CEMENTIOUS WASHOUT CONTAINER AND METHOD FOR SAME
A cementious washout container includes a container body having a container reservoir. A hinged chute assembly is rotatably coupled with an upper portion of the container body. The hinged chute assembly includes a chute panel, and a hopper screen coupled with the chute panel. The hopper screen includes perforations overlying the container body. A container drain is positioned at a lower end of the container body, and a container valve is movably coupled over the container drain. The cementious washout container retains and stores washout water and fine particles from multiple loads of cement or concrete and consolidates the washout water and fine particles for a single delivery of the same without requiring multiple separate deliveries of these wastes in multiple trucks.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/373,721, filed on Aug. 13, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDDisposal of cementious waste water.
BACKGROUNDAs environmental standards and regulations affecting the construction industry have evolved practices have been modified to manage storm water runoff and enhance sensitivity to recycling excess and waste materials. One significant area is the handling of washout water from redimix concrete trucks. In the past, concrete chutes were simply washed and the waste water and some residual sand and aggregate dumped on the ground.
This practice may have serious environmental impact. State and federal agencies have begun prohibiting concrete washout water from being dumped on the ground. The redimix industry has responded by modifying their procedures to facilitate putting the washout water and waste materials back into the drum to return it back to the batch plant for further recycling. The Redimix companies have also instituted an additional surcharge to cover the cost of the extra handling. This procedure is labor intensive and expensive.
SUMMARYA concrete washout & recycling bucket or hopper is described that separates the aggregate and accumulates all the waste water until the last truck leaves the work site each day. The waste water is then emptied into the last redimix truck for recycling back at the plant. The design of the recycling hopper makes the process of washing the chutes much safer and efficient. Further, use of the recycling hopper eliminates the extra charge and labor needed to process washout water as each truck is unloaded.
A more complete understanding of the present subject matter may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the following illustrative Figures. In the following Figures, like reference numbers refer to similar elements and steps throughout the Figures.
Elements and steps in the Figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been rendered according to any particular sequence. For example, steps that may be performed concurrently or in different order are illustrated in the Figures to help to improve understanding of examples of the present subject matter.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific examples in which the subject matter may be practiced. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the subject matter, and it is to be understood that other examples may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present subject matter. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present subject matter is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
The present subject matter may be described in terms of functional block components and various processing steps. Such functional blocks may be realized by any number of techniques, technologies, and methods configured to perform the specified functions and achieve the various results.
The container body 102 is constructed with, but is not limited to, durable materials such as, steel, cast iron, composites and the like. Similarly, the other components of the cementious washout container 100, such as the hinged chute 106, are constructed with steel, cast iron, composites and the like.
Referring now to
Optionally, the cementious washout container 100 includes a chute opening 108 within a cover 111 extending over the container reservoir 104. The chute opening 108 is sized and shaped to receive at least the hopper screen 110. The hopper screen 110 in combination with the cover 111 encloses the top of the container reservoir. Waste cementious materials are dumped over the hopper screen 110, as described above, to strain washout water and fine particles from the materials. The cover 111 ensures the materials are not able to easily bypass the hinged chute assembly 105. In another example, the cementious washout container is without a cover and the hopper screen 110 is formed as a bounded basket (see
In the example shown in
Referring again to
Referring to
As shown in
Referring again to
The container valve 200 shown in
After straining of the washout water with the hinged chute 106 in the receiving position 600, the hinged chute is rotated to the discarding position 602 (also shown in phantom lines in
Further shown in
The drain shroud 208 is also shown in
As previously described, in operation, the cementious washout container 100 is placed at a work site where multiple loads of ready mix concrete or cement are delivered. Where waste cement remains in the cement trucks the method includes dumping the cementious liquids including fluids such as water, aggregate particles and fine particles onto a hopper screen, such as hopper screen 110. In one example, the hopper screen 110 is part of a hinged chute assembly 105, such as the hinged chute 106 shown in
After screening of the fluid and fine particles the hinged chute assembly 105, including for instance, the hinged chute 106 is rotated relative to the container body and the aggregate particles are diverted away from the container body 102 by a chute panel 109 included with the hinged chute assembly 105 (e.g., hinged chute 106).
The method further includes accumulating washout water including the fluid (e.g., water) and fine particles in the container body 102. After accumulation of the washout water and the fine particles, for instance, after receiving multiple loads of cement or concrete at a job site, the accumulated washout water and fine particles are funneled to a concrete chute (e.g., on a truck, trailer or the like) through a container drain 202 opened a container valve 200 on the container body 102. The container valve 200, in one example, is operated by a valve operating mechanism 204 that facilitates drainage operation of the valve 200 with the valve lever 206. In another example, the valve operating mechanism 204 includes a locked configuration. For instance, the valve operating mechanism 204 includes linkage bars 212A, B that deflect between locked and open configurations when moving past an intermediate point. The linkage bars 212A retains the container valve 200 against the drain 202 and substantially prevents leakage of washout water. Movement of the valve lever 206 and corresponding movement of the linkage bars 212A, B beyond the intermediate point releases the container valve 200 to open the drain 202.
CONCLUSIONThe cementious washout container described herein separates aggregate particles from waste water and fine particles and accumulates the waste water and fine particles until the last truck having cement or concrete is delivered to a job site. The waste water (including fine particles) is then emptied back into the drum of the last truck at the end of the day for recycling back at the concrete or cement plant. By accumulating and retaining the waste water and fine particles at the job site throughout the day intensive labor and expense for continuously refilling each chute of each truck with washout water and correspondingly transporting and dumping the washout water individually at a waste site is thereby avoided.
In the foregoing description, the subject matter has been described with reference to specific exemplary examples. However, it will be appreciated that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present subject matter as set forth herein. The description and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative manner, rather than a restrictive one and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present subject matter. Accordingly, the scope of the subject matter should be determined by the generic examples described herein and their legal equivalents rather than by merely the specific examples described above. For example, the steps recited in any method or process example may be executed in any order and are not limited to the explicit order presented in the specific examples. Additionally, the components and/or elements recited in any apparatus example may be assembled or otherwise operationally configured in a variety of permutations to produce substantially the same result as the present subject matter and are accordingly not limited to the specific configuration recited in the specific examples.
Benefits, other advantages and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to particular examples; however, any benefit, advantage, solution to problems or any element that may cause any particular benefit, advantage or solution to occur or to become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required or essential features or components.
As used herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any variation thereof, are intended to reference a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, composition or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements recited, but may also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, composition or apparatus. Other combinations and/or modifications of the above-described structures, arrangements, applications, proportions, elements, materials or components used in the practice of the present subject matter, in addition to those not specifically recited, may be varied or otherwise particularly adapted to specific environments, manufacturing specifications, design parameters or other operating requirements without departing from the general principles of the same.
The present subject matter has been described above with reference to examples. However, changes and modifications may be made to the examples without departing from the scope of the present subject matter. These and other changes or modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present subject matter, as expressed in the following claims.
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other examples will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading and understanding the above description. It should be noted that examples discussed in different portions of the description or referred to in different drawings can be combined to form additional examples of the present application. The scope of the subject matter should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
Claims
1. A cementious washout retention and delivery container comprising:
- a container body including a container reservoir;
- a hinged chute assembly rotatably coupled with an upper portion of the container body, the hinged chute assembly comprising: a chute panel, and a hopper screen coupled with the chute panel, the hopper screen including perforations overlying the container body, a container drain positioned at a lower end of the container body; and
- a container valve movably coupled over the container drain.
2. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 1, wherein the hopper screen extends into the container reservoir from a joint rotatably coupling the hinged chute assembly with the container body.
3. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 1, wherein the hinged chute assembly is movable between at least two positions including:
- a first receiving position where cementious waste is deposited on the hopper screen, and washout water and fine particles of the cementious waste are filtered through the hopper screen into the container body leaving aggregate particles on the screen, and
- a second discarding position where the hinged chute assembly is rotated relative to the first receiving position and the aggregate particles are discarded away from the container body over the chute panel.
4. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 1, wherein the container valve includes a flapper container valve configured for engagement along a perimeter of the container drain.
5. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 4 comprising a drain shroud extending around at least a portion of the container drain, and the drain shroud is configured to intercept fluid.
6. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 1 comprising a valve operating mechanism extending from a perimeter of the container body to the container valve.
7. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 6, wherein the valve operating mechanism includes two or more linkage bars configured to bias the container valve into a closed configuration that closes the container drain.
8. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 1, wherein the container body tapers to the container drain, and the taper begins adjacent to a lower end of the container and the taper is remote from the upper end of the container.
9. A cementious washout retention and delivery container comprising:
- a container body including a container reservoir;
- a hinged chute coupled with the container body, the hinged chute includes a hopper screen having a plurality of perforations configured to screen aggregate particles from cementious waste;
- a drain assembly comprising: a container drain positioned at a lower end of the of the container body the container drain including a drain perimeter, and a flapper container valve coupled with the container drain; and
- a valve operating mechanism coupled with the flapper valve, the valve operating mechanism includes a linkage extending away from the flapper container valve, the valve operating mechanism is positionable between an open and a closed configuration: in the open configuration, the valve operating mechanism opens the container drain, and in the closed configuration, the linkage biases the flapper container valve into clamping engagement around the drain perimeter and closes the container drain.
10. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 9, wherein the linkage includes first and second linkage bars, the first and second linkage bars are rotatably coupled together, the first linkage bar is rotatably coupled at a first joint with the flapper container valve, and the second linkage bar is rotatably coupled with a valve lever near a container body perimeter at a second joint.
11. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 10, wherein the first and second linkage bars have a combined length greater than a length between the first and second joints, and the linkage is deflected beyond the length between the first and second joints in the closed configuration.
12. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 9, wherein the hinged chute includes a chute panel adjacent to the hopper screen and the hinged chute is movable between at least two positions including:
- a first receiving position where cementious waste is deposited on the hopper screen, and washout water and fine particles of the cementious waste are filtered through the hopper screen into the container body leaving aggregate particles on the screen, and
- a second discarding position where the hinged chute is rotated relative to the first receiving position and the aggregate particles are discarded away from the container body over the chute panel.
13. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 9 comprising a drain shroud extending around at least a portion of the container drain, and the drain shroud is configured to intercept fluid from the container drain.
14. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 13, wherein the linkage extends through the drain shroud to the flapper container valve.
15. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 13, wherein the flapper container valve is within the drain shroud.
16. The cementious washout retention and delivery container of claim 9, wherein the container body tapers proximate a lower end of the container body.
17. A method for using a cementious washout container comprising:
- depositing cementious waste including washout water, aggregate particles and fine particles on a hopper screen of a hinge chute, the hopper screen overlies a container reservoir of a container body;
- screening the washout water and fine particles through the hopper screen into the container reservoir and leaving the aggregate particles on the hopper screen;
- rotating the hinged chute and diverting the aggregate particles away from the container body along a chute panel included with the hinged chute;
- accumulating washout water and fine particles in the container reservoir; and
- dispensing the accumulated washout water and fine particles to a cement or concrete chute through a container drain of the cementious washout container.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein accumulating washout water includes repeating deposition of the cementious waste and screening at least once.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein dispensing the accumulated washout water and fine particles to a cement or concrete chute includes consolidating a plurality of cementious waste deposits each including washout water and fine particles into a single volume of washout water and fine particles.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein screening the washout water and fine particles includes retaining the hinge chute at a first receiving position with the hopper screen extending across a chute opening of the container body.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein rotating the hinged chute and diverting the aggregate particles includes rotating the hinged chute to a second discarding position with the chute panel slanted away from the container body.
22. The method of claim 17, wherein dispensing the accumulated washout water and fine particles includes opening a container valve.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein opening the container valve includes disengaging a flapper container valve from a drain perimeter.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein dispensing the accumulated washout water and fine particles includes intercepting splashed washout water with a drain shroud extending at least partially around the flapper container valve.
25. The method of claim 17, wherein opening the container drain includes operating a valve operating mechanism extending from the container valve to a container body perimeter.
26. The method of claim 17 comprising biasing a container valve including a flapper container valve into a closed configuration with a valve operating mechanism.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 11, 2011
Publication Date: Feb 16, 2012
Applicant: Knutson Construction (Minneapolis, MN)
Inventors: Steven Janson (Foley, MN), Scott Luhman (Brooklyn Park, MN), Mark Nielsen (Cambridge, MN)
Application Number: 13/208,240
International Classification: B65D 90/00 (20060101);