US2548442A

US2548442A - Agitator for drink mixers

Info

Publication number: US2548442A
Application number: US795005A
Authority: US
Inventors: Myers Louis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-12-31
Filing date: 1947-12-31
Publication date: 1951-04-10
Anticipated expiration: 1968-04-10

Description

April 1 0, 1951 1.. MYERS AGITATOR FOR DRINK MIXERS Filed Dec. 31, 1947 Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AGITATOR FOR DRINK MIXERS Louis Myers, Rockford, Ill.

Application December 31, 1947, Serial No. 795,005

3 Claims. (Cl. 259-134) porting standard and provided with a pair of agitators on the lower end of a depending shaft adapted to extend into the receptacle containing the liquid or material to be mixed, the agitators become bent or broken and must be replaced, or, in. some instances, it is desired to use agitators of different contours or agitating efiiciency.

The main object of the invention is to provide a unit embodying a pair of agitators which are demountably secured on the lower end of the depending shaft for replacement.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detailed description.

The invention consists of several novel features hereinafter set forth, and more definitely by the claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of the drink mixer provided with agitators embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the agitator unit on the shaft, the shaft being shown in elevation;

Figures is a perspective of the agitator unit; and

Figure 4 is a detail section of the sleevebefore the agitators have been secured thereon.

The invention is exemplified in connection with a drink mixer which comprises a supporting standard If), an electric motor I I mounted on the upper end of the standard, and a depending shaft I2, on the lower end of which the agitator-unit is mounted. Shaft l2, for mechanical stability. is usually tapered from the motor to the agitator.

Spaced from its lower end, the shaft I2 is provided with an annular shoulder M which functions as an abutment for the agitator unit. Below shoulder M the shaft is of reduced diameter to its lower end to form a cylindrical stem 15, which is adapted to extend through the agitator unit. The lower portion of the shaft has a male screw thread l6 cut therein.

The agitator unit comprises a sleeve l8, the upper end of which abuts against the downwardly facing shoulder M on shaft I2. 'The bore 19 is cylindrical and fits snugly around the cylindrical stem to support the sleeve in true dynamic balance on the shaft. At its lower end, the bore I9 is formed with a female screw thread 20 which fits the screw thread 15 on stem I 5.

The agitator-unit comprises an upper agitator element 22. and a lower agitator element 28. Agitator element 22 comprises a hub 23 and fiat vanes 24 and is fixedly secured on an upwardly facing shoulder 2 I on sleeve I8 by swaging or upsetting the metal in the upper end of the sleeve against the surrounding portion of hub 23, as illustrated at 26. The lower agitator element 28 includes a hub 29 and helical vanes 30 and is fixedly secured on a downwardly facing shoulder on sleeve IB by swaging or upsetting the lower end of said sleeve against the surrounding portion of hub 29, as at 32. Sleeve i8 is preferably tapered in conformity with the taper on shaft l2.

In fabricating the agitator-unit, the end portions of sleeve l'8 between shoulders 2| and 21 and the ends of the sleeve are left straight and passed through the central openings in the hubs of

elements

22 and 28, respectively, and the metal at both ends of the sleeve is then upset or swaged against or to overlap the surrounding hubs of the upper and lower elements, respectively, and thereby said elements are fixedly secured to the sleeve to provide a unitary agitator device which can be demountably attached tothe shaft This swaging is performed so that the ends. of the sleeve will be substantially flush with the elements. g

In fabricating the sleeve, its bore I9 is formed of a diameter which corresponds to the inner diameter of screw thread 20 and screw thread IS on stem l5. The bore I9 is then broached or machined to correspond to the outer diameter of the screw threads 20 and It. This permits the sleeve l8 to be slipped over the stem until the upper end of screw thread 20 engages the lower end of screw thread It and the agitator unit to be screwed onto the agitator shaft, with a close fit between the stem I5 and the sleeve for true alignment of the shaft and sleeve and for maintaining an accurate dynamic balance of the agitator.

In mounting the agitator unit on'the shaft, the sleeve I8 is slipped around the stem l5 until the lower end of screw thread It engages the upper end of screw thread 20 in the sleeve and then rotated on the shaft until the upper end of the sleeve is firmly seated on the shoulder M of shaft l2. Thread l6 terminates a short distance above the screw 20 to insure the seating of the upper end of the agitator unit on the shoulder 14 of shaft l2. As a result of this construction, the agitator unit will be accurately co-axial with the stem I5 and shaft l2.

In the event of breakage of one of the elements the unit can be readily replaced. In practice the agitator elements have vanes of different contour for variation in the agitation of the material in different zones in the receptacle, and it is sometimes desirable to substitute elements of different contour. The invention readily permits such substitution.

The invention exemplifies a mixer which includes a depending shaft and an agitator-unit which can be readily mounted on the shaft and readily removed therefrom for replacement. It also exemplifies a demountable agitator unit which will be accurately centered on the axis of the depending shaft, so that it will not cause unbalanced stresses on the agitator shaft during high-speed operation.

The invention is not to be understood as limited to the details described, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 7

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An agitator device for drink mixers comprising: a depending driven shaft provided with an integral shoulder spaced from its lower end, an integral stem of reduced diameter below the shoulder, having its upper portion provided with an elongated straight cylindrical periphery and its lower portion with a screw thread; an elongated onepiece sleeve having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough with a straight cylindrical upper portion closely fitting the straight cylindrical periphery on the stem for accurate coaxiality of the sleeve and stem and a screw thread in its lower portion fitting the screw thread on the stem, and provided with an integral annular shoulder adjacent each of its ends; and agitator elements seated against the shoulders, respectively and fixedly secured on the shoulders by integral upset portions of the sleeve.

2. An agitator device for drink mixers comprising: 9. depending driven shaft provided with an integral shoulder spaced from its lower end, an integral stem of reduced diameter below the shoulder, having its upper portion provided with an elongated straight cylindrical periphery and its lower portion with a screw thread having its outer diameter corresponding to said periphery; an elongated one-piece sleeve having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough with a straight cylindrical upper portion closely fitting the straight cylindrical periphery on the stem for accurate coaxiality of the sleeve and stem and a screw thread in its lower portion fitting the screw thread on the stem, and provided with an integral annular shoulder adjacent each of its ends; and agitator elements seated, against the shoulders respectively and fixedly secured on the shoulders by integral upset portions of the sleeve.

3. An agitator device for drink mixers comprising: a depending driven shaft provided with an integral shoulder spaced from its lower end, an integral stem of reduced diameter below the shoulder, having its upper portion provided with an elongated straight cylindrical periphery and its lower portion with a screw thread; an elongated one-piece sleeve having a bore extending longitudinally therethrough with a straight cylindrical upper portion closely fitting the straight cylindrical periphery on the stem for accurate coaxiality of the sleeve and stem and a screw thread in its lower portion fitting the screw thread on the stem, and provided with an integral annular shoulder adjacent each of its ends; and agitator elements seated against the shoulders, respectively and fixedly secured on the shoulder by integral upset portions of the sleeve, the upper end of the sleeve being substantially flush with the upper face of the upper agitator and the lower face of the lower agitator being substantially flush with the lower end of the sleeve.

LOUIS MYERS.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number