US1824625A - Truck mix meter for tiltable trucks - Google Patents

Description

Sept; 22, 1931. VJ. F. ROBB 1,824,625

TRUCK MIX METER FOR TILTABLE TRUCKS Filed May 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l v 4-7 3mm, 6 John If Robb.

p 2 1931- J. F. ROBB TRUCK IIX METER FOR TILTABLEJRUCKS Filed May 2,, 1930 2 Sheets-Shut 2 Jmmloc John Robb.

Patented Sept. 22,1931 1,824,625

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1cm: I. B033, CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGIII'OB TO KOIKBING OOIPL'IY, OI IILWAUKII, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION THUG! in: mm FOB TIL'I'ABLE TRUCKS Application filed Kay 2, 1880. Serial No. 448,800.

Object of invention What are commonly called truck mixers are being used today to transport concrete which has been previously mixed at a central mixing plant, to a place of deposit for use; such mixers are likewise used to transport aggre ates of the concrete mix, in unmixed con ition, to the place of use; and mixers of this same general type are used to trans rt roperly mixed aggregates of the hate and the mixing element or drum is maintained in slow rotation to merely keep the materials properly agitated to prevent premature settlement or segregation thereof in transit.

My present invention embodies certain control mechanism suitable for such types of truck mixers wherein the mixing drum which under some conditions may be merely a transporting drum or a slow agitating drum, is tilted in order that it may be emptied of the batch of concrete aggregates at the proper site where the batch '18 to be emplaced. The said control instrumentaL ities involve a timing device desi ed to insure that the aggregates are retained by the mixindrum when the drum is employed as t e reliminary mixing means and receives more y measured quantities of aggregates. The invention includes also a revolution countin counter the function of which is to detfiiitely in icate the number of revolutions which the drum has-made in transit or even when the truck is stationary, this bei desirable where specifications reuire a efinite amount of rotation of the rum to obtain a mixture of re r integrity. The indicating counter or t e revolutions of the drum.1s also advan us where alread the drum am; are being transported, so that the receiver will know that during the transorting movement of the truck the drum has been rotated a certain number of revolutions by which the contents thereof are kept properly agitated to prevent the segregation or settlement within the drum that would destroy the homogeneousness of the mix.

mixed aggregates are within In the drawings-- Figure 1 is aside elevation of a truck embodyin the invention. Figure 2 is a fragmentary side view showing more particularly the control mecha IllSIIl alone.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view showing more clearly the connection between the water valve arm and the actuating slide therefor, including a vertical lever.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the pai ts of Figure 3. f r

i re 5 is a re enta rsgcti e view iif the batchmet e i' settiiig fha and gearing.

Figure 6 is a detail fragmentary view of the internal counter mechanism for the revolution counting operation. Operation and comtmction of the By describing the operation of my invention and referring to the various parts, the construction thereof will become readily apparent. It will first be noted that the truck mixer illustrated may be of any conventional type wherein is employed the main'truck 1, the cab 2 for the driver, the wheels 8, the rear ones of which only are shown, an en ine driven shaft or power device 4 suitab y geared to be operated from the engine WhlCh propels the truck, and connected by the usual universal joint 5 with the rear section 4a leading to the difierential at the rear axle of the vehicle.

A counter shaft 6 is arranged parallel with the engine shaft 4 which is connected by any suitable gearing with the counter shaft 6, the gearing bein disposed in the casing 7.

Upon the truck me 1 is carried a drum 8 which is pivoted at its rear and at 9 so that it may be tilted upwardly by the use of a hydraulic hoist 10 with suitable cable connections ll'leadin jecting downwardl from t 0 bottom 0 the drum frame 13 at its front end. The drum frame 13 directly supports the drum 8 and the pivot connection 9 is between the frame 1 and the drum frame 13.

The operation of elevating the front end of the drum 8 to discharge it .is well known toarms12 ro-- ries a water tankl5.

I Trester patent. I utilize for the to which the truck mixer may be put.

This brings me to the control instrumentalities which are the principal features of my invention.

