US2513107A - Agitator - Google Patents

Description

June 27, 1950 J. M. PRYOR EIAL 2,513,107

AGITATOR Filed July 13, 1946 Patented June 27, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AGITATOB Joseph M. Pryor and Bruno Cescato, Chicago, Ill.

Application Jul 13, 1946, Serial No. 683,341

Claims.

This invention relates to agitating apparatus,

and more particularly to apparatus adaptedto agitate material within a drum or other container, as in a paint drum.

One feature of this invention is that it provides improved agitating apparatus, and more particularly means for initially moving or loosening material at the bottom of a container and then tor carrying it on up and thoroughly intermixing it through the remainder of the container; another feature of this invention is that it provides lower agitating means rotatable about a vertical axis and preferably disposed angularly of said axis; a further feature of this invention is that it provides upper agitating means rotatable about a horizontal axis above said lower means; yet a further feature of this invention is that it provides common drive means fQr rotating said lower and u per agitating means; and still another feature of this invention is that it provides agitating apparatus which is readily and easily assembled within a drum of the conventional type without riveting, screwing, or bolting parts together after the drum is assembled, for the apparatus so designed that all the parts fit together and are held in position upon assembly of the drum. Other features and advantages of my invention will appear from the following specification, and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a drum including my improved agitating apparatus; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, taken on the line 2.-Z of Fig, 1; and Fig. 3 is a vertical fragmentary sectional View k n long the line 33 of Fig. with he 91,

crating crank removed and a cap inserted to seal the drum.

Materials such as paint are often stored relatively large containers, as for example, 55 gallon drums, a d ile so storedt lead. or oth r h avy portions of such material separate from the oils or lighter portions and settle at the bottom of said drum. while the oils rise to the top. Con- Sequently, before such, ater al can be used afte standing in the drum, the lead and oils must be stirred into a en rally h mo eneous mi t re In a large siz d um contain n pain his necessa y mixin is a d ul an ime co suming ask.

and various attempts have been made to provide means whereby complete mixing can be obtained with a m n mum of. t me and la or, lrior a mevices for this purpose usually comprise one or more spiral blades extending vertically through the and rotatable about a vertical axis thereinuch device while iac tating the mixing to a great extent, still require a great deal of labor and an excessively long mixing period before the heavy lead at the bottom of the drum is completely mixed with the oil.

We have devised and are here disclosing and claiming agitating apparatus which represents a distinct improvement over all such prior art devices, and comprises lower agitating means rotatable about a vertical axis and positioned angularly thereto, and upper agitating means comprising a plurality of 'paddle blades rotatable about a horizontal axis above said lower agitating means. Rotation of the lower agitating means lifts the lead or other heavy portion of the material to be agitated from the bottom of the drum where it is stirred into a generally homogeneous mixture with the oil by the upper agitating means. A cheap and simply constructed common drive mechanism is provided whereby both lower and upper agitating means may be rotated together. Our invention constitutes a further improvement over the prior art in that the parts fit together and hold themselves in position when the drum is completely assembled without using rivets, bolts, or similar fastening means.

Referring now to the drawings, a drum is indicated generally at I0, such drum being of the conventional type used to contain paint or similar material, and adapted to contain a relatively large amount of paint or other material to be stirred. The drum includes the generally cylindrical side wall H, the bottom I2 and the top [3. Near the bottom of the side wall ll is the bung hole ll fitted with a threaded stopper or cap I5 so that the paint or other material may be withdrawn from the drum when desired.

The bottom and top portions l2 and I3 are conventionally secured and sealed to the side wall of the drum by means of the rolled or spun seam, as shown at IS in Fig. 1, such seam extending completely around the periphery of each of said bottom and top portions. The bracket l1 iswelded or otherwise secured near the center of the bottom portion l2, and the bracket [8 is similarly welded or otherwise secured near the center of the top portion l3, such brackets each being provided with an opening near the center, and

through the drum to a point adjacent the hole in the top I3. The shaft is thus supported by the brackets I1 and I8, is rotatable in the holes in such brackets, and the upper portion of said vertical shaft is adapted to cooperate with a rotating member, as the crank 2|, shown in Fig. 1, which crank is adapted to be placed in operative position when the cap i9 is removed from sealing relation.

Adjacent the bottom I2 is the lower agitating means, comprising the twisted blade 22 which is welded or otherwise secured to the vertical shaft 20 and is adapted to rotate therewith. Such blade is twisted at such an angle that upon forward rotation of the handle 2| (forward rotation in this specification being defined as clockwise rotation while looking down on the drum),'the blade 22 rotates adjacent the bottom l2, and the sloping angle of the front face 22a of the blade forces the material to be stirred up from the bottom of the drum.

The vertical shaft 20 is encased for a portion of its length by the sheath 23, which sheath is held against rotation by the bracket 24. Such bracket is welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the upper end of the sheath and has two oppositely disposed upstanding portions which cooperate with the bracket l8, as shown best in Fig.

3, in such manner that the sheath is heldagainst mounted the multibladed paddle members 26 and 21, in the particular embodiment of our invention shown here, although it is to be understood that one such member is generally sufficient. The pins 28 extend through holes in the arm on either side of each paddle member to hold the paddle members in the desired position on the arm.

