Washout assembly for cement mixer vehicle

A washout bucket which receives waste water and concrete material washed from equipment used to deliver concrete material from the mixing drum of a cement mixer truck to a desired location on a job site, is used in cooperation with a tag axle assembly pivotally mounted on a rear end of the truck to recover the concrete material washed from the equipment. The washout bucket can be connected to the tag axle assembly. The tag axle assembly is then raised to an upright position and in the process the front of the washout bucket contacts the mixing drum and tips over, emptying the waste material into the mixing drum. As a result, waste concrete material can be properly disposed of or salvaged for reuse rather than indiscriminately washed onto the ground at the job site.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to material-hauling vehicles 
utilizing an auxiliary load supporting axle and, more particularly, to a 
concrete mixer truck having a tag axle assembly. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Concrete or cement mixer trucks generally include a cab and a rotatable 
drum behind the cab that contains and mixes concrete materials. Such 
trucks typically include a single set of forward steering wheels and a 
plurality of rear, load supporting drive axles mounted on an elongated 
chassis which supports the cab and the drum. 
Most federal, state and local highways and bridges have load limits which 
limit the overall vehicle weight, the weight per axle and the spacing of 
the axles. Auxiliary axles may be used to provide additional load-bearing 
wheels which can be lifted from the road surface when the additional 
wheels are not needed. 
One type of auxiliary axle used with cement mixer trucks is generally 
referred to as a "tag axle" which is a separate high lift axle assembly 
pivotally mounted to the rear of the truck chassis. Tag axles generally 
include a mechanism for lowering the assembly so that the wheels may 
engage the road surface behind the truck to significantly increase the 
legal load carrying capacity of the truck. The increased load carrying 
capacity is effected not only by the fact that the load is spread over 
more axles, but also because the distance between the front and rearmost 
axles is significantly increased. 
Tag axles generally are raised and lowered by means of a hydraulic system 
which can lower the tag axle to the road surface to share the load with 
the steering and drive wheels, and which can raise the tag axle up and out 
of the way to transport relatively light loads, to improve off-road 
maneuverability and/or to discharge material from the cement mixer. 
Further information regarding cement mixers and tag axle assemblies may be 
found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,021. 
After material is discharged from the mixer, a problem remains regarding 
how to clean the equipment, such as a chute extending from the truck, used 
to deliver the material from the truck. The general practice is to wash 
off the equipment onto the ground. This leaves an undesirable and wasteful 
deposit of cement and/or other concrete materials at a construction or job 
site. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a washout assembly used with a cement mixer 
truck having a tag axle assembly to recover waste concrete material at a 
job site. This material can then be re-used or properly disposed of at a 
remote location. More specifically, the present invention provides a 
washout assembly which receives material washed from equipment used to 
deliver concrete materials from the truck to a desired location. The tag 
axle assembly is connected to a rear end of the truck. The washout 
assembly is connectable to the tag axle assembly which can be raised to 
empty the washout assembly into the truck and, more particularly, into a 
mixing drum mounted on the truck. 
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the washout assembly 
includes a container to receive waste washed from equipment used to 
deliver the concrete material and a mounting assembly which connects the 
container to the tag axle assembly. 
Preferably, the mounting assembly is pivotally connected to the tag axle 
assembly at opposite sides of the container along a horizontal tip axis. 
The mounting assembly removably connects the container to the tag axle 
assembly, and more particularly, the mounting assembly is mounted to the 
tag axle assembly and removably connected to the container. 
According to another aspect of the present invention, the mounting assembly 
includes at least one telescoping extension member mounted to the tag axle 
assembly. Preferably, the mounting assembly includes at least one pivot 
which connects the container and the telescoping extension member. 
According to another aspect of the present invention, the container has a 
forward tip surface against which a force may be applied to tip the 
container about the horizontal tip axis. The tip surface is preferably 
formed by at least one tip bracket extending from a front surface of the 
container. 
The container has at least one wheel and more preferably, a pair of wheels 
and a handle, to facilitate moving the container when the container is 
disconnected from the tag axle assembly. 
