Abstract:
A device for reclaiming material, such as used wet ready mixed concrete, having a hopper for receiving the used concrete into a excess of water and floating the suspended cement particles out through a weired overflow for further reclamation while the solid sand and aggregate is augured from the bottom of the hopper for further washing and separation into sand and aggregate for reuse.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention as disclosed herein is a reclaimer. More particularly, the invention is a reclaimer for reclaiming or separating materials, such as concrete, containing sand, dirt, aggregate and other such components.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The use of concrete in construction has become pervasive in today&#39;s world. Concrete is a wonderful building material, and that, it is a plastic pourable material that hardens into a rigid material in the shape of its forms. The problem with concrete is disposal of access waste product.  
           [0003]    In the use of concrete for construction, typical procedure is to construct the necessary forms to contain the concrete in its desired shape to contain an appropriately sized amount of concrete or pour. The size of the pour will vary with the nature and complexity of the particular job. Often it is impossible to pour, for example an entire building at once owing to the size of the building, the concrete pour cannot be completed before the first poured concrete has set up, or, the building is so tall, that the forms at the bottom cannot take the pressure of the concrete above them. Other times, it is just more convenient to perform a job using multiple pours of concrete. When pouring concrete, ideally, an operator would mix the exact amount needed. However, it is difficult to impossible to mix the exact amount. At times when an exact amount is attempted to be mixed, a larger or small amount of water than anticipated will be necessary altering the volume of the batch produced. Because the consequences of having an insufficient amount of concrete are significantly worse than the consequences of having too much concrete, it has become standard practice to mix slightly more concrete than is needed to avoid having insufficient concrete. The excess concrete thus generated becomes waste and can be a disposal problem.  
           [0004]    In the past, the excess concrete was disposed of at the job site, often by being buried or was merely poured on the ground and left to harden. Similarly, when the concrete was mixed off-site and trucked to the job site in a ready mix truck, the disposal problem is concentrated at the ready mix plant.  
           [0005]    This type of disposal is both wasteful and environmentally incorrect. The burying of concrete to harden near a job site can lead to future problems, such as incomplete compaction of the earth, or unexplained settling of the earth, or even damage to the building from the aforementioned. When the excess concrete is returned to the ready mix plant, the excess concrete can build in to mountains of concrete debris that has no value and is difficult to dispose of economically.  
           [0006]    Concrete reclaimers of various sorts have been developed which separate the component parts, e.g., water, sand, gravel, and remaining cement. These typically use a tank with water and a system of placing and a system for removing the cement from the tank. The available reclaimers are bulky, expensive, inefficient and excessively large. Consequently, they are not universally used, especially with smaller cement companies. Such companies still resort to dumping the excess cement out onto the ground where it is damaging to the environment.  
           [0007]    Moreover, such reclaimers generally do not join the screen for sorting the gravel to the auger. This causes the screens to wear out quickly as the gravel grates between the screen and auger. Further, the structure of the support for the screen and frequent replacement of the screen adds to the bulk, expense and down time.  
           [0008]    These problems with concrete and the need for separation are also prevalent in other situations. For instance, sand and salt collected from roads, mining operations for gravel, sand and other materials from the soil and similar situations.  
           [0009]    What is needed is a concrete reclaimer of a size and design that is compact, inexpensive and separates the components effectively. Preferably, the screen is secured to the auger and may be interchangable with other screens. That is, the auger itself provides the support structure for the screen.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The present invention is a compact design that separates the aggregate into component parts in a fast, effective and less expensive manner than former reclaimers. With the present invention, the excess wet concrete, or other substance, can be poured or dumped into a water filled hopper where it will not harden due to the excess water. An auger in the bottom of the hopper will remove the sand and rock that settles to the bottom of the hopper while the cement will rise to the surface where it can be removed in an overflow weir.  
           [0011]    More specifically, the invention receives the pre-mixed wet concrete for separation and separation of the concrete into its components. The wet pre-mixed concrete is placed in a hopper where the excess water inhibits hardening and tends to float the cement from the heavier sand and aggregate. The heavier components that have settled to the bottom of the hopper are removed with a rotating auger which draws the sand and aggregate up along the side of the of the hopper and above the water level. The water containing the suspended cement will run back into the hopper where it will eventually rise to the surface and be drawn out with the overflow water to be reclaimed.  
           [0012]    The sand and aggregate mixture continues to be pulled up along the side of the hopper by the auger. When the sand and aggregate mixture is at a point above the water level in the hopper, it will be will be rewashed under a stream of additional water to remove more of the remaining cement from the sand and aggregate. The rewash water will flow down the auger housing into the hopper and ultimately out through the weirs. The auger will continue to draw the sand and aggregate mixture up from the hopper. In this area, the remaining water will tend to run down the auger housing and out of the sand and aggregate mixture. After the mixture of sand and aggregate has been de-watered, it passed over a screen, which is secured to the auger and rotates therewith, where the smaller particles of sand fall through into a pile and leave the coarser aggregate remaining in the auger. The remaining aggregate is carried by the auger to the terminal end of the auger and fall out of the auger housing into an aggregate pile. The sand and aggregate can then be removed from their respective piles and recycled into new concrete.  
           [0013]    This invention while generally intended to be used in reclaiming cement is much broader in scope. Specifically, this invention may also be used to sort rock from sand in mining operations. Further, this reclaimer may be used to separate salt and sand recovered from Springtime roads. In essence this invention separates components based upon size and permits a washing step if desired. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a partially cut-away overall side view of the concrete reclaimer.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a plan overhead view of the concrete reclaimer. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    Looking at the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the reclaimer  10  which includes the hopper assembly  12  and the auger assembly  14 . The hopper assembly  12  includes the hopper  20  and the overflow weir  22 . The hopper  20  may be constructed of any suitable material that has sufficient strength and rigidity to be filled with water  28 . Suitable materials would include metal sheets welded or otherwise fastened in an appropriate form, or polymers having the necessary properties. The hopper  20  may be of any suitable shape, but should have angled sides  24  that meet to form a trough  26  to receive the auger assembly  14 . Preferably, the hopper  20  is in the form of an inverted irregular tetrahedron, open at the top and resting on one vertex.  
         [0017]    The auger assembly  14  includes the auger  30 , the auger housing  32 , and the drive source  34 . The auger  30  is a screw type auger which extends from the bottom of the hopper  20  upwardly along the vertex of two angled sides  24  of the hopper  20  and continues the length of the auger housing  32 . The auger housing  32  extends parallel to and along the auger  30  a sufficient length to move the reclaimed components away from the housing for recycling.  
         [0018]    The auger housing  32  is shaped to fit closely about the auger  30  such that the rotation of the auger  30  within the auger housing  32  causes the solids  16  to be urged up the auger housing  32  for separation and disposal. The portion of the auger housing  32  that is contained in the hopper  20  may be a separate housing or may formed from the angled sides of the hopper  20 , or may be dispensed with in the hopper  20 , so long as the auger  30  is able to move the solids  16  along the inclined side and into the auger housing  32  above the hopper  20 . The angle of the housing  32  relative to the hopper  20  is not all that critical, although the angle together with the rotation speed of the auger  30 , auger diameter and number of augers jointly define the capacity.  
         [0019]    The auger  30  draws the solids  16  from the sump of the hopper  20  and upwardly along the auger housing  32  where the solids  16  are first drawn past the wash water nozzle  36  where additional water is added to wash remaining cement or other washable material from the solids. The auger  30  further draws the solids  16  across a screen  38  where the sand  18  and finer particles pass through the screen and are deposited thereunder. After passing over the screen  38 , the remaining solids  16  are drawn to the upper of the auger housing  32  and are deposited in another collection area thereunder.  
         [0020]    The screen  38  is joined to the auger  30  and rotates therewith. The screen may be held with any suitable means of attachment including screws, nuts and bolts, welding or other such mechanism for attachment. Ideally, the screen  38  is replaceable with a new screen as it becomes worn over time. Attachment of the screen  38  directly to the auger  30  is desirable as gravel does not rub between the auger  30  and screen  38  and thereby cause excessive wear of the screen  38 .  
         [0021]    The wash water nozzle  36  is of conventional design and is readily available from numerous sources. The water supplied to the water nozzle is typically supplied from domestic or city water available at the site. The amount of water supplied to the water nozzle  36  should be sufficient to wash the remaining cement or other particles from the solids while not overloading the hopper  20  overflow weir  22 . The water nozzle  36  is not a necessary component of the invention  10  and through water control in the hopper  20 , the nozzle  36  may be eliminated.  
