US3301150A - Apparatus for feeding and distrubuting concrete in slipforms - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 31, 1967 R. A. HANSON APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND DISTRIBUTING CONCRETE IN SLIPFORMS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 15, 1964 v Wu Q h N Ta 3 a .3

INVENTOR. RAYMOND A. Hanson RTTYS.

Jan. 31, 1967 R. A. HANSON 3,301,150

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND DISTRIBUTING CONCRETE IN SLIPFORMS Filed July 13, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR. RHYMOND A7. Hmvsou HTTYS.

Jan. 31, 1967 R. A. HANSON 3,301,150

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND DISTRIBUTING CONCRETE IN SLIPFORMS Filed July 13, .1964, 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Rn YMOND 1-7. HFINSON Jan. 31, 1967 R. A. HANSON 3,301,150

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND DISTRIBUTING CONCRETE IN SLIPFORMS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 13, 1964 INVENTOR. Ammo/v0 A #mvson HTTYS.

R. A. HANSON APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND DISTRIBUTING Jan. 31, 1967 CONCRETE IN SLIPFORMS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 13, 1964 INVENTOR. RHYM 0ND 17. Am NSON BY M f HTT YS.

Jan. 31, 1967 R. A. HANSON 3,301,150

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND DISTRIBUTING CONCRETE IN SLIPFORMS Filed July 13, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR RAY/noun H. Ammo/v HTTYS.

United States Fatent G 7 3,301,150 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND DISTRUBUT- ING CONCRETE IN SLIFFORMS Raymond A. Hanson, 9 R. A. Hanson Co.', Palouse, Wash. 99161 Filed July 13, 1964, Ser. No. 382,214 2 Claims. (Cl. 94-46) This invention relates to a novel apparatus for feeding and distributing concrete in slipforms, the slipforms being used for continuous paving, of highways or slopes along paved canals.

Various arrangements have been utilized to feed and distribute concrete in slipforms involving the use of a continuously moving screed or troweling pan to smooth the concrete to the desired surface configuration. Most such systems involve a segregated conveyor arrangement where concrete is conveyed to the desired location along the slipform and deposited at the required rate. Such systems often use moving hoppers or other conveying devices, wherein the concrete is not mixed from the time it is placed in the device until it has been placed and smoothed by the screed.

It is a first object of this invention to provide a rather simple arrangement for feeding concrete across the full width of a slipform and simultaneously mixing the conc-rete prior to the final smoothing of its surface. The concrete is continuously agitated as it is being fed across the slipform.

Another object of this invention is to provide such an arrangement whereby the concrete can 'be delivered to the machine at either end or at any intermediate part with equal facility. This becomes important in construction jobs where access to the machine might vary along the length of the surface being paved.

Another object of this invention is to provide such an arrangement that is applicable to use on side slopes as well as horizontal surfaces. The two embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings show a machine for horizontal paving purposes such as in the paving of a high- .way, and also a machine for the paving of a sloped surface such as the side of a canal.

Each works on the same basic principle, although the particular mechanism illustrated differ in each instance.

These and furtherobjects will be evident from a study of the following disclosure, taken together with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate two preferred embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that these embodiments are not to restrict or limit the scope of the invention, which is set out in the claims that follow.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a first embodiment of the invention for use in paving a horizontal surface;

surface, a portion of the front wall in the machine being broken away;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown .in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a-fragrnentary sectional view of the apparatus as seen along line 8-8 in FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the slipform as seen' along line 9-9 in FIGURE 6.

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In the first embodiment of this invention, illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 5, there is shown a slipform paving machine for paving a surface that is horizontal or substantially horizontal, such as a length of highway. The machine is utilized continuously to smooth or trowel conventional concrete mixes that are delivered to the machine as it moves along the length of surface to be paved. The apparatus illustrated is rather simple in structure, and is 'directly mounted on the ground by two crawler tracks 10 located at each transverse end of the slipform body. The tracks 10 are mounted on side walls 11 that form the side edges of the concrete that is to be applied to the surface between them. The tracks 10 can 'be carried by the sidewalls 11 in any desired manner, and normally will be vertically adjustable. The tracks 10 can be equipped with motors for independent driving of each side of the apparatus or can be driven by any other conventional device.

The slipform claimed, of which the sidewalls 11 are an integral part, also includes a forward transverse beam 12 and a rearwardly spaced pan or screed 13. The lower surface 14- of screed 13 extends completely across the slipform and serves to smooth the concrete located forward of the screed 13 as screed 13 passes over it.

In the present instance, concrete is not poured into a hopper or other conveying device on the slipform, but is merely dumped on the previously prepared surface in the path of the machine. The distribution and feeding apparatus that spreads the concrete across the full width of the machine can best be understood from a study of FIG- URES l, 2 and 3. This system involves a fixed conveyor frame 15 that is supported between the beam 12 and the screed 13 by means of longitudinal stringers 16. The stringers 16 might be adjustably connected to beam 12 and screed 13 as will be described below.

The conveyor frame 15 has two sprockets 17 rotatably journalled at its respective ends about parallel upright axes. The sprockets 17 are engaged :by a continuous chain 18 of conventional structure. Mounted periodically along the length of the chain 18 are paddles 2t fixed individually to upright stems 21. The lower end of each stem 21 preferably extends below the bottom edge of each paddle 20 carried thereby, providing a downwardly protruding mixing element for better stirring of the concrete engaged thereby. The conveyor frame 15 has an upper ledge 22 that supports horizontal rollers 23 rotatably carried by the individual stems 21. There also is provided a downwardly facing channel 24 on the frame 15 that is engaged by upright rollers 25 on the individual stems 21. In this manner, the individual stems 21 are located relative to the conveyor frame 15 for movement along with the chain 18 and are supported by the respective roller 23, 25 to maintain each stem 21 in a parallel position as it travels the oval configuration of frame 15.

The bottom edge of each paddle 20 is preferably either at the elevation of the lowermost surface of screed 13 or slightly above such elevation, so that the concrete engaged by the paddles 20 will be distributed across the width of the machine and mixed at an elevation substantially close to its final position after passage of the screed 13. The paddles 20 travel from one end of the apparatus to the other, the forward flight moving in a direction opposite to the rear flight, so that no part of the concrete becomes stagnant due to failure of the paddles 26 to contact it. This provides both effective mixing of the concrete just prior to the smoothing of its surface as well as continuous, even distribution of concrete across the full width of the form.

. In order to facilitate the feeding of the concrete, the drawings also illustrate a vibrator 26 located directly under the paddles 20 and carried by a tubular support frame 27 adjustably mounted on upright posts 28 by means of a horizontal telescoping linkage 30. By means of this arrangement, the individual vibrators 26 can be located at the desired location below the paddles 20 along the width of the machine. There also is illustrated a transverse vibrator 29 located at the forward end of the screed 13.

The paddles 20, carried on chain 18, can be driven by any conventional drive arrangement. Shown generally in the drawings is a motor 31 that drives the shaft 32 for one of the sprockets 17 by means of a chain 33. The operation of the paddles 26 is preferably continuous, and even though the machine might be stationary for short durations of time, the continuous mixing of the concrete during such times, is advantageous and contributes to the quality of the final paving.

One advantage of the arrangement illustrated in FIG- URES 1 through is that concrete need not be fed to the moving machine from a truck or other conveyance.

Instead, the concrete can be merely dumped in the required quantities at any location along the width of the surface to be paved. The slipform will then distribute and feed this concrete across its entire width as it passes over it. This eliminates the required waiting time by concrete trucks that is necessary when feeding directly into a machine.

a In FIGURES 6 through 9 there is shown a modified version of this basic arrangement devised particularly for use in paving sloped surfaces such as the sides of a canal. a front wall 35 with a lower edge 36 conforming to the surface to be paved. The edge 36 is provided with a flexible skirt 37 to form a seal between the frame and the interior of the slipforrn. Located rearwardly from the front wall 35 is a screed 38 having a lowermost surface 44 The screed 38 and front wall 35 are connected by top longitudinal stringers 41 and lower baffles 42 that are merely upright plates to help prevent slipping of concrete down the slope being paved.

The device includes a slipform frame 34 that has The frame 34 is shown mounted on crawler tracks 43 carried by parallelogram arms 44 pivoted to frame 34 and to the tracks 43. The elevation of the frame 34 relative to the surface on which it is supported is governed by cylinders 45. The operating controls and engines are shown located on a platform generally designated by the numeral 46.

The paddles in this instance are located in upper and lower flights in a continuous conveyor arrangement. They are supported by two pairs of sprockets 4'7 fixed to shafts 48 rotatably journalled between the front wall 35 and the screed 38 at each transverse end of the machine. The two pairs of sprockets 47 are engaged by two continuous lengths of sprocket chains 50 which in turn are supported between the sprockets 47 by fixed guides 51.

The paddles 52 are fixed to the chains 50 and extend across chains 50 to provide a moving element to move concrete up the slope being paved. The paddles 52 each include upright ends 53 and a curved plate 54 that joins the two ends 53. Paddles 52 are therefore in the form of an open bucket, the paddles 52 being open in the direction of their intended motion relative to frame 34. As seen in FIGURE 8, the lower flight of paddles 52 will be moving uphill to the right at the same time that the upper flight of paddles 52 will be moving downhill to the left. Although a small amount of concrete might be carried over sprockets 47 at the upper end of the machine, this will be dumped immediately so that the paddles 52 will be free of concrete as they travel downwardly along the upper flight of the conveyor. The function of paddles 52 is to push concrete uphill and fill any voids in the concrete over which they travel, thereby distributing and mixing the concrete while insuring proper and continuous placement thereof along the full width of the machine.

