US2771280A - Triturating and mixing machine - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 20, 1956 TRITURATING AND MIXING MACHINE Filed July 15; 1954 gm, IT

M. ANDIS 2,771,280

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TRITURATING AND MIXING MACHINE Filed July 15, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

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MA HEW fl/vo/s Arraeuew/S United States Patent 2,771,280 TRITURATING AND h/IIXING MACHINE Mathew Andis, Racine, Wis., assiguor to Andis Clipper Co., Racine, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Application July 15, 1954, Serial No. 443,569

19 Claims. (11. 259-408) This invention relates to a triturating and mixing machine. The device herein disclosed is an improvement on the device of Patent 2,020,450 in the following principal respects.

The mixing fingers comprise laterally spaced prongs which are entirely free of each other and unconnected by any cross bar for their entire length of immersion. This makes it much easier to force the prongs into the material to be acted on thereby. The cross bar has heretofore been required to prevent operation of the machine in the event that the mixer straddles the rim of the cup. In the present device, the cup has a depth again as great as its capacity requires. There is a correspondingly increased range of cup movement. Hence, it is unnecessary to provide any bridge between the prongs of the triturating head.

The cup or container for the material to be triturated is shouldered to cooperate with a closure which is carried by a sleeve which is stationary during normal operation but which is free to rotate following normal use for the purpose of discharging from the closure and the triturating head all food tending to adhere thereto. A clutch between the closure and the driving spindle is disengaged during normal operation and re-engaged when the closure is relieved from pressure against the shoulder of the container.

The spindle which carries the triturating head is belt driven and the driving motor is bodily movable to and from driving position, being retracted from such position while the motor is started and being engaged with the belt only when it is desired that the head be operated. A brake is provided for the spindle and serves not only to stop the spindle immediately at the conclusion of the triturating operation, but also to assure that the belt will be free of the driving motor pulley, rather than free of the spindle pulley, in the retracted position of the motor. Lateral confining means is provided along the path of the belt to engage the belt only when the belt is slack and to assure the accumulation of the slack about the driving motor pulley.

A control lever having four positions is provided. From its neutral position, the lever is movable forwardly to lift the. container about the triturating head and to close the motor switch. In a further forward position, the lever holds the switch closed and engages the driving motor pulley with the belt to rotate the head, while raising the container into engagement with its closure and disengaging the closure clutch from the spindle.

Returning the control handle back to its neutral position arrests the movement of the spindle, re-engages the closure therewith, lowers the cup to a level in which the closure is still within the cup but adjacent its rim, disengages the driving pulley from the belt, and finally opens the motor switch. Continued rearward movement of the control handle to its fourth position re-engages the driving pulley with the belt, releases the brake and closes the motor circuit to rotate the triturating head and closure within the container for centrifugal cleaning purposes.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in perspective showing the device of the present invention as it appears when the cup or con tainer is not mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation, with portions broken away, showing the cup elevated to engage it with the closure and illustrating in dotted lines the other three positions of the control handle.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the position in which the handle is arrested in the event that the triturating head straddles the rim of the cup.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the device in axial section on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device as it appears with the cover removed.

Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view of the device.

Fig. 7 is a detailed view taken in section on line 7--7 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 4 showing the parts in a diiferent position.

Fig. 9 is a detailed view showing the switch in elevation and taken in the plane indicated at 9-9 in Fig. 4.

The machine housing generically designated by reference character 10 comprises a lower section 11 having a base 12 and an upper section 13 having an overhanging arm 14 and a cover 15.

The support for the container 16 is essentially similar to that shown in the prior patent above identified. It comprises a vertically reciprocable slide 17 for which the housing 10 provides a guide at 18. The slide has a seat at 19 upon which the bottom of container 16 is receivable and it has a strap 20 which engages the bottom of the receptacle to arrest further upward movement of the slide in the event the receptacle is not properly positioned (see Fig. 3).

The triturating head 21 comprises a pair of prongs 22, 23 which are widely spaced and have no connection with each other except through their common mounting at the end of the drive spindle 25. The cup or container 16 is of such dimensions as to receive substantially its entire contents within its lower portion 26 below the annular shoulder 27 which is approximately midway of the height of the container. A deeply indented rib may be provided at 28 to restrain the contents of the cup from rotating with the triturating prongs 21 whereby to facilitate the movement of the prongs relative to the contents to expedite the triturating action. When the cup is properly positioned as shown in Fig. 4 (before being lifted to triturating position), the triturating head 21 will be within the upper portion 29 of the cup, above the shoulder 27 thereof.

The flanged bearing sleeve 30 surrounding spindle 25 is bolted to the under surface of the overhanging housing arm 14. A counter-bore provides a seat for the outer race of bearing 31. The lower end of the shaft is guided by the bushing 32 from the lower end of sleeve 30.

Rotatably mounted externally of bearing sleeve 30 is the tubular support 34 for closure 35. The closure is sufficiently large to seat on shoulder 27 in the elevated position of container 16. The entire closure and its support are yieldable axially in a vertical upward direction on bearing sleeve 30 in response to upward thrust of cup 16 against the closure. An annular plastic seal provided at 36 between the upper end of the tubular support 34 and the flange of the bearing sleeve 30 is suffi ciently flexible to accommodate the slight degree of axial movement required.

Within the tubular support 34 is an annular clutch housing 37 which also serves as a seat for compression spring 38. The clutch element 39 which has a pressed fit in housing 37 is thereby made fast to the tubular support34 and closure 35.

Complementary to the female clutch element 39 is a male clutch element 40 mounted on the reduced end of spindle to rotate therewith. When the clutch elements are-engaged, spindle rotation will be transmitted to closure and its tubular support 34. However, when the closure 35 and its support 34 are moved upwardly by engagement of receptacle shoulder 27 with the closure, the driven female clutch member 39 is moved'against the compression of spring 38 free of the driving male clutch element 40, thereby disengaging the drive to the closure and permitting the. closure to remain stationary during spindle rotation.

An annular plate 41 held by the screws which anchor the clutch housing annulus 37 has an internal groove for the annular seal 42 which protects the clutch from the material acted upon-by the triturating head. The seal 42 may desirably take the form of an O-ring of synthetic rubber.

Within the housing extension 14, the spindle carries a driven pulley 45 actuated by a V-belt 46 from a driving pulley 47 mounted on the armature shaft 48 of motor 50. The motor is supported in a nearly upright position on strap metal arms 51 which are sufficiently resilient so that the motor is normally biased toward the position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 4, the motor being bodily yieldable from the position of Fig. 4 to the position of Fig. 8 to engage pulley 47 with V-belt 46 to drive the spindle 25. The disclosed arrangement functions like a clutch which normally maintains the driving pulley 47 disengaged from the V-belt.

The V-belt tends to remain in the Fig. 4 position with all of its slack around the driving pulley 47. This is due in part to the functioning of the brake which acts on the driven pulley and it is due in part to the resiliently yieldable belt-confining guides 52 which are immediately adjacent both of the runs of the belt between the two pulleys, as shown in Fig. 5. When the belt is under tension, there is no substantial contact between it and the guides. When the tension is released, the guides prevent the belt from expanding laterally, thus maintaining its slack accumulated at the driving end.

Mounted on the motor casing is a yoke'54'from which an arm55 extends upwardly to support the brake 56. Thebrake lining 57 (Figs. 4and 5) is normally engaged withthe rim of pulley 45 when the motor is in the position toward which it is biased by its resilient supporting straps 51. When any triturating operation is being completed, the initial movement of the control handle toward its neutral position allows the motor to move to the position of Figs. 4 and 5, thereby simultaneously disengaging the driving pulley 47 from the V-belt and engaging the brake with the driven pulley. The abrupt deceleration of the driven pulley tends to hold the V-belttightly in the groove thereof, thereby assuring that all the slack of the V-belt is accumulated around the driving pulley.

The control handle 60 is connected with rock shaft 61 (Figs. 4, 7 and 8). The vertical position in which it -is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in full lines in Fig. l is its neutral position. Within the housing, the rock shaft 61 has fixed to it a set of four cam levers 62, 63,164 and 65, as best shownin Fig. 6. Rotatably carried between successive pairs of levers are the cam rollers 66, 67, 68 and 69. The rollers 66 and 69 operate simultaneously upon the respective cam follower arms 70 and 71 which engage the actuating posts 72 of the cup supporting slide 17 for operation thereof in much the manner of the former patent above identified. When the handle 60 is moved from the position of Fig. l to that of Fig. 2, the rollers 66 and 69 engage the cam follower surfaces 73 (Fig. 4) to oscillate the arms 70 and 71 up: wardly to lift the container support. The arcuatesurface'shown at'74 in Fig. 4 is, in the elevated position of the arms, concentric with rock shaft 61 to provide for a dwell to hold the receptacle in its elevated position against closure 35 during continued oscillation of rock shaft 61 to engage the drive to the spindle.

The motor switch and the spindle drive may be actuated in either direction of oscillation of rock shaft 61. When the lever 60 is moved to the solid line position of Fig. 2, the extension 75 of lever 64 will engage the oscillatory carrier 76 of the mercury switch 77 to move such carrier from its normally tilted position to the horizontal position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9, thereby closing the circuit to motor 50. The lever ex tension 75 presents a broad surface to the arm 78 of the carrier to hold the switch closed during continued lever movement toward the position of Fig. 8.

If the control lever 60 is moved clockwise toward the position shown in dotted lines at the right in Fig. 2, the extension 80 of lever 63 engages the arm 81 of carriage 76 at the other side of the fulcrum 82 of the carriage, whereby the carriage is likewise moved to a horizontal position in which switch 77 is closed. This position of the parts is used to clean the triturating head and the closure 35 in a manner which will hereafter be explained.

The drive to the spindle is likewise closed in each direction of oscillation of rock shaft 61 from its neutral position. If the lever 60 is moved counterclockwise to the dotted line position shown at the extreme left in Fig. 2, the cam roller 67 engages the cam follower 83, as shown in Fig. 8 to lift the follower in the guideway provided at'84in the housing. An adjustable stop at 85 engages an integral portion of the housing to limit the upward movement of the follower. The follower carries the arm 86 of a slide 87 guided at the rear of the housing and carrying at its upper end a cam 88 adjust ably connected to bar 87. The adjustment is conveniently made by providing the cam and the bar with mating teeth and using screw 89 to hold the cam to the bar in any desired position of adjustment.

As the cam advances upwardly to the position of Fig. 8, it engages roller 90 which is carried between duplex levers 91, 92, as best shown in Fig. 5. The levers 91, 92 are notched at 93 to engage a pin carried by the yoke 54 which is connected to the motor shell, as best shown in Fig. 4. The movement thus developed oscillates the lever 91, 92 from the position of Fig. 4 to the position of Fig. 8, thereby oscillating the motor 50 on its resilient supports 51 to engage driving pulley 47 with the belt 46 in the manner already explained.

In the clockwise oscillation of lever 60 from its neutral position of Fig. l to the dotted line position shown at the right in Fig. 2, the roller 68 is engaged with cam follower arm 83 to effect a like upward movement of bar 87, resulting in a like engagement of the driving pulley 47' with the V-belt 46. This upward movement is opposed, in both cases, by compression spring 95 (Figs. 4 and 8).

Operation of thedevice is as follows:

The material to be acted upon by the triturating or mixing head is placed in the receptacle 16 to a depth which does not normally exceed the level of shoulder 27. The-cup is thereupon moved into position on the support 19, as shown in Fig. 4. The prongs 22, 23 of the triturating head 21 will be entirely above the level of the contents of the cup at this point.

