Solid particulate materials such as sand, gravel, cement, grain, fertilizer and the like are usually stored in a bulk quantity and it is necessary to deliver them to a designated area in measured amounts. There are many different types of apparatus and methods presently in use that are suitable for collecting, measuring and delivering a measured quantity of a material to a receiving area. Equipment that is frequently utilized includes a front end loader or a like vehicle, conveyors, and storage and controlled dispensing bins. For example, the material is stored in a stockpile, front end loaders are used to move the material from the stockpile to a conveyor where it is moved by one or more conveyors up and into the top of a storage and dispensing bin. The material is then discharged from the bin in measured quantities onto a truck, loader bucket or the like, which in turn dumps the measured amount of material at a receiving area. For some applications it is desirable to be able to discharge the material into a relatively small receiving area and closely control the rate of discharge.
The present invention is a substantial departure from the above-described prior practice and is considerably simpler in that it eliminates the necessity of costly conveyors, a storage and dispensing bin, and measuring equipment usually associated with a storage and dispensing bin, as well as the considerable space required to perform this practice.
The above prior known practice and procedure are frequently employed in cement measuring and mixing operations which are carried out in what is commonly referred to as a cement batch plant. This plant functions to deliver measured amounts of sand, gravel, and cement to a concrete mixer. The present invention is particularly suitable for replacing a conventional concrete batch plant in that it may be used to deliver weight-measured amounts of sand, gravel and cement into the hopper of a concrete mixer on a truck or the like and is herein described at some points with reference to a concrete mixing operation to illustrate its utility for that particular application. It is understood, however, that this is only by way of example and illustration and that the present invention is applicable to the delivery of a measured amount of other forms of materials in a variety of applications such as for use in the delivery of grain, fertilizer, chemicals, and like flowable materials.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a simple yet highly effective apparatus and method for delivering a measured quantity of a material in a controlled discharge stream to a specific receiving area.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for delivering a measured quantity of a material to a receiving area where it is then dispensed under controlled conditions and over a specific limited receiving area and an elevated receiving area if required.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus that is readily attached to the end of a boom on a vehicle that is capable of collecting, measuring and dispensing a flowable material such as sand, gravel, cement, grain, fertilizer or the like.
A further object of this invention is to provide a novel apparatus and method that may be used as a substitute for a conventional cement batch plant in delivering measured quantities of cement, sand and gravel into the hopper of a concrete ready-mix truck or the like.
Yet a further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus and method for delivering a measured amount of a material characterized by the picking up of the material, measuring the material picked up by weight by gradually dispensing excess quantities from that picked up unitl a desired weight remains, and then dispensing the material in controlled amounts through a restricted opening into a receiving area.
A further object of the present invention is to provide novel measured material delivery apparatus for flowable, particulate materials and the like characterized by a dispensing bucket on the end of a carriage body that moves up and down on a carriage frame which in turn is pivotally attached to the end of a boom, the bucket being movable up and down relative to the end of the boom and having a weight mechanism and indicator for indicating the weight of the material in the bucket, with the bucket being adapted to dispense the material into a restricted receiving area.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel measured material delivery apparatus that readily mounts on the end of the boom of a front end loader and vehicle and utilizes a portion of the already existing hydraulic cylinder and controls, said apparatus being powered entirely by hydraulic drive and controls associated with the hydraulic drives that are operable from the vehicle.