Patent ID: 7546843
Filing Date: 2009-06-16
Classification: B08B,B28C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for removing residual concrete from a rotatably mounted ready mixed concrete truck drum, comprising: an elongate boom adapted to be inserted into said drum along a longitudinal axis of symmetry of said drum, said longitudinal axis of symmetry also being an axis of said drum; a torpedo-shaped nozzle housing hingedly connected to a leading end of said elongate boom so that said torpedo-shaped nozzle housing is positionable in an infinite number of angular positions relative to said elongate boom; said torpedo-shaped nozzle housing having a storage and insertion position where said torpedo-shaped nozzle housing is disposed in axial alignment with said elongate boom; control means for controlling the angular position of said torpedo-shaped nozzle housing relative to said elongated boom; a high-pressure water nozzle lance mounted within said torpedo-shaped nozzle housing; oscillating means to cause said high-pressure water nozzle lance to oscillate in a vertical plane about a horizontal axis; said high-pressure water nozzle lance being mounted so that it points straight up at a center of its oscillation; said high-pressure water nozzle lance oscillating to either side of said center of oscillation; an elongate hose extending between a source of water under high-pressure water nozzle lance; said truck adapted to have a plurality of helical fins mounted within said drum, each of said helical fins having a leading side and a trailing side, and said high pressure water nozzle being adapted to clean concrete from both sides of each helical fin as said torpedo-shaped nozzle housing is retracted from an interior of said drum; said high pressure water nozzle lance further adapted to cut, blast, and remove green and hardened concrete from an interior drum shell of said drum and between said helical fins; said high pressure water nozzle being positioned radially outwardly of a longitudinal axis of symmetry of said drum to reduce a distance between said high pressure water nozzle lance and the residual concrete to be blasted removed; a float control that maintains said high pressure water nozzle lance in very close proximity to said helical fins and said interior drum shell as said torpedo-shaped nozzle housing is retracted; and said float control enabling said torpedo-shaped nozzle housing to contact and slide over each helical fin as it is encountered and further enabling said torpedo-shaped nozzle housing to return to said very close proximity to said interior drum shell upon clearing each helical fin; said high-pressure water nozzle lance blasting and removing concrete from a trailing side of a helical fin as said torpedo-shaped nozzle housing slides up, across, and over a helical fin during retraction of said elongate boom; said high-pressure water nozzle lance blasting and removing concrete from a leading side of a helical fin as said torpedo-shaped nozzle housing slides down a helical fin during retraction of said elongate boom; said high-pressure water nozzle lance also blasting and removing concrete from said interior drum shell and between helical fins during retraction of said elongate boom; whereby rotation of said ready mixed concrete drum in a direction adapted to mix concrete and discharge of high-pressure water from said high-pressure water nozzle lance during said rotation causes hydraulic separation of residual concrete from an upper interior drum shell of said ready mixed concrete drum; whereby rotation of said ready mixed concrete drum in a direction adapted to discharge concrete causes said helical fins to discharge the residual concrete and water removed by the action of said high pressure water; and whereby blasting and removing concrete from said interior drum shell fins of said drum is performed with high efficiency because said float control maintains the high pressure water nozzle lance at said close proximity from the green and hardened concrete as said torpedo-shaped nozzle housing is retracted from said drum.