Batch processing of material collected by a vacuum excavation unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12370513-B2
Application number	US-202117501700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2021
Priority date	Oct 14, 2020
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

A method for converting material within a vacuum tank that contains a mixture of liquid and solid material into a solidified batch of material. The method utilizes various devices to measure different features and properties of the tank and its contents to determine an amount of drying agent to be added to the tank. The method further utilizes various devices and methods for adding the drying agent to the tank and mixing the drying agent with the material within the tank. The method described herein may be completed automatically in response to human input on a handheld display device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for processing material contained within an interior of a vacuum tank, the method comprising the steps of:
determining a weight of the material within the tank;
determining an amount of open volume within the tank;
after the preceding step, calculating a moisture content of the material using the determined weight of the material and the determined amount of open volume;
after the preceding step, calculating an amount of drying agent needed to convert the material within the tank into a solidified batch of material using the calculated moisture content;
after the preceding step, adding the calculated amount of drying agent to the tank; and
after the preceding step, rotating a shaft supported within the vacuum tank between opposed ends of the tank, thereby mixing the drying agent with the material.

2. The method of claim 1 , in which the step of determining the amount of open volume within the tank comprises:
allowing ambient air outside of the tank to enter the interior of the tank through a pipe section having a known diameter;
recording an amount of time required for air pressure within the tank to rise from a first predetermined pressure value to a second predetermined pressure value; and
calculating the amount of open volume using the recorded amount of time and the known diameter of the pipe section.

3. The method of claim 1 , in which the step of determining the amount of open volume within the tank comprises:
allowing air within the interior of the tank to escape the tank through a pipe section having a known diameter;
recording an amount of time required for air pressure within the tank to drop from a first predetermined pressure value to a second predetermined pressure value; and
calculating the amount of open volume using the recorded amount of time and the known diameter of the pipe section.

4. The method of claim 1 , in which the step of determining the amount of open volume within the tank comprises:
exciting air contained within a pipe section attached to the tank and in communication with the interior of the tank, the air having a known mass;
recording a frequency at which the excited air resonates; and
calculating the amount of open volume using the recorded frequency and the known mass of the air.

5. The method of claim 1 , in which the step of calculating the moisture content of the material comprises:
calculating a volume of the material within the tank using the determined open volume within the tank;
calculating a density of the material within the tank using the determined weight of the material and the calculated volume of the material within the tank; and
using the calculated density, the determined weight, and the calculated volume of the material within the tank to calculate the moisture content of the material.

6. The method of claim 1 , in which the step of adding the calculated amount of drying agent to the tank comprises:
transferring the drying agent from a stationary position outside of the tank to the interior of the tank using a delivery system that interconnects the drying agent and the interior of the tank.

7. The method of claim 6 , in which the delivery system comprises an apparatus housing the drying agent, and a hose interconnecting the apparatus and the interior of the tank, and in which the transferring step comprises:
drawing the drying agent from the apparatus and into the interior of the tank using the hose.

8. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the shaft rigidly supports a plurality of paddles configured to rotate with the shaft.

9. The method of claim 1 , in which the recited steps are performed in response to a human input on a display device.

10. A method for processing material contained within an interior of a vacuum tank, in which the vacuum tank has opposed ends; in which the tank is pivotable at one of its ends about a pivot point, the method comprising the steps of:
determining a weight of the material within the tank; in which the step of determining the weight of the material contained within the tank comprises:
using a vertical load measuring device to measure a vertical force applied to the tank at the pivot point; and
calculating the weight of the material contained within the tank using the measured vertical force and a known weight of the tank;

determining an amount of open volume within the tank;
after the preceding step, calculating a moisture content of the material using the determined weight of the material and the determined amount of open volume;
after the preceding step, calculating an amount of drying agent needed to convert the material within the tank into a solidified batch of material using the calculated moisture content;
after the preceding step, adding the calculated amount of drying agent to the tank; and
after the preceding step, mixing the drying agent with the material.

11. The method of claim 10 , in which the vertical load measuring device is a deflection based sensor.

12. A method for processing material contained within an interior of a vacuum tank, the method comprising the steps of:
determining a weight of the material within the tank;
determining an amount of open volume within the tank;
after the preceding step, calculating a moisture content of the material using the determined weight of the material and the determined amount of open volume;
after the preceding step, calculating an amount of drying agent needed to convert the material within the tank into a solidified batch of material using the calculated moisture content;
after the preceding step, adding the calculated amount of drying agent to the tank;
after the preceding step, mixing the drying agent with the material;
measuring an amount of torque required to mix the drying agent with the material; and
stopping the mixing of the drying agent and the material upon the measured amount of torque reaching a predetermined value.

13. A method for processing material contained within an interior of a vacuum tank, the tank being pivotable about first and second pivot points, the method comprising:
measuring an amount of vertical force applied to the tank at the first and second pivot points;
communicating the measured amounts of vertical force to a processor;
using the processor to calculate a weight of the material within the tank using the measured amounts of vertical force;
recording an amount of time required for air pressure within the interior of the tank to move between two predetermined values;
communicating the recorded amount of time to the processor;
using the processor to calculate an amount of open volume within the tank using the recorded amount of time;
using the processor to calculate a moisture content of the material within the tank using the previously calculated values;
using the processor to calculate an amount of drying agent needed to convert the material within the tank into a solidified batch of material;
displaying the values calculated by the processor on a display device in communication with the processor; and
adding the calculated amount of drying agent to the tank.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
rotating a shaft supported within the tank and extending between the opposed ends of the tank, the shaft rigidly supporting a plurality of paddle assemblies configured to rotate with the shaft;
measuring an amount of torque required to rotate the shaft;
communicating the measured amount of torque to the processor; and
stopping rotation of the shaft upon the amount of torque measured reaching a predetermined value.

15. The meth

Assignees

• Charles Machine Works
• The Charles Works Inc

Inventors

• Gunsaulis Floyd R

Classifications

• B01F35/2218

  Weight of at least one component to be mixed · CPC title

• G01G19/52

  Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture (with walking sticks A45B3/08) · CPC title

• B01F27/192

  with dissimilar elements · CPC title

• B01F27/70

  with paddles, blades or arms · CPC title

• B01F33/5023

  the vehicle being a trailer which is hand moved or coupled to self-propelling vehicles · CPC title