In the particular embodiment of our invention which is illustrated in the drawings eachpaddle member is shown as having four blades arranged at right angles to each other, such blades. being designated as 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, and as 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, and each blade has a forwardly projecting right angular flange at its outer end,

such flanges being shown in Figs. 3 at 26a, 26b,

tating blade 22 will rotate forwardly about a;

vertical axis, and the arms 30 to 33 inclusive will also rotate and will cooperatewith the multibladed paddle members to rotate such paddle members forwardly about the horizontal axis formed by the supporting arm-25. We have found that by using our new agitator alarge drum of paint (as for example a 55 gallon drum) may be stirred into a generally homogeneous mixture in a fraction of -the time used by any prior art apparatus. i I l Furthermore, our improved agitating apparatus is so constructed that it may be easily'assembled in a, drum. In assembling such apparatus, the bracket I I may be secured to thebottom 12 and the bottom then aifixed to the drum.;,

The agitating apparatus may then be inserted into the drum, the shaft 20 extending through the hole in the bracket l1 and bearing against the bottom l2. Before the top I3 is ailixed to the drum the bracket i8 is welded or otherwise secured to such top, and the top may then be put on the drum, the upper portion of the vertical shaft 20 extending through the hole in the bracket l8 to hold the agitating apparatus in position, and the bracket 24 cooperating with the bracket 18 to hold the sheath against rotation.

While we have shown and described a certain embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a container having top and bottom portions, agitating apparatus of the character described, including: a rotatable shaft extending vertically between said top and bottom portions and adapted to be rotated by means without the container; first agitating means rotatable with said shaft about a vertical axis; second agitating means rotatable about a horizontal axis; means for supporting said second agitating means; and means for rotating said second agitating means upon rotation of the shaft, such rotating means comprising at least one arm carried by said shaft and operatively engaging said second agitating means.

2. In a container having top and bottom portions, agitating apparatus of th character described, including: a rotatable shaft extending vertically between said top and bottom portions and adapted to be rotated by means without the container; lower agitating means rotatable with said shaft about its vertical axis; a sheath encasing at least a portion of said shaft; upper agitating means supported by said sheath and being rotatable about a horizontal axis above said lower agitating means; means for holding said sheath against rotation; and means for rotating said second agitating means upon rotation of the shaft, such rotating means comprising at least one arm carried by said shaft and operatively engaging said upper agitating means.

3. In a container having top and bottom portions, agitating apparatus of the character described, including: a rotatable shaft extending vertically between said top and bottom portions and adapted to be rotated by means without the container; bracket means secured to said top and bottom portions for supporting and guiding said shaft; lower agitating means adjacent said bottom portion, such means comprising a blade member secured to said shaft and rotatable "therewith, at least a portion of such blade memher being angular to the vertical axis of said shaft; a sheath encasing at least a portion of said shaft; upper agitating means supported by .said sheath and being rotatable about a horizontal axis above said lower agitating means; means secured to said sheath and cooperating with at least a portion of said bracket means for holding the sheath against rotation; and means for rotating said second agitating means upon rotation of the shaft, such rotating means comprising at least one arm carried by said shaft and operatively engaging said upper agitating means.

4. In a container having top and bottom portions, agitating apparatus of the. character described, including: a rotatable shaft extending vertically between said top and bottom portions and adapted to be rotated by means without the container; bracket means secured to said top and bottom portions for supporting and guiding said shaft; lower agitating means adjacent said bottom portion, such means comprising a blade member secured to said shaft and rotatable therewith, at least a portion of such blade member being angular to the vertical axis of said shaft; a sheath encasing the upper portion of said shaft; upper agitating means supported by said sheath, said upper agitating means comprising at least one multibladed paddle member rotatable about a horizontal axis above said lower means, said paddle blades having forwardly projecting flanges; means secured to said sheath and cooperating with at least a portion of said bracket means for holding the sheath against rotation; and means for rotating said second agitating means upon rotation of the shaft, such rotating means comprising at least one arm carried by said shaft and operatively engaging said upper agitating means.

5. In a drum having a top and bottom agitating apparatus of the character described, ineluding: a rotatable shaft extending vertically between said top and bottom portions and adapted to be rotated by means without the container; bracket means secured to said top and bottom portions for supporting and guiding said tom portion, such means comprising a blade member secured to said shaft and rotatable therewith, at least a portion of such blade member being angular to the vertical axis of said shaft; a sheath encasing the upper portion of said shaft; upper agitating means supported by said sheath, said upper agitating means comprising a plurality of multibladed paddles rotatable about a horizontal axis above said lower means, said paddle blades having forwardly projecting flanges; means secured to said sheath and cooperating with at least a portion of said bracket means for holding a sheath against rotation; and means for rotating said second agitating means upon rotation of the shaft, such rotating means comprising a plurality of arms carried by said shaft and operatively engaging said paddle blades.

JOSEPH M. PRYOR.

BRUNO CESCATO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 233,287 Schmidt Oct. 12, 1880 989,468 Youlten Apr. 11, 1911 1,096,179 McCall May 12, 1914 1,298,651 Boath Apr. 1, 1919 1,621,277 Richman Mar. 15, 1927 1,812,450 Sackett June 30, 1931

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