US2073925A - Portable agitator - Google Patents

Description

March 16, 1937. c. E. FARRINGTON 2,073,925

PORTABLE AG I TAT OR Filed Aug. 15, 1934 Indenlor CHARLES E. FARRINGTON Patented Mar. 16, 1931 l 23%325 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE AGITATOR Charles E. Farrington, Phoenixville, Pa.

Application August 15, 1934, Serial No. 739,852

r 4 Claims. (01. 259-407) This invention relates generally to agitators for insuring against injurious contact of the and more particularly to improvements in the stirrer blade with the lined internal surface of construction and operation of an agitating or the drum. stirring device for use in connection with trans- A further and important object of the pres- ;.5 port-containers such as are employed in the ent invention is the provision of an agitating de- 5 shipment and storage of paint and other viscous vice of simple and relatively inexpensive conliquids. struction designed for ready installation in and The successful handling of viscous liquids removal from standard transport drums without such as paints and the like, when stored in necessitating the use of any special tools or the relatively large receptacles, such as transport alteration of the drum structure. 10 containers, has presented very serious difficulties Still another object is to provide a stirring dedue to the fact that as the mixture settles a sedivice for installation within a transport drum ment is formed at the bottom of the containers which is characterized by the provision of means which must be brought back into suspension if for most efiectively agitating the Sediment which the mixture is to serve its intended purposes in has settled in the bottom of the drum and for 15 the most efiicacious manner. In an effort to increasing the Speed With Which the Sediment overcome this difliculty, transport containers is uniformly dispersed throughout e liquid have been permanently equipped with individbody of the mixture. ual agitator devices, but inasmuch as such de- A till u t Object s the provision of a vices when. so installed in the containers could itat g device p d 0 be readily inserted 20 be used but once, their cost proved to be too as a unit within a transp d nd dexpensive. Attempts to use ordinary stirrer ing means for adjusting it axially along the ver bars or rods which were loosely inserted into tical axis of the drum to insure expeditious and the container and then manually operated, as maximum ag tation of the material settled in 5 by wiggling the same throughout the mixture, the bottom of the drum with a minimum exalso proved to be impractical due to the fact penditure of labor and with no attending da that it was not possible to so control the moveof injuring the interior of the drum or of renment of such loosely inserted stirring bars as to dering its contents unfit for use.

most effectively stir the mixture. Moreover, Other Obj cts Of t e i ve t and adv nta es this lack of operating control of these bars rethereof ll app e fully hereinafter- 30 sulted in the inner ends scraping against and The invention consists substantially in the so injuring the tin or composition lining of the combination, construction, location and relative drums, thus necessitating the replacement of arrangements of parts, all as will be described the latter or the relining of the interiors thereof. more fully hereinafter, as shown in the accom- Moreover, in the absence of means for definitely panying d and s finally pointed ut in 35 positioning the stirring bar, if made of steel, e app ded elaims- In the Said drawingi centrally with respect to the bung hole through gu 1 s a Vertical Sectional View Showing which it was of necessity inserted, it would soon the installation of the agitator device of the destroy the internal thread of the bung ho1 present invention within a transport container and so render worthless an expensive drum r d 40 which might otherwise have rendered service Figure 2 is an n ar ctional view of the for many years. On the other hand, if the bars upp r Portion of the device ShOWihg e ma er were made of wood, as is sometimes the case, of its mounting within the top of the drum; its contact with the threaded bore of the bung Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on hole would cause it to shed splinters which would the line 33 of Figure 1; and 45 ruinously contaminate expensive mixtures, as Figure 4 is a top view of the agitator unit as for example, automobile finishing enamels in seen from the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 2. which the presence of even a slight amount of Referring now to the drawing, it will be obforeign matter would render it unfit for use. served that the agitator device as constructed in It is accordingly among the objects of the accordance with the present invention is shown 50 present invention to avoid and overcome the installed within a transport drum or container in above-mentioned difficulties by the provision of which may be of metal, wood or other material an agitating unit which is adapted to be removand which is adapted to be filled with a mixture ably installed, at will, within transport drums of paint or the like. This drum H] is provided in or containers and wherein means are provided its top end II with a centrally disposed opening 55 within which is suitably secured an interiorly threaded bushing I2 within the bore of which is normally threaded a plug (not shown) for sealing the contents of the drum. When it is desired to install the agitator of the present invention within the drum, this sealing plug is removed from the threaded bung member I2, the agitator of the device being inserted into the drum by projecting it through the bung hole.