The present invention also contemplates a method of recovering the waste 
washed from the equipment used to deliver the concrete material. The 
method includes the steps of: (1) washing concrete material from the 
equipment into a washout assembly; (2) connecting the washout assembly to 
the tag axle assembly; and (3) emptying the washout assembly into the 
mixing drum. 
According to one aspect of the method, the step of washing concrete 
material from the equipment includes washing concrete material and debris 
from tools and a cement chute. Preferably the emptying step includes 
rotating the tag axle assembly to empty the washout assembly into the 
mixing drum of the truck. The emptying step includes rotating the tag axle 
assembly such that the container contacts the truck at a point of contact. 
Continued rotation of the tag axle assembly and rotation of the container 
about the point of contact cooperate to empty the container into the 
mixing drum. The connecting step also may include the steps of extending 
the telescoping member and connecting the container to the telescoping 
member with the pivot. 
According to further aspects of the invention, the method may include the 
step of washing out the rotated container into the mixing drum, and the 
step of disconnecting the washout container from the tag axle assembly. 
The method may further include the step of attaching the washout assembly 
to the truck to transport the washout assembly with the truck. The 
attaching step includes connecting a first side of the container to a 
bracket mounted on the truck and securing a second side of the container 
to the truck with a releasable hook. 
The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter fully 
described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following 
description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail one or more 
illustrative embodiments of the invention, such being indicative, however, 
of but one or a few of the various ways in which the principles of the 
invention may be employed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now in detail to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 
2, the present invention contemplates a washout assembly (described in 
detail below) used with a cement or concrete mixing truck 10 having a cab 
12 mounted on a front end of a heavy truck chassis or frame 15, a 
rotatable mixing drum 16 mounted on the chassis behind the cab, and a tag 
axle assembly 18 pivotally mounted to a rear end of the chassis. The 
chassis is supported by a plurality of axle mounted wheels including a 
pair of steering wheels 20 at a forward end of the chassis and at least 
two sets of drive wheels located toward the rear of the chassis 22. Each 
set of drive wheels may include dual wheels. The washout assembly 
(described below) facilitates recovery of waste material washed from 
equipment used to deliver concrete materials and in cooperation with the 
tag axle assembly deposits the waste material into the mixing drum for 
treatment or disposal at a remote location. 
The mixing drum 16 has an opening (not visible) toward the rear of the 
truck which is higher than a base of the drum. A loading funnel 24 forms a 
substantially vertical passage into the mixing drum from above the truck 
10 and facilitates loading concrete materials 25 into the drum. For 
purposes of simplifying the description, the materials transported and 
delivered by the truck will generally be referred to as concrete 
materials, however, the present invention is not intended to be limited by 
the material carried by the truck. The term concrete materials as used in 
this description includes cement, water, aggregate and/or other materials 
which may be carried by a concrete mixer truck as is well known. 
The drum 16 may have internal components (not shown), which are well known 
in the art and therefore will not be described in detail. The mixing drum 
is generally designed so that rotation of the drum causes the concrete 
materials 25 to mix. Rotation of the drum in an opposite direction causes 
the drum to dispense the concrete materials to a discharge guide 26. The 
discharge guide directs the material in a generally downward direction to 
a chute 28. The chute is generally hemicylindrical. The chute includes a 
main discharge chute 30 which is adjustably mounted to the chassis 15 and 
a fold-over discharge chute 32 which is mounted to a distal end of the 
main chute by a hinge 34. The fold-over chute retractably folds over the 
main chute for transport (FIG. 1) and extends to a position which is 
co-linear with the main chute to discharge or dispense the concrete 
materials (FIG. 2). The chute is hydraulically supported and positioned to 
adjustably direct the discharge of concrete materials. Additional or 
auxilliary chute sections 36 may be added to the distal end of the 
fold-over chute to increase the length of the chute and to facilitate 
delivery of the concrete materials to a desired location at a construction 
or job site. 
Once the truck 10 arrives at the job site, the tag axle assembly 18 is 
generally carried in a substantially vertical, raised or upright position 
out of the way of the chute 28 to improve maneuverability of the truck and 
to facilitate delivery of the concrete materials 25. The tag axle assembly 
pivotally rotates between the upright position and a ground-engaging 
position in which the tag axle assembly assists the other wheeled axles 20 
and 22 in supporting the load. 
