SELF-ERECTING MOBILE CONCRETE BATCH PLANT

• US 20020141851A1
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rexcon, LLC
• Original Assignee: Rose Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Weiss, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,474,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/332
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 7/0495 with a frame carrying the supplying, proportioning or batching elements, movable between a horizontal transport position and an inclined working position
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 9/0418 with a storage silo movable between a horizontal transport position and a vertical working position
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/30 specially adapted to facilitate transportation from one utilisation site to another collapsible hoppers B65D88/52
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/132 Vehicle-carried storage member, e.g. portable silo and means for erecting member from attitude during transport to position of intended use

Abstract

A roadway transportable concrete batching plant including a mobile supporting base unit, a mobile, self-erecting, batching tower unit and a mobile mixer unit, and further including an outrigger supporting system providing lateral support during onsite installation and operation of each of the cooperating batching plant units.

Claims

1. A mobile, self-erecting concrete batch plant comprising:

a roadway transportable supporting base member unit and a separate roadway transportable cement batching tower unit, said tower unit being arranged for transport in supine position relative to a roadway and to be pivotally attached to said base member unit and rotatably raised to an upright operating position relative to said supporting base member unit;

said cement batching tower unit including tower supporting framework having spaced apart upright members defining a side thereof and having at least one tower lifting ram including one end secured to a respective upright member, said lifting ram including a hydraulically operated, longitudinally extendible, plunger, said plunger having pivot attachment means at the distal end thereof, said tower unit further including a pair of apertured pivot supporting clevis members, each clevis member being respectively secured to an upright member;

said supporting base member unit including an elongate carriage framework having a forward end including detachable hitching means for transportation thereof, at least one bin for transporting aggregate material, an endless belt conveyor, a plurality of hydraulically operated support legs arranged to lift said base member unit to an elevated onsite operating position, a supporting pivot pin and a pair of apertured clevis members extending laterally from said carriage framework and arranged for axial alignment of the respective apertures of the tower supporting clevis members for receiving said supporting pivot pin inserted in said aligned apertures when said base member unit has been raised to elevated operating position, and said base member unit framework further including attachment means spaced from said pivot pin clevis members and arranged for pivotal attachment with the pivot attachment means on said lifting ram plunger during rotation of said tower unit from its supine position to upright operating position.

2. The concrete batch plant of claim 1, wherein said support legs of said base member unit each include a foot pad for resting contact with onsite terrain.

3. The concrete batch plant of claim 1, further including an outrigger lateral support system comprising:

at least one elongated supporting brace structure having a proximal end and a distal end and being hingedly supported at its proximal end on the framework of the base member unit and arranged to be hingedly rotated laterally outwardly to a selected support position relative to said base member unit framework, the distal end of said brace structure including a hydraulically operated, extendible supporting leg arranged for extension thereof to support contact with onsite terrain for lateral support of said base member unit and said tower unit when fastened to said base member unit.

5. The concrete batch plant of claim 3, wherein said outrigger lateral support system includes at least one additional elongated supporting brace structure hingedly supported from the opposite side of base member unit member framework and also having a proximal end and a distal end, and being arranged to be hingedly rotated laterally outwardly to a selected support position relative to said base unit framework, and also having, at its distal end, a hydraulically operated extendible supporting leg arranged for extension thereof to a supporting contact with onsite terrain for lateral support of the opposite side of said base unit and said tower unit when fastened to said base member unit.

6. The concrete batch plant of claim 3, wherein said outrigger lateral support system includes an additional supporting brace structure having a proximal end and a distal end and being hingedly supported at its proximal end at the distal end of said first mentioned brace structure, and further being arranged to be hingedly rotated angularly relative to said first brace structure and being spaced from said base member unit end including, at its proximal end a hydraulically operated extendible support leg arranged for extension thereof to supporting contact with onsite terrain for further lateral support of said base member unit and said tower unit when fastened to said base member unit.

7. The concrete batch plant of claim 1, further including a separate roadway transportable mixer unit having a plurality of hydraulically operated, longitudinally extendible support legs for raising said mixer unit to an elevated operating position adjacent to said previously erected tower unit, said mixer unit further including a rotatable mixing chamber pivotally mounted relative to said supporting legs and to said erected tower unit, said pivotal support providing tilting means for removal of a mixable concrete batch to an awaiting truck.

8. The concrete batch plant of claim 1 wherein said endless belt conveyor includes a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, and wherein said proximal end portion is pivotally supported at the forward end of said base member framework, said proximal end and wherein said distal end portion of said conveyor normally rests on the framework of said supporting base member, said conveyor further including a pivotal end connection located intermediate its proximal and distal end portions.

4. The concrete batch plant of claim 37 wherein the extendible support leg for said brace structure includes a foot pad for resting contact with onsite terrain.

9. A method of transporting and assembling a mobile, self-erecting, concrete batch plant, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a roadway transportable base unit including an elongate carriage framework, at least one bin for transporting aggregate material, an endless belt conveyor, a plurality of hydraulically operated support legs arranged to lift said base member unit to an elevated onsite operating position;

providing a tractor for transporting said base member unit;

delivering said base member unit and its tractor to an onsite patching location;

extending each of said plurality of hydraulically operated support legs to an elevated onsite operating position;

providing a roadway transportable cement batching tower unit arranged for transport in supine position relative to a roadway;

providing a tractor unit for transporting said tower unit in said supine position;

delivering said tower unit to said aforementioned onsite batching location;

said tower unit being delivered in operating location adjacent said supporting base member unit, and pivotally attaching said tower unit to said base member unit;

rotatably raising said tower unit, while pivotally attached to said base member unit, to upright operating position;

providing an outrigger lateral support system, said outrigger lateral support system comprising at least one elongated supporting brace structure having a proximal end and a distal end and being hingedly supported at its proximal end on the framework of said base member unit;

hingedly rotating said brace member laterally outwardly to a selected support position relative to said base member unit framework for lateral support of said unit and said pivotally attached tower unit, the distal end of said brace structure including a hydraulically operated, extendible supporting leg arranged for extension thereof to supporting contact with onsite terrain.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein there is provided an additional supporting brace structure having a proximal end and a distal end and being hingedly supported at its proximal end to the distal end of said first mentioned brace structure;

and

hingedly rotating said additional supporting brace structure angularity relative to said first mentioned brace structure and being spaced from said base member unit;

providing a hydraulically operated extendible support leg at the distal end of said additional brace structure for extension thereof to supporting contact with onsite terrain for further lateral support of said base member unit and said tower unit when said tower unit has been fastened to said base member unit.

11. The method of claim 10 including the provision of a separate roadway transportable mixer unit having a plurality of hydraulically operated longitudinally extendible support legs for raising said mixer unit to an elevated operating position adjacent to said previously erected tower unit, said mixer unit further including a rotatable mixing chamber pivotally supported relative to said supporting legs and to said erected tower unit;

pivotally positioning said mixer unit in operating position relative to said batching tower unit; and

tipping said mixer unit to an angular mix discharge position relative to said tower unit.