The agitator device, which is generally designated by the reference numeral I3, is of the form most clearly shown in Figure 1 wherein it will appear that it is provided with a substantially vertically disposed uppermost section I4, an intermediate section I inclined with respect to the vertical axis of the section I4, and the bottom section I6 extending inwardly and substantially at right angles to the vertical axis of the upper section I4. Preferably, the sections I4, I5 and I6 are relatively so disposed that they lie in a common vertical plane, the said sections being preferably welded together at the points I! and I8, although they may be otherwise secured together, if desired. Inasmuch as the upper section I4 of the agitator is designed for rotation about its vertical axis within a suitable journal therefor to be presently described, and is further designed to be axially adjustable within said journal, said section is preferably of circular cross-section throughout the major, if not its entire, extent and to this end the section I4 may be in the form of a tube or a solid shaft. The intermediate section I5 is preferably of angle or T cross-section so that it is self-bracing and sufficiently rigid to withstand bending strains. If an angle section bar is employed to form the intermediate section I5 of the agitator, it is preferably so arranged that the mouth of the V presents in a direction substantially normal to the common vertical plane of all of the sections I4, I5 and I6. The bottom section I6 may be of any desired cross-section. The angle of inclination of the intermediate member with respect to the vertical axis of the upper section I4 of the agitator may vary depending upon I the size of the drum within which the agitator is adapted to be installed, it being observed in this connection that the several sections I4, I5 and I6 are relatively so arranged and are of such relative lengths that when the agitator is properly positioned within the drum I0, the nose I 9 thereof is located as closely as possible to the line of juncture between the bottom of the drum and its side wall. Preferably, the nose I9 is rounded off, as appears most clearly in. Figure 1, to facilitate the insertion of the agitator device within the drum, it being understood, of course, that this is readily effected by first projecting the free end of the bottom section I6 through the bung hole and thereafter, by easy manipulation, projecting the intermediate section I5 and then the upper section I4 therethrough.

To support the agitator within the drum in the operative position shown in Figure 1 there is provided a supporting bushing 20 which is adapted to be threaded into the bung member I2, the section I4 of the agitator being slidably projected through the axial bore 2| of the said supporting bushing. Adapted to be clamped upon the section I4 immediately above the supporting bushing 20 is a split collar 22, the opposed jaws 23-23 of which are adapted to be drawn toward or away from each other by a suitably winged bolt 24, it being evident that upon clamping the split collar 22 upon the section I4 of the agitator, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, it serves as a fixed abutment thereon which rests upon the upper surface of the supporting bushing 20 so as to suspend the agitator therefrom. It will also be apparent that by positionally adjusting the clamp 22 axially along the member I4 of the agitator the effective suspended length of the latter may be varied whereby to present the lower extremity of the agitator as close to or as far away from the bottom of the drum as may be desired.

The upper extremity of the agitator member I4 may be suitably formed for quick-detachably receiving an operating handle 24, this being effected as most clearly appears in Figure 2 and wherein a tongue and slot arrangement, designated generally by the reference numeral 25, is employed, it being apparent that upon rotation of the operating handle 24 the agitator I2 is caused to rotate within its supporting bushing or journal 20 about the vertical axis of the section I4 thereof, this axis being preferably coincident with the vertical axis of the drum.

In the operation of the agitator, the clamp 22 is so adjusted upon the member I4 as to cause the lower extremity of the agitator to rest upon or somewhat beneath the surface of the sediment which has settled in the bottom of the drum whereupon, upon rotation of the operating handle 24, the agitator is caused to rotate and so gradually scrapes away and stirs up the settled sediment and starts it back into suspension. Preferably, when it is intended to initially attack the sedimentation in the bottom of the drum, the clamp 22 is entirely loosened so that the agitator is no longer suspended by the supporting bushing 20, in consequence of which the operator, simultaneously as he effects the rotation of the agitator about its central axis of rotation, by bearing down upon the handle, can exert a downward cutting pressure to quickly and expeditiously attack and disperse the sediment settled in the bottom of the drum.

As has been previously mentioned, the intermediate member I5 of the agitator is preferably of such angle cross-section as to form a V-shaped trough, the mouth of which presents in such direction that as the agitator is rotated in clockwise direction the trough serves to scoop up and send upwardly therethrough the sediment which had been initially stirred up from the bottom of the drum by the laterally extending bar I6 of the agitator. Due to the inclination of the member I5 with respect to the vertical axis of rotation of the agitator, the resistance of the material against rotation of said member I5 therethrough gradually decreases from the bottom toward the upper end thereof. There is thus formed in the body of the agitated material an upwardly and inwardly inclined path of gradually decreasing resistance to the passage of the sediment stirred up from the bottom of the drum, in consequence of which this sediment is quickly lifted from the bottom of the drum toward the top thereof and so measurably increases the rate of its dispersion throughout the liquid body of the mixture.

