Orbital platform stirring system

An apparatus for stirring or vibrating a platform connected to an eccentric drive means, the combination comprising:

• means providing a horizontal surface beneath said platform;
• a first pair of parallel tracks of inverted channel shape mounted to the bottom of said platform;
• a second pair of parallel tracks of upright channel shape mounted to said horizontal surface and extending transverse of and beneath said first pair of track;
• four disc-shaped bearing elements, each coupled to one of said first pair of tracks and one of said second pair of tracks;
• and frame means rigidly coupling said bearing elements together.

Stirring or vibrating apparatus comprising:

• a cabinet having a top panel;
• platform means on and above said cabinet for holding members;
• drive means, including a cam eccentrically connected beneath said platform for orbiting the same;
• bracket means within said cabinet;
• vibration-resistant mounting means for securing said bracket within said cabinet;
• a shaft;
• a drive motor mounted to said bracket means and coupled to said shaft to rotate the same;
• vibration-resistant coupler means for coupling said shaft to said cam, including a pair of laterally spaced resilient members connected to one of said shaft and cam and a channel shaped coupler straddling said resilient members and connected to the other of said shaft and cam whereby said cabinet and said platform are substantially free of noise transmission from said motor.

An apparatus for stirring or vibrating a platform connected to eccentric drive means, the combination comprising:

• a direct current drive motor;
• eccentric drive means coupling the output of said drive motor to said platform;
• a first switch having a first position for continuous mode operation and a second position for timed mode operation;
• speed control circuit means including a variable phase angle trigger circuit and adjustable by an operator to vary the phase angle of an input alternating voltage;
• rectifier means responsive to the triggered input alternating voltage for generating a DC voltage representative thereof and for coupling the same to said drive motor;
• and timer motor means including a second switch connected in circuit with said first switch and said speed control circuit means, whereby when said first switch is placed in said timed mode operation and said timer motor actuated, said timer mode will open said second switch when the present time runs out to interrupt said speed control circuit means, said second switch being operative in said continuous mode position to continuously energize said speed control circuit means irrespective of the position of said second switch.