Abstract: A mixer includes a vessel for storing materials to be mixed. The vessel has cylindrical inner walls. A beater assembly is rotatably mounted and centrally disposed within the vessel. The beater assembly includes a drive shaft and a plurality of helically extending mixer blades operatively connected to the drive shaft for rotational movement about an axis defined by the drive shaft. The mixer blades cooperate upon a single rotation of the beater assembly to move materials residing immediately adjacent to the inner walls of the vessel inwardly towards the axis of rotation, and to move materials residing near the axis of rotation outwardly towards the inner walls of the vessel. A motor is operatively connected to the drive shaft for rotating the beater assembly relative to the vessel.

Abstract: Grinding of agglomerates, such as paint pigments, takes place within a cylinder (23). The pigment is applied in a film to the inner surface of cylinder (23) and is ground by rotating blades (70-84) which, because of their angle of articulation with respect to the axis of rotation of the cylinder (23) moves the agglomerates from one end of cylinder (23) to the other.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for maintaining relative positional alignment between two spaced-apart points on a moveable member, such as a rotating axle on which is mounted a conveyor belt pulley. The invention comprises a hydraulic pump (80) which is operatively communicated to first and second hydraulic cylinders (21and 30, respectively). The first hydraulic cylinder (21) applies a reference hydraulic pressure to a first point (13) on the axle (11) and moves the axle (11) to maintain the pressure at a constant, pre-determined pressure level. The second hydraulic cylinder (30) is operatively connected to a second point (12) on the axle (11) spaced apart from the first point (13). A fork (77) and pin (42) mechanism senses relative movement between the first point (13) and the second point (12) on the axle (11).