100 CONCRETE BLOCKS PER HOUR

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

Figs. 10 to 15 inclusive show the assembly. From these details you will see first that the main drive from the motor to the mixing chamber is made from a Ford Model-A rear axle and drive shaft, (Fig. 11). One axle housing is removed and the open end of the differential housing is covered with a sheet-metal disk bolted on with a gasket between to prevent leakage of lubricant. A roller-chain drive sprocket is welded or keyed to the axle and a two-step V-pulley is attached to the drive shaft. The drive thus formed from this unit is welded to the trailer frame at three points: at the end of the Model-A axle housing where it passes through a hole in the mixing-drum bracket, and at the differential and the forward end of the drive-shaft housing, where it also is supported on brackets.

The hopper, Fig. 10, and the mixing drum are made of heavy sheet metal welded at all joints and reinforced with steel angles welded on as stiffeners wherever large areas of the metal are subjected to severe strain. The steel mixing blades of the agitator, Fig. 9, the top view, have a clearance of about 3 inches inside the drum.

Figs. 13 and 14 and the two upper views in Fig. 11 detail the crane and ejector arm. The crane is an allwelded assembly of standard rod and pipe sizes and is operated by a pedal which extends underneath the machine. However, the ejector mechanism is a somewhat more intricate affair. The ejector plates must raise and lower in the same plane, making two pairs of adjustable parallel arms necessary. A "helper" spring eases the lift of the assembly and another coil spring swings it to one side. Bearings at both ends of the four arms should fit accurately. Fig. 11 shows the frame which supports the crane and ejector.

The hopper is raised for dumping by a hydraulic cylinder, Fig. 11. Arrangement of the hydraulic system is shown in Fig. 12 and the drive to both the hydraulic pump and the mixer is detailed in Fig. 15. Raising and lowering of the hopper is controlled by a three-way valve, Figs. 11 and 12. By-passing the hydraulic fluid allows the pump to be operated continuously, thereby simplifying the drive. The vibrator shaft, Fig. 15, is pedal-operated and runs only when the pedal is depressed. One belt from the two-step cone pulley passes around an idler. The pulley driving the vibrator is located between the driving pulley and the idler as shown in Fig. 15. When the pedal is depressed the center pulley engages the belt, and "throw" of the off-center weights, Fig. 11, vibrates the mold. The mold must be held rigidly in place for this operation and Fig. 11-A details the quick-acting clamping device especially made for this purpose.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print