Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention reJates to rotary drum mixing machines for con-
crete and a variety of other materials inc]uding seed dressings and
fertili7ers. This invention is concerned with a machine of the kind in
which the rotary druTn contains a dev;ce, e.g., a helix, which is operable,
on rotation of the druTIl in one direction to effect mixing and on rotation
of the drum in the opposil:l' clirection, to eject the contents of the drum
through its open end.
The drive to the drum usually includes driven means in the form
of a gear wheel, sprocket or pulley secured to the drum and operatively
connected to corresponding driving means on a prime-mover driven shaft.
An object of a principal aspect of the present invention, then, is to provide
simple and efficient drive transmission means which permits ready reversal
of the direction of rotation of the drum without having to reverse the
prime-mover.
According to a principal aspect of this invention a rotary drum
mixing machine is provided having a drive to the drum including driven
means secured to the drum and operatively connected to driving means on a
prime-mover driven shaft, the machine including: drive transmission means
whch permit reversal of the direction of rotation of the drum without
having to reverse the prime-mover, the drive transmission means being inter-
posed between the driving means and the prime-mover driven shaft and com-
prising: two gear wheels, the gear wheels being mounted for continuous
meshing engagement with one another on parallel shafts, one of the shafts
being operatively connected to the prime-mover driven shaft for continuous
rotation of the gear wheels in opposite directions about the shaft axes;
and a cradle, both of the shafts being rotatably mounted in the cradle,
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che cradle being pivo~able about an axis parallel with the axes of rotation
of the gear wheels; the cradle being adapted selectively to move each gear
whee] inco and out of a position in which its rotation is transmitted
thro~lgh the driving means and the driven means to rotate the drum in one or
the other direction.
By one variant thereof~ the para]lel shafts pass through sleeves
secured to and seated in the cradle.
By another variant, the driven means preferably consists of a
toothed wheel secured to the drum and adapted to be directly engaged by
driving means in the form of one or more pinions.
In this case by another variant, the driving means comprises
two pinions, one such pinion being secured to, and rotatable with, one of the
two gear wheels and the other such pinion being similarly secured to the
other of the gear wheels, the pinions being adapted, in response to pivotal
movement of the cradle in opposite directions, to move into or out of
meshing engagement with the toothed wheel on the drum.
Alternatively, by a further variant, the driving means comprises
a single pinion in continuous meshing engagement with the toothed wheel on
the drum; a third gear wheel; the pinion being secured to, and rotatable
with, the third gear wheel, the third gear wheel being in a position to be
operatively engaged alternately by the first-mentioned gear wheels when the
cradle is rocked in opposite directions about its pivotal axis.
By another variant, each such pinion comprises a disc and a
plurality of hardened pins projecting axially from each disc, each pin
carrying a roller rotatable thereon about the axis thereof.
By another variant, the pinions are secured to their respective
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shaft:s for rotation therewith.
By yet another variant, the single pinion and the third gear
wheel are mounted on a separate shaft ext-ending parallel with the first-
mentioned shafts.
By a sti]l further variant, the cradle is biased in one direction
about is pivot by a spring, and the cradle is rocked in the opposite
direction through the medium of a manually actuated cord.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of part of a tractor-
mounted mixing machinè incorporating one aspect of this invention; and
Figure 2 is a fragmentary view showing an alternative form of
drive for the drum.
Referring first to Figure 1, a mixing drum 1 is rotatably mounted
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on a pin 2 extending through ti~e closed end 3 of the drum from the cross-
piece 4 of an A-frame 5 which is adapted to be secured to the three-point
linkage of an agricultural tractor (not shown) through the medium of arms
6 and an upright member 7 attached to ehe front of the frame 5.
The drum 1 is provided with an internal helical member 8 which is
operable, on rotation of the drum about its axis in one direction, to
effect mixing of its contents and, on rotation of thè drum in the opposite
direction, t~ eject the contents of the drum through its open end 9.
~ le closed end 3 of the drum 1 carries a gear wheel 10 enclosed
over most of its periphery by a guard 11 secured to the frame 5 by pins 12
passing through apertures in the frame and threaded at their ends to
receive nuts 13.
The unguarded lower portion of the gear wheel 10 is engaged by
one or other of two pinions 14 and 15 which are fixed to shafts 16 and 17
respectively. Each of these pinions 14 and 15 comprises a disc 18 from
which project a plurality of hardened pins 19 carrying hardened rollers 20
which rotate on the pins 19 and which are individually lubricated. The
pins 19 connect the discs 18 of the pinions 14 and 15 to gear wheels 21
and 22, respectively, which are also fixed to the shafts 16 and 17, respec-
tively, and are in continuous meshing engagement with one another. Onopposite sides of the pinions 14, 15 and gear wheels 21, 22 the shafts 16,
17 are rotatably mounted in sleeves 23 having flanges 24 which are secured
by bolts 25 and nuts 26 to plates 27 which are recessed at 28 to receive
the sleeves 23, and which are pivotally mounted on pins 29 projecting from
brackets 30 on cross-members 31 bolted at 32 to longitudinal frame members
33. The plates 27 thus form the ends of a cradle which can be rocked about
the axis of the pins 29 by manipulation of a cord 34 anchored at 35 to an
extension 36 on one side of one of the plates 27 and extending over a
pulley 37 to a point within each of the tractor deriver. The other side
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of the plate 27 havIng the ext~nsi.on 36 i5 anchored at 38 to one end of a
tension spring 39, the other end of which is anchored to & longitudinal
frame member 40.
The shaft 16 extends right through the forward one of the asso-
ciated sleeves 23 and is threaded at 41 for attachment to a coupling 42
for the power take-off shaft (not shown~ of the tractor.
In operation, the tractor power take-off shaft drives the shaft
16 to rotate the pinion 14 and the gear wheel 21, which latter rotates the
gear wheel 22 and with it the pinion 15 and shaft 17 in the opposite direc-
tion to the shaft 16. The spring 39 biases the cradle in an anti-clockwise
direction, as viewed from the left in Figure 1, to bring the pinion into
meshing engagement with the gear wheel 10 on the drum to drive the latter
in a direction to effect mixing of its contents. I~hen mixing is completed
the tractor driver pulls the cord 34 to rock the cradle against the action
of spring 39 in a clockwise direction about the pivot pins 29 to disengage
the pinion 14 from and engage the pinion 15 with the gear wheel 10 to
rotate the drum in the opposite direction to discharge lts contents from
the open end thereof. Upon release of the cord 34 the spring 39 returns
the cradle to its original position in which the pinion 14 is once again
in engagement with the gear wheel 10.
In the modification illustrated in Figure 2, the pinions 14 and
15 are replaced by a single pinion 43 in continuous meshing engagement
with the gear wheel 10 on the drum and mounted on a separate shaft 44
carrying an additional gear wheel 45 fixed to the pinion 43 and adapted
alternately to be engaged by the gear wheels 21 and 22 on the shafts 16
and 17 when the cradle is biased by the spring 39 and rocked by the cord
34, respectively.
The single pinion 43 may be replaced by a sprocket or pulley
(not shown) which is mounted on the shaft 44 with the gear wheel 45 and is
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operatively connected by a chain or belt to a sprocket or pulley (not
shown) secured to the drum 1 in place of the gear wheel 10.
The machine described is mainly intended for use by farmers
since it can be fitted to the three-point llnkage of an agricultural
tractor and driven from the tractor power take-off. It can also, however,
be mounted on a free-standing frame and driven by any other primse-mover.
