Patent ID: 7264191

Claim:
An agitator mill, comprising a grinding receptacle ( 1 ), which encloses a grinding chamber ( 34 ) of a diameter D, which is closed downwards by a bottom ( 3 ), which has a top cover ( 16 ) and a vertical central longitudinal axis ( 2 ); an agitator ( 11 ), which has an agitator axis ( 21 ) that is parallel to the central longitudinal axis ( 1 ), and which is equipped with agitator implements ( 13 ) inside the grinding chamber ( 34 ); an agitator drive ( 19 ) for rotary actuation of the agitator ( 11 ) about the agitator axis ( 21 ); a grinding-stock supply ( 24 ) which discharges into the grinding chamber ( 34 ); a partial filling of the grinding chamber ( 34 ) with auxiliary grinding bodies ( 37 ) of a diameter b which are movable in a bed of grinding stock and auxiliary grinding bodies in a direction of flow ( 29 ); and a device ( 32 ) for grinding-stock suction and auxiliary-grinding-body separation, which leads out of the grinding chamber ( 34 ), which comprises a plunge pipe ( 33 ) which is laterally spaced apart from the agitator to form an area where there is a strong compaction of the flow in the direction of flow ( 29 ), the plunge pipe having an inside diameter d which, by a bottom inlet ( 35 ), dips into the bed of grinding stock and auxiliary grinding bodies and from which a suction pipe ( 39 ) having a grinding-stock suction device ( 40 ) that discharges above the grinding receptacle ( 1 ) wherein the grinding-stock supply is a grinding-stock supply line ( 24 ) that projects into the grinding chamber ( 34 ), wherein the plunge pipe ( 33 ) is disposed between the agitator ( 11 ) and the grinding-stock supply line ( 24 ), wherein the plunge pipe ( 33 ), at said bottom inlet ( 35 ), comprises a recess ( 42 ) which—related to the direction of flow ( 29 )—is formed on the downstream side of the plunge pipe ( 33 ); and wherein an area ( 44 ) of the plunge pipe ( 33 ) which—related to the direction of flow ( 29 ) is located on the upstream side of the plunge pipe ( 33 ) in direct vicinity to the inlet ( 35 ) shields the recess ( 42 ) in the direction of flow ( 29 ), wherein the grinding stock and the auxiliary grinding bodies are sucked out of the agitator mill into the plunge pipe ( 33 ) and the auxiliary grinding bodies are segregated in the plunge pipe ( 33 ) by weight and inertia, and wherein after a grinding process the auxiliary grinding bodies that pass below the plunge pipe are entrained by gravity in the bed and are directly returned to the grinding chamber.