MATERIAL OUTFEEDING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES

Abstract: A material outfeeding device intended for working vehicles and including a bin (1) that is defined by two longitudinal side walls (3, 3') connected with each other via a bottom (2), a front end portion (5) and a rear end portion (4) that at its back side has means (7) for detachable attachment of the bin to a vehicle supported hoist. At the bottom of the bin a rotatable screw feeder (8) is provided, said screw feeder (8), with a front portion, projecting through an opening in the front end portion (5) and extending into a compressing device protruding from the outside of the front end portion (5), said compressing device being composed of a cylindrical tube (12) and a tapering tube portion (13) protruding from said tube (12). Concrete or other material that by the screw feeder is transported out of the interior of the bin is compressed in the tapering portion (13) before the material reaches an outfeed opening (14) at the outer end of the tapering tube portion (13).

Description: MATERIAL OUTFEEDING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES Technical Field of the Invention This invention relates to a material outfeeding device intended for vehicles and including an upwardly open bin or container that is defined by two longitudinal side walls inter¬ connected via a bottom and a rear end portion that at an exter¬ nal back side has means for detachable attachment of the bin to a vehicle supported hoist. Prior Art Material outfeeding devices of the type mentioned above are often used for portioning out concrete in connection with different concreting works. Previously known devices have been manufactured by single plates, i.e. a planar, wedge-shaped bottom plate, a perpendiculary from said plate erecting rear end plate and two longitudinal side plates that also extend perpendicular from the bottom plate. However, due to the wedge shape of the bottom plate the longitudinal side plates are converging towards each other in direction towards an outfeed opening at the front end of the bin. Through the tapering shape the bin is imparted the character of a spout-like bucket from which concrete may be outfeeded through an opening having limited width. Although these known outfeeding devices or outfeeding buckets are comparatively simple and cheap to manufacture they have serious disadvantages in connection with the effecting of concreting in practice. Thus the outfeeding of the concrete is effected, with the aid of the hoist of the vehicle, by instan- taneously swinging the bucket to a forwardly inclined position where the concrete due to its own gravity slides along the bottom plate towards the outfeed opening. From the outfeed opening the concrete falls in portions down into the present concreting space. Quite often it is required that the bucket also is tilted several times to get the concrete to move. Such outfeeding operations are very delicate to perform so as to achieve satisfying concreting results. Thus the operator of the vehicle must hold the bucket in a time-related exact, inclined position simultaneously as it is often required that the vehicle is moved to spread the concrete over a larger area. If the bucket then is inclined slightly too much a too large amount of concrete will be outfeeded and in the reverse situation the outfeeding will bee too small. A correct, balan- ced outportioning of the concrete, especially in narrow concre¬ ting spaces, will therefore become extremely difficult to effect - especially as the vehicle normally has a limited mobility at a constrution site. Objects and Features of the Invention The present invention aims at removing the above¬ mentioned shortcomings of previously known concrete buckets and provide an improved outfeeding device. A basic aim of the invention is therefore to create an outfeeding device through which concrete and similar material is outportioned in proper amounts without the need of a vehicle operator that tilts or swings the bin of the device. A further aim is to create a device that enables concrete outfeeding at essentially longer distance from the vehicle than what has been possible by pre- viously known concrete buckets. Also the outfeeding is to take place in a smoth, restricted flow in stead of being effected in portions . According to the invention at least the primary object is attained by means of the features as defined in the charac- terizing clause of claim 1. Further, preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. Brief Description of the Appended Drawings In the drawings : Fig 1 is a partly cut away perspective view of a concrete outfeeding device according to the invention, and Fig 2 a side view showing the divece mounted on a working vehicle . Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment of the Invention In the drawing an outfeeding device in the shape of an upwardly open bin or container 1 is shown, said bin 1 being defined by two longitudinal side walls 3, 3' that are connected to each other by a bottom 2 , said bin 1 also including rear and front end portions 4, 5. The rear end portion 4 is in the shape of a box that includes two plates 6 spaced apart from each other (only one plate is visible in fig 1) , said plates between themselves defining a cavity. On the outer side of the rear, not visible plate a so called quick attachment means 7 is provided, said means allowing the bin to be connected with a working vehicle. This quick attachment means is of conventional type and is thus not described in detail. The front end portion 5 constitutes of a single sheet metal wall. In the shown preferred embodiment the bottom 2 constitutes of a bottom plate that is curved or arched in cross-section and the two longitu¬ dinal side walls 3, 3', manufactured from sheet metal, that extend outwardly and upwardly, at an inclined position, from the bottom plate 2. In such a way the bin has essentially V- shaped cross-section. From fig 1 is further learnt that the rear end portion 4 at its upper edge is substantially wider than the upper portion of the front end wall 5. In such a way the upper edges of the longitudinal side walls converge in direction towards the front end wall . In other words the bin has a wedge-like tapering shape in direction towards its front end. In the area of the bottom of the bin a rotatable screw feeder 8 is provided, said screw feeder 8 in conventional way being composed of a central shaft 9 and a helicoidal blade 10 provided on the shaft 9. At its front end said screw feeder projects through an opening in the end wall 5 and extends into a compressing device 11 that protrudes from the outside of the end wall 5. Said compressing device constitutes on one hand of a cylindrical tube element 12 and on the other hand of a tube portion 13 that tapers in direction outwardly, said tube por- tion 13 projecting from the free end of the tube element 12. In practice the portion 13 constitutes of a conically tapering tube piece that has been welded to the cylindrical tube 12. At its free end the tube portion 13 emerges into an outfeed opening 14 that preferably is surrounded by a flange or collar 15 to which a hose 16 (see fig 2) may be attached. Preferably the feeder extends on one hand along the entire length of the bottom 2 of the bin and on the other hand along at least a major part of the length of the cylindrical tube 12. In order to enable mounting of the feeder it is in practice necessary to have it in two portions that may be connected with each other, one portion being designated 8 1 and the other 8". The first feeder portion 8', located in the bin, has a helicoidal blade manufactured out of sheet metal. Also the helicoidal blade of the portion 8" is manufactured out of sheet metal but in this case the sheet metal, at least along the peripheral edge of the helicoidal blade, is covered with a flexible material, e.g. reinforced rubber, in order to have the feeder to seal against the inner side of the cylindrical tube 12. For this purpose the cylindrical tube 12 is manufactured with an internal diameter that is only slightly larger than the external diameter of the helicoidal blade. In such a way it is guaranteed that also a comparatively thin rubber coating will effectively seal against the inner side of the cylindrical tube. At its rear end the shaft 9 of the screw feeder is connected with a force transmission 17, e.g. a chain trans¬ mission, that is incorporated in the cavity of the rear end portion 4 and connected with a shaft of a hydraulic motor 18 that in its turn is mounted on the outside of the end portion. More precisely the hydraulic motor 18 is mounted on the front side of the front plate 6 of the end portion 4 in the area outside the longitudinal wall 3 of the bin. The motor 18 is via not shown hoses connectable with the ordinary hydraulic system of the working vehicle and is driven with oil from that system. It should further be noticed that at the lower side of the bottom 2 of the bin a supporting post 19 is provided and when the bin is placed on a bed the supporting post 19 guaran¬ tees that the bottom is inclined somewhat in a direction for¬ wardly and upwardly from the lower part of the rear end portion 4. Further it should be pointed out that a reinforcing rod 20 may be provided between the upper edges of the longitudinal side walls 3, 3' . This rod guarantees that the bin achieves proper stiffness even if the walls are comparatively thin. In fig 2 it is illustrated how the outfeeding device according to the invention via the quick attachment means 7 is connected with a hoist 21 that in a conventional way is incor¬ porated in a bucket loader 22 serving as working vehicle. With the aid of the working vehicle and its hoist the bin 1 may be raised and lowered and transported between different concreting locations . In use the bin is filled with concrete, e.g. by dumping from a concrete-transporting car. When the bin by means of the working vehicle is transported near to the actual concreting space outfeeding is effected by rotation of the screw feeder 8. The concrete at the bottom of the bin is hereby pushed out in the cylindrical tube 12 and further through the tapering tube portion 13 to the outfeed opening 14. Due to the cross- sectional V-shape of the bin all concrete, from its own gravity, endeavour to approach the screw feeder 8. When passing the tube portion 13 the concrete is compressed and an internal pressure is built up in the concrete mass. This pressure allows the concrete to be transported through a hose as illustrated in fig 2. Depending on the chosen length of the hose the concrete may in this way be directed to outfeeding points located at a substantial distance from both the bin and the vehicle. During the outfeeding process there is no need for a vehicle operator to tilt or swing the bin and nor is it necessary to move the vehicle itself.

