Abstract:
A vessel-mounted concrete mixing system is disclosed that includes a barge having a deck elevated above the water line, at least one rotary mixing drum mounted on the deck to receive, mix and discharge concrete batch ingredients and a conveyor system for conveying mixed concrete batch material discharged from one or more rotary mixing drums, the conveyor system conveying the discharge mixed concrete to a portion of the barge accessible by an off-loading device not mounted on the barge.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    I. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention is directed generally to the delivery of mixed concrete products to pour sites, particularly, to the delivery of mixed concrete via water craft or vessel and, more particularly, to an integrated barge-mounted mixing and delivery system.  
           [0003]    II. Related Art  
           [0004]    It is known to deliver “ready-mixed” concrete from batching plants to job sites on land using vehicle-mounted transit mixers in which the mixed concrete can be off loaded via chutes into forms, buckets or via pumps to pour sites not directly accessible by truck. It is also known to use a surface platform, which may be floating, to place fresh concrete on the sea floor or other underwater location using piping or similar delivery systems. One such system is illustrated and described by Rail et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,889.  
           [0005]    Many on shore or off shore pour sites are difficult to access by conventional truck delivery, however. For these, there remains a need to supply freshly mixed concrete at pour sites in a more convenient manner. Access by water would be particularly desirable.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    By means of the present invention, there is provided a floating source of freshly mixed concrete, including a system for mixing and dispensing concrete products which enables on-water access to many pour sites where the supplied concrete can be off loaded in conjunction with equipment at the site.  
           [0007]    In a detailed embodiment used to illustrate the inventive concept, a conventional barge is provided which may be tug-operated or self-propelled. A pair of large opposed concrete mixing drums are centrally mounted on the barge with facing charge/discharge openings having discharge chute systems which address a common discharge conveyor through a feed hopper which, in turn, delivers mixed open concrete material to an output conveyor from which mixed concrete is delivered to an elevated output chute where is may be off loaded into crane-operated buckets or other off-loading devices. The operation of the system may be controlled remotely from an elevated control room also mounted on the barge. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    In the drawings, wherein like numerals are utilized to depict like parts throughout the same:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a barge-mounted concrete mixing system in accordance with the invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is an elevational view partially in section, taken substantially along lines  2 - 2  of FIG. 1 not including the mixing drum;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is an elevational view partially in section, taken substantially along lines  3 - 3  of FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a view partially in section, taken substantially along lines  4 - 4  of FIG. 1; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevational view depicting one mixing drum. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]    The embodiment illustrated and described in the detailed description of this specification is intended to serve as an example only and is not intended to limit the scope of the inventive concept in any way. The features of the invention may be manifested in a variety of forms and variations which yet remain within the confines of the intended scope of the invention. With this in mind, a detailed embodiment will next be described.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 depicts a top or plan view of one possible arrangement of a barge-mounted concrete mixing system, generally at  10 , in accordance with the present invention. The system includes a pair of large opposed mixing drums  12  and  14  of possibly 20 yards or greater capacity mounted on respective mixer bases  13 , and  15  to address and discharge mixed material onto a common relatively level discharge conveyor  16  with cover  17  which, in turn, at a head pulley or drive end  18 , discharges conveyed material through a further chute  19 , on to an inclined product conveyor  20  which has a tail or idler pulley system  22  and a head or drive pulley system  24  as best seen in the elevational view of FIG. 3. The upper portion of the conveyor  20  is supported from a raised platform  26 . A partial, hinged conveyor cover is shown at  28  and a conveyor take up system for belt tension adjustment is shown at  30 .  
         [0016]    A rotatable, folding discharge chute system  32  for controlling the off loading distribution of mixed concrete is also mounted from the platform  26 . The chute may be provided with a mechanized rotating and unfolding system similar to the discharge chutes from the opposed mixing drums as will be described in greater detail in conjunction with FIG. 5. Such systems are known to those in the art and may include manual and automatic control drives, clutches and locking mechanisms.  
