Patent ID: 7547135

Claim:
A mixing apparatus, comprising: an enclosed vessel having an input/output port and a rotating impeller system mounted for rotation inside the vessel, wherein the vessel comprises: a molded plastic body having an inlet/outlet port proximate a bottom end thereof, and an opening at a top end thereof; a fixture mounted to the opening; a pair of dry-running bearings supported by the fixture; an impeller shaft wherein the impeller shaft is supported by the pair of dry-running bearings; magnets mounted to an end of the impeller shaft which is supported by the bearings; a dome mounted to the fixture and enclosing the end of the impeller shaft and the bearings, so that an enclosed envelope is provided by the vessel, fixture, and the dome; and a removable drive system completely external to the vessel and configured to drive the impeller shaft from outside the vessel, wherein the drive system is adapted to slide onto and over the fitting, and wherein the drive system has magnets that interact with the magnets on the shaft.