US 8,020,431 B2 · Method and system for calculating and reporting slump in delivery vehicles

Abstract

A system for managing a concrete delivery vehicle having a mixing drum 14 and hydraulic drive 16 for rotating the mixing drum, including a rotational sensor 20 configured to sense a rotational speed of the mixing drum, a hydraulic sensor 22 coupled to the hydraulic drive and configured to sense a hydraulic pressure required to turn the mixing drum, a temperature sensor for sensing temperature of the drum, and a communications port 26 configured to communicate a slump calculation to a status system 28 commonly used in the concrete industry, wherein the sensing of the rotational speed of the mixing drum is used to qualify a calculation of current slump based on the hydraulic pressure required to turn the mixing drum. Temperature readings are further used to qualify or evaluate a load. Also, water purge connections facilitate cold weather operation.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A system for managing the mixing of construction material in a rotating mixing drum, comprising:

a sensor coupled to the mixing drum and/or drive system therefor and configured to sense rotation and torque applied to the mixing drum and/or the contents thereof;
a processor configured to receive data from the sensor and utilize said data in evaluating slump of the material in the mixing drum,
the processor comprising a memory storing data defining a family of two or more curves, the processor configured to compare data from said sensor to a stored curve selected from said curve family to evaluate the slump of the material in the mixing drum,
the processor generating an electrical output signal reflective of slump of the material.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

11/764,832Filed 19 Jun 2007

Published

US 2008/0316856 A125 Dec 2008

Granted

20 Sep 2011

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B28C 5/4231
Details; Accessories: proportioning or supplying water
B28C 5/422
Control apparatus; Drive systems, e.g. coupled to the vehicle drive-system: controlling or measuring devices
B28C 5/4275
With rotating drum rotating about a horizontal or inclined axis, e.g. comprising tilting or raising means for the drum: with a drum rotating about…
B28C 7/022
Controlling the operation of the mixing: by measuring the consistency or composition of the mixture, e.g. with supply of a missing component

Method and system for calculating and reporting slump in delivery vehicles

Life of this patent

Method and system for calculating and reporting slump in delivery vehicles

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims3