A vehicle system includes a controller configured to acquire environment data, acquire GPS data including information regarding characteristics of a route between an initial location of a vehicle and a destination for the vehicle, receive an initial property of drum contents within a mixing drum of the vehicle, receive a target property for the drum contents, operate a drum drive system of the vehicle at a first drive speed determined based on the initial property, the target property, the environment data, and the GPS data, receive a signal from a mixture sensor indicative of a current property of the drum contents at a current location of the vehicle different than the initial location, and adjust the first drive speed of the drum drive system to a second drive speed where the second drive speed is determined based on the target property, the current property, updated environment data, and updated GPS data.

A material delivery apparatus for delivering foam into a mixer of a ready-mix truck comprising an elongated bar, a support arm, a guide tube and a delivery tube is disclosed. There is a foam tube having one end mounted to the delivery tube and another end mounted to a foam generator. The delivery tube slides within the guide tube. There is a cable mounted to the delivery tube and to a motor reel on an opposite end. Included is a control panel communicatively coupled to the motor reel and the foam generator. The mixer of a ready-mix truck is aligned underneath the delivery tube. The controller is operated to control volume and rate at which foam is to be delivered by the foam generator. The delivery tube is positioned to accurately delivery the foam in the mixer to mix the foam with concrete to produce foam concrete.

A concrete mixer vehicle includes a mixer drum, an additive admixture system, and a controller. The additive admixture system includes an air inlet valve, a fluid valve, an air valve, and a pump. The controller is configured to operate the additive admixture system to transition the additive admixture system between an additive addition mode, a drain mode, and a system clear mode. The controller transitions the additive admixture system into the additive addition mode and operates the pump until a desired amount of an additive is added to the mixer drum, transitions the additive admixture system into the drain mode for a predetermined amount of time in response to the desired amount of additive being added to the mixer drum, and transitions the additive admixture system into the system clear mode for a predetermined amount of time to clear stagnant fluid or built up mixture from the additive admixture system.

A mixer vehicle includes a mixer drum, a sensor, and a controller. The mixer drum is configured to rotate to mix a material within the mixer drum. The sensor is configured to obtain values of one or more properties of the material within the mixer drum. The controller is configured to receive the one or more properties of the material, and receive a user request to discharge the material within the mixer drum. The controller is configured to determine if the material requires additional mixing to obtain accurate values of the one or more properties of the material or to sufficiently mix the material, and limit discharge of the material from the mixer drum in response to a determination that the material requires additional mixing to obtain accurate values of the one or more properties of the material or to sufficiently mix the material.

A spraying system and method is provided for more efficiently accessing the interior of a container having an access opening to the container that is offset from or in angular relationship to the center and/or rotational axis of the container to contact the interior walls and surfaces of the container with a medium, such as a liquid, mixture, solution or suspension. The spraying system and method includes a non-linear boom that is elevated by a support structure, where the non-linear boom includes at its front end a plurality of spray nozzles. In one example, the support structure is a movable support structure that includes a guide mechanism where the guide mechanism is mounted on the moveable support structure at an angle relative to the surface supporting the moveable support structure to allow access to the interior of the container.

Readings produced by an improved slump meter will be the consistent across a wide range of redi-mix units, regardless of the size of the load, make, model, age or condition of the redi-mix unit, therefore any mix consistency can be easily duplicated or created, by producing a common number for each mixer when running and empty, applying a conversion factor to raw hydraulic or electric motor work measurement data, and averaging and to stabilize the output reading on a refreshing period.

A vehicle includes an engine, an electric energy system, a drum configured to mix drum contents received therein, and a drum drive system coupled to the drum and the engine. The drum drive system includes a primary pump, an electric motor powered by the electric energy system, an auxiliary pump fluidly coupled to the mechanical pump and powered by the electric motor, and a drum motor fluidly coupled to the primary pump and the auxiliary pump and positioned to drive the drum to agitate the drum contents.

A vehicle includes a chassis, a drum, a load detection system, and a control system. The drum is coupled to the chassis and is configured to mix drum contents received therein. The load detection system is coupled to the chassis and includes a load sensor. The load sensor is positioned proximate to one of a forward end of the drum and a rear end of the drum. The load sensor is configured to determine a portion of a force applied by the drum to the chassis. The control system is communicably coupled to the load detection system and is configured to determine a longitudinal position of a concrete buildup in the drum based on the portion. The control system is also configured to generate at least one of a notification indicating the longitudinal position or a control signal based on the longitudinal position.

A concrete mix separating device for generating cement slurry from a concrete mix includes a bar, which is insertable between adjacent sections of a concrete chute so that a gap is created between the adjacent sections. The bar is sized so that aggregate of a concrete mix, which passes through the concrete chute, is selectively excluded from passing through the gap. Cement slurry, which is substantially free of aggregate, is generated from the concrete mix and passes through the gap. A funnel is attached to the bar so that the funnel is positioned below the gap upon insertion of the bar between the adjacent sections of the concrete chute. The funnel directs the cement slurry into a receptacle, such as a bucket or a wheelbarrow, which is positioned below the funnel.

There is described a method for determining a volume of fresh concrete being discharged from a dmm during a discharge, the drum being rotatable and having inwardly protruding blades mounted inside the drum which, when the drum is rotated in an unloading direction, force the fresh concrete towards a discharge outlet of the drum. The method generally has discharging a volume of the fresh concrete from the drum by rotating the drum in the unloading direction for a given number of discharge rotations; obtaining discharge flow rate variation data indicative of a discharge flow rate varying as function of discharge rotations; and determining a discharged volume value indicative of the volume of fresh concrete being discharged from the drum of the mixer truck during said discharge based on the given number of discharge rotations and on the discharge flow rate variation data.