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.

A hydraulic system for a concrete mixer vehicle including an electronically controlled variable displacement hydraulic pump, a distribution manifold fluidly coupled to the hydraulic pump, a hydraulic fan motor coupled to a fan and fluidly coupled to the distribution manifold, an auxiliary system fluidly coupled to the distribution manifold, and a controller structured to: determine a total system demand based at least in part on a fan motor demand and an auxiliary system demand, adjust a displacement of the hydraulic pump to satisfy the total system demand, and operate the hydraulic pump at a pump speed to satisfy the total system demand.

A drum drive system includes a controller configured to selectively control an engine, a variable displacement pump, and a variable displacement motor of a vehicle to provide a target drum speed for a drum of the vehicle. To provide the target drum speed, the controller is configured to: (i) initially operate the variable displacement motor at a maximum motor displacement and operate the variable displacement pump at a pump displacement that provides the target drum speed without needing to actively manipulate an engine speed of the engine; (ii) increase the pump displacement and decrease a motor displacement without needing to actively manipulate the engine speed while still providing the target drum speed; and (iii) increase the engine speed in response to the pump displacement reaching a maximum pump displacement and the motor displacement reaching a minimum motor displacement if necessary to maintain the target drum speed.

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.

The present invention relates to a new method and system for reclaiming and recycling the concrete residue that remains on key components of a concrete mixing truck in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Any slurry aggregate remaining on the chutes or other parts of the concrete mixing truck is collected by a concrete collection system that is attached to the concrete mixing truck and includes an augur conveyor enclosed in a housing, whereby the augur conveyor is hydraulically extended either behind or in front of the chutes of the concrete mixing truck depending on a type of mixing truck. The augur conveyor can be raised to a maximum height in order to discharge any collected slurry aggregate from the chutes or other parts of the truck back into a top hopper of the concrete truck to be directed back into the mixing drum of the concrete mixing truck.

A drive apparatus for a mobile operating machine, comprising at least one internal combustion motor, an articulated arm to deliver concrete and a pumping unit to pump the concrete from the drum to the articulated arm. The drive apparatus comprises hydraulic pumps configured to pump a working fluid and to determine the drive of the pumping unit and of the articulated arm. The apparatus also comprises at least one electromechanical machine connected to the internal combustion motor, to the hydraulic pumps, and to an electric accumulator.

A concrete mixer vehicle includes a chassis, a cab coupled to the chassis, a drum assembly coupled to the chassis, and a module coupled to the chassis and positioned rearward of the drum assembly. The module includes a prime mover, a cooling system, and a hood. The hood has a first end positioned proximate the drum assembly, an opposing second end positioned proximate a rear end of the chassis, and a top surface. The hood defines an internal cavity within which the prime mover and the cooling system are disposed. The first end defines an inlet airflow cavity. The inlet airflow cavity has a bottom surface and an air inlet positioned between the top surface and the bottom surface. The air inlet connects the inlet airflow cavity to the internal cavity.

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 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 an engine, a drum, a drum drive system, and a control system coupled to the engine and the drum drive system. The drum drive system includes a pump and a motor. The pump is mechanically coupled to the engine and configured to pump a fluid through a hydraulic system. The pump has a variable pump displacement. The motor is fluidly coupled to the pump by the hydraulic system and positioned to drive the drum to agitate the drum contents. The motor has a variable motor displacement. The control system is configured to receive pressure data indicative of a pressure of the fluid within the hydraulic system, reduce the variable motor displacement in response to the pressure of the fluid being less than a threshold system pressure, and reduce a speed of the engine based on the reduction of the variable motor displacement.