WO2014075690A1

WO2014075690A1 - Patinating pavement surfaces

Info

Publication number: WO2014075690A1
Application number: PCT/DK2013/050382
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jesper B. Rasmussen; Kjeld Sejrup; Erik Spangenberg Hansen; Kjeld Andersen; Sten JENSEN
Original assignee: KVM Industrimaskiner AS
Current assignee: KVM Industrimaskiner AS
Priority date: 2012-11-15
Filing date: 2013-11-15
Publication date: 2014-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 2015-05-15

Abstract

A method and a device for machine patination, artificial ageing, of concrete products. The products (12) are provided irregular edges by a process in which the products are lifted up against a matrix (45) that substantially corresponds to the desired appearance, while at the same time the products are vibrated by a vibration system (52) and pressed by the matrices (45). The entire process occurs in-line on the production board (2) on which the products (12) have been poured before hardening, without any extra handling.

Description

PATINATING PAVEMENT SURFACES

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns a method for patinating surfaces of concrete blocks, paving stones, flagstones, quarry tiles, kerbstones and building blocks, etc. Patination of surfaces is an artificial ageing of the surfaces where the geometrically correct surfaces, edges and corners are provided irregularities such that they resemble the look of an age of several years, where edges, corners and surfaces have got irregularities due to years of use, provided as indicated in the claims. The patination occurs in-line in the production process without extra handling of the poured items in that after a hardening time, typically 1-2 days after the pouring, are subjected to the said ageing process.

The process occurs in-line directly on the production board on which the concrete blocks are made. By in-line is meant that the products are worked directly on the production boards before the following palletising. In contrast, by off-line processes are meant that the products are moved from the production board over onto another base before the working.

Background of the Invention

Paving stones and flagstones are usually to be made with geometrically precise edges but in many cases it is desired to provide the stones with an aged appearance with irregular edges and minor damages on the surface so that they are provided an aged appearance. Some of the desired irregularity can be made in the mould itself, but it is always possible to see that the irregularity is produced since the irregularities are accurately repeated, why it is difficult to provide the real patinated appearance. The patinated appearance is best made by making the products with geometrically correct edges, and then producing the irregular and knocked off edges by various equipment. Most of the prior art equipment has been provided offline, meaning that the products either had to be lifted over into the equipment to perform the artificial ageing, or it has been necessary to palletise the products at first in a normal way and then store them some days or weeks, depending on how hard the ageing equipment is working on the products or how aged a product appearance there is desired. After this storage time, hardening time by the latter process, the concrete blocks are then to be moved into the ageing equipment. Therefore, most of the prior art equipment necessitates one or more cost-increasing additional handling of the concrete products.

Some of the prior art ways of artificial ageing of the concrete blocks are such that the blocks after production and a short hardening time are arranged such that corners or edges are knocked off by various impacting tools like steel balls, chains, hammers with various impacting ends, stones, etc. These impacting tools knock edges and corners off while the individual production layer is tilted around and the individual blocks are turned such that the corners and edges become exposed to the balls, chains, hammers or stones etc. Examples of such equipment are disclosed in DE 198 45 174 Al, DE 102 04 374 CI, DE 20 2006 005 773 Ul and DE 20 2005 019 683 Ul ; the drawback of such systems is that they require the blocks to be moved onto a base which is capable of turning the individual stones in relation to each other. This is typically called off-line ageing because the individual layer of paving stones and flagstones are required to be moved onto a different base which is just adapted to the actual product only. Different bases are therefore required for each type/size of product wanted to be artificially aged. The impacting tools are therefore also to be adapted/adjusted to the various types and sizes of products.

By these methods it cannot be avoided that the surface of the individual products will also receive knocks by respective impacting tools and thus receive an uncontrollable ageing as well.

