Patent Description:
In construction, raw materials, such as aggregates and binders, are very often brought separately to the construction site for mixing them on site by special movable batching plants.

These movable batching plants are used for instance for making concrete castings, cycle and pedestrian lanes, pavements and, for this purpose, they must be moved frequently, even more than once in the same day, and at close distances between one station and the other (even by just one kilometer).

Once the plant has been placed in the work area, the mixer, which is the core of the plant, must be placed at a sufficiently elevated height to allow unloading by gravity the prepared concrete onto the dedicated means of transport.

There are some solutions known to perform the above operations, which however require many hours of work to assemble the various components, with the use of lifting movable cranes, with consequent high costs and risks for the security of the installers who then have to repeat the same operations in the subsequent disassembly/assembly and in the subsequent movements of the unit.

There are also smaller-sized plants of the known type that are provided with a tilting frame which lifts the mixer to a height but requires the use of belts or hopper lifts to load the concrete onto the dedicated means of transport that cannot be positioned below the mixer due to the presence of the trailer that transports it.

In other words, with the above known solutions it is not possible to obtain a movable batching plant with all of the desired features, especially in terms of speed in production, but these solutions are always characterized by a high assembling, disassembling, and moving complexity and difficulty, resulting in increased security risks.

<CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> disclose movable plants comprising a mixer that can be moved between different positions. <CIT> in particular discloses a movable system for producing building materials according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

The technical problem of the present invention is to provide a movable system for producing building materials having structural and functional features so as to allow overcoming the above-mentioned limitations and drawbacks which still affect the known solutions, in particular easy to assemble, very quick to set up, so that it can be moved frequently and by short distances with minimal effort.

The solution idea at the basis of the present invention is to provide a movable batching plant where all of the main components are mounted on an extendable semitrailer, for instance a container truck semi-trailer, wherein the mixer is arranged in the rear portion and is lifted by a vertical loading upright whose height complies with the height legal requirements; when the mixer is on the construction site in the elevated position, the movable rear portion of the semitrailer is retracted and the mixer will be cantilever lifted with respect to said semitrailer, thus allowing the loading of the concrete by facilitating the drop onto the dedicated means of transport positioned below said mixer.

Based on this solution idea, the above technical problem is solved by a movable system for producing building materials which comprises a containment element adapted to contain raw materials, a mixer adapted to mix the raw materials, lifting means adapted to lift the mixer from a lower or lowered position to an upper or raised position, and a semitrailer comprising a semitrailer body.

The semitrailer is configured to support at least the containment element and the lifting means of the mixer (and thus also the mixer itself) and to cause the movement thereof.

The semitrailer further comprises a movable portion at which the mixer is located.

The movable system thus made is switchable between a first configuration in which the movable portion is in a first position (or extended position), and a second configuration, in which the movable portion is in a second position (or retracted position) and the mixer is lifted by the lifting means.

In this way, in the second configuration, the mixer is substantially cantilever lifted with respect to the semitrailer, thus eliminating the obstructions below the mixer, i.e. between the mixer and the ground.

More particularly, the invention comprises the following additional and optional features, taken individually or in combination if needed.

The features and advantages of the system of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the attached drawings.

With reference to those figures, reference number <NUM> globally and schematically indicates a system or plant for producing building materials according to the present invention.

It is worth noting that the figures represent schematic views and are not necessarily drawn to scale, but instead they are drawn so as to emphasize the important features of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, the different elements are depicted in a schematic manner, their shape varying depending on the application desired. It is also noted that in the figures the same reference numbers refer to elements that are identical in shape or function. Finally, particular features described in relation to an embodiment illustrated in a figure are also applicable to the other embodiments illustrated in the other figures.

It is also noted that, when sequences of process phases are illustrated, not necessarily do they follow the sequence indicated, since these phases may be inverted unless expressly stated otherwise.

As it will be hereinafter described more in detail, the system <NUM> of the present invention can be moved from a workplace to another and put into operation in a very simple way, through simple operations.

It is also noted that the term "movable system" generally indicates a movable plant for producing building materials, in particular a movable batching plant. Furthermore, though an example in which the material produced is concrete is shown, the system is not limited to this material, and thanks to its structure, the system <NUM> of the present invention is applicable in various applications.

The main elements of the system <NUM> and the operation thereof, as well as their synergistic effect, will now be described hereinafter.

First of all, the system <NUM> comprises a management unit, hereinafter indicated with reference "MU", which can control its components and the various process phases. It is immediately noted that the management unit MU is not limited by a particular architecture and/or installation and may comprise any hardware/ software suitable to contribute to the implementation of the present invention. Essentially, it may be stated that the system <NUM> comprises the management unit MU that is adapted to control the operation and movement of the components of said system <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, first of all the system <NUM> comprises a semitrailer <NUM>, which has a semitrailer body identified with reference number <NUM>'. According to embodiments of the present invention, the semitrailer <NUM> is an extendable semitrailer for the transport of containers, suitably equipped and provided with two-axis automatic leveling stabilizer pistons 10p. <FIG> show different views of the system <NUM>.

