Abstract:
An Improved Apparatus and Method for Moving and Placing Granulate is disclosed. The disclosed device is a portable, self-contained apparatus capable of discharging granulate into hard-to-reach areas, as well as providing assistance in covering vast open areas with granulate in a short time. Furthermore, the device and method described herein permit the application of granulate into areas that are normally inaccessible and would require many hours of human labor, and thereby potentially avoiding damage to the site that might be incurred if employing a prior method and device. Still further, the present invention serves to provide discharge of granulate near or adjacent to retaining walls and underneath concrete flatwork

Description:
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/408,766 filed Sep. 29, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,774. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to the placement of granular materials and more specifically, to an Improved Apparatus and Method for Moving and Placing Granulate. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Sand, gravel and rock are used in a variety of applications for the construction industry. From aggregate base for concrete slabs, to back fill for retaining walls, granular materials, or granulates, are probably the most widely used substance, outside of concrete, in the construction industry. What has been a common problem has been moving the granulate from place to place when a dump truck and/or cranes and mechanical shovels do not have easy access. Over time, many attempts have been made at solving this problem. FIG. 1 depicts one attempt. FIG. 1 depicts a prior art method for constructing and maintaining a golf course. FIG. 1 shows how a patented method known as “Golf-Course Construction and Maintenance Methods,” of the Guettler, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,156. The Guettler method involves the movement of sand or gravel from place to place on a golf course. In the example shown, sand in a sand pile  10  is transferred to a conveyor  12 , which transports the sand into a pneumatic pumping device  14 . The pneumatic pumping device  14  receives pneumatic air through a supply hose  16  from a compressor  18  that presumably is trailered to the appropriate location. The Guettler method includes pressurizing the sand in the pneumatic pumping device  14 , discharging it through the hose  20 , and out the discharge nozzle  22 . In this manner, the sand pile  10 , or other sand deposit, can be moved from place to place, such as into a new sand trap, very quickly and easily and without the need of wheelbarrows or dump trucks running back and forth across the golf course. 
     Although the Guettler system is very effective for a golf course, it is not suitable for a wide variety of construction applications in a traditional construction environment. Since the Guettler method does not include the use of a single unitary vehicle, it is necessary to drag the compressor  18  and the pneumatic pumping device  14  by truck or other tow device to the location for its use. As such, there is a potential for damage or loss of components and further the simple additional difficulties involved with the on-site erection and dismantling of the various components to be used. Furthermore, there is no indication that the Guettler unit permits the regulation of pressure. As it will be discussed later in the present disclosure, there are several applications where high discharge pressure of the granulate will prohibit the apparatus&#39;s use in certain applications. What is needed therefore, is a unitary vehicle that can be driven over the road, that can further move sand, gravel or rock, or other granulate, and that further permits the regulation of inlet air pressure to very low levels for specific applications. 
     Another application, namely the construction of concrete flatwork (slabs on grade and the like) typically require a 2- to 6-inch layer of sand, gravel or other granular material underneath a concrete slab. In these applications, a vapor barrier is often required in order to provide moisture protection. The material of choice for vapor barriers is typically of a size and material that is job-site-specific, and therefore delivered directly from the vendor to a location adjacent to the flatwork in progress. Since the vapor barrier and subsequent granulate installation are the final steps preceding the actual concrete pouring, they are not completed until all other mechanical, electrical lines and footing reinforcement bars have been installed. As such, heavy equipment cannot be driven over the pad (and lines and bars) because the lines and bars (and vapor barrier) would be disturbed. Because of this restriction, the granulate has heretofore been applied manually with wheelbarrows and shovels. 
     Furthermore, the process of concrete flatwork usually involves the installation of a perimeter forms for the slab (i.e. within which the concrete would be poured). These perimeter forms also interfere with the use of heavy equipment to load the granulate into the pad. What is needed is a device and method that permits the transfer of granulate into a concrete flatwork pad without disturbing the mechanical and electrical lines, the reinforcing bars, the vapor barrier or the perimeter forms. 
     FIG. 2 describes another attempt at solving the problem described above. FIG. 2 is another prior art method of moving and placing granular materials. FIG. 2 is a depiction of the Lightle “Method of Moving and Placing Granular Materials.” U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,108. The Lightle method involves a truck  24 , upon which is mounted a bed  26 , within which granular material  28  is placed. The system also includes a separate air compressor  25  for supplying compressed air through the hose  27  to the truck  24 . In operation, the granular material  28  exits the back of the bed  26 , via the conveyor  30 , where it will drop into the hopper  32 . The hopper  32  then feeds a first pumping device  34  and a second pumping device  36 , which are supplied by compressed air or other fluid, similar to the Guettler system. Granulate exiting the first pumping device  34  does so via the first hose  38  and then exits via the first nozzle  40 . A further aspect of the Lightle method includes adding water at the first water inlet  42  just as the granulate is leaving the first nozzle  40 . Similarly, granulate being pumped from the second pumping device  36  does so via the second hose  44  and second nozzle  46  whereat water is added at the second water inlet  48 . 