Another typical way of ageing paving stones, small flagstones and small kerbstones is to fill paving stones, flagstones and kerbstones into a drum. The drum rotates slowly, and by adjusting the filling, inclination, speed etc. the ageing of the blocks can be regulated. An example is described in DE 35 26 782 Al . The drawback of this method is that all sides and edges of the block receive an artificial ageing on both visible and invisible edges. Other types of drum systems are with continuous-flow drums where the bulk products are continuously fed into one end of the drum, move through the drum and leave it at the other end. Since the blocks are filled into a drum in bulk form, they will also leave in bulk form and are therefore to be sorted again and aligned in layers which in turn are to be palletised. By this rather hard treatment, the products in most cases have to be harden for several days before processing, why they are typically palletised in stacks at first in order subsequently to be destacked and fed into a drum at a suitable speed, neither too fast nor too slowly; the blocks thus have to go through an intermediate stacking and storage before they can be artificially aged. The advantage is that the blocks can harden for longer time and thereby achieve greater strength before artificial ageing, giving a somewhat different appearance than if the ageing occurs only after a short period of hardening, which is the case if the blocks are aged artificially at the same time as they are removed from the hardening chambers in the plant. By this method the surfaces of the individual products will also receive knocks by the other blocks in the drum and therefore get an uncontrollable ageing.

US 2006112946 discloses a plant and a method by which the upper edges of paving stones are worked into having a broken, uneven and aged appearance. The block is brought in contact with a matrix which only works the upper corners/edges in that the form elements of the matrix knocks loosely on the corners/edges of the block. Hereby is achieved that the surface of the stone appears entirely smooth or similar to the mould side at which it is moulded whereas the upper edges/corners are battered. The hardening chambers on the production plants are typically not larger than they can stay 1 -2 days before they are to get out of the plant, why it is often necessary to stack the products intermediately before patination.

One way of individually treating the products is indicated in DE 100 39 463 Al where the individual layers are moved over onto a separate base and then treated by a tool which is formed like the desired ageing of the product. The disadvantage is that in the proposed way the products are first to be lifted with vacuum from a production board over onto a new base which is to be strong and stable as it after the vacuum lift is moved away and the working tool is moved in over the products. The tool is then to be lowered, and vibration and pressure is to be applied in order to achieve the artificial ageing desired, and after ending the cycle, the blocks have to be moved again by vacuum lifting. At this time vacuum lifting is not expedient as in connection with the artificial ageing there will be released some dust and bits which greatly will interfere with the vacuum lift provided to move the artificially aged products - of course, dust and bits can be brushed/sucked off before the vacuum lift comes to collect the products in order to move them back to the production board before moving the products to final palletising.

Vacuum lifting in connection with concrete blocks is a function associated with extensive wear, and if the concrete products are thin there may be an appreciable air flow through the concrete such that a vacuum pump with very great capacity is to be used for lifting the products. Besides, the vacuum lifting is to have different lifting plates, depending on the product to be lifted. In cases where the concrete products are already poured with a structure in order to resemble a fracture surface or a worn surface, vacuum lifting can be very arduous.

The trend is more and more that the surfaces of the concrete products are to have structure and bevellings which due to the production method are only possible to provide on the surface of the concrete products, why the patination is to take place from above and cannot take place in bulk form in a drum without a complicated sorting and turning work. If at the same time the products are not rectangular and uniform in size, then it will be more complicated in the other patinating machines as the turning mechanisms have to allow for the various shapes. In particular if the products are poured in laying format with various sizes of concrete blocks or in a cross bond, such as herringbone pattern, it may be very difficult, not to say impossible, to patinate the products with the previously known patination units. Object of the Invention

All of these problems are solved by very simple means by the present invention. At the same time, the process enables treatment of all shapes and size combinations without any complicated equipment. Regardless of the presence of angles and curves on the individual concrete blocks or a combination of different sizes and shapes, or the product poured in the bond they are to be laid in later, according to the invention the equipment can artificially age the products. So if it can be poured it can be aged artificially as well.

Description of the Invention

The present invention thus provides a method for making concrete blocks with irregular edges and/or surface whereby the contours of the concrete blocks are worked by a patinating equipment imparting the blocks an artificially aged appearance, where one or more concrete blocks placed on a production board are moved to the patinating equipment, the equipment including at least one matrix adapted to be brought in contact with the part of the surface of the concrete blocks to be worked, and means for lifting and lowering, respectively, the production board with the one or more concrete blocks to be worked up against the at least one matrix or for lowering the at least one matrix down against the production board and imparting vibrations to the production board or the at least one matrix.

