Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Peristaltic mixing dispenser
This invention provides a form of a new mechanical device, of the type
commonly called a mortar
mixer, which implements a new method for mortar or stucco preparation and
simultaneous dispensing.
Background of the invention
Mortar and stucco, which are widely used all over the world, are made with
sand as an aggregate, and
the resulting mixture is relatively smooth and creamy. The second component,
(or ingredient), of the
mix contains lime or cement or both. Additional component may be, such as
coloring agent. Mortar
and stucco can be prepared by manual mixing of the ingredients, when needed in
small quantities.
Existing mortar motorized mixers, contain rotating paddles inside a stationary
barrel to create the
mixing action. There are vertical and horizontal shaft mixers. Vertical shaft
mixers have paddles
mounted on a vertical shaft in the center of a vertically oriented drum. These
mixers typically can mix
concrete or mortar faster than horizontal-shaft mixers, and they work well
with both thin mortar
mixtures and coarser concrete mixtures, but size of the mixture's aggregate is
limited by the
manufacturer recommendation. The mixing method of existing mixers is a batch
type, where one large
batch of a mix is produced. Time required to produce a ready batch is a
function of a batch volume
required, labor availability, accessory equipment on site, climate and weather
and worker skills.
Typical mixers of this type are shown, for example, in the following patents:
US 4,195,933, method of mixing mortar
US 7,165,877 B2, slurry mixing apparatus
US 7,784,996 B2, mortar mixing apparatus
US D534, 551, mortar mixer
US 5,772, 318, portable hand-help concrete and mortar mixer
US 5,918,975 Mortar mixer with powered dump control
US 6,030,112 slurry butcher mixer
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A process to prepare and dispense one batch of mortar or stucco mix, (the
mix), is quite bulky and
time consuming. Upon arrival to a construction site, a worker needs to load
sand, into a mixer, by
using shovel or additional heavy equipment like a skid steer loader. After
that, the worker puts bags
of lime or cement into the mixer. The last step, is involved with using
breathing respirator and suitable
protective equipment, due to a massive cloud of lime or cement, when poured
into a mixer. The worker
adds water into the mixer while mixer is activated. Mixing action produces a
cloud of lime or cement
dust around the mixing area.
The prior art described, has several disadvantages:
1. Bulky - massive size and weight of the mixer, which might in some cases
require additional lifting
and transporting equipment. This makes it pricy, time consuming and bulky, for
a contractor, to move
the mixer from site to site. Although there are portable mixers, such as
described in US 5,772,318, but
it is capable of producing only limited volumes of mortar per unit time, and
will not be used by those,
who require bigger volume products per same unit time. There are continuous
type of mixers in the
industry, they usually are stationary, very bulky in their size and pricy,
thus usually not used by brick
or plaster professionals.
2. A requirement for additional labor and time, to execute mortar preparation
actions, such as pouring
sand and lime to the mixer, operating mixer and dispensing. A requirement for
additional heavy
equipment to load sand, such as a skid steer loader, might be needed.
3. Environmental and safety: The environmental impact, by disposing wasted
mortar, which contains
chemicals, such as lime. Waste of material is due to shallow control of
prepared material volumes,
(due to a large batch preparation method). It means, the unused material is
potentially to be wasted,
due to drying till next time use. In addition, some material is wasted, due to
material uncontrolled
splashes during mixing and dispensing, which makes it mandatory, cleaning a
work site after finishing
work, wasting time and money. Cleaning the mixer surfaces also produces
material waste. Disposing
any kind of waste has always negative impact on the environment.
4. Environmental and safety: creating a cloud of lime or cement dust (dry
power of lime or cement),
while mixing and pouring ingredients into the mixer, which potentially may
cause health problems.
5. A batch method of preparation, makes it problematic, while working in hot
and dry climate, due to
fast drying of the prepared batch. The bricklayer must work fast, in order,
not to let the prepared batch
to dry up. This might cause waste and uncomfortable work environment.
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The current invention completely eliminates the waste and the climate impact
on ready mortar or
stucco mix, described earlier, by precise control of produced mortar volume.
