In a sludge thickener water/wastewater treatment system, sludge solids are recirculated with a mixer positioned in the influent column or offset from the center column and within the stilling well, in order to produce essentially constant sludge solids concentration in the sludge withdrawn from the thickener. This solves the problem of thickeners producing inconsistent underflow solids concentration and often exhibiting problems with binding of rake arms due to sometimes very high sludge concentrations. Also, dewatering steps that follow thickening typically require a relatively constant solids concentration for efficient operation.

The present invention concerns a casting sand cooler comprising a sand chamber having an air inlet optionally with a fan for the feed of air into the sand chamber and an air outlet optionally with a fan for sucking air out of the sand chamber. To provide an improved casting sand cooler in which the sand discharge during the cooling operation by way of the air outlet is markedly reduced, it is proposed according to the invention that a dynamic wind sifter which is rotatable about an axis and which is so arranged that substantially the complete air flow leaving the sand chamber through the air outlet is passed through the dynamic wind sifter.

There is provided an apparatus and a method for producing a play compound and the play compound itself which, in one embodiment is a compound which sufficiently fluid to be pliable and is typically cold and slimy to the touch. The apparatus and a method provide a powder and liquid to a user, which can be a non-skilled person and thereby allow the mixing of the powder and liquid together by that person to form the play compound outside of a factory environment whilst ensuring that the play compound which is formed has the desired characteristics. Most typically the user which performs the mixing can be the end user, such as a child, who will play with the compound and so the formation of the play compound forms a new part of the play experience.

The present invention relates to a device for coating and mixing granular products, in particular food products, more in particular peanuts, the device comprising a compartment defined by a rotary bottom part and a stationary circumferential side wall, the device further comprising: a product supply for supplying the products into the compartment, a substance supply for supplying a substance into the compartment, a drive for rotating the rotary bottom part about its substantially vertical axis, wherein the rotary bottom part and the stationary circumferential side wall comprise non-stick parts which define a substantial part of an inner surface of the compartment and which are manufactured from a non-stick material, wherein said non-stick parts are mechanically connected to the device via detachable connectors, allowing fast replacement of worn-out non-stick parts by new, same non-stick parts.

Provided is a heating agitator that has a heating tank and can prevent, without complicating the structure, a raw material from remaining due to not being scraped. A scraper includes a rotation shaft tilted with respect to a center axis of the heating tank and one or a plurality of scraping units that rotate integrally with the rotation shaft. The scraping unit includes an arc-shaped member curved along a spherical bottom surface and a plurality of scraping blades fixed to the arc-shaped member. At least one of the scarping units, tips of the scraping blades are arranged such that the respective tips abut the spherical bottom surface of the heating tank along the spherical bottom surface and are in contact with a plane including a center axis of the rotation shaft. The respective tips scrape the raw material adhering to the spherical bottom surface of the heating tank while moving on corresponding concentric circles having a point as the center on the center axis of the rotation shaft.

A batch or continuous mixer for mixing powders, immiscible liquids, or a powder with a liquid includes one or more vibrational energy applicators which propagate vibrational energy into the mixture, causing powders to flow like liquids and breaking up liquid droplets and powder clumps. In embodiments, the vibration frequency and amplitude are selected according to properties of the mixture components. Vibrations can be propagated through container walls, impellers, or other structures within the mixing container. Vibrated structures can be flexibly supported for enhanced propagation of the vibrations. Vibrational energy can be uniform throughout the container, or focused in a desired region. Ultrasonic energy can be simultaneously applied with acoustic energy.

A food preparation device with a stirring mechanism is disclosed. The food preparation device includes a container having an attached handle, an aperture extending longitudinally through the handle and through a sidewall of the container, a crank shaft extending through the aperture, and having a hand crank on a first end of the crank shaft, the second end of the crank shaft extending into the container and removably connecting to a horizontal drive shaft, the horizontal drive shaft being engaged with a gear assembly that translates rotational movement from the horizontal crank shaft and drive shaft to rotational movement of a vertical agitation shaft engaged with the gear assembly. The crank shaft is removable from the horizontal drive shaft and the agitation assembly via a quick connect/disconnect mechanism. A rigid transparent lid separable from the container is also provided. An agitation assembly is also disclosed.

A mobile mixing apparatus for ensuring optimal mixing of a material includes a support member which is mobile on a support surface. A mixing drum is carried by the support member. The mixing drum has a base drum end, a side drum wall extending from the base drum end, an open drum end opposite the base drum end, a drum interior extending between the base drum end and the open drum end, a central inner surface and a base inner surface on the base drum end and a side inner surface on the side drum wall and facing the drum interior. A paddle assembly is disposed for rotation in the drum interior of the mixing drum. The paddle assembly includes a plurality of paddles engaging the central inner surface, the base inner surface and the side inner surface, respectively, of the mixing drum. At least one motor drivingly engages the paddle assembly for rotation in the drum interior of the mixing drum.

The present invention concerns a casting sand cooler comprising a sand chamber having an air inlet optionally with a fan for the feed of air into the sand chamber and an air outlet optionally with a fan for sucking air out of the sand chamber. To provide an improved casting sand cooler in which the sand discharge during the cooling operation by way of the air outlet is markedly reduced, it is proposed according to the invention that a dynamic wind sifter which is rotatable about an axis and which is so arranged that substantially the complete air flow leaving the sand chamber through the air outlet is passed through the dynamic wind sifter.

A machine for and method of making a paste of active material for application to a grid to make a plate for a lead acid battery. In the machine and method sulfuric acid, at least one dry additive and red lead or leady oxide are mixed together and the mixture is cooled by a plurality of cooling zones to maintain the mixture at a temperature not greater than a predetermined maximum temperature.