US2547092A - Mixing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

April 3, 1951 E. E. POURE MIXING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 11, 1948 [NH Hll Affarn e April 3, 1951 E. E. POURE MIXING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 11, 1948 @7 W Z m m mf H00 r/ April 3, 1951 E. E. POURE MIXING APPARATUS Filed Dec. ll, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 3, 1951 E. E. POURE 2,547,092

MIXING APPARATUS Patented Apr. 3, 1951 Emile Edouard Pour, Montreuil-sous-Bois,

France, assignor of one-half-to. Camille LeGalh Montreuilrsousslioisr Franco App ica ion Dece er 948, Serial No. 64,865 In France December 13, 1947 6, 'Qlaims. (Cl. 259-41);

My invention relates to mixer apparatus, and

more especially to mixing machines of the type.

including an oscillating container or-tank adapted to receive therein a charge of materials to be mixed, and one or more rotatable vaned mixer members or screws extending through said con! tainer, drive means being provided both to oscillate orrock said container and to rotate said screws.

In conventional apparatus of such type, the oscillatory axis-- of the container is usually the same as the axis of" one 01' thesai'd mixer screws. The container is adapted to be rotated through 90- about said axis in order to allowdischargingthe mixed products therefrom. Insuch a con! struction the container, in order to be more readily oscillated, is provided with balancing means, such as counterweights. Moreover, the container has associated withit the drive means for the mixer screws, said drive means being generally arranged to one side of the container. Such a construction is: cumbersome, heavy and comparatively expensive to make. It requires a frame which also is heavy and costly to install.

It is a general object of this invention to over come the above drawbacks inherent to conventionatmixer apparatus of the typedescribed, and thus to-provide a simpler, more lightweight; more compact and cheaper construction therefor, and one that is easier to install.

Another object is to'provide a mixing machine of that type in which the geometric and mechani cal relationships between the parts of the structure with respect to the centre of'g-ravity thereof are such as-to make it possible to dispense with the usual balancing means such as counterweights orthe like, while maintaining the desirable facility in the oscillational movements thereof;

A furtherobject is to provide such a mixing machine which maybe directly installed on asuitable foundation block without requiring a supporting frame: structure.

A related object is to provide an oscillating mixing machine in which the oscillating con-. tainer is adapted to be swung to a completely overturned position fordischarging purposes, thus facilitating evacuation of its contents.

Another object is to provide a mixer machine having the above-defined improved characteristics and in which the drive motor is mounted in a fixed position.

And an object lies in the-provision of a mixer having all or part of the above improvements and in; which the drivev mechanism for the mixer screws is so. designed as; to impartioppositely directed differential, rates of rotation to. the mixer screws.

In the construction of a mixer according; to the invention, the container carrying the mixerscrews is mounted for oscillation on; a. central: axis independent from the screw shafts. and spaced therefrom, said. axis passing, substantial ly: through the centre. of. ravity of; the. cents" or when f-u-IL. The. said container r g-i a pair of circular side flanges resting; on. till-Hr porting roller members.v

In this way thei oscillating structure eitoo tively balan ed. by: i self without provision of counterweights or similar means). whereby it -mar be made considerably lighter inwei hte ll-hesaoscillating. structure directly supported. wit-h out any metal frame having to be. nrovided.,,upon the bearing roller means. securedto he. founder tion. Mounting of the apparatusis thus. simpli: fied and. adapted to be; quickly carried out. with out. requiring the use. of important hoistin means. Due. to. the. absence of any frame struce ture, the underside of. the mixer isv entirely-clear and unobstructed; thus the: container. may have a. l stlsmotation imparted to. tzfor nub poses, whereby the..- emntyingoperation. will; be. more reliably and. completely insur d...

In one embodiment. the mixerscrews: aredriv on from a motor'notsunnorted. ozrthe. container but on one. of the sidefianees thereof and from which the movement; supplied through; a. Suit:- able, transmission comprising meshing gears: mounted at; the end. of the container, this are rangement. reducing the. overall dimensions of the; apparatus. It. is desirable to: provide said gears. in such a way that; they" willimpart tothe, screws reverseand idifierential rates; of rotation,. thus improving the conditions of the mixing opera;- tion.

