Apparatus for producing and simulataneously distributing cement mixes and the like

• US 5,893,639 A
• Filed: 06/20/1997
• Issued: 04/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blend Industry SRL
• Original Assignee: BLEND, SRL
• Inventors: Tetoldini, Fabrizio
• Primary Examiner(s): Cooley, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US08/879,373
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 366/16, 366/18, 366/21, 366/27, 366/28, 366/30, 366/33, 366/34, 366/35, 366/37, 366/38, 366/40, 366/50, 366/64, 366/68, 366/114, 366/134, 366/141, 366/153.3, 366/19, 366/154.1, 366/186 , 366/32, 366/194-196
• US Class Current: 366/18
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 9/0463 with a mixing discharge trough with a free end, e.g. provided with a mixing screw or pivotable about a vertical or horizontal axis

Abstract

Apparatus for distributing and producing cement mixes, substantially concrete, using an endless conveyor belt movable at the base of separate containers which contain the inert materials and the cement, and a reservoir for the mixing water, to form proportioned mixes in a screw mixer, with unloading of the product simultaneously with mixing; the apparatus comprising a supporting framework, on which are supported, at least one hopper-like prism-shaped container for the inert materials with adjustable discharge openings, and, in a raised position with respect to the hopper for the inert materials, at least one hopper-shaped container with adjustable opening for the cement; an endless conveyor belt being interposed between the framework and the discharge openings of the hoppers for the inert materials and for the cement, which are aligned to each other along an inclined plane; the belt is arranged at an angle along the plane of arrangement of the discharge openings, so as to make contact with, and pass beyond, the cement discharge opening; a screw mixer is associated with the hopper that contains the cement, is arranged so as to have a horizontal axis, and is moved by a suitable drive. The conveyor belt conveys into the screw proportioned amounts of inert materials and cement and then allow their mixing with likewise proportioned amounts of water drawn from the reservoir, simultaneously with the unloading of the concrete from the screw.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing and distributing cement mix, by mixing proportioned amounts of inert materials, cement and water and simultaneously distributing the prepared mix, the apparatus comprising:

a supporting framework;

at least one hopper-like prism-shaped container for the inert materials supported on said framework;

an adjustable discharge opening for the inert materials provided at said at least one inert material container;

at least one hopper-shaped container for the cement being supported on said framework in a raised position with respect to said at least one inert material container;

an adjustable discharge opening for the cement provided at said at least one cement container, said inert material and cement discharge openings being aligned along an inclined plane;

an endless conveyor belt being interposed between the framework and said inert material and cement discharge openings, and extending along said inclined plane from said inert material discharge opening to and past said cement discharge opening;

a screw mixer being arranged along a horizontal axis thereof and beneath said conveyor belt, at an end of said conveyor belt, said screw mixer being actuatable for preparing said mix;

a water reservoir for providing mixing water to said mixer;

said conveyor belt conveying to said screw mixer proportioned amounts of inert materials and cement discharged from said inert material and cement discharge openings, for preparing said mix and simultaneously delivering the prepared mix, the apparatus further comprising

a cutoff lamina, said at least one inert material container having an inclined bottom wall and a transverse wall, said conveyor belt being, along part of its length, arranged internally and in contact with the inclined bottom wall of said at least one inert material container, the discharge opening of said inert material container being formed by said cutoff lamina which is arranged parallel to and above the conveyor belt and at a given distance from the transverse wall of the inert material container, so as to leave a first end portion of the conveyor belt directly in contact with the inert materials, said cutoff lamina being movably mounted with an elevation thereof being adjustable with respect to said underlying conveyor belt for allowing feeds of inert materials to be proportioned according to requirements.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a double-action actuation piston being coupled to a bottom part of said at least one cement container and a second adjustably movable cutoff lamina, a second end portion of said conveyor belt passing beyond said at least one inert material container and being arranged below said cement discharge opening, adjustment of said cement discharge opening being achieved through movement of said second cutoff lamina externally and parallel to said bottom portion of said at least one cement container, said second cutoff lamina being actuated by said actuation piston.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an inclined transverse wall dividing said at least one inert material and cement containers and an additional cutoff lamina for the inert materials provided at said inclined transverse wall above said conveyor belt, said additional cut-off lamina being movable in contact with said inclined transverse wall and having adjustable elevation with respect to said conveyor belt, by any of a manual, mechanical and electrical actuation.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, comprising vibrating devices which are applied to at least one of said walls of said at least one inert material and cement containers and for facilitating descent of the inert materials and cement onto the conveyor belt, and electronic continuous weighing cells for the inert materials and for the cement, said weighing cells being connected to said conveyor belt.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, comprising, for said cement discharge opening, a volumetric dosage device of the star type with adjustable rotation rate.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein dividing walls are provided inside said inert material and cement containers, said dividing walls allowing differentiated proportioning of the inert materials and cement.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor belt and said screw mixer are actuatable through any of an independent motor means and a single drive.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is mountable on a truck, and the actuation of said conveyor belt and of said screw mixer is performable by drawing power from any of a tilting device of the truck and from a gearbox of said truck.