BE1030054B1 - CONCRETE MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND FACILITY - Google Patents

Abstract

Method of manufacturing concrete, comprising transferring granular materials into storage hoppers, pouring metered quantities of these materials from a first series of hoppers onto a first conveyor belt (6) and from a second series of hoppers on a second conveyor belt (6'), the transport by the first conveyor belt (6) to a conveyor belt (20) being carried out simultaneously with or separately from the transport by the second conveyor belt (6') to this belt conveyor (20), and conveying by the latter said metered quantities of granular materials alternately into an aggregate tank (31) of a mixing tower (24) or into an aggregate tank (31') of another mixing tower (24).

Description

1 BE2021/6018

CONCRETE MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND PLANT

The present invention relates to a process and an installation for manufacturing concrete.

Concrete manufacturing methods are known comprising a transfer of quantities of granular materials having different particle sizes into separate storage hoppers, a discharge of measured quantities of at least one of said granular materials from at least one of said storage on a transport means, a transport of these dosed quantities by said transport means to a conveyor belt which conveys them to the top of a mixing stage, a mixing, in this mixing stage, of said dosed quantities, conveyed, d at least one of said granular materials with hydraulic binder, water and any additives, to form a pasty mass of concrete, and unloading of said pasty mass of concrete out of the floor of

Mixing, for its exploitation.

For the implementation of such a method, an installation is provided in known manner which comprises storage hoppers for receiving granular materials having different particle size sizes, which are provided with an upper loading opening and a lower opening of discharge, closable, a transport means onto which are poured measured quantities of granular materials from said storage hoppers, a conveyor belt on which said transport means brings said measured quantities of granular materials, and a mixing stage having an inlet , where said conveyor belt conveys said measured quantities of granular materials, means for supplying hydraulic binder, water and any additives and a closable outlet for discharging a pasty mass of concrete.

2 BE2021/6018

By mixing stage is meant according to the invention all the elements and devices which allow mixing of material, and therefore not only the mixer, but also the feed systems of the mixer. In a usual way, this mixing stage has the shape of a tower, the upper level of which comprises scales for water, cement and any admixtures, as well as an aggregate tank to receive the already dosed quantities of granular materials and whose lower level consists of the mixer itself. When the mixer is empty, the scales and the aggregate tank simultaneously empty into the mixer.

Concrete manufacturing facilities are used to provide products of several kinds, such as Bénor concretes that comply with European standards or rich concretes called "on composition", lean concretes, or various mixtures based on cement and aggregates such as stabilized stones, stabilized sands, screeds, specific concretes (road, cavernous, colloidal, etc.). Special admixtures are sometimes required and more and more it is sought to be able to recycle certain materials already previously used in concrete.

The concretes are mixed in a mixing tank called a waste, and the production is therefore carried out by batches which are obtained every 20 to 50 seconds, then poured into mixer vehicles, for example mixer trucks, each mixer truck being able to contain a maximum of 3 wasted. This spill can also take place in dump trucks, flatbed trucks or even simple trailers attached to cars.

These installations generally show limited performance.

They do not make it possible to rapidly increase or decrease the production of a concrete, according to demand, and above all they do not allow a

3 BE2021/6018 easy and quick transition from the manufacture of mixes of one composition to that of mixes of another composition.

The object of the present invention is to solve these problems and to propose a process and a concrete manufacturing installation which make it possible to improve performance and which allow great flexibility in the production of different concretes in the installation. is also known a process for manufacturing concrete, comprising a transfer of quantities of granular materials having different granulometric sizes into separate storage hoppers, a discharge of metered quantities of at least one of said granular materials from at least one of said hoppers of a first series of storage hoppers on a first conveyor belt which, as a transport means, runs along a direction, in a first direction, a discharge of metered quantities of at least one of said granular materials from at at least one of said hoppers of a second series of storage hoppers on a second conveyor belt which, as a means of transport, runs in said direction, in a second direction opposite to the first, or in another direction, and a transport of these quantities dosed with granular materials by said conveyor belts to a conveyor belt which conveys them to the top of two separate mixing towers, in each of which these granular materials are mixed with hydraulic binder, water and any additives, to form a pasty mass of concrete, to be unloaded for its exploitation (FR2953423). According to the invention the transport by said first conveyor belt to said conveyor belt is carried out chronologically simultaneously with or separately from the transport by said second conveyor belt to said conveyor belt, and the delivery of said metered quantities of granular materials to the top of each of the towers mixing is carried out by the conveyor belt