         [0022]    The screen  38  is provided for separating the sand  18  from the solids  16 . The screen  38  is of conventional design and is sized to allow the particles of a selected size to readily pass therethrough. The mesh of the screen  38  may be selected to allow sand  18  to pass through. It is understood that mesh of the screen  38  can be varied dependent on the size of the prevalent particles  18  and further may have interchangeable components to provide for alterations to customize the invention  10  for each job. While it is not necessary in the practice of the invention, multiple screens  38  may be provided so that the solids  16  are separated into three or more piles or groups. Multiple screens may be advantageous when the solids  16  are to be separated into, for example, sand  18 , pea gravel, and coarse aggregate  44 . The upper end of the auger housing  32  terminates in an open end with an attached chute  40  for directing the flow of the remaining solids  16  into a collection pile of the remaining coarse aggregate  44 .  
         [0023]    The drive source  34  may be any conventional power source capable of rotating the auger  30  at the selected speed. The drive source  34  should have sufficient power to maintain approximately the same rotational speed of the auger  30  whether the auger  30  is unloaded and merely churning water, or the auger  30  is fully loaded and moving a maximum load of solids  16 . Suitable drive sources  34  would include electric motors, hydraulic motors, stationary or movable internal combustion engines. It is understood that some drive source  34  power supplies will require gear reduction or clutching. The aforementioned drive source  34  power supplies are well known in the art and readily available from numerous sources.  
         [0024]    The reclaimer  10  may be scaled up or down in size dependent on the particular application. However, if made too small, the reclaimer  10  will become inefficient and no longer useful. Likewise, should the reclaimer  10  be scaled up to too large size, it will become difficult to use due to the large size. Additional capacity to process can obtained without significant increase in the size of the reclaimer  10  by duplicating the auger assemble  14  so that the hopper  20  is serviced by two or more auger assemblies  14  effectively doubling the capacity of the reclaimer  10 .  
         [0025]    In its use, the reclaimer  10  is set up at a suitable location and the hopper  20  is filled with water  28 . A power supply is connected to the drive source  34 . Now the reclaimer  10  is ready to receive the wet, used concrete or other material to be washed and/or seperated. Power is applied and the auger  30  rotates within the auger housing  32 . While it is not part of the invention, it is understood that some intervention by a user is required to place the material into the hopper  20 . It is anticipated the haulers, such as a ready-mix truck would be emptied and washed into the hopper  20  where the material can be separated and reclaimed.  
         [0026]    The material is placed into the hopper  20  with the auger  30  rotating. The material, such as concrete, tends to separate into concrete solids  16  which settle to the bottom of the hopper  30  and the excess water tends to float the lighter and smaller cement particles to the surface of the water  18 . The solids  16  are agitated by the auger  30  and pulled upwardly along the angled sides  24  and above the surface of the water. As the solids  16  pass the wash water nozzle  36  they are washed removing more of the residual washable components. The residue is carried by the wash water down the auger housing and back into the hopper  20 . The solids  16  continue upwardly along the auger housing  32  being carried by the auger  30 . As the solids  16  are carried upwardly by the auger  30  residual water drains down the auger housing  32  and back into the hopper  20 . The solids  16  continue upwardly along the auger housing  32  to the screen  38  where the sand  18  passed through the screen  38  and is collected in a pile thereunder.  
         [0027]    The remaining solids  16 , now without sand  18  continue up the auger to the upper end of the auger  30  where the remaining solids  16  are deposited in the discharge chute  40  for deposition in an aggregate collection pile  42 .  
         [0028]    While the solids  16  are settling to the bottom of the hopper  20 , the cement or other such reidue is becoming suspended in the water  18  and moving toward the surface of the water where the overflow weir  22  skims the surface water with its load of particles from the water  18 . The overflow water is then removed and the material is separately reclaimed and the water  18  recycled.  
         [0029]    Periodically, depending on the quantity of material being reclaimed, the sand  18  collected beneath the screen and the aggregate pile  42  will require user intervention to remove the collected components before the piles rise up to the auger housing  32  and interfere with separation of the solids  16  into the component parts.  
         [0030]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For instance, while reference has been made to reclaiming cement, the present invention is not so limited in practical use.