Mobile batch plant
The mobile batch plant addresses inefficiencies in portable systems by integrating a compact design with a raising mechanism and gravity-fed cement system, facilitating efficient on-site concrete production with reduced resource consumption.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NJ IP HOLDING CO LLC
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-21
AI Technical Summary
Portable batch plants require significant resources for assembly, disassembly, and transportation due to their large size and complex components, making them inefficient for low-volume or temporary construction projects.
A mobile batch plant design featuring a mixer, aggregate hoppers, a conveyor belt, and a crane, with a raising mechanism for hoppers and a gravity-fed cement system, allowing for efficient on-site concrete production without extensive setup and teardown.
Enables rapid and resource-efficient concrete production at various locations, reducing material and labor costs by minimizing assembly and transportation requirements while maintaining precise control over the mixing process.
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Figure US2024055686_21052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
MOBILE BATCH PLANTTECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The aspects relate to batch plants and, more specifically, relate to mobile concrete batch plants.BACKGROUND
[0002] Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement that hardens over time. Many types of concrete exist, including cementitious and non-cementitious types, each having different means for binding aggregate together. Due to its vast building applications, concrete is one of the most frequently used building materials. In fact, its usage worldwide is, ton for ton, twice that of steel, wood, plastics, and aluminum combined.
[0003] A concrete plant, also known as a batch plant, includes equipment that combines various ingredients to form the concrete. Inputs include water, air, admixtures, sand, aggregate (e.g., rocks, gravel, etc.) fly ash, silica fume, slag, cement, or cement paste. The batch plant will also include various components to perform various tasks, including mixers, cement batchers, aggregate batchers, conveyors, radial stackers, aggregate bins, cement bins, heaters, chillers, silos, batch plant controls, scales, and dust collectors.
[0004] Portable batch plants are a productive, reliable, and cost-effective means to producing batches of concrete which allow the user to batch concrete in various locations. These systems are often used for temporary site projects. However, portable batch plants are also useful in locations where the equipment size is a factor, or the target production rate is low. Similarly, these systems are employed in locations to where it is not feasible to transport concrete mixed at an off-site location. For this reason, many construction companies utilize a transportable mixing plant that is erected at a jobsite to produce concrete on-site. The transportable mixing plant is then deconstructed and arranged for transport to the next jobsite. This process results in the use of large amounts of resources (in materials, consumables, time, and personnel) to assemble and transport the mixing plant.SUMMARY
[0005] This summary is provided to introduce a variety of concepts in a simplified form that are further disclosed in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0006] The present features or aspects disclosed herein provide a mobile batch plant. A mobile batch plant includes a mixer, a first aggregate hopper and a second aggregate hopper, a conveyor belt under the first aggregate hopper and the second aggregate hopper, a crane, and a first hopper, and asecond hopper under the first hopper. The mixer includes an opening and a feed shoot. The conveyor belt extends to the opening. The first hopper and the second hopper are connected to a raising mechanism that raises the first hopper and the second hopper higher than the mixer. The second hopper feeds into the feed shoot when the second hopper is raised higher than the mixer.
