Mixing auger mounting and storage arrangement
First Claim
1. In a concrete production system including a mobile chassis having front and rear ends and opposite sides, a tank mounted across said chassis between its opposite sides for storing ingredients for making concrete and having an outboard side extending along one side of said chassis, a mixing auger for receiving and mixing said ingredients into concrete, and means on said chassis for conveying said ingredients to said mixing auger, an improved mounting and storage arrangement for said mixing auger which comprises:
- (a) means defining an elongated cavity within said outboard side of said tank which cavity opens outwardly from said one side of said mobile chassis;
(b) means mounting said mixing auger at its lower end to a rear corner of said mobile chassis formed by said rear end and said one side of said chassis, said mounting means supporting said auger to pivotal swinging movement between raised and lowered positions about a first axis and between side and rear transverse positions about a second axis extending in generally orthogonal relationship to said first axis whereby said auger can be pivotally moved between a storage position, wherein a portion of said auger is fitted within said elongated cavity, and a range of operating positions located about said rear corner of said chassis; and
(c) means connecting said auger at its upper end to said mobile chassis and being operable for positioning said auger at selected positions between said raised and lowered positions and said side and rear transverse positions, said auger connecting and positioning means including(i) a first actuator supported on said chassis and having an end interconnected to said upper end of said auger and movable along a first path between extended and retracted positions for pivotally moving said auger between said raised and lowered positions about said first axis, and(ii) a second actuator supported on said chassis and having an end interconnected to said upper end of said auger and movable along a second path between extended and retracted positions for pivotally moving said auger between said side and rear transverse positions about said second axis.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a concrete production system, an improved aggregates conveying apparatus includes an aggregates drag conveyor having a lower, conveying run which drags aggregates along a centrally-located, common trough shared by separate fine and coarse aggregates hoppers to a discharge end and an upper, return run which moves through a hollow channel formed in a common wall separating the hoppers above the common trough. An improved cement metering apparatus in the system includes a cement conveyor mounted along a trough below the cement hopper so as to make an endless path around a floor of the trough. Baffle gates at each end of the floor coact with the conveyor to prevent inadvertent flow of cement past the ends of the floor and to only permit metered flow of the cement from the discharge end of the trough. The fine and coarse aggregates, and the cement discharge into a mixing auger where, after water is added, they are mixed into concrete before discharge from the auger. An improved mounting arrangement supports the motor which powers the mixing auger on the inboard end of the auger, while another improved arrangement mounts the mixing auger at a corner of the chassis mounting the system for pivotal movement between raised and lowered positions and swinging movement between side and transverse rear positions.
32 Citations
9 Claims
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1. In a concrete production system including a mobile chassis having front and rear ends and opposite sides, a tank mounted across said chassis between its opposite sides for storing ingredients for making concrete and having an outboard side extending along one side of said chassis, a mixing auger for receiving and mixing said ingredients into concrete, and means on said chassis for conveying said ingredients to said mixing auger, an improved mounting and storage arrangement for said mixing auger which comprises:
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(a) means defining an elongated cavity within said outboard side of said tank which cavity opens outwardly from said one side of said mobile chassis; (b) means mounting said mixing auger at its lower end to a rear corner of said mobile chassis formed by said rear end and said one side of said chassis, said mounting means supporting said auger to pivotal swinging movement between raised and lowered positions about a first axis and between side and rear transverse positions about a second axis extending in generally orthogonal relationship to said first axis whereby said auger can be pivotally moved between a storage position, wherein a portion of said auger is fitted within said elongated cavity, and a range of operating positions located about said rear corner of said chassis; and (c) means connecting said auger at its upper end to said mobile chassis and being operable for positioning said auger at selected positions between said raised and lowered positions and said side and rear transverse positions, said auger connecting and positioning means including (i) a first actuator supported on said chassis and having an end interconnected to said upper end of said auger and movable along a first path between extended and retracted positions for pivotally moving said auger between said raised and lowered positions about said first axis, and (ii) a second actuator supported on said chassis and having an end interconnected to said upper end of said auger and movable along a second path between extended and retracted positions for pivotally moving said auger between said side and rear transverse positions about said second axis. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. In a concrete production system including a mobile chassis having front and rear ends and opposite sides, a tank mounted across said chassis between its opposite sides for storing ingredients for making concrete and having an outboard side extending along one side of said chassis, a mixing auger for receiving and mixing said ingredients into concrete, and means on said chassis for conveying said ingredients to said mixing auger, an improved mounting and storage arrangement for said mixing auger which comprises:
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(a) means defining a storage position for said mixing auger along one side of said mobile chassis; (b) means mounting said mixing auger at its lower end to a rear corner of said mobile chassis formed by said rear end and said one side of said chassis, said mounting means supporting said auger for pivotal swinging movement between raised and lowered positions about a first axis and between side and rear transverse positions about a second axis extending in generally orthogonal relationship to said first axis whereby said auger can be pivotally moved between said storage position and a range of operating positions located about said rear corner of said chassis; and (c) means connecting said auger at its upper end to said mobile chassis and being operable for positioning said auger at selected positions between said raised and lowered positions and said side and rear transverse positions, said auger connecting and positioning means including (i) a first actuator supported on said chassis and having an end interconnected to said upper end of said auger and movable along a first path between extended and retracted positions for pivotally moving said auger between said raised and lowered positions about said first axis, and (ii) a second actuator supported on said chassis and having an end interconnected to said upper end of said auger and movable along a second path between extended and retracted positions for pivotally moving said auger between said side and rear transverse positions about said second axis. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification