US 5,486,047 A · Mixing auger for concrete trucks

Abstract

A mixing auger apparatus for an on-site mobile concrete mixer is disclosed wherein the mixing auger apparatus is capable of effective operation while oriented at an angle of inclination greater than 22.degree. to the horizontal. The mixing auger apparatus is provided with a flexible housing that extends around the entire circumference of a half flight auger. The flexible housing is suspended from a frame such that the housing is flexible completely around the mixing auger. Adjustment devices allow the positional movement of the flexible housing relative to the mixing auger to modify the clearance between therebetween. The flexible housing is separable to permit movement thereof into an inoperable position to facilitate a cleanout of the mixing auger apparatus. The deployment of the mixing auger apparatus on a mobile concrete mixer permits the use of a standard gravity fed conveying apparatus to deliver component materials to a lower portion of the vehicle with the discharge of a concrete mixture into an elevated chute mechanism which is operable to place the mixture forwardly of the vehicle along a variable range of operation. The mixing auger apparatus is also pivotally supported to provide a range of operation laterally of the vehicle independently of the chute mechanism.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A mixing auger apparatus for use in combining a plurality of material components to create a mixture, at least one of said component materials including chunks, comprising:

a mixing auger having an elongated central shaft and spiral flighting affixed thereto, said shaft being mounted for rotation and having an inlet end and a discharge end;
a flexible housing circumferentially surrounding said mixing auger and defining a chamber cooperable with said flighting to permit said flighting to convey said materials from said inlet end to said discharge end upon rotation of said shaft, said flexible housing being operable to flex radially relative to said shaft to prevent said material chunks from wedging between said flighting and said housing, said housing defining an inlet opening corresponding to said inlet end of said mixing auger to permit the introduction of said component materials to said inlet end and a discharge opening corresponding to said discharge end of said mixing auger to permit said mixture to be discharged from said discharge end;
and
means for rotating said central shaft.

1 more element

In a mixer apparatus for use in combining preselected quantities of component materials to create a concrete mixture, said mixer apparatus including a mixing auger having a central shaft and spiral flighting affixed thereto, said shaft being mounted for rotation and having an inlet end and a discharge end;

and means for rotating said central shaft, the improvement comprising:
a flexible housing circumferentially surrounding said mixing auger and defining a chamber cooperable with said flighting to permit said flighting to convey said materials from said inlet end to said discharge end upon rotation of said shaft, said flexible housing being operable to flex radially around substantially the entire circumference of said chamber relative to said shaft to prevent said material chunks from wedging between said flighting and said housing, said housing defining an inlet opening corresponding to said inlet end of said mixing auger to permit the introduction of said component materials to said inlet end and a discharge opening corresponding to said discharge end of said mixing auger to permit said mixture to be discharged from said discharge end.

In a mobile concrete mixer operable to transport component materials in separate hoppers to a job site where preselected quantities of said component materials, including aggregate, are mixed to create a predetermined amount of concrete mixture, said concrete mixer including a conveying mechanism operable to deliver said preselected quantities of said component materials from the respective hoppers to a mixing auger apparatus having a mixing auger operable to create said concrete mixture from said preselected quantities of said component materials for discharge therefrom at a discharge end, and a flexible housing supported from a sub-frame and being operably associated with said mixing auger to permit said mixing auger to convey said concrete mixture to said discharge end, the improvement comprising:

adjustment means operably supporting said flexible housing from said sub-frame for positionally adjusting said housing relative to said mixing auger to maintain a predetermined clearance therebetween.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Mixing auger for concrete trucks

Life of this patent

Mixing auger for concrete trucks

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20