The arm 60 is now-moved forward from its neutral positionto the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. This raises the container to such a level that the shoulder 27 engages closure 35 and slightly lifts the closure on the spindle to disengage the female driven clutch element 39 from the maledriving clutch element 40 on spindle 25. Substantially concurrently the mercury switch is tilted to close the motor circuit but spindle rotation is not yet initiated. It is desired to note the fact that many of the materials acted upon in a machine of this kind are extremely solid, ranging from hard frozen ice cream to'fruits, some of which might be quite green. In the past, it has been extremely difficult to force triturating prongs into more or less solid materials because of the transverse Connecting bar heretofore provided in all such devices as a safety measure. The construction herein disclosed eliminates such a bar and thereby makes it quite easy to force the prongs into the work. The bar is made unnecessary because of the substantial depth of the cup and the arrangement whereby any misplacement of the cup in the manner shown in Fig. 3 will result in interference by the cup with the free upward movement of the stirrup strap 20 on slide 17, thus making it impossible for the control lever 60 to be moved to the point of closing the switch.

Assuming that the switch is closed in the proper use of the apparatus as previously described, continued counterclockwise movement of the control lever 60 from the position of Fig. 2 will hold the switch closed but will transmit motion from the roller 67 to the cam follower arm 83 to tilt the motor 50 to the right from its Fig. 4 position to its Fig. 8 position, thereby causing the rotation of the armature shaft to be communicated to the spindle. In practice the spindle is immediately set into operation at approximately 3400 R. P. M. Gnly a matter of a few seconds is required to complete the mixing or triturating operation. Three to five seconds is normally adequate. Despite the extreme agitation within the container, the contents are confined by the closure 35.

The operator will almost immediately return the control lever 60 toward its vertical neutral position. The very first movement of the lever applies to break the spindle and disconnects the drive by permitting the motor to be returned to the position of Fig. 4. During the downward movement of the work receptacle incident to this initial movement of the control lever, the closure 35 moves with it to re-engage the cone clutch which normally connects it with the spindle. Thus, before the closure leaves the receptacles shoulder 27 upon which it is seated in use, the motor drive has been disconnected from the spindle.

In the extreme position of the carrier 17, 19 for the container 16, the closure 35 is still within the mouth of the container. Accordingly, if the operator desires, he may clean the closure and the triturating head centrifugal- 1y by simply continuing the clockwise oscillation of control lever 60 to the position shown in dotted lines at the extreme right in Fig. 2, thereby re-closing the motor switch and re-engaging the drive to the spindle as already described. This time the closure 35 is clutched to the spindle to rotate therewith to centrifugally discharge into the upper end of the container any material which may have accumulated upon it. Yet the fit of the closure to the container is such that there is little or no possibility that any of the centrifugally discharged material thrown off of the triturating head or the closure will escape from the container.

I claim:

1. In a mixing device using a pronged mixing head for triturating material in a cup, the combination of a cup support and mixing head and means mounting said support and head for relative axial movement, the mixing head comprising prongs having free portions at least substantially equal in length to the full depth of immersion in the contents of the cup, the space between said prong portions being open and unobstructed and the cup having a bottom portion adapted to receive contents for trituration by said prongs and having an upward extension beyond said bottom portion substantially equal in extent to the depth of said bottom portion, the mixing head having means at a level above the open and unobstructed space between the prongs to engage the cup extension before the prongs substantially penetrate the contents of the bottom portion of the cup in the event of relative lateral displacement between the mixing head and cup, said cup support having support means spaced from the cup engaging means on the mixing head a distance greater than the height of the cup, the mixing head being bodily receivable into the cup to engage said prong portions substantially full depth in the contents of the cup in the event the cup and mixing head are properly aligned, and means for effecting relative movement between the cup support and mixing head in an axial direction for a distance sufficient to cause the free end portions of the prongs to traverse the whole length of the extension and to penetrate to substantially full depth the contents in the bottom portion of the cup, together with means for effecting relative rotation between the mixing head and cup and having a controlling switch actuated by the means for effecting relative axial movement between the cup support and mixing head as prongs approach substantially full immersion in the contents of the cup, whereby said switch will be inactive if said extension engages the mixing head in a displaced relative position of the cup to block axial movement of said cup support.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotatably mounted mixing head comprising a spindle and prongs having free and unobstructed workengaging portions extending laterally and downwardly from said spindle, switch controlled spindle rotating means, a cup having substantially twice the depth of the prongs and into which the mixing head is bodily receivable when properly aligned with the cup, said cup having a work-receiving portion constituting substantially half of its total height, an elevating platform for the cup, means for actuating the platform through a length of travel sufficient to effect movement of said prongs through the upper portion of the cup into contents confined substantially exclusively to the lower portion thereof, and means on said mixing head spaced from said platform a distance greater than the height of the cup and against which the upper portion of the cup is engaged under pressure of the platform if said cup is misaligned with the mixing head whereby to preclude elevation of the platform, said platform actuating means including means for operating the switch to initiate movement of the mixing head only when said platform is substantially completely elevated and said prongs are subtsantially fully engaged in the cup.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a spindle carrying a mixing head of a cup closure mounted on the spindle and rotatable with respect thereto, clutch means for releasably connecting the closure to rotate With the spindle, said clutch means being releasable upon axial displacement of the closure from the mixing head and a cup adapted to receive contents to be acted on by the mixing head and into which the mixing head is receivable, said cup having a shoulder complementary to said closure and adapted to lift the closure to effect dis-engagement of the closure clutch, and means for moving the cup to and from an operative position in which the mixing head is immersed in the cup and the cup shoulder is engaged with said closure in a clutch releasing direction.

