WO1992019432A2

WO1992019432A2 - Apparatus for mixing mortar

Info

Publication number: WO1992019432A2
Application number: PCT/GB1992/000777
Authority: WO
Inventors: Colin Patric Campbell
Original assignee: Camco (Uk) Limited
Priority date: 1991-04-27
Filing date: 1992-04-27
Publication date: 1992-11-12
Also published as: WO1992019432A3; GB9109146D0; AU1679392A

Abstract

Transportable apparatus for mixing mortar having a silo (1) divided into a compartment (3) for sand and a compartment (4) for binder. The silo is supported on the ground by means of length adjustable legs (8). Sand and binder are premixed in the dry state in a premixing chamber (15) and then fed to a chamber (12) to be mixed with water. Premixing is accurately controlled by gravity feeding the binder through a conduit (16) to the mixing chamber (15) in an accurately metered volumetric flow and metering the sand from a feed chamber (17) also in to the mixing chamber (15). The sand and binder metering is controlled by hydraulic motors (22 and 23) respectively, the motors being operable simultaneously or independently thereby to permit accurate mixing to stipulated requirements.

Description

APPARATUS FOR MIXING MORTAR FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to apparatus for mixing mortar and particularly to transportable apparatus for the aforementioned purpose.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to transport ready mixed concrete and mortar in rotatable containers fixed to the back of lorries for subsequent delivery to a construction site.

The concrete or mortar is previously mixed to the required consistency in in-situ mixing apparatus, delivered in this state to the rotatable container mounted in a fixed position on a lorry and then transporteα to the construction site during which time the container is continuously rotated to maintain the mixed concrete in a subsequently usable condition.

This method restricts the independence of the end user and is normally used for bulk requirements.

An alternative method is to transport the separate constitue parts of the mortar to the construction site whereafter mixing occurs in a conventional cement mixer as mortar is required.

This method can lead to storage problems and tneft of sucn materials lying about a building site during non- working hours can be a proDlem.

Mixing machines are known whicn are capable of being pre-charged with sand and cement in separate compartments in a silo, the silo being provided with an attached mixmg unit for mixing the sand and cement with water after the machine has been delivered to a construction site.

5 This gets over the problem of storage in that the silo can be made secure and sufficient sand and binder stored in the silo to last for a considerable time, with accurate control of the consistency of the delivered mortar being possible and of the amount mixed and delivered in any

10 one batch.

However, the known machine suffers amongst other things from the disadvantage in tnat it is overly bulky with no means of control of its height so limiting its scope -j_5 for transport and on site versatility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

it is an object of the invention to provide a transportable 0 mortar mixing machine which is free of the difficulties of the prior art.

According to the invention there is provided transportable apparatus for mixing mortar comprising a silo provided 5 with separate compartments for sand and binder, length adjustable support legs for supporting the silo on the ground, a first chamber for receiving sand from the sand compartment, a second chamber for receiving binder from the binder compartment and sand from said first 0 chamber, said second chamber being a premixing chamber for mixing predetermined metered quantities of sand and binder, a tnird chamber for mixing the sand and binder with water and for delivery of the mixture to a delivery outlet: provided in said third chamber, rotatable 5 shaft means extending through said first, second and third chambers, and having a conveyor screw on that section of the rotatable shaft in said first chamber for conveying sand to said second chamber and mixing vanes on that section of the rotatable shaft in said second and third chambers for mixing the sand and binder, 5 and means for metering preαetermined amounts of binder from said binder compartment for delivery to said second chamber.

Advantageously, the metering means is in the form of 10 ^a rotary valve or screw conveyor driven by a hydraulic motor as is the rotatable shaft. The two hydraulic motors are hydraulically linked for either simultaneous operation or independent operation thereoy to adjust the mixing requirements.

15

Since the support legs of the silo are length adjustable this enables ease of transport and control of silo height to suit site requirements. The silo is therefore kept in an upright position as all times.

20

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein;

25

Fig 1 is a side view of transportable apparatus for mixing and dispensing mortar;

Fig 2 is a view of the apparatus of Fig i along the 30 direction of the arrow A; and

Fig 3 is a top view of the apparatus of Fig 1.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

JD

The apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a silo 1 having a funnel shaped base 2. The silo 1 is divided into two compartments 3 and 4 by a partition wall 5, one of the compartments 3 being provided for storing sand and the other 4 for a binder material such as cement.

The top of the silo Is provided with lids 6 and 7 providing access to the compartments 3 and 4 respectively.

The silo I is supported on the ground by the means of four support legs 8, each of which are provided with hyαraulically extendable and retractable leg sections 9.

The silo I is further provided with spaced lugs 10 around it periphery to enable the apparatus to be lifted onto a skip and also general purpose lifting eyes 11 around the upper periphery of the silo 1.

The sand and binder are mixed together in a mixing chamber 12 fed with water through a water inlet 13 connected to a supply tank 14.

