CA2123334A1 - Method and apparatus for the production of interlocking concrete blocks - Google Patents

Abstract

Interlocking concrete blocks have long been recognized as an efficient construction material for the fast erection of a variety of buildings. A new method and apparatus for the production of such blocks is described herein and comprises a gravity fed chute having a cut-off mechanism, directing a mixture stream of sand, gravel and cement to a holding bin, which bin is mounted upon a fixed platform and is slidingly movable thereupon under the control of a hydraulic cylinder assembly. The holding bin conveys a predetermined volume of vibrated mixture to a mould where the mixture is deposited and compressed.
The newly formed block is ejected by means of ejection pins or fingers protruding into the base of the mould. The block is then conveyed to a kiln for drying. Production throughput is greatly enhanced and a single mould is used with only the addition of a fresh male bottom plate required for each mould charge.

Description

212~3~4 This invention relates to interlocking concrete blocks as used in construction; spe-cifically to a method and apparatus for the production of such blocks.

Interlocking concrete blocks offer many advantages over conventional concrete blocks in that the interlocking blocks are capable of withstanding far greater levels of tensile 05 stress than their conventional counterparts while exhibiting comparable, if not superior, resistance to compressive forces.

Such blocks have not, however, found a great deal of commercial acceptance within the construction industry for the simple reason that currently available manufacturing techniques provide relatively low production rates, thus the price per unit is compara-10 tively high.

It is desirable, then, to devise an apparatus and method for the production of inter-locking blocks wherein the production rate is significantly impr. ved over present manu-facturing methods and wherein the price per unit produced can be brought within an acceptable level.

The present invention described herein accomplishes these ends by providing an apparatus which is readily adaptable to high production automation and a method which entails a mi~ ulll of manufacturing steps.

According to one aspect the present invention relates to an apparatus for the manu-facture of interlocking concrete blocks comprising:

20 means for conveying a lllix~ule of sand, gravel and cement to a holding bin;

means for controlling the filling of the holding bin with the mixture to a predetermined 21233~
level;

means for collvt;yillg the ",i~lu,~ laden holding bin to a mould;

means for controlling the deposit of the mixture from the holding bin into the mould;

means for vibrating the llli~Lure as the mould is filling;

05 means for applying com~ressi~e forces to the llli~ule within the mould;

means for ejecting the formed block from the mould;

Means for conveying the formed block to a kiln;

means for sequencing the filling of the holding bin, the filling of the mould, the vibrating of the mould mix, the co~ ression of the mould mix, the ejection of the formed block; and 10 means for sequencing the repetition of the filling of the holding bin, the filling of a fresh mould, the vibrating of the mould mix, the co~lpression of the mould mix, and the ejection of the formed block.

According to one aspect the present invention relates to an apparatus for ejecting newly formed concrete blocks from a mould comprising:

15 a first plate means having a plurality of vertically disposed elongate circular fingers affixed thereto;

a second plate means slidingly connected to the first plate means by a pair of elongate 212333~

circular rods, the rods affixed at one end to the first plate means and extending through the second plate means;

a third plate means holi~onlally disposed between the first and second plate means;

a fourth plate means ho~ olllally disposed between the third plate means and the second 05 plate means and connected to the third plate means by a pair of spring loaded mounts, the vertically disposed fingers of the first plate means extending past the third plate means and through the body of the fourth plate means;

a oscillating vibratory means affixed to the third plate means with the oscillating head of the vibratory means in intimate contact with the underside of the fourth plate means;

10 mould box means positioned on the upper surface of the fourth plate means with the fingers of the first plate means extending through the fourth plate means and the bottom surface of the mould box means; and detent means for releasably eng~ging the second plate means to the elongate circular rods extending therethrough so that the first and second plate means move in unison when the 15 detent means is engaged and independently when the detent means is released.

According to another aspect the invention relates to a method of producing inter-locking concrete blocks colllplisillg the steps of:

a) filling a holding bin with a lllixLule of sand, gravel and cement to a predetermined volume;

20 b) collvt;ying the predetermined volume of llli~Lule to a mould;

c) depositing the predetermined volume of lllixlure in the mould while vibrating the m*-ture;

d) removing the vibratory action when the mould is filled;

e) applying colll~lessive forces to the nliAIule;

05 ~ removing the compressive forces;

g) removing the newly formed block from the mould;

h) conveyillg the newly formed block to a kiln for baking; and i) repeating steps (a) to (i).

