Agitating – Mortar mixer type – With dynamic delivery
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-16
2001-04-24
Drodge, Joseph W. (Department: 1723)
Agitating
Mortar mixer type
With dynamic delivery
C366S048000, C366S054000, C366S185000, C366S220000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220744
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to barrel mixers such as are mainly used for mixing cement and in particular to such mixers designed for light or medium duty mixing and adapted for single-handed movement and operation.
Conventional such mixers are powered by electric motors or by internal combustion engines, usually small, petrol-driven motors driving the rotary mixing barrel through reduction gearing. Over the decades during which mixers of this land have been commercially available, the design of the barrel support arrangements and the motor transmission arrangements have been refined with a view to reducing the weight but improving the robustness and efficiency, always with the intention of reducing the cost and increasing the value-for-money of the mixers, to the point where it is difficult to see what further savings can be made for any particular specification.
The present invention, however, makes possible substantial cost savings. Features of preferred arrangements facilitated by the invention give rise to further advantages.
The invention comprises in one aspect a barrel mixer comprising a support for a rotary mixer barrel, including a tipping arrangement for said barrel limiting tipping between a mixing position in which the barrel is angled so as to retain its contents and a tipping position in which the barrel is angled so that its contents are poured out, a motor and transmission mounted on said support for rotating the barrel including step-down gearing between the motor and the barrel, the motor and gearing tipping with the barrel, the motor shaft being, at an intermediate position between mixing and tipping positions of the barrel, vertical, and the motor being of a type having a mounting plate surrounding the motor shaft.
The motor may comprise an internal combustion engine, which may be of the type adapted to power rotary mowers, or an electric motor, which may be of the open frame type adapted to power washing machines. So that the same design may be used, simplifying manufacturing, for both electric motors and internal combustion engines, the mixing and tipping positions may be arranged to be within the limits for operation of a vertical axis lawn mower motor.
The orientation of an electric motor, of course, makes no difference to its operation, but if tipping is limited, no matter what engine is used, only one design of support need be made saving on design, manufacturing and inventory costs.
There is, of course, no fundamental difference between these types of motors and any other, it is simply a question of design to suit a given purpose. That having been said, the lawn mower motor and the washing machine motor were designed to perform particular tasks and to suit particular pieces of machinery. Conventional general purpose motors with conventional mounts have been the engineers choice for pretty well every other piece of equipment.
It is surprising, therefore, to find that by the invention the cost of barrel mixers can be significantly reduced, while retaining even enhancing, all the desirable features of conventional barrel mixers, and this is the more surprising since both barrel mixers and motors of the kind with which the invention is concerned have coexisted for decades without it ever having been suggested that the motor could be or should be used in the mixer, far less any attempt having been made to exploit the combination commercially. It is all the more surprising when it is realised that motors of this type, by virtue of their widespread use in lawn mowers and washing machines, are commercially available at a significant discount over the general purpose motors.
In any event, these motors are found to lend themselves entirely appropriately to barrel mixers, each of which has its own advantages over and above the overall cost reduction due to the lower motor price.
In another aspect, the invention comprises a barrel mixer comprising a support for rotary mixer barrel, a motor mounted on said support and transmission for rotating the barrel, the transmission including a gear ring on the barrel with inwardly facing gear teeth, the motor and transmission being contained, viewed axially of the barrel, within the circumference of the barrel.
The motor may, again, be of the type having a mounting plate surrounding the motor shaft.
The motor may be mounted with its axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the barrel. The motor may then be mounted in a mounting plate and drive the barrel through gearing which is axially parallel the motor and the barrel. The barrel may have a large diameter at or near the outer radius of the barrel drive ring with radially inwardly directed teeth meshing with a cog driven directly or indirectly by the motor. The cog may be driven by a belt drive from the motor shaft, or by an intermediate cog.
The motor, however, may be mounted with its axis at right angles to the direction of the axis of rotation of the barrel.
The motor may be mounted in a first mounting plate or frame of the support with its shaft projecting through said plate or frame, and the barrel mounted on a second mounting plate or frame by means of a right-angle gear (a gear whose output and input shafts are at right angles) connected directly or indirectly to the motor shaft The right-angle gear may comprise a worm gear.
The motor shaft, as before, may be connected by a belt drive or by meshing cogs to the right-angle gear.
The support means may comprise a wheeled trolley, which may comprise a frame having wheels mounted on a frame base, a support for the barrel supporting the barrel on the same side of the frame as the frame base and supporting the motor and transmission on the opposite side of the frame, and handle means projecting from the frame at the opposite end thereof to the frame base and on the same side of the frame as the motor and transmission.
The frame base may comprise a rest extending on the motor and transmission side of the frame and the wheels. The mixer rests with the barrel axis inclined upwardly for mixing and, beyond the wheels, a foot on to which the mixer can be tipped for pouring.
The support may additionally comprise a stand with a pintle bearing receiving the trolley and having a tipping arrangement allowing the support to be tipped on the pintle bearing between mixing and pouring positions.
The barrel may be demountable from the support, and the support break down to fit inside the barrel for stowage and transportation.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1453323 (1923-05-01), Palmeter
patent: 2563669 (1951-08-01), Ahearn
patent: 2573296 (1951-10-01), Arant
patent: 3879020 (1975-04-01), Ray
patent: 4060225 (1977-11-01), Cunningham et al.
patent: 4197015 (1980-04-01), Moser et al.
patent: 4294548 (1981-10-01), Watson
Belle Engineering (Sheen) Limited
Drodge Joseph W.
Fleming Michael A.
Wallenstein & Wagner Ltd.
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