Patent Grant
7980843
The present invention relates generally to the formation of pre-cast concrete structures, and, more particularly, to a dispensing apparatus for distributing concrete mixture into a form corresponding to the pre-cast concrete structure.
Pre-cast concrete structures, such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,803, issued to Melvin M. Zimmerman on Jun. 21, 1988, are commonly utilized in the construction of foundation walls for residential and commercial buildings. Improvements to the basic pre-cast process have been made over the years, as are represented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,252, issued to Melvin M. Zimmerman on Oct. 8, 1991; in U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,194, granted on Aug. 12, 1997, to Melvin M. Zimmerman; and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,004, issued on Dec. 17, 2002, to Melvin M. Zimmerman. In generally terms, the process involves setting up the form with a polystyrene foam bottom and reinforcing members appropriately positioned, then pouring a concrete mixture into the form. After hardening, the side members of the form are stripped away from the now hardened concrete structure and the concrete structure is loaded onto a truck for delivery to the job site to be assembled into a foundation wall with other similar pre-cast structures.
In some instances, openings, such as for windows and doors to be added to the pre-cast concrete structure, are formed as part of the pre-cast concrete form. Concrete mixture is not to be added to the part of the form corresponding to the window or door openings. Similarly, two or more pre-cast concrete structures can be set-up into a single form into which the concrete mixture is to be added. In such situations, a transverse divider is provided between the concrete structures so that the side members and the dividers can be stripped away from the independent hardened concrete structures before shipping.
Once the form is set-up, a concrete mixture is dispensed into the form to fill the form. This process is typically accomplished through conventional chutes or tubular concrete dispensing devices during which the dispensing device is moved back and forth across the form until the form is filled appropriately with concrete mixture, working around any openings that are established within the form. Dispensing the concrete mixture into the form presents an opportunity to improve the process, reduce manufacturing time, decrease costs and improve profits.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus that would be capable of dispensing concrete mixture into forms corresponding to pre-cast concrete structures.
It is an object of this invention to provide a dispenser apparatus that is operable to dispense concrete mixture into a pre-cast concrete structure form.
It is a feature of this invention that the concrete dispensing apparatus moves relative to the pre-cast structure form to dispense concrete mixture into the form from one side thereof to the other.
It is an advantage of this invention that the concrete dispensing apparatus dispenses concrete mixture into the pre-cast structure form along the entire transverse length simultaneously as the concrete dispensing apparatus moves from one side of the form to the other side.
It is another feature of this invention that the concrete dispensing apparatus includes a plurality of gates along the transverse length thereof.
It is still another advantage of this invention that each gate can be independently opened or closed to control the dispensing of concrete mixture within the form.
It is yet another advantage of this invention that the portions of the concrete dispensing apparatus overlying openings formed in the pre-cast structure form can be closed by shutting the corresponding gates until the dispensing apparatus has moved past the formed opening.
It is still another feature of this invention that the concrete dispensing apparatus incorporates a finishing mechanism behind the hopper containing a supply of concrete mixture to be dispensed.
It is still another advantage of this invention that the top surface of the concrete poured into the filled pre-cast structure form will be finished as the concrete dispensing apparatus is moved relative to the form from one side to the other.
It is yet another feature of this invention that the finishing mechanism includes a vibratory screed and a rotated finishing roller.
It is still another feature of this invention that the concrete dispensing apparatus includes a form vibrator engagable with the ends of the form to induce a vibratory motion into the form to settle the concrete mixture and remove air therefrom.
It is yet another feature of this invention that the operative functions of the concrete dispensing apparatus are independently controlled through a control mechanism cooperable with a hydraulic system.
It is another object of this invention to provide a concrete dispensing apparatus that would be operable to dispense a concrete mixture into a pre-cast concrete structure form that is moved beneath the dispensing apparatus, as well as a concrete dispensing apparatus that is movable over top of a stationary pre-cast structure form.
It is a further feature of this invention that the concrete dispending apparatus incorporates a hopper for holding a supply of concrete mixture.
It is still a further feature of this invention that the hopper has a larger opening at the top thereof for the receipt of concrete mixture into the hopper, than the discharge opening controlled by the plurality of gates.
It is a yet another feature of this invention that the hopper incorporates an auger that prevents bridging of the concrete mixture and provides uniform dispersion of the concrete mixture along the transverse length of the hopper.
It is a further advantage of this invention that the concrete mixture is uniformly spread across the bottom of the hopper for substantially equal dispensing of the concrete mixture through the open gates at the discharge opening of the hopper.
