Abstract:
A self-contained properly balanced for loaded towing mobile masonry unit. The unit has a towable trailer and mounted on the trailer in position to properly balance the load for loaded towing are a product hopper, a water tank, and an operatively associated cement mixer.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to a portable self-contained mixing apparatus that is towable, even when loaded.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Even with the recent development of pre-mixed mortar, i.e. products that include the necessary sand and cement, the mixing of mortar for brick work is still highly labor and equipment intensive. Typically, a water tanker, many different trucks and material handling devices are required. As a result, if the work is done on an existing residential structure, yards are often destroyed by all the heavy equipment brought to the site and by the cement, mortar, sand, etc. that inevitably end up in the yard.  
           [0003]    Since the introduction of super sacks containing cementuous materials unloaded into silos that are set up on masonry job sites, which sacks dispense material directly into the silo and from there into a mixer placed under the silo, brick masons have still wanted a piece of equipment that is a self-contained mobile unit focused towards smaller jobs (residential market instead of the commercial market). The desire for this is to avoid the typical water tanker and many different trucks and material handling devices that are required at the construction site.  
           [0004]    There have been previous attempts at portable units such as Shuff, U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,183. However, devices of which the Shuff patents are representative, are cumbersome, do not tow easily, and are not truly a self-contained unit that can be loaded and then towed to the site. Such units such as Shuff, which are essentially nothing more than a cement truck on a trailer, therefore do not satisfy the current need. In short, the need for on-site mixing and handling destroys any of the significant advantages of portability.  
           [0005]    It can been seen, therefore, that there is a continuing need for the development of a self-contained unit, which can be fully loaded, mortar, sand and water, and then driven to a site and used with material dispensed from the unit as needed on site. Since everything is self-contained, nothing would be spilled and site destruction would not occur.  
           [0006]    One of the problems in theory with such units that must be overcome is that as the cement, sand and water are loaded, the trailer becomes heavy and difficult to tow. The unit of the present invention provides the advantages of an all self-contained unit and the portability while still being towable, even when loaded.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    A self-contained properly balanced for loaded towing, mobile masonry unit. The unit has a towable trailer and mounted on the trailer in position to properly balance the load are a product hopper, a water tank, and an operatively associated cement mixer. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the mobile masonry unit of the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a plan view of the unit of FIG. 1.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a side view of the unit of the invention shown as it loads dry cement.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a side view of the unit showing the auger in operation and the metering of water as sand and dry cement are dumped into the cement mixing unit.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 shows mixed cement dumping into a wheel barrel for use by a mason on site, and illustrates the all-contained nature of the unit. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the masonry mobile unit  10  of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows the unit in plan view so its load bearing locations with respect to the trailer can be easily identified and determined.  
         [0014]    The masonry mobile unit  10  is all mounted on trailer  12  which forms a part of the entire unit  10 . Trailer  12  is a trailer of conventional construction and as illustrated has an under carriage or frame  14 , dual axles  16  and  18 , and dual wheels  20  and  22 . Mounted to trailer  12  is a support platform  24 . For descriptive purposes, the trailer  12  is defined as having a forward towing end  26  and a rear end  28 . Forward of towing end  26  is towing tongue  30 , hitch  32  and retractable and height adjustable stand  34  of conventional construction. Similarly mounted adjacent rear  28  of trailer  12  is a rear adjustable and retractable stand  36 .  
         [0015]    The rest of the unit is mounted on platform  24 , and importantly positioned so that the load and weight of the unit are focused on top of the dual carriage wheels  20  and  22 , with little or none of the weight forward or up front of carriage wheel  16 . In particular, it is estimated that less than 10% of the weight of the loaded unit is forward of the front carriage wheel  16  and the weight on tow hitch  32  is only on a small fraction, estimated at 7% of the weight of the fully loaded unit  10 . This allows the unit, even when fully loaded, to tow satisfactorily.  
