Abstract:
A system for adjusting a proper slump in a mixing drum of a mixing truck, the system includes a frame having an opening through which the mixing truck can pass; a camera mounted on the frame for viewing the mixing truck; a monitor for monitoring the camera, wherein the monitor is at a location remote from the mixing truck; a water pipe mounted on the frame for depositing water into the mixing truck; and a control panel for controlling the depositing of water into the truck, the control panel being adjacent the monitor. Optionally, the system may include a plurality of nozzles mounted on the frame and arranged for washing an exterior of the mixing truck. The system can be controlled from the remote location.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/625,607, filed on Jul. 24, 2003, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to an automated system for adjusting the slump of concrete in a mixing drum of a mixing truck and/or washing the mixing truck.  
         [0004]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0005]     Conventionally, the drum of a mixing truck is loaded with the concrete at a plant. After the truck is loaded, the truck moves to a second location, wherein the driver of the truck exits the truck, and manually inspects the contents of the truck to determine if additional water is required in order to bring the concrete to a proper slump or viscosity. In addition, because of the residual dust and unintentional spillage, it is also highly recommended for the driver to hose down the truck in order to prevent cement buildup from setting on the truck. Once the proper amount of water is added to the mixing drum to ensure the proper slump and the truck is cleaned, the driver then leaves the premises and delivers the concrete to the job site.  
         [0006]     The conventional system has several disadvantages. First, the process is time consuming. In addition, because the driver is required to leave the truck and walk around in what is a typically wet, slippery area, slips and injury to the driver are not uncommon. Furthermore, the determination of how much water to add to the mixing drum is quite subjective. Accordingly, each driver has his or her own interpretation of the proper amount of water to be added to achieve a proper slump. Accordingly, if several trucks are going to the same job site, the consistency or slump of the delivered concrete may differ between each truck.  
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY  
       [0007]     It is an object of the present invention to simplify the truck loading and slump adjusting process.  
         [0008]     It is an additional object of the present invention to decrease the amount of time required for washing a truck and adjusting the slump of the concrete therein.  
         [0009]     It is yet another object of the present invention to increase the level of safety involved with washing a truck and adjusting the slump of the concrete therein. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a schematic side view of an embodiment of the system of the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a schematic end view of a portion of an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of a monitor used in one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]     In one embodiment of the present invention, an automated system is provided for adjusting a slump of the concrete within a mixing drum of a mixing truck. As used herein, the term “driver” refers to the driver of the mixing truck, and the term“operator” refers to a station operator who is located at a position outside of the mixing truck, preferably in a housing provided with a window overlooking the area in which the slump is adjusted. And, the term “remote” means at a location away from the area in which the slump is adjusted. “Remote” does not imply or require any minimum distance. The present invention has application to both wet batch plants and dry batch plants.  
         [0014]     A station  14  includes, in a preferred embodiment, a frame comprising two vertical posts  22  and a horizontal beam  24 . The station  14  includes station  14  includes a plurality of nozzles  20  mounted on the frame which defines a path or opening through which the truck passes. The station also includes a nozzle  18  for delivering water into the mixing truck and a camera  16  arranged so that the plant operator can monitor the truck  10  with a monitor  32  from a remote location.  
         [0015]     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a mixing truck  10  moves through the system in the direction indicated by arrow A. Prior to the truck  10  entering the system illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the truck is filled with concrete. As the truck  10  moves in the direction of arrow A past a photo cell  38 , a truck washing system is activated. As can be best seen in  FIG. 2 , after the photo cell  38  is activated, a valve  32  is opened to allow water to be emitted from the nozzles  20  so as to automatically clean the truck  10  as it passes through the station  14 .  
         [0016]     In an alternative embodiment, instead of using a photocell to turn on the nozzles, a control system can be set up so that the nozzles automatically are turned on at a predetermined amount of time after the mixing truck leaves the concrete loading station. In another alternative embodiment, the nozzles can be turned on by a station operator.  
         [0017]     After the driver passes through the frame of the station  14  and arrives at the position illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the driver is signaled to stop the truck by a signal post  36  which includes a plurality of light signals which provide instructions to the driver. The light signals are controlled by the station operator. The light signals  36  instruct the driver to stop the truck  10  in a position such that the nozzle  18  is positioned over the inlet opening of the truck  10 . At the illustrated position, the camera  16  is able to view the interior of the mixing drum of the truck  10  so that the station operator can, from a visual inspection, ascertain the viscosity or slump of the concrete within the truck  10 . An optional floodlight  28  may assist the visual inspection with illumination, particularly at night time.  
         [0018]     The signal post  36  may have four different signals on it: red—stop; yellow—charge normal speed; blue—discharge normal speed; and green—go.  