[0007] The examples provide a mobile batch plant wherein the conveyor belt has flaps to hold the concrete elements fed to the mixer. The examples also provide a mobile batch plant wherein the mixer is between the conveyor belt and the first hopper when the first hopper is not raised. In some examples, at least one vibrator physically may connected to the cement tank. The example also provides a mobile batch plant further including a gate at the bottom of the cement tank.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] A more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages and features thereof will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 A is a side view representation of an example of a mobile batch plant to provide a concrete mixture;
[0010] FIG. IB is another side view representation of the example of the mobile batch plant shown in fig. 1A from the opposite side;
[0011] FIG. 2A is a perspective view representation of the example of the mobile batch plant shown in fig. 1A with the aggregate hoppers in a first position;
[0012] FIG. 2B is a perspective view representation of the example of the mobile batch plant shown in fig. 1 A with the aggregate hoppers in a second position;
[0013] FIG. 2C is another perspective view representation from another angle of the example of the mobile batch plant shown in fig. 1A with the aggregate hoppers in a first position;
[0014] FIG. 2D is another perspective view representation from another angle of the example of the mobile batch plant shown in fig. 1A with the aggregate hoppers in a first position;
[0015] FIG. 3A is side view representation of the example of the mobile batch plant shown in fig. 1 A with the gravity fed hopper in a raised position;
[0016] FIG. 3B is a perspective view representation of the example of the mobile batch plant shown in fig. 1 A with the gravity fed hopper in a raised position;
[0017] FIG. 3C is a perspective view representation of an example of a gravity fed hopper door in a closed position;
[0018] FIG. 3D is another perspective view representation of the example of the gravity fed hopper door shown in fig. 3C in the closed position;
[0019] FIG. 3E is a perspective view representation of the example of the gravity fed hopper door shown in fig. 3C in an opened position;
[0020] FIG. 4A is a perspective view representation of the example of the mobile batch plant shown in fig. 1A with the lifting platformed raised;
[0021] FIG. 4B is a perspective view representation of the example of the mobile batch plant shown in fig. 1A with the lifting platformed lowered;
[0022] FIG. 5A is a perspective view representation of an example of a pump hopper; and
[0023] FIG. 5B is another perspective view representation of the example of the pump hopper shown in fig. 5A.DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] The specific details of the single example or variety of examples described herein are to a mobile batch plant. Any specific details of the examples are used for demonstrative purposes only and no unnecessary limitations or inferences are to be understood therefrom.
[0025] Before describing in detail exemplary examples, it is noted that the examples reside primarily in combinations of components related to the mobile batch plant. Accordingly, the mobile batch plant components have been represented where appropriate by symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the examples of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
[0026] As used herein, relational terms, such as “first” and “second”, “top” and bottom”, and the like, may be used solely to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element without implying any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements.
[0027] As used herein, when drawing in a 3 -dimensional perspective view, the x and y axis are used to define a horizontal plane with 2 axes positioned at right angles or at 90 degrees to each other. The z-axis is used to define a 3rdvertical plane sitting at 90 degrees to both the x and y axis. This nomenclature for describing a 3-dimensional perspective view will be understood to those familiar in the art.
[0028] As used herein, the term “concrete” and the term “concrete element” may mean and / or include any concrete material including fine and coarse aggregates, fluid cements (of any type including lime-based cement binder, lime putty, hydraulic cements such as aluminate cement, or Portland cement). Concrete elements may also include non-cementitious types of concrete with various forms of binding aggregates. One skilled in the arts will readily understand that similar building materials with equivalent engineering or mechanical properties may be used along with the mobile concrete batch plant described herein.
[0029] In general, the examples described herein relate to a mobile concrete batch plant which is sufficient to form concrete in various locations while being contained within a portable container having standard International Organization for Standardization (ISO) dimensions. The container is suitable for transportation by ship, rail, and truck to a location for deployment. The mobile batch plant is configured to be reusable in various locations without undue assembly and deconstruction between each location.
[0030] Figs. 1A and IB illustrate an example of a mobile batch plant 100 to provide a concrete mixture. Tanks and hydraulics have been removed for visual clarity of the components of the mobile batch plant 100. The mobile batch plant 100 includes a first aggregate hopper 105 and a second aggregate hopper 107, a mixer 130 a feed shoot 134, a conveyor belt 120 under the first aggregate hopper 105 and the second aggregate hopper 107, a crane 170, a cement tank 141, and a gravity fed hopper 146. The cement tank 141 and the gravity fed hopper 146 are connected to a raising mechanism 145 that raises the cement tank 141 and the gravity fed hopper 146 higher than the mixer 130 (see Figs. 3A and 3B), the gravity fed hopper 146 collecting and feeding cement, such as Portland cement, into the feed shoot 134 when the gravity fed hopper 146 is raised higher than the mixer 130. In some examples, the raising mechanism 145 is a hydraulic raising mechanism. A first vibrator 106 is connected to the first aggregate hopper 105, and a second vibrator 108 is connected to the second aggregate hopper 107. The first and second vibrators 106, 108 produce vibrations that cause the concrete elements in the first aggregate hopper 105 and the second aggregate hopper 107 to settle downward. A first gate 110 connected to the first aggregate hopper 105, when open, allows for concrete element inside the first aggregate hopper 105 to fall onto the conveyor belt 120. A second gate 112 connected to the second aggregate hopper 107, when open, allows for concrete element inside the second aggregate hopper 107 to fall onto the conveyor belt 120.
[0031] The mixer 130 is positioned between the conveyor belt 120 on one side and both a cement tank 141 and a gravity fed hopper 146 on the other side. The cement tank 141 is to store cement above the gravity fed hopper 146. The cement tank 141 has a cement tank gate 142 at its bottom. A third vibrator 143 and a fourth vibrator 144 are connected to the cement tank 141. A pipe 147 connects to the cement tank gate 142 at a first distal end of the pipe 147 and to the gravity fed hopper 146 and a second distal end of the pipe 147, so that when the cement tank gate 142 opens the cement tank gate 142 and the gravity fed hopper 146 are fluidly connected. The third vibrator 143 and fourth vibrator 144 agitates the cement in the cement tank 141. In it to be appreciated that along with the agitation, gravity causes the contents of the cement tank 141 to fall down through the pipe 147 into the gravity fed hopper 146.
[0032] The mixer 130 mixes the concrete elements and cement to create a wet concrete mixture that flows down due to gravity into a pump hopper 500 disposed below the mixer 130. The pumphopper 500 feeds a pump 150 with the concrete mixture. The wet concrete is pumped out by the pump 150 through an output tube 160. The pump 150 is further discussed in the description of Fig. 5, below.
[0033] In some examples, there is a gravity fed hopper opening located at the top of the gravity fed hopper 146 that is dimensioned to allow cement dropping from the cement tank 141 through the cement tank gate 142 to fall inside the gravity fed hopper 146, without the pipe 147 (not shown).
[0034] Figs. 2A through 2D illustrate various perspective views of the mobile batch plant 100. At the top of the cement tank 141 there is a cement tank door 210 and a pressure relief valve 220. The cement tank door 210 is opened (not shown) to enable the connection of a supersack with cement or with other concrete elements. When a supersack is connected to the cement tank 141, the cement inside the supersack flows into the cement tank 141. The pressure relief valve 220 filters out any contaminants and dust that may otherwise pollute the surroundings, thus allowing appropriate pressurization inside the cement tank 141. For example, a blower inside the cement tank 141 may blow air from inside the cement tank 141 to the outside through the pressure relief valve 220, creating a desired pressure differential with the cement tank gate 142 closed. The blower operates via electronic control. The electronic controller of the mobile batch plant 100 sends a signal to operate the blower to create the desired pressure differential. The two-hopper configuration of the cement tank 141 and gravity fed hopper 146 reduces the dispersion of cement into the surroundings while allowing the simultaneous delivery of cement to the mixer 130 via the gravity fed hopper 146 and the refilling of cement into the cement tank 141.
[0035] The first aggregate hopper 105 is to hold a concrete element or a combination of concrete elements. The second aggregate hopper 107 is also to hold a concrete element or a combination of concrete elements. In the present example, the first aggregate hopper 105 includes one or more first aggregate hopper locks 230. The second aggregate hopper 107 includes one or more second aggregate hopper locks 235. The first aggregate hopper 105 can move back and forth from a first aggregate hopper raised position to a first aggregate hopper lowered position with the one or more first aggregate hopper locks 230 sliding through the first aggregate hopper shafts 240. The second aggregate hopper 107 can move back and forth from a second aggregate hopper raised position to a second aggregate hopper lowered position with the one or more second aggregate hopper locks 235 sliding through the second aggregate hopper shafts 245. When the first aggregate hopper 105 is in either the first aggregate hopper raised position or the first aggregate hopper lowered position, the one or more first aggregate hopper locks 230 secure the first aggregate hopper 105 in place, such as for transportation of the mobile batch plant 100. When the second aggregate hopper 107 is in either the second aggregate hopper raised position or the second aggregate hopper lowered position, the one or more second aggregate hopper locks 235 secure the second aggregate hopper 107 in place, such as for transportation of the mobile batch plant 100. It is to be appreciated by a person of skill with the benefit of this description that the locks 230 and 235 secure the first aggregate hopper 105 and the secondaggregate hopper 107 to the frame of the mobile batch plant 100 to avoid rattling and movement during transportation. As discussed in more detail below, the first aggregate hopper 105 and the second aggregate hopper 107 may also have sensitive equipment, such as sensors and controllers connected thereto for monitoring the batch process during operation. By rigidly securing the first aggregate hopper 105 and the second aggregate hopper 107, the sensitive equipment is subjected to less vibrations and movements to reduce the likelihood of damage. The one or more first aggregate hopper locks 230 and the one or more second aggregate hopper locks 235 are manually and / or electronically locked and unlocked.
[0036] Fig. 2B shows the first aggregate hopper 105 in the first aggregate hopper lowered position and the second aggregate hopper 107 in the second aggregate hopper lowered position. The rest of the Figures show the first aggregate hopper 105 in the first aggregate hopper raised position and the second aggregate hopper 107 in the second aggregate hopper raised position. The first aggregate hopper raised position and the second aggregate hopper raised position are operational positions for concrete production. The first aggregate hopper lowered position and the second aggregate hopper lowered position are transport positions for the movement or transportation of the mobile batch plant 100. The lowered position of the first aggregate hopper 105 stabilizes the first aggregate hopper 105 and the lowered position of the second aggregate hopper 107 stabilizes the second aggregate hopper 107 may be locked during movement or transportation of the mobile batch plant 100. The stabilization of the first aggregate hopper 105 and the second aggregate hopper 107 reduces the vibrations and perturbations to sensors, such as deductive scales, to minimize the chance of harm or loss of calibration of the sensors. In some examples, the sensors and other sensitive equipment may be disconnected from the mobile batch plant 100 completely and transported in specialized vibration dampening containers.
[0037] The first and second gates 110, 112, and the cement tank gate 142 may be operated by a control system, such as a computer controller for the dispensing of precise amounts of concrete elements and cement into the mixer 130. It is to be appreciated by a person of skill with the benefit of this description that the control of the amount of material being added to the mixer 130 can provide a consistent cement mixture to provide structural concrete that can meet strict mechanical properties in the construction of a structures, such as a building or other infrastructure. In some examples, the first and second gates 110, 112, and the cement tank gate 142 operate in response to measurements made by scales 109, 111, 148. In the present example, the scale 109 is to measure the weight of the concrete element in the first aggregate hopper 105. The scale 111 is to measure the weight of the concrete element in the second aggregate hopper 107. The scale 148 is to measure the weight of the cement in the cement tank 141. Accordingly, as materials from the first aggregate hopper 105, the second aggregate hopper 107, and the cement tank 141 are removed to be added to the mixer 130, the scales 109, 111, 148 can monitor the amount of each material to allow the controller adjust the first andsecond gates 110, 112, and the cement tank gate 142, which in turn will adjust the amounts of each material being added to the mixer 130.
[0038] The mixer 130 has an opening 232 at the top portion of the mixer 130. The conveyor belt 120 is disposed under the first aggregate hopper 105 and the second aggregate hopper 107. In the present example, the conveyor belt 120 extends to the mixer opening 232. The conveyor belt 120 moves or carries the concrete elements from the first aggregate hopper 105 and the second aggregate hopper 107 to the mixer 130. The conveyor belt 120 may have flaps 222. The flaps 222 carry the concrete elements when the conveyor belt 120 bends from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation. The conveyor belt 120 bends from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation to reach the mixer opening 232, which is at a higher position on top of the mixer 130. Once at the appropriate height, the conveyor belt 120 bends again to a horizontal orientation to approach the mixer opening 232 from an elevated position with respect to the mixer opening 232. The first bending (horizontal to vertical) of the conveyor belt 120 and the second bending (vertical to horizontal) of the conveyor belt 120 can be of any degrees, but in the various Figures shown, the first bending and the second bending are 90 degrees each.
