EP0577630B1

EP0577630B1 - Method for making concrete and transporting to a casting station

Info

Publication number: EP0577630B1
Application number: EP92906286A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Raimo Johannes Stormi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-03-13
Filing date: 1992-03-13
Publication date: 1997-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 2012-03-13
Also published as: FI911233A; DE69220929D1; EP0577630A1; FI88593C; ATE155385T1; WO1992016344A1; AU1410592A; FI911233A0; FI88593B

Abstract

A method for making concrete and transporting to casting station in which method with mixing means equipped bowl (4) is used for mixing the concrete and as transporting device is used an excavator (1). The loading of the sand to the mixing bowl (4) is carried out by the excavator and by means of the same vehicle the concrete is transported to the casting station in its mixing bowl.

Description

An invention relates to the method according to claim 1 for making concrete in a mixing bowl and for transporting it by using same mixing bowl to casting station, which is generally a casting mould or a plane-like structure.
Known from US-A-3 167 307 is a truck which carries a rotatable concrete mixer drum and an articuclated boom for a loading bucket for charging sand into the mixing drum, and thus a method according to the preamble of claim 1.
Formerly known are also methods where in local stations in so called concrete stations are made desired mixing which is transported by trucks to casting station. These stations have in general a mixing bowl for mixing components and the mixing is transported from the bowl to a truck tank for carrying by the truck. Moreover are known methods for mixing concrete in the casting station, where concrete is mixed in a mixer by the components carried separately to the casting station. The concrete is discharged from the mixer to different transporting devices like wheelbarrows or casting bowls carried by a lift crane.
By using local concrete stations it has to do needless transportations because of cement, water and sand are transported in every case from the concrete station to the casting station. Cement has to be transported needless to the concrete station and therefrom to the casting station when it could be transported only to the casting station. In many cases also the sand has to be transported first to the concrete station from some sand-pits and again to the casting station. As a disadvantage for the formerly known methods where mixing is happening in the casting station is a great need of labour when is used a conventional hand-made charging of the mixer and by wheelbarrows happened transport. In the casting station carried out mixing has been used machines like a front loader of a tractor for charging the mixer and a lift crane for transporting the mixed concrete, the casting operation in these cases has taken much labour and machines.
These disadvantages can be avoided by the method according to the invention and the invention is characterized by the expressions presented in the second part of claim 1.
It can be considered the main advantage of the invention that the transporting costs can be saved when only the needed materials are transported and even they to the final place. The charging of the mixer is carried out mechanically at least concerning sand and water charging, the amounts of which are adjustable, too and the concrete mixing is carried in the mixer straight to the casting place. By using an excavator equipped with a boom the mixed concrete can be discharged at long distances and at elevated positions in the limits of the excavators dimensions and driving possibilities.
In the following the invention is more accurately described with reference to the drawing in which

Fig. 1: is a side view of a work machine and a mixer.
Fig. 2: illustrates a mixer.
Fig. 3: is a front view of a work machine and a mixer.
Fig. 4: illustrates a work machine charging sand.

In figure 1 is an embodiment, where a self-moving excavator 1 is as work machine. It is equipped with a grab-like bucket 5 having two parts and a water tank 3 has been formed in one of its booms. To the grab bucket 5 has been coupled a mixer 4. The excavator can take and transport said mixer to desired station. The mixer 4 has been partly filled with sand which has been loaded by the grab bucket of the excavator. The excavator lays the mixer 4 on the ground and can take sand with its grab bucket as far as the hoses 9,10 permit which are coupling the mixer to the hydraulic system of the excavator. The boom 2 of the machine has a flexible support 14 for the hoses. Because the hoses 9,10 are not loosened, the mixer in the mixing bowl can rotate whole the time because of the continuous power supply. The grab bucket 5 has such a form that by means of it a known amount of sand can be charged repeatedly for ex. using the maximum load of the grab bucket. The boom 2 has a water tank 3 for supplying water to the mixing bowl 4. There is many possibilities for adjusting the water amount. With water valve can be used a time relay which adjusts the water flow time. Cement can be charged in the mixing bowl by sacks. Cement can be loaded by means of the bucket 5, too.
In figure 2 is formerly known concrete mixer 4, which has an embodiment of quick locking needed according to the invented method. The upper part of the mixer has a beam 6 on which arms 7 have been mounted turnable around joints. The hydraulic cylinder 8 turns the arms. When hydraulic pressure is lead via hoses 10 to the motor 11 that rotates mixing blades 12 the same pressure is allowed to action the cylinder 8 via hoses 9 when the arms 7 are staying in the locking position and are locking the grab bucket 5 placed between the arms. Only two pressure hoses 9 and 10 are needed. When pressure is lead to the cylinder 8 as presented in figure 2 the opening and closing of the locking means 7 are depending on that which one of the hoses 9 or 10 is used as supply line and which one is used as return line. The mixing bowl 4 can thus be transported carried on by the grab bucket 5. The mixing bowl has a discharging opening (not shown) in the bottom, through which the concrete mixing can be adjustable discharged to casting moulds.
In figure 3 is a front view of the work machine 1. The middle part of the grab 5 has a shoulder behind which the arms 7 are locking and preventing the bowl to drop from the bucket.
In figure 4 the excavator 1 is loading sand in the mixer 4. The mixer blades are rotating continuous. The pressure hoses are so long that the excavator can take sand from distance of several meters to the mixer. The sand amount can be adjusted also by weighing when the height of actual pressure in some of the boom cylinders shows the weight when the bucket is lifted up. Also gauges can be used which are measuring the load of the boom or its parts when the bucket contains sand.
The measuring of cement amount by weighing is carried out in the same way. Water charging can be carried out by weighing, too, the flow meter can be used or by means of measuring time when water is running to the mixer.
The invention is not restricted to the above presented embodiments but it can be modified within the ideas of this invention in accordance with the enclosed patent claims.

Claims

A method for making concrete and transporting it to a casting station in which method a bowl (4) equipped with mixing means is used for mixing the concrete and a working machine (1) or a vehicle is used as transporting device for said bowl and the loading of the sand to the mixing bowl (4) is carried out by means of a grab (5) or bucket of said machine or vehicle characterized in that the concrete is transported to the casting station by taking the mixing bowl (4) carried on by said grab (5) or bucket of the working machine and in that said bowl is coupled to the hydraulic system of the working machine (1) by hydraulic pressure hoses (9,10) during charging, mixing and transporting.
A method according to claim 1 characterized in that during sand loading to the mixing bowl (4) said bowl is placed on the ground and coupled to the working machine (1) by said hydraulic hoses (9,10).
A method according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the boom of the working machine is equipped with a water tank (3) and with the water supply adjusting device.
A method according to any one of claims 1-3 characterized in that the mixing bowl (4) is coupled to the grab (5) or bucket by using locking means (7) the function of which is controlled from the cabin of the working machine.
A method according to claim 4 characterized in that the opening and closing of the locking means (7) are coupled to the flow of the pressure liquid which is rotating the mixer (12).