Portable concrete mixer for hydrating and mixing concrete mix containing gravel aggregate in a continuous process
A portable concrete mixer includes a frame, a hopper, coupled to the frame, for receiving therein dry commercially available prepackaged concrete mixes containing gravel aggregates, a chute coupled to the hopper, a water supply system that supplies water to the chute, a motor, and an auger coupled to and rotated by the motor. The auger includes a shaftless helical auger body extending from the hopper into the chute via an aperture in the hopper. The shaftless helical auger body has an interior volume and a plurality of fingers extending from the auger body into the interior volume. The shaftless helical auger body has an uneven pitch such that a second portion of the helical auger body in the chute has a greater pitch than a first portion of the helical auger body in the hopper.
1. A portable concrete mixer, comprising:
a frame;
a hopper, coupled to the frame, for receiving therein dry concrete mix containing gravel aggregate, the hopper having an aperture therein;
a chute coupled to the hopper;
a water supply system that supplies water to the portable concrete mixer;
a motor; and
an auger coupled to and rotated by the motor, wherein the auger includes a shaftless helical auger body extending from the hopper into the chute via the aperture, wherein the shaftless helical auger body has an interior volume and a plurality of fingers extending from the auger body into the interior volume, and wherein the shaftless helical auger body has an uneven pitch such that a second portion of the helical auger body in the chute has a greater pitch than a first portion of the helical auger body in the hopper.
2. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , wherein the motor is a DC motor.
3. The portable concrete mixer of claim 2 , wherein the portable concrete mixer further comprises an AC to DC transformer.
4. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , wherein the motor is coupled to the hopper.
5. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , and further comprising at least one wheel coupled to the frame.
6. The portable concrete mixer of claim 5 , wherein the frame further includes a plurality of rests for supporting the portable concrete mixer on a substrate.
7. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , wherein:
the portable concrete mixer has a first side and an opposing second side; and
the frame includes a handle extending from the first side to the second side.
8. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the auger is covered by a guard.
9. The portable concrete mixer of claim 8 , wherein the guard is pivotally coupled to the hopper.
10. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , and further comprising a bag opening blade disposed within the hopper.
11. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , wherein the portable concrete mixer has a weight of approximately 50 pounds.
12. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , wherein the hopper has a rim having a maximum lift height of less than about three feet.
13. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the auger body has a pitch-to-diameter ratio of between about 0.3 and 1.8.
14. The portable concrete mixer of claim 13 , wherein the first portion of the auger body has a pitch-to-diameter ratio of between about 0.2 and 0.9.
15. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , wherein the water supply system includes a water outlet that provides water into the chute.
16. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , wherein:
the hopper has a base; and
the water supply system includes a water outlet that provides water into the hopper at the base.
17. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of fingers is disposed approximately at the aperture.
18. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , wherein the chute has a length of approximately 16 to 30 inches.
19. The portable concrete mixer of claim 1 , wherein the chute has an angle relative to a level plane of approximately between −5 and 30 degrees of declination.