The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 28, 1998
Filed:
Mar. 24, 1997
Richard Nils Young, Atlanta, GA (US);
DBS Manufacturing, Inc., Forest Park, GA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for aerating a liquid, having a surface, employs a motor having a rotating member and a non-rotating member. A shaft is coupled to the rotating member of the motor. Also coupled to the shaft is an input of a planetary gear assembly, comprising stationary upper portion and a rotatable lower portion. The rotatable lower portion is coupled to the axial section of an aeration rotor so that as the aeration rotor is placed in the liquid, a portion of the planetary gear assembly is in contact with the liquid, thereby facilitating cooling of the planetary gear assembly by the liquid. The planetary gear assembly also comprises a seal between the stationary upper portion and the rotatable lower portion disposed above the liquid and disposed above substantially all of the oil in the planetary gear assembly so as to inhibit spillage of oil from the planetary gear assembly into the liquid if the seal fails. A torque tube having a first end and an opposite second end connects the motor to the planetary gear assembly. The first end is affixed to the non-rotating member of the motor and the second end is affixed to the upper stationary portion of the planetary gear assembly. The torque tube also defines a lengthwise passage passing therethrough. The shaft passes through the lengthwise passage, so that the torque tube maintains the upper stationary portion of the planetary gear assembly in a fixed relationship to the non-rotating member of the motor.