US3076580A - Concrete aggregate feeder - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 5, 19 63 D. F. HEATH CONCRETE AGGREGATE FEEDER Filed Feb. 12, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jnvent'or Dqnald f 'lecd'h wil'ness by WW WW :3? or 6 Feb. 5, 1963 Filed Feb. 12, 1960 D. F. HEATH 3,076,580

CONCRETE AGGREGATE FEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wit'ne55 M, w fi AnvenPov 90mm Wmam tas Iowa

Filed Feb. 12, 1%0, Ser. No. 8,382 1 Claim. (til. ZZZ iM) My invention relates to concrete aggregate feeding devices and more particularly to such a feeding device Where material flow is pneumatic-ally powered.

The process of pneumatically forcing a dry concrete mixture through a hose device, introducing Water to the mixture at a nozzle on the hose extremity, and discharg ing the resulting wet substance from the nozzle at the desired location has long been successfully utilized as a means of conveying and applying concrete material in the building industry. A variety of machines has been devised to accomplish the mechanics of conveying the dry concrete mixture from a source of supply to the point of discharge at the nozzle extremity. The most successful of these machines utilize a compressed air system to accomplish this operation. Rotors of various descriptions which have material chambers intermittently sealed by the rotation of the rotor itself are often employed to introduce the dry concrete material into the forced air stream. These existing devices are somewhat handicapped in that only a limited volume of material can be transmitted by the rotor elements into the air stream. Distributor assemblies are also usually required with the aforementioned devices to slowly meter the concrete material as it passes from the rotor compartments into the primary compressed air stream to prevent any pulsation at the discharge hose nozzle. A further problem encountered by the aforementioned devices is that any slight disalignment during casting of the rotor core, through which the rotor drive shaft extends, tends to break the sealing characteristics of the rotor compartments.

Therefore, the principal object of my invention is to provide a concrete aggregate feeder that can substantially increase the rate of flow of concrete material, as compared to existing devices, from the source of supply to the in-place area. I

A further object of my invention is to provide a concrete aggregate feeder that can deliver concrete material directly to the primary compressed air stream without causing pulsation at the nozzle.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a concrete aggregate feeder that does not require a distributor assembly to meter the concrete material into the discharging air stream.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a concrete aggregate feeder that will maintain a proper seal on the rotor compartments even though the rotor core through which the rotor drive shaft extends is in improper alignment.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a rotor for a concrete aggregate feeder that can be readily adapted for use on existing feeder equipment.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a concrete aggregate feeder that is economical of manufacture, durable in use and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangemerits, and combination, of the various parts of the de-t vice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my device;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rotor of my device;

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view of my device taken through the charging hopper, top casting assembly, rotor shroud and rotor; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of my device taken on line 4- i of FIG. 3.

I have used the numeral it) to generally designate the frame of my device which can have wheels 12 on its rearward end with pedestal 14 and hitch 16 on its forward extremity. A gasoline engine unit, which provides power to the moving mechanical parts of my device, is located on the forward end of frame i and is generally designated by the numeral 18.

A vertically disposed circular rotor shroud 2b is mounted in any convenient fashion on the rearward end of frame it Hinge elements 22 extend upwardly from frame it; at one side of rotor shroud Zll. A circular top casting assembly 24 is pivotally secured between hinge elements 22 by means of lug 26 and pin 28. As shown in FIG. 1, the top casting assembly 24 is normally resting on and closing the circular rotor shroud 2%). A vertical rod 29 is secured to frame A in any convenient manner at a point adjacent rotor shroud 2t) and is adapted to penetrate a suitable aperture in handle 36 that extends laterally from top casting assembly 24. Hand wheel 31 is threadably secured to the top of rod 29 to selectively hold the top casting assembly and rotor shroud in closed relationship. A charging hopper 32 is secured in any convenient manner to the upper perimeter of top casting assembly 24.

