Improvements in Apparatus for Mixing, Transporting, and Dumping Concrete and like Substances.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 14th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 14th June, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Mixing, Transporting, and Dumping
Concrete and like Substances.
I, ISAAC H. FISHER, of 639, G. Street, N.E., Washington, District of Columbia,
U.S.A., Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for mixing, transport-
ing and dumping concrete, cement, mortar etc., which will be of simple, inexpen-
sive, and durable construction and capable of convenient manipulation.
An apparatus constructed in accordance with my improvements, comprises a
bai rel-like receptacle mounted, longitudinally, on a shaft supported by suitable
ground wheels. The receptacle is made in longitudinal halves, hinged together
on one side and fastened on the other by a spring hook-shaped catch on one
half, which engages a staple or the like on the other half.
The receptacle is attached to the shaft by means of ratchets and pawls, which
cause the receptacle to turn when the apparatus is drawn in one direction, but
remain stationary when the apparatus is moved in the opposite direction.
A bolt is arranged in the framework in such manner that it can be projected
forwardly, when required, to come into contact with the spring catch and force
it out of engagement with the staple which, also coming into contact with the
bolt, causes the half of the receptacle to open and dump the contents.
A suitable chute is arranged for the purpose of inserting substances into the
receptacle.
The receptacle may be of round or polygonal section, and may be, further,
provided with agitators to more thoroughly mix the contents when the recep-
tacle is rotated.
Hated thie 14th dow of June 1800
P. R. J. WILLIS.
Agent for Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Mixing, Transporting, and Dumping
Concrete and like Substances.
I, ISAAC H. FISHER, of 639, G. Street, N.E., Washington, District of Columbia,
U.S.A., Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to an improved transporting, mixing and dumping appa-

page_text: ratus for concrete, designed chiefly for street work. Heretofore it has been the
general practice in this class of work to prepare the concrete in bulk in a box
by manually mixing the proper proportions of the component sand, rock, cement
and water, after which the prepared concrete is permitted to remain in the box
as a supply for use. When it is desired to employ the concrete, labourers impart
the finishing admixture with shovels, load it into wheel-barrows, and wheel it to
the place of use. In extensive work the number of labourers so employed is
very large, and much time is lost in the repeated manipulation to which the
material is subjected in properly compounding and conveying to and dumping
at the place of use.
By my invention I am enabled to largely economize in time, labour and
expense; and to such end said invention consists in an apparatus for automati-
cally and simultaneously mixing the component parts of the concrete, trans-
porting it to the place of use, and automatically dumping or
depositing it for use all as hereinafter described and claimed. Though I have
referred to concrete mixing, for brevity, it will be understood that the apparatus
is equally adapted for the mixing of mortar and other mechanical mixtures.
Reference being made to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan
view of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly
in section, Fig. 3 is a side elevation, one of the wheels of the apparatus being
removed, showing the arrangement and operation of parts when the loading
door is open. Fig. 4 is a similar view, partly in section, illustrating the opera-
tion and position of the parts in the act of dumping. Fig. 5 is a detail of the
retaining device for holding the lock releasing bolt retracted or out of operative
position. Fig. 6 is a detail of the manner of mounting the shafts, bail or
handles on the wheel-hubs.
The numeral 1 indicates travelling wheels rotatably mounted upon an axle 2
which carries, fixed thereto, a drum in two sections 3, 3* The axle may extend
through the drum or gudgeons secured to one section of the drum may be sub-
stituted therefor. The drum serves as a transporting, mixing, and dumping
receptacle and the wheels as travelling and drum-rotating wheels. As shown,
the hubs 4 have secured thereto at their inner ends ratchet-wheels 5, and the
drum has pivoted to its section 3 pawls 6 for the purpose of engaging the said
drum with the wheel hubs, whereby it is caused to rotate with the travelling
wheels. thus mixing the materials which have been introduced into the said
drum. The ratchet wheels 5 may be arranged upon the axle and the drum
loosely mounted on the same if desired. The wheel hubs 4 are turned to pro-
vide journals for the boxes 7 of the shafts S, or any suitable bail or handles sub-
stituted therefor, whereby the said shafts are mounted directly upon the wheel-
hubs inside the wheels, enabling the front member of the frame-work 9, which
supports the end of a lock-releasing bolt 10, to be connected to the shafts in close
proximity to the drum. The lock releasing bolt 10, mounted in the framework 9,
is surrounded by a sleeve 11, containing a spiral spring 12 one end of which
bears against an abutment 13 on the boit and the other end against the sleeve
support 14. The normal tendency of the spring 12 is to shoot or project the
bolt 10, the latter being held in retracted position against the force of the spring
by a ring catch composed of a spring-pressed pivoted arm 15 having a ring 16
encircling the bolt and adapted to engage with a recess 17 in the holt. When
it is desired to dump the contents of the drum the ring catch is
lifted from engagement with the bolt when the latter is projected by
the spring 12 so that its end is in the path of rotation of the devices for locking
the sections of the drum in closed position. Other means may be employed for
holding the bolt in its rearward position such as a pin on the bolt projecting
through a longitudinal slot in the sleeve 11 and adapted to be engaged in notches
in the edges of the slot when turned with the bolt to one or the other side.
The two sections 3, 3 of the drum are connected together by a hinged joint 18,
and by a releasable locking device consisting of a keeper 19 fixed to the section ;;

