| 摘要 |
The preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein relates to a feeding and mixing arrangement for generally fluent material including components having different specific gravities, for example, certain food products, and includes a supply hopper in which the material is adapted to be contained. The supply hopper has an open upper end and has both discharge and inlet openings in its base. The discharge opening communicates through a supply conduit with an associated device, for example, a container filling apparatus, to which the fluent material is to be delivered and the inlet opening communicates with the supply conduit through a return conduit connected to the supply conduit adjacent the container filling apparatus. Rotatably mounted in the supply hopper is a first set of mixing tubes having one end in communication with the inlet opening and the other end in communication with the interior of the supply hopper and a second set of mixing tubes having one end in communication with the lower portion of the supply hopper and the other end in communication with a higher portion of the supply hopper. As the sets of mixing tubes are rotated or oscillated, they gently agitate the material in the supply hopper. The first set of mixing tubes recirculates some of the material being delivered through the supply conduit and the second set of mixing tubes recirculates the material within the supply hopper to maintain a homogeneous mixture.
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