Patent ID: 7685896

Claim:
A reciprocating drive assembly for use in a fluid mixer to impart reciprocating movement along a longitudinal axis to a shaft carrying a mixing head for immersion in fluids, the reciprocating drive assembly comprising: a housing; a flywheel mounted for rotation about a rotational axis extending substantially normal to the longitudinal axis; a crank member projecting from the flywheel in a direction parallel to the rotational axis; a yoke supported by the housing for movement along a yoke axis disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, the yoke being releasably connected to the shaft, the yoke having a substantially linear race formed therein for receiving the crank member, the race being disposed within the yoke substantially normal to both the rotational axis and the yoke axis; first and second linear slide assemblies operatively connected to the housing, and to the yoke for sliding engagement therewith along a pair of guide axes extending substantially parallel to the yoke axis, with each of said linear slide assemblies including elongated guide rail member associated with at least one corresponding guide rail following member, with each guide rail member being fixedly mounted to the housing coincident with one of the guide axes, the pair of linear slide assemblies being laterally spaced from each other with the yoke disposed substantially therebetween, with each said guide rail member having upper and lower, spaced-apart guide rail following members associated therewith; wherein, when the flywheel is rotatively driven, the crank member is caused to translate linearly within the race thereby urging the yoke to slidingly engage the linear slide assemblies and move along the yoke axis to effect longitudinal reciprocating movement of the shaft and the mixing head.