Mortar Gun with Remote Hopper and Recirculation Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mortar application methods are inefficient and labor-intensive, leading to uneven mortar distribution and increased labor costs, as they often rely on manual application and gravitational feed systems that result in inconsistent mortar thickness and can cause mortar to harden in tools, requiring frequent cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A mortar extrusion and deposition system with a remotely supplied mortar gun that uses a flexible hose and a rotating port valve to control the flow of mortar, allowing for continuous, controlled extrusion of a ribbon or beads of mortar, preventing hardening and enabling precise application without a hopper at the gun, which reduces weight and pressure on the substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If gravitational feed systems are used to dispense mortar, then the mortar can be delivered to the application point, but the mortar is dispensed at inconsistent rates leading to uneven mortar thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the gravitational feed system with a pump-driven mechanical system. A pump delivers mortar through a hose to the application tool, allowing controlled delivery at consistent rates regardless of hopper fill level. This mechanical substitution enables both high productivity through continuous delivery and precise thickness control through regulated pump operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hose as an intermediary between the mortar source and application point. This allows the mortar to be delivered remotely with controlled flow rates, decoupling the delivery mechanism from the application tool and enabling consistent mortar thickness while maintaining high application speed.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a hopper is attached to the mortar gun for gravity feed, then mortar can be supplied continuously, but the weight of the hopper adds damaging pressure to the substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the hopper from the mortar gun assembly, separating the mortar storage function from the application function. Mortar is supplied through a flexible hose from a remote location, eliminating the weight of the hopper from the gun and preventing damage to the substrate while maintaining continuous mortar supply capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the mortar application system into separate functional components: a remote mortar storage unit, a delivery hose, and a lightweight application tool. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the application tool being lightweight for precise control and the storage unit providing continuous supply without adding weight to the substrate.
3Ease of operation
If internal elements contact the mortar during deposition, then the mortar can be manipulated and spread, but the elements become clogged and require frequent cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces internal mechanical elements that contact and manipulate mortar with a spray-based system. Mortar is delivered through a hose and sprayed onto the substrate, eliminating clogging-prone mechanical components while maintaining effective mortar distribution and spreading capability.
4Productivity
If manual application methods are used, then precise control over mortar placement is possible, but the process is labor-intensive and slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a system where the mortar application tool is self-contained and easily maneuverable, allowing a single worker to operate it independently. The tool receives mortar through a flexible hose, can be positioned precisely by the operator, and deposits mortar on demand, combining the precision of manual application with the productivity of continuous mechanical delivery.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system allows for faster and more precise mortar application, reducing labor costs and improving mortar distribution consistency, enabling a single mason to lay bricks at a higher rate with less skill required, while preventing mortar from drying out and clogging the tool.
Implementation Method 1
a pump selectively deliverable under pressure a selected portion of the fluid material through the hose to the gun's chamber
Implementation Method 2
a rotating port valve connected to the hose and selectively redirectable to redirect the flow of pressurized fluid material back to the source of the fluid material
Implementation Method 3
apparatus for applying the mortar by extruding it onto a surface at a selected rate
Data Source
AI summary
A method for extruding and depositing a slurry or mortar onto a selected work surface uses a mortar gun assembly with a chamber for receiving mortar from a remote supply hopper and an extruder configured to selectively apply a bead or ribbon of mortar of selected thickness onto the work surface. The mortar gun assembly provides mortar from the hopper under pressure and the user selectively applies mortar by controlling a rotating port valve between the hopper and the mortar gun chamber. The rotating port valve provides a “rest state” in which the mortar is not sent to the mortar gun, but is instead re-circulated by the pump back to the hopper so un-dispensed mortar is kept moving and cannot dry or set.