GB2356580A

GB2356580A - Cement mixer spatter guard

Info

Publication number: GB2356580A
Application number: GB9927940A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony John Jones
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-11-27
Filing date: 1999-11-27
Publication date: 2001-05-30
Also published as: GB9927940D0

Description

2356580 1/7 Spatter Guards for Cement & Concrete Mixers

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention relates to Spatter Guards to eliminate the nuisance and hazards of spatter from unguarded Cement Mixers, particularly while motoring mixer drum with water and pebbles during clean out operations.

DEFINITION: For Cement Mixer include Concrete Mixer.

EXISTING STATE OF THE ART: Motorised Cement Mixers of the open revolving dram type are currently available from domestic site models to large commercial and industrial site models. It is good common practice after use to motor and clean out cement mixers with water, pebbles and /or bricks, to prevent mortar solidifying and ruining the drum, bearings and motor. During this cleaning out operation cement mixers 15 spatter contents out of their open rotating drums which can be a nuisance and a hazard.

PRIOR ART - SHORTCOMINGS & DISASTERS SPATTER NUISANCE & HAZARDS Spatter is a nuisance and a health hazard: a) spatter causes an unsightly mess on the paving, road, and ground near the mixer, 20 b) spatter mess has to be cleaned up at costly labour, time & inconvenience, c) spatter water ruins building sand stored in the open near mixer, d) spatter can soil or damage equipment, vehicles and goods in its wake, e) spatter can soil or damage clothes hair and skin of persons near by, f) spatter can cause temporary / permanent injury to unprotected lungs and eyes, 25 g) spatter inconvenience may postpone cleaning, leading to mixer damage.

Prior Art - No Product Available: At the time of filing, a search carried out on the World Patent Index showed no prior art of Spatter Guards to eliminate the nuisance and hazards of spatter from unguarded Cement Mixers. Nor are Spatter Guards available 30 from manufacturers or building equipment hirers.

2/7 INVENTIVE STEP / OBJECT The inventive step of the present invention is to overcome the above nuisance, hazards and non availability in the present state of the art, by providing Spatter Guards in a variety of models, shapes and sizes, with safe and secure attachment / detachment means to eliminate spatter from Cement Mixers.

SUMMARY OF INVIENTION: A Spatter Guard for eliminating spatter from open revolving drum Cement Mixers comprising means to cover open aperture of mixing drum, means to seal cover to open aperture, means to facilitate assembly of cover to open aperture, and means to quickly securely attach and detach cover to open aperture.

USES:

Eliminates spatter from Cement Mixers becoming a safety hazard and nuisance:- a) causing a mess on the paving, road, and ground near the mixer, b) costly labour, time & inconvenience to clean up spatter mess, c) spatter water ruining building sand stored in the open near mixer, d) spatter can soil or damage equipment, vehicles and goods in its wake, e) spatter can soil or damage clothes hair and skin of persons near by, f) spatter can cause temporary / permanent damage to unprotected lungs and eyes g) spatter inconvenience may postpone cleaning, leading to mixer damage.

MODE OF USE: After loading the cement mixer for the cleaning out operation, (with water, pebbles and /or bricks), the Spatter Guard is lifted by the support handle, offered to the open aperture of the cement mixer drum, and inserted in, where it is held secure by it's retention mechanism, the mixer is then motored till clean, (without the nuisance and hazards of spatter); then stopped, the spatter guard is removed by gripping and pulling the support handle, and the mixer contents emptied safely where desired.

3/7 REFERENCE TO DRAWINGS:

1. Figure I a is a sectioned illustration of a typical embodiment of the present invention showing the spatter guard fitted on to the aperture of a cement mixer drum.

2. Figure lb is the same embodiment showing a part top section of the open drum aperture with the spatter guard near to, but outside the drum, prior to engagement.

3. Figure I c is an enlarged detailed section illustrating a retention mechanism embodiment of the spatter guard fitted on to the aperture of a cement mixer drum.

4. Figure 2a is an alternative retention mechanism embodiment, using rubber balls.

5. Figure 2b is the same embodiment showing a part section of the open drum aperture with the spatter guard near to, but outside the drum, prior to engagement.

6. Figure 2c is an enlarged detail illustrating the alternative ball retention mechanism.

7. Figure 3a is an alternative retention mechanism embodiment, using bent spring wire and castor wheels.

8. Figure 3b is the same embodiment showing a part section of the open drum aperture with the spatter guard near to, but outside the drum, prior to engagement. 25 9. Figure 3c is an enlarged detail illustrating the alternative castor retention mechanism.

4/7 DESCRIPTION

1. Referring to the drawings, in a typical embodiment of the present invention (see Fig I) there is provided a Spatter Guard, 1, for eliminating spatter from open revolving mixing drum Cement Mixers comprising:

a) a cover means, 2, to cap-off open aperture, 3, of mixing drum, 4, b) alignment means, 5, to facilitate assembly of the cover, 2, to the drum, 4, c) handling means, 6, to facilitate lifting the spatter guard, 1, on and off the drum, 4, d) cover sealing means, 7, to close gap between the open aperture, 3, and cover, 2, e) securing means, 8, to retain and retain the cover, 2, to the drum, 4 when motoring.

