Patent Application
20140269145
The present application relates generally to concrete mixer trucks for mixing, transporting, and discharging concrete. In particular, the present application relates to charge hopper assemblies for such trucks.
Concrete can be mixed and poured from vehicles or from stationary facilities, such as concrete mixing plants. Concrete vehicles or trucks are commonly employed in construction to mix, transport, and pour concrete. Such trucks can be rear discharge concrete vehicles or front discharge concrete vehicles. Rear discharge concrete vehicles generally feature a drum with an outlet positioned at an aft end of the truck and a cab enclosure positioned at the fore end. Front discharge concrete vehicles include a drum with an outlet supported above a cab enclosure of the vehicle to discharge concrete through a chute extending forward the vehicle. Because such vehicles discharge concrete at the forward end, they can be used to supply concrete to locations having limited access. Both types of vehicles can be equipped with charge hopper assemblies. One function of a charge hopper assembly is to introduce inorganic materials into a drum of the truck. Another function of the charge hopper assembly is to prevent loss of material or spillage when the material enters the drum.
Charge hopper assemblies include hoppers that rotate upward. Hoppers that rotate upward increase the height of the truck and may not be suitable for concrete mixer trucks that operate in height-limited spaces. When raised, such hoppers may increase the total height of the vehicle by several feet. Furthermore, conventional charge hopper assemblies that swing the hopper vertically must overcome significant gravitational forces as the hoppers of such assemblies have considerable weight (e.g., several hundred pounds). Moreover, swinging the hopper vertically requires a lifting mechanism to raise and lower the hopper.
One exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a concrete mixer that includes a chassis, a cab coupled to the chassis, and a mixing drum rotatably coupled to the chassis and defining an opening. The concrete mixer also includes a charge hopper assembly positioned at the opening of the mixing drum. The charge hopper assembly includes a latch, an actuator coupled to the latch and positioned to move the latch between a first position and a second position, and a sensor positioned on the latch and configured to indicate the orientation of the latch and the charge hopper assembly.
Another exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a charge hopper assembly for a vehicle having a platform that includes a first support member coupled to a first lateral side of the platform, a second support member coupled to a second lateral side of the platform, a hopper coupled to the first support member and configured to direct material into a mixing drum, and a latch coupled to the second support member and movable between a first position and second position. The latch secures the hopper to the second support member when in the second position. The charge hopper assembly also includes an actuator coupled to the latch and configured to move the latch between the first position and the second position and a sensor positioned on the latch and configured to indicate the position of the latch and the charge hopper assembly. The charge hopper assembly rotates to a side of the platform such that the charge hopper assembly inhibits access to an opening of the mixing drum.
Still another exemplary embodiment relates to a superstructure for a concrete truck that includes a support and a charge hopper assembly coupled to the support. The support is configured to be coupled to a first lateral side of the concrete truck that provides operator access. The charge hopper assembly includes a first support member coupled to the first lateral side of the support, a second support member coupled to an opposing lateral side of the support, and a charging chute for receiving materials. The charging chute is rotatably coupled to the first support member with a pivot such that the charging chute rotates toward the first lateral side of the concrete truck.
The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being carried out in various ways. Alternative exemplary embodiments relate to other features and combinations of features as may be generally recited in the claims.
The invention will become more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, in which:
Before turning to the figures, which illustrate the exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the application is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting.
A concrete mixing truck may include a charge hopper assembly with a hopper, a chute for directing materials, and funneling systems having elements that allow for movement about either a vertical or horizontal axis. Hoppers may be fixed or may have freedom of movement to allow swinging towards a loading point. Fixed hoppers suffer from difficulties in discharging material efficiently, particularly low-slump materials.
The exemplary embodiments of the charge hopper assembly limit operator access to the mixing drum by rotating toward a mixing drum access point, blocking access. In one embodiment, the concrete mixer truck includes a superstructure positioned at an end of the mixing drum. According to an exemplary embodiment, the hopper swings toward an access side of the superstructure thereby restricting access to the superstructure and the opening of the mixing drum. Such a hopper swings to the side about a vertical axis and does not increase the overall height of the vehicle.
At least one embodiment of a charge hopper assembly includes a charge hopper support having a tube structure, a bushing, and a releasable latch configured to secure a charge hopper in an engaged position. The charge hopper support is coupled to a mixer truck and the charge hopper is coupled to the charge hopper support by the releasable latch on one side of the truck and by a hinged connection on the opposite side.