         [0019]     In an alternative embodiment, a slump gauge may be mounted at the back end of the truck  10 , and the camera  16  is used to view the slump gauge, instead of viewing directly into the mixing drum in order to ascertain the viscosity or slump of the concrete inside the truck  10 . The slump gauge can be any suitable design, including a commercially available product that determines the slump based on hydraulic pressure.  
         [0020]     After the operator views either the contents of the truck  10  with the camera  16  or views a slump gauge mounted on the back of the truck, the operator determines how much water, if any, should be added to the mixing drum of the truck  10  in order to provide the concrete therein with a proper viscosity or slump.  
         [0021]     The added water needed to adjust the slump is programmed into a control box, such as a badger meter, and is then automatically delivered to the mixing drum of the truck via the nozzle  18  mounted on the station  14  frame. Alternatively, the operator simply operates a control that turns nozzle  18  on and off in a manual mode.  
         [0022]     After the proper amount of water has been added to the mixing drum of the truck  10  via the nozzle  18 , the plant operator signals to the truck driver via the light signal  36  that the operation is complete and the driver may leave the premises and deliver the concrete to the appropriate job site.  
         [0023]     In one embodiment, the station  14  may also include a fiber rack for holding fiber in a weather-proof container so that fiber may be added to the mixing drum during the slump adjusting process.  
         [0024]     In some situations, the water source may not provide enough pressure to enable adequate cleaning of the mixing truck. In that case, a pressurized water tank  12  can be used to maintain a source of pressurized water near the slump adjusting station  14 .  
         [0025]     One advantage of the present system is that the plant operator is determining the amount of necessary slump water for each of a plurality of trucks which may be going to the same job site. As a result, the concrete in each of the trucks is prepared to a substantially similar slump so that the consistency or quality of the concrete is uniform at the job site.  
         [0026]     A further advantage is that the driver of the truck  10  does not need to leave the vehicle during the process. By enabling the driver to stay in the truck  10  during this filling process, safety and speed are increased.  
         [0027]     In the preferred illustrated embodiment of the present invention, each of the nozzles  20  is a high intensity V jet nozzle. The nozzles  20  are strategically located and mounted on a  2  inch diameter manifold pipe  42 . The pipe  42  is supported by the frame comprising the two vertical posts  22  and the horizontal beam  24 . One skilled in the art would recognize that alternative frame designs are possible.  
         [0028]     In a preferred embodiment, the camera  16  is a high resolution digital camera  16  manufactured by Pelco, Inc. The camera may be located in a center of the beam  24 . Preferably, the camera  16  is enclosed in a waterproof casing. It may also be equipped with an external automatic lens wiper to keep water and dust off of the lens of the camera. In a preferred embodiment, the camera has a 0×150 zoom function and auto focus capability. In addition, the camera may be controlled so that the plant operator can direct the camera in different directions via a joystick control box located in the plant station.  
         [0029]     In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the plant operator may control the washing function via the nozzles  20  with a manual or remote control of the valve  32  based on a visual inspection of the location of the truck  10 . In that case, the photo cell  38  is not necessary. In such an operation, the plant operator is located sufficiently close to the station  14  so that the plant operator can see when the truck  10  approaches the station  14 .  
         [0030]     Although various control options are possible, in a preferred embodiment, the plant operator station is equipped with a control box for controlling the entire system. Specifically, the plant operator station includes means for manually or automatically turning on and off the flood light  28  and the camera  16 . In addition, the plant operator station may also include means for adjusting a zoom of the camera  16 , a wiper for the camera  16 , and for controlling the direction in which the camera  16  is pointed.  
         [0031]     In addition, the plant operator station includes means for controlling the discharge of water from the nozzle  18 . Such control may be accomplished by simply turning on and off a valve enabling water to flow from the nozzle  18 . Or, in a more sophisticated system, the operator can merely program in a quantity of water to be emitted into the mixing drum of the truck  10 , and an automated control system automatically controls a valve so as to ensure that the programmed quantity of water is pumped into the mixing drum through the nozzle  18 .  
         [0032]     The plant operator station may also include controls for controlling the valve  32  which turns on and off the flow of water through the nozzles  20 . As set forth above, such control can be accomplished manually or automatically, with use of the photo cell  38 .  
         [0033]     All of the aforesaid control systems are constructed based on known technology in accordance with means known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, additional details concerning the manual and/or automatic controls are omitted.  
         [0034]     It should also be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the system described herein does not need to have both the washing system and the slump filling system in combination as disclosed. Specifically, the washing system can be at a separate station from the slump filling station, or can be completely omitted. Or, in an alternative embodiment, the washing system can be used by itself, i.e., without the slump adjusting system.  
         [0035]     Although only preferred embodiments are specifically illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated that many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention.