Mobile concrete mixing plant

A transportable concrete mixing apparatus comprising:

• a transport frame;
• at least one mixing drum pivotably supported at said transport frame and operable to receive premix concrete through an open mouth at an axial end thereof when at a mixing orientation in which said axial end is raised, to mix the premix concrete with water to form mixed flowable concrete, and to dispense the mixed flowable concrete through said axial end at a dispensing orientation in which said axial end is lowered relative to said mixing orientation;
• a supply hopper configured to contain the premix concrete, said supply hopper having an upper end portion and a dispensing portion configured to selectively dispense the premix concrete therefrom;
• a support track for movably supporting said supply hopper, said support track having a fixed forward track portion and a separable rearward track portion, wherein said forward track portion is coupled to said transport frame and positioned directly above said transport frame, and comprises a dispensing end portion of said support track that is positioned above at least a portion of said mixing drum, and wherein said separable rearward track portion comprises a loading end portion of said support track that is spaced laterally away from said transport frame, said support track being reconfigurable between (i) an in-use configuration in which said separable rearward track portion is at least partially supported by a ground surface spaced laterally away from said transport frame, and (ii) a stowed transport configuration in which said support track is fully supported by said transport frame;
• a carriage at said supply hopper for movably supporting said supply hopper along said support track with said upper end portion of said movable supply hopper positioned above said support track and said lower dispensing portion of said movable supply hopper positioned below said support track, wherein said carriage is configured to maintain said movable supply hopper in a substantially fixed orientation relative to said support track at both said loading and dispensing end portions of said support track and while moving between said loading and dispensing end portions of said support track;
• a drive system positioned near said dispensing end portion of said support track and coupled to said supply hopper, said drive system configured to move said supply hopper between said loading and dispensing end portions of said support track when said support track is in said in-use configuration;
• wherein when said supply hopper is positioned at said dispensing end portion of said support track by said drive system, said dispensing portion of said movable supply hopper is positioned at said open mouth of said mixing drum in said mixing orientation and is operable to dispense the premix concrete into said mixing drum;
• and
• a controller in communication with and operable to control each of said drive system, said mixing drum, and said dispensing portion of said supply hopper, wherein said controller is operable to effect substantially automated operation of said transportable concrete mixing apparatus by controlling said drive system, said mixing drum, and said dispensing portion of said supply hopper in a coordinated manner.

A method of preparing mixed flowable concrete, said method comprising:

• providing a transport frame, a mixing drum coupled to the transport frame, a support track, a supply hopper movably supported at the support track, and a drive system, the support track having a fixed track portion and a repositionable track portion, wherein the fixed track portion includes a dispensing end portion of the support track and is coupled to the transport frame and positioned directly above the transport frame, and the repositionable track portion includes a loading end portion of the support track;
• positioning the support track with the loading end portion supported by a ground surface at a location spaced laterally away from the transport frame and below the mixing drum, and the dispensing end portion positioned above at least a portion of the mixing drum;
• positioning the supply hopper at the loading end portion of the support track, the supply hopper having an upper end portion above the support track and a dispensing portion below the support track;
• providing a container of premix concrete;
• dispensing the premix concrete from the container into the supply hopper;
• moving the supply hopper to the dispensing end portion of the support track with the drive system while maintaining the supply hopper in a fixed orientation relative to the support track, to thereby position the dispensing portion of the support hopper at an open mouth of the mixing drum at an axial end thereof;
• dispensing the premix concrete from the dispensing portion of the support hopper into the mixing drum while maintaining the supply hopper in a fixed orientation relative to the support track;
• dispensing water into the mixing drum;
• mixing the premix concrete with the water in the mixing drum;
• and
• dispensing mixed flowable concrete from the mixing drum.