It is still a further feature of this invention that the operative control of the concrete dispensing apparatus is provided by an operator stationed adjacent the control panel for the dispensing apparatus.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a concrete dispensing apparatus for use with a pre-cast concrete structure form, which is durable in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, carefree of maintenance, facile in assemblage, and simple and effective in use.
These and other objects, features and advantages are accomplished according to the instant invention by providing a concrete dispensing apparatus for use in a manufacturing process for producing pre-cast concrete structures that are conventionally used to form a foundation for a residential or commercial building. The dispensing apparatus includes a hopper that funnels to a discharge opening extending along the entire transverse length of the dispensing apparatus. A plurality of individually controlled gates cover the entire discharge opening to selectively control the length and location of the discharge opening. The dispensing apparatus also includes a finishing mechanism including a vibratory screed and a rotational finishing roller, which can be powered or unpowered. The form can be moved relative to the dispensing apparatus or vice versa. A form vibrator induces a vibratory motion into the form to remove air from the dispensed concrete mixture. Operative control is accomplished through an operator control panel operable to control a hydraulic system powering the operative functions of the dispensing apparatus.
The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring now to
The concrete dispenser 10 is formed with a frame 11 supporting a hopper 15 having upright walls that define a cavity 16 for receiving and storing on a temporary basis a supply of hydrated concrete mixture for dispensing into a form or mold. The upright walls of the hopper 12 converge toward the bottom of the hopper 12 to form a discharge opening 17 that is significantly narrower than the inlet opening 18 at the top of the hopper 12 into which the hydrated concrete mixture is delivered. The frame 11 can be adapted for movement along a form, such as by having wheels (not shown) that will travel on tracks or the like along a stationary form. In the drawings, the frame 11 is provided with legs 12 that are configured to support the hopper 15 in a stationary manner above the form so that the form can be moved beneath the hopper 15. Preferably, the legs 12 have adjustable feet 14 that can be positionally adjusted, such as by threading into the legs 12, to level the frame 11 at the job site.
The hopper 15 has a gate mechanism 20 mounted thereon at the discharge opening 17 so that the discharge of hydrated concrete mixture from the hopper 15 can be selectively controlled. The discharge opening 17 is subdivided into multiple ports 21 and the gate mechanism 20 includes a control gate 22 mounted at each port 21 to be operated independently from each other control gate 22 mounted on the hopper 15. As best seen in
Referring now to
As can be seen in
Preferably, the hopper 15 also supports rearwardly thereof a surface finishing apparatus 30 to work the top surface of the concrete mixture once poured into and distributed within the wall panel form. The finishing apparatus 30 preferably includes a vibratory screed 32 that levels and smoothes the top surface of the concrete mixture. The screed 32 preferably has at least two vibrators 33 mounted thereon for the same purposes as the form vibrators 27, i.e. to encourage trapped air to leave the concrete mixture and to distribute the concrete mixture across the transverse width of the vibratory screed 32. In general structural terms, the screed 32 is a flat panel extending rearwardly of the hopper 15 to engage, level and smooth the concrete mixture dispensed through the discharge opening 17.
Rearwardly of the vibratory screed 32 is a roller trowel 35 to give a final finish to the top surface of the concrete mixture after the screed 32 has performed its respective function. The roller trowel 35 is to further smooth the top surface of the concrete mixture to provide a watery layer, sometimes called the cream, to appear evenly across the surface of the concrete mixture. Preferably, the roller trowel 35 is powered in rotation in opposition to the direction of movement of the forms beneath the concrete dispenser 10, although the finishing roller 35 could also be powered to rotate in the same direction as the movement of the forms. Alternatively, the finishing roller 35 can be unpowered and will rotate in the same direction as the movement of the forms due to frictional contact with the forms and the surface of the concrete mixture. The driving of the rotation of the roller trowel 35 is preferably accomplished through a hydraulic system to be described in greater detail below; however, the outboard end of the roller trowel 35 has a sprocket 37 mounted thereon for operative connection to a drive chain. Alternatively, the powered rotation of the finishing roller 35 can be accomplished in other conventional ways, such as a direct coupling of a hydraulic motor on the end of the roller 35. The finishing apparatus 30 can be mounted at an angle to the path of travel of the form, or perpendicular thereto as is depicted in the drawings.
As best seen in
The operative functions of the concrete dispenser 10 are preferably coupled in an operative manner to a hydraulic system 50 depicted schematically in
Hydraulic fluid circulated to the hydraulic motor 55 drives the rotation of the roller trowel 35 through a chain drive (not shown) coupled to the sprocket 37 in a known manner. Similarly, the auger 40 is driven from the hydraulic motor 56, which is separately controlled from the other hydraulic components. Since the wall panel form (or in the alternative the concrete dispenser 10) has to be moved underneath the hopper 15, the drive mechanism (not shown) for moving the form (or in the alternative, moving the concrete dispenser 10 relative to the form) is powered through a hydraulic motor 57 controlled through the control box 60 so that the operation of the entire process can be effectively controlled by the operator from a single location. The form vibrators 27 and the screed vibrators 33 are preferably conventional vibratory drives powered through compressed air, although the vibrators 27, 33 could be hydraulically driven as well.
