Portable concrete mixing and transport apparatus

Apparatus for mixing and transporting concrete comprising:

• a trailer frame with a longitudinal axis;
• two axels mounted on said trailer frame parallel to each other, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said trailer frame and in the same plane as formed by said trailer frame;
• four rubber tired wheels rotatably mounted on the four respective ends of said two axels and supporting said axels and said trailer frame for transport;
• a cylindrical steel drum having an axis of rotation parallel to said axels, longer in length than said axels and having a diameter greater than the distance between the wheels on each side of said trailer, cradled between and supported on said four wheels for rotation by the same;
• a forward support frame mounted on and extending upwardly from said trailer on the forward side, in a longitudinal direction, of said drum;
• a rearward support frame mounted on and extending upwardly from said trailer on the rearward side, in a longitudinal direction of said drum;
• four longitudinal rollers, parallel to said drum and rotatably engaging the cylindrical surface of said drum at its vertical mid-point, two longitudinal rollers rotatably mounted spaced apart on the top of said forward support frame, the other two longitudinal rollers rotatably mounted spaced apart on the top of said rearward support frame, for stabilizing said drum against longitudinal movement away from said wheels;
• two ring-shaped flanges mounted on and extending outwardly from the cylindrical surface of said drum, each ring shaped flange forming a plane normal to the axis of rotation of said drum;
• four pairs of laterally opposed rollers having axes of rotation perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said drum, two pairs being rotatably mounted on said forward upright support, the other two pairs being rotatably mounted on said rearward upright support, each pair of laterally opposed rollers defining a low friction guideway for rotatably engaging a respective one of said flanges therebetween, for stabilizing said drum against shifting in the direction of its rotational axis which allowing said drum to rotate about its axis on said wheels;
• a mechanical jack having a base mounted on said trailer frame, having a toothed upright support connected to said forward upright support and having a movable car which includes an internal ratchet mechanism for climbing up the toothed upright support;
• a forward rigid cross-bar extending parallel to the rotational axis of said drum and perpendicular to the toothed upright support of said jack being pivotally connected to the movable car of said jack;
• a rearward rigid cross-bar extending parallel to said forward cross-bar being pivotally connected to said rearward upright support;
• two spaced apart curved steel straps extending between said forward and said rearward cross-bars and beneath said drum, one end of each said strap being attached to said forward cross-bar, the other end of each said strap being connected to said rearward cross-bar, for lifting said drum out of contact with said wheels when the movable car of said jack is jacked up the toothed upright support of said jack;
• and
• two cradles hingeably mounted spaced apart on said trailer frame parallel to each other and hingeably moveable into and out of engagement with said drum, said cradles when engaged with said drum forming a semi-cylindrical surface with an axis parallel to the rotational axis of said drum, beneath said drum for supporting said drum on said trailer frame above said wheels, and when out of engagement said cradle hanging from said trailer out of contact with all rotating elements.

A method of transporting and mixing concrete, which comprises:

• placing a predetermined amount of dry concrete mix into a cylindrical drum which is mounted on a trailer having four wheels;
• towing the trailer to the site where the concrete is to be used with the drum out of engagement with the wheels;
• placing a predetermined amount of water into the drum at the site where the concrete is to be used;
• and then
• engaging the drum into rotatable contact with said wheels and
• towing the trailer so that the wheels rotate the drum and mix the concrete mix with the water;
• and then
• tilting the drum to one side of the trailer to discharge desired quantity of mixed concrete.