Apparatus with sealed rotary impeller shaft

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED DRIVE SHAFT ASSEMBLY FOR AN INSTALLATION WHEREIN AN IMPELLER-CARRYING SHAFT EXTENDS FROM ABOVE INTO A CONTAINER AND IS PACKED RELATIVELY TO THE WALL OF THE CONTAINER BY A SELF-CONTAINED SEAL OF THE RADIAL TYPE AND WHEREIN THE SHAFT HAS A SHOULDER BY MEANS OF WHICH IT MAY BE SUPPORTED WHEN LOWERED FROM ITS NORMAL OPERATING POSITION BY COOPERATION OF THE ASSEMBLY WITH A SUPPORTING SURFACE, THE IMPROVED ASSEMBLY COMPRISING IN COMBINATION WITH AND COOPERATION WITH SUCH IMPELLER-CARRYING SHAFT, A RELATIVELY FIXED DRIVING SHAFT IN SPACED VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE IMPELLER SHAFT, A LONGITUDINALLY DIVIDED COUPLING UNITING THE SHAFTS, THE SECTIONS OF WHICH ARE REMOVABLE LATERALLY, A SCREW ROTATABLY SUSPENDED FROM THE END OF THE DRIVING SHAFT AND TAPPING INTO THE OPPOSED END OF THE IMPELLER SHAFT, THE SCREW BEING ACCESSIBLE IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE SHAFTS WHEN THE COUPLING IS REMOVED TO PERMIT IT TO BE ROTATED TO LOWER BY ITS ACTION THE SHOULDER ON THE IMPELLER SHAFT TO THE SUPPORTING SURFACE FOR THE SAME, THE SUSPENSION OF THE SCREW IN THE DRIVING SHAFT INCLUDING A CLEARANCE PROVIDING FOR UPWARD MOTION OF THE SCREW SO THAT IT MAY THEREAFTER BE ENTIRELY BACKED OUT FROM THE IMPELLER SHAFT AND MOVED AS A WHOLE AWAY THEREFROM TO PROVIDE A VERTICAL CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TWO SHAFTS.