Patent ID: 7878699

Claim:
A drive system for a mixer barrel, the drive system directly communicating with the mixer barrel ( 1 ) for rotationally driving the mixer barrel ( 1 ) and including a bearing ( 14 ) for rotatably supporting weight of a first end of the mixer barrel ( 1 ), the drive system, including the bearing, being supported by a base ( 5 ) via a weight supporting element so that the weight supporting element supports the weight of both the first end of the mixer barrel ( 1 ) and the drive system while enables relative movement between the drive system and the base ( 5 ), the weight supporting element comprising at least one distortable elastic element ( 28 , 29 , 30 , 39 ) enabling the relative movement between the drive system, including the bearing, and the base ( 5 ), the at least one elastic element ( 28 , 29 , 30 , 39 ) being located between the drive system ( 4 ) and the base ( 5 ), the at least one elastic element ( 28 , 29 , 30 , 39 ) supporting the weight of the first end of the mixer barrel ( 1 ) above the at least one elastic element ( 28 , 29 , 30 , 39 ), and the drive system ( 4 ) having at least one component ( 36 ) limiting movement of the drive system ( 4 ) which increases a distance between the drive system ( 4 ) and the base ( 5 ) such that a torque strain on the drive system ( 4 ) being braced by the base ( 5 ).