WO2007110775A2

WO2007110775A2 - Articulated fixing of a paddle agitator

Info

Publication number: WO2007110775A2
Application number: PCT/IB2007/000981
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luc Van Hyfte
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-03-24
Filing date: 2007-03-21
Publication date: 2007-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2008-09-24
Also published as: ATE477048T1; WO2007110775A3; DE602007008386D1; EP2001582B1; EP2001582A2; BE1017127A6

Abstract

Agitator that mainly consists of a shaft (3) fitted with stirring blades (5) or paddles, mounted on bearings in a base (4), so that it can rotate axially and be detached. It is characterised by the fact that the base (4) is fixed to an end of an arm (7) which is provided with links (8) on its other end that allow fixing the arm (7) in a vessel (1) or the like in a way that it can rotate.

Description

ARTICULATED FIXING OF A PADDLE AGITATOR

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns an agitator, particularly to an agitator assembly comprising of stirrers which can be replaced without emptying the liquid in the assembly.

BACK GROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is well-known, agitator consists of a shaft fitted with stirring blades or paddles, mounted on a bearing in a base of a vessel wall, so that it can rotate.

A disadvantage of common agitators is that they can only be removed from a vessel when that vessel is empty and thus when the base is accessible.

As a consequence, it is difficult or almost impossible to mix liquids successively by means of different agitators in one and the same vessel.

In addition, it is also difficult or impossible to repair possible damage to the agitator when the vessel concerned is filled.

GB915326 A teaches a batch mixing machine which has a shaft carrying a detachable stirrer comprising a hub and a ring with spokes having their leading edges above their trailing edges so that when the stirrer is rotated clockwise as seen from above, the spokes cause the mix to flow down- wards. The trailing edges of the spokes are sharpened in order to prevent the mix from forming deposits thereon. The ring also carries two pairs of vanes having their leading edges below their trailing edges to deflect the mix upwards. The scraper vanes have sharp leading edges to scrape the base of the vessel and curved ends to co-operate with and scrape the curved portion joining the walls and the base ; the blades are straight and inclined upwardly towards the tip, their leading edges also being sharp. The spokes and the vanes are twisted in opposite directions. The stirrer shaft rotates in a hollow shaft which carries an arm from which depends an adjustable scraper blade . The stirrer and the scraper blade are rotated in opposite directions and at different speeds by the motors. The mixing implements can be raised clear of the container by means of the telescopic column ; the container is mounted on trunnions and can be emptied by tilting. The mixer is intended primarily for the mixing of certain dry powder or graular thermoplastic substances of which one may become sticky due to the heat generated by the mixing.

But, this setup does not permit changing or removing the stirrers when the machine is with the material to be mixed.

US2012516 A teaches a motor driven beater comprising a motor, a gear casing rigidly connected to the motor, a motor shaft extending into said gear casing, a pair of rotatable shafts journalled in the gear casing and operatively connected to the motor shaft, and a quickly detachable agitator unit, including a pair of agitator rods having beater elements thereon, the upper end of each agitator rod extending into the gear casing into axial alignment and operative engagement with one of said rotatable shafts, said agitator rods being quickly removable from operative engagement with the shafts, in the gear casing by moving the agitator rods axially in a direction away from the gear casing.

The gear assembly results in a complicated machinery to remove and deal with.

The general state-of-art can be seen from US2054666 A disclosing a mixing and whipping device comprising a base, a rigid hollow standard on said base, means supporting a receptacle on said base,-a driving motor on said base within said hollow standard, a rigid hollow arm mounted on said standard, a gear housing carried by said arm, an agitator driving shaft mounted in said housing, an agitator supported by said housing in operative position in said receptacle, a driving connection between said shaft and said agitator, a single flex-1-3 ible shaft in said rigid hollow standard and said rigid arm connecting said motor with said-housing, gearing in said housing between said flexible shaft and said agitator shaft, a pivotal connection between said rigid hollow arm and said o rigid standard so that said arm and said housing can be shifted to move said agitator from its operative position in said receptacle and to return it to said operative Position without displacing said base and said motor, said flexible shaft permitting said shifting movement of said arm and housing, and latching means detachably connecting said agitator to said housing.

The present invention aims at providing a solution to the aforementioned and other disadvantages.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

To this purpose, the present invention concerns an agitator that mainly consists of a shaft fitted with stirring blades or paddles, mounted on a bearing in a base, so that it can rotate axially and be detached. The base is fixed to an end of an arm that is fitted with links on its other end that allow fixing the arm in a vessel or the like in such a way that it can rotate.

An advantage of the present invention is that the shaft and the base of the agitator can, at least partially and by preference entirely, be removed from the vessel by rotating the agitator, so that the shaft can be removed from the base and can be replaced by another shaft, for example.