It is not necessary that concrete be fed at the lower end plate 55 is shown at the bottom end of the machine onto of the machine, but in the present instance a directive 4 which concrete would be poured from a truck or other conveyance. The concrete would then be engaged by the moving paddles 52, and carried upwardly to wherever it is required along the length of the slipform. The lowermost edges of the paddles 52 are again above the lower surface of screed 38, so that the apparatusis always supplied with a sufficient amount of concrete to completely fill the area below screed 38. e

The paddles 52 are designed to be continuously operated, being turned by a powered chain 56 to the upper shaft 48.

The paddles, in each embodiment illustrated, strike off the concrete being fed into the machine and spread this material during the surfacing operation in a continuous fashion. It is desirable in some instances to provide vertical adjustment of the paddles, and this could be done in each embodiment with ease. Particularly, in the first embodiment, the conveyor frame 15 might be vertically adjustable at each end of the stringers 16, and this adjustment should preferably be independent, so that the forward end of the paddles 20 can be elevated at an angle relative to the rear end thereof. In this manner, the device can be accommodated to a particular mix as well as to particular surface conditions on the surface being paved. The machine for paving of slopes utilizes a more restrictive feed arrangement for carrying the concrete up the slope and insuring its proper placement along the full width of theslope, but it also could be adjustable if this were desired. The curvature of the plate 54 in each paddle 52 can be varied depending upon the angle of the sloped surface being paved, but the important feature in both embodiments is the provision of a continuously moving paddle forward of the screed. The continuous moving paddle mounted on a conveyor insures both mixing and distribution of the concrete precisely at the time before which it is finally smoothed to produce the desired finished pavement.

Various modifications might be made in this structure without deviating from the basic concepts involved. For this reason, only the following claims are intended to limit or restrict the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. An apparatus for feeding and distributing concrete on slopes, comprising:

a slipform frame extending transversely across a slope face, said frame having a forward upright wall and a rearwardly spaced screed joined to said upright wall by longitudinal bracing members; i

concrete receiving means on said framework to direct incoming concrete between said forward upright wall and said screed; I

sprocket means rotatably mounted between said for ward upright wall and said screed for motion about parallel longitudinal axes located respectively at the transverse ends of said frame;

endless chain means entrained about said sprocket means and extending along the transverse width of said frame in upper and lower flights;

and a plurality of transverse open faced paddles carried by said chain means in parallellongitudinal positions for pushing concrete transversely upward along the slope relative to'said frame.

2. An apparatus for feeding and distributing concrete on slopes, comprising:

a slipform frame, including a forward upright wall having a lower edge conforming to the slope cross section and a rearwardly spaced troweling screed joined by bafiles located above the elevation of the lower surface of said troweling screed;

ground support means connected to said frame for carrying said'frame along the slope;

a plurality of open faced paddles located in parallel upper and lower flights on endless support means mounted on said frame along the space separating- 5 flight of buckets extending downwardly to a point adjacent to said baffles; and means on said frame operatively connected to said support means to drive the support means so as to move the paddles of said lower flight in the direction faced thereby.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Clifiord 9444 French 9446 Long 9445 Lewis 9445 X Miller 94 45 Perkins 9445 Guntert 9446 Lewis 9446 JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. AN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND DISTRIBUTING CONCRETE ON SLOPES, COMPRISING: A SLIPFORM FRAME EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS A SLOPE FACE, SAID FRAME HAVING A FORWARD UPRIGHT WALL AND A REARWARDLY SPACED SCREED JOINED TO SAID UPRIGHT WALL BY LONGITUDINAL BRACING MEMBERS; CONCRETE RECEIVING MEANS ON SAID FRAMEWORK TO DIRECT INCOMING CONCRETE BETWEEN SAID FORWARD UPRIGHT WALL AND SAID SCREED; SPROCKET MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID FORWARD UPRIGHT WALL AND SAID SCREED FOR MOTION ABOUT PARALLEL LONGITUDINAL AXES LOCATED RESPECTIVELY AT THE TRANSVERSE ENDS OF SAID FRAME; ENDLESS CHAIN MEANS ENTRAINED ABOUT SAID SPROCKET MEANS AND EXTENDING ALONG THE TRANSVERSE WIDTH OF SAID FRAME IN UPPER AND LOWER FLIGHTS; AND A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE OPEN FACED PADDLES CARRIED BY SAID CHAIN MEANS IN PARALLEL LONGITUDINAL POSITIONS FOR PUSHING CONCRETE TRANSVERSELY UPWARD ALONG THE SLOPE RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME.

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