US2875989A - Vibrator mixer - Google Patents

Description

- March 3, 1959 H. A. TOULMIN, JR 2,875,989

VIBRATOR MIXER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26, 1956 INVENTOR HARRY AuTOULM/N, Jn

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ATTORNEYS March 3, 1959 H. A. TOULMlN, JR

VIBRATOR MIXER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 26, 1956 INVENTOR HARRY A. TOULM/N, Jr

ATTORNEYS United VIBRATDR MIXER J12, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to The Harry A. Toulmin,

Company of Ohio, Day- Comrnonwealth Engineering ton, Ohio Application April 26, 1956, Serial No. 580,905 7 Claims. (Cl. 259--72) apparatus for mixing liquids by utilizing vibrations induced by oscillatory movements of a mass.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved method of mixing liquids or solids and liquids which cannot be readily mixed by the gyratory movement of conventional mixers.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reference to the accompanying description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

Figure l is an overall perspective view of the vibrator mixer of this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the lines 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of the solenoid illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit employed to vibrate the armature of the coil illustrated at Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of a control solenoid used to control the vibratory movements of the solenoid illustrated in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an overall perspective view of a modified vibrator mixer;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the lines 7-7 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of the solenoid illustrated in the sectional view of Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view of a second modification of the vibrator mixer of this invention.

The vibrator mixer of this invention essentially comprises a resiliently mounted receptacle for containing a body of liquid and a solenoid having a core armature spaced from the body of liquid. Means are provided to vibrate the armature at a high frequency. An agent is then employed to transmit the oscillatory movements of the armature to the receptacle or the body of liquid in order to vibrate the body of liquid and to intermix the same.

This invention discloses several modifications of a vibrator mixer constructed in accordance with the above principles and each of these modifications will be discussed in turn.

Turning now to the drawings, more particularly to Figure 1 wherein like reference numerals indicate the same parts throughout the various views, 1 indicates generally the vibrator mixer constructed in accordance with this invention. The vibrator mixer 1 comprises a base 2 which has an internal flange 3 in the top wall thereof. The internal flange 3 defines an opening 4 having a pad 2 5' around the rim thereof. The base 2 is mounted upon a resilient cushion or pad 6.

Within the base, as may be seen in Figure 2, is a horizontal wall 7 which has a centrally located opening 8. A bearing 9 is mounted within the opening 8.

The apparatus for producing vibrations is mounted within the base below the horizontal wall 7. The vibrator apparatus comprises a centrally located solenoid 10, a control solenoid 11, and a control switch 12.

The centrally located solenoid 10 is illustrated on an enlarged scale in Figure 3 and comprises a coil winding 13 enclosed within a housing 14 which has a central passage 15. Reciprocably mounted in the passage 15 is a core armature 16 which is normally biased by a spring 17 in such a position that one end of the armature indicated at 18 normally protrudes above the upper surface of the horizontal wall 7.

A movable plate 19 is in engagement with the upper end 18 of the armature 16. The plate 19 is biased into engagement with the armature by a plurality of springs 20 which are interposed between the internal flange 3 and the plate 19 in the manner as shown in Figure 2.

The movable plate 19 forms a support for receptacles containing the liquid which is to be mixed by the vibrator mixer.

The control solenoid 11 and its cooperating contacts is illustrated on a larger scale in Figure 4. The control solenoid 11 comprises a housing 21 which is suspended from the lower face of the horiiontal wall 7. The solenoid comprises a coil winding 22 about a core 23. The core 23 attracts a pivotally mounted armature 24 which has a movable contact 25 mounted on the extreme end thereof and a second movable contact 26 intermediately mounted.

There is a rectifier 27 mounted in the housing 21 for converting alternating current into direct current for use in the solenoids 10 and 11.

The control solenoid 11 and the vibrating solenoid 10 are so connected in an electrical circuit as to produce the oscillating movements of the armature 16 and the vibrating solenoid 10. The circuitry by which the vibratory movement is accomplished will be presently described.

The coil 13 and the vibratory solenoid 10 is connected across a source of direct current which is obtained from the rectifier 27. The control switch 12 is connected in series with the coil 13. The coil winding 22 of the control solenoid 11 is connected across the vibratory solenoid 10 between the solenoid 10 and the control switch 12. One end of the coil winding 13 is connected to a stationary contact 28 which is adapted for electrical engagement with the movable contact 25 on the end of the pivotally mounted armature 24. The opening of the contacts 25 and 28 will disconnect the coil of the solenoid 10 from the source of electrical energy.

