Patent ID: 8304456

Claim:
An apparatus for mixing a high-viscosity material with a gas and transferring the high-viscosity material mixed with the gas, comprising: a piston pump including a cylinder and a piston provided in the cylinder so as to be reciprocally movable therein, the piston being adapted to be moved in the cylinder in a forward direction to thereby effect a suction stroke, and moved in the cylinder in a reverse direction to thereby effect a discharge stroke; a high-viscosity material supply device for supplying a high-viscosity material to the cylinder; a gas supply device for supplying a gas to the cylinder; a piston drive device for driving the piston of the piston pump; a piston stopping device fixed in the cylinder for stopping the piston; a valve device for a high-viscosity material for selectively opening and closing a passage for communication between the high-viscosity material supply device and the cylinder of the piston pump; a valve device for a gas for selectively opening and closing a passage for communication between the gas supply device and the cylinder of the piston pump; a first suction stroke controlling portion for generating a first suction condition in the cylinder by moving the piston in the forward direction by means of the piston drive device, and applying an opening command signal to the valve device for the high-viscosity material for a predetermined time, to thereby supply the high-viscosity material from the high-viscosity material supply device to the cylinder due to said first suction force; a portion for controlling the piston stopping device for stopping the piston by means of the piston stopping device after the first suction condition is generated, and closing the valve device for the high-viscosity material; a second suction stroke controlling portion for generating a second suction condition in the cylinder by further moving the piston in the forward direction by means of the piston drive device, with the high-viscosity material having been supplied to the cylinder, and applying an opening command signal to the valve device for the gas supply device for a predetermined time, to thereby supply the from the gas supply device to the cylinder due to the second suction force; and a pressurizing stroke controlling portion for moving the piston in the reverse direction by means of the piston drive device, to thereby pressurize the high-viscosity material and the gas in the cylinder; and a discharge stroke controlling portion for moving the piston in the reverse direction by means of the piston drive device, to thereby transfer the high-viscosity material and the gas in the cylinder to a conduit communicated with the piston pump.