Patent classifications
B28C5/42
Concrete buildup detection
A concrete mixer system includes a control system configured to provide a first input to a drum drive system to rotate a drum of a concrete mixer at a target speed while the drum is empty and clean, acquire operating data regarding an operating characteristic of the drum drive system to determine a baseline operating characteristic of the drum drive system in response to the first input, provide a second input to the drum drive system to rotate the drum at the target speed following one or more uses of the concrete mixer and while the drum is empty, acquire the operating data to determine a current operating characteristic of the drum drive system in response to the second input, and provide a buildup notification indicating that there is a buildup of drum contents within the drum in response to a difference between the baseline operating characteristic and the current operating characteristic exceeding a threshold differential.
Additive system for a concrete mixer truck
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.
Concrete mixing and concrete products
Some implementations herein described improvements to concrete products and processes for producing concrete products that may provide a positive environmental impact and that can be stronger relative to the percent of cement used. Particular examples include improvements to zero-slump to near-zero-slump concrete mixture design, material storage and handling, batching, mixing, sequencing and curing processes, as well as forming and curing techniques.
Concrete mixing and concrete products
Some implementations herein described improvements to concrete products and processes for producing concrete products that may provide a positive environmental impact and that can be stronger relative to the percent of cement used. Particular examples include improvements to zero-slump to near-zero-slump concrete mixture design, material storage and handling, batching, mixing, sequencing and curing processes, as well as forming and curing techniques.
CONCRETE DRUM CONTROL, PROPERTY PREDICTION, AND MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHODS
A method includes acquiring, by one or more processing circuits, en route data as a vehicle travels from a first location to a second location, and predicting, by the one or more processing circuits, a delivery property for the contents based on the en route data. The en route data includes content data regarding a current property of contents being transported by the vehicle, environment data regarding an environmental characteristic external to the vehicle, and GPS data regarding at least one of a travel distance, a travel time, traffic information, or a road parameter between the first location and the second location.
Mixing drum drive
A mixing drum drive includes first, second, and third rotational speed reduction stages, an electric motor having a length similar to its diameter, a component for fastening the electric motor, and a bearing by which a component for fastening a mixing drum is rotatable. A component with a gear of the first rotational speed reduction stage is configured to be driven by the electric motor and a further component with a gear of the first rotational speed reduction stage drives a component with a gear of the second rotational speed reduction stage. A further component with a gear of the second rotational speed reduction stage drives a component with a gear of the third rotational speed reduction stage and a further component with a gear of the third rotational speed reduction stage drives the component for fastening the mixing drum.
Concrete Mixing and Concrete Products
Some implementations herein described improvements to concrete products and processes for producing concrete products that may provide a positive environmental impact and that can be stronger relative to the percent of cement used. Particular examples include improvements to zero-slump to near-zero-slump concrete mixture design, material storage and handling, batching, mixing, sequencing and curing processes, as well as forming and curing techniques.
Concrete Mixing and Concrete Products
Some implementations herein described improvements to concrete products and processes for producing concrete products that may provide a positive environmental impact and that can be stronger relative to the percent of cement used. Particular examples include improvements to zero-slump to near-zero-slump concrete mixture design, material storage and handling, batching, mixing, sequencing and curing processes, as well as forming and curing techniques.
System having drum discharge outlet sensors and method of characterizing fresh concrete delivery using same
The application presents a system generally having a rotatable drum rotatably for receiving fresh concrete, the drum having inwardly protruding blades mounted inside the drum which, when the drum is rotated in an unloading direction, force fresh concrete inside the drum towards a discharge outlet of the drum, at least one discharge outlet sensor disposed at the discharge outlet of the drum and being configured to sense the presence of fresh concrete at the discharge outlet as the drum rotates in the unloading direction; and a controller communicatively coupled with the at least one discharge outlet sensor, the controller being configured for performing the steps of: receiving a signal from the at least one discharge outlet sensor indicative of the presence of the discharged fresh concrete at the discharge outlet as the drum rotates in the unloading direction; and determining at least one parameter based on the received signal.
Concrete drum control, property prediction, and monitoring systems and methods
A method includes acquiring delivery data for contents for transport by a vehicle, the delivery data regarding at least one of a delivery location, a delivery time, or a delivery route; acquiring an initial property of the contents; predicting a delivery property for the contents based on the delivery data and the initial property; acquiring en route data including at least one of (i) content data regarding a current property of the contents, (ii) environment data regarding an environmental characteristic external to the vehicle, or (iii) GPS data regarding at least one of a travel distance, a travel time, traffic information, or a road parameter between a current location of the vehicle and the delivery location for the contents; and updating the prediction for the delivery property for the contents based on the en route data.