4 BE2021/6018 alternatively in an aggregate tank of one mixing tower or in an aggregate tank of the other mixing tower.

This method makes it possible, depending on the various orders, not only to increase or reduce very significantly and very quickly the production capacity of the installation, but also to rapidly supply batches of concrete of different compositions successively or even simultaneously. Indeed, the aforesaid granular materials, also called aggregates, which comprise sands, gravel, and gravel of predetermined particle size sizes, can be brought to the mixers in easily adaptable successive mixtures. The conveyor belt can be fed by one or more conveyor belts, themselves each supplied from one or more storage hoppers. And, in each mixer, the quantity of hydraulic binder, water or additive can be adapted independently according to demand. Two mixer trucks can therefore harvest two concretes of different qualities at the bottom of the mixers simultaneously.

According to one embodiment of the invention, said transfer step comprises pouring at least one of the granular materials into at least one storage hopper from a carrier vehicle. Such direct pouring into the storage hoppers saves a lot of time. Suitable carrier vehicles are, for example, tipper trucks.

According to another embodiment of the invention, said transfer step comprises intermediate storage of one of said granular materials in front of each storage hopper, and loading of the latter by simple pushing of the granular material. This makes it possible to avoid the usual filling of the hoppers from a single tank located higher than the storage hoppers and supplied successively with each of the granular materials from a primary storage located lower. Optionally, the method according to the invention comprises primary storage of said granular materials, separately, at a distance from said storage hoppers, and at the same level as the intermediate storage and in that said transfer step comprises a moving step preliminary granular material from the primary storage directly to the hoppers or intermediate storage, prior to loading the hoppers.

This allows a simple transfer of the materials to the hoppers or to an intermediate storage area, for example by a loader machine, without requiring any further elevation of the materials to the aforementioned tank. Moreover, the aforesaid thrust can also be performed, for example, by these same loaders.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the method comprises weighing the granular materials dumped on the conveyor belts. A weighing of each conveyor belt during each aforementioned pouring on it of one of said granular materials allows a metering of the quantities poured from the storage hoppers.

The present invention also relates to a concrete manufacturing plant, which comprises storage hoppers for receiving granular materials having different particle size sizes, which are provided with an upper loading opening and a lower discharge opening, which can be closed, a first series of storage hoppers being aligned above a first conveyor belt, as means of transport, which runs towards a conveyor belt along a direction, in a first direction, and on which said transport means can supply metered quantities of granular materials, a second series of storage hoppers being aligned above a second conveyor belt, as a means of transport, which runs towards said conveyor belt in said direction, in a second direction opposite to the first, or in another direction direction, and a mixing stage, comprising

6 BE2021/6018 at least two mixing towers each having an upper inlet opening, each of these mixing towers being provided with means for supplying hydraulic binder, water and any additives, a device for mixing and a closable lower outlet opening to discharge a pasty mass of concrete. According to the invention, in this installation, the conveyor belts are arranged so as to scroll towards a lower end of the conveyor belt, the two conveyor belts each having a discharge end arranged above the lower end of the conveyor belt, an impact plate being located between the two discharge ends of the two conveyor belts to cause an almost vertical fall of the granular materials onto the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt runs obliquely from this lower end to a higher end located at the - above the upper inlet openings of the mixing towers, the upper end of the conveyor belt leading to an inclined, pivoting collector plate, which directs the metered quantities of granular materials into an aggregate tank of one or more other of said mixing towers, the installation further comprising control means allowing simultaneous supply of granular materials to the conveyor belt from the first and second conveyor belts or stopping of this supply from one of the two belts conveyors and control means allowing pivoting of the pivoting plate in one or the other of the mixing towers.