page_text: and spring-pressed pivotal fingers 20 carried by the section 3*, and the free ends
of which are in normal engagement with the keeper. To ensure the fingers 20
centrally engaging the keeper, 19 when the drum is closing, pins 20', on the
bed-plate 20b, are provided which pass through elongated slots in the fingers
and limit their motion. The section 3* of the drum is secured to the axle 2,
the other section 3 being free to move, into the position shewn in Fig. 4, to
dump. When it is desired to dump, the bolt 10 is released and the end thereof,
as the drum rotates, engages the fingers 20, forcing them from connection with
the keeper 19, and then engages the latter, thus arresting the section 3 while
permitting the section 3* to continue its rotation and dump the contents of the
drum, whilst the section 3 engages with the runners 22 and rides out thereon.
Other forms of releasable locking devices for the drum may be employed, for
instance, an outwardly projecting spring may be secured to the section 3 and
have a grooved head engaging beneath a staple projecting from the section 3,
so that the end of the bolt 10 will press the headed spring back, and, passing
through the groove in the head thereof, will engage the staple and operate the
section 3 as described. The bolt 10 is provided with a lug 21, so arranged that
when the section 3, on being arrested, rides out upon the runners 22, it will be
engaged by the section and the bolt thus forced back into automatical retention
by the ring catch. A hinged loading door 23 forms a part of the section 3 and
is adapted to be swung open (see Fig. 3) for charging purposes, when the door
bolts 24 are retracted, and when so swung open the pawls 6 are disengaged from
the ratchet-wheels 5 and the mixing drum does not rotate with the travelling
wheels. This operation is accomplished in the following manner: The pawis 6
have tail-pieces 6, and the loading door 23 has attached thereto castings 26 on
which are formed pins 25 located beyond or out of line with the hinge of said
door. When the loading door 23 is swung open, the pins 25 move in
arcs of
circles and engage the tail-pieces 6 of the pawls 6 and throw the latter out of
engagement with the ratchet-wheels 5, and when the loading door is again
closed the pawls are automatically thrown into engagement with the ratchet
wheels through the medium of springs 27 connected to the drum at one end and
at the other to levers 28 forming part of the pawls and extending at right angles
to the noses thereof.
In the operation of dumping, the section 3 having been arrested as described,
the pawls are again automatically drawn away from connection with the ratchet-
wheels. This is accomplished by trailing pins 29, carried by plates secured to
the arrested section 3, adjacent to the hinge connections of the sections, the said
pins being beyond or out of line with the axis of the hinge. The pins 29 move
in arcs of circles, during the forward movement of the section 3, and, just before
the section assumes the position shewn in Fig. 4, the pins have engaged with
and pulled on the hooks 30, connected with the pawl levers 28, so that the
pawls are nearly out of engagement with the ratchet wheels. At this time there
is room for still further movement of the sections of the drum, and, in such
movement, the pins 29 continue to draw upon the hooks 30 until the pawls are
clear of the ratchet-wheels and the travelling wheels free from the drum, so
that the dumping can thus be performed without stopping the forward movement
of the apparatus.
As it is desirable to keep the drum non-rotatable until a fresh charge is inserted
therein, this is attained by providing notches 31 in the hooks 30, which, when
the latter are drawn upon by the pins 29, are forced into engagement with
lugs 32, carried by plates 33, by bent leaf-springs 34 interposed between the
said hooks and sockets 34 also carried by the plates 33. In this position the
parts will remain until the hooks are positively released by downward pressure
to release the notches from the lugs, and when so released the pawls return to
engagement with the ratchet-wheels through the medium of the springs 27 before
described. Covering brackets 35 are provided for retaining the hooks, pawls and

page_text: springs in place. After dumping the drum may be closed by the operator push-
ing back or down the sections 3 or 3*.
Suspension arms 36 are connected to the rear ends of the shafts 8, and sup-
port a rod 37 at the rear of the apparatus slightly distant from the drum. This
rod supports the loading door and drum when the former is in open position, a
foot 38 formed on the door being adapted to rest on the rod.
61
"
It will be obvious from the drawings that should the apparatus be backed'
the noses of the pawls 6 will ride over the teeth of the ratchet wheels 5 and will
not impart motion to the drum.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is;
-
In an apparatus for mixing, transporting and dumping concrete, mortar and
similar materials, travelling wheels mounted upon an axle, a mixing, transport-
ing and dumping chamber having a charging door therein and consisting of two
sections hinged together longitudinally carried by the axle of the said wheels
and mounted longitudinally thereon, means for rotating said drum during for-
ward motion of the apparatus and leaving it non-rotatable during backward
motion of the apparatus, said means consisting of pawls pivoted to one section
of the drum at each side thereof and ratchet wheels carried by the hub of each
wheel on the inner side thereof, the two sections of the drum opposite their
hinged sides provided with means for automatically holding them in closed posi-
tion when brought together, said means consisting of on one section a project-
ing member affixed thereto and on the other section affixed thereto spring
actuated catches adapted to engage with the said member and means for auto-
matically releasing the closing connections of the said sections, said means con-
sisting of a spring actuated bolt mounted in the framework of the apparatus
adapted to engage the said closing connections and arrest the motion of one
section of the drum allowing the other section to continue its motion and dump
the contents of the drum, all substantially as described.
Dated this with day of a 1000
P. R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicant.