Concrete machine

• US 7,503,412 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2004
• Issued: 03/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Naamloze Vennootschap Cmi Belgium
• Original Assignee: Naamloze Vennootschap Cmi Belgium
• Inventors: François, Casters
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scharich; Marc A
• Application Number:
  US10/994,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20050194195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 180/9.5, 180/9.52, 180/408, 404/105
• US Class Current: 180/9.52
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/48 for laying-down the materials and consolidating them, or finishing the surface , e.g. slip forms therefor, forming kerbs or gutters in a continuous operation in situ E01C19/002, E01C23/065 take precedence; devices for guiding or controlling the machines along a predetermined path E01C19/004

Abstract

Concrete machine which is mainly composed of a chassis and of caterpillar drives, upon which the chassis is provided via arms, which arms can be adjusted in height, characterized in that the concrete machine is provided with a system for adjusting the chassis in height in relation to the arms.

Claims

1. A concrete machine comprising a chassis adapted for receiving a tool and drive mechanisms having respective wheel housings, said chassis connected to the drive mechanisms having respective wheel housings by means of arms, said arms being adjustable in height, and a chassis height adjusting system arranged to adjust the chassis and the associated tool in height in relation to the arms;

wherein the height adjusting system includes at least two carriages each movably arranged to shift on at least two guides which are part of the chassis, such that rotation of the chassis and the associated tool with respect to the arms and drive mechanisms having respective wheel housings is prevented.

2. The concrete machine according to claim 1, wherein one or several of the arms are fixed to the at least two carriages;

and further comprising a drive for moving a respective one of the at least two carriages.

3. The concrete machine according to claim 2, wherein said drive comprises at least one chain drive including at least one chain which is guided around a gear wheel of at least one threaded rod, which at least one threaded rod extends through a nut which is part of the respective one of the at least two carriages.

4. The concrete machine according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the at least two guides is additionally provided with at least one freely rotating gear wheel, and wherein the at least one chain is guided in a zigzag pattern over the at least one freely rotating gear wheel of the at least one of the at least two guides and over the gear wheel of the at least one threaded rod.

5. The concrete machine according to claim 2, wherein each arm is respectively connected to a respective one of the at least two carriages.

6. The concrete machine according to claim 3, wherein the at least one chain drive comprises a common chain which is guided around the respective gear wheels of a plurality of the at least one threaded rod.

7. The concrete machine according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the at least two guides each extend through different respective holes which are provided in the chassis, such that the plurality of the at least two guides can be fixed in different positions on the chassis.

8. The concrete machine according to claim 2, wherein said drive comprises at least one chain drive including at least one chain which is guided around a gear wheel of at least one threaded rod extending through a nut which is part of at least one of the at least two carriages, and wherein a plurality of the at least one threaded rod is provided through a respective plurality of holes in the chassis, and wherein for every threaded rod, additional holes are provided in the chassis corresponding to a plurality of the at least two guides.

9. The concrete machine according to claim 1, wherein the arms comprise two parallel beams having an equal length, which arms are each hinge-mounted with one end connected to a respective one of the at least two carriages and the other end to a respective drive mechanism having a respective wheel housing.

10. The concrete machine according to claim 9, including an actuator cylinder extending between the respective one of the at least two carriages and the respective drive mechanism having a respective wheel housing.