[0039] Fig. 3 A shows the side view of the mobile batch plant 100 with the cement tank 141 and the gravity fed hopper 146 raised. Fig. 3B shows a perspective view of the mobile batch plant 100 in Fig. 3A. The gravity fed hopper 146 is raised to a height where the gravity fed hopper 146 feeds into the feed shoot 134 by opening a gravity fed hopper door 310. The gravity fed hopper door 310 is at an outlet of the gravity fed hopper 146 and is used to control the flow of cement from the gravity fed hopper 146 into the feed shoot 134. In this example, when the gravity fed hopper door 310 is open (not shown), it functions as a ramp for the contents of the gravity fed hopper 146 to slide into the feed shoot 134, which directs the cement into the mixer 130. The gravity fed hopper door 310 may move between the closed and open position automatically by engaging the feed shoot 134 as the gravity fed hopper 146 is raised by the raising mechanism 145. The third and fourth vibrators 143, 144 produce vibrations that cause the concrete elements in the cement tank 141 to settle downward. Concrete elements, such as cement, are fed into the cement tank 141, fall through the cement tank gate 142 and through the pipe 147 into the gravity fed hopper 146, and from the gravity fed hopper 146 into the mixer 130 through the feed shoot 134 via the open gravity fed hopper door 310.
[0040] Figs. 3C and 3D show the gravity fed hopper door 310 closed, while Fig. 3E shows the gravity fed hopper door 310 open. The gravity fed hopper 146 comprises a gravity fed hopper opening 340 through which cement can pour out.
[0041] The gravity fed hopper door 310 goes from a closed position (Figs. 3C and 3D) to an open position (Fig. 3E), functioning as a ramp for cement. The gravity fed hopper door 310 in open position reveals the gravity fed hopper opening 340, through which wet cement comes out. Note that a portion of the gravity fed hopper door 310 goes under the gravity fed hopper opening 340 when in openposition (Fig. 3E), ensuring that there is no spilling. The gravity fed hopper door 310 comprises a first vertical edge 312 and a second vertical edge 314. The gravity fed hopper door 310 further comprises a first vertical panel 316 along the first vertical edge 312 and a second vertical panel 318 along the second vertical edge 314, ensuring no side spilling when cement is pouring out through the gravity fed hopper opening 340. Also note that when the gravity fed hopper door 310 is in closed position, the gravity fed hopper door 310 seals the gravity fed hopper opening 340, ensuring that there is no spilling. The gravity fed hopper door 310 hinges on a first hinge 322 and a second hinge 324 located at distal ends of the gravity fed hopper opening 340. A first pin 326 goes through the first vertical panel 316 and the first hinge 322. A second pin 328 goes through the second vertical panel 318 and the second hinge 324. Therefore, the first pin 326 and the second pin 328 hold the gravity fed hopper door 310 in place and allow for the opening and closing of the gravity fed hopper opening 340 with the gravity fed hopper door 310.
[0042] The gravity fed hopper door 310 goes from a closed position to an open position when the raising mechanism raises the gravity fed hopper 146 higher than the mixer 130. Thus, when the raising mechanism raises the gravity fed hopper 146 higher than the mixer 130, the gravity fed hopper 146 feeds into the feed shoot 134 via the gravity fed hopper door 310 becoming a ramp.
[0043] The mobile batch plant 100 also includes a first, second, third, and fourth outriggers 180, 181, 182, and 183 that provide stability to the mobile batch plant 100. In the various figures, the first, second, third, and fourth outriggers 180, 181, 182, and 183 are shown retracted into the mobile batch plant 100. Each outrigger 180, 181, 182, and 183 may be utilized (whether individually or in combination with one another) to hydraulically lift the mobile batch plant 100 prior to and during use, and to stabilize the working load and / or moment created by the crane 170. The first, second, third, and fourth outriggers 180, 181, 182, and 183 each has one or more legs. The legs hydraulically extend down to lift the mobile batch plant 100.
