Patent ID: 9636843
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: B28C

Claim:
1. A transportable concrete mixing apparatus comprising: a transport frame that is supportable on a ground surface; a mixing drum coupled to said transport frame; a movable supply hopper configured to receive premix concrete, said movable supply hopper having an upper end portion and a lower dispensing portion that is operable to selectively dispense the premix concrete from said supply hopper; a support track for movably supporting said supply hopper, said support track having a loading end portion spaced laterally away from said transport frame, and a dispensing end portion opposite said loading end portion and positioned above said mixing drum; said support track including a fixed track portion coupled to said transport frame and positioned directly above said transport frame, and a repositionable track portion that comprises said loading end portion and is repositionable relative to said fixed track portion, wherein said loading end portion is configured to be at least partially supported by the ground surface when said repositionable track portion is coupled to said fixed track portion to form said support track; a drive system associated with said support track and configured to move said movable supply hopper between said loading and dispensing end portions of said support track; wherein said upper end portion of said movable supply hopper is positioned above said support track and said lower dispensing portion of said movable supply hopper is positioned below said support track; wherein said movable supply hopper maintains a substantially fixed orientation relative to said support track at said loading and dispensing end portions of said support track and while moving between said loading and dispensing end portions of said support track; and wherein said upper end portion of said movable supply hopper is configured to receive the premix concrete from a source when said supply hopper is positioned at said loading end portion of said support track, and said lower dispensing portion of said supply hopper is configured to dispense the premix concrete into said mixing drum when said movable supply hopper is positioned at said dispensing end portion of said support track.