As seen in
In operation, the concrete dispenser 10 is coupled operatively to an apparatus (not shown) for mixing and conveying an appropriate hydrated concrete mixture into the cavity 16 of the hopper 15. Such apparatus for mixing and conveying the hydrated concrete mixture is usually more efficiently operated when the concrete dispenser 10 is stationary. Thus, as reflected in
The transverse length of the hopper 15 and the discharge opening 17 at the bottom portion of the hopper 15 is substantially the same width as the wall panel form to be filled with the concrete mixture. The form vibrators 27 are positioned on the end members 2, 3 of the forms 1 to induce a vibrational movement into the forms 1 to be transferred to the concrete mixture to be dispensed therein. Once the concrete dispenser 10 passes over the first side wall of the empty wall panel form 1 to be positioned over the empty form, the operator hits the “All Open” override switch 63b to contract all of the hydraulic cylinders 25 and open all ports covering the entire discharge opening 17. The concrete mixture is then dispensed from the hopper 15 through all ports into the form 1. Assuming that this particular foundation wall panel is a solid panel with no window or door openings to be formed therein, the operator hits the “All Close” override switch 63a to extend all hydraulic cylinders and close each port of the discharge opening 17 when the concrete dispenser 10 reaches the opposing side wall of the form 1.
As the concrete dispenser 10 dispenses the concrete mixture into the wall panel form from one side wall to the other, the trailing finishing apparatus 30 works the top surface of the concrete mixture to level off the concrete mixture with the vibratory screed 32 and then smooth the top surface of the concrete mixture by the rotating roller trowel 35 trailing the screed 32. Since the concrete dispenser 10 is preferably stationary, the movement of the form below the hopper 15 allows the finishing apparatus 30 to provide a smooth, level surface from one end member of the form to the other and from one side wall of the form to the other.
In situations where a window or door opening 5, or some other wall feature in which no concrete is desired, is blocked out within the wall panel form 1, the operator will hit the “All Open” override switch 63b to initiate the flow of concrete mixture through all ports of the discharge opening 17, assuming that the respective opening 5 is not positioned at the initial side wall of the wall panel form 1. When the discharge opening 17 approaches the opening 5 in which no concrete mixture is desired, the operator flips the switch or switches 62 corresponding to the ports that overlie in whole or in part the opening 5 to close the control gates 22 for those particular ports. Even ports that only partially overlie the opening 5 are closed as no concrete mixture into the blocked out opening 5 is desired. The operator may have to slow down the speed of operation of the track mechanism 7 moving the form 1 relative to the concrete dispenser 10, such as by momentarily halting the movement while the concrete mixture continues to flow into the form 1, depending on the number of open ports through which concrete mixture is being delivered.
When the operator sees that the discharge opening 17 has cleared the blocked out opening 5, he can either hit the “All Open” override switch 63b again to open all control gates 22 or re-open each individual gates by manipulation of the switches 62 corresponding to the closed control gates 22. Where two openings 5 in the form transversely overlap each other, the operator has the control to open and close each appropriate control gate 22 to continue the flow of concrete mixture into the form 1, except into the blocked out openings 5. With appropriate manipulation of the switches 64, 65 on the control box 60, the operator can also control the direction of operation of the internal auger 40 and the roller trowel 35. Rotational speed control can also be provided either through an appropriate control device (not shown) on the control box 60 or by manually changing the settings on the corresponding flow control valve 54. Forward and reverse operation of the auger 40 can dislodge an obstruction or help break up bridging, or to change the direction of flow of concrete mixture toward or away from the center of the hopper 15 so that the even distribution of the concrete mixture across the entire discharge opening can be maintained.
It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention; however, concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2332688 | Baily | Oct 1943 | A |
| 3833693 | Ross | Sep 1974 | A |
| 4278190 | Oory et al. | Jul 1981 | A |
| 4624195 | Doering | Nov 1986 | A |
| 4751803 | Zimmerman | Jun 1988 | A |
| 5055252 | Zimmerman | Oct 1991 | A |
| 5656194 | Zimmerman | Aug 1997 | A |
| 6494004 | Zimmerman | Dec 2002 | B1 |
| 20020141822 | Sterner | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080048351 A1 | Feb 2008 | US |
