Improvements in Mixing and Agitating Machinery for Dealing with Liquids and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mixing and Agitating Machinery for Dealing with
Liquids and the like.
We,
EDWARD ALLEN BROTHERTON, of 36 Park Row, Leeds, in the County of
York, Chemical Manufacturer, and FREDERICK GEORGE HOLMES, of 1 Grange
Avenue, Chapeltown Road, Leeds, aforesaid, Technical Chemist, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the mixing of liquids-which may contain more
or less solids-in a boiler, tank, or vessel of any description.
The object of the invention is, primarily, to provide simple means which shall
effect a speedy and complete admixture of liquids, etc., with, secondarily, a view to
minimising the tendency to form undesirable chemical combinations which occur
in certain cases where the intermixture is not sufficiently rapid and complete from
the very outset.
We accomplish our object by mounting on a preferably vertical shaft which is
suitably revolved in bearings above the liquid-a centrifugal appliance which draws
the liquid both from the top and the bottom of the vessel and discharges it at any
intermediate point or points. These discharging points may overlap one another;
i.e. the liquid drawn from the top may be carried down below the centre and nearer
to the bottom of the vessel; and so with the other, it may be drawn from the
bottom and delivered near the surface; or even above it, if desirable, according to
the force of the apparatus.
To the appliance may be added beaters or vanes, either for the purpose of
agitation only, or for guiding and directing the liquid in or out of the centrifugal
portion.
To enable the liquid to be drawn from the top, that inlet pipe must be arranged
below the level of the liquid, and, where this varies, and where it is important to
skim as much from the top surface as possible, floating power may be given to
the mouth of this top inlet, so that it may adjust itself by sliding inside a
neighbouring pipe.
This plan of drawing from both the top and bottom permits a churning
action to be arranged inside the appliance in addition to that which goes on
outside.
Dated this 7th day of Sentember 1895
WM. SNOWDON,
9 Old Bank Chambers, Leeds, Yorks, Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mixing and Agitating Machinery for Dealing with
Liquids and the like.
We, EDWARD ALLEN BROTHERTON of 36 Park Row, Leeds, in the County of
York, Chemical Manufacturer, and FREDERICK GEORGE HOLMES, of 1 Grange
Avenue, Chapeltown Road, Leeds aforesaid, Technical Chemist, do hereby declare
Price 8d7

page_text: the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to the mixing of liquids, which may contain
more or less solids, in a boiler, tank, or vessel of any description.
The object of the invention is, primarily, to provide simple means which shall
effect a speedy and complete admixture of liquids, etc.; with, secondarily, a view to
minimising the tendency to form undesirable chemical combinations which occur in
certain cases where the intermixture is not sufficiently rapid and complete from the
very outset.
We accomplish our object by mounting on a preferably vertical shaft, suitably
revolved in bearings above the liquid, a centrifugal appliance which draws the
liquid from both above and below simultaneously and discharges it at any
intermediate point or points. These discharging points may overlap one another;
i.e. the bulk of the liquid from above may be carried down below the centre and
nearer to the bottom of the vessel; and so with the other, the bulk drawn from
below may be delivered near the surface; or even above it, if desirable, according
to the speed and force with which the apparatus it revolved.
In order more fully to explain our meaning we have added two sheets of drawings
showing means and details of carrying out our invention. The figures are in
elevation (generally sectional) excepting Fig. 9 which is in plan. Thick arrows
depote direction of revolution, and thin ones currents of liquid. The same letters
denote the same parts or their equivalents in all the figures.
Fig. 1 shows a convenient arrangement of the whole apparatus and a mode of
driving. Here A is the heavier liquid, in the tank or boiler B, whilst A' is the
lighter. A mixing chamber C is formed in the centre of the appliance with suction
tubes and D¹ for leading thereinto the heavier and lighter liquids respectively.
Delivery arms E, of a suitable shape, size, and number, (whose weight, &c., should
balance one another when at work) lead the liquid out of the mixing chamber as
soon as the apparatus is revolved at a suitable speed. F is a shaft, vertical in this
case, guided at F¹, and driven by any suitable gear, such for instance as that
shown, which may be mounted on the cover of the tank or other vessel. As soon
as the appliance is spun round the centrifugal force of the liquid, moving through
and out of the arms E, draws the top and bottom liquids into the mixing chamber
where they are churned together. This mixing is valuable as being in addition to
the general intermixing with the bulk of liquid in the tauk, which takes place
immediately afterwards.
:
The mixing chamber and the pipe ends therein lend themselves to various
treatments in order to properly distribute the liquor therein. For instance, they
(the pipes) may be brought nearly together in the same plane as in Fig. 2, at a
distance from the upper and lower extremities of the casing or they may be
arranged with an oblique opening, as in Fig. 3, which specially delivers in a series
of planes as it were. Again, their blank ends may be pocketed into one another
so that their discharging mouths, at the sides, may arrange themselves alternately,
as shown in the enlarged details in Figs. 4 and 4^, and thus pour out alternate
streams of light and heavy liquids in the plane or planes in which they are
revolving.
Fig. 5 shows a mode of directing the discharge in different directions and at
different heights with a view of influencing the external agitation.
Fig. 6 shows how the bulk of the liquid from the bottom of the tank may be
thrown to the top, whilst the contrary action is simultaneously going on. By
making the delivery arms in the positions shown in dotted lines a powerful
preliminary churn takes place in the chamber. The position of the discharging
arms may be made adjustable when required, by arranging them to slide in
grooves.
Fig. 7 shows how the suction pipes-though independently fixed-may be made
to cross their currents and issue in jets into the chamber C.
Fig. 8 shows how two or more liquids may be continuously poured, in measured