4. The device of claim 3 in further combination with spindle actuating means and means whereby said spindle actuating means is operated when said closure is declutched from the spindle.

5. The device of claim 4 in further combination with means for effecting operation of the spindle actuating means with the closure clutched to the spindle, the cup having an upward extension within which the closure and mixing head are disposed above the level of the contents of the cup when the spindle actuating means functions With the closure clutched to the spindle.

6. In a device of the character described in combination with a spindle and housing providing mounting bearings for the spindle and having driving connections to the top of the spindle, of a closure member mounted coaxially with the spindle, clutch means normally biased into engagement for driving the closure from the spindle, said clutch means including driving and driven clutch parts connected with the closure and spindle and disengageable upon upward axial movement of the closure respecting the spindle, a cup elevator mounted on the housing, and

amp detachably positioned on the elevator and movable therewith upwardly respecting the spindle, the spindle having a mixing head adapted to be received into the lower portion of the cup and the cup having a shoulder complementary to said closure and engageable with the closure in an elevated position of the cup to effect axial displacement of the closure to disengage its clutch element from that of the spindle.

7. The device of claim 6 in which the cup has an upward extension above said shoulder of sutiicient height and width to receive the closure and the mixing head when the mixing head is substantially entirely above said shoulder.

8. The device of claim 7 in further combination with elevator operating means comprising control means for effecting actuation of the spindle in two positions of the cup, in one of which the shoulder is engaged with the closure and the closure is dcclutched from the spindle, the other position of the cup being one in which the mixing head and closure are within the cup extension and substantiallyentirely above the shoulder, the closure being clutched to the spindle.

9. The device of claim :3 in which the -indle has a motor assembly adjustably mot .itcd within the honing for movement between two 9 .,ttions and comprising driving pulley bor." movable to and from the spindle, the spindle carrying a driven Finley and the pulleys being connected by a belt respect ly in driving and non-driving engagement with one or the pulle according to the position of the motor assembly.

it). The device of claim 9 in which said motor assembly further comprises brake selectively engageable with the spindle pulley in the non-beltdriving position of said assembly and diseugageable from the spindle pulley in the movement of said assembly in a belt engaging direction.