2. The cover means, 2, to cap-off open aperture, 3, of mixing drum, 4, typically includes and comprises a robust, flat, circular shaped lid, 2L, preferably made of a light robust material including wood, plastic and metal.

3. The alignment means, 5, to facilitate assembly of the cover, 2, to the drum, 4, typically comprises a circular rim, 5r, having mating dimensions to comfortably accept, align and snugly fit inside the open aperture, 3, of the drum, 4.

4. The handling means, 6, to facilitate lifting the spatter guard, 1, on and off the drum, 4, preferably comprises at least one U shaped door handle, 6h, secured to top of the cover, 2, by fastener means, 2f, including bolts, 2b, nuts 2n, - (Fig I a) and screws, 2s, - (Fig 2a).

5. The cover sealing means, 7, to close gap between the open aperture, 3, and the cover, 2, preferably comprises a flat circular washer, 7w, having dimensions matching lip, 3L, of the open aperture, 3, the flat circular washer, 7w, being a flexible sealing material including rubber and plastic.

5/7 6. The securing means, to retain the cover, 2, to the drum, 4, preferably comprises the rim, 5r, to be comprised of a springy thin sheeting material, having a profiled curvature section, 5c, (Figs la, b & c,) and multiplicity of slits, 5s, to allow easy insertion into the open aperture, 3, and so provided to slide against diverging sides, 4s, of the drum, 4, to produce a pulling in retention action to secure and seal the cover, 2, to the drum, 4.

7. Alternatively (see Figs 2a, b & c,) the securing means to retain the cover, 2, to the drum, 4, comprises at least two elastic spherical shaped balls, 8b (preferably rubber) secured by bolts, 9b, and nuts, 9n, near periphery, 2p, of the cover, 2, so provided to allow easy insertion into the open aperture, 3, and to slide against the diverging sides, 4s, of the drum, 4, to produce a pulling in retention action to secure and seal the cover, 2, to the drum, 4.

8. As a further alternative option (see Figs 3a, b & c,) the securing means to retain the cover, 2, to the drum, 4, comprises at least two castor wheels, 1 Oc, axially, supported and tensioned by inverted "V" & "U" shaped spring wire, lOw (preferably stainless) secured by bolts, 10b, and nuts, 1 On, the castor wheels, 10c, located near periphery, 2p, of the cover, 2, so provided to allow easy insertion into the open aperture, 3, and to slide against the diverging sides, 4s, of the drum, 4, to produce a pulling in retention action to secure and seal the cover, 2, to the drum, 4.

6/7

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A Spatter Guard for eliminating spatter from open revolving mixing drum Cement Mixers comprising:

a) cover means to cap-off open aperture of mixing drum, b) alignment means to facilitate assembly of said cover to said drum, c) handling means to facilitate lifting said spatter guard on and off said drum, d) cover sealing means to close gap between said open aperture and said cover, e) securing means to retain and retain said cover to said drum when motoring.

2. A Spatter Guard, as in claim 1, wherein said cover means to cap-off open aperture of mixing drum, typically includes and comprises a robust, flat, circular shaped lid, preferably made of a light robust material including wood, plastic and metal.

3. A Spatter Guard, as in claims 1 & 2, wherein said alignment means to facilitate assembly of said cover to said drum comprises a circular rim or stepped cylindrical shoulder, having mating dimensions to comfortably accept, align and snugly fit inside said open aperture of said drum.

4. A Spatter Guard, as in claims 1, 2 & 3, wherein said handling means to facilitate lifting said spatter guard on and off said drum preferably comprises at least one U shaped door handle, secured to top of said cover by fastener means including bolts, nuts and screws.

5. A Spatter Guard, as in claim 1, 2, 3 & 4, wherein said cover sealing means to close gap between said open aperture and said cover preferably comprises a flat circular washer having dimensions matching lip of said open aperture, said flat circular washer being a flexible sealing material including rubber and plastic.

7/7

6. A Spatter Guard, as in claim 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5, wherein said securing means to retain said cover to said drum preferably comprises said rim to be comprised of a springy thin sheeting material, having a profiled curvature section to allow easy insertion into said open aperture, and so provided to slide against diverging sides of said drum to produce a pulling in retention action to secure and seal said cover to said drum.

7. A Spatter Guard, as in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5, wherein said securing means to retain said cover to said drum alternatively comprises at least two elastic spherical shaped balls (preferably rubber) secured by nuts and bolts to said cover, near periphery of said cover, so located to allow easy insertion into said open aperture, and so provided to slide against diverging sides of said drum to produce a pulling in retention action to secure and seal said cover to said drum.

8. A Spatter Guard, as in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5, wherein as a ftwther alternative said securing means to retain said cover to said drum embodies at least two castor wheels, axially, supported and tensioned by inverted "V" & "U" shaped spring wire (preferably stainless) secured by nuts and bolts, to said cover, said castor wheels located near periphery of said cover so as to allow easy insertion into said open aperture, and so provided to slide against diverging sides of said drum to produce a pulling in retention action to secure and seal said cover to said drum.