Flowable material pump apparatus

A flowable material pump apparatus for coupling to a vehicle including an application assembly comprising a frame which is attached to and travels in a spacially consistent fashion with respect to the vehicle. A flowable material supply and a flowable material propellant supply are attached to the frame and are in communication with the application assembly. The supplies are powered by a power system attached to the frame.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to a pump apparatus, and in particular, to a flowable 
material pump apparatus coupled to a vehicle including an application 
assembly. 
In the past, problems associated with pump apparatus coupled to vehicles 
have been of some concern. This is especially true in the area of movable 
application apparatus which require the flowable material to be pumped to 
an adjacent application assembly. One specific type of such movable 
apparatus would be the pumps designed to apply by the use of compressed 
air a coating of cementious material to an erected building structure. 
The pump apparatus of the invention includes a sled that is detachably 
connected to a vehicle. The detachable connection allows the vehicle to be 
used for other purposes. However, due to the detachable connection, 
problems have existed relating to the ability of the sled to maintain a 
spacially consistent relationship with the vehicle during operation. 
The typical operational area in which such pump apparatus operates is often 
times rough terrain generally difficult to negotiate. Problems have 
existed relating to the ability of the pump apparatus to negotiate such 
terrain. Further, problems have existed relating to the ability of the 
pump apparatus to remain operatively connected to the application 
apparatus when travelling over rough terrain. 
Thus, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved flowable material 
pump apparatus which can be removably coupled to a vehicle. 
It also would be highly desirable to provide an improved flowable material 
pump apparatus coupled to a vehicle including an application wherein the 
apparatus has the ability to maintain a spacially consistent relationship 
with the vehicle during operation. 
It also would be highly desirable to provide an improved flowable material 
pump apparatus coupled to a vehicle including an application assembly 
wherein the apparatus has the ability to negotiate rough terrain. 
Further, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved flowable 
material pump apparatus coupled to a vehicle including an application 
assembly wherein the apparatus has the ability to remain operationally 
connected to the application apparatus when travelling over rough terrain. 
Finally, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved cementious 
material pump apparatus having both a source of cementious material and 
compressed air by which the cementious material can be applied as a 
coating to an erected building structure which can removably be coupled to 
a vehicle and negotiate difficult terrain and remain in an operational and 
spacially consistent relationship with the vehicle during operation. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved flowable material 
pump apparatus for coupling to a vehicle including an application 
assembly. 
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved flowable 
material pump apparatus for coupling to a vehicle including an application 
assembly which has the ability to maintain a spacially consistent 
relationship with the vehicle during operation. 
Further, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved flowable 
material pump apparatus for coupling to a vehicle including an application 
assembly which has the ability to negotiate rough terrain. 
Still further, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved 
flowable material pump apparatus for coupling to a vehicle including an 
application assembly which has the ability to remain operationally 
connected to the application apparatus when travelling over rough terrain. 
Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved cementious 
material pump apparatus having both a source of cementious material and 
compressed air by which the cementious material can be applied as a 
coating to an erected building structure which can removably be coupled to 
a vehicle and negotiate difficult terrain and remain in an operational and 
spacially consistent relationship with the vehicle during operation. 
The invention is a flowable material pump apparatus for coupling to a 
vehicle including an application assembly. The pump apparatus includes a 
frame. The frame is connected to the vehicle in a manner such that the 
frame maintains a spacially consistent relationship with the vehicle. A 
flowable material supply and a flowable material propellant supply are 
attached to the frame and are in communication with the application 
assembly. A power source is attached to the frame and operates the 
material and propellant supplies.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated the pump apparatus 10 of 
the invention. The pump apparatus 10 of the invention comprises a sled 12, 
an auger assembly 14, an air compressor 16, and a power system 18. 
The sled 12 includes a perimetal frame 20 having front 22 and rear 24 ends 
and opposite sides 26. A plurality of spaced-apart transverse slats 28 are 
provided with a web 30 and generally perpendicularly extending flanges 32. 