Advantageously the command and control means are integrated in a remote control unit.

Such an arrangement makes it very simple to provide simultaneous manufacture, in several mixers arranged in parallel, of identical or different concretes, depending on requirements.

7 BE2021/6018

According to one embodiment of the invention, the installation comprises an intermediate storage area in front of the upper loading opening of each of the storage hoppers. These intermediate storage areas can form a buffer storage space before storage in the hoppers. They can also be used to receive a carrier vehicle capable of carrying out direct pouring of granular material into the corresponding hopper, when the latter is empty. Dump trucks can then dump their contents directly into the hopper, thus avoiding costly handling of a loader machine which still has to push the stored material.

Advantageously, the installation also comprises primary storage areas for granular materials, located at a distance from the storage hoppers, and the primary storage areas and the intermediate storage areas are arranged at the same level which is equal to or higher than the upper inlet openings of storage hoppers. . For example, these primary storage and intermediate storage areas are arranged on a single and same platform on which, for example, several loading machines can circulate simultaneously and transfer each of the granular materials to its storage area(s). intermediate, as needed. These same loaders are also capable of pushing granular materials from their intermediate storage area into their storage hopper. To reach the platform one can envisage an access ramp for trucks, or any other common means of transport. This general arrangement allows each hopper to be loaded independently of the others according to needs and therefore

Faster and easier supply of the installation.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, at least one storage hopper comprises an upper part leading to a lower part comprising at least two separate compartments each provided with a lower unloading opening, which can be closed

8 BE2021/6018 independently of the unloading opening of the other compartment.

This arrangement facilitates a precisely controlled metering of the mixture of granular materials to be fed by the respective conveyor belt to the conveyor belt and allows a controlled discharge speed. Depending on the needs, one or two of the lower unloading openings are opened. The openings of the aforesaid compartments can be closed off by usual means such as for example valves for gravel and extractor belts for sand.

Other details and particularities of the invention will become apparent from the description of an exemplary embodiment of an installation according to the invention, given below by way of non-limiting and with the aid of the appended figures.

FIG. 1 represents a schematic plan view of an installation according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a sectional view along line IH of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a plan and profile view of the aggregate transport system to the top of the mixing towers.

It should be noted that these figures are schematic and are not provided to the same scale. Identical or similar elements are designated in the various figures by the same references.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the installation illustrated comprises a platform 1, to which dump trucks containing granular materials can reach via an access ramp 2. Several primary storage areas 3 are provided for one side of the platform, in housings separated by partitions 4. In each housing it will therefore be possible to keep different granular materials in piles, such as

9 BE2021/6018 sand, gravel, gravel of various grain sizes, naturally with only one material per dwelling.

In the example shown, on the other side of the platform there are two rows of each five storage hoppers 5 and 5' respectively which are each aligned above a conveyor belt 6 and 6' respectively. As is apparent in particular from Figure 2, at their upper end these hoppers 5, 5 'each have an upper loading opening 7 and 7' respectively, which, in the example illustrated, is located at the level of the flat -form 1. Intermediate storage areas 8 and 8' respectively are arranged on platform 1 in front of each storage hopper, being separated from one another by partitions 9 and 9' respectively. These intermediate storage areas 8, 8' serve as buffers between the primary storage areas 3 and the storage hoppers 5, 5'.