In addition, the invention concerns a patinating equipment including at least one matrix designed to be brought in contact with the surface of a concrete block, where the concrete block is placed together with several similar concrete blocks on a production board, and where a surface and/or edges are to be worked on the concrete block, the equipment including: a conveying path suited for insertion into an existing conveying path;

means for lifting the production board or lowering the at least one matrix relative to the conveying path; and

- means for imparting vibrations to the production board or the at least one

matrix. Further embodiments and method variants appear from the dependent claims.

According to the invention, the artificial ageing is applied to the products on the production board on which the products have been poured. When the products come from the hardening area after ending hardening process, they run through the artificial ageing unit and subsequently through a unit removing the dust and bits produced by the ageing process. After this ageing process, the block continues to the normal palletising unit. The ingenuity of artificial ageing provided by a patinating equipment according to the invention is that it can easily be disposed on the transport path from destacking operation to the normal palletising unit.

The products on the production board go into the unit and stops under the patinating equipment. The patinating equipment, which consists of a piston fitted with matrices largely corresponding to the matrices used during their production, where the dimensions of the matrices are increased such that the matrix in the patinating equipment continues beyond the outer edges of the product in order to act as a catching means; the extent of the matrices can be increased to the middle of the gap between the products. Hereby is achieved that the matrices contribute to catching the products that are to be artificially aged, and with the minor variations always present by the disposition of the product on the production board and the stop on the production board will partly act as catchers and partly also give slightly different ageing knocks on the product when the piston is lowered and vibrated simultaneously with either lifting the production board or further lowering of the matrix for application of the artificial appearance.

The process sequence: Firstly, the matrix is lowered down over the block for catching it, and immediately before the matrix has come down in contact with the products, a vibrator is started and applies vibration from below through the production board. When the products have been caught by the matrix, and the vibration from below ensures that the products are centred under the matrix, the matrix is lowered further or the production board is lifted, exerting a light pressure on the products in order to knock off edges and corners. The matrix can be lifted a little off and lowered again in order to increase the artificially aged appearance, and various pressures can be applied on the top side of the products, and at the same time the vibrator can be varied both in frequency and amplitude. These variations in lifting/lowering, varying pressure, varying frequency and varying amplitudes can be used for providing different ageing of the products such that a greater variation of the artificially aged expression applied to the products is produced.

In order to apply more damage, more ageing, to the blocks, the matrix can be equipped with different knobs on the individual product matrices. For applying a patinated appearance on the surfaces, the matrix can be provided with a series of small spikes that will provide the surface with a patinated look.

Another feature can be that the individual matrices are suspended individually in order to allow for a possible variation in height of the products. The individual suspension of the matrices can be made flexible and thereby also contribute to provide even greater variation in the patination. The flexibility can e.g. be made with rubber, springs etc.

The concrete blocks made on a production board are conveyed after the making on the same production board into a hardening area where they typically stay between 1 and 2 days. After ending the wanted hardening time, they are transported out of the hardening area and on to the palletising operation that picks up the concrete blocks from the production board and stacks the concrete blocks on a truck pallet. The patinating equipment according to the invention is disposed on the transport path between hardening area and palletising operation, the equipment working on the concrete blocks directly on the production board.

The process is simply so that the concrete blocks on the production board are moved up into the patinating equipment where a matrix, largely corresponding to the extent and shape of the concrete blocks and the gap between the blocks from the production in the moulds, is lowered over the concrete blocks down until almost in contact. A vibration table is then lifted up through the transport path whereby the production board with the concrete blocks are elevated into contact with the matrix. At the same time as the production board with the concrete blocks is lifted, the vibrator in the vibration table is started and the concrete blocks are vibrated, whereby the concrete blocks get into position under the matrix so that the matrix can work on edges and corners on the block and possibly on the surface as well. The vibration table can be moved up and down simultaneously with the vibrations whereby the concrete blocks can move freely to be caught and centred under the matrix that fits with the concrete block in question. By this process of lifting and lowering several times simultaneously with vibration, edges and corners are knocked off such that the concrete blocks are provided irregular edges. The process does not give a uniform breaking of the edges as it is somehow an individual occurrence how the concrete blocks are caught in the matrix. Correspondingly, there is a small variation in how the matrix catches the concrete blocks of the next production board, why the final appearance will be more like a naturally aged look. Another circumstance contributing to that patination will vary from concrete block to concrete block is that concrete is a natural material which varies slightly, providing a varying breaking off of edges and corners from block to block.