Some embodiments of a charge hopper assembly include a latch mechanism having a pin, a guide, and a receiver. The latch mechanism includes a sensor and an actuator pivotally coupled to a support. When the charge hopper is open, the latch mechanism is in a first position and the sensor may provide a sensor signal (e.g., a lack of an object in proximity to the sensor) indicating that the latch is open and the hopper is not secured. According to an alternative embodiment, the sensor is a proximity switch that completes an electrical circuit (e.g., to turn on a “hopper closed and secured” light within the cab of the concrete mixer truck) when the hopper is in a closed position. In some embodiments, the proximity switch turns on a green light to visually indicate to an operator that the latch and the charge hopper are closed. In still other embodiments, the sensor may be a laser sensor, a mechanical switch, or another device. In operation, a rocker switch may be positioned in the cab to operate the various actuators of the charge hopper assembly. By way of example, an operator may actuate a rocker switch in the cab of the vehicle to rotate the latch and open the hopper. The sensor (e.g., a proximity switch, a mechanical switch, a laser sensor, a pressure switch, etc.) may provide a signal to a controller indicating that the hopper is open. In other embodiments, the sensor is included as part of an electrical circuit configured to engage a warning light when the hopper is open. When the hopper closes, the sensor may interface with a pin coupled to the hopper and provide an indication that the hopper is closed (e.g., a signal, complete an electrical circuit, etc.). In order to release the hopper such that it may rotate into an open position, an actuator for the latch mechanism is activated, which rotates a latch plate and releases the pin. The actuator for the latch and the actuator that rotates the hopper are engaged by the same switch, according to an exemplary embodiment. In other embodiments, a first switch is provided for the actuator that operates the latch mechanism and a second switch is provided for the actuator that controls the hopper.
In some embodiments, the sensor for the latch mechanism may have a plurality of electrical connections. In some embodiments, the sensor completes a circuit and turns on a light in the cab. The sensor may alternatively otherwise indicate the position of the latch mechanism and the charge hopper to an operator (e.g., with a display, etc.). According to an exemplary embodiment, the sensor interfaces with a control system that limits the gear ratio selectable by the driver (e.g., to a low-range gear) based on the position of the latch mechanism and the charge hopper. By way of example, an operator may not be able to select high gears when the latch mechanism and the charge hopper are oriented in an ‘open’ position. In some embodiments, a pair of sensors may be provided, one that senses the orientation of the latch and one that senses the orientation of the charge hopper.
Referring to the exemplary embodiment shown in
Referring again to
As shown in
Referring to the exemplary embodiment shown in
Referring to
An actuator 88 includes a rod that is sheathed in a protective boot 56. Components associated with concrete trucks and plants are exposed to impacts and abrasion from the movement of the concrete or other fluent materials and impacts from other machinery and equipment. Thus, the protective boot 56 prolongs the life of actuator 88 by protecting the rod from abrasion and impacts. As shown in
Turning now to
The charge hopper 40 includes a first portion that is configured to receive materials during a charging operation. The charge hopper 40 includes a second portion (i.e. chute) aligned with the bottom of the first portion. When charging, material is loaded into the first portion of the charge hopper 40 and is directed by the second portion of the charge hopper 40 into the drum 14. When discharging, discharge hopper 41 funnels material from the drum 14 into the main chute 44.
FIGS. 2 and 5-8 depict the charge hopper 40 in the closed position. In the closed position, an end of the support hoop 64 interfaces with a right hand hopper support tube 81. The hopper assembly also includes a latch 70 rotatably coupled to the right hand hopper support tube 81. The latch 70 engages a retainer, shown as pin 106, that is coupled to the support hoop 64. As shown in
According to an exemplary embodiment, a sensor 82 is positioned on the latch 70. As shown in
According to an exemplary embodiment, the sensor 82 indicates the position of the latch 70 and the charge hopper 40. The sensor 82 rotates with the latch 70 such that the sensor 82 may detect the presence of the pin 106 only when the latch 70 and the charge hopper 40 are rotated into their respective closed positions, according to an exemplary embodiment. By way of example, the sensor 82 may be a proximity switch that completes a circuit (e.g., to energize a “hopper closed and secured”) when the pin 106 is positioned in proximity with a sensing end of sensor 82 (e.g., when both the latch 70 and the charge hopper 40 are in their closed positions).
As shown in
Referring again to
According to an exemplary embodiment, the sensor 82 determines the orientation of the charge hopper 40 (e.g., a proximity switch interfaces with pin 106 to close a circuit) and provides an indication that the hopper is closed (e.g., as a signal to a controller, turns on an indicator light, etc.). Concurrently, the latch 70 engages the pin 106 and secures the charge hopper 40 in the closed position, as shown in
As shown in
It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the systems as shown in the exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited herein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple parts or elements. The position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the components described herein may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. The order or sequence of any process, logical algorithm, or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the preferred and other exemplary embodiments without departing from scope of the present disclosure or from the spirit of the appended claims.