In a preferred embodiment, the semitrailer <NUM> thus comprises the stabilizer pistons 10p, which are configured to allow its stabilization and the automatic leveling during the stationing of the system <NUM> on the construction site.

The semitrailer <NUM> is extended along an H-H longitudinal axis between two opposite ends, as it will be also noted hereinafter.

Then the system <NUM> comprises a containment element <NUM> adapted to contain raw materials to be mixed. In an embodiment of the present invention, the containment element <NUM> is a horizontal silo comprising at least two chambers separated from each other and adapted to contain a respective raw material to be transported and mixed on the construction site. The silo comprises a main body <NUM>' that extends along a longitudinal axis between two opposite ends, said axis coinciding with the H-H longitudinal axis of the semitrailer <NUM>. For instance, a chamber of the silo <NUM> may be adapted to contain aggregates, whereas a second chamber may be adapted to contain binders. Suitably, the transport of the raw materials separated on the construction site allows mixing them directly close to the installation point. In an embodiment, the movable silo <NUM> further comprises a third fluid tight chamber, for instance adapted to contain liquids.

However, it is noted that the present invention is not limited in any way by the configuration of the silos, which may vary according to the needs and/or circumstances. What matters is that the system <NUM> comprises the containment element <NUM> (which can be mono-, bi- or tri-chamber) for containing the raw materials (binders, aggregates, additives, etc.).

The system <NUM> further comprises a mixer <NUM> adapted to mix the raw materials. The mixer <NUM> represents the core of the plant and forms the desired building material by suitably mixing the raw materials coming from the chambers of the containment element <NUM>.

The mixer <NUM> is not limited to a particular type; only by way of example, it can be selected from a single-shaft, a double-shaft, or a planetary mixer. Moreover, though in a preferred example it may be adapted to prepare concrete, said mixer <NUM> may be adapted to prepare various types of building products, without particular limitations.

There is also an articulated auger <NUM> that is configured to load the raw materials from the containment element <NUM> into the mixer <NUM>, for instance for loading binders and additives into the mixer <NUM>. Obviously, other collection and feeding means into the mixer <NUM> are also possible and fall within the scope of the present invention, the auger <NUM> being a preferred but not limiting example. In an embodiment of the present invention, the auger <NUM> is adapted to collect raw materials from the respective chambers of the containment element <NUM>, said process occurring in an automated manner through the management unit MU.

Furthermore, the system <NUM> comprises lifting means <NUM> adapted to lift the mixer <NUM> with respect to the semitrailer <NUM>, for instance to cause a vertical movement thereof at least along a Y-Y axis that is substantially orthogonal to the H-H longitudinal axis of said semitrailer <NUM>. In this way, the mixer <NUM>, under the action of the lifting means <NUM>, may pass from a lower or lowered position to an upper or elevated position in which it is more distant from the semitrailer <NUM>, said elevated position being the position from which the prepared mixture is made to exit.

According to the present invention, the lifting means <NUM> comprise a vertical loading upright. Said vertical loading upright is for instance selected from a simplex, duplex, or triplex vertical loading upright, without however being limited to a particular type.

The lifting means <NUM> (and thus also the mixer <NUM>) and the containment element <NUM> are arranged on the semitrailer <NUM>, which is thus configured to support said components (providing them with a support plane, for instance through an upper surface thereof, i.e. its face that does not face toward the ground S whereon the system <NUM> rests) and to cause the movement thereof.

Advantageously according to the present invention, the semitrailer <NUM> comprises a movable portion <NUM> at which the mixer <NUM> is located (which is located on the lifting means <NUM>). In particular, according to the local reference of the figures, the mixer <NUM>, in a determined configuration, is located above the movable portion <NUM>, which thus has a face (upper) facing toward a face (lower) of said mixer <NUM> and toward the lifting means <NUM>.

Suitably, the system <NUM> is configured to switch between a first configuration C1, in which the movable portion <NUM> is in a first position (or extended position) and the mixer <NUM> is in the lowered position (i.e. it is located closest to the support plane of the semitrailer <NUM>), and a second configuration C2 in which the movable portion <NUM> is in a second position (or retracted position) and the mixer <NUM> is lifted by the lifting means <NUM> (i.e. it is located in the elevated position in which it is more distant from the support plane of the semitrailer <NUM>, for instance along the Y-Y axis), so that said mixer <NUM> is substantially cantilever lifted with respect to said semitrailer <NUM> in this second configuration C2.

<FIG> shows the lifting means <NUM>, the mixer <NUM>, and the movable portion <NUM> in the first configuration C1 (in which the movable portion <NUM> is extended, said configuration being substantially the transport configuration), as well as it shows the same lifting means <NUM>, the mixer <NUM>, and the movable portion <NUM> in the second configuration C2 (in which the movable portion <NUM> is in the retracted configuration, said configuration being substantially the work configuration on the construction site).

