CONCRETE PUMP

From Concretepumping

Patented Feb. 12, 1935 1,991,342

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

1,991,342 CONCRETE PUMP Charles F. Ball, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Chain Belt Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application August 19, 1931, Serial No. 558,175 2 Claims. (CI. 103—170)

This invention relates to pumps of the reciprocating piston type and has for one of its objects to provide a pump of this character which will be particularly adapted for the pumping of concrete 6 and other similar plastic mixtures which embody relatively large heavy aggregates. A further object of the invention is to provide a concrete pump of the duplex type in which the pistons work at relatively slow speeds through rel- 10 atively long strokes. A still further object of the invention is to provide a concrete pump of the duplex type in which the pistons are moved by fluid pressure, with the result that the piston speed is substantially con- 15 stant throughout the stroke, and a practically uniform flow of concrete with substantially no pulsation is had. A still further object of the invention is to provide a duplex concrete pump in which a single 20 outlet valve controls both cylinders. A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel way of introducing wash water or other' scavenging fluid into the cylinders to clear them of any concrete materials which may ad- 25 here to their walls, thereby reducing friction and wear of parts. A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction for applying the fluid pressure to the pump pistons. 30 A still further object of the invention is to provide a concrete pump having a receptacle for receiving pre-mixed, or partially mixed concrete, or even unmixed concrete making materials, which receptacle is adapted to mix and to maintain such 35 concrete in completely mixed and unsegregated condition and to feed the same to the pump cylinders. A still further object of the invention is to provide a concrete pump which will be more efficient 40 in action than those which have been heretofore proposed. With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel details of construc- 45 tion and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter set forth and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Referring to the accompanying drawings form- . ing a part of this specification in which like ref- 60 erence characters designate like parts in all the views:—

