Cement mixer drum support

A mobile material mixer comprising:

• a support structure;
• a plurality of wheels rotatably attached to the support structure to movably support the support structure relative to a surface;
• a hollow drum including a wall which defines a generally enclosed material mixing chamber and at least one mixing element extending from the wall within the chamber, the drum having a first end fixed to a support shaft including a first longitudinal axis and a second end including an opening through which material can move from the chamber;
• a bearing disposed about the support shaft to support the support shaft for rotation about the first longitudinal axis;
• a drum drive motor including a drive shaft having a second longitudinal axis and a housing mechanically coupled to the support structure to prevent the housing from rotating with the drive shaft, the drive shaft being coupled to the support shaft;
• and
• a movement accommodator which attaches the bearing support to the support structure to permit limited movement of the bearing relative to the support structure, without subjecting the support shaft to substantially increased bending moments as a result of the limited movement, the movement accommodator including:
• a first carrier pivotally coupled to the support structure on first opposite sides of the first longitudinal axis;
• and
• a second carrier fixedly coupled to the bearing and pivotally coupled to the first carrier on second opposite sides of the first longitudinal axis to pivotally support the bearing, the support shaft and the drive shaft such that the orientation of the first and second longitudinal axes remains constant when the motor is operated to rotate the drum to mix material therein.

A self-propelled, mobile material mixer comprising:

• a frame;
• a support structure fixed to the frame and extending above the frame;
• a plurality of wheels rotatably attached to the frame to movably support the frame relative to a surface;
• an engine;
• a transmission coupled between the engine and at least one of the wheels to selectively apply power from the engine to the at least one wheel;
• a hollow drum including a wall which defines a generally enclosed material mixing chamber and at least one mixing element extending from the wall within the chamber, the drum having a first end fixed to a support shaft including a first longitudinal axis and a second end including an opening through which material move from the chamber;
• a bearing disposed about the support shaft to support the support shaft for rotation about the first longitudinal axis;
• a bearing support attached to the bearing to support the bearing relative to the support shaft;
• a drum drive motor including a drive shaft having a second longitudinal axis and a housing mechanically coupled to the support structure to prevent the housing from rotating with the drive shaft, the drive shaft being coupled to the support shaft;
• and
• a movement accommodator which attaches the bearing support to the support structure above the frame to permit limited movement of the bearing relative to the support structure, without subjecting the support shaft to substantially increased bending moments as a result of the limited movement, the movement accommodator including:
• a first carrier pivotally coupled to the support structure on first opposite sides of the first longitudinal axis;
• and
• a second carrier fixedly coupled to the bearing and pivotally coupled to the first carrier on second opposite sides of the first longitudinal axis to pivotally support the bearing, the support shaft and the drive shaft such that the orientation of the first and second longitudinal axes remains constant when the motor is operated to rotate the drum to mix material therein.