page_text: quantities, into a small (comparatively) inner tank, and there churned through the
mixer and delivered in a continuous stream into an outer tank or reservoir-for
precipitation or otherwise-and so away, as may be desired.
The appliance may be so arranged that the delivery arms act also as beaters or
agitators, after the manner, for instance, as the arms in Fig. 5.
It will generally be advisable to fix baffle plates on the sides of the tank to
prevent a whirling action of the water taking place. With this latter object in
view the delivery of the water from the apparatus may take a rearward direction,
as shown in plan view in Fig. 9, rather than a direct radial discharge.
The mouth of the upper pipe must, of course, be kept below the surface of the
liquid, hence, if this varies, considerably and continuously, floating power must be
given to the mouth of the said pipe, so that it may adjust itself, by sliding, for
instance, in or over a neighbouring pipe in telescopic fashion. Such a pipe may
be buoyed up by a suitable air chamber partly immersed in the liquid. In general
however an adjustable pipe end, as shown in Fig. 10, (which may be fixed by set
screws according to the height to which the vessel is charged) will be found to
suffice.
The plan of drawing liquid both from the top and bottom of the tank, as before
described, permits a churning action to be arranged inside the appliance in addition
to that which is set up.in the tank itself, and this double action forms a special
feature of invention.
A simple way of effecting all this is had by casting the appliance in two main
parts (circular in plan view) which are then bolted together as shown in Fig. 11
where d, d, are the bolts. The suctional deliveries to the central chamber are
shown diagrammatically on a larger scale in Fig. 12, somewhat after the system
shown in Figs. 4 and 4^; whilst the discharging vanes, e and e¹, are shown
diagrammatically in Fig. 13. The only parts that need abut, in Fig. 11, when the
bolts are tightened, are the ends of the pipes D and D'. The vanes, e and el, may
be either curved or straight.
In cases where one liquid is much heavier than another the mixing chamber
may be taken down nearer to the bottom of the tank, as in Fig. 14, and the
delivery arms brought nearer to the surface. Regulating valves capable of being
worked and secured from the surface of the liquid may also be used in governing
the requisite flow through each tube as may be required. A suitable class of valve
would be the hit and miss slits or grids in a movable disc. In Fig. 14, H is the
bottom valve worked by the handle H with a connecting shaft as shown;
whilst J is the upper valve worked by the handle J¹ with a connecting sleeve as
shown.
Fig. 15 shows an adaptation to a case where it is desired to use an horizontal
driving shaft. This can only be done where there is no objection to a stuffing box
below the surface and the shaft in the liquid. By arranging suitable suction
channels, as at K and K, which need not touch the pipes D and D', the liquid
may be drawn from the top and bottom as shown. Where a stuffing box, as
at K², cannot be admitted, toothed gear or a chain belt dipping into the liquid
would have to be used to drive the appliance.
Regulating valves may be used in many cases, such as in the tubes in Fig. 8.
The tubes D and D', one or both, may be built up of a number of smaller tubes,
and these may each terminate in different planes in the mixing chamber, so as to
provide a suitable set of mixing points.
To prevent material being retained at the foot of the mixing chamber, when the
apparatus is standing and a change of charge is impending, a small hole is provided
at the foot of such chamber draining away back into the lower suction pipe, after
the manner clearly shown in Figs. 2, 6, and 7. A similar result may be had, in
such cases as Fig. 3, by arranging that the foot of the delivery slant extends
to the bottom of the mixing chamber, and so forth, in Fig. 11 for instance.
drawn, the drainage would not be complete in these cases without a hole as set
out above.
As

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is :-
1. The improvements in mixing and agitating machinery, whereby opposite
currents or streams are drawn from above and below, simultaneously, and
churned in an intermediate chamber, before passing through the discharging
arms, substantially as described and shown, with the object and for the purpose
set forth.
2. In a centrifugal mixer and agitator the combination of two opposite central
tubes, such as D and D', with a central mixing chamber C, specially arranged as
to the inner terminals of the said tubes for the purpose of intermixing the two
opposite currents drawn from above and below simultaneously, with, further, arms
or blades for discharging the churned liquid back into the tank or vessel B in
which the appliance is submerged and revolved, substantially as described and
shown.
3. The special arrangements and combinations of our improved mixer and
agitator as described herein with reference to Figs. 1 to 7, and 9 to 15, whereby
a special churning action of the liquids, drawn simultaneously from above and
below, is set up internally, distinct and independent of the general agitation in the
tank itself due to the discharged liquid returning thereinto, with the object and for
the purpose set forth.
4. The arrangement of the appliance as shown and described with reference to
Fig. 8, whereby the churned liquid, drawn from above and below simultaneously,
may be discharged into another tank distinct from that out of which the liquid was
drawn, as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 6th day of June 1896.
WM. SNOWDON,
9 Old Bank Chambers, Leeds, Agent for the Applicants.