Inone desirable-modificati n of the invention), the shafts of the; mixer screws are connected through meshing. gears mounted on one of the end flanges to a. o nnon. central shaft coaxial. with the, container and. driven through. asuitable. ansmis ion fr m. a fixed motor...

some exemplary embodimentsoi the; invention will, now he describcdior purposes of illustrat on. and not oi'limitation in connection with the ,accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig.7 1 is .a view in longitudinal elevation of the mixer, with parts in section:

Fig. 2 is a side view-on line I'Ii-I'I of Fig. ,1;

Fig: 3 is a transversesection on line- III- 4131. of Fig. 1*.

of Fig. 4 of As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the mixer essentially comprises a container I in which are disposed two oppositely-rotating revolving mixer means or mixer screws 2 and 3. The container I is rigid with two fixed shafts 4 and 5, the common geometric axis of which is arranged substantially to pass through the centre of gravity G of the container when full. Said shafts 4 and 5 are independent from the screw shafts 2 and 3 and serve as shafts for mounting the lay pinions referred to later.

Said shafts land 5 are respectively secured to the centres of two circular side flanged discs 6 and 'I. The flanges 6 and I bear along the outer periphery thereof upon two pairs of rollers 8 and 9 preferably comprising ball bearings mounted on supports I!) and II which directly rest on the concrete base I2. It will thus be seen that the mixer does not require any metal frame.

The rocking movement of the container is effected by rotation of the flanged discs 6 and I on the rollers 8 and 9, and said rocking movement may extend throughout an entire half-circle, so that the container assumes a vertical position reversed from its charging position, and the dis-. charge of the mixed products is facilitated.

5 The absence of any frame, clearing the underside of the container, enables such complete overturn or capsizing of the container I, and thus facilitates gravity-discharge therefrom. To guide this overturning movement, chains I3 are secured to each of the flanged discs 6 and I at the periphery of the latter. Each of said chains I3 is actuated through a pinion I4 andlay pinions I5, I6, I'I.' The two pinions I4 mounted on a common longitudinal shaft 3| ensure simultaneous rotation of the chains I3 driving .the flanges 6 and 1. The shaft 3| is driven through a worm and worm gear drive in order-to provide the necessary one-way or irreversible character for the movement of the container.

' On one of the flanges, say I, the motor I8 which controls the movement of the screws is mounted. The motor. shaft I8 carries a sheave l9 whose movement is transmitted through the belt to another similar sheave 2I driving the shaft 22. Said shaft extends throughout the entire length of the mixer, passing through the flanges 6 and TI and being journalled in bearings 23, 24 carried thereon.

Transmission of the drive from shaft 22 to the'screws 2 and 3 is" effected through a dual set of meshing gears arranged at the end of the mixer on shafts carried on the flanged discs 6 and ,1. Considering one of those sets of drive gears, the operation of both of which is identical, it will be seen that it comprises a pinion 25 driven by shaft 22.and meshing with a gear 26 freely rotatable 0n the shafts 4 and 5. A pinion 2'I'rigid with the pinion 26 is arranged to drive: firstly, and directly, a pinion 28 actuating the screw 2, and secondly, indirectly through lay-gear 29, the pinion30 actuatingthe screw 3. With such arrangement,-both screws 2-and 3are rotated in opposite directions. The drive-ratio of the gears may be so selected as to cause the screws 2 and shown in Fig. 4, be mounted on the floor.

3 to be driven at different rates, this making for a more eflicient mixing operation.

With the construction described, the container is perfectly balanced while it does not include any counterweight or similar means. It may be designed for large capacities without any difiiculty and without undue weight and bulk. It is especially easy and economical to make and to mount.

