Vortex mixer

Abstract

There is disclosed a mixer ideally suited for mixing of viscous, pasty and semi-solid materials. The mixer comprises at least one propeller having a central hub fixedly secured to the drive shaft and a plurality of axially pitched, radial blades carried by the hub. Preferably the blades terminate in an outer, annular thin rim. The propeller is used in an assembly which includes a stator that is supported by a spider having a second hub that is slideably and rotatably received over the drive shaft and that supports a plurality of arms which surround the propeller. A second plurality of axially pitched, radial blades are carried by the second hub, preferably of equal number and substantially the same configuration as the first plurality of blades of the propeller. These blades are centrally supported by a third hub which is also slideably and rotatably received over the drive shaft and the blades preferably terminate in a second, outer, annular thin rim which is also attached to the arms of the spider. Preferably these arms extend slightly below the lowermost stator blades to provide feet for resting the stator spider assembly on the bottom surface of the container with which the mixer is used.