Inclination maintaining system for a discharge chute

Claim 1

For use with a truck for transporting ready-mix concrete or the like including a body and an elongated discharge chute having a receiving end pivotally mounted on the body for movement about a mounting axis extending substantially horizontally and transversely of the chute and a distal end, an inclination maintaning system for said chute comprising: A. contractible and extensible powered means having opposite ends connected to said chute and to said body, B. a mass movably mounted on the chute for gravitational motivation between a first position when the chute is pivoted about said mounting axis so that the longitudinal axis of the chute has an inclination to the horizontal less than a predetermined angle and a second position when the chute is pivoted so that said inclination is greater than said predetermined angle, the first and second positions of the mass being individually defined by a pair of sensors disposed on opposite sides of the mass along the longitudinal axis of the chute, C. means pivotally mounting the sensors on the chute for corresponding movement about an axis substantially parallel to the mounting axis of the chute, D. a powered, reversible, remotely controlled drive connected to the sensor mounting means for simultaneously moving the sensors pivotally about their axis to adjust said predetermined angle, and E. control means responsive to movement of the mass for contracting said contractible and extensible means when the mass is in the first position and for extending said contractible and extensible means when the mass is in the second position so that said inclination of the chute is maintained substantially at said predetermined angle.