In other words, the present invention allows removing the functional part of the agitator, i.e. the shaft with the stirring blades or paddles, from a vessel and replacing it without having to empty the vessel.

It is clear that the arm's length preferably equals or exceeds the distance between the point where the arm is fixed to the vessel and the maximum liquid level B in the vessel, so that the base of the shaft can be moved above liquid level B in case the vessel is filled. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In view of a better demonstration of the characteristics of the present invention, as an example and without restrictions, hereafter an agitator is described in its preferred design according to the invention, with reference to the figures enclosed, in which:

Figure 1 shows a vessel in which an agitator is fitted according to the invention; Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 shows a vessel 1 in which an agitator 2 is fitted according to the invention. The agitator 2 mainly consists of a shaft 3 which is mounted in a base 4 so that it can rotate axially and be detached.

On the shaft 3 stirring blades 5 or paddles are fitted, which, together with the shaft 3 constitute the functional part of the agitator 2.

In this case, a drive 6 is fitted on the free end of the shaft 3 that allows the axial rotation of the shaft 3.

According to the invention, the aforementioned base 4 is fitted to an arm's end 7 so that it can rotate, while the free end of this arm is fixed to links 8 that allow fixing the arm 7 to a wall so that it can rotate. In this case, the wall is a bottom wall 9 of the vessel 1.

It should be noted that the length A of the arm 7 preferably exceeds or equals the maximum liquid level B in the vessel 1. In this case, the vessel 1 contains a side wall 10 in which an opening 11 is provided, through which the free end of the shaft 3 of the agitator 2 extends. The length of the aforementioned arm 7 equals the distance of the aforementioned links 8 in the vessel up to the opening 11 in the side wall 10.

Preferably, the bottom wall 9 of the vessel 1 is provided with a device, in the shape of a clip or the like, which allows fixing the base 4 to the vessel 1 in such a way that it can be detached. In this case the base 4 can be removed from the clip by pulling the free end of the shaft.

The operation of the agitator 2 according to the invention is simple and as follows:

In a position, as shown by the continuous lines in figure 1, the base 4 is located on the bottom wall 9 of the vessel 1 and the stirring blades or paddles are located below the maximum liquid level B in the vessel 1.

In this position, the agitator 2 can be driven in order to stir or mix a liquid in the vessel 1.

When the agitator 2 is to be replaced, the free end of the shaft 3 should be further pulled out of the vessel 1. The base 4 is then lifted from the bottom wall 9 of the vessel and the arm 7 rotates around the links 8 until the link of the shaft 3 and the base 4 is easily accessible through the opening 11.

In this position, the shaft 3 can be removed from the base 4 and possibly be replaced by another shaft 3 with other stirring blades or paddles 5.

By subsequently pushing this shaft 3 into the vessel 1 again, the arm 7 rotates down into the vessel 1 until the base 4 rests again against the bottom wall 9 at the same location as before removing the agitator 2 from the vessel 1.

Of course, the agitator 2 can also be driven in an intermediary position, in order to stir or mix a liquid in the vessel 1. Figure 2 shows an embodiment, in which the arm 7 is fixed to a side 10 of the vessel 1 in such a way that it can rotate, while the aforementioned opening 11 is fitted in an upper wall 12 of this vessel 1.

However, the operation of agitator 2 according to the invention is analogous to the operation described above.

It should be noted that the base 4 can also be fixed to various arms 7 that extend obliquely one from the other, and each of which are provided with links 8 that allow fixing the arms 7 in the vessel 1 in such a way that they can rotate.

It is also clear that the aforementioned arm or arms 7 can be composed of various arm parts that can rotate mutually, in order to increase the scope of the shaft 3 while moving the agitator 2 in or out of the vessel 1.

In no way is the present invention restricted to the designs described above and illustrated by the figures, however, a agitator according to the invention can be realized in various variants, without going beyond the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMSI Claim:

1. Agitator comprising of a shaft (3) fitted with stirring blades (5) or paddles, mounted on bearings in a base (4), so that it can rotate axially and be detached characterised in that, the base (4) is fixed to an end of an arm (7) which is provided with links (8) on its other end that allow fixing the arm (7) so that it can rotate in a vessel (1) or the like.

2. An agitator as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, the base (4) is fixed to two different arms (7) that extend obliquely one from the other, and each of which are provided with links (8) that allow fixing these arms (7) in a vessel (1 ) or the like in such a way that they can rotate.

3. An agitator as claimed in claims 1 or 2, characterised in that, the aforementioned base (4) is fixed to the aforementioned arm (7) or arms in such a way that they can rotate.

4. An agitator as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that, each of the aforementioned arm (7) or arms consist of various aim parts that can rotate mutually.

5. An agitator as cl aimed in any of the preceding claims characterised in that, the shaft (3) is fitted with a drive (8) that allows axial rotation of the shaft (3).

6. An agitator as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the free end of the shaft (3) is provided with the drive (6).