The current invention,
does not comprise of any turning or moving blades, which are in contact with
the mortar components,
thus there is no need for cleaning any parts. The mortar components are
conveyed and dispensed to
the current invention. The process of mixing is completely isolated from the
outside environment
which eliminates the dust cloud when mixing and dispensing.
The current invention is modular and small sized, and could be used in variety
of combinations with
conventional conveying and feeding equipment, which makes it suitable for an
easy transportation,
without special lifting and transporting needs. No additional labor required
for preparations, such as
loading the mortar ingredients on work site. Once loaded, it is used till
finished, for plurality of times.
The current invention can be pre-programmed, for several consistencies of
mortar or stucco when
needed, which makes it suitable for working in a range of temperatures,
moisture and types of works.
The consumer price for the current invention approximately is the same as
existing mid-high quality
mixers of similar mortar mix production rate (volume per unit time).
The production rate of the current invention is about the same as conventional
types of mixers with a
difference of mortar mix flow rate per unit time in the current invention,
rather than a batch per unit
time, in existing mixers.
Energy consumption of the current invention is about 3 to 5 times less, then
the conventional type of
mixers, thus it is more friendly to the environment and cost effective. To
summarize: the current
invention completely isolates factors such as: a shallow control of produced
mortar or stucco, labor
availability, accessory equipment on site, climate, weather and worker skills.
Summary of the invention
The current invention provides a new method for mortar or stucco preparation
and simultaneous
dispensing, and its practical application in a form of a mechanical device, of
the type commonly called
a mortar mixer, which is widely used in brickwork, plaster and stucco works.
The current invention
addresses to a field of use, where there is a need for motorized mortar mixer
to produce mortar or
stucco. In the current invention, mortar components: lime, cement, sand and
water are fed
simultaneously by calculated feed rate into one chamber, wherein feeding
process is controlled and
synchronized by a programmable logic controller. Then, the mortar components
immediately continue
into a mixing peristaltic pump, which applies a mixing action, while forcing a
small volume batch
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through the pump. To mix the mortar components to a homogeneous slurry, the
pump is having certain
improvements such as specific number of rollers or shoes per unit length.
List of drawings:
FIG.1 is showing main components, which integrate with the control system of
the current invention.
FIG.2 is showing the current invention main components and the way they
integrate with each other.
FIG.3 is showing a mobile example of practical use for the current invention.
Detailed description of the current invention
An aggregate (sand), water and a binder (lime, cement or both), represent
mortar mix components,
are fed through inlets 4 and 3 to a coupling chamber 2. The coupling chamber
is located in a vertical
position and is built in a way that when the aggregate and binder are
introduced to the coupling
chamber, they are falling naturally into a component outlet 27, by gravity.
Water is supplied to the
coupling chamber 2 and dispensed into the component outlet 27, through a water
nozzle 5. Inlet 16 is
optional inlet for an additional component such as coloring agent or
additional binder component,
such as cement or lime, wherein the configuration of the inlet 16 is similar
to the configuration of the
other inlets 3 and 4. A feeding process of the components: aggregate (sand),
lime and cement, is
controlled by a control system of FIG.1. The components are drawn from
conventional storage
containers, combined with conventional feeders 24, 25, 26, such as screw
conveyors, which further
dispensing their contents into the coupling chamber 2, through inlets 3, 4 and
16. Feeding rate is
controlled by programmable logic controller - PLC, 22, through conventional
means for automation
and control, such as conveyor motor speed control, which explanation should
not be extended here.
Water source is supplied to inlet 17. Valve 18 activates and deactivates water
supply and is controlled
by the PLC. Water flow rate is controlled by a flow controller 19 and is
processed by the PLC. Water
pressure is regulated by a pressure regulator 28. Water continues its way by
tube 20 into the water
nozzle 5.
All the mortar mix components: the aggregate (sand), water and the binder
(lime, cement or both), are
programmed to enter to the coupling chamber 2 simultaneously in determined
proportions per same
time unit. The proportions are determined by the user, through a user
interface 23. The process data
is displayed on a display 21.
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A peristaltic pump, which is comprising a flexible hose 1, a roller assembly
10 with rollers 7, 8 and 9
and a rigid circular frame 13, wherein one end of the flexible hose 1, is
fluidly connected to the
coupling chamber 2, by the component outlet 27, in a way, it produces a
vertical continuation of
coupling chamber 2. The flexible hose 1 is rolled around rollers 7, 8 and 9.
The other end of the
flexible hose fluidly integrates with a mortar outlet 14. Said flexible hose
is pressed against rigid
circular frame 13, by rollers 7, 8 and 9.
A cavity 15 of the flexible hose 1 is being filled with all the mortar mix
components, unmixed. The
roller assembly 10 turns using conventional motorized means, creating a
peristaltic action on the hose
1 and forcing cavities 15, 11, 12 and 6, filled with the mortar mix
components, towards the mortar
outlet 14.
Rollers 7, 8 and 9 are dividing the hose 1, to small volume portions, creating
small batches, captured
in cavities 11, 12 and 6 inside the hose. The small batch starts its way as
non-homogeneous
composition of the mortar mix components: the aggregate (sand), the binder
(lime or cement) and
water, filled from the coupling chamber 2 and accumulated in cavity 15 of the
hose. As the small
batch is moved along the hose, forced by a peristaltic action of the rollers
7, 8 and 9 against the rigid
frame 13, the mortar mix components are mixed towards a finally homogeneous
mortar mix at the
mortar outlet 14. The mixing action occurs, when shear forces, apply on the
small batches, captured
in cavities 11, 12 and 6, during the peristaltic action. Rollers 7, 8 and 9
set a volume limit of the each
cavity, to estimated calculated value. The volume of contents, captured in the
cavities, is small enough
to homogenize completely the small batch, as it forced along the hose 1. A
number of the rollers is a
key factor for full homogenizing of the mortar mix components, since it limits
the volume of the small
batch. The number of the rollers is at least one per a unit length wherein
said unit length equals about
four inner diameters of the hose for homogeneous mixing of the aggregate, the
binder and water fed
through the water nozzle. The current invention considers "shoes", "wipers",
or "lobes" as alternatives
for the rollers, since those alternatives are not changing the main concept of
the current invention.
A vibratory mechanism 37 is transferring vibratory movements to the hose 1,
for smoothening a
movement of the mortar mix components towards and inside the hose 1.
Functional steps of the current invention can be described as following:
1. The mortar components: the aggregate (sand), the binder (lime or cement or
their mix), and water,
simultaneously and at controlled by the PLC flow rates, are dispensed,
directly to the hose 1, through
the coupling chamber 2, filling cavity 15.
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2. Roller set 10, which is turned by conventional means, such as a gear motor,
forces rollers 7, 8 and
9 to apply the peristaltic action on the hose 1, against the rigid circular
frame 13, further advancing of
the contents of cavity 15, enclosed by a pair of the rollers, along the hose.
3. Due to the limited volume, captured between pair of the rollers, the mortar
mix components are
mixed as they being forced through the hose, towards the mortar outlet 14.
4. A length of the hose 1, is long enough to enable the limited volume of the
mortar mix components,
enclosed in the hose between a pair of the rollers, to be mixed into a
homogeneous slurry at the mortar
outlet 14, where the process is finished. The length of the hose should not be
less than about ten times
of the inner diameter of the hose 1.
Fig. 3, shows an example of mobile use of the current invention, with
conventional type of
components, such as conveyors and dispensing hopers, all installed on a small
¨ mid size truck 29 as
one integrated unit. An aggregate hopper 30, contains sand, which is conveyed
to the current invention
36, using sand conveyor 34, such as screw type conveyor. Lime or cement is fed
to the current
invention from a storage hopper 31, through a binder conveyor 33. Water is
supplied from a refillable
barrel 32, through a water tube 35, or may be alternatively connected with an
outside source.
The current invention 36, is installed on said truck, and starts production of
ready mortar or stucco
mix, upon the user request. The user is not required to load sand, lime and
cement each time a new
batch is required.