Flanges 32 have distal ends 34 which are secured to the perimetal frame 
20. A pair of longitudinal runners 36 having a web 38 with generally 
perpendicularly extending top 40 and bottom 42 flanges and front 44 and 
rear 46 ends are attached at the top flanges 40 thereof to the bottom of 
the perimetal frame 20. The perimetal frame 20, transverse slats 38 and 
runners 36 together form a load-bearing structure. 
A conventional three-point hitch 48 is secured to an upright frame assembly 
50. Frame assembly 50 includes two connected pairs of spaced-apart side 
lift bars 52 having top 54 and bottom 56 ends and an aperture 58 therein. 
The front end 44 of each runner 36 is sandwiched between the paired side 
lift bars 52 at the bottom ends 56 thereof. The paired side lift bars 52 
extend upwardly from the runners 36 and are connected at the top ends 54 
thereof by a top channel member 60. The top channel member 60 has a web 62 
and generally perpendicularly extending flanges 64 so that the paired side 
life bars 52 rest within the channel 66 formed by the web 62 and flanges 
64. A lower channel member 68 includes a web 70, perpendicularly extending 
flanges 72, and opposite ends 74, 76. The lower channel member 68 is 
parallel and spaced-apart from the top channel member 60, and extends 
between and is attached to at the opposite ends 74, 76 thereof to the 
paired side lift bars 52. A pair of center lift members 78 have opposite 
ends 80, 82 and an aperture 84. The center lift members 78 vertically 
extend between and are attached at the opposite ends 80, 82 thereof to the 
top 60 and lower 68 channel members, respectively. Hitch 48 is connected 
by bolts 89 extending through apertures 58, 84, as shown. 
The auger pump assembly 14 includes a hopper 90 which has an opening 92, 
front 94 and rear 96 walls, opposite side walls 98, and a floor 100. An 
exit opening 102 is contained in the front wall 94. An screw 104 has a 
shaft 106 having opposite ends 108, 110 and a threaded portion 112. The 
shaft 106 is journaled at the opposite ends 108, 110 thereof so as to 
extend longitudinal within the hopper 90 adjacent the floor 100 thereof. 
The screw 104 is in axial alignment with and extends through exit opening 
102. The rearward most shaft end 110 extends rearwardly of the hopper 90. 
A pipe 114 having opposite ends 116, 118 and supported by a pair of 
spaced-apart supports 120 is connected to the hopper 90 adjacent the exit 
opening 102. The pipe 114 communicates with the hopper 90 and end 108 of 
screw 104 is positioned therein. A hose 121 is connected to the one end 
116 of the pipe 114, and provides communication with the application 
assembly. 
The power system 18 includes a conventional gasoline engine 122 with a 
shaft 123 extending outwardly therefrom. A pulley 124 is attached to the 
distal end 125 of the shaft 123. A pair of pulleys 126, 127, connected by 
a shaft 128, are journaled in paired supports 129. The hydraulic pump 130 
includes inlet 131 and outlet 132 ports as well as a pulley 133 designed 
to receive a belt. A first belt 134 connects the pulley 124 and the pulley 
126, and a second belt 136 connects the pulley 127 and the pulley 133. 
A hydraulic fluid reservoir 142 having inlet 144 and outlet 146 ports has 
the outlet port 146 thereof connected to the inlet port 131 of the 
hydraulic pump 130 by a conduit 148. A hydraulic valve 150 having inlet 
152 and outlet 154 ports has the inlet port 152 thereof connected to the 
outlet port 132 of the hydraulic pump 130 by a conduit 156. A hydraulic 
motor 158 with inlet 160 and outlet 162 ports has the inlet port 160 
thereof connected via conduit 164 to the hydraulic valve outlet port 154. 
The hydraulic motor outlet port 162 is connected to the hydraulic 
reservoir inlet port 144 via a conduit 166. This network of conduits 148, 
156, 164, 166 completes the hydraulic connections of the power system 18. 
The hydraulic motor 158 includes a shaft 167 which is operatively connected 
to the rearward end 110 of the auger shaft 106. 