One end of the coil 22 of the control solenoid 11 is connected to a stationary contact 29 which is adapted for electrical engagement with the movable contact 26 on the intermediate portion of the pivotally mounted armature 24. The closing of the contacts 26 and 29 will connect the control solenoid with the source of direct current.

The liquids which are to be mixed are indicated at 30 and are contained within a receptacle 31 positioned upon the movable plate 19.

A wide variety of liquids may be readily intermixed by the mixer of this invention. However, the advantages, of this vibrator mixer lends itself to several particular,- situations.

In the mixing of cream by an ordinary gyratory mixer such as may be found in most homes, prolonged mixing will result in the cream turning to butter. However, when the same cream is mixed by the vibrator mixer; of:

solenoid this invention the danger of the cream turning into butter is considerably reduced.

In addition, relatively immiscible liquids, such as oil and water, may be readily mixed by this vibratory mixer. It is well known'that repeated stirring of oil and water in a gyratory movement will not cause them to readily intermix. However, it has been found that when a liquid body comprising oil and water is subjected to vibrations of small amplitude over a high frequency the oil and water will be intermixed.

The vibrator mixer of this invention is also readily adapted to mix delicate ingredients such as cooked vegetables, and the like, in a liquid, such as cold soup. The stirring or gyratory mixing of such a mixture will result in damage to the delicate cooked vegetables. However, the imparting of vibrations to this mixture will result in a thorough intermixing of the liquid without any damage to the delicate ingredients therein.

The above three situations are exemplary only, and

the vibratory mixer of this invention is susceptible of many additional uses. In the operation of the mixer illustrated in Figures 1 through 5, the oscillatory movements of the armature are transmitted through the resiliently mounted movable plate to the receptacle containing the liquid to be mixed. The armature 16 is vibrated by the following operation of the circuit illustrated in Figure 5 and is described above. The closing of the switch 12 will result in the energization of the control solenoid 11 and the armature 24 will move upwardly. When the pivotally mounted armature 24 is attracted upwardly, the contacts 26 and 29 are opened and the contacts 25 and 28 are closed. The closing of the contacts 25 and 28 will connect the across the source of direct current and the armature 16 will be energized to move into the coil 13. The contacts 26 and 29 are opened immediately when the armature 24 is attracted to the control solenoid. This opening of the contacts 26 and 29 will instantly deenergize the solenoid 11. Consequently, the pivoted armature 24 will return to its position as shown in Figure 5 and the solenoid 10 will become deenergized and will cause the armature 16 to be moved upwardly by the spring 17. This completes the cycle and'the subsequent energization of the control solenoid 11 will begin the cycle of reciprocating the core armature 16.

Proceeding next to Figure 6, there is illustrated there in a modification of the vibratory mixer of this invention as indicated at 32. As may be seen in Figure 7, the mixer 32 comprises a base 33 which has a vertical annular wall 34 upstanding from a horizontal wall 35 supported upon a pedestal 36. A cushion 37 of resilient mtaerial such as foam rubber or the like is secured on the top surface of the annular wall 34.

The vibratory solenoid indicated at 38 is mounted to the lower surface of the horizontal wall 35. The solenoid 38 comprises a cup-shaped housing 39 having a closure plate 40 which is substantially flush with the upper surface of the horizontal wall 35. Within the housing 39 is a coil winding 41 which surrounds a core armature 42. The core armature 42 has one end 43 protruding from the coil winding 41. The armature end 43 is connected to the closure plate 40.

The solenoid 38 is connected through a control switch 44 to a source of high-frequency alternating current, not shown. The frequency of the alternating current should be of the order of 25,000 cycles per second.

A receptacle 45 containing a body of liquid to be mixed, indicated at 46, is resiliently mounted upon the base 33 by an external flange 47 which has an annular groove 48 therein. The annular groove 48 closely receives the cushion 37 on the base. By examining Figure 7, itv can be seen that the bottom of the receptacle is spaced above the top surface of the horizontal wall 35. This space defines a chamber indicated at 49 which may 4 be filled with a compressible gas, such as air, or with a liquid, such as hydraulic fluid.

In the operation of this modification, energization of the coil 41 will result in the oscillatory movement of the coil armature 42. The movement of the core armature is of the order of 0.001 inch, but the frequency of movement of the armature corresponds to the frequency of the source of alternating current. The oscillatory movements of the core armature are transmitted to the receptacle through the medium in the chamber 49. Consequently, vibrations will be induced in the body of liquid and the liquid will be readily intermixed.