It will be observed that I employ a drum rotating shaft 16 adapted to be connected by a clutch 17 at its front end with a clutch 18 of a drive shaft 19 which is normally driven by sprocket and chain connection 20 leading to the shaft 6, which shaft it will 20 be remembered is driven from the engine shaft 4.

I utilize, suitably supported by the main truck frame 1 as by means of a vertical bracket 21, a timing device in the nature of a batchmeter which is fully described in the Letters Patent of Trester, No. 1,532,277, dated April 7th, 1925. This batchmeter in the present construction is driven or operated by being geared to the drum drive shaft 16 as by a sprocket chain 22, see Figure 2, instead of being driven directly from the mixing drum itself as shown in the purpose of clutching the drum rotating sha t 16 to the engine driven shaft 19, a main control lever 23 adapted to be locked in adjusted positions by the usual latch means 24, and

, notchsegment 25, If a water tank 15 is used on my machine I provide the arrangementshown in Figures 2 and 4 to best advantage to establish an interlock between the water tank and the lever 23 so that the lever 23 may not be operated to cause rotation of the drum 8 for mixing until the water tank has discharged its liquid contents into the mixing drum. With the above in mind, it will be observed that the tank 15 is yieldably supported by brackets 15 and 15" upon the main bracket 14 at the front of the drum 8, a spring 26 being adapted to move the tank 15 upwards after the water in the tank.

has been discharged. As seen in Fj rel, the spring 26 is compressed because t e tank 15 contains a supply of water'ifora mixing .2 operation. It will be seen ftha't the lower bracket 15' has a (put r61 rod 27 extending laterally and downwardl with its lower end'in the pathof'a lock ug 28 on the axis portion of the lever 23. The lever 23 is pro- //6G vided with an arm 29 which is connected 30 is to engage the lower end ofthe valve operating lever 34 which works the valve arm 35 to open and close the valve in the pipe 36 leading from the tank 15 in the mixing drum 8. This opening of the valve member is accomplished by the preliminary movement of the lever 23 and until the water in the tank passes'into the drum 8 ready to be mixed with the aggregates in the drum, the lever 23 cannot be moved downwards other than to that extent to cause the water to be supplied to the drum 8 because the locking lug 28 will engage the rod 27. However, when the water has been emptied from the tank 15 into the drum 8, the spring 26 lifts the tank 15, disengaging the rod 27 from the lug 28 and rendering the lever 23 free to be further moved to now connect the drum 8 to be rotated from the-engine driven shaft 19. By this last operation of the lever 23 to start the rotation of the mixer 8, the timing device generally indi-" The mixing drum 8 is thus started into rotation and at the same time as this action is performed, the downward movement of the plunger 37 carries down with it the L-shaped actuating slide 39, see Figure 2, and Fi ure 5. The setting of the timing device into operation is done in substantially the same manner as presented in the Trester patent above identified, the slide 39 having teeth 40 meshed with a one-way actuated'pinion 41, see Figure 5, which pinion is loose on a shaft 42 having a drlven pinion 48 meshing with the teeth of a slide 44 which connects with the settin rod 45 of the timing device or batchmeter In this way when the L-shaped slide 39 is carried down, the shaft 42 is turned and raises the slide 44 and the rod 45 and sets the batchmeter into action.

Now it must be understood that theremust be send. lockin control to prevent the o eratgiofi of the hy raulic hoist 10 to tilt an discharge the mixing drum .8, when the said drum 8 is performing its complete mixing cycle or period of operation, necessary to insure a proper mixing of the aggregates. Thus I provide under the control of the batchmeter A and particularly its setting rod 45 a lock member 46 which engages the valve lever 47 that controls the admission of the pressure medium to the cylinder of the hoist 10 for actuating the cable 11 to raise and tilt the mixer 8. So long as the batchmeter is operating after having been set into action, the valve lever 47 is locked so thato erator cannot cause a tilting discharge of t e mixer. When the batchmeter .fi nls hes its control cycle of operation, as presented in the Tres'ter patent, the setting rod 45 moves downwardly by a release action and thereupon releases the valve lever 47 so that 1t may be operated by the truck man to discharge the mixer 8.

