Truck-mixer drive mechanism

Claim 1

IN A TRUCK MOUNTED CONCRETE MIXER, A FRAME COMPRISING A PAIR OF GENERALLY PARALLEL LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON A MOTOR TRUCK, A BEARING PEDESTAL CARRIED BY AND INTERCONNECTING SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID FRAME, UPRIGHT MEMBERS CONNECTED RESPECTIVELY WITH AND UPSTANDING FROM SAID LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS AT THE REARWARD END OF SAID FRAME, A MIXING DRUM CLOSED AT ITS FORWARD END AND OPEN AT ITS REARWARD END TO RECEIVE AND DISCHARGE CONCRETE, A BEARING ARRANGED TO ROTATABLY SUPPORT THE CLOSED FORWARD END OF SAID MIXING DRUM ON SAID BEARING PEDESTAL AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID FRAME, AN ANNULAR TRACKWAY DISPOSED TO ENCIRCLE AND SECURED TO SAID MIXING DRUM ADJACENT TO ITS OPEN END, A PAIR OF SUPPORTING ROLLERS MOUNTED RESPECTIVELY ON SAID UPRIGHT FRAME MEMBERS IN ALIGNMENT WITH AND BENEATH SAID ANNULAR TRACKWAY ON SAID MIXING DRUM TO ROTATABLY SUPPORT THE OPEN REARWARD END OF SAID MIXING DRUM BETWEEN SAID UPRIGHT MEMBERS, AN ANNULAR SPROCKET DISPOSED TO ENCIRCLE AND SECURED TO SAID MIXING DRUM ADJACENT TO AND FORWARDLY OF SAID ANNULAR TRACKWAY, A GEAR CASE CONSTITUTING A SPEED REDUCING POWER TRANSMISSION MECHANISM MOVABLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID UPRIGHT FRAME MEMBERS BELOW SAID SUPPORTING ROLLERS, A PIVOTAL CONNECTION PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING ONE END OF SAID MOVABLE TRANSMISSION MECHANISM GEAR CASE UPON ONE OF SAID UPRIGHT MEMBERS, GUIDING MEANS ON ANOTHER OF SAID UPRIGHT MEMBERS ARRANGED TO GUIDE THE OTHER END OF SAID TRANSMISSION MECHANISM GEAR CASE FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT GENERALLY TOWARD OR FROM SAID MIXING DRUM SPROCKET, A DRIVE SPROCKET MOUNTED ON SAID GEAR CASE AT A POSITION REMOTE FROM SAID PIVOTAL CONNECTION AND CONNECTED TO BE DRIVEN BY SAID SPEED REDUCING TRANSMISSION MECHANISM SAID DRIVE SPROCKET BEING DISPOSED IN OPERATING ALIGNMENT WITH SAID ANNULAR SPROCKET ON SAID DRUM, A POWER TRANSMITTING CHAIN ARRANGED TO OPERATE OVER SAID ALIGNED SPROCKETS, A SPEED CHANGING AND REVERSING POWER TRANSMISSION MECHANISM MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL FRAME MEMBERS, A FLEXIBLE POWER TRANSMITTING CONNECTION ARRANGED TO TRANSMIT POWER FROM SAID SPEED CHANGING AND REVERSING MECHANISM TO SAID MOVABLY MOUNTED SPEED REDUCING MECHANISM AT A POSITION ON SAID GEAR CASE CLOSE TO SAID PIVOTAL CONNECTION TO EFFECT DRIVING OF SAID MIXING DRUM SELECTIVELY IN EITHER DIRECTION AT SELECTED SPEED, AND CHAIN TIGHTENING MECHANISM ANCHORED TO SAID FRAME AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MOVABLY MOUNTED SPEED REDUCING GEAR CASE MECHANISM IN MANNER TO PIVOT SAID MECHANISM IN DOWNWARD DIRECTION TO TIGHTEN SAID CHAIN AND THEREBY ALSO TO HOLD SAID DRUM DOWN AND MAINTAIN SAID ANNULAR TRACKWAY IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SUPPORTING ROLLERS.