66 Figure 2 is a partial plan view ol the parts Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, of a concrete pump constructed in accordance with the present invention; shown in Figure 1, the concrete receiving and agitating drum, the power plant, and the fluid pressure pump, being omitted and certain of the parts being shown in section; Figure 3 is an end elevational view partly bro- 6 ken away, of the parts shown in Figure 1 as seen from the right of the latter figure; Figure 4 is an end elevational view, partly broken away, of the parts shown in Figure 1 as seen from the left of the said figure, the power plant 10 and certain other parts being omitted for the sake of clearness; Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the rear end portion of the apparatus, as seen from the side opposite to that shown in Figure 1, 15 and showing the fluid pressure pump; Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the outlet conduit showing a slightly modified form of outlet valve construction; Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the 20 fluid circuits between the fluid pressure pump, the control valve and the concrete pump pistons; and Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view, showing the means for automatically shifting the fluid control valve. • 26 In the said drawings the numeral 10 indicates a main frame of substantially rectangular construction, which may be stationary if desired, but which is here shown as being mounted upon suitable wheels 11, in order that the pump may 30 be portable and moved from place to place as desired. The said frame 10 is here shown as comprising the longitudinal sids channels 12 and 13, and the transverse members 14,15,16, 17 and 18, rigidly connected in any suitable manner to the 35 said channels. As best shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the transverse member 15 carries a pair of clamping blocks 20, while the member 17 carries a companion pair of blocks 21, which pairs of blocks receive and hold the longitudinally ex- 4(> tending shafts 22, upon which are rotatably mounted the drum-supporting rollers 23. A concrete recsiving and agitating drum 24 is mounted for rotation upon the rollers 23, which drum is or may be of substantially the construction com- 46 monly employed iri rotating-drum concrete mixer practice. The said drum is provided with the axial charging and discharging openings 25 and 26, respectively, into the former of which extends a charging hopper 27 carried by suitable up- *" right supports 28, The interior of ths drum carries the well known helical mixing blades 29, which also serve to move the concrete from right to left, as viewed in Figure 1, toward the discharge opening 26, and the discharge end of the Loading...Loading... Feb. 12, 1935. C. F. BALL CONCRETE PUMP Filed Aug. 19,. 1931 iffr rTTl fftl jQ) fftl 1,991,342 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Loading...Loading... Feb. 12, 1935. C. F. BALL CONCRETE PUMP Filed Aug. 19, 1931 1,991,342 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Loading...Loading... Feb. 12, 1935. C. F. BALL CONCRETE PUMP Filed Aug. 19,. 1931 iffr rTTl fftl jQ) fftl 1,991,342 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Loading...Loading... Feb. 12, 1935. C. F. BALL CONCRETE PUMP Filed Aug. 19, 1931 1,991,342 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Loading...Loading... 1,991,348 ber 88 may be mounted on the said connection 87. In the slightly modified construction shown in Figure 6, separate outlet valves 84' are employed for each cylinder, and in this instance the balls 5 move at an angle of approximately 45° instead of horizontally, as when only one valve is used. The motor within the housing 56, in addition to driving the fluid pump 55, also furnishes power for rotating the drum 24. Power from the motor 0 shaft may be taken by a chain 90 to a worm reduction gearing within a casing 91, and thence by a sprocket 92, chain 93 and sprocket gear 94 to the said drum. The cross-heads 44 are preferably mounted and 5 slide upon fixed guide rods 95, extending between and rigidly fixed to the transverse frame member 18 and the enlarged ends 40' of the cylinders 40, see Figure 2. Each cylinder 40 is provided at its right hand 0 end, as viewed in Figures 1 and 2, with a wash- water chamber 96. The said chambers are interconnected by a pipe 97, see Figure 2, into which leads a water supply pipe 98, and each chamber is further provided with a bleeder outlet 99. The 5 wash-water within the said chambers for the most part merely moves back and forth in the cylinders 40 behind the piston heads 42, in the same manner as does the oil in the chambers 50. A slight flow of wash-water is provided however, ) from the supply pipe 98, due to the slow discharge through the bleeders 99. » The volume of the fluid supplied to the pump 55 is practically constant, and therefore the movement of the pistons 41 in the cylinders 40, 5 back and forth, is uniform throughout the entire length of their stroke. Since one piston picks up immediately where the other leaves off, and at the same speed, the concrete in the delivery pipe is, kept in continuous motion and a smooth flow ) of concrete, substantially without pulsations, emerges from the distributing pipe. It is 1m- ; portant to keep the concrete in continuous motion, since any stoppage, even for short periods, requires relatively great increase in pressure to 5 overcome the static friction between the concrete and the walls of the distributing pipe andj to restore kinetic energy to the concrete. Any stoppage of the movement of the concrete, even for comparatively short periods, introduces the liability of segregation, and also adherence, hardening and building up of the concrete on the various surfaces of the apparatus. Clean-out holes are provided at suitable points B in the various passages, which are normally closed by cover plates 100. It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction as well as the precise arrangement of parts without departing JQ from the spirit of the invention, and therefore it is not wished to be limited to the above disclosure except as may be required by the claims. What is claimed is: 1. In a concrete pump having a pair of parallel jg horizontal working chambers, having adjacent inlet valves, a pressure member in each of said chambers, a single receptacle above said chambers for feeding the mixture downwardly to both of said inlet valves, means for simultaneously go moving said pressure members in directions to evacuate one chamber while filling the other; and means for substantially instantaneously reversing said movements to fill said first chamber while evacuating the other, said movements in 25 both directions being at a substantially uniform rate of speed throughout, which in conjunction with said instantaneous reversal produces a continuous non-pulsating discharge. 2. In a concrete pump having a pah* of parallel 30 horizontal working chambers, having adjacent inlet valves and a common discharge valve, a pressure member mounted for reciprocation in each of said chambers, a single receptacle above said chambers for feeding the mixture down- 35 wardly to both of said inlet valves, means,for simultaneously moving said pressure members in different directions to evacuate one chamber while filling the other; and means for substantially instantaneously reversing said movements 40 to fill said first chamber while evacuating the other, said moving means being arranged to cause said pressure members to impart a substantially uniform pressure upon the material throughout the evacuating movements, which in conjunction 45 with said instantaneous reversal produces a continuous non-pulsating discharge. CHARLES F. BALL.Loading...Loading... Feb. 12, 1935. C. F. BALL CONCRETE PUMP Filed Aug. 19, 1931 1,991,342 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Loading...Loading...