Several mobile machines, for example the aforementioned dump trucks, can easily arrive on the platform 1 and circulate simultaneously on it to supply the granular material which suits it not only to each storage area 3, but also to each storage area intermediate 8 or 8', or they can even pour their load directly into a suitable hopper. These same machines are also capable of loading part of the pile of granular material stored on the 8 or 8' areas into the 5 or 5' hoppers, by simply pushing through their 7 or 7' upper opening. It will easily be understood that the level of the platform 1 may possibly be slightly higher than that of the upper openings 7, 7' of the hoppers.

Each storage hopper comprises, in the example illustrated, an upper part, which, in the example illustrated, comprises two opposite vertical walls 11, 12, and respectively 11', 12', which are arranged perpendicular to their conveyor belt 6 , 6', and two walls inclined towards each other 13, 14 and 13', 14' respectively. This upper part opens into two separate compartments 15, 16 and respectively 15', 16'

10 BE2021/6018 which each have the shape of an inverted pyramid and which each have a discharge opening 17 and 17 'respectively, which is closable.

In the hopper illustrated in Figure 2, which is intended to contain a coarse granular material, the discharge opening is closed by a valve 18. This valve closes the corresponding compartment of the hopper if it should not see Ia material granular it contains discharged or it opens it otherwise. The passage of the valve 18 from an open position to a closed position or vice versa is carried out using any usual means known to those skilled in the art. In the example shown, it is opened using two cylinders 28 remotely controlled from a control unit 19.

When the hopper contains a fine granular material, such as sand, it may be advantageous to regulate its unloading, not by a valve, but by an extractor belt known per se for this purpose, which can also be set in motion by the control unit 19.

In the example illustrated, the conveyor belts 6 and 6 'are arranged to run horizontally towards each other in the same horizontal direction, but in opposite directions, towards a lower end 21 of the conveyor belt 20. The two conveyor belts 6 and 6' dump their aggregates over the lower end of the conveyor belt 20. The aggregates, arriving at a certain speed, are advantageously stopped in their tracks by an impact plate 30 located between the two ends of the two conveyor belts 6, 6', which has the effect of causing an almost vertical drop of the aggregates from the conveyor belt(s) towards the conveyor belt 20.

This runs obliquely from its lower end 21 to a higher end 22 located above the upper inlet openings 23 and 23' respectively of the mixing towers 24 and 24' respectively. There, with the aid of a referral system consisting of a collector plate 29 inclined and orientable by means of a pivot towards one or the other mixing tower 24, 24', the

11 BE2021/6018 conveyor belt 20 discharges the granular material which it transports into an aggregate tank 31, 31' shown schematically in Figure 3, which, in turn, can discharge its contents into a conventional mixing device. It should be noted that it is also possible to envisage that the conveyor belts 6, 6' are also inclined and/or that they are arranged in different directions from each other.

Each mixer is provided in a known manner with various supply means, such as rockers, for hydraulic binder 25, 25', water 26, 26' and possible additives 27, 27', such as plasticizers . These mixers are of course also provided with a closable lower outlet opening for unloading a pasty mass of concrete, for example into mixer trucks brought under the mixers.

The commissioning of one or the other of the conveyor belts 6 and 6 ', of the conveyor belt 20, of one or the other of the mixers of the mixing towers 24, 24' or of both can advantageously be controlled or controlled remotely from a single control unit 19. This can advantageously also control the opening or closing of each compartment of the hoppers 5, 5', of the aggregate tank 31, 31', of the scales supply of the mixers and the pivoting of the collector 29.

It should be understood that the present invention is in no way limited to the preceding description and that many modifications could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the following claims.

