Agitator for liquid manure storage tanks

Claim 1

A STORAGE TANK FOR LIQUID MANURE CONTAINING SOLIDS AND HAY AND STRAW INTERMINGLED THEREWITH, SAID TANK COMPRISING FRONT, REAR, AND SIDE WALLS, AND A ONE-PIECE OVER-ALL TOP WALL HAVING A FILLER OPENING THEREIN AT ONE SIDE THEREOF, SAID TOP WALL HAVING A SECOND OPENING THEREIN AT ONE CORNER THEREOF AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID FILLER OPENING, A COVER PLATE PERMANENTLY CLOSING SAID SECOND OPENING, MEANS FOR CUTTING, AGITATING, AND BLENDING THE LIQUID, SOLIDS, AND INTERMINGLED MATERIAL INTO BATTER CONSISTENCY, SAID MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED TUBULAR HOUSING PERMANENTLY SECURED NEAR ONE OF ITS ENDS TO SAID COVER PLATE AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID HOUSING EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND AWAY FROM SAID COVER PLATE ON A VERTICAL PLANE WITH SAID FILLER OPENING AND CLOSED AT BOTH OF ITS ENDS BY PLUG NUTS, A PLURALITY OF RADIAL BEARINGS FIXEDLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID TUBULAR HOUSING AT SPACED-APART INTERVALS, A SOLID INFLEXIBLE SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID BEARINGS THROUGH SAID PLUG NUTS AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM BOTH ENDS OF SAID HOUSING, A PROPELLER SECURED TO SAID DOWNWARD END OF SAID SHAFT, MEANS REMOVABLY ATTACHING THE OPPOSITE UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY EXTENDING END OF SAID SHAFT TO A SOURCE OF DRIVING POWER ROTATABLE THROUGH A VARIABLE RANGE OF R.P.M., THE LEADING AND PERIPHERAL EDGES OF THE PROPELLER BLADES SHARPENED TO A KNIFE EDGE, SET COLLARS SECURED TO SAID SHAFT AND BEARING AGAINST THE RADIAL BEARINGS TO ABSORB LINEAL COMPRESSIVE FORCES IMPOSED THEREON BY THE PROPELLER LOAD IN ITS AGITATING ROTATION AND TORSIONAL PROPELLER LOADS IN ITS CUTTING ROTATION, WHEREBY THE INHERENT RIGIDITY AND INFLEXIBILITY OF SAID SHAFT FURTHER STIFFENED BY SAID HOUSING BEARINGS AND PLUG NUTS WILL STABILIZE THE ASSEMBLY AGAINST DISTORTION AND VACILLATING TENDENCIES RELATIVE TO ITS SECUREMENT TO SAID COVER PLATE.