In the modified form of my invention shown in Figures 4 to 6, the gear trains at the end of the structure corresponding to flange I are enclosed in a housing 33 carried by this flange. The drive mechanism for the shaft 22 comprises a gear 35 mounted on an extension of the shaft 22 beyond the pinions 25 and enclosed in a housing 34 secured 0n the housing 33. The gear 35 is connected through an intermediate gear 36 to a pinion 31 secured on a shaft 33 mounted on the housing 34 in alignment with the shaft 5 and consequently in coaxial relationship with the oscillational axis of the mixer,

Said shaft 38 is connected through a suitable drive with a fixed drive motor 39 which may, as

said drive may comprise as shown a belt transmission to cooperating with a drive sheave 42 on the shaft of the fixed motor 39 and a driven sheave 4| on the shaft-38.

With the arrangement just described, the motor will at all times be capable of driving the screw shafts to produce the desired mixing effect; regardless of the position imparted to the container, and it is unnecessary that the motor be provided movable with the container as in thefirst-disclosed embodiment.

As a further alternative, the shaft 38 may be directly coupled with a fixed motor disposed with its driveshaft in alignment with the shaft 38.

To produce therequisite oscillatory movements of the container, at fixed motor 43 is provided on aframe 44 supported on the floor and connected through a reducer gearing 45 to a shaft 43 having thereon a worm engaging a worm gear On a shaft 48 which is common to both rollers 8.; To improve the-"adherence characteristics thereof, said rollersare'formed with a -shaped ortrapezoidal groove in which the complementari-ly formed trapezoidal peripheral margins of the flanges are wedgingly'engaged. Thus, the continuously-rotating motor 43 will be adapted to impart the desired oscillatory motion to the container, with the rollers 8 driving the flanges through friction. The remaining two rollers 9 merely serve the function of bearing or supporting rollers as in the first-described embodiment.

While two main embodiments of my invention have been particularly described hereinabove and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that suchembodiments are merely illustrative in character and that modifications and improvements may be provided therein within the purview of the ensuing claims.

I I claim: V

I 1. A mixer comprising in combination a base, rollers supported on the base, a pair of spaced coaxial vertical flanged discs resting on said rollers, a horizontal container open at its top and rigidly disposed wholly between said discs; revolving mixer means mounted in the bottom ofsaid container parallel 'tosaid axis and journalled in said flanged discs, a longitudinal drive ing shaft'journalled in said fiangeddiscs, gearing;

means rotatably supported by said flanged discs The and comprising a driving connection between said shaft and said revolving mixing means, driving means for said shaft, and driving means for turning said flanged discs to overturn the container.

2. A mixer according to claim 1, in which the shaft driving means comprise a motor fixed on one of said flanged discs and drive connecting means between said motor and said shaft.

3. A mixer according to claim 1, in which the shaft driving means comprise a motor fixed on the base, a shaft supported by one of the flanged discs coaxially to its axis, gearing means between both said shafts and drive connecting means between said motor and the last said shaft.

4. A mixer according to claim 1, in which the driving means of the flanges comprise chains passing on the flanges and driving means for said chains.

5. A mixer according to claim 1, in which for driving the flanges the margins of the flanges are trapezoidal in cross section and wedgingly engaged in trapezoidal grooves of two of the supporting rollers, said rollers being mounted on a common shaft driven by a fixed motor. I

6. A mixer comprising in combination a base, rollers supported on the base, a pair of spaced coaxial vertical flanged discs resting on said rollers, a horizontal container open at its top and disposed wholly between said discs with its end walls spaced from said discs, connecting means between said container and said discs for mounting the container in fixed endwise position between the discs with the horizontal axis of the container when full coinciding with the central axis of the discs, revolving mixer means mounted in the bottom of said container parallel to said axis and journalled in said flanged discs, a longitudinal driving shaft journalled in said flanged discs, gearing means rotatably supported by said flanged discs and comprising a driving connection between said shaft and said revolving mixing means, driving means for said shaft, and

driving means for turning said flanged discs to overturn the container.

.1 EMILE EDOUARD POURE.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 890,086 Olson June 9, 1908 913,133 Hicks Feb. 23, 1909 918,494 Barr Apr. 20, 1909

Images