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.

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.

A method to control a mixer (10) for concrete, mortar, powders, dry and semi-dry granulates, cement-based mixes or similar or comparable mixes or mixtures, comprises an input step in which it provides to communicate to a control and command unit (15) of the mixer (10) a plurality of input data correlated to the formulation of the mix that has to be treated in the mixing cycle, a detection step in which it provides to detect the values of an electric quantity characteristic of the electric power line of a drive unit (12) comprised in the mixer (10), a processing step in which the control and command unit (15) processes the data detected in the detection step in order to calculate the overall active power that is generated as a function of time, and to carry out one or more verifications, comparing the data processed with one or more of the respective data introduced among the input data, in order to transmit to a programmable logic controller (14) that commands the functioning of the mixer (10) alternately a consent signal to discharge the mix subjected to the mixing cycle, or an anomaly signal selectively correlated to the verification or verifications that have had a negative outcome, so that the operator can respectively command in the first case the discharge of the mix from the mixer (10), and in the second case the consequent corrective actions on the mixing cycle.

An extruder includes a receptacle for containing material to be extruded. The extruder further includes a dispersion blade positioned within the receptacle and a nozzle secured to the receptacle. The nozzle defines a first opening positioned within an interior of the receptacle, defines a second opening positioned outside of the receptacle and defines a channel which extends from the first opening through the nozzle to the second opening defining a flow path which extends from the first opening, through the channel and to the second opening. The nozzle extends through a wall of the receptacle and into the interior of the receptacle such that the first opening is positioned spaced apart from the wall.

An apparatus for inserting and removing a mixer rotor pin includes at least one rotor pin with a transverse bore, as well as a rod dimensioned for slidably engaging the transverse bore. The apparatus also includes a mixer rotor pin insertion and removal tool having a tool body. A bottom of the tool has a slot for selectively engaging the aforementioned rod upon insertion of the rod into the transverse bore, and a top of the tool has a non-circular socket for accommodating a driver tool.

A mixing drum includes a body defining a head aperture and a discharge aperture opposite the head aperture, a head coupled to the body and extending across the head aperture, and a mixing element positioned within the volume and coupled to the body. The head and the body define a volume. The body is formed from at least a first section and a second section. The first section overlaps the second section.

A mixing drum includes a body defining a head aperture and a discharge aperture opposite the head aperture, a head coupled to the body and extending across the head aperture, a bearing member coupled to the body and defining a bearing surface surrounding the body, and a mixing element positioned within the volume and coupled to the body. The head and the body define a volume configured to contain a fluid mixture. The mixing element is configured to drive the fluid mixture toward the head when the drum is rotated in a first direction. The mixing element is configured to drive the fluid mixture towards the discharge aperture when the mixing drum is rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction. The head is made from a first material, and the body is made from a second material having a lesser density than the first material.

This invention relates to apparatus and method for measurement and monitoring of physical properties of materials, such as liquids, and more particularly to acoustic instruments, methods, and systems that automatically measure air content in real-time within liquids, including concrete, mortar, or other hydratable cementitious mix suspensions using resonant electroacoustic transducers that have their radiating surfaces in contact with the liquid.

The invention relates to a construction material mixer, in particular an asphalt or concrete mixer, consisting of a container (1) having at least one driven shaft (5) to which mixing arms (6) carrying blades (12) are fastened at intervals, the blades (12) being at a distance from the inner wall of the container (1), the mixing arms (6) being divided into an inner part (11), which is connected to the shaft (5), and an outer part (13), which carries the blades (12), and both parts being connectable to each other by means of an adjustable connection device (22). The invention is based on the fact that the connection device (22) is a snap connection device. A particular embodiment and a rapid blade replacement method are described.

A liner protects an interior surface of a chute that transfers workable foundry molding mix from a mixer to a machine for molding and hardening. The liner has an upper border portion and body portion. The upper border portion secures the liner to an upper portion of the chute. The body portion has at least one panel of a flexible material and is sized and adapted to line the interior surface of the chute. The liner also has a plurality of apertures through the upper border portion for attaching the upper border portion to the upper portion of the chute. The flexible material of the body portion is a woven fabric with polymeric fibers and, optionally, a polymeric coating.