Patent ID: 7914200

Claim:
A mixing apparatus for mixing constituents of a feedstock, the mixing apparatus comprising: a vessel including a heat transfer surface within the vessel for being engaged by the feedstock as the constituents of the feedstock are mixed within the vessel; a mixing blade assembly including a mixing blade and at least one mixing blade support member, the mixing blade assembly being adapted to move within the vessel to sweep the mixing blade and the mixing blade support member in a forward direction along a path of travel extending adjacent the heat transfer surface to circulate feedstock within the vessel; the mixing blade support member having a mixing surface confronting the heat transfer surface and spaced from the heat transfer surface to establish a passage between the mixing surface and the heat transfer surface, the mixing surface being configured to squeeze feedstock material passing through the passage, whereby the feedstock material squeezed within the passage will be subjected to mixing shear and to heat transfer between the squeezed feedstock and the heat transfer surface; and a scraper blade carried by the mixing blade support member in position to trail behind the mixing surface of the mixing blade support member and engage the heat transfer surface upon movement of the mixing blade support member along the path of travel so as to scrape from the heat transfer surface feedstock material squeezed between the mixing surface and the heat transfer surface and direct the squeezed feedstock material toward the mixing blade to be mixed with feedstock circulated by the mixing blade.