A detailed description of the invention as exemplified by a preferred embodiment, is 10 contained herein having lefelellce to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a somewhat schematic representation of the apparatus illustrating the starting relationship of the major components;

Figure 2 is the same view of the apparatus asfigure 1 showing the ch~nging relationship of the major components as the production cycle begins;

15 Figure 3 shows the con~illuillg changes in relationship of the major components as the production cycle con~ ues;

21233~ 1 Figure 4 illustrates the relationship of the major components at the end of the production cycle prior to the cycle recommencing.

Figure S is an end on partially sectioned view of the mould ejection system.

Figure 6 is a pictorial view of the ejection mechanism solenoid.

05 Figure 7 is the same end on view of the ejection system of Figure S showing the relative positioning of the components during mould ejection.

Figure 8 illustrates two examples of the interlocking blocks produced by the apparatus of the present invention.

Referring now tofigures 1 to 4 it may be seen that the preferred embodiment of the 10 present invention is co~ lised of a nli~urc supply chute 10 in flowing communication with a mixture holding bin 14 and intermittently isolated from the lllix~ure holding bin 14 by means of a cut-off plate 12.

The nli~ule supply chute 10 is coll.plised of a generally rectangular hollow struc-ture having rigid walls of unirollll thickness and is preferably connected at one end to a 15 hopper (not shown).

The cut-off plate 12 is an integral part of the holding bin 14 and extends rearward thererloll, in a hori;~on~al plane such that as the holding bin 14 moves forward away from the mouth of the chute 10 the cut off plate 12 progressively covers the mouth of the chute 10 isolating the mouth of the chute 10 from the interior of the holding bin 14.

The mi~ule holding bin 14 is, in turn, slidingly mountable to the upper surface of a ~123339 non-stick platform 18 and controllably movable in a horizontal plane upon the upper sur-face of the platform 18. The platform 18 is a generally rectangular, rigid structure having a substantially non-stick upper surface coating of collven~ional and applopliate material such as plastic and incorporates a plurality of mounting brackets (not shown) by which os means the various components may be affixed to the platform 18. The platform 18 further includes a generally rectangular aperture 36 toward one end, ahead of and substantially aligned with the holding bin 14 and of dimensions substantially equal to the end openings of the holding bin 14.

The miAlure holding bin 14 further includes at least one internally mounted upper 10 llliAlurc level sensor 54 and one lower nliAIul e level sensor 56 in electrical colllmullication with a collvelllional hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 16, which assembly 16 is con-nected at the piston end to an outside surface of the bin 14 and at the cylinder end to the platform 18.

The nliAIul e holding bin 14 is a generally rectangular hollow container open at both 15 ends, each of which openings is of dimensions substantially equal to the opening of the mouth of the chute 10. The holding bin 14 is positioned below the mouth of the chute 10 and vertically aligned therewith at the beginning of a production cycle.

A pair of mould box mounting rails 40 of convell~ional design are detachably affixed to the underside of the platform 18, ahead of the mixture holding bin 14, outboard of the 20 llliAIule holding bin 14 and parallel to the miAIure holding bin 14.

An oscillating vibratory assembly 30 of collvenlional design is substantially centrally located and affixed below the mould box mounting rails 40 to the underside of a spring 32 mounted plate æ with a distance between the upper surface of the spring 32 mounted plate 22 and the mould box 20 sliding rails 40 sufficient to accommodate the sliding inser-2123~
tion of a mould 60 containing mould box 20 such that, when inserted onto the mountingrails 40, the bottom surface of the mould box 20 is in intimate contact with the upper surface of the spring 32 mounted plate.

At least one hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 42 having a tamping plate 44 to 05 the underside of which is mounted a female mould plate 46, attached to the lower end of the piston is vertically and axially aligned with the aperture 36 in the platform 18 and the open, upper end of the mould box 20.

At the beginning of a production cycle, the mixture holding bin 14 is positioned be-low the mouth of the chute 10 and the bin 14 is in flowing collllllunication with the mouth 10 of the chute 10.

The mould comprised of a bottom male plate 38, and a plurality of hole plugs 60 is assembled and inserted into the mould box 20 and the mould box 20 slidingly inserted on the rails 40 and into contact with the spring 32 mounted plate 22 which is, in turn, in intimate contact with the vibrating assembly 30. The hydraulic cylinder and piston assem-bly 42 is fully retracted, drawing the tamping plate 44 and upper female mould plate 46 upward.

A~ uleofsubstantiallyS9%sand,29%gravelandl2%cementisdirectedthroughthe chute 10 and into the holding bin 14. As the bin 14 fills to the required level at least one upper level sensor 54 is triggered, activating hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 16, the 20 movement of which carries the lllL~ule filled bin 14 forward upon the platform 18 and into alignment with the platform 18 aperture 36 and the upper opening of the mould box 20. The vibrating assembly 30 is activated as the contents of the bin 14 begin to empty into the mould box 20.