         [0016]    Mounted on the unit and substantially over the dual carriage wheels  16  and  18  is a product container or hopper  38 . Hopper  38  has a hinged door  40 . Via hinge  42  the door is opened and super sacks of pre-blended sand and cement, as illustrated at  44 , are dumped into hopper  38 . Once hopper  38  is filled, door  40  can be closed and the super sack  44  removed. Mounted to the platform  24  and the framework of hopper  38  generally rearward of dual carriage wheel  18  is water tank  46 . Water tank  46 , filled with water  48 , is positioned high on the framework, above associated cement mixer  50 . Communication from hopper  38  to cement mixer  50  to allow transport of preblended dry mortar accomplished via auger  52 . Auger  52  communicates with the bottom of hopper  38  such that cement material falls into auger  52  and when it is powered, either by gas powered electrical generator or by suitable on site electrical hook up, the material is communicated upwardly via directional arrow  54  to its exit  56  where the material can be metered into cement mixer  50 . Correspondingly, water  48  in tank  46  can be metered through valve  58  and drain line  60  into cement mixer  50 . Of course water is placed in tank  46  via a top fitting using a conventional garden hose. A typical tank  46  is made of a polymeric inner plastic material such as polyethylene and a suitable size found satisfactory for the invention has been 120 gallon plastic tank. Motor  64  drives auger  52  and can be operated either by a gas operated generator, or by an electrical source. Motor  64  suitably can be a 32:1 ratio motor. Thus, it can be seen that the system includes a trailer, a product container to hold preblended cementuous material, a mixer, a water tank, a generator, electrical unit hookup, a water tank with associated valve, a stabilizer stand, and a work platform. All are positioned so that little of the load bearing weight is forward of the dual carriage wheel  16  and  18 , and most if not all of it is either directly over the carriage wheels or in back of them. During transport the load bearing material will be in hopper  38  and the water in tank  46 .  
         [0017]    The unit works in the following manner. Super sacks  44  of pre-blended material are lifted by a forklift type piece of equipment into a large hinged door  40  opening on top of the product container  38 . A person standing on the work platform  64  attached to the front of the product container  36  empties super sacks  44  into the product container  38 . Once lid  40  is closed the product  44  remains dry and free from the elements. The water tank  46  is filled from the ground with a garden hose that is hooked to plumbing which fills the tank  46  from the top  62 . This water  48  is then fed into mixer  50  by gravity regulated by a valve  58 . The unit  10  is now ready to be pulled to the job site. Once at the job site, the unit  10  may be unhooked from the pulling vehicle by means of a tongue jack  34 . Once unhooked, the stabilizer stand  36  located at the rear  28  of the trailer  12  must be extended to stabilize the weight when mixer  50  is being loaded with product. The operator would start generator  66  which is mounted on the lower part of work platform  64 . The operator then would turn on one of two switches (not depicted) that activate the mixer  50 . Water via gravity line  60  falls or drains into the mixer  50  at which time one would then activate the second switch (not depicted) which turns the auger motor  64  on which delivers the pre-blended material from the product container  38  into the mixing chamber of the mixer  50 . When desired amounts and consistency are achieved, the auger switch and water valve are shut off. The mixer  50  continues to operate until thorough mixing is achieved. At that time mixer  50  is tilted (FIG. 5) and cement poured into a wheel barrow  68  or other device for the mortar to be delivered to the mason. At that time another batch can be mixed or if job is completed, water placed in the mixer for clean up. Nothing is left or spilled over at the site.  
         [0018]    The generator  66  also allows for a variety of power tools to be used off of it, such as lights, water pump for pressure water, and even a high pressure washer for wall cleaning, if desired.  
         [0019]    Optionally, a storage container could also be mounted near the front of the trailer to store light hand tools, shovels, etc.  
         [0020]    This unit  10  allows masonry work to be performed in very remote locations, and could very easily eliminate one person from the equation or at least free up one person to do other things.  
         [0021]    From the above description of the sequence of operations and events, it can be seen that the unit accomplishes all of its stated objectives.