BULK MIXING CONTAINER AND LOCKING BEARING THEREFOR

摘要

A bulk mixing container that includes a container housing, an agitator mounting structure, an agitator assembly, and a bearing. The bearing is mounted in an opening in the agitator mounting structure with a shaft of the agitator assembly extending through a central bore in the bearing. The bearing has a cylindrical body that includes a flange at one end which engages an upper surface of the agitator mounting structure, and a locking tab at its other end which engages a lower surface of the agitator mounting structure to thereby hold the bearing in place. An O-ring fitted into a groove on the outer cylindrical surface of the body provides a secondary seal against fluid movement between the bearing and agitator mounting structure.

主权项

1. A locking bearing for use in a bulk mixing container, comprising:
a body extending from a first axial end to a second axial end and having a central cylindrical bore that receives an agitator shaft when in use, said body having an outer surface shaped for receipt within an opening of an agitator mounting structure of a bulk mixing container such that said bearing may be mounted to the bulk mixing container and the agitator shaft may extend into the bulk mixing container through said bore to permit rotation of the agitator shaft relative to the bulk mixing container to thereby stir contents within the bulk mixing container; said body including a radially-extending flange at said first axial end for engagement with an upper surface of the agitator mounting structure at the opening in the bulk mixing container to thereby prevent said bearing from passing through the opening, and said body including at least one locking tab locating at said second axial end that extends radially from said body, said locking tab providing a lower retention feature that engages a lower surface of the agitator mounting structure at the opening when said bearing is installed through the opening, whereby said bearing may be positively locked in place within the opening by engagement of said flange with the upper surface of the agitator mounting structure and engagement of said retention feature of said locking tab with the lower surface of the agitator mounting structure.