Abstract:
A drive for a barrel mixer having at least one elastic element ( 17 ) which is arranged between a base ( 5 ) and a drive system ( 4 ). The drive levels out relative displacement between the mixing drum ( 1 ) and the frame ( 2 ) of the vehicle. A number of components added to the drive are provided for absorbing and minimizing displacement of the drive system ( 4 ).

Description:
[0001]    This application is a national stage completion of PCT/EP2005/008584 filed Aug. 8, 2005, which claims priority from German Application Serial No. 10 2005 027038.7 filed Jun. 10, 2005 which claims priority from German Application Serial No. 10 2005 014028.9 filed Mar. 23, 2005 which claims priority from German Application Serial No. 10 2005 012823.8 filed Mar. 17, 2005, which claims priority from German Application Serial No. 10 2004 057849.4 filed Dec. 1, 2004, which claims priority from German Application Serial No. 10 2004 038506.8 filed Aug. 7, 2004 and which claims priority from German Application Serial No. 10 2004 038504.1 filed Aug. 7, 2004. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention concerns a drive for a rotary barrel mixer, in particular a ready-mix mobile mixer. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Drives for mobile mixers are intended for rotating the mixer barrel in order to convey the material to be mixed into the barrel when the direction of rotation is “fill” and to convey the mixed material out of the barrel when the direction of rotation is “empty”. In addition, the mixer barrel is mounted above two bearing rollers at the rear end of the vehicle and above the drive system so that the drive system must absorb a significant portion of the weight of the mixer barrel. When driving across uneven ground, the vehicle frame twists so that the mixer barrel moves relative to the vehicle frame and this movement must be enabled or offset by the drive system, as the case may be. 
         [0004]    DE 100 33 661 A1 discloses a drive system for a mixer barrel in which a hydraulic engine drives an interior bull gear of a planetary gear, whose exterior bull gear comprises the output and drives the mixer barrel. The weight of the mixer barrel is transferred to a housing, via a roller bearing. Relative movement of the mixer barrel to the vehicle frame while driving across uneven ground is enabled by way of a ball joint bearing as in  FIG. 1 , for example. 
         [0005]    The present invention is based on the task of creating a drive system for a mixer barrel that will enable relative movement between the mixer barrel and the vehicle frame and is characterized by high operating reliability and is maintenance-free. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    According to the invention, the drive system is connected, on the one hand, to the mixer barrel and, on the other, to a base that is also connected to the vehicle frame. Between the base and the drive system, there is an elastic element which, by way of its elastic deformation, enables or offsets the relative movement between the barrel and the vehicle frame. In addition, the drive system features at least one component that restricts movement of the drive system away from the base. This prevents the drive system from being lifted off the base, which can also happen, for example, due to alternating torque force. The means of enabling relative movement between the barrel and the vehicle frame preferably features a plurality of elastic elements that are arranged between the elements that prevent the mixer barrel or, as the case may be, the drive system from being lifted off the base. For this purpose, there is a U-shaped component connected to the drive system to accept the elastic elements. The elastic elements, which are situated between the arms of the “U”, are interrupted by an additional component that is connected to the base. The arms of the “U” can be configured so that the elastic elements can be mounted as prestressed. 
         [0007]    In a further embodiment, the elastic elements can be interrupted by metal components or, as the case may be, layered alternately with them. This results in greater spring stiffness. The component that interrupts the elastic elements and is fixedly attached to the base or which is formed as one piece with the base, displays circular recesses into which the elastic elements can be inserted. In addition, these components also feature a radial catch surface against which an additional elastic component lies and which braces itself against the U-shaped element that is connected to the drivesystem. The element that interrupts the elastic elements and is connected to the base displays additional radial catch surfaces, against which elastic elements are braced and which are connected to the plates of the drive system in order to absorb fluctuation forces, particularly when braking and accelerating the vehicle. Because the drive system features radial plates that are arranged at equal intervals around the hub of a circle, the plates being braced by elastic elements on the catch surfaces, it is possible to place additional catch surfaces between these radial plates and the catch surfaces that mechanically limit torsion of the drive system around the hub. This mechanically restricts torsion movement around the hub and the U-shaped elements prevent the drive system from being lifted off the base. By way of this elastic element configuration, it is possible to have a rigid construction of the additional drive system with the hydraulic engine and the reduction gear unit, which enables simple installation using commercially available roller bearings, for example, taper roller bearings. In order to achieve compact configuration of the drive system with the elastic element, it is advantageous to use at least one planetary gear as a taper roller bearing, whose interior bull gear serves as a drive and whose external bull gear forms the drive and drives the barrel. 
         [0008]    A decoupling of the vehicle frame and barrel drive or, as the case may be, the barrel is achieved particularly through the interposition of elastic elements, which dampen noise and vibration. 
         [0009]    In a further embodiment, there is the possibility of arranging the elastic element at frame height, which shortens the base and lengthens the drive system. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a mobile mixer; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a drive system with a radial piston engine; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a drive system for using an axial piston engine; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of the means for enabling movement between the base and the drive system; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a cross-section through these instruments; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the drive system, and 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a diagram with a central receiver for the elastic elements. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]      FIG. 1 : 
         [0019]    A barrel  1  is mounted in a vehicle frame  2 , on the one hand, above bearing rollers  3  and, on the other hand, above a drive system  4  for a mixer barrel. The drive system  4  is mounted on a base  5 , and the base  5  is connected to the frame  2 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 2 : 
         [0021]    With its rotor  7 , a slow-running radial piston engine  6  drives an interior bull gear  8  of a planetary gear  9 . The planet carrier  10  is attached in a slip-free manner to a housing  11 . An outer bull gear  12  is connected to an output flange  13 , which is connected to the barrel  1 . The output flange  13  is mounted on the housing  11  above a bearing  14 , in particular a taper roller bearing. The housing  11  can feature a mounting plate  15 , which is suitable for receiving a water tank  16 . The drive system  4  is movably mounted above an elastic element  17  on a component  18 . This component  18  is connected to the base  5  or is formed in one piece with it. The component  18  can be secured in the base  5  by way of an additional mechanical locking device, i.e., a pin  19 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 3 : 
         [0023]    The drive system  4  is different from the drive system, according to  FIG. 2 , only in that the interior bull gear  8  is driven by a planet carrier  20  of a second planetary stage  21 , whose interior bull gear  22  is driven by an axial piston motor  23 . It is also possible to replace the radial piston engine  6  or the axial piston motor  23  with an electric engine. The housing  11  features two flange-type surfaces  24  and  25 , the flange-type surface  24  being configured for flange-type a radial piston engine  6  and flanging surface  25  for flanging a housing cover for the planetary stage  21 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 4 : 
         [0025]    This shows an exploded view of a section of a means for enabling movement between the base  5  and the drive system  4 . The end of the housing  11  that faces the base  5  is presented in such a way that it shows two first radial flanges  26  and two second radial flanges  27 . Elastic elements  28  are inserted into the radial flanges  27 . Elastic elements  29 , which also feature an elastic element  30  that moves against the housing  11  on a base  31 , are inserted into the radial flanges  26 . The component  18 , which is connected to the base  5  by screw fittings and is additionally secured by the central pin  19 , features flange-type surfaces  32 , on which the elastic elements  29  lie, and catch surfaces  33 , against which the elastic elements  28  rest. In that way, all the forces created by braking, accelerating or driving the vehicle in a curve can be transferred by the flanges  26  and  27 , via the elastic elements  28  and  29 , as well as  30 , onto the catch surfaces  32  and  33  in the component  18  so that they can be conducted from there into the base  5 . The weight of the barrel is conducted by the base  31 , the elastic element  30  into the component  18 . When driving over uneven ground, the vehicle frame  2  twists and the housing  11  contorts around a hub  34 , which is made possible by the elastic elements. By way of an arrangement  35 , which comes to rest on a U-shaped element  36 , the contortion around the hub  34  is mechanically limited. The component  18  features an intermediate bar  37  which, together with the catch surfaces  33 , forms recesses  38  into which elastic elements  39  are inserted. Preferably, the elastic elements  39  are layered alternately with metal elements, which can increase spring stiffness. Preferably L-shaped, the sections  40  are connected with the second radial flanges  27  in such a way that they, together with the flanges, form a U-shaped element  36 , inside which the elastic elements  39 , the bar  37 , the catch surfaces  33  and the elastic elements  28  are arranged. The U-shaped element  36  is preferably configured so that the elastic elements  39  can be prestressed during mounting. The U-shaped elements  36  prevent a tipping of the drive system  4  into a rotary motion, in particular when the barrel is in operation, because the torque for driving the barrel can be braced, via the component  18 , in the base  5 . In connection with the elastic elements  39  and the bar  37 , the U-shaped element  35  also prevents the housing  11  from being lifted off the base  5 , especially with varying high torque values. 
         [0026]    In a further embodiment, there is the possibility of configuring the housing  11  with the radial flanges  26  and  27  in more than one piece. 
         [0027]      FIG. 5 : 
         [0028]    In this Figure, the arrangement in  FIG. 4  is shown in assembled state. 
         [0029]      FIG. 6 : 
         [0030]    The arrangement  35  of the radial flange  26  can rotate out of position around the hub  34  until it rests against the U-shaped element  36 . This ensures that when there is too much strain on the elastic elements, there are mechanical catches in the case of rotation of the drive system  4  toward the base  5  and mechanical catches from the catch surfaces  33  in the direction of the U-shaped element  36 , with reference to lifting the drive system  4  toward the base  5 , thus preventing overloading of the elastic elements. 
         [0031]    This makes it possible to have a maintenance-free, simply constructed drive for a mixer barrel in which the bearings  14  can be simply constructed, because they do not have to perform compensatory movements between the barrel  1  and the frame  2 , which means that the drive system can be simply constructed. 
       REFERENCE NUMERALS 
       [0000]    
       
           1  barrel 
           2  vehicle frame 
           3  bearing rollers 
           4  drive system 
           5  base 
           6  radial piston engine 
           7  rotor 
           8  interior bull gear 
           9  planetary gear 
           10  planet carrier 
           11  housing 
           12  exterior bull gear 
           13  output flange 
           14  bearing 
           15  mounting plate 
           16  water tank 
           17  elastic element 
           18  component 
           19  pin 
           20  planet carrier 
           21  planet plate 
           22  interior bull gear 
           23  axial piston motor 
           24  flange-type surface 
           25  flange-type surface 
           26  first radial flange 
           27  second radial flange 
           28  elastic element 
           29  elastic element 
           30  elastic element 
           31  base 
           32  catch surfaces 
           33  catch surfaces 
           34  hub 
           35  arrangement 
           36  U-shaped element 
           37  bar 
           38  recesses 
           39  elastic elements 
           40  section