2123~
The chute cut-off plate 12, following the forward movement of the holding bin 16, moves forward across the mouth of the chute 10 thus isolating the mouth of the chute 10 from conmlunication with the bin 14 and prevel.ling any further flow of the mixture into the bin 14.

05 As the holding bin 14 empties the mL~ure into the mould box 20 at least one lower level sensor 56 is triggered resulting in the activation of the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 16 which withdraws the holding bin 14 back into alignment with the mouth of the chute 10. The cut-off plate 12 is concurrently withdrawn from across the mouth of the chute 10 and the holding bin 14 again begins to fill with mixture from the mouth of the chute 10.

Concurrently, the vibrator 30 is de-activated and the tamping plate 44 and female mould plate 46 lowered via the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 42, through the platform 18 aperture 36 and into contact with the surface of the lllixlul e in the mould box 20 thus col,l~ressing the lllL~LUle. At a pressure of between 1000 to 1500 PSI, the tamping plate 44 and female mould plate 46 is withdrawn.

As the tamping plate 44 and female mould plate 46 is withdrawn the ejection system is activated and the formed concrete block 58 raised above the surface of the platform 18 and out of the mould box 20.

At least one block removal finger 48 is activated and moves forward via the action of a hydraulic cylinder and piston assemblyS0 and engages the underside of the newly formed block. When the finger 48 is fully inserted underneath the block 58, the finger 48 is re-tracted and rotates within the housing 52 way from the block press where the newly formed block 58 is then deposited on a collvt;yor system (not shown) for transport to a kiln (not shown) and the cycle repeated, yielding blocks as generally shown in ~gures 8 and 9.

Referring now to.figures S to 7 it will be seen that the block ejection system of the present invention is colllplised of a generally rectangular mould box 20 of rigid, light-weight material such as urethane, closed at one end by means of a flat plate which plate 05 incorporates a plurality of through holes and which plate is secured to the walls of the mould box 20 by collvenlional means such as setscrews 62.

A plurality of block hole plugs 60 are assembled into the mould box 20 in an upright position and a~rol)liately spaced and secured to the mould box bottom plate by any collven~ional and a~,~lopliate means. A male mould plate 38 incorporating a plurality of 10 through holes each of which aligns with a colles~onding block hole plug 60 is inserted over the block hole plugs 60 and into the mould box 20 where the male plate 38 rests on the bottom plate of the mould box 20.

The thus assembled mould box 20 is positioned atop a generally flat plate 22 which plate 22 is in turn spring mounted 32 to a generally flat platform 24. A vibrating assembly lS 30 of collven~ional design is mounted to the platform 24 by any ap~ro~liate and conven-tional means such that the vibrating head of the assembly 30 is in intimate contact with the underside of the spring 32 mounted plate æ and vibrations thus induced in the plate 22 are ~ansllli~ed to the mould box 20.

A tamping plate 44 having a female mould plate 46 mounted to its underside ex-20 tends horizontally across the opening of the mould box 20 and incorporates at either sideof the mould box 20 an elongate sliding rod 34 extending vertically downward and through the tamping plate 44 and termin~ting in a generally flat, horizontally disposed plate 26, which plate 26 incorporates a plurality of vertically disposed fingers 28 each of which ex-tends through the plate 22, the bottom plate of the mould box 20 and into contact with the 2123~3~
underside of the male mould plate 38 positioned in the bottom of the mould box 20.

At least one electrically driven solenoid 64 is mounted atop the tamping plate 44 with the plunger of the solenoid aligned at one particular position of the rod 34, with a col,esl)onding notch 66 machined in the rod 34, such that the operation of the solenoid 64 oS and rod 34 notch 66 provide a detent function.

In operation, vibrated mi~Ule fills the mould box 20. The tamping plate 44 and female mould plate 46 are lowered into the mould box via the action of the hydraulic cylinder and piston 42. When the tamping plate 44 and mould plate 46 are in contact with the surface of the mould box 20 mix, the rod 34 notches 66 align with the solenoid 64 plungers. The solenoids 64 are activated and the solenoid 64 plungers engage the rod 34 notches, effectively locking the rods 34 to the tamping plate 44.

Following the application of appropliate compressive pressure to the surface of the mould box 20 mix the tamping plate 44 and female mould plate 46 are withdrawn. As the tamping plate 44 is withdrawn upw~rd it also raises rods 34 which in turn moves plate 26 in an upward direction and the fingers 28 extending vertically ther~fiolll protrude into the bottom of the mould box 20 raising the bottom male mould plate 38, and hence the newly formed block 58, out of the mould box 20.

