US3188928A

US3188928A - Concrete supply receptacle and hopper combination

Info

Publication number: US3188928A
Application number: US356322A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ronald M Guntert; Wilbur F Earley
Original assignee: Guntert and Zimmerman Construction Div Inc
Current assignee: Guntert and Zimmerman Construction Div Inc
Priority date: 1960-03-18
Filing date: 1964-03-31
Publication date: 1965-06-15
Anticipated expiration: 1982-06-15

Description

June 15, 1965 CONCRETE SUPPLY RECEPTACLE AND HOPPER COMBINATION Original Filed March 18, 1960 R. M. GUNTERT ETAL 3 Sheets-Sheet J.

INVENTORS QM Glazier! [a 1'. Far/ BY WAWaW/AW ATTORNEYS m 1965 R. M. GUNTERT ETAL 3, 8 ,9

CONCRETE SUPPLY RECEPTACLE AND HOPPER COMBINATION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 18, 1960 June 1965 R. M. GUNIERT ETAL 3,188,928

CONCRETE SUPPLY RECEPTACLE AND HOPPER COMBINATION Original Filed March 18, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,188,928 CONCRETE SUPPLY RECEPTACLE AND HQPPER COMBINATION Ronald M. Guntert and Wilbur F. Earley, Stockton, Calih,

assignors to Guntert & Zimmerman Const. Div., Inc,

Stockton, Calif, a corporation of California Original application Mar. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 15,871, now

Patent No. 3,135,178, dated June 2, 1964. Divided and this application Mar. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 356,322

2 Claims. (Cl. 94-46) This invention relates to concrete slab laying machines of the type designed to lay wide slabs, such as are required in highway and air-strip paving and similar operations; a machine for this purpose being shown in our copending application Serial No. 15,871 (now Patent No. 3,135,178) and of which the instant application is a division.

' The major object of the present invention is to provide such a machine with a full-width hopper which feeds the concrete directly under the concrete smoothing and depth limiting pan of the machine at the forward end of such pan, and a concrete supply receptacle mounted in connection with and above the hopper for movement along the same to feed the supply in the receptacle into the hopper in distributed amounts throughout the length of the hopper.

The receptacle is fixed on a carriage, and another object of the invention is to mount the carriage for movement lengthwise of the hopper in such a manner that the carriage and its supporting rails are maintained clear of the hopper, so that no concrete will drop on said rails, and the top or" the hopper is left unobstructed, except for the receptacle, so that concrete may be dumped directly into th hopper if desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a selfpropelled carriage for the purpose, and the travel of which, in one direction or the other, may be controlled from a relatively remote point.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable concrete supply receptacle and hopper combination and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is aside elevation of a concrete slab laying machine as equipped with the improved hopper and distributing receptacle associated therewith.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged foreshortened front elevation of the machine.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the concrete slab laying machine to which th present invention is applied is indicated generally at 1. Such machine embodies a frame, denoted generally at 2, which includes transverse beams 3 and uprights 4 at the ends of such beams. The uprights 4 are secured to bolsters 5 which support self-propelled endless track units 6.

The machine 1 further embodies, and as a part of the present invention, a transverse concrete distributing hop per 7 which extends substantially the full distance between the tra-ck units 6. This hopper, which is closed at its ends, is rigidly secured to the frame 2 just ahead of the foremost transverse frame beams 3; the top of the hopper being below the top level of the upper beam 3, as shown in FIG. 3. Said hopper, which includes front and

rear walls

8 and 9, respectively, is open at the bottom so as to feed onto the ground and under the usual concrete confining and smoothing pan 10 of the machine.

Mounted on the machine to receive concrete from the mixer and feed the same into the hopper 7 is a receptacle 1 1. This receptacle has downwardly sloping sides which provide a full-length mouth 12 disposed directly over the hopper 7 a short distance above the same.

The receptacle is fixed with a carriage 13 projecting rearwardly from the same and provided with front and rear pairs of flanged

wheels

14 and 15, respectively; the terms front and rear designating the relationship of the wheels to the slab laying machine lengthwise thereof.

The front wheels 14 ride on rails 16 mounted on the frame 2 transversely of the machine, or lengthwise of the hopper 7 parallel thereto and just back of and above the top of the rear wall 9 of the hopper, as clearly shown in FIG. 3.

The rear wheels 15 ride against similar rails 17 mounted on the frame of the machine above said wheels 15. By so mounting the carriage, it cannot tip forwardly and downwardly with the weight of the receptacle and its load, while at the same time the rails are out of the way of concrete being dumped into the hopper, and there is no danger of any concrete being deposited on the rails. Also, since the rails are clear of the hopper and the receptacle 11 may be moved clear of any portion of the hopper at the option of the operator, concrete may be dumped directly into the hopper at any point in its length.

The front wheels 14 are reversibly driven by chain drive units 18 connected to a reversible motor 19 mounted on the carriage 13; operation of the motor 19 being controlled by the operator of the machine-4mm his seat 2t through the medium of suitable electrical connections of conventional type.