It also should be observed in Fig. 5 that the pinion 43 is freely rotatable on the shaft 42 and is providedwith a one-way acting dog clutch face 43. Splined to the shaft 42 and movable into and out of engagement wlth the clutch face 43 of the pinion 43 is a clutch member 43 which when in the osition shown establishes driving relation etween the shaft 42 and the pinion 43. A bell crank clutch shifter yoke 43 engages the clutch 43, said yoke being pivotally supported on the standard 43.

The long arm of the clutch shifter yoke 43 has an offset portion 43 and finally terminutes in the resilient blade portion. 43

lying in the path of the two pins 44 projecting from the rack bar 44. A snap-over spring 43' connects the offset portion 43 of the shifter yoke at one end and extends across the yoke pivot at one side thereof, connecting with the arm 43 projecting laterally from the standard 43. The lower pin 44 on the rack bar 44 engages the blade portion of the shifter yoke just after the rack bar 44 is raised by the downward movement of the rack 39 incident to the setting of the batchneter, and as the batchmeter 18 set the shifter yoke is moved to disengage the clutch members 43 and 43 to free the pinion 43 from operative connection with the shaft As the axis of the spring 43 passes the pivotal center of the shifter yoke 43, the spring assists in shiftin the yoke and also holds the clutch when sliifted in its respective positions.

Since the clutch is thrown out incident to the setting of the batchmeter, the rack bar 44 is now free to drop down incident to the release of the batchmeter at the end of the predetermined mixing period, as governed thereby. When this release takes place, the parts again shift to the position as shown in Fig. 1 which, due to the dropping of the latch bar, causes the clutch shiter yoke to be again moved to clutch engaging position to be subsequently actuated incident to movement of the rack bar 39.

The previous downward movement of the slide 39 caused a turning of the shaft 42 because the ratchet devices 48 and 49 were operative to transmit movement at that time from the slide 39 to the shaft 42, which shaft carries the ratchet member 48 fixed thereto. When the lever 23 is released by controlling its latch 24, the spring 50 will force the plunger 37 upwards and disconnect, the clutch members 17 and 18 in a self-evident manner. The slide 30 is so interlocked with the valve operating lever 34 that actuation In conjunction with my timing batchmeter A, I utilize a batch counting register and indicator 51 which is operated in substantially the manner of the Trester patent previously referred to, and also a new revolution counter 52, a detail of which is seen best in Figure 6. The purpose of the revolution counter 52 is to enable a person who has received concrete delivered by the truck mixer to determine when the concrete arrives how many revolutions have been performed by the drum 8. This information is ofimportance both to the receiver of the aggregates being delivered and to inspection service where government, state, or other inspection is maintained. The counter 52 is operated to count the revolutions by a gearing including shafts 53,54, and 55 with intermediate bevel. gears leading to and connecting with the operating [shaft 56' of the batchmeter. The ear ratios of the gearing just mentioned Wlll be such that the indicator or register 52 will be operated to properly count the number of times the mixer 8 rotates, the said gear ratios involving of course the said gears just mentioned and the sizes of the gears which drive the shaft 56 from the shaft 57 which is operated by the sprocket chain means 22 previously referred to. Obviously, when the number of revolutions of the drum 8, for each batch, are

counted upon the indicator or register 52,

gates from the drum 8 should enable a restoration of the counting wheels of the counter 52, to zero. For this purpose, every time the valve lever 47 is operated to actuate the hoist l0 and discharge the drum 8, a rod 58 connecting said lever tothe normalizing shaft of the counting wheels of the register 52 will'cause zeroizing action of said shaft upon the said wheels. Of course it will be understood that the levers 23 and47 may, if desired, extend into the cab 2 so as to be convenient to the operator of the machine sitting in the cab, or rods ma lead from the cab to set these levers, enab ing them to be operated from the cab, as well as directly from his position alongside the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

hoist connected with the rotate it, and lock means for the hoist controlled from the above mentioned device so that the hoist may not be operated until said device has been actuated.

2. In control mechanism for truck mixers, in combination, a truck, a mixing drum thereon adapted to be tilted to discharge, a hoist connected with the drum to discharge the same, a power shaft, a device for connecting the power shaft with the drum to rotatiLZ-it, and lock means for the hoist controlled from the above mentioned device so that the hoist may not be operated untilsaid device has been actuated, includlng a timing device requiring a certain number of rotations of the drum to be performed before the hoisting device is released from its lock device.

3. In control mechanism for truck mixers, in combination, a truck, a mixing drum thereon adapted to be tilted to discharge, a hoist connected with the drum to discharge the same, a power shaft, a device for connecting the power shaft with the drum to rotate it, and lock means for the hoist controlled from the above mentioned device so that the hoist may not be operated until said device has been actuated, including a timing device requiring a certain number of rotations of the drum to be performed before the hoisting device is released from its lock device, and a revolution counter included in said timing device to indicate the number of revolutions that have been performed by the drum.

4. In control mechanism for truck mixers, in combination, a truck a mixing drum thereon adapted to be tilte. to discharge, a

,. hoist connected with the drum to discharge the same, a power shaft, a device for connecting the power shaft with the drum to rotate it, lock means for the hoist controlled from the above mentioned device so that the hoist may not be operated until said device has been actuated, including a timing device requiring a certain number or rotations of the drum to be performed before the hoisting device is released from its lock device, a revolution counter included in said timing device to indicate the number of revolutions that have been performed by the drum, and means to restore the said counter to zero operated incident to the operation of the hoisting means.

5. In control mechanism for truck mixers, in combination, a truck, a mixing drum thereon adapted to be tilted to discharge, a hoist connected with the drum to discharge the same, a power shaft, a device for connecting the power shaft with the drum to rotate it, lock' means for the hoist controlled from the above mentioned device so that the hoist may not be operated until said device has been actuated, including a timing device requiring a certain number of rotations of the drum to be performed before the hoisting device is released from its lock device, a revolution counter included in said timing device to indicate the number of .the truck, driving means to drivingly connect the power means with the drum to rotate it, means for tilting the drum to discharge it, and means for locking the said tilting means against use prior to the operation of the means employed to drivingly connect the power means with the rotating means whereby rotation of the drum is compelled before discharging by tilting thereof is performed.

7. In a control mechanism for truck mixers, in combination, a truck, a mixing drum thereon, hoist means for tilting the drum to discharge the same, instrumentalities for op-- eratin the hoist, a water tank associated with the drum and movable therewith upon tilting of the latter, lock means for the hoist, operating instrumentalities to prevent operation of the latter until the drum has been rotated a predetermined number of rotations, a device for causing rotation of the drum, a control therefor, and means associated with the water tank for preventing operation of the drum rotating control means until the contents of said tank have been emptied into the drum.

8. Means as set forth in claim 7, in which the last mentioned means involves connections between the water tank mechanism and for compelling a certain number of rotations of the drum before it can be discharged, means for causing discharge of the drum, and means for setting the timing device into operation initiated by the actuation of the means which connects the drum rotating means with the power source.

10. A machine as set forth in claim 9, combined with water tank means for supplying 'water to the drum and in which the disinstriunentality for rum from the power reventing said rotation until the 1:; means has supplied a proper 1 t0 the cirum.

cenirol mechanism for truck mix- Eien, trues a mixing drum iiiereen, a. heiss connected with the reel; the same to discharge it, a ne u'ce on the truck drum rotating en means fer connecting the. drum means with the power source, inopereting lever and a timing deer eniyelling a certain number of 10- te operation by actunder the clutch means has been in operation length 0f time. v chine -s-ibsentie1y {LS set forth ii combined with Water supply the drum and eenneetinns between supply means and said iever to con-- e level" and 'mevent leans from being rendered active i if ied to the drum gregates therein.

1 1115211 for truck mi ruek, a mixing drum connect the drum the newer source, an

drum rotating M clutch means, a qssecieied with the drum to supei'eie, an interlock between the nb: means and operating device 'ihe eperating device cannot be 0pi use reteiien of the drum until controlled to in, ind means fer v of Water to fine eontrel of

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