11. The device of c with belt guide di and the spindle pull-e of the belt between s2 said belt, whereby to "T the belt from the driving pulley tpon bodily mo emcnt of said assembly in a beit disengaging direction.

l2. A mixing de ice oi the type in which a cup is elevated about a driving raindle prov ded with a mixing head, said device compi' the combination With such a spindle and the cup ot a cup closure having a releaseable clutch connection with the spindle, means for disengaging: the clutch connection to permit the closure to remain non-rotatable \Vlicfi the mixing head is operative Within the cup, m.-

t'or engaging tne clutch to cause the closure to re with the spindle en the spindle is tota ed with its mixing head disengaged from the contents of the cup, spindle actuating means, and an elevator actuator comp: 'zg two arate controls for rendering s spindle "stunting means effective to drive the spindle, one of sa controls comprising means for rotating the spindle with the cup closure tie-clutched therefrom and the other said means comprising means for rotating the sp is with the closure clutched thereto.

13. The device of claim 12 in which the said cup is of such height to enclose the mixing head and closure when the spindle is by both of said in is.

14. A device of the character described comprising a housing provided on its side with a cup elevator and a bearing sleeve above the elevator having a spindle rotatably mounted therein, a driven pulley carried by the spindle at its upper end, a mixing device carried by the spindle at its lower end, cup closure mounted on the spindle and having a clutch connection thereto disengageablc upon upward displacement of the closure respecting the spindle, and a cup dc chably mounted on the elevator and having -.t lower gorticn adapted to receive material to be mixed -;l upward extension of suliicient height above the lower g' ortion to enclose the closure and mixing head while the latter is substantially disengaged from Q in further combination between the driving pulley of the path of movement 'oncd to confine such materiel, said cup having an intermediate portion complemcn iry to the closure to be substantially sealed thereby above such material in an elevated position of the cup, motor assembly pivotally mounted within the housing and comprising driving shaft and pulley at the level of the driven pulley on the spindle, a V-bclt trained about said pulleys, the assembly being pivotally movable in directions to tighten and loosen said belt, a rock shaft provided with a handle and having an elevator ng connection, cam means actuated from said shaft scillating said assembly in a belt tightening direction l JZl move 1311i of said elevator to a position in which said. closure is sealed to the intermediate portion of the cup, a motor control switch having means controlled by rock shaft for its closing operation, said switch being c-pcrativ ly connected to control the operation of the motor, and. r cans connected with said rock shaft for sing said switch operate the motor and for oscillatmotor in, a belt-tightening direction in the course oi: an opposite movement of the rock shaft with the elevator in lowered position in which the mixing head and closure are within portion of the cup above its said intermediate portion.

15. The device of claim 14 in which the motor assembly comprises a brake shoe mounted thereon in a position of normal engagement with the driven pulley on the spindle, said shoe being disengageable from the driven pulley in the movement of the assembly in a belt tightening direction.

16. The device of claim 15 in further combination with means laterally confining the belt between the driving and driven pulleys whereby to accumulate slack about the driving pulley in the position of the assembly in which the driving pulley is disengaged from the belt and the brake is engaged with the driven pulley.

17. In a device of the character described, the combination with a rotary mixing head having a driven pulley, a cup support, and means including a control lever for moving said support axially toward the mixing head, of an electric motor for rotating said head, said motor having a drive pulley and a belt interconnecting said pulleys, said belt having a bight within which the drive pulley is disposed said motor having a mounting on which the motor is bodily shiftable between a first position in which the belt is tensioned against the drive pulley and a second position in which the belt is slack with respect to said drive pulley, belt guide means laterally confining the belt to maintain said bight in a position from which the drive pulley withdraws in the second position of the motor and interconnections between said control lever and said motor whereby movement of the lever in a direction to move the cup support toward the mixing head shifts the motor into its said first position.

18. The device of claim 17 in which the motor mount ing comprises a resilient support connected to the motor at the end thereof which is opposite its drive pulley, the end of the motor nearest said pulley being provided with a coupling to said interconnections whereby the motor is moved on its resilient support in response to control lever manipulation.

19. The device of claim 17 in further combination with a brake for said mixing head, and interconnections between said brake and said motor whereby said brake is released in the movement of the motor to its said first position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,291,728 Beach Jan. 21, 1919 1,351,243 Graves Aug. 31, 1920 2,021,626 Flegel Nov. 19, 1935 2,168,429 1939 2,463,697 1949 2,589,615 1952

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