In this way, in the second configuration C2, there are no obstructions between the mixer <NUM> and the ground S whereon the semitrailer <NUM> rests, or at least said obstructions are largely eliminated thus greatly facilitating the mixture collection operation. Suitably, when the system <NUM> is located in this second configuration C2 on the construction site, the discharge of the mixture prepared by the mixer <NUM> simply may occur by dropping, for instance simply by opening a valve (as it will be described hereinafter), without having to introduce further components and complicated systems to collect and convey the mixture. This solution solves the prior art problems in which the mixture exiting from the mixer elevated in height must then be collected, which is made difficult by the size of the trailer itself; according to the present invention, the problem is solved thanks to the possibility to retract the movable portion <NUM> of the semitrailer <NUM>, in particular when the mixer <NUM> is in the elevated position.

The semitrailer <NUM> has a frame structure (i.e. the body <NUM>' is a frame structure) which comprises a front portion or end 10a adapted to connect with a tractor, and a rear portion or end 10b at which the movable portion <NUM> (which thus is comprised in said rear portion 10b or, from another viewpoint, it can be said that it coincides therewith) is located.

When the movable portion <NUM> is in the retracted position, it is retracted toward the semitrailer body <NUM>', for instance arranged below the frame or anyway in a housing of the frame, whereas when it is in the extended position it extends away from the body <NUM>', for instance along the H-H axis, and therefore it moves away from the front portion 10a.

In other words, when the system <NUM> is in the first configuration C1 with the movable portion <NUM> extended, the projection of the mixer <NUM> to the ground S falls on said movable portion <NUM>, which is at least partially, preferably totally, interposed between the mixer <NUM> and the ground S, thus allowing the transport in complete security.

The movable portion <NUM> of the semitrailer <NUM> comprises a license plate/lights assembly and an anticollision bar, also movable, which are then suitably repositioned during the transport when said movable portion <NUM> is in the extended position, thus ensuring the necessary safety.

In this way, all of the main components of the system <NUM> are arranged on the extendable semitrailer <NUM>, for instance of the container truck type, wherein the mixer <NUM> is arranged in the rear portion of said semitrailer <NUM> and is lifted by a vertical loading upright whose height complies with the height legal requirements; when it is in the lifted position, the movable rear portion <NUM> of the semitrailer <NUM> is retracted and the mixer <NUM> is cantilever lifted with respect to said semitrailer, thus facilitating the exit by dropping of the mixture since there are no obstructions below said mixer <NUM>. During the transport, the mixer <NUM> is brought to the lowered position by the loading upright whose height in the second configuration C2 complies with the height legal requirements, so as not to have problems during the transport.

As above mentioned, the mixer <NUM> comprises a valve that is controllable by the management unit MU to control the mixer drop when it is lifted by the lifting means <NUM>, said valve not being limited to any particular type.

In conclusion, the present invention thus allows brilliantly overcoming the technical problem, by providing the above system and solving all of the drawbacks of the prior art.

In the system of the present invention, the movable portion is in the extended position during the transport and retracts during work on the construction site (in particular during the mixture collection when the mixer is lifted), easily switching between the above mentioned two operating configurations.

The container truck semitrailer allows this type of installation precisely thanks to the rear movable portion, which may be retracted during works on the construction site toward the main frame to allow any concrete collection means to get positioned directly below the mixer once lifted, while it can return to the extended position, repositioning the anti-collision bar and the license plate/lights assembly up to the rear end of the mixer, bringing it back to its original transport position and allowing road transportation, as indicated above.

The advantages of the system according to the present invention with respect to the known solutions are multiple and remarkable as of its arrival on the construction site it can go into production in few minutes (even less than fifteen minutes), without the aid of external lifting means and without the risk of injury for the operators. This advantage is doubled if its subsequent disassembling is taken into account for its displacement to another construction site area.

Thanks to its very high mobility, this technology can be used in a large number of applications, not only in the production of concrete.

Essentially, a completely autonomous system is provided, which does not require assembly by operators, and easy to be used, thus optimizing times, and reducing risks.

Finally, it should be noted that all of the aforementioned advantages of the movable system of the present invention are obtained by means of an extremely simple and economical solution, which does not require complicated mechanical expedients. The single components are easily recoverable, and once assembled, all of the advantageous synergistic effects described above are obtained.

Claim 1:
A movable system (<NUM>) for producing building materials, comprising:
- a containment element (<NUM>) adapted to contain raw materials;
- a mixer (<NUM>) adapted to mix the raw materials;
- lifting means (<NUM>) adapted to lift the mixer (<NUM>); and
- a semitrailer (<NUM>) comprising a semitrailer body (<NUM>'), said semitrailer (<NUM>) being configured to support at least the containment element (<NUM>) and the lifting means (<NUM>) of the mixer (<NUM>) and to cause the movement thereof, said semitrailer (<NUM>) comprising a movable portion (<NUM>),
wherein the movable system (<NUM>) is switchable between a first configuration (C1), in which the movable portion (<NUM>) is in an extended position and the mixer (<NUM>) is in a lowered position at said movable portion, and a second configuration (C2), in which said movable portion (<NUM>) is in a retracted position and the mixer (<NUM>) is lifted by the lifting means (<NUM>), so that in said second configuration (C2) said mixer (<NUM>) is substantially cantilever lifted with respect to said semitrailer (<NUM>),
characterized in that
the lifting means (<NUM>) comprise a vertical loading upright.