After ending the patination process, the vibration table is lowered and the matrix is lifted, and the production board with the concrete blocks is moved out of the patinating equipment simultaneously with the next production board is moved in.

During the patinating process in which the matrices and vibration of blocks knocks edges and corners off, the material knocked off the concrete blocks forms dust and bits. The dust and the bits not sucked off during the process partly fall down on the board and partly are deposited upon the blocks. The bits deposited upon the blocks are brushed off the patinated products when passing a brush at the exit of the patinating machine. The bits now present on the production board between the blocks are most often to be removed before palletising. This can occur after the patinating unit, for example by pulling the concrete blocks laterally out over a grate whereby the bits can fall down through the grate, possibly by means of a vibrator disposed on the grate. If arranged such that this grate lies physically in connection with the palletising operation, the palletiser can take the products from the grate, otherwise the blocks are to be drawn back to the production board before being conveyed to palletising. Under the grate there may be provided various collecting units, e.g. a container or a conveyor that can dispose of the bits.

It is obvious that the size and shape of each product require a matrix for each product, but uniform size of products with different product height can of course be treated by the same matrices, provided that the products lie uniformly on the production board.

Another way of bringing the products on the production boards into the patinating unit could be that the products on the production board are pushed in onto the vibration table, and as mentioned it is of secondary importance whether it is the matrices that are lifted and lowered or it is the products which are lifted and lowered.

Description of the Drawing

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, on which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a typical block facility for producing concrete blocks (paving stones, flagstones, kerbstones and blocks etc.).

Fig. 2 is a view of the artificial ageing unit according to the invention. The patinating equipment is shown in three steps: 2a, the products put into the patinating equipment; 2b, the matrix having come in contact with the products; and 2c, the matrix completely down over the products.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of three different embodiments of the matrix itself for ageing according of the invention; the design of the matrices depend on the products to be aged/applied irregular edges, corners and surfaces.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a concrete block before and after treatment with the patinating unit. 4a is before and 4b is after treatment. Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a block facility for making concrete blocks such as paving stones, flagstones and blocks. The production boards 2 are moved one by one forward in the block machine 4. Concrete 6 is delivered to the block machine 4 via concrete conveyors 8 from a not shown concrete mixer. The concrete 6 is supplied to a not visible mould in the block machine 4. The mould 10 consists of a cellular lower part and a matrix upper part, where the matrix fits down into respective cells. The concrete in the mould is vibrated and compressed into the products 12 on the production boards 2. The production boards 2 with concrete products 12 are then moved on a transport path 14 to a lift 16 which is filled gradually. When the lift 16 is filled, a finger cart 18 takes the filled production boards 2 and brings them into a high bay storage 20 where the individual production boards 2 are disposed on respective shelves, not shown, where the products harden. The finger cart 18 then retrieves a load of hardened products in another passage in the high bay storage 20 and moves them to a destacking lift 22. The destacking lift 22 lowers the individual production boards with products 2, 12 and the production boards with products 2, 12 are moved on a transport path 24 to a palletiser 26. The palletiser 26 picks up each layer of products 12 from the production board 2 and brings them over and stacks the products 12 into a stack 28, typically on a truck pallet 30. The stack 28 is moved out for further handling by the dispensing path 32. When the palletiser 26 has removed the products 12 from the production board 2, it continues by a transport path 32 to a production board turner 34 which is handing over the production boards 2 to a production board stacker 36. When the production board stacker 36 has made a stack 38, the production board stack 38 is moved on a transport path 40 to the block machine 4. The production board stack 38 is moved into the production plate stack magazine 42 of the block machine 4 in which the stack 38 is destacked from below, and the production boards 2 are moved one by one into the block machine 4.

