Process and apparatus for the preparation of mortars

A portable device for the preparation of mortar comprising:

• an elongated silo for carrying an aggregate and a binder having top and bottom opposite ends, said silo adapted for transportation by a vehicle having a bed in a substantially horizontal position with said top and bottom ends at substantially equal height and for the dispensation of mortar in a substantially vertical position with said top end positioned above said bottom end, said silo having hollow body portion open at said opposite top and bottom ends and having top and bottom closure members at the respective ends for closing off said open ends and retaining the aggregate and binder in the silo when the silo is in a horizontal position;
• partition means within said body for dividing the silo into two individual side by side compartments for the storage of aggregate and binder, said compartments each defining an outlet in said bottom end closure member;
• said silo adapted for dispensing aggregate and binder through the outlets at the bottom end when the silo is in the vertical position;
• conveyor screw means adjacent said outlets for discharging aggregate and binder;
• means for controlling said conveyor screw means, including its speed, so that desired amounts of aggregate and binder are discharged by the conveyor screw means in a predetermined proportion, so that the remaining aggregate and binder are stored in their respective compartments for later use;
• a mixing chamber for receiving the aggregate and binder discharged by the conveyor screw means from the compartments, said conveyor screw means, controlling means and the mixing chamber being adjacent to said bottom end;
• and
• frame means having a plurality of leg means adjacent said bottom end and extending therefrom for supporting the silo on a support surface in the vertical position during dispensation of mortar where said bottom end is positioned above and spaced from the support surface, said frame means connected to the silo to facilitate the tilting of the silo between the horizontal and vertical positions and the loading and unloading of the silo from the bed of the vehicle, said frame means forming an integral part of the device adapted to be transported by and unloaded from the bed of the vehicle and set up at a building site for the preparation of mortar, wherein the frame means comprises bars rigidly connected together to form a rigid structure and wherein the mixing chamber, the conveyor screw means, said controlling means and mixing chamber are all spatially enclosed by the frame means to facilitate transportation and setting up of the device.

A method for the preparation of mortar by means of a portable device including (a) an elongated hollow silo for carrying an aggregate and a binder defining a hollow body portion open at the top and bottom opposite ends having top and bottom closure members closing off the respective ends, said silo adapted for transportation by a vehicle in a substantially horizontal position with said top and bottom ends at substantially equal height and for the dispensation of mortar in a substantially vertical position with said top end positioned above said bottom end, said closure members at the two ends serving to retain the aggregate and binder in the silo when the silo is in a horizontal position;

• partition means within said body for dividing the silo into two side by side individual compartments for the storage of aggregate and binder, said compartments each defining an outlet at the bottom end;
• said silo adapted for dispensing aggregate and binder through the outlets at the bottom end when the silo is in the vertical position;
• (b) conveyor screw means at the outlets for discharging aggregate and binder;
• (c) means for controlling the conveyor screw means, including its speed, so that desired amounts of aggregate and binder are discharged by the conveyor screw means in a predetermined proportion, so that the remaining aggregate and binder are stored in their respective compartments for later use;
• and (d) a mixing chamber for receiving the aggregate and binder discharged by the conveyor screw means from the compartments, said method comprising:
• filling the two compartments from the top end with aggregate and binder with the silo in the vertical position;
• tilting the silo from the vertical position to a horizontal position and loading the silo onto the bed of a vehicle;
• transporting the silo in the horizontal position to a building site;
• unloading the silo from the vehicle and tilting the silo into the vertical position;
• adjusting the conveyor screw means to adjust the relative volumetric flows of aggregate and binder to obtain the desired proportion;
• discharging the aggregate and binder from the bottom end in the predetermined proportion into the mixing chamber and stopping said flows when desired amounts of aggregate and binder have been dispensed so that the remaining aggregate and binder are stored in separate compartments of the silo for later use;
• and
• mixing the aggregate and the binder while adding the required proportion of water.