The sand and binder are fed to the mixing chamber 12 in the dry state from a premixing chamber 15.

The premixing chamber 15 is in communication with a gravity feed conduit 16 for the cement binder from the binder compartment 4 in the silo I and a horizontally axially aligned feed chamber 17 into which sand is supplied through a conduit 18 fixed to the apex of the funnel shaped section 2 of the silo i. A sand shut off valve

19 is positioned between the conduit 18 and the compartment

3.

A pump housing 20 is attached to the end of the feed chamber 17 for introducing additives to the water and in turn into the feed chamber 17 from an admixture tank 21 positioned beside the water tank 14.

The sand in the feed chamber 17 is metered to the premixing chamber 15 by a screw feed (not shown) which can be operated at a constant speed by means of a hydraulic motor 22. The screw feed in the feed chamber 17 and mixing blades (not shown; in the premixing chamber 15 and main mixing chamber 12 are all mounted on a common split drive axle driven by the hydraulic motor 22.

Binder material is introduced to the gravity feed conduit i6 from the compartment 4 in the silo 1 by means of a rotary valve 23 or screw conveyor which can control accurately volumetric flows of binder to the premixing chamber 15.

The paddle 24 of the rotary valve 23 or screw conveyor is operated by means of a hydraulic motor 25, the connecting shaft 26 of which is provided with a cam 27 which operates an associated aeration compressor 28 for aeration of the binder in the binder compartment 4 of the silo 1.

Alternatively, aeration may be provided by means of a small compressor (not shown) mounted in the engine cabinet and driven by the engine starter battery and charging system, the small compressor being coupled to two small aeration probes (not shown; mounted in the bottom of the binder compartment 4 on either side of the binder rotary valve 23 or screw conveyor, to assist the flow of material.

The hydraulic motors 22 and 25, see Fig 2, are provided with a motor speed controls 22' and 25' respectively. The two hydraulic motors 22 and 25 (.althougn not illustrated) are hydraulically interconnected to permit simultaneous operation of the rotary valve 23 and the screw feed and mixing blades of the chambers 17 and 15, or independent operation. in this way accurate mixing to stipulated requirements becomes possible.

Power to drive the hydraulic motors 22 and 25, is provided by means of a donkey engine and fluid power drive shown schematically at 30 and mounted to the support legs δ.

Transportation of the apparatus described above is effected by conventional skip lorry or ordinary flat wagon with standard trailer mounted hydraulic lifting arms.

Due to the provision of the retractable leg sections 9 the apparatus is readily transportable in a vertical position by the means described above. Thereafter the adjustable leg sections 9 enable the height of the silo 1 to be adjusted to suit site conditions.

The hydraulic motor driven vibrator 31 is used to assist in the flow of sand from the sand compartment 3.

The sand compartment 3 is lined with a special anti abrasion - anti friction material to assist in the flow of wet sand.

Claims

1. Transportable apparatus for mixing mortar comprising a silo provided with separate compartments for sand and binder, length adjustable support legs for supporting the silo on the ground, a first chamber for receiving sand from the sand compartment, a second chamber for receiving binder from the binder compartment and sand from said first chamber, said second chamber being a premixing chamber for mixing predetermined metered quantitie ^* of sand and binder, a third chamber for mixing the sand and binder with water and for delivery of the mixture to a delivery outlet provided in said tnird chamber, rotatable shaft means extending through said first, second and third cnambers, and having a conveyor screw on that section of the rotatable shaft in said first chamber for conveying sand to said second chamber and mixing vanes on that section of the rotatable shaft in said second and third cnambers for mixing the sand and binder, and means for metering predetermined amounts of binder from said binder compartment for delivery to said second chamber.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the metering means is in the form of a rotary valve or screw conveyor which are driven by a first hydraulic motor, a second hydraulic motor for driving said rotable shaft, said first and second hydraulic motors being hydraulically linked for either simultaneous operation or independent operation thereby to adjust the mixing requirements for the sand and binder.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claims 1 and 2 wherein the binder is fed to the second chamber from the binder compartment througn a gravity feed conduit, and the sand is fed to the second chamber from a horizontally axially aligned feed chamber constituting said first chamber.

4. Transportable apparatus for mixing mortar comprising a silo provided with separate compartments for sand and binder, length adjustable support legs for supporting the silo on the ground, a first chamber for receiving sand from the sand compartment, a second chamber for receiving binder from the binder compartment and sand from said first chamber, first metering means for metering predetermined amounts of sand from the first chamber for delivery to said second chamber, second metering means for metering predetermined amounts of binder from said binder compartment for delivery to said second chamber, said second chamber being a premixing cnamber for dry mixing said predetermined metered quantities of sand and binder, and a third chamber for receiving the premixed sand and binder to be mixed with water therein and for delivery of the mixture to a delivery outlet provided in said third chamber.

5. Transportable apparatus for mixing mortar substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompany drawings.