(19) (10) DE 20 2008 015 990 U1 03/26/2009

Federal Republic of Germany

[emblem]

German Patent and Trademark Office

(12) Utility Model Specification

(21) Application number: 20 2008 015 990.3 (51) Int. Cl.⁸: B01F 7/22 (01/2006)

(22) Filing date: December 7, 2008 A01C 3/02 (01/2006)

(47) Registration date: February 19, 2009 B01F 7/06 (01/2006)

(43) Publication in the

Patent Gazette: March 26, 2009

(73) Name and address of the proprietor: SUMA Sondermaschinen, GmbH, 87477 Sulzberg, DE

(74) Name and address of the representative: Hutzelmannn Patent Law office, 89296 Osterberg

The following information was derived from the documents submitted by the applicant.

(54) Title: Agitator

(57) Main claim: Agitator - in particular, a liquid manure agitator -, with a drive motor and an agitator propeller, mounted on the end of a drive shaft, the agitator being mounted on a wall of a container, characterized in that the agitator propeller is mounted so as to be longitudinally moveable.

[see drawing]

Specification

[0001] The invention relates to an agitator - in particular, a liquid manure agitator -, with a drive motor and an agitator propeller, which is mounted on a wall of a container.

[0002] The object of the invention is to provide an agitator of the aforementioned genre that is adjustable to different operating conditions.

[0003] The invention achieves this object in that the agitator propeller is mounted so as to be longitudinally moveable.

[0004] As a result, the position of the agitator propeller can be easily changed in its position.

[0005] In this context it has been proven to be especially advantageous if, according to an additional embodiment of the invention, the agitator propeller is mounted in a longitudinally moveable manner in a tube.

[0006] At the same time the invention provides that the agitator propeller can be mounted so as to be totally retractable into the tube.

[0007] Thus, it is guaranteed that when the agitator propeller is not needed, it can be largely protected.

[0008] An additional advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that a closure element is provided on the open end of the tube.

[0009] As a result, the tube can be closed in the retracted state of the agitator propeller. With said closure element the agitator propeller gains very good protection.

[0010] Said protection is guaranteed primarily, if the adjusting path of the agitator propeller is configured, according to the invention, in such a manner that the agitator propeller can be retracted behind the closure element.

[0011] Consequently it has been demonstrated to be very advantageous, if the closure element is designed, according to one embodiment of the invention, as a cylindrical slide valve.

[0012] Such closure elements are tight to the extent that the agitator propeller can also be removed for maintenance and repair work.

[0013] An additional advantageous embodiment of the invention lies in the fact that the drive shaft is provided with a rigid bearing and a longitudinally moveable bearing.

[0014] As a result, it is guaranteed that the agitator propeller can be easily displaced.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the invention, however, it is also possible to design the drive shaft so as to be longitudinally variable.

[0016] It has been proven to be also very advantageous, if the tube is disposed, according to an additional embodiment of the invention, in essence outside the container.

[0017] As a result, when the agitator propeller is retracted, there is no longer any disturbing component in the interior of the liquid manure container.

[0018] The drawing shows the invention with the aid of two embodiments.

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic rendering of an agitator propeller, which is mounted in a longitudinally moveable manner in a wall of a liquid manure container.

[0020] Figure 2 is also a schematic rendering of an agitator propeller, which is mounted in a longitudinally moveable manner in a tube. In this case the tube protrudes from the outside into the wall of a liquid manure container.

[0021] The reference numeral 1 denotes in Figure 1 a liquid manure container. An agitator propeller 3 is mounted in essence horizontally in the vicinity of the bottom of the vertical wall 2 of said liquid manure container. The agitator propeller 3 sits on a drive shaft 4, which extends through the wall 2 and is mounted in a bearing 5 on the wall 2. The end of the drive shaft 4 that faces away from the agitator propeller exhibits a drive motor 6, which is mounted in a longitudinally moveable manner in a bearing 7. As a result, the whole unit consisting of agitator propeller, drive shaft and drive motor can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft.

[0022] Instead of the longitudinally moveable mounting of the drive motor, it is also possible to design the drive shaft to be in itself longitudinally variable.

[0023] The two embodiments can be designed so that the diameter of the bearing 5 is so large that the agitator screw 3 can be retracted into this bearing.

[0024] In the embodiment, according to Figure 2, a tube 10 is inserted from the outside into the wall 2 of the liquid manure container 1. The drive shaft 4 projects through this tube. The diameter of the tube 10 is selected in such a manner that when the agitator propeller is retracted, the agitator propeller 3 can be moved into the tube 10.

[0025] In the vicinity of the wall 2, the tube has a cylindrical slide valve 11, which can link up the tube when the agitator propeller is inserted.

[0026] As a result, the agitator propeller is, on the one hand, protected and can be removed for maintenance and repair work, even if the liquid manure container 1 is fluted.

[0027] In order to achieve higher stability of the guide of the drive shaft 4, it is possible to provide a supporting bearing 12, which, on the one hand, can be moved on the drive shaft 4 and at the same time can be displaced in the tube 10.

Patent Claims

1. Agitator - in particular, a liquid manure agitator -, with a drive motor and an agitator propeller, mounted on the end of a drive shaft, the agitator being mounted on a wall of a container, characterized in that the agitator propeller is mounted so as to be longitudinally moveable.

2. Agitator, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the agitator propeller is mounted in a longitudinally moveable manner in a tube.

3. Agitator, as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the agitator propeller is mounted so as to be totally retractable into the tube.

4. Agitator, as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that a closure element is provided on the open end of the tube.

5. Agitator, as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the adjusting path of the agitator propeller is configured in such a manner that the agitator propeller can be retracted behind the closure element.

6. Agitator, as claimed in any one of the claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the closure element is designed as a cylindrical slide valve.

7. Agitator, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive shaft is provided with a rigid bearing and a longitudinally moveable bearing.

8. Agitator, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive shaft is designed so as to be longitudinally variable.

9. Agitator, as claimed in any one of the claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the tube is disposed in essence outside the container.

2 sheets of drawings to follow.

Attached drawings