Portable concrete mixer for hydrating and mixing concrete mix containing gravel aggregate in a continuous process

• US 10,259,140 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2018
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Dog Mobile Shelters LLC
• Original Assignee: Red Dog Mobile Shelters LLC
• Inventors: Derose, Dirk, Scott, IV, Oscar T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Soohoo, Tony G
• Application Number:
  US16/165,893
• Time in Patent Office: 179 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/114 Helically shaped stirrers, i.e. stirrers comprising a helically shaped band or helically shaped band sections
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/1142 of the corkscrew type
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/1145 ribbon shaped with an open space between the helical ribbon flight and the rotating axis
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/11451 forming open frameworks or cages
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/13 Openwork frame or cage stirrers not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/2123 Shafts with both stirring means and feeding or discharging means
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/72 with helices or sections of helices
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/724 with a single helix closely surrounded by a casing
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/5014 movable by human force, e.g. kitchen or table devices
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/0812 Drum mixer cover, e.g. lid
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/0831 Drives or drive systems, e.g. toothed racks, winches B28C7/0876 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/0893 Mobile mixing devices, e.g. hanging
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/1215 Independent stirrer-drive units, e.g. portable or mounted on a wheelbarrow
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/1246 with feeding devices B28C5/1276, B28C5/1292 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/1253 with discharging devices B28C5/1276, B28C5/1292 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/1292 with rotating stirring and feeding or discharging means fixed on the same axis, e.g. in an inclined container fed at its lower part
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 7/064 Supply from sacks; Sack openers
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 7/12 Supplying or proportioning liquid ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 7/126 Supply means, e.g. nozzles

Abstract

A portable concrete mixer includes a frame, a hopper, coupled to the frame, for receiving therein dry commercially available prepackaged concrete mixes containing gravel aggregates, a chute coupled to the hopper, a water supply system that supplies water to the chute, a motor, and an auger coupled to and rotated by the motor. The auger includes a shaftless helical auger body extending from the hopper into the chute via an aperture in the hopper. The shaftless helical auger body has an interior volume and a plurality of fingers extending from the auger body into the interior volume. The shaftless helical auger body has an uneven pitch such that a second portion of the helical auger body in the chute has a greater pitch than a first portion of the helical auger body in the hopper.

Claims

1. A portable concrete mixer, comprising:

a frame;

a hopper, coupled to the frame, for receiving therein dry concrete mix containing gravel aggregate, the hopper having an aperture therein;

a chute coupled to the hopper;

a water supply system that supplies water to the portable concrete mixer;

a motor; and

an auger coupled to and rotated by the motor, wherein the auger includes a shaftless helical auger body extending from the hopper into the chute via the aperture, wherein the shaftless helical auger body has an interior volume and a plurality of fingers extending from the auger body into the interior volume, and wherein the shaftless helical auger body has an uneven pitch such that a second portion of the helical auger body in the chute has a greater pitch than a first portion of the helical auger body in the hopper.

2. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, wherein the motor is a DC motor.

3. The portable concrete mixer of claim 2, wherein the portable concrete mixer further comprises an AC to DC transformer.

4. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, wherein the motor is coupled to the hopper.

5. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, and further comprising at least one wheel coupled to the frame.

6. The portable concrete mixer of claim 5, wherein the frame further includes a plurality of rests for supporting the portable concrete mixer on a substrate.

7. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, wherein:

the portable concrete mixer has a first side and an opposing second side; and

the frame includes a handle extending from the first side to the second side.

8. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the auger is covered by a guard.

9. The portable concrete mixer of claim 8, wherein the guard is pivotally coupled to the hopper.

10. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, and further comprising a bag opening blade disposed within the hopper.

11. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, wherein the portable concrete mixer has a weight of approximately 50 pounds.

12. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, wherein the hopper has a rim having a maximum lift height of less than about three feet.

13. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the auger body has a pitch-to-diameter ratio of between about 0.3 and 1.8.

14. The portable concrete mixer of claim 13, wherein the first portion of the auger body has a pitch-to-diameter ratio of between about 0.2 and 0.9.

15. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, wherein the water supply system includes a water outlet that provides water into the chute.

16. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, wherein:

the hopper has a base; and

the water supply system includes a water outlet that provides water into the hopper at the base.

17. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of fingers is disposed approximately at the aperture.

18. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, wherein the chute has a length of approximately 16 to 30 inches.

19. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1, wherein the chute has an angle relative to a level plane of approximately between −

5 and 30 degrees of declination.