US3128082A

US3128082A - Shaker

Info

Publication number: US3128082A
Application number: US176931A
Authority: US
Inventors: Claude D Cline
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-03-02
Filing date: 1962-03-02
Publication date: 1964-04-07
Anticipated expiration: 1981-04-07

Description

April 'Lv 1964 C. D. CLINE 3,128,082

SHAKER Filed March 2, 1962 CAUDE D. Cl//VE BY /PA/@s maw Arrow/5v5.

United States Patent M1ce 3,128,082 SHAKER Claude D. Cline, P.O. Box 4308, Pasadena, Calif. Filed Mar. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 176,931 4 Claims. (Cl. 259-72) This invention relates to a shaker for agitating fluid in containers.

An object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive shaker suitable for use in the home to agitate small containers, such as those for nail polish.

A shaker according to this invention comprises a base, a journal mounted to the base, and an eccentric mounted to the journal. A support is mounted to the eccentric and means are provided for turning the eccentric to oscillate the support whereby the contents of the container are agitated when the eccentric is turned.

According to a preferred but optional feature of the invention, the support includes a substantially upright coil spring together with means for holding the container that are attached to the spring. The eccentric comprises a crank arm with a shaft and a throw, the throw being attached to the means for holding the container whereby the spring serves to improve the oscillatory properties of the support.

According to still another preferred but optional feature of the invention, the means for turning the eccentric comprises an electric motor.

The above and other features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a side elevation of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. l and FIG. 3-5 are plan views of alternate embodiments of portions of the invention.

The presently preferred embodiment of a shaker 1i) according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1. The device includes a base 11, which may be a piece of wood or plastic, and which may have a vibration-absorbing layer 12 of material such as foam rubber on the bottom surface thereof.

The device includes a pair of

journals

13, 14 xed to a base by screws 15. The journals are made of a piece of flanged iron, each having a hole therethrough to serve as a bearing.

An eccentric 16 comprises a shaft 17 mounted to the journals. A crank throw 18 constitutes an off-axis portion which describes a circular path around the axis of the shaft.

Support means 20 are provided for holding a container 21, such as a bottle of nail polish to be shaken or agitated. The support means includes a platform 22 having integral therewith a plurality of spring fingers 23 which grasp the container. A pair of bearings 24 are formed integrally with the platform, and are therefore connected to the lingers and serve to journal the journal crank throw 18. It will be seen that rotation of the eccentric will cause the support means to oscillate.

The support means additionally includes a coil spring 25 whose lower end is rigidly aixed to the base, and whose upper end is connected to the platform. One convolution 26 may, if desired, be used to back up the spring lingers. It will be seen that rotation of the eccentric causes alternate compression and extension of the coil spring. This coil spring thereby aids in the oscillatory function of the eccentric. It reduces the size of motor needed to run the device.

A spring coupling 27 connects shaft 17 with a motor shaft 28. The motor shaft is driven by means 29 for turning the eccentric which, in this case, comprises an electric motor, preferably of the flashlight-battery driven 3,128,082 Patented Apr. 7,y 1964 type. The motor sits atop a battery pack 30 to which it is connected by

leads

31, 32. Lead 32 includes switch 33 for turning the motor on and olf.

FIG. 3 shows an alternate embodiment of eccentric 35, which can be substituted for the eccentric in FIG. l. This eccentric comprises a pair of crank arms 36, 37 which are journaled to the base. A platform 38 includes four bearings 39 which serve to journal the crank arms. The platform holds the throws on the crank arms uniformly apart so that they move in unison.

FIG. 4 illustrates another eccentric 40 which can be substituted in FIG. 1. This device also utilizes a pair of

crank arms

41, 42 in which a platform 43 joins together the crank throws. Spur gearsl 45, 46 are respectively attached to

arms

41 and 42, and are meshed with a drive gear 47. Turning the drive gear drives in unison both of the crank arms through the gearing.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate embodiment of a support 50 which includes a platform 51 and spring fingers 52, but in which the periphery of the platform is somewhat ablong instead of round as in FIGS. 1 and 2. The arrangement of FIG. 5 is more suitable for shaking rectangular or oblong shaped containers than the device of FIG. 1. It is utilized in the same manner.

It will be understood that in illustrating eccentrics of the type shown, that it is not intended to limit the invention to those types wherein the platform is journaled to the eccentric. Other types of action, `such as vibrating the device by contact with a rotary cam, producing only vertical movement is also within the scope of the invention. lt is thus not essential that the eccentric hold up the support. The support could be held merely by the coil spring, for example, in contact with a cam.

This invention is not to be limited by the embodiments shown in the drawings and described in the description which are given by way of illustration and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mechanical shaker apparatus for use in shaking small containers of cosmetic materials and the like, said apparatus comprising a base having an upright helical spring secured thereto, at least one of the upper convolutions of said helical spring being of larger diameter than the adjacent lower convolutions thereof and being adapted to resiliently grip the lower end of a container to be shaken with the bottom of the container closely overlying said adjacent smaller diameter convolutions of said spring, and power driven eccentric means coupled to the upper end of said helical spring and effective to agitate the contents of a container while supported within the top convolution of said spring.

2. A mechanical shaker apparatus for use in agitating the contents of small containers of fluids subject to settling, said apparatus comprising a base secured across the lower end of an upright open coil spring having a convolution at its upper end for seating and resiliently gripping the lower portion of a container to be agitated, at least one of the spring convolutions at the upper end of said spring immediately below said container gripping convolution being of smaller diameter than the container and underlying the bottom of the container, eccentric means operatively connected to the upper end portion of said helical spring and including power means to rotate said eccentric means thereby to agitate a container supported in said upper spring convolution.

3. Mechanical shaker apparatus as defined in claim 2 characterized in that said eccentric means includes bearing support means therefor mounted on said base on diametrically opposed sides of said upright coil spring, electric motor means mounted on said base opposite one end of said eccentric means, and coil spring coupling means for driving said eccentric from said motor means having one end connected to said eccentric means and its other end connected to the motor shaft.

4. Power driven shaker apparatus for use in agitating the fluid contents of small containers, said apparatus having an electric motor, means supporting a helical spring in an upright position with the upper end of the spring disposed opposite one end of the motor shaft, the upper convolution of said spring being larger than the closely underlying convolutions of said spring and cooperating therewith to provide a resilient socket for resiliently seating and gripping the lower portion of a container to be shaken, eccentric means mounted crosswise of the upper portion of said helical spring, and coil spring means resiliently coupling said eccentric means to said motor shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 190,257 Sterms May 1, 1877 2,846,201 Mermelstein Aug. 5, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 705,773 France of 1931

Claims

1. A MECHANICAL SHAKER APPARTUS FOR USE IN SHAKING SMALL CONTAINERS OF COSMETIC MATERIALS AND THE LIKE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A BASE HAVING AN UPRIGHT HELICAL SPRING SECURED THERETO, AT LEAST ONE OF THE UPPER CONVOLUTIONS OF SAID HELICAL SPRING BEING OF LARGER DIAMETER THAN THE ADJACENT LOWER CONVOLUTIONS THEREOF AND BEING ADAPTED TO RESILIENTLY GRIP THE LOWER END OF A CONTAINER TO BE SHAKEN WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER CLOSELY OVERLYING SAID ADJACENT SMALLER DIAMETER CONVOLUTIONS OF SAID SPRING, AND POWER DRIVEN ECCENTRIC MEANS COUPLED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID HELICAL SPRING AND EFFECTIVE TO AGITATE THE CONTENTS OF A CONTAINER WHILE SUPPORTED WITHIN THE TOP CONVOLUTION OF SAID SPRING.