Claims (10)

12 BE2021/6018 CLAIMS 1. Process for manufacturing concrete, comprising - A transfer of quantities of granular materials having different particle sizes into separate storage hoppers, - A discharge of measured quantities of at least one of said granular materials from at least one of said hoppers of a first series of storage hoppers on a first conveyor belt which, as a means of transport, runs along a direction, in a first direction, - A discharge of metered quantities of at least one of said granular materials from at least one of said hoppers of a second series of storage hoppers on a second conveyor belt which, as a means of transport, runs in said direction, in a second direction opposite to the first, or in another direction, and - a transport of these metered quantities of granular materials by said conveyor belts to a conveyor belt which conveys them to the top of two separate mixing towers, in each of which these granular materials are mixed with hydraulic binder, water and possible additives, for form a pasty mass of concrete, to be unloaded for its exploitation, characterized in that the transport by the said first conveyor belt to the said conveyor belt is carried out chronologically simultaneously with or separately from the transport by the said second conveyor belt to the said conveyor belt, and in that that said delivery of said metered quantities of granular materials to the top of each of the mixing towers is carried out by the conveyor belt alternately in an aggregate tank 13 BE2021/6018 of one mixing tower or in an aggregate tank of the other mixing tower. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforesaid granular materials comprise sands, gravel, gravel of predetermined particle size sizes. 3. Method according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said transfer step comprises pouring at least one of the granular materials into at least one storage hopper from a carrier vehicle. 4. Method according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said transfer step comprises a preliminary storage of one of said granular materials in front of each storage hopper, so as to be able to be loaded therein by single push. 5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a primary storage of said granular materials, at a distance from said storage hoppers, and in that the primary storage and the intermediate storage take place at the same level. 6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises weighing the granular materials dumped on each conveyor belt. 7. Installation for manufacturing concrete, comprising - storage hoppers (5, 5') for receiving granular materials having different particle size sizes, which are provided with an upper loading opening (7) and a lower opening of discharge (17, 17'), closable, - a first series of storage hoppers (5) being aligned above a first conveyor belt (6), as transport means, which runs towards a conveyor belt (20) in a direction, in a 14 BE2021/6018 first direction, and on which said means of transport can bring metered quantities of granular materials, - A second series of storage hoppers (5') being aligned above a second conveyor belt (6'), as means of transport, which runs towards said conveyor belt (20) in said direction, in a second direction opposite to the first, or in another direction, and - A mixing stage, comprising at least two mixing towers (24, 24') each having an upper inlet opening, each of these mixing towers being provided with means for supplying hydraulic binder (25), water (26) and any additives (27), a mixing device and a lower outlet opening that can be closed to discharge a pasty mass of concrete, characterized in that the conveyor belts (6,6') are arranged so as to scroll towards a lower end (21) of the conveyor belt (20), the two conveyor belts each having a discharge end arranged over the lower end of the conveyor belt, in that an impact plate (30) is located between the two discharge ends of the two conveyor belts to cause a quasi-vertical fall of the granular materials onto the conveyor belt, in that the conveyor belt runs obliquely from this lower end (21) to an upper end (22) located above the upper inlet openings of the mixing towers (24, 24'), in that the upper end of the conveyor belt opens onto an inclined collector plate (29), pivoting, which directs the metered quantities of granular materials into an aggregate tank (31, 31') of one or the other of said mixing towers, and in that the installation further comprises control means allowing simultaneous supply of the granular materials to the conveyor belt (20) from the first and second conveyor belts (6, 6') or A stoppage of this supply from one of the two conveyor belts and 15 BE2021/6018 means of control allowing pivoting of the pivoting plate in one or the other of the mixing towers (24, 24'). 8. Installation according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises an intermediate storage area (8, 8') in front of the upper loading opening of each of the storage hoppers (5, 5°). 9. Installation according to claim 8, characterized in that it further comprises primary storage areas (3) of granular materials, located at a distance from the storage hoppers (5, 5 '), and in that the storage areas primary storage and the intermediate storage areas (8, 8') are arranged at the same level which is equal to or higher than the upper inlet openings (7, 7') of the storage hoppers. 10. Installation according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that at least one storage hopper comprises an upper part leading to a lower part comprising at least two separate compartments (15, 16; 15 ', 16') each provided with a lower unloading opening (17, 17'), which can be closed independently of the unloading opening of the other compartment.