Manual shifting of transmission power ratio for mixer or shredder without power interruption

A mixer or shredder apparatus for mixing or shredding a bulk material and for being pulled by a driven vehicle;

• said apparatus comprising:
• a) a chassis with wheels mounted on an underside thereof to enable movement on a ground surface;
• b) a draw bar extending from said driven vehicle and having means for connection to said chassis;
• c) a mixing or shredding tank mounted on said chassis and having rotatable auger therein for mixing or shredding the bulk material;
• d) a power source for providing power to the auger;
• e) a transmission for enabling a shifting of a gear rotation between the power source and the auger;
• and
• f) means associated with the power input end of said transmission to compensate for any difference in distance between the driven vehicle and the point of connection of the draw bar to the chassis and to compensate for changes in the angular relationship of the apparatus and the driven vehicle.

In a mixer or shredder of bulk material having a mixing or shredding tank with a chamber and an auger therein for causing a shredding or mixing of bulk material in said tank upon rotation thereof, an improvement comprising:

• a) a power source having an output enabling said power source to provide rotational power to the auger;
• b) a power output shaft from said power source;
• c) a manually shiftable transmission located to receive the power provided by said power output shaft capable of providing a plurality of power to speed gear ratios upon shifting thereof without any interruption of power to the auger during the shifting of the gear ratios;
• and
• d) a drive shaft extending from said transmission to said auger for providing rotatable power to said auger.

An improvement in a transmission for delivery of power from a power source to a movable member and in which power from the power source can vary depending upon external loads imposed on that power source, said transmission comprising:

• a) an input shaft on said transmission;
• b) an output shaft on said transmission for delivery of power to said movable member;
• c) power converting means in said transmission receiving input power from the input shaft and delivery of the power to the output shaft to maintain a relatively constant desired output power on the output shaft regardless of external loads imposed on the power source;
• and
• d) shift means manually actuable by an operator to increase or decrease power to the movable member without any interruption of power to the movable member.

A method for delivery of power from a power source to a rotatable member in a shredder or mixer and where power from the power source could vary depending upon other loads imposed on the power source, said method comprising:

• a) providing input power to an input shaft of a transmission;
• b) converting the power from the input shaft to a different power output and concomitantly altering the speed of movement thereof regardless of the external loads imposed on the power source;
• and
• c) delivery of the converted power at different input-output power ratios to a power output shaft without any interruption of power to any movable member therefor.