Gearing Old Concrete Mixer

[BobInMN]

I have a very old concrete mixer that I use once or twice a year. It works good except when you come to dump the load. It has a lever that you have to use brute force to dump the load. There is no such thing as dumping a little at a time because the way the thing is balanced. Do you think it would work if I use an old set of timing gears to help control on how fast I dump the load? I'm thinking of welding the large gear on the end of the shaft and then weld a hand crank onto the smaller gear. My wife has watched me mix concrete with this mixer and is worried that I'm going to hurt myself. It is really hard to dump the way it is set up now. As much as I use a mixer every year I just can't justify spending $500-$1000 for a different one. This is probably a little over a 3 CF mixer. I'd love to have a 6 CF but just can't afford it.

 

[AlanB]

How about just a longer lever?

 

[RonMar]

Gearing might work, but you may loose control authority with a shorter hand crank which may be necessary to allow the handle to swing a full 360 degrees. Some angles are also hard to apply torque to, such as pulling the lever/crank over the top of it's arc. If you can keep a long enough handle, and the gears are robust enough to handle the torque necessary to tilt the drum, then it might work OK.

Another option might be to re-orient the pivot points closer to the loaded CG to allow easier dumping. It might also be possible to add a frame under the drum(attached back to the gearbox) that holds a counter weight which would move the loaded CG closer to the pivot point for easier dumping.

Do you have a tractor with remote/accessory hydraulics? A cylinder with hoses and quick conects to a remote working port on a tractor might also be a relatively simple way to achieve well controlled, physically low stress dumping.

Do you have any pictures of the beast?

 

[CATMAN]

I'm with the other guys; longer lever and counterweight both. Should be cheap and easy.

 

[BobInMN]

Thanks for the replies. You said it right, this is an old beast. I will try and post some pictures of it tomorrow. When I first got it I tried to use a piece of extra pipe to extend the lever, but it was hard to control because of the height you had to reach. Then the lever broke so I cobbled togeather another lever to use it. The more I look at it and newer mixers I think I will be able to use the timing chain gear and chain I found to control it. Instead of a crank I think I will use some type of wheel to control it. I will keep you posted on my progress and how things turn out.

 

[CATMAN]

I just thought of something, how about a manual boat winch, cable winch setup. just for the gearing aspect. They are self-contained with a lever and a latch mechanism. Eliminate the cable/strap on the "drum" ; then try to attach to the center axle of the drum.Trailer Parts Superstore - Boat Trailer Hand Winches Just a thought.

 

[laurencen]

You need a couple of gears, roughly 4 to 1, the large gear is welded to the drum where the lever is now, then the other (small) one get a pivot for it meshed with the larger gear, now you need a large wheel, about 24 inches diameter, I have modified a 1/4 yard one this way and works great, the problem with a lever is the mixer is still revolving and the weight moves rapidly, for the wheel a farm implement roller also works, a bit smaller but very effective and a simple 90 degree tooth that will engage the large gear will effectivly lock it in place. If you can get a hydraulic motor on it and reverse put a single flight to the opening and it will empty in reverse. I would not recomend the timing gear method, there is quite a load on the drum pivot as the load slops

 

[Treemonkey1000]

I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about this one. Gee I need to get a life. Anyhow why not just use a block and tackle or rope and a couple of pulleys? Anchor one end of the block and tackle to the frame support at the bottom. Then connect the hook end to the cradle arm at the back of the mixer drum. It will allow you to pay out the rope and allow the drum to tilt as slowly as you want. Then you have the mechanical advantage to hold it in position or crank it back up. I bought one of those at a discount store that is rated at 1000 pounds. It uses small 1/4" nylon rope. I think it has a 5/1 advantage. It only cost $8 at the store.
That's my story and I am sticking to it.

 

[tessiers]

I have an old trailer mounted 1/4 yard mixer that has a 18" diameter steering wheel to dump with. It takes about 5 or 6 turns to dump the mixer. It seams to works very well.

 

[BobInMN]

OK, I have a couple of pictures of the mixer. Can someone tell me how to resize them so they load faster?