     One problem with the Lightle unit is that once the truck bed  26  is devoid of granular material  28  (i.e. it&#39;s empty), the truck  24  must depart the site to get refilled at some industrial location (that has the capability of filling a dump truck-sized bed). Since the hopper  32  is configured only to receive granulate from the truck bed  26 , there is no other way for feeding the first and second pumping devices,  34  and  36  respectively. Also, the Lightle device does not include an on-board compressed air source (i.e. mounted to the vehicle itself). What is still needed, therefore, is a fully self-contained unitary vehicle that works for sand, gravel and equivalent granulates, that does not need to leave the site at any time to replenish the granulate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices and methods, it is an object of the present invention to provide an Improved Apparatus and Method for Moving and Placing Granulate. It is an object that the present invention provide a portable, self-contained apparatus capable of discharging granulate into hard-to-reach areas, as well as providing assistance in covering vast open areas with granulate in a short time. It is a further object that the device and method permit the application of granulate into areas that are normally inaccessible and would require many hours of human labor, and thereby potentially avoiding damage to the site that might be incurred if employing a prior method and device. It is a still further object that the present invention serve to provide discharge of granulate near or adjacent to retaining walls and underneath concrete flatwork. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which: 
     FIG. 1 depicts a prior art method for constructing and maintaining a golf course; 
     FIG. 2 is another prior art method of moving and placing granular materials; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred self-propelled granulate application apparatus of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a back view of a preferred feeder/hopper means; 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of a prior art method for filling conduit; 
     FIG. 6 is a block diagram of another preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 7 is a series of side views of the improved method for filling conduit using the apparatus of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventors of carrying out their invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide an Improved Apparatus and Method for Moving and Placing Granulate. 
     The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of FIG.  3 . FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred self-propelled granulate application apparatus  50  of the present invention. As can be seen, the apparatus  50  comprises a fully functional truck  52  having a substantially flat bed  54  upon which is mounted a high capacity air compressor  56 . What is unique, is the fact that rather than mounting a receptacle for granulate on the bed  54 , all that is mounted there is the air compressor  56 , the feeder/hopper means  58 , the pumping device  60  and the hose  62 . The feeder/hopper means  58  is configured to receive loads of granulate and then feed the granulate in a consistent manner into the attached pumping device  60  for pneumatic compression into the hose  62 . The hose  62  is stored on a hydraulic or air driven reel which dispenses the hose  62  for quick set-up and retracts it for ease of returning to storage on the truck  52 . Again, what is unique here is that the mouth  66  of the feeder/hopper means  58  is configured to receive loads from a loader tractor or other piece of loading equipment, such that the feeder/hopper means  58  can be supplied with a continuous flow of granulate, essentially until the truck  52  runs out of fuel, which in effect is an indefinite time, since the truck  52  will have enough fuel to run all day, and at least through one shift of human laborers, if not more. It is a simple matter of providing a continuous flow of granulate to the feeder/hopper means  58  via the mouth  66 , such as by a loader tractor, while another technician administers the hose  62  and nozzle  64  to apply the granulate in the desired location. Furthermore, the apparatus  50  includes a tow hitch  68  at its rear end for hitching the aforementioned loader tractor thereto so that the apparatus  50  can be driven on the road virtually anywhere with the loader tractor in tow (on a trailer). Once arriving at the site, the loader tractor (on its trailer) is off-loaded from the unitary vehicle  50  and the trailer (not shown) is disconnected therefrom as well. Subsequently, the loader tractor moves granulate (including rock, sand, gravel or other material) from the granulate stockpile  57  and into the mouth  66  of the feeder/hopper means  58 . 
     It should further be appreciated that the single hose model shown here is simply one embodiment; in other embodiments, the vehicle  50  will include an optional second pumping device and hose combination (and even third), working from the same hopper supply and air source. This option provides increased production for high volume output and/or a back-up if one of the pumping devices requires maintenance. 
     If we now turn to FIG. 4, we can examine another unique aspect of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a back view of a preferred feeder/hopper means  58 . FIG. 4 depicts the feeder/hopper means  58 , and as can be seen, the mouth  66  spans the entire opening in the chute  70  at the top of the feeder/hopper means  58 . The mouth  66  is configured to be low enough to the ground so that the loader tractor can dump a load therein. Furthermore, there is a grating  72  to prevent foreign objects or people from falling into the hopper area  74 . 
