Removable mortar mixer bearing and seal assembly

Abstract

A bearing and seal assembly for supporting and sealing end portions of a rotatable paddle shaft in the end walls of a mortar mixer or the like. Each bearing and seal assembly includes a bearing and seal housing removably attached to an end wall of the mixer drum by bolts to facilitate replacement of the bearings and seals as becomes necessary during use. The outside wall of the housing includes a peripheral ring or shoulder for engagement with a conventional bearing puller to facilitate removal of the housing, bearings and seals as a single unit. Preassembled housing, bearing and seal units can then be used as replacements. The bearings and seals are also spaced longitudinally to provide a space for abrasive materials that may migrate past the seals to extend the life expectancy of the bearings by decreasing exposure to contamination. The housing also includes an opening in the lower portion thereof communicating with the space between the bearings and seals to enable material which migrates past the seals to fall through the opening onto the ground thereby further protecting the bearings from contamination and indicating to the mixer operator that the seals are becoming worn or have failed so that prompt maintenance or replacement may be undertaken.