US3851798A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic colorant dispenser
Assignee: MILLER PAINT EQUIPMENT LP
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Filing: 1972-11-10
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Granted: 1974-12-03
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Expires: 1992-11-10
Abstract
Abstract An automatic colorant dispenser for paint and the like comprises apparatus including a plurality of reservoirs each holding a supply of colorant, a dispenser nozzle for discharging said colorant into a can or other receptacle having base liquid therein, a metering pump for each colorant having a pair of bellows type positive displacement pumps having different displacement volumes and a pair of independent drive mechanisms for selectively interconnecting said pumps with a common rotary drive shaft for reciprocally activating each pump to a selected number of displacement cycles.
Inventors
- 👤 H Miller
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 22:41
CPC Classifications
B; B44; B44D; B44D3/00; B44D3/003; B01; B01F; B01F33/00; B01F33/80; B01F33/84; B01F35/00; B01F35/71; B01F35/712; B01F35/714; B01F35/717; B01F35/7176; B01F35/7179; B01F35/80; B01F35/88; B01F35/882; B01F35/8823; B05; B05B; B05B15/00; B05B15/50; B05B15/52; B05B15/522; B05B15/5223; B05B15/5225; C; C09; C09D; C09D7/00; C09D7/80; B01F2101/00; B01F2101/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
Apparatus for dispensing precisely measured volumes of liquid for intermixing with a base material comprising reservoir means for holding a supply of said liquid; a dispenser nozzle for discharging said liquid into said base material; metering pump means for pumping an adjustably selected metered volume of liquid from said reservoir means toward said nozzle for dispensing, said pump means including a pair of positive displacement pumping chambers having different displacement volumes; and a pair of independent drive mechanisms for selectively interconnecting and disconnecting said pumping chambers with a common rotary drive shaft for reciprocally activating each of said pumping chambers through a selectively adjustable number of displacement cycles.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
108 words
Apparatus for dispensing precisely measured volumes of liquid for intermixing with a base material comprising reservoir means for holding a supply of said liquid; a dispenser nozzle for discharging said liquid into said base material; metering pump means for pumping an adjustably selected metered volume of liquid from said reservoir means toward said nozzle for dispensing, said pump means including a pair of positive displacement pumping chambers having different displacement volumes; and a pair of independent drive mechanisms for selectively interconnecting and disconnecting said pumping chambers with a common rotary drive shaft for reciprocally activating each of said pumping chambers through a selectively adjustable number of displacement cycles.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
76 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said reservoir means includes a plurality of separate reservoirs for supplying different types of said liquid; said metering pump means including a pump assembly for each of said reservoirs for directing a metered quantity of liquid to said nozzle, each of said pump assemblies including a pair of said positive displacement pumping chambers and a pair of said independent drive mechanisms for selective interconnecting the same with said drive shaft.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus of claim 2 including control means responsive to data input for activating one or more of said independent drive mechanisms to interconnect a pumping chamber and said common drive shaft for a number of pumping cycles in response to said data input for simultaneously delivering metered quantities of said liquid from said chambers to said dispenser nozzle during a dispensing operation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said control means includes a data reader for receiving input from a selected discrete data source and means for driving said common shaft for a maximum number of revolutions in response to said data source as represented by the highest number of pumping cycles required for any of said pumping chambers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means includes sensing means responsive to the absence or presence of a receptacle positioned to receive liquid from said dispenser nozzle for preventing the initiation of a dispensing cycle of said apparatus.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 5 including additional sensing means responsive to the size of a receptacle placed in a receiving position for repeating a dispensing cycle in response to the size being sensed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said control means includes quantity sensor means for said reservoirs responsive to prevent a dispensing cycle when the liquid level in a reservoir falls below a selected low level.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said dispenser nozzle includes a discharge outlet for each pump assembly, and extendable cleanout means for simultaneously clearing each of said outlets of any material clogging the same.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 8 including agitators in each of said reservoirs for stirring said liquid, and control means for energizing said agitators whenever said cleanout means is extended to clear said outlets.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
83 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said control means includes means responsive to data input for activating one or more of said independent drive mechanism to interconnect a pumping chamber and said common drive shaft for a number of pumping cycles in response to said data input for dispensing liquid from said outlets of said dispenser nozzle during a dispensing operation, said control means including means for preventing a dispensing operation from commencing wherever said cleanout means is extended to clear said outlets.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of coloring paint by discharging one or more different colorants into a receptacle containing base material comprising the steps of sensing the presence of a receptacle of base material in a receiving position below a dispenser nozzle, reading data for a selected colorant formulation for said paint related to the quantities of one or more colorants to be dispensed into said receptacle, activating a common drive system for a plurality of metering pumps for each of said colorants, and selectively drivingly interconnecting and disconnecting one or more of said pumps with said drive system to discharge a volume metered quantity of liquid through said dispenser nozzle into said receptacle on a dispensing cycle.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of coloring paint by discharging one or more different colorants into a receptacle containing base material comprising the steps of sensing the presence of a receptacle of base material in a receiving position below a dispenser nozzle, reading data for a selected colorant formulation for said paint related to the quantities of one or more colorants to be dispensed into said receptacle, activating a common drive system for a plurality of metering pumps for each of said colorants, and selectively drivingly interconnecting and disconnecting one or more of said pumps with said drive system to discharge a volume metered quantity of liquid through said dispenser nozzle into said receptacle on a dispensing cycle.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 11 wherein said discharging of a metered quantity of liquid includes the steps of expanding and contracting one or more of a pair of fluid connected positive displacement metering pump chambers having different displacement volumes for a selected number of pumping cycles corresponding to the quantities required by said formulation data.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 12 wherein one or more of the chambers in each pair of pumping chambers is expanded and contracted during a pumping cycle for a selected number of cycles independent of the number of cycles of the other one in said pair of chambers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 11 including the steps of sensing the size of a receiving receptacle and repeating the dispensing cycle to correspond to a ratio of the sensed receptacle size to a standard receptacle size.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-02 | 1978-06-03 | 1978-12-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-02 | 1982-06-03 | 1982-12-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-02 | 1986-06-03 | 1986-12-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |