Control apparatus for soil improvement machine

A control apparatus for a soil refining machine having a crushing and mixing means, an earth and sand material delivery means for supplying an earth and sand material into the crushing and mixing means, and a soil refining material delivery means for supplying a soil refining material into the crushing and mixing means, the control apparatus comprising:

• a sensing means for detecting a supply rate of the earth and sand material being supplied by said earth and sand material delivery means;
• a first setting means for optionally establishing a supply rate of the soil refining material to be supplied by said soil refining material delivery means;
• and
• a control means responsive to both the rate established by said first setting means and the rate detected by said sensing means for controlling an actual supply rate of said soil refining material being supplied by said soil refining material delivery means,
• said crushing and mixing means being provided with an inlet opening,
• said earth and sand delivery means comprising an earth and sand material hopper with a bottom area thereof having an earth and sand material discharge outlet opening located above said inlet opening, and an earth and sand material feeder rotatably mounted in said earth and sand material hopper and adapted to be driven by a first drive source,
• said soil refining material delivery means comprising a soil refining material hopper with a bottom area thereof having a soil refining material discharge outlet opening located at a position offset from a position at which said earth and sand material discharge outlet opening is located in a direction opposite to a direction in which said earth and sand material feeder is to be rotated, and a soil refining material feeder rotatably mounted in said soil refining material hopper and adapted to be driven by a second drive source,
• said sensing means being located at a position offset from a position in which said soil refining material discharge outlet opening is located in a direction opposite to the direction in which said earth and sand material feeder is to be rotated,
• said first setting means being adapted to preset the speed of rotation of said second drive source optionally;
• and
• said control means being adapted to control the speed of rotation of said second drive source in response to both the rate established by said first setting means and the rate detected by said sensing means.