Blenders

Abstract

A blender has a mixing chamber for reception of materials to be blended. A mixing screw is mounted at a bottom of the mixing chamber for mixing materials within the mixing chamber and delivering mixed materials to an outlet feeding a processing line. A baffle is mounted at the outlet extending about the mixing screw. The baffle inhibits upward movement of material at the outlet tending to cram material into the outlet.

1 . A blender including;
 a chamber for reception of blend materials,   the chamber having a material outlet,   a material feeder for delivering blend materials from the chamber to the outlet,   a baffle,   said baffle mounted in the chamber at the outlet, adjacent the outlet but spaced-apart from the outlet,   the material feeder having a discharge portion which is mounted between the baffle and the outlet.   
   
   
       2 . The blender as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the baffle has at least one opening therein to allow through-passage of material. 
   
   
       3 . The blender as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the baffle is a grating. 
   
   
       4 . The blender as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the baffle is a band centrally mounted above the material outlet. 
   
   
       5 . The blender as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the baffle wraps around the feeder at the outlet. 
   
   
       6 . The blender as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the feeder has drive means, said drive means being adjustable to vary the rate of delivery of material to the outlet. 
   
   
       7 . The blender as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the drive means is reversible. 
   
   
       8 . The blender as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the mixer and the material feeder are integral. 
   
   
       9 . The blender as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the mixer is mounted above the feeder for mixing of material prior to delivery to the feeder. 
   
   
       10 . The blender as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the feeder is a feed screw. 
   
   
       11 . The blender as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the feed screw has a pair of opposed screws or paddles which are operable to direct material inwardly from each end of the mixer or mixing chamber to the material outlet. 
   
   
       12 . The blender as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the feed screw has a pair of opposed screws which are operable to direct material inwardly from each end of the screw to a central portion of the screw, said central portion being located at the material outlet. 
   
   
       13 . The blender as claimed in  claim 1  having a weigh hopper above the mixing chamber for weighing a batch of raw material and delivering said batch to the mixing chamber, a material level senor being located above the material in the mixing chamber below the weigh hopper, the level sensor being operable to provide a continuous reading of the material level in the mixing chamber. 
   
   
       14 . The blender as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the blender has a plurality of material handling compartments, one or more cleaning air jets being provided at each compartment, said air jets being operable to direct material towards an outlet of the compartment, means for connecting said cleaning air jets to a pressurised air supply, and valve means to control delivery of pressurised air to each cleaning air jet. 
   
   
       15 . The blender as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the air jets are replaced or complemented by ultrasonic actuators or vibrating actuators. 
   
   
       16 . The blender as claimed in  claim 14  wherein there is provided actuating means for switching each valve between an open position and a closed position, said actuating means being connected to a controller which is operable either manually or automatically to control switching of the valves. 
   
   
       17 . The blender as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the controller is operable to switch the valves between open and closed positions in a preset desired sequence during a cleaning cycle. 
   
   
       18 . The blender as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the blender has a raw material storage bin at an inlet of the blender and an outlet for delivery of material to a process line, a material bypass line connected between said raw material storage bin and outlet, and a bypass material flow valve mounted in said bypass line to control delivery of material through the bypass line. 
   
   
       19 . The blender as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the blender has a number of raw material supply bins at an inlet of the blender, each raw material supply bin having a drain chute, a drain valve being mounted in the drain chute to control discharge of material from the raw material supply bin through the drain chute to empty same. 
   
   
       20 . The blender as claimed in  claim 1  having a mixing chamber for mixing ingredient materials characterised in that a heater is provided in the mixing chamber for drying the ingredient materials in the mixing chamber.