At least one block removal finger 48 is moved to engage the bottom of the newly formed block 58. Once the finger 48 is fully engaged to the underside of the male mould plate 38, the solenoids 64 are de-activated and the solenoid 64 plungers retracted from the rod 34 notches, thus releasing the rods 34 from engagement with the tamping plate 44 and allowing the plate 26 and ejection fingers 28 to fall to their original position in readiness for the insertion of a new male mould plate 38 and a repeat of the cycle.

21233~
The above description should not be consll ued as limiting the scope of the invention but rather as an illustration of a presently prefelled embodiment of the invention. It is apparent that the presently ~rerelled embodiment lends itself well to a variety of modifi-cations and changes without depal lul e from the spirit of the invention. Thus the scope of 05 the present invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equiva-lents.

Claims (11)

1. An apparatus for the manufacture of interlocking concrete blocks comprising:

means for conveying a mixture of sand, gravel and cement to a holding bin;

means for controlling the filling of the holding bin with the mixture to a predetermined level;

means for conveying the mixture laden holding bin to a mould;

means for controlling the deposit of the mixture from the holding bin into the mould;

means for vibrating the mixture as the mould is filling;

means for applying compressive forces to the mixture within the mould;

means for ejecting the formed block from the mould;

Means for conveying the formed block to a kiln;

means for sequencing the filling of the holding bin, the filling of the mould, the vibrating of the mould mix, the compression of the mould mix, the ejection of the formed block; and means for sequencing the repetition of the filling of the holding bin, the filling of a fresh mould, the vibrating of the mould mix, the compression of the mould mix, and the ejection of the formed block.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the means for conveying the mixture to a holding bin is comprised of a gravity fed hollow chute means.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein the means for controlling the filling of the hold ing bin is comprised of at least one upper level sensor and at least one lower level sensor contained within the confines of the holding bin.

4. The structure of claim 3 further including sliding cut-off plate means to in termittently isolate the chute from the holding bin means.

5. The structure of claim 1 wherein the means for conveying the holding bin to the mould is comprised of a first electrically controlled hydraulic cylinder and piston means affixed at on end to the holding bin and at the other end to a fixed platform so that the holding bin moves fore and aft upon the surface of the platform in response to the activation of the first hydraulic cylinder and piston means.

6. The structure of claim 1 wherein the means for vibrating the mixture within the mould is comprised of an oscillating vibrator means in indirect contact with theundersurface of the mould.

7. The structure of claim 1 wherein the means for applying compressive forces to the mould mix is comprised of a second hydraulic cylinder and piston means with a tamp-ing plate and female mould plate means affixed to the piston, the tamping plate applied to the surface of the mould mix via the downward activation of the second hydraulic cylinder and piston means.

8. A method of producing interlocking concrete blocks comprising the steps of:

a) filling a holding bin with a mixture of sand, gravel and cement to a predetermined volume;

b) conveying the predetermined volume of mixture to a mould;

c) depositing the predetermined volume of mixture in the mould while vibrating the mix-ture;

d) removing the vibratory action when the mould is filled;

e) applying compressive forces to the mixture;

f) removing the compressive forces;

g) removing the newly formed block from the mould;

h) conveying the newly formed block to a kiln for baking; and i) repeating steps (a) to (i).

9. An apparatus for ejecting newly formed concrete blocks from a mould comprising:

a first plate means having a plurality of vertically disposed elongate circular fingers affixed thereto;

a second plate means slidingly connected to the first plate means by a pair of elongate circular rods, the rods affixed at one end to the first plate means and extending through the second plate means;

a third plate means horizontally disposed between the first and second plate means;

a fourth plate means horizontally disposed between the third plate means and the second plate means and connected to the third plate means by a pair of spring loaded mounts, the vertically disposed fingers of the first plate means extending past the third plate means and through the body of the fourth plate means;

a oscillating vibratory means affixed to the third plate means with the oscillating head of the vibratory means in intimate contact with the underside of the fourth plate means;

mould box means positioned on the upper surface of the fourth plate means with the fingers of the first plate means extending through the fourth plate means and the bottom surface of the mould box means; and detent means for releasably engaging the second plate means to the elongate circular rods extending therethrough so that the first and second plate means move in unison when the detent means is engaged and independently when the detent means is released.

10. Interlocking concrete blocks produced in accordance with the method as claimed in claim 8.

11. Interlocking concrete blocks produced in accordance with the apparatus as claimed in claim 1.