Vortex mixer drive

An automatic apparatus for establishing a vortex in liquid materials adapted to be contained in elongated compartments, each compartment having a longitudinal axis, disposed on a transport, comprising:

• a plurality of compartments carriers disposed on the transport, each carrier adapted to hold flexibly the upper portions of the compartment, the transport having a path of movement, each compartment's lower portion having a coupling means along the longitudinal axis,
• a rotatable drive coupling means, having an axis of rotation, a mixing cylinder transverse to the axis of rotation, and located under a region in the path of movement of the transport and compartment carriers, operating to displace the mixing cylinder to engage the compartment coupling means off of the axis of rotation, whereby rotation of the mixing cylinder can establish a vortex in the liquid materials,
• the drive coupling means having a base, a rotatably mounted nut in the base, a screw engaged in the nut and defining the axis of rotation, the mixing cylinder mounted to the upper end of the screw, and means located on the bottom end of the screw to limit its upward movement, means to frictionally limit rotation of the mixing cylinder, and means to reversibly rotate the nut, thereby to drive the mixing cylinder up to engage and rotate the coupling means when the nut is rotated in a first direction and conversely disengage the coupling means when the nut is rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction.