GB1367120A - Liquid dispensing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

1367120 Dispensing liquids CARSON PARIPAN Ltd 21 Dec 1971 [30 Sept 1971] 45585/71 Heading A4T [Also in Divisions B1 and F1] A machine for dispensing liquids e. g. colours or pigments into containers containing a base paint material, comprises a turntable 22 carrying a plurality of liquid reservoirs 23 each having an associated liquid dispensing pump 52, a motor for rotating the turntable, means for controlling the motor so as to enable a selected reservoir to be brought to a dispensing station, and means at the dispensing station driven by a motor 100 Fig. 8 for operating the pump associated with the selected reservoir to dispense a predetermined quantity of the liquid contained in that reservoir. Each pump comprises a piston (not shown) reciprocable in a cylinder 53, and communication between the pump and its reservoir is effected via a rotatable valve member 60. Each cylinder 53 is provided with a projection (e.g. formed by a clip 82) positioned at a different height. Rotation of a reservoir selector knob (70) Fig.1 (not shown) to being a letter corresponding to the desired reservoir into window (71) causes vertical adjustment of a table (74) Fig.10 (not shown) to the height of the projection associated with that reservoir. When the table (74) is in its adjusted position rotation of turntable 22 will take place upon pressing a switch until the projection on the required pump cylinder engages a switch on the table to start motor 100 which in turn effects release of micro-switch 112 to stop the turntable motor. When the selected reservoir reaches the dispensing position a flange 56 carried by piston rod 55 of the associated pump 52 will be located in a groove in a vertical slide 84 Fig.9. The movement of slide 84 is effected by the motor 100 via a crank arm 101, link 102, a pivoted arm 103, and a pivoted catch 105 carried by the arm 103. As the arm 103 pivots upwardly catch 105 engages a projection 85 on the slide 84 to move the latter and thus the piston 54 upwardly to draw liquid from the reservoir into the cylinder until a further projection 87 on the slide 84 engages a selected step 96 on a volume selector plate 88 which is adjustable horizontally by rotation of a selector knob (94) Fig.1 (not shown). When the projection 87 engages a step 96 the catch 105 will be pivoted to permit continued upward movement of the arm 103. When projection 111 actuates a micro-switch 109, a solenoid 123 will be actuated to cause lever 120 to move the lever 61 and thus the valve member 60 to a position in which the cylinder is in communication with an outlet nozzle 64. As the arm 103 moves downwardly it will engage projection 85 to move the slide 84 and thus the pump piston downwardly to dispense the liquid. When the arm 103 approaches its lowermost position, the catch 105 will be returned to its illustrated position, and micro-switches 109, 112 will be actuated by a projection 110 on the arm 103, and the arm 103 respectively to respectively de-activate the solenoid 123 and to stop the motor 100. A removable stirrer assembly in each reservoir comprises paddles 37 mounted on a tube 36 secured to a drive shaft 35, supported by a tube 34 within reservoir. The shaft 35 includes a socket which receives a spigot or a shaft 38 provided with a sprocket 39. The sprocket 39 engages a stationary chain so that during rotation of the turntable the sprocket and the stirrer assembly is rotated about the axis of shaft 35. The turntable is rotated by its motor via reduction gearing and an overload clutch e.g. of the spring loaded ball and detent type.