US 4,697,929 AGranted

Planetary mixers

AssigneeCharles Ross & Son Company

InventorWarren E. Muller

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An epicyclic mixing system for materials held in a tank is provided having dual concentric sun shafts which both orbit a pair of planetary drive shafts having mixing implements at their bottom ends and act to rotate the pair of planetary drive shafts about their own axes. The two concentric shafts are connected to dual drivers through separate drive systems so that the shafts can be selectively operated at different rotating speeds. Another epicyclic mixing system includes upper and lower housings driven about a central axis that extends through the upper housing by a sun drive shaft. The lower housing is adjustably secured to the upper housing. A first planetary drive shaft extends through the upper housing and a second planetary drive shaft extends through the lower housing. The first drive shaft is driven by a fixed sun gear about which the lower housing rotates so as to rotate the first drive shaft, which rotates the second drive shaft by way of a gear train. The housings may be adjusted so that the sweep of the mixing implements at the bottom of the planetary shafts may fit tanks of various diameters.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An epicyclic mixer system, comprising, in combination,

support means,
a first housing fixed to said support means,
a second housing connected to said first housing and rotatable about a central axis,
first sun drive shaft means positioned in and secured to said first housing, said first sun drive shaft means being rotatable about its own axis which is said central axis and having a cylindrical bore axially aligned with said central axis,
second sun drive shaft means mounted in and rotatable within said bore about its own axis which is said central axis,
drive means connected to said support means for rotating said first and second sun drive shafts,
a first planetary shaft positioned in said second housing and rotatable within said second housing about its own first planetary axis spaced from and parallel to said central axis, said first planetary shaft having opposed ends including one end external of said second housing,
first gear means connected to said first planetary shaft and to said first housing for rotating said first planetary shaft about said first planetary axis,
a second planetary shaft positioned in said second housing and rotatable within said second housing about its own second planetary axis spaced from and approximately parallel to said first planetary axis, said second planetary shaft having opposed ends including one end external of said second housing,
second gear means connected to said second sun drive shaft means and to said second planetary shaft for rotating said second planetary shaft about said second planetary axis,
speed control means operatively connected to said drive means and to said first and second gear means for controlling the rotational speed of each said first and second sun drive shaft means independently of the other,
said first sun drive shaft means being for rotating said first planetary shaft about said first planetary axis by way of said first gear means, and said second sun drive shaft means being for rotating said second planetary shaft about said second planetary axis by way of said second gear means, said first sun drive shaft means also being for orbiting said second housing with said first and second planetary shafts about said central axis.

9 more elements

An epicyclic mixer system, comprising, in combination,

support means,
a first housing rotatable about a central axis passing through said first housing,
at least one second housing adjustably fixed to said first housing,
sun drive shaft means positioned in and secured to said first housing, said sun drive shaft means being rotatable about its own axis, which is said central axis, said sun drive shaft means being for orbiting said first and second housings about said central axis,
drive means connected to said support means for rotating said sun drive shaft means about said central axis,
a first planetary shaft positioned in said second housing and being rotatable about its own first planetary axis spaced from and parallel to said central axis, said first planetary shaft having opposed ends including one end external of said second housing, said first planetary shaft being orbited with said second housing about said central axis at a radial first distance from said central axis,
first gear means connected to said first-planetary shaft and to said first housing for rotating said first planetary shaft about said first planetary axis,
a second planetary shaft positioned in said second housing and being rotatable about its own second planetary axis spaced from and parallel to said central axis and said first planetary shaft, said second planetary shaft having opposed ends including one end external of said second housing, said second planetary shaft being orbited with said second housing about said central axis at a second radial distance,
second gear means operatively connected to said first planetary shaft and to said second planetary shaft for rotating said second planetary shaft about said second planetary axis, and
adjusting means associated with said first and second housings for positioning said second housing relative to said second housing wherein said first and second radial distances can be selectively varied, whereby said mixer system can be adapted to operate in tanks of different diameters throughout the entire volume of the tank.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.