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 15, the tag axle assembly 18 includes a pair of 
parallel spaced apart arms 38 having a tag axle 40 supported between 
distal ends of the arms. A pair of wheels 42 are rotatably mounted to the 
axle which may be connected to the arms with U-bolts 44, for example. The 
arms are pivotally raised and lowered through substantially vertical 
planes by suitable means, such as hydraulics, as is well known. 
The previously mentioned washout assembly 50, shown in FIG. 15, has a 
container 52 to receive waste material washed from equipment used to 
deliver the concrete materials, such as the chute 28 and shovels, rakes 
and other tools used to spread and finish the concrete material surface. 
The waste materials include water, excess concrete materials and/or other 
debris washed from the equipment. The washout assembly also includes a 
mounting assembly 54 which connects the container to the tag axle assembly 
18. 
Referring briefly to FIGS. 1 and 15, the cement truck 10 also has a pair of 
fenders 55, generally referred to as catwalks (one shown), on opposing 
longitudinal sides of the chassis 15. The washout container or bucket 52 
is mounted on one of the catwalks for transport, as will be further 
explained below. 
Turning to FIGS. 9-14, the container 52 resembles a wheelbarrow in the 
preferred embodiment and has a pair of wheels 56 and a handle 58 to 
facilitate moving the container around the job site. Around a top edge and 
at least at a forward edge of the container is an outwardly extending 
flange or lip 60. A tip surface formed of a pair of L-shaped tip brackets 
62 extends forward from a front surface of the container to facilitate a 
tipping action of the container as it is emptied into the mixing drum 16 
(FIG. 1), as further explained below. Alternatively, the front surface may 
be shaped to form the tip surface as an integral part of the container. 
The container 52 preferably also has a pair of support brackets 64 on 
opposing sides of the container to support a pivotal connection to the 
mounting assembly 54. In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the support 
bracket includes a pair of plates 66 having central bores 68 aligned with 
at least one of a pair of openings in opposing sides of the container. As 
particularly illustrated in FIG. 14, the plates are bolted on inner and 
outer sides of the container to strengthen and reinforce the container 
about the openings where the mounting assembly connects to the container. 
As shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 15, the mounting assembly 54 includes a pair of 
extension members 70 telescopically extendable from a pair of parallel 
spaced apart bracket sleeves 72 mounted on the tag axle assembly 18. In 
the preferred illustrated embodiment the bracket sleeves are mounted to 
respective arms 38 of the tag axle assembly adjacent the tag axle 40. 
Flanges 74 extending from the bracket sleeve are connected to the tag axle 
assembly with a pair of U-bolts 44 and 76 on opposing sides of the bracket 
sleeve. The extension members preferably telescopically slide within the 
bracket sleeves. The extension members are supported by the bracket 
sleeves in an extended position for connection to the washout container 52 
and a retracted position for transport. The position of the extension 
members in the bracket sleeves is fixed by locator pins 78 inserted 
through openings in the bracket sleeve and the extension member in a well 
known manner. Alternatively, the extension members may be permanently 
mounted on the tag axle assembly in a fixed position. 
At distal ends of the extension members 70, the mounting assembly 54 
includes pivotally mounted pivots 80 which are received in the support 
brackets 64 on the side of the container 52, preferably at a point above 
the center of gravity of the container. Although the container may be 
permanently connected, preferably the container is connectable to and 
disconnectable from the mounting assembly. The pivots preferably are 
permanently connected to the extension members and are removably connected 
to the container. Alternatively, the pivots may be connected to the 
container and connectable to and disconnectable from the extension 
members. As a further alternative, the pivots may be permanently connected 
to both the container and the extension members, and the extension members 
may be disconnectable from the bracket sleeves 72. Other combinations and 
variations of pivotable connection between the container and the tag axle 
assembly are contemplated by the present invention and will be apparent to 
a person of ordinary skill in the art. 
Referring to FIGS. 10, 13 and 14, the pivots 80 are formed of rocker arms 
having a substantially S-shape in the illustrated embodiment, however the 
pivots could be formed of a pair of straight pivots and/or a single pivot 
extending across the container 52. The rocker arms pass through the bores 
68 of the support plates and the openings in the sides of the container. 