Claims: Claims 1. Material outfeeding device for vehicles including an upwardly open bin (1) that is defined by two longitudinal side walls (3, 3') interconnected by a bottom (2) and a rear end portion (4) that at an external back side has means (7) for detachable attachment of the bin to a hoist (21) supported by a vehicle, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the bin at its end, directed away from said end portion (4) , has a second front end portion (5) and that a rotatable screw feeder (8) is provided at the bottom of the bin, a front end portion of said screw feeder (8) projecting through an opening in the front end portion (5) and extending into a compressing device protruding from the external side of said front end portion (5) , said compressing device being composed of a cylindrical tube (12) and a tapering tube portion (13) provided at an outer end of said cylindrical tube (12) , the material, e.g. concrete, out- feeded by the screw feeder (8) from the interior of the bin being compressed in the tapering tube portion (13) before said material reaches an outfeed opening (14) at an outer end of the tapering tube portion (13) . 2. Material outfeeding device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the cylindrical tube (12) of the compressing device has an internal diameter that is slightly larger than the external diameter of the screw feeder (8) and that the portion (8") of the screw feeder (8) that projects into said cylindrical tube (12) is wholly or partly covered with a flexible material, e.g. rubber, in order to bring the feeder (8) to seal against the inner side of the cylindrical tube. 3. Material outfeeding device according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that an outer, free end of the tapering tube portion (13) has means (15) for connecting said tube portion (13) with a hose (16) . 4. Material outfeeding device according to any of the previous claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that for forming a bin, having essentially V-shape in cross-section, the longitudinal side walls (3, 3') of the bin (1) extend, in an inclined posi¬ tion, outwardly and upwardly from a bottom portion (2) located adjacent to the screw feeder, said bottom portion (2) being curved or arched in cross-section, and that all material in the bin automatically strive to be displaced downwardly and inwardly towards the screw feeder. 5. Material outfeeding device according to any of the previous claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the rear end portion (4) has the shape of a box including two plates (6) separated from each other, a cavity being defined between said plates (6) for lodging at least partly a mechanism for driving the rota¬ table screw feeder (8) . 6. Material outfeeding device according to claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the driving mechanism includes a transmission (17) incorporated in the interior of the box, e.g. a chain transmission, said transmission (17) extending between the screw feeder (8) and an input driving shaft of a hydraulic motor (18) mounted at the outside of the box, said hydralic motor (18) in its turn being driven by a hydralic medium from the ordinary hydraulic system of a vehicle (22) .

Inventors: SJOESTRAND JUSSI, SJOESTRAND, JUSSI
Applicants: JUSSI SJOESTRAND AB, SJOESTRAND JUSSI, SJOESTRAND, JUSSI
Application year: 1997
Main classification: E04G21
IPC codes: E04G21, F04D3, F04D7