Mixing apparatus and method
OwnerCharles K. Renfroinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mixing apparatus having a rotating blade mixer affixed to the end of a mixer shaft which is rotatably mounted thru a mixer seal member which is adapted to be brought into sealing engagement with the open filler end of a retail tube of viscous caulking compound, wherein the shaft and mixer are adapted to be rotated and reciprocated thru the viscous compound contained in the tube substantially the entire length of the tube to rapidly and intimately mix the compound with colorant injected thereinto directly in the retail tube.
Claims20
Apparatus for mixing colorant with viscous material which is contained in a reservoir of an elongated cylindrical wall tube between a sealed dispensing end and an open filler end thereof, said reservoir being provided by a cylindrical inner surface of the cylindrical wall of said tube and having a substantially uniform diameter, said apparatus comprising a mixer head means having seal means adapted to be brought into static engagement with wall portions of said tube adjacent said filler end opening to lock said head means to said tube and to prevent leakage of said material from said reservoir during a mixing operation, bore means formed thru said seal means substantially on a longitudinal axis of said tube, elongated shaft means mounted thru said bore means for both rotational and axial motion relative to said seal means and said tube, said shaft means having a proximal end lying axially outwardly of said seal means and having a distal end lying within said reservoir, mixer impeller means mounted on said distal end and having peripheral portions adapted to lie closely adjacent to said inner surface of said tube, power means for axially moving said shaft means and impeller means relative to said tube and substantially completely thru said reservoir of material in a reciprocating manner, and power means engageable with said shaft means for rotating said impeller means as it is being moved thru said material.
A mixing method employing a retail, off-the-shelf tube of caulking material wherein the tube has a sealed dispenser end section, a filler end section having surface portions defining a fill opening into the tube, a thrust cap slidably mounted in said filler end section, and further employing a mixer seal means adapted to seal against surface portions of said filler end section during the mixing operation, wherein mixer shaft means is rotatably and axially slidably mounted thru axial bore means in said mixer seal means, and wherein a mixer impeller means is fixed to a distal end portion of said mixer shaft for rotation and axial movement therewith, said method comprising performing the steps of (a) removing said thrust cap from said tube, (b) placing said mixer seal means sealingly against said surface portions of said open filler end section to seal said fill opening with said impeller means head inside of said tube, (c) injecting colorant into contact with said material, (d) starting rotation of said mixer shaft means and impeller means, (e) starting relative reciprocation of said mixer shaft means within said tube, (f) continuing the rotation and reciprocation for a desired mixing period, (g) removing said tube and the colored material therein from said impeller means and mixer seal means, and (h) replacing said thrust cap in said filler end section to retain the colored material in said tube.
A unitary structural combination of a mixer head means and a cylindrical wall tube of substantially uniform diameter and containing viscous material, said tube and head means having coincident axes, said combination being adapted for mixing additive with said viscous material which is contained in said tube between a sealed dispensing end and an open filler end thereof, said tube wall providing an annular first sealing surface adjacent said filler end, generally axially extending wall means on said head means providing an annular second sealing surface on said head means, said sealing surfaces being in forceful contact with each other and forming a seal therebetween, an axial bore formed thru said head means, a mixer shaft rotatably and reciprocably mounted thru said bore, and a mixer impeller affixed to said distal end, said seal further providing a physical frictional connection between said tube and head means whereby a direct axial pull force of at least about three pounds would be required to disengage said tube from said head means.
A mixer head means adapted for attachment to the open filler end of a cylindrical tube of viscous material, said head means comprising seal means adapted to be brought into static engagement with cylindrical wall portions of the tube adjacent said filler end opening to prevent leakage of said material therethrough during a mixing operation, means for forcing said engagement to lock said head means to said tube, bore means formed thru said seal means substantially on a longitudinal axis of said tube, elongated shaft means mounted thru said bore means for both rotational and axial motion relative to said seal means and said tube, said shaft means having a proximal end lying axially outwardly of said seal means and having a distal end adapted to lie within said tube during mixing, and mixer impeller means mounted on said distal end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.