A vertical power shaft 314, which is operatively conected to the power shaft on gasoline engine unit 13, extends upwardly from frame it? through the center of rotor shroud 20. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper portion 35 of shaft 34 is square in cross section. The upper end of shaft 34 penetrates the opening 36 in top casting assembly 24, and releasably engages the hub 38 of agitator assembly ac.

A rotor liner i2 is mounted on the bottom of rotor shroud 2t and is preferably comprised of rubber or the like. A discharge opening 44 in liner 42 registers with a discharge opening as in frame 18 which will be discussed hereafter. An air exhaust opening 47 which communicates with the outside atmosphere through frame 10 is located in liner 42 as shown in FIG. 4. A second rubber rotor liner 48 is secured in any convenient manher to the lower surface of top casting assembly 24 as shown in 3. An air inlet opening 5 in liner 4% communicates with the air intake conduit 52 in top casting assembly 24. As shown in FIG. 3, opening in liner 42 is smaller in diameter than opening 44 in liner -48. A material intake opening S4 is located in liner 4-? approximately 189 away from air inlet opening 50, and opening as registers with material intake opening 55 in top casting assembly 24%. Opening as in turn communicates with the interior of the charging hopper 32 as shown in FIG. 3.

A rotor 58 is comprised of a vertically disposed circular drum 60 with flanges 62 and 64 extending laterally outwardly from the upper and lower perimeters, respec tively, thereof. A plurality of straight walls 66 extends radially inwardly from the inner diameter of drum 6!) towards the center of the drum, but walls 66 terminate at circular wall 68 as shown in FIG. 4. The drum 6%, Walls 66 and circular wall 68 divide the outer portion of the rotor 58 into a plurality of material compartments 70 all of equal size. rms 72 extend radially inwardly from the top of circular wall 68 to support bearing member 74 in the center of the drum 6% Bearing member 74 has a bore 76 which is square in cross section and which has a cross sectional area slightly larger than that of the upper portion 35 of power shaft 34. A shoulder 78, which also defines a square opening, extends inwardly from the lower end of bearing member 74 and the size and area defined by shoulder 78 is substantially the same as the cross sectional area of the square portion 35 of power shaft 34. It will be noted that hearing member 74 does not extend completely to the bottom of rotor but terminates approximately in the center thereof. Upper and lower wear plates 81 and 82 are secured to flanges 62 and 64, respectively, of rotor 58 by bolts 84. Wear plates 30 and 82 have a plurality of openings that completely register with compartments 70 in rotor 53.

Rotor 53 can be installed or removed from rotor shroud 20 when top casting assembly 24 is in an open condition. As shown in FIG. 3 rotor 58 is mounted within the rotor shroud 20 by lowering the rotor onto power shaft 34 so that the square upper portion 35 of the shaft penetrates the bore 76 of bearing member 74 to permit the shoulder 78 to engage portion 35 of the shaft. The depth of rotor 58 is such that it, with wear plates 80 and 82 attached, substantially fills the gap between the rubber rotor liner plates Q2 and 48 when the top casting assembly 24 is in a closed position on rotor shroud 20. Hand wheel 31. can be tightened on rod 29 against handle 39 on top casting assembly 24 to urge the top casting assembly against the rotor 58 and rotor shroud 20. Hand wheel 31 can be operated to selectively adjust the tension between these elements.

A compressed air intake coupling 35 is secured to frame and is adapted to be secured to a source of cornprcsscd air. Flexible conduit 86 extends from compressed air coupling 85 and communicates with intake air conduit 52 in top casting assembly 24 by means of coupling 88. Coupling 99 is inserted within conduit 86 and conduit 92 carries a stream of compressed air from coupling 90 to discharge elbow 94 which is secured by bolts 96 over discharge opening 46 in frame 10. Elbow 94 has a threaded flange 97 thereon which is adapted to receive a hose connection so that the dry concrete material might be carried to the hose nozzle and thence to its final destination.