In Figure 9 is illustrated another modification of the vibrator mixer of this invention. The modification of Figure 9 is indicated generally at 50 and comprises a receptacle 51 containing the body of liquid 52 which is to be mixed. The open top end of the receptacle is closed by a closure plate 53 upon which is mounted a solenoid 54 which is connected to a source of high-frequency alternating current. The solenoid 54 is similar to the solenoid 38 illustrated in Figure 8 and need not be further described.

The solenoid 54 is modified, however, by a nickel rod 55 extending from the core armature into the liquid as shown in Figure 9. A spherical mass 56 is secured to the free end of the nickel rod 55'.

In this vibratory mixer oscillatory movements of the core armature are transmitted directly into the liquid through the nickel rod 55 and the spherical mass 56. The vibrations induced into the body of liquid results in readily intermixing the component liquids of the liquid body.

Thus it can be seen that the present invention describes a novel and improved form of a vibrator mixer which utilizes the oscillatory movements of a core and a solenoid which is spaced from the body of liquid which is to be mixed. Since the amplitude of the vibrations induced into the body of liquids are small, but of a high frequency, very little turbulence is induced into the liquid body. The high rate of vibrations, however, succeeds in completely intermixing the component liquids.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions, and, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for mixing liquids, said device comprising a solenoid comprising a coil mounted on a stationary surface of the device and a core armature, resilient means biased against a second stationary surface of said device and acting against said armature for returning said armature to its norml position, a mass engaging said armature, resilient means biasing said mass towards said armature, and a receptacle containing a body of liquid resting upon said mass whereby the oscillations of said armature are transmitted through said mass to said body of liquid.

2. In a device for mixing liquids, a base having an internal flange portion in the top wall thereof defining an opening, a solenoid within said base and aligned with said opening, said solenoid comprising a coil and a core armature having an axis of movement directed toward said opening, resilient means biasing said armature toward said opening, means for energizing said coil to impart oscil latory movement to said armature, a mass supported on one end of said armature, resilient means interposed between said flanged portion and said mass for biasing said mass into engagement with said armature, and a receptacle containing a body of liquid received within said opening and supported upon said mass whereby oscillatory movements of the armature are transmitted by said mass to said body of liquid.

3. in a device for mixing liquids, a base having a substantially horizontal surface, a solenoid supported on said base and comprising a coil and an armature, a plate sub- 01 the like,

stantially flush with said horizontal base surface and conneeted to one end of said armature, a receptacle resiliently supported above said horizontal base surface, said receptacle and base defining between them a chamber filled with fluid whereby oscillatory movements of said armature and plate are transmitted to said receptacle through said fluid.

4. In a device for mixing liquids as claimed in claim 3 and said fluid being incompressible.

5. In a device for mixing liquids as claimed in claim 3 and said fluid comprising a gas.

6. In a device for mixing liquids, a receptacle containing a body of liquid, a base for resiliently supporting said receptacle, there being a closed chamber defined between said receptacle and said base, a solenoid mounted in said base and comprising a coil and a core armature, means engaging one end of said armature and forming a wall of said chamber, the axis of movement of said armature being in the direction of said body of liquid, and a gaseous medium contained in said chamber whereby oscillatory movement of said armature and said means are transmitted thereby to said resiliently supported receptacle.

7. In a device for mixing liquids, a receptacle containing a body of liquid, a base for resiliently supporting said receptacle, there being a closed chamber defined between said receptacle and said base, a solenoid mounted in said base and comprising a coil and a core armature, means engaging one end of said armature and forming a wall of said chamber, the axis of movement of said armature be ing in the direction of said body of liquid, a gaseous medium contained in said chamber whereby oscillatory movement of said armature and said means are transmitted thereby to said resiliently supported receptacle, and a source of high-frequency alternating current for energizing said solenoid coil to impart vibratory movement to said armature.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,318,740 Fessenden Oct. 14, 1919 1,756,325 Williams Apr. 29, 1930 1,757,803 Jones May 3, 1930 1,768,718 Soderberg July 1, 1930 2,118,732 Kruger May 24, 1938 2,198,637 Smith Apr. 30, 1940 2,498,990 Fryklund Feb. 28, 1950 2,513,577 Malme July 4, 1950 2,620,894 Peterson et al. Dec. 9, 1952

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