Batch tinting apparatus
United States Patent [191 Frank et a1.  
 [ BATCH TINTING APPARATUS [75] Inventors: Norman L. Frank, San Jose; Gail E.  
 Onstott, Fremont, both of Calif.  
 [73] Assignee: SCM Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio [22] Filed: Mar. 22, 11974 [211 App]. No.: 453,577  
 &#39;[52] US. Cl. 259/106; 259/65; 259/D1G. 24; 141/69 [51] Int. Cl. B015 7/06; 1301f 15/00 [58] Field of Search 259/65, 71, 106, 111, 112, 259/121, 124, DIG. 24; 53/111 R, 169;  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 639,061 12/1899 Kirkpatrick 259/124 Apr. 115, 1.975  
  3/1961 Oberg 141/69 12/1965 Simmonds 259/106 Primary Examiner1 1arvey C. Hornsby Assistant Examiner-Alan Cantor Attorney, Agent, or FirmThomas M. Schmitz [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for mixing paint and the like contained within a plurality of containers wherein the apparatus comprises a conveyor, a container locating assembly, and a plurality of inclined adjustable mixers.  
 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures TIN TING MIXING PMENTEDAPR 2 51975 SHEET 1 g a} 1 BATCH TINTING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The paint industry often requires tinting of small quantities of paint contained in small containers, such as five gallon or ten gallon pails. Tinting is ordinarily achieved by adding a measured amount of concentrated tinting base to a large quantity of white base paint containing primarily titanium pigments. Proper mixing of the tinting base within the white paint is necessary to achieve uniform coloration of the paint mixtures. Tinting of small containers, however, is cumbersome and time consuming particularly when several pails are to be tinted to the same color. Inserting the mixer through a bung opening and locating the same in the container to achieve thorough mixing is similarly awkward. Mixing is a time-consuming operation particularly since thorough mixing is somewhat inhibited due to the lack of baffles in a five or ten gallon pail.  
  It now has been found that a plurality of containers can be quickly located so as to center the bung opening in alignment below the mixing apparatus whereby the mixer blade and shaft can be quickly inserted through the bung opening into the container at the proper angle to achieve efficient and thorough mixing. A single operator can operate the multi-mixers with a minimum of handling whereby several containers can be simultaneously mixed with the multi-mixer thereby substantially improving the quality of the tinted paint as well as considerably increasing the output per man hour.  
  Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an apparatus for mixing paints and other liquids wherein the apparatus includes a locating assembly adapted to efficiently align the bung opening of the container with mixing means.  
  A further object is to provide an inclined, vertically adjustable mixer adapted to locate through an aligned bung opening and provide mixing means inclined with the vertical within the paint container to efficiently and thoroughly mix the tinted paint.  
  A further object of the invention is to provide conveyor means in cooperation with the pail locating assembly and the adjustable mixer whereby semicontainuous mixing of paint containers can be efficiently achieved.  
  These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent by referring to the Detailed Description of the Invention.  
 IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing the multi-mixing apparatus of this invention;  
  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a single mixing station shown in FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the container locating assembly shown in FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of an adjustable mixer; and  
  FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the multi-mixing assembly.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An apparatus for mixing a plurality of paint containers comprising a container locating assembly adapted to properly align the opening of the container with vertically adjustable mixers and maintain the containers in alignment during the mixing process.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings wherein like characters designate like parts, shown generally is a conveyor assembly 15, a container locating assembly 17, and an adjustable mixing assembly 19.  
  Referring first to the conveyor assembly 15, shown in FIG. 1 is a continuous conveying means 20 for conveying paint containers to a tinting station and then to a mixing station. A supporting understructure framework 21 having parallel spaced structural frame members 22 supports a plurality of conveyor rollers 24 operatively connected between the frame members 22. The conveyor rollers 24 convey a succession of pails 26 to a plurality of paint mixing workstations indicated generally as A, B, C, D, and E which are substantially identical in structure.  
  The container-locating assembly 17 is supported by the understructure supporting frame 21 and includes a pair of spaced vertical supports 32 secured to the structural frame member 22 by a bottom supporting plate 34 and top plate 36. The spaced vertical supports 32 are adapted to receive a laterally adjustable Y-shaped yoke member 40 having a pair of outstretched arms 42 to engage the pail 26 and a single arm 44 secured between the vertical supports 32 by a locking wing bolt 46. The I infinitely adjustable arm 44 and the yoke 40 can be laterally adjusted and securely locked in the vertical supports 32.  
  The upper portions of the spaced vertical supports 32 are provided with vertical slots 49 for securing a pivotally adjustable bung finder. The bung finder includes an upright member 52 pivotally mounted between the spaced supports 32 by a bolt means 53, a downwardly disposed support arm 54 secured to member 52, and a bung locater ring 56 secured to the distal end of the support arm 54. The bung ring 56 is particularly adapted to fit over a bung opening 58 of a container, such as a 5 or 10 gallon pail, and thereby grip and pull the pail 26 toward the outstretched arms 42 and properly align the bung opening within the yoke member 40 and preferably centrally disposed with respect to the arms 42 so as to locate the bung opening at the farthest point within the yoke member 40 and proximate to the juncture of the arms 42. Secured to both the arm 54 and member 42 is a rounded-trough 57 which terminates within the bung ring 56. Opposite the yoke member 40 is a lever action clamp 60 secured to the opposite frame member 22 and comprising a tubular arm 62 having a flat distal end 64 for engaging the pail 26. The tubular arm 62 rides on a rod 66 and engages a stop member 70 fastened to the rod 66 and interposed between the tubular arm 62 and a jam nut 72 which is used for fine adjustment of clamp 60 tension.  
