Rendering cooker

Claim 1

IN A COOKER OF THE TYPE THAT COMPRISES A HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED TANK PROVIDED WITH CHARGING AND DISCHARGING MEANS THEREFOR AND HAVING A STUFFING BOX IN THE CENTRAL PORTION OF ONE END WALL THEREOF, AND A HORIZONTAL ROTATABLY SUPPORTED AGITATOR SHAFT EXTENDING LENGTHWISE THROUGH THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE TANK INTERIOR, EMBODYING A LONGITUDINAL SERIES OF OUTWARDLY EXTENDING PADDLES AND HAVING ONE END THEREOF EXTENDING THROUGHT, AND PROJECTING BEYOND, THE STUFFING BOX, THE COMBINATION OF A RIGID MOUNTING RING EXTENDING CONCENTRICALLY AROUND, AND SPACED RADIALLY FROM, THE ONE END OF THE AGITATOR SHAFT, HAVING THE INNER END THEREOF NCONNECTED FIXEDLY TO SAID CENTRAL PORTION OF THE ONE END WALL OF THE TANK, AND PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING WHEREBY ACCESS MAY BE HAD TO SAID STUFFING BOX, A RIGID HOUSING DISPOSED OUTWARDS OF SAID ONE END WALL OF THE TANK, SUPPORTED SOLELY BY THE MOUNTING RING, AND CONSISTING OF A CONTINUOUS SIDE WALL, A REAR WALL CONNECTED TO THE REAR END OF THE CONTINUOUS SIDE WALL, ATTACHED DIRECTLY BUT REMOVABLY TO THE OUTER END OF THE MOUNTING RING AND PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID ONE END OF THE AGITATOR SHAFT, AND A FRONT WALL CONNECTED TO THE FRONT END OF THE SIDE WALL AND PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING IN OFFSET RELATION WITH THE OPENING IN THE REAR WALL, AND POWER MECHANISM OPERATIVE TO DRIVE THE AGITATOR SHAFT AND EMBODYING AN ELECTRIC MOTOR DISPOSED EXTERIORLY OF, BUT MOUNTED ON, THE WALL OF THE HOUSING AND ARRANGED SO THAT THE ARMATURE SHAFT THEREOF IS IN PARALLEL RELATION WITH THE AGITATOR SHAFT AND SPEED REDUCING GEARING COMPRISING A ROTATABLY MOUNTED INPUT SHAFT ARRANGED IN PARALLEL RELATION WITH THE AGITATOR AND ARMATURE SHAFTS AND HAVING A PORTION THEREOF DISPOSED WITHIN THE HOUSING AND ONE END EXTENDING OUTWARDS THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE FRONT WALL OF THE HOUSING, A BELT AND PULLEY CONNECTION BETWEEN ARMATURE SHAFT AND SAID ONE END OF THE INPUT SHAFT, A ROTATABLY MOUNTED OUTPUT SHAFT ARRANGED IN PARALLEL RELATION WITH THE OTHER SHAFTS AND HAVING A PORTION THEREOF DISPOSED WITHIN THE HOUSING AND ONE END IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE OPENING IN THE REAR WALL OF THE HOUSING AND CONNECTED REMOVABLY TO SAID ONE END OF THE AGITATOR SHAFT, AND MESHING GEARS IN THE HOUSING AND BETWEEN SAID PORTIONS OF THE INPUT AND OUTPUT SHAFTS.