Patent ID: 7572112

Claim:
An apparatus for mounting a drive for driving an impeller shaft supported through a vessel wall by a mechanical seal through which the shaft extends, comprising: a bearing housing outside the vessel wall and surrounding the mechanical seal, the bearing housing defining a second opening, and a third opening; a mounting door having a first opening and pivotally attached by a hinge to the bearing housing that is outside the vessel wall and is movable between a closed position closing the second opening and preventing access to the mechanical seal from outside the bearing housing and an open position permitting access to the mechanical seal from outside the bearing housing and removal of the mechanical seal through the second opening; a motor mounted to the mounting door and an output shaft extending from the motor through the first opening; an input shaft portion of the impeller shaft projecting outside of the vessel through the mechanical seal, wherein in the closed position the output shaft is positioned to drive the input shaft portion of the impeller shaft; and a fastener attachable to the mounting door and the bearing housing that secures the mounting door in the closed position; a removable cover adapted to be mounted only to the bearing housing and removably cover the third opening; and a split coupling having one-half on the motor output shaft and one-half on the input portion of the impeller shaft, to rotationally couple the output shaft and the impeller shaft together when the mounting door is pivoted in the closed position, and which halves disengage from each other when the mounting door is in the open position, wherein the third opening is configured to permit access, when the mounting door is in the closed position, from outside of the bearing housing for assembly and disassembly of the split coupling, and the removable cover is adapted to cover the third opening so that the bearing housing is completely enclosed when the removable cover is installed and the mounting door is in the closed position.