By means of the above described arrangement, the receptacle 11 may be moved back and forth from one end to the other of the hopper so as to receive concrete from either side of the machine and feed the concrete in evenly distributed amounts along the hopper An arcuate gate 21 normally closes the mouth 12 of the receptacle 11; said gate having end ears 22, each of which overlaps the adjacent end Wall of the receptacle and i pivotally connected thereto, as at 23. A sprocket wheel 24 is connected to one ear axially of the pivot 23, and is engaged by an endless chain 25 driven by a reversible motor and reduction gear unit 26 mounted on the carriage 13; said unit being controlled in the same manner as the motor 19. The gate may thus be opened to any degree desired for the proper regulated discharge of the concrete therefrom as the receptacle moves along the hopper.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced a receptacle and hopper combination such as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth the present and preferred details of construction, still in practice such deviations from such details may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

1. In a concrete slab laying machine, a transversely extending elongated hopper mounted on the machine adjacent its forward end, the hopper being open at the bottom to discharge onto the ground, a concrete supply receptacle disposed above the hopper to discharge into the same, a carriage rigid with the receptacle, means mounting the carriage on the machine for movement of the receptacle lengthwise of the hopper over the same, the receptacle having a bottom discharge opening, a closure gate for said opening, means including a pivot element rigid with i I lengthwise of the hopper .over

the same, the receptacle having "a bottom discharge opening; a closure gate for the gate mounting the same on the receptacle for opening and closing movement,' a remote-controlled motor and reductiongear unit 'monnted' on: the carriage, and" an rotate the latter and thus swing-the gate between open and closed positions; the carriage mounting meanscomsaid opening, and controlledxmeans-on the carriage connected tothe' gate to open and close the same; the caroperative connection between said unit and the pivot to 1 prising'a pair of railson the machine spaced lengthwise thereof and disposed parallel to and extending the full adjacent relationship to said length of the hopper in V hopper, wheels on the carriage,'the wheels nearest'the receptacle riding on the foremost rail and the wheels fur.- thest from the receptacle riding against theunderside of T therearmostrail, a remote controlled reversible, motor mounted on the carriage, and drive means between the" motor and certain ones of the wheels.

2, In' a concrete slab laying machine, a transversely extending elongated hopper mounted on the machine adjai ii cent its forward end, the hopper being open at the bottom to discharge onto the ground, a concrete supply receptacle disposed'above the hopper to discharge into the same, a carriage rigid with'the receptacle, means niountingthe carriage 'on the machine for movement of the receptacle 1 riage mounting'means comprising a pair of rails on the machine spaced lengthwise thereof and disposed parallel to and extending the full lengthv of the hopper in-adjacent relationship to said hopper, wheels on the carriage, the

wheels nearest'the, receptacle riding on the foremost rail and the wheels furthest from the receptaclelriding against the underside ofpthe rearmo st rail, a remote controlled reversible -rnotor mounted 'on the, carriage, and drive means betweenthe 'motorr and'certain ones of the wheels.

' References Citedthe Examiner I ,JACOB NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A CONCRETE SLAB LAYING MACHINE, A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING ELONGATED HOPPER MOUNTED ON THE MACHINE ADJACENT ITS FORWARD END, THE HOPPER BEING OPEN AT THE BOTTOM TO DISCHARGE ONTO THE GROUND, A CONCRETE SUPPLY RECEPTACLE DISPOSED ABOVE THE HOPPER TO DISCHARGE INTO THE SAME, A CARRIAGE RIGID WITH THE RECEPTACLE, MEANS MOUNTING THE CARRIAGE ON THE MACHINE FOR MOVEMENT OF THE RECEPTACLE LENGTHWISE OF THE HOPPER OVER THE SAME, THE RECEPTACLE HAVING A BOTTOM DISCHARGE OPENING, A CLOSURE GATE FOR SAID OPENING, MEANS INCLUDING A PIVOT ELEMENT RIGID WITH THE GATE MOUNTING THE SAME ON THE RECEPTACLE FOR OPENING AND CLOSING MOVEMENT, A REMOTE-CONTROLLED MOTOR AND REDUCTION GEAR UNIT MOUNTED ON THE CARRIAGE, AND AN OPERATIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID UNIT AND THE PIVOT TO ROTATE THE LATTER AND THUS SWING THE GATE BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS; THE CARRIAGE MOUNTING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF RAILS ON THE MACHINE SPACED LENGTHWISE THEREOF AND DISPOSED PARALLEL TO AND EXTENDING THE FULL LENGTH OF THE HOPPER IN ADJACENT RELATIONSHIP TO SAID HOPPER, WHEELS ON THE CARRIAGE, THE WHEELS NEAREST THE RECEPTACLE RIDING ON THE FOREMOST RAIL AND THE WHEELS FURTHEST FROM THE RECEPTACLE RIDING AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF THE REARMOST RAIL, A REMOTE CONTROLLED REVERSIBLE MOTOR MOUNTED ON THE CARRIAGE, AND DRIVE MEANS BETWEEN THE MOTOR AND CERTAIN ONES OF THE WHEELS.