A patinating unit may advantageously be disposed on a transport path 24 between the destacking lift 22 and the palletiser 26 if just there is a spacing of more than a couple of production boards 2. The invention is used in a method for making concrete blocks with irregular edges and/or surface as mentioned above, whereby the contours of the concrete blocks 12 are worked by a patinating equipment imparting the blocks an artificially aged appearance, where one or more concrete blocks 12 placed on a production board 2 are moved to the patinating equipment, the equipment including at least one matrix 45 adapted to be brought in contact with the part of the surface of the concrete blocks 12 to be worked, and means 50 for lifting and lowering, respectively, the production board 2 with the concrete blocks 12 to be worked up against the matrix 45, or for lowering the matrix 45 down against the production board 2, and imparting vibrations to the production board 2 or the matrix 45.

Fig. 2a, the products 12 have just stopped on the production board 2 in the patinating unit, the top part 44 of the patinating unit is here shown in an elevated position above the recently arrived products 12, the top part 44 is suspended in the lifting tube 50 and consists of a number of matrices 45 that correspond in extent to the associated products plus half of the gap 47 between the individual products 12 on the production board 2. The matrices 45 are mounted on a mounting and support plate 46 which is connected to the lifting tube by adaptors (48). These adaptors 48 can possibly be made of a flexible material such that the matrices 45 mounted on the mounting plate and support plate 46 are flexible and can yield a little in order to compensate for possible variation in height of the products 12 across the production board 2. The vibration table 52 which constitutes the lower part of the patinating unit appears under the transport path. The transport path 24, which is shown here as a rollerway with rollers 54 resting on the side members 56, supports the production boards 2 with the products 12. In its initial position, the vibration table 52 is lowered under the level of the production board such that the production board 2 with products 12 can go into the patinating unit. Fig. 2b shows the situation after the upper part 44 of the patinating unit has just been lowered to a position where the block catchers 49 on the matrices 45 are just above or at level with the top side of the products 12 on the production board.

The matrices 45, which are larger than the product 12 in extent, have a block catcher 49 at each corner in this embodiment in order to guide and centre the products 12 under the matrices 45. Fig. 2c shows the situation where the vibration table 52 is lifted up and has come in contact with the production board 2, and at the same time as the vibrator, not shown, has been started, the vibration table 52 has continued is ascension until the products 12 have come into complete contact with the matrices 45. After some activation time, the products 12 are lowered again, clear of the matrices 45. This process of lifting the products 12 in contact with the matrices 45 can be repeated several times in order to reinforce patination/ageing appearance, typically three to five times. Whether it is the vibration table 52 that lifts the products 12 up into contact with the matrices 45, or it is the matrices 45 that are lowered for coming into contact with the products 12, is immaterial - the result is the same.

Fig. 3 shows three different matrix designs according to the invention.

Fig. 3 a is a matrix 45 which only patinates corners and edges, the Figure showing a matrix plate 45 which is brought in contact with the top side of the concrete product in order to provide the aged appearance. The four downward projecting corners 49 act as block catchers when the matrix is lowered in order to get in contact with the products 12. The curvature 58 is the part of the matrix 45 providing breaking of the edges and corners of the concrete products. The lower edge of the curvature 58 corresponds largely to the outer limitation of the concrete product, acting as a breaker for the edge when the sloping sides 60 have guided the concrete block in and centred the concrete block after the block catcher 49 has caught the concrete product.

Fig. 3b is a matrix 45 which apart from patinating corners and edges also provides the product with slightly more patination partly by knocking off a little more of the edge and partly by damaging the surface of the concrete product. The increased patination of the edge is achieved by the addition of one or more knobs 62 on the sloping catcher face 60, typically with various shapes such as edged or rounded shapes as shown. The enhanced patination of the surface is provided in that a number of knobs 64 for patinating the surface are disposed on the surface of the matrix 45 facing down against the concrete product. These knobs 64 can also have different shapes in addition to the rounded shown here. In order to achieve different patination, the knobs 62 and 64 are disposed differently on the surface of the individual matrices facing down against the product.

Fig. 3 c is a matrix 45 which in addition to patinating corners and edges also provides the product with a surface patination in that the surface of the matrix 45 facing down towards the concrete product is designed with a spiky surface 66. This spiky surface 66 will patinate the surface of the concrete product such that the concrete product is provided a more patinated appearance and will be more similar to a concrete product that has been exposed to years of use.

