Five gallon bucket vise

Abstract

A mixing bucket holding means, subject of this petition for letters patent, consists of gripping jaws mounted on a platform/tray/frame holding a cylindrical bucket container in a manner to resist rotation of the container while a motor rotates a mixing paddle in the contents of the container. A human operator holds the mixing motor and space may be provided for the operator to stand on the frame. The claimed invention is to the combination comprising the cylindrical bucket holding means and the frame for mounting the bucket holding means. The jaws are easily engaged to grip the container and easily disengaged to release the container after mixing the contents. One version comprises two elastomeric bands facing one another. Movement of a lever causes one band to advance toward the other band so as to encircle the cylindrical container at its base region. A spring loaded latch holds the gripping force after the activating lever has been applied. A trip release of the latch enables a spring loading to retract the jaws. Another design places the bucket container cornered between two fixed stops while a third toggle member presses against the container to create a gripping force directed inward against the cylindrical container. Of other variations of the invention, each version has bucket clamping means, clamping means connected to a frame, and frame resting on the work area floor. Clamping means as taught by prior art include two jaw vise, three jaw chuck, collet chuck, pipe clamp, hose clamp, pipe vise, chain vise, strap wrench and more. The unique, inventive quality is the portable combination of any such clamping means with a frame which together can hold fast a mixing bucket of approximately five gallon size. The combination eliminates the hazard of a workman being injured by uncontrolled spinning of the bucket. If the bucket is held only by the legs of the human operator, relaxing of grip allows the bucket bail and handle to strike against the shin of the workman causing serious injury.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A portable device for clamping a cylindrical bucket of approximately five gallon capacity, said device comprising a platform/tray/frame and holding means on said platform/tray/frame wherein the improvement comprises that the bucket can be readily fastened to said portable device in a manner that contents of the bucket can be stirred in a rotational pattern while the containing bucket remains in a fixed position.  
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the improvement comprises that said holding means has a band and has a second moveable band such that the moveable band can be actuated to hold and to release from holding a mixing bucket positioned between said band and said moveable band.  
     
     
         3 . The holding means of  claim 1  comprising two elastomeric bands facing one another such that movement of a lever causes one band to advance toward the other band so as to encircle the cylindrical container at its base region thereby gripping and comprising spring loaded latch which holds the gripping force after the activating lever has been applied and comprising a trip release of the latch, thereby enabling a spring loading to retract the gripping bands.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  with three holding jaws attached to the support frame wherein the improvement comprises that the bucket container is cornered between two jaws while a third jaw presses against the container to create a gripping force directed inward around the cylindrical contour of the container.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the improvement comprises that there is space on said platform/tray/frame for a human operator to stand while holding a mixing motor that is mixing the contents of said cylindrical bucket.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the improvement comprises that said holding means is selected from any of the following labeled holding means designs: 
 a) pipe clamp b) hose clamp c) pipe vise d) chain vise e) strap wrench f) two jaw vise g) three jaw chuck h) collet chuck i) u-bolt.  
 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the improvement comprises that said holding means is implemented by any of the following mechanisms: 
 a) moveable band drawn into gripping contact by lever action b) eccentric cam rotated to effect gripping contact c) toggle mechanism d) wedge e) screw f) pivot held moving member g) track guide restrained moving member.  
 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the improvement comprises that said platform/tray/frame is a) of any structural material b) of any shape that accommodates gripping and which joins the resisting torque couple back to the human holding the stirrer through a coupling interface at the feet supporting the human operator c) of any shape that accommodates holding and which joins the resisting torque couple back to the human holding the stirrer through a coupling interface that imposes a force vector against a body member of the human operator.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the improvement comprises that said portable device is less than 20 pounds in weight when displayed for being carried by a person and has one of its three geometric dimensions less than 12 inches when displayed for being carried by a person.  
     
     
         10 . A portable device for immobilizing a mixing bucket of approximately five gallon capacity said device comprising a platform/tray/frame and holding means on said platform/tray/frame of a fixed jaw and a moveable force application member wherein the improvement comprises that movement of said moveable force application member clamps a mixing bucket against said fixed jaw.  
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10  wherein the improvement comprises that the moveable force application member is a cam eccentrically mounted on said frame.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 10  wherein the improvement comprises that the moveable force application member is a cam eccentrically mounted on said frame in such a fashion that the turning torque applied to the mixing bucket tends to tighten the gripping action of the eccentrically mounted cam.  
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 10  wherein the improvement comprises that said fixed jaw has a rough surface such as to more effectively grip against said mixing bucket.  
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 10  wherein the improvement comprises that there is space on said platform/tray/frame for a human operator to stand while holding a mixing motor that is mixing the contents of a cylindrical bucket.  
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 10  wherein the improvement comprises that the moveable force application member is a wedge placed on said frame.  
     
     
         16 . A portable device for immobilizing a mixing bucket of approximately five gallon capacity said device comprising a platform/tray/frame wherein the improvement comprises that a mixing bucket can be immobilized relative to the platform/tray/frame by application of an object onto said platform/tray/frame.  
     
     
         17 . The portable device of  claim 16  wherein the improvement comprises that said object is the foot of a human operator of said portable device.  
     
     
         18 . The portable device of  claim 16  wherein the improvement comprises that said object is any material object that is capable of forcing a mixing bucket against a reacting gripping force of said portable device.