The apparatus 10 of the invention further includes an air compressor 16 
secured to the sled 12. The air compressor 16 includes an output line 168 
through which compressed air is pumped. The air compressor 16 is 
operatively connected to and powered by the engine 122. 
A desirable feature of the specific embodiment 10 illustrated in the 
drawings, is the compact nature of the apparatus. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 
3, the engine 122 is shown to be adjacent the front of the sled 12. Air 
compressor 16 is coupled to the engine 122 and powered by the shaft 123 of 
the engine 122. Delivery pipe 114 of the hopper 90 is mounted in side by 
side relation with the engine 122. Rearwardly of the engine 122 is located 
the hydraulic fluid pump 130. In side by side relationship with the 
hydraulic pump 130 is the hopper 90. Rearwardly of the hydraulic pump 130 
and the hopper 90 are located respectively the hydraulic reservoir 142, 
the hydraulic valve 150, and the hydraulic motor 158. By this compact 
arrangement, all of the aforementioned equipment is assembled on sled 12 
so as to provide a self-powered pump apparatus having a cementious 
material supply and a compressed air supply in a relatively compact 
nature. 
A pump housing 190 encloses the entire apparatus 10. The pump housing 190 
includes a rear wall 192, a pair of rear doors 194, a top surface 196, and 
a pair of opposite side walls 198. Access is guided to the hopper 90 from 
the outside through a hopper access opening 200. Further, access to the 
interior at the pump housing 190 can be gained through the pair of rear 
doors 194. 
In operation, the sled 12 is detachably connected to the vehicle 170. In 
particular, the sled 12 is connected by the three point hitch and frame 
assembly 50 thereof to the vehicle 170. 
As the vehicle 170 travels, the sled 12 moves therebehind maintaining a 
spacially consistent relationship with respect to the vehicle 170. The 
action of the tongue 172 and the three point hitch 48 and frame assembly 
50 and the runners 36 allows the sled 12 and the vehicle 170 to negotiate 
rough terrain maintaining a spacially consistent relationship between one 
another. 
The vehicle 170 includes a control means 179 which controls the operation 
of the hydraulics of the apparatus of the invention. The control means 179 
includes a set of controls 180 remotely located so as to be operable by 
the vehicle operator. The set of controls 180 includes control sticks 182, 
184 operatively connected by connectors 185 to control the hydraulic valve 
150 and the hydraulic pump 130, respectively. The set of controls 180 
allows the vehicle operator to control the speed of rotation of the screw 
104 which, in turn, controls the volume of flowable material forced out of 
the hopper 90 and eventually into the application apparatus. 
The operation of the gasoline engine 122 operates the air compressor 16 
which delivers compressed air through the output line 168. Both the output 
of the air compressor 16 and the output of the auger pump assembly 14 meet 
at the application apparatus to provide both cementious material and 
compressed air to apply the same. 
As previously discussed, when the vehicle 170 travels over difficult 
terrain, the sled 12 maintains a spacially consistent relationship with 
the vehicle 170. 
The maintenance of the spacially consistent relationship between the sled 
12 and vehicle 170 is necessary to keep the operational connections 
between the pump apparatus 10 and the application assembly intact. By 
keeping these operational connections intact, many of the problems related 
to prior art apparatus are eliminated. 
It is seen that applicant's invention provides an improved pump apparatus 
connected to a vehicle 170 having an application assembly attached 
thereto. The pump apparatus 10 includes a sled having a structure whereby 
the sled 12 maintains a spacially consistent relationship with the vehicle 
70. Because the sled 12 and the vehicle 170 maintain a spacially 
consistent relationship, the operational connections between the 
application assembly 14 and the pump apparatus 10 remain intact during 
operation and the sled 12 and vehicle 170 have the ability to negotiate 
rough terrain. Finally, applicant's invention provides an improved 
cementious material pump apparatus which includes a self-contained, energy 
sufficient source of cementious material and compressed air in a 
relatively compact form having all of the advantages above-mentioned. 
While there have been described above the principles of this invention in 
connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that 
this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to 
the scope of the invention.