The normal operation of my device is as follows: With the rotor 58 placed within rotor shroud 26' in the manner described above, and with the top casting assembly in a closed position on the rotor and rotor shroud, rotational power is supplied to power shaft 34- by gasoline engine 18. The dry concrete aggregate is located in charging hopper 32 and falls by gravity through the opening 56 in top casting assembly 24 to the compartment 70 in rotor 58 which is located below opening 56 at that particular instant. With the rotor 58 rotating in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, the compartments '70 which are filled with dry concrete material pass under the compressed air inlet 5% as shown in FIG. 3. The compressed air stream passing through conduit 86, coupling 88 and conduit 52 forces the dry concrete material in the compartment 70 underneath inlet opening 59 down wardly through the discharge opening 46 into elbow 94.

The compressed air stream flowing through coupling 90, conduit 92 and into elbow 94 carries the discharged concrete material through the hose which can be connected to flange 97 on the elbow, and thence to ultimate discharge through the hose nozzle.

The rotation of rotor 58 between the rubber rotor liners 42 and 48 substantially seals the compartments 70 in the rotor. The compartments 7% pass over the exhaust opening 47 after the concrete material contained therein has been discharged through opening 45 and the compressed air injected into the compartment during the discharge operation can escape through this exhaust opening. Thus, the compartments are decompressed before they pass under material inlet opening 56 to be refilled.

Since bearing member 74 engages the square upper portion $5 of drive shaft 34 only at shoulder 73, a slight disalignment of the bore 76 through faulty casting will not atiect the rotors ability to rotate in sealed condition between the two rubber rotor liners 4-2 and 48.

The straight walls 66 which extend radially outwardly from curved wall 68 permit the compartments to have maximum volume, and increase the carrying capacity of the compartments substantially twenty-five percent over compartments which are circular, for example. This great increase in the carrying capacity of the compartments permits the elimination of any metering equipment for the volume of concrete material delivered to elbow 94 is great enough and rapid enough to provide an even flow through the discharge hose without causing adverse pulsation at the hose discharge nozzle.

Thus, from the foregoing, it is seen that my device will accomplish at least all of its stated obiectives.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my concrete aggregate feeder without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

A concrete aggregate feeder comprising in combination:

a circular frame having an opening formed therein for discharging material therethrough;

a power means on said frame;

a vertically disposed cylindrical rotor shroud on said frame;

a vertical power shaft extending upwardly through a bore therefor in said frame and into said shroud, an upper portion of said shaft reduced in diameter from the remainder thereof and with a first shoulder formed thereby, said upper portion square in cross section, said shaft operably connected to and driven by said power means;

a casting pivotally secured to said frame and adapted to close over said rotor shroud, said casting havin an air inlet opening formed therein substantially vertically above said frame discharge opening, said casting having a material inlet opening formed therein arcuately spaced from said air inlet opening; conduit means connected to said frame for receiving material from said discharge opens;

means for transmitting compressed air through said inlet opening, and also through said conduit means so as to transmit the material therethrough;

and a cylindrical rotor having a bearing member centrally thereof and having a plurality of armately spaced compartments formed vertically therein which are adapted to pass sequentially beneath said material inlet opening, and each of which is adapted to pass simultaneously above and below said frame opening and said air inlet opening, said bearing member adapted to sit on said first shoulder and having a bore formed centrally thereof for receiving said shaft, said bore being square in cross section and having an upper portion the diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of a lower portion thereof, said lower portion having a length less than the length of said upper portion and adapted to engage said shaft wherein said upper portion walls are spaced radially from said shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lanhofier et a1 Sept. 30, 1930 Hagen Mar. 21, 1939 Colburn Oct. 20, 1942 Colburn Mar. 16, 1943 Obenshain June 8, 1954 Agronin Oct. 6, 1959 Vogt May 23, 1961

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