  The adjustable mixer assembly 19 is disposed upwardly with respect to the bung finder and supported on framework secured to the understructure 20. The mixer assembly includes a mixing bridge 74 supporting a plurality of mixers 76 each having a downwardly depending mixing shaft 78 and a mixing blade 80. The mixers 76 are preferably air operated although other suitably power operated mixers can be utilized. The  
 mixing bridge is movable supported on an inclined track 82 by tracking wheels 84 riding the front portion of the track 82 and guide wheels 86 adapted to engage 3 78 through thebung openings 58 .in pails 26 aligned within the yoke member 40. The mixer shafts 78 inserted through the bung openings 58 are inclined with respect to the vertical of the upright pail 26 supported on the conveyor 20 whereby turbulent mixing is achieved within the paint container 26 without the benefit of baffles. The adjustable mixing bridge 74 is operative on the inclined track&#39;82 by a compressed air cylinder 88 having an extensible rod member 90 with a clevice connection 92 threaded onto the distal end thereof. The clevice 92 is secured to a connecting bracket 94 secured to the mixing bridge 74 whereby the mixing bridge 74 can be lowered and raised along the inclined track 82 by extending or retracting the extensible rod 90 by operation of the air cylinder 96. As viewed in FIG. 5, the mixing bridge 82 is an elongated truss structure 96 supported by a plurality of angled braces 98 secured to-steel plate members 100 having operatively connected thereto the track wheels 84 and the guide wheels 86. The truss 96 supports&#39;the plurality of mixers 76 wherein a mixer 76 can be utilized in each mixing station A, B, C, D, and E.  
  In use, paint container 26 is first positioned on the in-- clined conveyor and transmitted along the rollers to a tinting station (FIG. 1) wherein the pre-measured amount of tinting base is added to the white base paint. Thereafter the pails are conveyed along the inclined rollers to the mixing stationsA, B, C, D, and E-for mixing. A cushioned gate assembly 28 is provided on the conveyor to regulate flow of the-paint containers from-the tinting area. The cushioned gate assembly is operative to swing across theconveyor rollers and to block the containers, and thereafter be unlocked, swing open, and to permit the next series of containers to enter the mixing stations A, B, C, D, and E. A bung finder is placed on each bung of a pail whereupon the pail is then pushed against the pair of outstretched arms of the Y-shaped yoke member. The lever clamp adapter engages opposite sides of the pail to maintain the pail in engagement with the yoke member. The vertically adjustable mixing assembly is then operatively lowered on the inclined track by re-tracking the exteniible member of the air cylinder whereby the mixing aridge lowers and the inclined mixing shaft and blade enters the bung opening perfectly aligned therewith the Jung finder in cooperation with the yoke member and :he lever clamp adapter. It should be noted that the in- :lined mixer shaft enters the bung opening on the close ide of the pailwhereby the mixer shaftis inclined with he vertical and extends over to the opposite end of the aottom portion of the pail. lnclining the mixing shaft vith the vertical effectively provides thorough and turulent mixing of the paint mixture in the pail without he need of baffles as are often inserted in conventional nixing containers. I  
  The invention provides that a plurality of pails can be retinted during the mixing cycle, conveyed in position gainst the cushioned gate 28, and then conveyed to a luralityof mixing stations A, B, C, D, and E, whereby everal pails can be thoroughly mixed in one operation 4. by lowering mixing shafts through properly aligned bung openings After thorough mixing, the mixing bridge can be again raised by extending the rod member of the air cylinder to raise the mixing bridge and effectively remove the blade from the pail. The blade can be momentarily located directly above the bung member to permit paint to &#34;drip off the blade back into the paint container, as the blade&#39;can be withdrawn and permit paint-to drip onto the trough 57 provided above the bung locater. The thoroughly mixed and properly tinted paint can then be conveyed into a shipping station where the containers are removed from the conveyor. The mixing process can be repeated again wherein the next set of pretintedcontainers can be conveyed to the mixing stations.  
  Although a preferred embodiment is shown and described, all variations are contemplated and the embodiment is not intended to be limiting except as defined in the appended claims.  
 What is claimed is:  
 Y 1. An apparatus for mixing liquid materials within a container having a bung opening, comprising:  
 conveying meansfor conveying said container to a mixing station;  
 a yoke member supported above the conveyor means within said mixing station;  
 a bung locater supported above said yoke member and adjacent to said conveyor means, said bung locater operative to grip the bung of the bung opening of said container and relocate the container into engagement with said yoke member for alignment with a mixing means;  
 a movable mixing assembly supported above said yoke member and adjacent to said conveyor assembly, said mixing assembly including an inclined depending shaft member and a mixing blade for entering the bung opening, said mixing assembly having means for rotating said shaft, and said movable mixing assembly operative to raise and lower said inclined shaft through said aligned bung opening.  
  2. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein the yoke member is Y-shaped having a pair of outstretched arms to engage said container.  
  3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said bung locater is operative to locate said bung opening within said arms and centrally located with respect to each arm.  
  4. Theapparatus in claim 1 wherein said bung locater includes a ring member for gripping said bung.  
  5. The apparatus in claim 4 wherein the bung locater includes an inclined trough. terminating within said bung ring and located below said inclined shaft.  
  6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mixing assembly includes an inclined track and a mixing bridge having a plurality of wheels adapted to track said inclined track. I  
  7. The apparatus in claim 1 having a plurality of workstations wherein each said workstation comprises said yoke member, said bung locater,and&#39;said movable mixing assembly.