertical section
of a mixing, kneading and grinding machine or apparatus constructed according to
this invention the parts being in the position they occupy when the apparatus is
being operated; figure 2 is an elevation partly in section shewing the parts of the
apparatus in the position for charging with the material to be treated. Similar
letters in both the figures represent similar parts.
In carrying out the invention the annular tube T of circular section as shewn
in figure 1 is formed of two metallic shells A, B, and CD fitting one upon the
other and containing the sphere or ball S. The annular tube T, is mounted upon
a shaft E, F, terminated at one end by a screw thread G having a thumb screw
shewn in figure 1 serving to hermetically lock the two shells A, B, and CD
together and at the other end by a square carrying a crank handle H, by means
of which the apparatus is operated. The crank handle H may be replaced by a
pulley (indicated by the dotted lines at P in figure 1) in large sized apparatus
which are intended to be operated by a motor. The shaft E, F, rotates within a
sleeve K, L, upon a cast iron support M, N, of the shape of a vertical disc M pro-
vided with a foot N. The sleeve KL is pivotted upon the support M, N, at O, at
the centre of the vertical disc and carries two screw threaded pins Q and R moving
in two slots U and V formed in the disc M and allowing the shaft E, F, to be
rotated a quarter of a revolution that is to say from the position shewn in figure 1
to that shewn in figure 2 and vice versa in order to bring it into a horizontal or
a vertical position as required and thereby bring the annular tube T into a vertical
or a horizontal position. Two thumb screws X, X', serve to secure the shaft E, F,
in the said positions. An opening closed by a screw stopper, not shewn in the
drawing, may be formed when required in the periphery of the apparatus.

page_text: The operation of the machine or apparatus is as follows:-
When fatty matters, for example, are to be treated, the parts of the machine
being in the position shewn in figure 1, the annular tube T is first brought into
a horizontal position as shewn in figure 2 and the upper part A B thereof is
removed. The mixture of the liquid, fatty or other matters is then poured into the
lower portion CD of the annular tube T and the ball S is then also placed therein
after having been previously heated in a bath; the upper half A B of the annular
tube T is then fixed hermetically over the lower half CD and by a quarter of a
revolution the annular tube T is brought back to a vertical position as shewn in
figure 1 the apparatus being then ready to be operated.
The apparatus is especially suitable for mechanically mixing and kneading one,
or simultaneously mixing or kneading several fatty substances having the same or
different melting points either alone or added to vegetable or mineral powders,
such mixing being effected in a perfect manner in a very short period of time
and in a hermetically closed vessel. It can serve also for mixing, kneading or
grinding substances which are easily broken or crushed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In mixing, kneading and grinding machines or apparatus the combination with
an annular tube of circular section of a sphere or ball substantially as and for the
purpose set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
2. The improved mixing, kneading and grinding machine or apparatus herein-
before described and represented in the accompanying drawing.