[0044] Figs. 4A and 4B show the crane 170 in expanded position. The crane 170 is to be raised to change from retracted position to expanded position. Figs. 1A through 3B show the crane 170 lowered in retracted position. The crane 170 includes an outlet 171 from which the concrete mixture created by the mixer 130 is dispensed to a site. The crane 170 sits on a lifting platform 175. The lifting platform 175 has a crane raising mechanism 176 that allows the lifting platform 175 to go up or down, thus raising or lowering the crane 170. The crane raising mechanism 176 raises the crane 170 to provide more free space for the crane to convert between a retracted position and an expanded position. Fig.4A shows the crane 170 raised and in expanded position. Fig. 4B shows the crane 170 lowered in expanded position. When the crane 170 is lowered in expanded position, the lifting platform 175 is locked into position and the center of gravity is lowered, providing more stability during crane operation.
[0045] As stated above, the mixer 130 mixes the concrete elements with the cement to creating wet concrete that flows down due to gravity into a pump hopper 500 to the pump 150. In the present example, the pump hopper 500 is directly connected to the mixer 130 such that the wet concrete flows directly from the mixer into the pump hopper 500. In other examples, the pump hopper 500 may be disposed substantially below the mixer 130 such that access may be provided to the pump hopper 500 for servicing or monitoring of the process. Fig. 5A shows a perspective view of a pump hopper 500 of a pump such as the pump 150 with a first and a second motors 510, 520 connected to the pump hopper 500. Fig. 5B shows another perspective view of the pump hopper 500. In the present example, the pump 150 is disposed at that bottom portion of the pump hopper 500. The pump 150 includes a first motor 510 physically connected to and rotates a first auger 530. In the present example, the pump also includes a second motor 520 is physically connected to and rotates a second auger 540. The first and second augers 530, 540 are inside the pump hopper 500. The first auger 530 includes first blades 535. The second auger includes second blades 545. The first blades 535 and the second blades 545 have orientations such that the first blades 535 and the second blades 545 push the wet concrete inside the pump hopper 500 towards an inlet 550 when the first and second augers 530, 540 are rotating. The inlet 550 is located at the bottom center of the pump hopper 500, between a first peak 560 and a second peak 570. To ensure that wet concrete does not deposit at the bottom of the pump hopper 500, the first peak 560 runs from a first wall 565 of the pump hopper 500 to the inlet 550, and the second peak 570 runs from a second wall 575 of the pump hopper 500 to the inlet 550. The first and second peaks 560, 570 prop up wet concrete towards the first and second blades 535, 545. Thus, the first and second peaks 560, 570 point upwards between the first auger and the second auger, separating concrete between the first auger 530 and the second auger 540 and causing that concrete is not left between the first auger 530 and the second auger 540 to reduce potential waste concrete. The first wall 565 and the second wall 575 are at distal ends of the pump hopper 500. The first and second augers 530, 540 extend from the second wall 575 to the first wall 565. The first motor 510 connects to the first auger 530 through the second wall 575. The second motor 520 connects to the second auger 540 through the second wall 575. Wet concrete falls through the inlet 550 due to gravity towards the pump 150 that is fluidly connected to the pump hopper 500. The pump 150 is to pump the wet concrete through the output tube 160 to the eventual outlet 171 for dispensing at a work site. It is to be appreciate by a person of skill with the benefit of this description that the mixer 130 feeds directly to the pump 150 via the pump hopper 500 without a transfer mechanism to move material laterally or against gravity. Accordingly, gravity takes the wet concrete from the mixer 130 directly to the pump 150 without any intervening transfer mechanism to save energy and time.
[0046] Many different examples have been disclosed herein, in connection with the above description and the drawings. It will be understood that it may be unduly repetitious and obfuscating to literally describe and illustrate every combination and subcombination of these examples.Accordingly, examples can be combined in any way and / or combination, and the present specification, including the drawings, shall be construed to constitute a complete written description of combinations and subcombinations of the examples described herein, and of the manner and process of making and using them, and shall support claims to any such combination or subcombination.
[0047] An equivalent substitution of two or more elements can be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element can be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements can be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination can be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
[0048] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present example is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the following claims.
Claims
CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:
1. A mobile batch plant comprising:a mixer with an opening at a top portion;a feed shoot to direct cement into the mixer;a first aggregate hopper to hold a first concrete element;a second aggregate hopper to hold a second concrete element;a conveyor belt disposed under the first aggregate hopper and the second aggregate hopper, wherein the conveyor belt is to carry the first concrete element and the second concrete element to the opening of the mixer;a gravity fed hopper to collect the cement and to feed the cement into the feed shoot; and a raising mechanism to move the gravity fed hopper between a storage position and a operating position, wherein the gravity fed hopper in the operating position engages the feed shoot, wherein the mixer is to combine the first concrete element, the first concrete element, and the cement to form a concrete mixture.
2. The mobile batch plant of claim 1, further comprising a cement tank to store the cement above the gravity fed hopper.
3. The mobile batch plant of claim 2, wherein the cement tank is pressurized.
4. The mobile batch plant of claim 2, further comprising at least one vibrator disposed on the cement tank to agitate the cement.
5. The mobile batch plant of claim 1, further comprising a pump hopper disposed below the mixer to receive the concrete mixture.
6. The mobile batch plant of claim 1, further comprising a first aggregate hopper lock to secure the first aggregate hopper and a second aggregate hopper lock to secure the second aggregate hopper.
7. The mobile batch plant of claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt includes flaps to move the first concrete element and the second concrete element to the opening of the mixer.
8. The mobile batch plant of claim 1, further comprising a door disposed on an outlet of the gravity fed hopper, wherein the door is to control a flow of the cement from the gravity fed hopper to the feed shoot.
9. The mobile batch plant of claim 8, wherein the door moves between an open position and a closed position automatically.
10. The mobile batch plant of claim 1, further comprising a control system to dispense control amounts of the first concrete element, the second concrete element, and the cement added to the mixer.
11. The mobile batch plant of claim 10, further comprising a scale to measure a weight to determine amounts of the first concrete element, the second concrete element, and the cement added to the mixer, wherein the control system uses the weight to adjust the amounts.
12. A mobile batch plant comprising:a mixer with an opening at a top portion;a feed shoot to direct cement into the mixer;a first aggregate hopper to hold a first concrete element;a second aggregate hopper to hold a second concrete element;a conveyor belt disposed under the first aggregate hopper and the second aggregate hopper, wherein the conveyor belt is to carry the first concrete element and the second concrete element to the opening of the mixer;a gravity fed hopper to collect the cement and to feed the cement into the mixer via the feed shoot, wherein the mixer is to combine the first concrete element, the first concrete element, and the cement to form a concrete mixture;a pump hopper disposed below the mixer to receive the concrete mixture;an outlet from which the concrete mixture is dispensed; anda pump to move the concrete mixture from the pump hopper to the outlet.
13. The mobile batch plant of claim 12, further comprising a crane, wherein the outlet is disposed on the crane to deliver the concrete mixture to a site.
14. The mobile batch plant of claim 13, further comprising a crane raising mechanism to raise the crane to provide space to convert between a retracted position and an expanded position.
15. The mobile batch plant of claim 12, further comprising a cement tank to store the cement above the gravity fed hopper.
16. The mobile batch plant of claim 15, wherein the cement tank is pressurized.
17. The mobile batch plant of claim 15, further comprising at least one vibrator disposed on the cement tank to agitate the cement.
18. The mobile batch plant of claim 12, further comprising a first aggregate hopper lock to secure the first aggregate hopper and a second aggregate hopper lock to secure the second aggregate hopper.
19. The mobile batch plant of claim 12, wherein the conveyor belt includes flaps to move the first concrete element and the second concrete element to the opening of the mixer.
20. The mobile batch plant of claim 12, wherein the pump includes an auger to move the concrete mixture from the pump hopper to the outlet.