Method of mixing and spraying concrete onto pipe

Claim 2

Method for mixing particulate materials together to form a uniform mixture thereof, comprising continuously depositing a first layer of uniform thickness of a first material onto a moving conveyor provided with parallel walls at its opposite sides to retain material layers of uniform thicknesses thereon, continuously depositing at least one subsequent layer of uniform thickness of other material onto said first layer moving on said moving conveyor, each said layer of a material being separately leveled on said moving conveyor to control the volume of material in the layer for each unit length of said conveyor and to evenly distribute the layer of material to extend uniformly across said conveyor between said walls before depositing of another layer of other material thereon and before mixing of said layers, and continuously mixing said first and other material layers while said materials are moved by said moving conveyor to form a uniform mixture of said materials.

Claim 3

Method according to claim 1, wherein each material is dropped onto said conveyor and leveled by separately scraping the upper surface of the material to remove an excess thereof, said other material layers being scraped at their upper surfaces at successively higher levels above said moving conveyor.

Claim 4

Method according to claim 2, wherein each layer of material is leveled by moving the material on the conveyor beneath a separate scraper disposed parallelly spaced above the conveyor.

Claim 5

Method according to claim 3, wherein said layers are mixed on the conveyor by forcing plural spaced bars through said layers.

Claim 6

Method according to claim 4, including carrying said bars on a rotating device and rotating said device to force said bars through said layers.

Claim 7

Method according to claim 5, including mixing said layers with a series of said devices spaced along said conveyor.

Claim 8

Method according to claim 1, one of said first and other materials comprising aggregate and the other of said first and other materials comprising cement, said mixture comprising a concrete mix.

Claim 9

Method according to claim 7, including adding water to said mixture at one of said devices to form a wetted concrete mix.

Claim 10

Method according to claim 7, each said layer being separately leveled on said moving conveyor to control the volume of material in the layer for each unit length of said conveyor and to evenly distribute the layer of material to extend uniformly across said conveyor between said walls before depositing of the next layer thereon and before mixing of said layers.

Claim 11

Method according to claim 9, wherein said aggregate and cement are separately dropped onto said conveyor and leveled by separately scraping the upper surface of each layer to remove an excess of each material from said conveyor.

Claim 12

Method according to claim 10, wherein each layer is leveled by moving the material on the conveyor beneath a separate scraper disposed parallelly spaced above the conveyor.

Claim 13

Method according to claim 11, wherein said layers are mixed on the conveyor by forcing plural spaced bars through said layers.

Claim 14

Method according to claim 12, including carrying said bars on a rotating device and rotating said device to force said bars through said layers.

Claim 15

Method according to claim 13, including mixing said layers with a series of said devices spaced along said conveyor.

Claim 16

Method according to claim 14, including adding water to said mixture at one of said devices to form a wetted concrete mix.

Claim 17

Method according to claim 1, including preliminarily volumetrically controlling the volume of each of said first and other materials to be deposited on said conveyor to a volume somewhat in excess of the amount required to form each of said first and subsequent layers by conveying said materials through separate adjustable gates adapted to pass desired amounts of each of said first and other materials.

Claim 18

Method for coating pipe with concrete, comprising continuously forming a layer of aggregate of uniform thickness between parallel sidewalls along opposite sides of a moving belt conveyor, continuously forming a layer of cement of uniform thickness between said sidewalls upon said layer of aggregate, said layers each being of the same width and their thicknesses being controlled whereby the proportions of the volumes of aggregate and cement are uniform at all areas of said layers, moving said aggregate and cement layers on said belt conveyor successively past at least two mixers each comprising a rotating body having its axis transverse to said belt conveyor and having plural radial rods which rake though said aggregate and cement on said belt conveyor, mixing water into said mixture of aggregate and cement at one of said mixers after the first of said mixers to form a wet concrete mixture, discharging said wet concrete mixture from said belt conveyor by passing said concrete mixture to a rotating brush adapted to throw said concrete mixture onto the outer surface of a rotating pipe, and allowing said concrete mixture to set on said outer surface of said pipe.

Claim 19

Method for coating pipe with concrete, comprising continuously forming a layer of aggregate of uniform thickness between parallel sidewalls along opposite sides of a moving belt conveyor, continuously forming a layer of cement of uniform thickness between said sidewalls upon said layer of aggregate, said layers each being of the same width and their thicknesses being controlled whereby the proportions of the volumes of aggregate and cement are uniform at all areas of said layers, moving said aggregate and cement layers on said belt conveyor successively past at least two mixers each comprising a rotating body having its axis transverse to said belt conveyor and having plural radial rods which rake though said aggregate and cement on said belt conveyor, mixing water into said mixture of aggregate and cement at one of said mixers after the first of said mixers to form a wet concrete mixture, discharging said wet concrete mixture from said belt conveyor by passing said concrete mixture to a rotating brush adapted to throw said concrete mixture onto the outer surface of a rotating pipe, and allowing said concrete mixture to set on said outer surface of said pipe.

Claim 20

Method according to claim 17, including delivering said concrete onto a high speed applicator belt conveyor above which said rotating brush is disposed.

Claim 21

Method according to claim 18, including impelling said concrete from said belt conveyor onto said high speed applicator belt by means of a rotating paddle wheel.