It is of course possible to combine the reinforcements of both patinations, the knobs 62 and the spikes 66, in order to achieve a more patinated look.

Another combination is that matrices 45 with different combinations of the patinating matrices 45 referred to in Fig. 3 are used such that the treated concrete products 12 on the production board 2 are provided different patinating treatments. If this is combined with varying number of patinating sequences, varying pressure on the matrices 45, as well as varying frequency and amplitude of the vibrator in the vibration table 52, a very individual patinated appearance of the concrete products 12 is obtained.

Fig. 4a shows a concrete product before the treatment where it can be seen that all faces and edges are geometrically correct, and all edges and corners appear perfectly sharp. The surface 68 and the side faces 70 of the product form a sharp transition 72. Fig. 4b shows a product patinated by a matrix 45 as shown in Fig. 3a. Because of the way by which the matrix 45 has caught the concrete product, and the number of patinating sequences to which the product has been subjected, it can be seen that the previously sharp geometrical edges and corners 72 have now been broken off, and the edge between the surface 68 and the sides 70 is now constituted by an irregular transition 74. The product 12 has been provided a patinated appearance and now looks like a product which has been exposed to years of use and influence of weather. List of position numbers

2. production board

4. block machine

6. concrete

8. concrete conveyor

10. mould

12. concrete product

14. transport path

16. lift

18. finger cart

20. high bay storage

22. destacking lift

24. transport path

26. palletiser

28. stack

30. truck pallet

32. dispensing path

34. production board turner

36. stacker

38. stack of production boards

40. transport path

42. production board stack magazine

44. patinating unit

45. matrix for artificial patinating

46. mounting and support plate for matrices

47. gap between individual products

48. adaptor, possibly flexible

49. block catchers

50. lifting tube

52. vibrator

54. roller in rollerway

56. side member in rollerway 58. curvature on matrix

60. sloping sides operating to centre the products

62. knob for further patinating edges of products

64. knob for further patinating surface of products

66. spiky pattern for patinating surface of products

68. product surface

70. product side

72. sharp edge between surface and side on product

74. broken edge between surface and side on product

10

Claims

1. A method for producing concrete blocks with irregular edges and/or surface, characterised in that the contours of the concrete blocks is worked by a patinating equipment imparting the blocks an artificially aged appearance, where one or more concrete blocks placed on a production board are moved to the patinating equipment, the equipment including at least one matrix adapted to be brought in contact with the part of the surface of the concrete blocks to be worked, and means for lifting and lowering, respectively, the production board with the one or more concrete blocks to be worked up against the at least one matrix or for lowering the at least one matrix down against the production board and imparting vibrations to the production board or the at least one matrix, while the overhanging matrix simultaneously with the vibration is pressed against the concrete products, or the concrete products

simultaneously with the vibration are pressed against the overhanging matrix.

2. Method according to claim 1 , characterised in that co-ordinated with the means for lifting the production board there are provided means for removing knocked off concrete bits and dust.

3. Method according to one or more preceding claims, characterised in that while vibrations are imparted the at least one matrix or production board can be moved up/down one or more times.

4. A patinating equipment including at least one matrix arranged in a suspension, wherein the at least one matrix is designed to be brought in contact with the surface of a concrete block, where the concrete block is placed together with several similar concrete blocks on a production board, and where a surface and/or edges are to be worked on the concrete block,

the equipment comprising:

a conveying path suited for insertion into an existing conveying path; means for lifting the production board or lowering the at least one matrix relative to the conveying path; and

- means for imparting vibrations to the production board or the at least one matrix.

5. Patinating equipment according to claim 4, characterised in that a number of concrete blocks are placed on the production board, and that a corresponding matrix is arranged above the production board.

6. Patinating equipment according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the at least one matrix on the part intended for contact with the concrete block is provided with one or more irregularities and/or knobs and/or spikes.

7. Patinating equipment according to claim 4, 5 or 6, characterised in that the at least one matrix is flexibly suspended, either in that each single matrix is connected to the suspension by flexible means, or in that the suspension is flexibly connected to the patinating equipment.