         [0017]    A variety of additive totes or bins are shown at  34  mounted on the deck of the barge to provide additives for concrete batches as needed. Automated or manual access may be provided. A generator is depicted at  36 . Also shown in FIG. 1 as being above deck are a recycle or a gray water sump  38  with a recycle water basket strainer  40  (FIG. 4). Also in FIG. 4, an access or service ladder is shown at  42 . A gray water storage tank is shown at  44  in FIG. 1 along with a large tool shed  45  and a portable restroom facility  46 . Also, below deck, fuel storage tank  48  and potable water storage tank  49  are shown in broken lines. A large liquid nitrogen storage tank is shown at  47 . Liquid nitrogen is used for cooling fresh concrete if necessary.  
         [0018]    An elevated control room  50  is provided from which the operation of the barge-mounted mixing system may be observed and centrally controlled. The various motors, pumps, valve, cylinders, etc., of the process are preferably integrated and sequenced using as much automatic control as is practical. The control room is provided with accesses in the form of a pair of opposed stairways  52 ,  54  (FIG. 1). The control room is mounted on an elevated platform  56 .  
         [0019]    As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the mixing drums  12  and  14  are mounted for rotation in a conventional manner supported by respective drive and support pedestals  60  and  62  and loading/discharge pedestal  64  and  66 . The drums are provided with loading or charging chutes at  68  and  70  and rotating and folding mechanized discharge chute systems at  72 ,  74 . As best seen in FIG. 2, conveyor feed hopper  76  is provided above the conveyor  16  and a drip pan  78  which drains into the gray water sump  38  at  79  (FIG. 4). The conveyor feed hopper  76  is accessible to the discharge chute systems with the chute systems in the folded configuration as shown in the figures.  
         [0020]    As best seen in FIG. 5, and with reference to mixing drum  12 , it being understood that mixing drum  14  is provided with identical operative parts, each mixing discharge system includes folding chute segments  80 ,  82  hinged at  84  and a chute drive or rotating system including a hydraulic cylinder  86  and operating pivot arm  88  which rotates a shaft  90  connected to a lockable pivot gear  92  in a well known manner. It should be understood that other systems such as hydraulic motors, or the like, can be used to operate the rotating chutes. Manual and/or automatic position locking devices and clutch release systems may also be provided. Such a system is illustrated and described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,694 B2 to Harris et al, incorporated herein by reference for any purpose. An initial discharge chute section is shown at  94  which leads into the folding chutes  80 ,  82 . A power unit is provided for each mixer at  96  and a hydraulic fluid storage tank is shown at  98 .  
         [0021]    As seen in FIG. 2, the barge is provided with a hand rail  100  which extends about the periphery of the deck. All platforms and stairways are also suitably provided with safety grating and hand rails.  
         [0022]    As can best be seen in FIG. 4, note that the chute of mixer  12  is unfolded and rotated so that it now drains into the gray water sump  38 . This posture, of course, is one used during a cleanout cycle for the mixing drum. The discharge chute system of drum  14  is similarly situated for cleanout.  
         [0023]    In operation, ingredients to be mixed are loaded from a batching plant by equipment such as cantilevered conveyors, not situated on the barge, but which overhang the barge where it is pulled alongside into the drums for mixing including Portland cement, aggregate and water and any additives desired for a particular batch. Common additives may be kept in the additive totes or bins  34  which may be conveniently connected with the charging hoppers via hoses and pumps or the additives desired may be apportioned from the bins or totes and added by directly dumping into the charging chutes. After sufficient mixing takes place while the barge is positioning itself or being positioned at the desired location with relation to the pour site, the mixed drum load or loads can be discharged onto conveyor  16  and, in turn, conveyor  20  and thereafter off loaded using the chute system  32  in a well known manner.  
         [0024]    An aspect of the invention previously mentioned, lies in the fact that control of the mixing and discharge of the materials and other operations can be conducted remotely from the control room utilizing remote cameras and a common central control system. It should further be realized that the batches in the batch and drum  12  may or may not match the batch in drum  14  and they can be discharged simultaneously or sequentially under the control of an operator. Thus, if desired, two different mixes of concrete can be provided at the job site for sequential pouring. Also, while the drums  12  and  14  are shown in an opposed back-to-back arrangement. Other arrangements including side-by-side could be used keeping in mind the load balancing and other concerns of the vessel and loading and distribution systems.  
         [0025]    This invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different equipment and devices, and that various modifications, both as to the equipment and operating procedures, can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.