Concrete dispensing apparatus for pre-cast concrete forms

• US 20080048351A1
• Filed: 08/22/2006
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SUPERIOR WALLS OF AMERICA, LIMITED
• Original Assignee: SWA HOLDING COMPANY INCORPORATED
• Inventors: Martin, Carl S., Zimmerman, Melvin M., Hildebrand, Matthew S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,980,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/31
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/29 by profiling or strickling the material in open moulds or on moulding surfaces in rotary moulds B28B1/02; by means of profiled rollers B28B3/12, B28B3/123
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 13/0215 Feeding the moulding material in measured quantities from a container or silo
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 13/0225 Feeding specific quantities of material at specific locations in the mould
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 5/02 on conveyors of the endless-belt or chain type in combination with pressing rollers B28B3/12

Abstract

A concrete dispensing apparatus is used in a manufacturing process for producing pre-cast concrete structures, which are conventionally used to form a foundation for a residential or commercial building. The dispensing apparatus includes a hopper that funnels to a discharge opening extending along the entire transverse length of the dispensing apparatus. A plurality of individually controlled gates cover the entire discharge opening for selectively controlling the length and location of the discharge opening through which concrete is dispensed. The dispensing apparatus also includes a finishing mechanism including a vibratory screed and a rotational finishing roller. The form can be moved relative to the dispensing apparatus or vice versa. A form vibrator induces a vibratory motion into the form to remove air from the dispensed concrete mixture. Operative control is accomplished through an operator control panel operable to control a hydraulic system powering the operative functions of the dispensing apparatus.

Claims

1. A concrete dispensing apparatus for use in the manufacture of pre-cast concrete structures having a form into which a hydrated concrete mixture is to be distributed, comprising:

a frame;

a hopper supported by said frame above said form to dispense said concrete mixture into the form, said hopper having upright walls defining a cavity including an upper inlet opening into which said concrete mixture is loaded into said hopper cavity and a lower discharge opening through which said concrete mixture is dispensed from said hopper into said form, said discharge opening being divided into a plurality of ports; and

a control gate mounted on said hopper at said discharge opening corresponding to each said port to be independently movable between a closed position in which said control gate covers the corresponding said port to prevent said concrete mixture from being dispensed therethrough and an open position in which said concrete mixture is permitted to flow through the corresponding said port, each said control gate including an actuator for affecting said movement between said open and closed positions.

2. The concrete dispensing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a surface finishing apparatus mounted behind said hopper to finish a top surface of said concrete mixture within said form passing beneath said surface finishing apparatus.

3. The concrete dispensing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said surface finishing apparatus includes:

a screed panel for leveling said concrete mixture within said form; and

a finishing member mounted behind said screed panel to smooth said top surface of said concrete mixture after being leveled by said screed panel.

4. The concrete dispensing apparatus of claim 3 wherein said screed panel has a vibrational device mounted thereon to transmit a vibratory motion to said screed panel and said concrete mixture in contact with said screed panel, said finishing member being a rotatable roller trowel.

5. The concrete dispensing apparatus of claim 3 wherein said hopper has a converging wall section terminating in said discharge opening, said concrete dispensing apparatus further comprising a rotatable auger mounted in said cavity within said converging wall section above said discharge opening to distribute evenly said concrete mixture to said ports.

6. The concrete dispensing apparatus of claim 5 wherein said auger is formed with flighting that is oriented from each respective end of said auger toward a center point thereof such that said auger, depending on the direction of rotation thereof, is operable to convey concrete mixture toward the center point or away from the center point.

7. The concrete dispensing apparatus of claim 6 wherein said auger is rotatably supported by end bearings mounted on said hopper walls and by at least one interior bearing mounted within said hopper cavity.

8. The concrete dispensing apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

a hydraulic system operably connected to said actuators for affecting movement of said control gates, to a first hydraulic motor for delivering rotational power to said auger, and to a second hydraulic motor for delivering rotational power to said roller trowel; and

a control system including an electric solenoid valve for each said actuator, an electric flow control valve for each said hydraulic motor, and a control switch corresponding to each said valve to control the independent operation thereof from a central control panel.

9. The concrete dispensing apparatus of claim 8 wherein said control panel further includes a first and second override switches operable to actuate all of said electric solenoid valves corresponding to said control gates into said open position and said closed position, respectively.

10. The concrete dispensing apparatus of claim 8 wherein said form is mounted on a track mechanism to cause movement of said form beneath said hopper, said hydraulic system including a third hydraulic motor for driving said track mechanism, said control system including an electric flow control valve operably connected to said third hydraulic motor and a control switch corresponding to said third hydraulic motor for the independent control thereof.

11. A method of manufacturing a pre-cast concrete wall panel comprising the steps of:

assembling a form corresponding to said pre-cast concrete wall panel;

providing a concrete dispensing apparatus positionable above said form to dispense a hydrated concrete mixture into said form, said concrete dispensing apparatus including a hopper having a transversely extending discharge opening substantially coextensive with a corresponding transverse dimension of said form, said discharge opening being divided into a plurality of ports with each port being associated with a control gate independently operable to open and close said port for the selective dispensing of said concrete mixture from the corresponding said port;

operating a track mechanism to cause relative movement between said hopper and said form such that said hopper moves relative to said form from one longitudinal end thereof to another longitudinal end thereof; and

opening and closing said control gates for the selective dispensing of said concrete mixture into said form such that any ports overlying a formed opening within said form have the control gate closed while said corresponding ports overlie said formed opening.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

finishing a top surface of said concrete mixture within said form with a finishing apparatus carried by said hopper after said concrete mixture has been dispensed from said hopper.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said finishing step includes the steps of:

screeding said concrete mixture with a screed panel to level said concrete mixture within said form; and

trowling said top surface with a rotated finishing member after said screeding step to smooth said top surface.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

vibrating said form while said concrete mixture is being dispensed from said hopper.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

vibrating said screed panel during said screeding step.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said operating step causes said form to move beneath said concrete dispensing apparatus.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said operating step causes said concrete dispensing apparatus to move over top of said form.

18. In a concrete dispenser for distributing a hydrated concrete mixture into a form for the manufacture of a pre-cast concrete structure, the improvement comprising:

a hopper supported above said form to dispense said concrete mixture into the form, said hopper having upright walls defining a cavity including an upper inlet opening into which said concrete mixture is loaded into said hopper cavity and a lower discharge opening through which said concrete mixture is dispensed from said hopper into said form, said discharge opening being divided into a plurality of ports; and

a control gate mounted on said hopper at said discharge opening corresponding to each said port to be independently movable between a closed position in which said control gate covers the corresponding said port to prevent said concrete mixture from being dispensed therethrough and an open position in which said concrete mixture is permitted to flow through the corresponding said port, each said control gate including an actuator for affecting said movement between said open and closed positions.

19. The concrete dispenser of claim 18 further comprising a surface finishing apparatus including:

a screed panel for leveling said concrete mixture within said form after being dispensed into said form from said hopper; and

a rotatable roller trowel mounted behind said screed panel to smooth said top surface of said concrete mixture after being leveled by said screed panel.

20. The concrete dispenser of claim 19 further comprising:

a hydraulic system operably connected to said actuators for affecting movement of said control gates; and

a control system including an electric solenoid valve for each said actuator and a control switch corresponding to each said solenoid valve to control the independent operation thereof from a central control panel, said control system further including first and second override switches operable to actuate all of said electric solenoid valves into said open position and said closed position, respectively.