After the operator has continued this initial operation of the agitator with the clamp 22 loosened sufficiently so as to permit him to exert downward pressure of the agitator against the sediment in the bottom of the drum, the bottom of the agitator will eventually contact the bottom of the drum whereupon the agitator is immediately lifted just sufliciently to clear the drum bottom, the agitator being then looked in that position by tightening the clamp 22. The agitator is then continued in its rotation until the mixing is completed, this continued rotation of the agitator being effected with no attending danger of injuring any part of the internal lining of the drum and with a minimum expenditure of labor due to the absence of any obstructive friction between the agitator and the drum.

While I have described the intermediate member I5 as being preferably of V or T-shaped cross section, it Will be understood that this invention is not necessarily limited to any such particular cross-section, it having been observed by me that very satisfactory results are obtained even though said inclined intermediate member I5 is in the form of a bar of solid section, either circular or polygonal. However, I prefer to use the angle cross-section because such section provides lightness with maximum strength and rigidity. Also, I desire it to be understood that the bottom member 16 of the agitator may be omitted, if desired, without materially reducing the efiicacy of the agitator under certain operating conditions. However, for most efiicient results and to insure a rapid rate of dispersion of the sedimentation throughout the liquid body of the mixture, it is preferable to employ the member I6.

In the agitator as hereinbefore described, it Will be apparent that its rotation is effected within a rigid bearing or journal with no lost motion between the operating handle and the agitator or between the agitator and the drum.

. With ordinary care, a single agitator constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention is adapted to stir, during its lifetime, many thousands of drums of paints and other such mixtures without injury to any of the drums or the contents thereof.

It will be understood, of course, that the invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications from time to time without departing from the real spirit or general principles thereof and it is accordingly intended to claim the invention broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

l. A mixing unit adapted to be removably inserted into the interior of a transport container for paint or the like by way of the bung hole ordinarily provided in the head thereof comprising a vertically disposed shank rotatably journalled within said bung hole, a stirrer bar formed as a downwardly inclined extension of said shank with the lower extremity thereof adapted for disposition in the immediate vicinity of the joint formed between the bottom and side walls of the drum and a bottom member extending laterally from the lower extremity of said stirrer bar and toward the axis of said shank, said stirrer bar being in the form. of a self-bracing member of angle cross-section with the mouth of the angle presenting in the direction of rotation of the bar,

and means quick-detachably secured to the shank exteriorly of the drum for eifecting rotation of said stirrer bar.

2. In combination, a drum having a centrally disposed opening in the head thereof, a stirring device operatively disposed within said drum and including a shank journalled for both rotary and axial movement within said opening and a stirrer bar formed as a downwardly and laterally inclined extension of said shank, said bar being of angular cross-section to provide an elongated scoop or trough, the mouth of which presents in such direction that upon rotation of the bar about the axis of the shank the said scoop or trough serves to send upwardly therethrough the material being mixed within the drum, the said material being delivered from the bottom of the drum adjacent the side wall thereof upwardly toward the central axis of the drum;

3. In combination, a drum having a centrally disposed opening in the head thereof, a stirring device operatively disposed Within said drum and including a shank journalled for both rotary and axial movement within said opening and a stirrer bar formed as a downwardly and laterally inclined extension of said shank, said bar being of angular cross-section to provide an elongated scoop or trough, the mouth of which presents in such direction that upon rotation of the bar about the axis of the shank the said scoop or trough serves to send upwardly therethrough the material being mixed within the drum, the said material being delivered from the bottom of the drum adjacent the side wall thereof upwardly toward the central axis of the drum, and means detachably secured to the shank externally of the drum for simultaneously efiecting rotation of and applying a downwardly directed force upon said stirring device.

4. In combination, a drum having a centrally disposed opening in the head thereof, a stirring device operatively disposed within said drum. and including a shank journalled for both rotary and axial movement within said opening and a stirrer bar formed as a downwardly and laterally inclined extension of said shank, said bar being of angular cross-section to provide an elongated scoop or trough, the mouth of which presents in such direction that upon rotation of the bar about the axis of the shank the said scoop or trough serves to send upwardly therethrough the material being mixed within the drum, the said material being delivered from the bottom of the drum adjacent the side wall thereof upwardly toward the central axis of the drum, means detachably secured to the shank externally of the drum for simultaneously effecting rotation of and applying a downwardly directed force upon said stirring device, and means securable to said shank in axially adjusted position to limit the downward projection of said stirring device within said drum.

CHARLES E. FARRINGTON.

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