Patent ID: 8858061

Claim:
A concrete mixing control apparatus comprising: a concrete mixer with an interior surface; at least one sensor to monitor one of pressure and stress attached to said interior surface of said concrete mixer; a liquid supply tube attached to and in fluid communication with said concrete mixer; a valve controlling the flow of a liquid through said liquid supply tube; a liquid flow meter operatively connected to said liquid supply tube between said valve and said concrete mixer; and a computer processing unit operably connected to said at least one sensor and said liquid flow meter so as to calculate the slump within said concrete mixer, said computer processing unit receives and analyzes data from said at least one sensor to calculate rheological property values, records a first interval of time that said at least one sensor receives a load as said concrete mixer rotates and said sensor is submerged within a concrete mixture, records a second interval of time that said at least one sensor not loaded as said concrete mixer rotates and said at least one sensor emerges from the concrete mixture, calculates a volume of the concrete mixture within said concrete mixer by analyzing said first and second intervals; compares an output from said at least one sensor between a rotation of said concrete mixer and at least the immediately prior rotation of said concrete mixer until said output of force on said at least one sensor is generally consistent within a predetermined range of a predetermined force and calculates an amount of additional liquid to be added to the concrete mixture within the concrete mixer based on a desired slump inputted with an input device, and wherein said concrete mixing control apparatus is configured to add between approximately eighty-five (85) percent and approximately ninety-five (95) percent of said calculated amount of additional liquid to the concrete mixture.