Agitator shaft for a grinding mill

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10376895-B2
Application number	US-201515319087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2015
Priority date	Jun 25, 2014
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

An agitator shaft (1) for a grinding mill, including: —an axle (2) intended to be driven in rotation, —a succession of flat agitator elements (3) and tubular spacers (4) mounted in alternation on the axle and in a stack along the axle (2), —end stops (5, 6), secured to the axle, that keep the stack of agitator elements and spacers under compression, characterized in that the tubular spacers (4) have orifices allowing the free circulation of material and fluids from the outside of the agitator shaft to the inside, and vice versa.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agitator shaft ( 1 ) for a mill, comprising:
a spindle ( 2 ) intended to be driven in rotation,
a series of flat agitator elements ( 3 ) and tubular spacers ( 4 ) that are mounted in alternation on the spindle and in a stack along the spindle ( 2 ),
end stops ( 5 , 6 ) that are secured to the spindle and keep the stack of agitator elements and spacers under compression,
wherein the tubular spacers ( 4 ) have orifices ( 7 ) that allow matter and fluids to flow freely from outside of the agitator shaft to inside of the agitator shaft, and vice versa.

2. The agitator shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tubular spacers ( 4 ) are one-piece elements.

3. The agitator shaft as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the orifices ( 7 ) have diameters of between 20 mm and 30 mm.

4. The agitator shaft as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the orifices ( 7 ) have diameters of between 4 mm and 50 mm.

5. The agitator shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the orifices ( 7 ) have diameters of between 4 mm and 50 mm.

6. The agitator shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the orifices ( 7 ) are smooth or chamfered.

7. The agitator shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the agitator elements ( 3 ) are rotationally linked to the spindle by virtue of flats ( 20 , 30 ) between the spindle ( 2 ) and the agitator elements ( 3 ).

8. The agitator shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the spindle ( 2 ) is made of stainless steel grade 1.4418 or X4CrNiMo16.5.1 according to the Euronorm standard.

9. The agitator shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the agitator elements ( 3 ) each comprise a plate provided with a central orifice for passage of the spindle, substantially perpendicular to the spindle.

10. The agitator shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the agitator elements ( 3 ) comprise faces and the spacers ( 4 ) comprise ends, and wherein the spacers ( 4 ) bear against the faces of the agitator elements ( 3 ) with their ends, by way of seals ( 8 ) between (i) the ends of the spacers ( 4 ) and (ii) the bearing faces of the agitator elements ( 3 ).

11. A bead mill ( 10 ) comprising a tank that holds the agitator shaft ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 .

12. The mill as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the mill comprises beads ( 11 ) and the orifices ( 7 ) in the spacers ( 4 ) have a larger size than that of the beads ( 11 ) so as to allow the beads to flow freely from outside of the agitator shaft ( 1 ) to inside of the agitator shaft, and vice versa.

13. A method for cleaning the mill as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the tank comprises internal walls and the agitator shaft comprises internal and external walls, the method comprising cleaning the internal walls of the tank ( 15 ) and the internal and external walls of the agitator shaft ( 1 ) by supplying the mill with a cleaning solution.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , comprising setting the agitator shaft ( 1 ) in rotation such that the cleaning solution flows through the agitator shaft ( 1 ).

Assignees

• Corbion Biotech Inc

Inventors

• Segard David
• Patinier Samuel

Classifications

• C12M27/02

  Stirrer or mobile mixing elements · CPC title

• B08B3/102

  with means for agitating the liquid (by agitating the container B08B3/042, B08B3/044, B08B3/045, B08B3/06) · CPC title

• B02C17/168

  with a basket media milling device arranged in or on the container, involving therein a circulatory flow of the material to be milled · CPC title

• B02C17/166

  of the annular gap type · CPC title

• C12M47/06

  Hydrolysis; Cell lysis; Extraction of intracellular or cell wall material (lysis of microorganisms C12N1/06; extracting or separating nucleic acids from biological samples C12N15/1003) · CPC title