The container is held on the rocker arms by removable end caps 82. 
Turning to FIGS. 16-18, the washout container 52 is shown mounted on the 
catwalk 46 for transport. The lip 60 at one end of the washout container 
is held down by a hold down bracket 86 mounted to the catwalk. An opposite 
end of the container is connected to the catwalk with a releasable hook 
88, which may be connected to an elastic member 90 such as a bungee cord 
or the like by a clamp 92 to further releasably secure the washout 
container on the catwalk. Other hold down mechanisms may be used to 
releasably secure the washout container for transport, either on the 
catwalk or some other part of the truck. 
The method of using the present invention will be described with reference 
to FIGS. 1-6. The washout container 52 is attached to the truck 10 for 
transport in the manner described above. The chute 28 is extended, 
rotation of the mixing drum is reversed to dispense concrete materials 25 
through the chute, and the container is removed from the catwalk 46. 
Although concrete materials are generally delivered directly from the 
chute, concrete materials may be dispensed to the washout container or 
other delivery device which then may be maneuvered to deliver the concrete 
materials to locations that the chute and/or the truck cannot reached. 
After the concrete materials 25 are dispensed, the container 52 is placed 
in a position to receive waste which is washed from the chute 28 and any 
other equipment used to spread or deliver the concrete materials 25. The 
clean chute is stowed by folding the fold-over chute 32 over the main 
chute 30, and the tag axle assembly 18 is lowered to its ground-engaging 
position. The locator pins 78 are removed and the extension members 70 are 
extended from their retracted positions to their extended positions. The 
locator pins 78 are replaced to hold the extension members 70 in their 
extended positions, as shown in FIG. 4. 
The support brackets 64 on the sides of the washout container 52 are 
connected to the tag axle assembly 18 through the extension members 70 and 
the pivots 80 as described above. For example, the end caps 82 may be 
removed, ends of the rocker arms may be inserted through the bores 68 of 
the support brackets 64 and the openings in the container, and the end 
caps may be replaced to hold the container on the rocker arms (see FIGS. 
13 and 14). 
As shown in FIG. 6, the tag axle assembly 18 is raised thereby also lifting 
the washout container 52. As the tag axle assembly is raised, the pivots 
formed by the rocker arms 80 rotate relative to the washout container and 
the extension members 70 to keep the container upright and to prevent the 
waste from spilling. 
As shown more clearly in FIG. 8, as the tag axle assembly raises the 
washout container, the tip surface formed by the tip brackets 62 contacts 
an edge of the loading funnel 24 or other part of the mixing drum 16 at a 
point of contact and continued rotation of the tag axle assembly causes 
the washout container to rotate about the point of contact. Further 
rotation of the tag axle assembly causes the container to tip and empty 
the waste material 25 into the loading funnel and into the mixing drum. 
The dumping action of the washout container 52 is shown more clearly in 
FIG. 9 with the tag axle assembly 18 and the mounting assembly 54 pulled 
away. In this dumping or emptying position, the washout container can be 
further cleaned to wash any remaining residue into the mixing drum 16. The 
tag axle assembly is lowered back to the ground engaging position and the 
washout container is disconnected, the extension members 70 are returned 
to their retracted positions and the container is re-attached to the 
catwalk 46 for transport. 
Accordingly, the present invention provides a washout assembly which may be 
used in cooperation with the tag axle assembly of a cement truck to 
recover waste from the equipment used to deliver and spread the concrete 
materials, thereby solving the problem of waste concrete materials being 
washed indiscriminately onto the ground at a job site. The waste material 
can be recycled, reclaimed and/or properly disposed of at a remote 
location, thereby increasing the efficiency of the use of concrete 
materials as well. 
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a 
certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, equivalent alterations and 
modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon reading and 
understanding this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular 
regard to the various functions performed by the above described integers 
(components, assemblies, devices, compositions, etc.), the terms 
(including a reference to a "means") used to describe such integers are 
intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any integer which 
performs the specified function of the described integer (i.e., that is 
functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the 
disclosed structure which performs the function in the illustrated 
exemplary embodiment or embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a 
particular feature of the invention may have been described above with 
respect to only one of several illustrated embodiments, such feature may 
be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments, as 
may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.