Water injection method and apparatus for concrete mixer

Abstract

Chopped fibers are wetted in a wetting apparatus 120 before they are mixed with other ingredients in a concrete mix. The fibers are carried in a fluid stream inside pipe 112 . The fluid stream is created by a blower 110 and a vacuum pump 116 at opposite ends of the pipe. The fluid stream carries the fibers to the wetting apparatus where water wet the fibers.

1 . A concrete ingredient transport and ingredient mixing truck including: 
 separate compartment defining structure defining separate chambers in the truck, each chamber having a discharge port opening for a separate concrete ingredient contained therein;    a conveyor system means including a drive means for conducting a discharge flow of the ingredients from the separate chamber discharge ports to a common discharge and confluence zone of the discharge flows;    a discharge trough having two opposite ends, a collection portion at one of its ends positioned, when in use, below the confluence zone;    a concrete ingredient discharge portion at its other end positioned, when in use, below the collection portion, and moving and mixing means in the trough between the ends to travel the concrete ingredients under the influence of gravity between the ends and to mix the concrete ingredients including water when moving between the ends;    a housing having a chopping chamber with a lower portion having an an output port in the lower portion of the chopping chamber;    fiber strand spool supporting means on the housing having a smoothly rimmed opening into the chopping chamber;    filament drawing, chopping and ejecting means in the chopping chamber to draw strand from the spool through the smoothly rimmed opening into the chopping chamber, to chop short reinforcing lengths from the strand, and to eject the chopped lengths toward and though the chopping chamber output port;    pneumatic drive means having an input port and an output port in the housing to drive the fiber drawing, chopping and ejecting means, said drive means including conducting means connecting the output port of the drive means to direct exhaust discharge from the drive means into the chopping chamber and onto the drawing, chopping and ejecting means;    means mounting and apparatus positioning means on the housing to mount and position the apparatus on the truck with the chopping chamber outlet port above the discharge zone to introduce and mix short chopped reinforcing filament lengths with the concrete ingredient flows between the trough ends; and    means for wetting the short chopped reinforcing filament lengths prior to introducing the filament lengths into the confluence zone.    
   
   
       2 . The combination as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the housing has a supply chamber and includes a septum separating the chambers and said filament drawing, chopping and ejecting means defines a closed chopping space and has a smooth inlet into the space.  
   
   
       3 . The combination as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said moving and mixing means comprises an auger means.  
   
   
       4 . A device for a concrete ingredient delivery and ingredient mixing truck which includes means for initiating the mixing and completing the mixing of the concrete ingredients at a job site, and means for depositing the mixed concrete ingredients at the site, said device comprising a housing including a support for a spooled continuous concrete fiber reinforcing strand and having a chopping chamber, and said housing comprising a wall having a smoothly rimmed opening into the chopping chamber and access means for the chamber; 
 a fiber strand drawing, chopping and ejecting means in a fixed position in the chopping chamber including a pneumatic drive means with an air inlet and an exhaust opening in the chopping chamber, said housing having a chopped strand discharge mouth in. the chopping chamber to direct a flow of chopped fiber strand lengths from the housing, means for wetting the chopped fibers, and means to mount the housing on a truck and to position the housing so that the directed flow of wetted, chopped fiber strand lengths impinges on the concrete ingredients to be mixed, and tubular means to conduct exhaust air from the motor and direct its flow into the chopping chamber.    
   
   
       5 . An apparatus for wetting fibers comprising: 
 an elongated body having cylindrical ends of the same diameter, a central portion of a larger diameter defining an interior central chamber, and sloping walls connecting the ends of the body of the central portion;    a cylindrical conduit axially aligned with the body extending from one end of the body to the other and through the central portion of the body, said conduit having a plurality of perforations;    an inlet port on the central portion for admitting a wetting agent into the central chamber.    
   
   
       6 . On a concrete truck comprising means to mix separated concrete ingredients including water and a supply comprising a continuous strand of concrete reinforcing filaments on a spool, the process of: 
 withdrawing the strand from the spool and chopping short lengths of fiber reinforcing material from the strand;    wetting the chopped short lengths; and    mixing the wet chopped short lengths and concrete ingredients including water at a job site.    
   
   
       7 . A method for mixing concrete comprising: 
 conveying sand, cement, aggregate and water to a confluence zone;    severing lengths of filaments into short segments;    wetting the severed, short segments;    conveying the wetted, short segments into the confluence zone for mixing with the sand, cement, aggregate and water.