A concrete mixer vehicle includes a chassis, a tractive assembly coupled to the chassis and configured to propel the concrete mixer vehicle, a mixing drum rotatably coupled to the chassis, and an electromagnetic device configured to convert electrical energy to mechanical energy to drive the tractive assembly. In a first configuration, a first battery module is removably coupled to the chassis and configured to provide the electrical energy to the electromagnetic device, and in a second configuration, the first battery module is removed from the chassis and replaced with a second battery module, the second battery module removably coupled to the chassis and configured to provide the electrical energy to the electromagnetic device.

A controller for a concrete mixer vehicle includes a base, an elongated shaft extending from the base, and a control portion positioned at free end of the elongated shaft. The control portion has a grip portion and a button interface providing at least one of a plurality of controls. The plurality of controls facilitate selectively operating (i) a hopper actuator to reposition a charge hopper between a first position and a second position, (ii) a first chute actuator to pivot a chute about a lateral axis to raise and lower a distal end of the chute, (iii) a second chute actuator to pivot the chute about a vertical axis to move the distal end left and right, (iv) a drum driver to control at least one of a speed or a rotational direction of a mixing drum, and (v) a transmission of the concrete mixer vehicle in one of a plurality of modes.

There is described a method for mixing concrete constituents that generally has a step of rotating a drum having a probe mounted inside the drum and immerged in the concrete constituents being mixed inside the drum; a step of receiving a first set of pressure values indicative of pressure exerted on the probe by the concrete constituents, the pressure values of the first set being taken at different circumferential positions of the probe during a single rotation of the drum.

A method and system for concrete monitoring calibration using truck-mounted mixer drum jump speed data selectively assimilated from previous deliveries. The method involves measuring energy at a first drum speed and a second drum speed. Slump is calculated using low speed energy/speed/slump curve data, or pre-stored equation wherein slump is derived as a function of slope of the line. The energy, speed, slump relationship in the provided concrete is compared to at least two pre-stored data curves across drum speed ranges of 15 0.5 RPM-6 RPM and 6 RPM-20 RPM, to ascertain whether the provided concrete matches any of the stored curve data; either activating the monitoring system for all drum speed ranges where a match is confirmed or allowing the monitoring system to calculate slump only at low drum speeds.

A vehicle includes a rolling chassis structure and a working component coupled to the rolling chassis structure. The rolling chassis structure includes a chassis, a non-working component, and a control interface. The non-working component is coupled to the chassis and is configured to facilitate transit operations for the rolling chassis structure. The control interface is disposed in a cab area of the chassis. The control interface is communicably coupled to the non-working component and is configured to control operation of the non-working component. The working component is configured to move relative to the chassis and is communicably coupled to the control interface. The control interface is configured to control movement of the working component.

A concrete mixing system includes a vehicle, a rotatable mixing drum coupled to the vehicle, an incline and/or slump sensor, and a controller. The controller is configured to effect a change of rotational speed of the rotatable mixing drum in response to a signal from at least one of the sensors indicating an increased likelihood of spillage of concrete from the rotatable mixing drum.

The method for determining density of fresh concrete inside a drum of a mixer truck involves a probe mounted inside the drum, extending in a radial orientation of the drum and being moved circumferentially as the drum rotates. The method has: receiving first and second pressure values indicative of normal pressures exerted on the probe by the fresh concrete at corresponding and different first and second circumferential positions of the drum during rotation of the drum; and determining a density value of the fresh concrete based on the volume of the probe and on a difference between the first and second pressure values.

A mixer vehicle includes a mixer drum, a first acceleration sensor, a second acceleration sensor, and a controller. The first acceleration sensor is configured to produce first acceleration signals and the second acceleration sensor is configured to measure accelerations within the mixer drum to produce second acceleration signals. The controller is configured to receive the first acceleration signals from the first acceleration sensor and second acceleration signals from the second acceleration sensor. The controller is further configured to determine a presence of material within the mixer drum based on the first acceleration signals and the second acceleration signals. The controller is further configured to determine one or more properties of the material within the mixer drum based on the first acceleration signals and the second acceleration signals.

A concrete mixer vehicle includes a mixer drum, a chute, and a controller. The mixer drum has an inner volume configured to hold a mixture for transportation and placement. The chute is configured to receive mixture exiting the mixer drum and direct the mixture. The controller is configured to receive a selected mode of operation of the mixer drum and the chute. The selected mode of operation is selected from a set of multiple modes of operation of the mixer drum and the chute. The controller is configured to adjust an operation of at least one of the mixer drum or the chute to cause at least one of the mixer drum or the chute to operate according to the selected mode of operation.

The application concerns a system for measuring the rotational speed of a drum rotatably mounted to a mixer truck, rotating relatively to the mixer truck and having a main axis inclined relative to the mixer truck, even in case that the drum is empty. A sensor is mounted to the empty drum and generates a sinusoidal signal as the drum rotates; the sensor could be a load sensor experiencing forces due to the changing influence of gravity during rotation, or a light intensity sensor responsive e.g. to variations of ambient light during rotation. The sensor signal is transmitted over a wireless connection to a receiver. The frequency of the sinusoidal signal is measured and output as the rotational speed of the rotating drum. The application also concerns the determination of a direction of rotation, based on a phase shift between two periodic signals. One signal could be the periodic intensity variation on a first wireless transmission path during a full rotation. The other could be a periodic intensity variation on a second wireless transmission path, or a periodic variation of a sensed value such as the output of a load sensor or light intensity sensor.