     One distinct problem with previous methods, and in particular with the transport of rock, has been the providing of a consistent non-fluctuating flow of gravel from the feed side to the pumping device  60 . In the present invention, this is accomplished by providing a compactor drive apparatus  76 . The compactor drive apparatus  76  is essentially a screw auger which is tilted at an angle, such that the natural inclination of the rock is to fall to the lower section of the compactor drive apparatus  76 , after which the internal mechanisms force the rock up. in direction  78  until they finally reach the compactor discharge point  80 , where the rock falls into the pumping device  60  for discharge through the hose  62  and nozzle  64 . In this way then, any clumping or air space is removed from the granulate, including rock, gravel or sand, while the granulate is forced in direction  78  by the compactor drive apparatus  76 . As a result, the pumping device  60  experiences a consistent non-fluctuating flow of granulate for pumping through the hose  62 . 
     Another substantial benefit gained through use of the device and method of the present invention involves the backfilling of retaining walls, in areas inaccessible by tractors or wheelbarrows. 
     If we now turn to FIG. 5 we can discuss yet another advantage of the present invention. FIG. 5 depicts conventional means for filling a conduit  82 . As can be seen in this simulation, the conduit  82  is a large diameter pipe, having a first opening  84  and a second opening  86  on either side of a thoroughfare  88 , such as a road or freeway. It is through these conduits  82  that many services such as cables, or smaller supply pipes pass under the thoroughfare  88 . For structural reasons, however, the conduit  82  cannot remain open, but must be filled with some sort of non-compacting material. This is typically accomplished by filling it with sand. As can be seen in FIG. 5B, the conventional method is to first install a cement plug  90 , for example, to cover the second opening  86  in the conduit  82 . A series of brackets  83  are then welded or otherwise attached in place inside of the conduit  82  in order to restrain the application pipe of a conventional sand blasting rig. What happens next is that the sandblasting rig is is activated and sand begins to fill in the direction  92  through the application pipe placed in the first opening  84 . The problem is that as the sand fills in the direction  92 , the pipe must be slid back and removed section by section. The application pipe is pulled back, the rig is shut down, a section of pipe is cut out and the supply hose is reconnected. This is done several times in the course of filling the conduit  82  until sand is filled as close as possible to the first opening  84 . 
     If we now turn to FIG. 6, we can discuss how a novel aspect of the present invention provides a substantial benefit in the filling of conduit and other piping with sand. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the pertinent portions of the apparatus of the present invention. As can be seen, the compressor  56  feeds the pumping device  60  with compressed air, while granulate material  28  is fed into the feeder hopper means  58  and discharged from the pumping device  60  through hose  62  and out through nozzle  64 . What is unique is that the present invention includes a regulating means  94  for regulating the air pressure between the compressor  56  and the pumping device  60 . The regulating means  94  provides the ability to regulate the compressor pressure  56  discharge all the way down to approximately 15 psi while still maintaining high volume of air. It should be appreciated that depending upon the type of granulate being pumped, the regulating means  94  might be adjusted to increase or decrease the discharge pressure of the compressor  56 . 
     If we now turn to FIG. 7, we can examine how the aforementioned regulating means  94  can provide an improved process for filling conduit  82 . FIG. 7 is a series of side views of the improved method for filling conduit using the apparatus of the present invention. As can be seen in FIG. 7A, step  1  includes installing a plug  96  to enclose the second opening  86 . This new plug  96  includes a vent  98 . Step  2  involves installing a second plug  100  to close the first opening  84 . The second plug  100  includes and inlet tap  102 . The inlet tap  102  includes the means for attaching  104  the hose  62  thereto. Once the first plug  96  and the second plug  100  are installed, and the hose  62  is attached to the attaching means  104 , FIG. 7B depicts how the conduit is filled. The discharge pressure is reduced via the regulating means  94  to approximately 15 psig. Because the pressure is so low, essentially, air flows through the conduit  82  and out through the vent  98  while depositing sand in the bottom of the conduit  82 . As a result, sand fills the conduit  82  in the direction  106  (bottom-to-top rather than end-to-end). When the conduit  82  is filled with sand, it is readily apparent, because sand will begin to be forced out through the vent  98 . after which the vent  98  is simply capped off and thereafter the inlet tap  102  is also removed and capped off. In practice then, the improved system can fill a conduit  82  in a fraction of the time of the previously-described process, since no stopping and cutting is necessary and the labor and materials to install the pipe and pipe hangers is eliminated. 
     In examining each of the aforementioned embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the term “unitary vehicle” as used in connection with the present invention, refers to both a self-propelled vehicle as well as a towed vehicle (such as a trailer). 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.