Method And Apparatus For Highly Controlled Color Distribution In Mass Produced Concrete Products

• US 20090316515A1
• Filed: 08/10/2009
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rekers GmbH Maschinen- und Anlagenbau
• Original Assignee: Arjan Kemp, Bernhard Veerkamp, James Grossi, Matthew K. Morey, Robert Van Baarsel
• Inventors: Veerkamp, Bernhard, Van Baarsel, Robert, Kemp, Arjan, Morey, Matthew K., Grossi, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,147,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 366/8
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/005 Devices or processes for obtaining articles having a marble appearance producing decorative effects B44C; design of stone surfaces, e.g. marble, B44F9/04
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 13/022 Feeding several successive layers, optionally of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 13/023 by using a feed box transferring the moulding material from a hopper to the moulding cavities
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 17/0081 Process control

Abstract

A method and apparatus for highly controlled color composition and distribution within the face mix of semi-dry concrete mix paving stones.

Claims

1. A color blending apparatus for blending different colored semi-dry concrete mixes together, the different colored semi-dry concrete mixes being delivered to a mold from a feedbox, the feedbox moving over the mold in a reference direction, the apparatus comprising:

a conveyor for receiving two or more different colored semi-dry concrete mixes, the semi-dry concrete mixes received in a controllably variable position with respect to each other; and

a face mix hopper having a top portion for receiving the two or more different color semi-dry concrete mixes, the conveyor capable of movement to convey the two or more different colored semi-dry concrete mixes into the top portion across a width of the face mix hopper, in controllably variable positions across the width of the face mix hopper.

2. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the two or more different colored semi-dry mix comprise six different colored semi-dry mix.

3. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the two or more different colored semi-dry mixes comprise between two and six different colored semi-dry mixes.

4. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a feedbox for receiving the two or more semi-dry concrete mixes from the face mix hopper, the feedbox cycling between a first position under the face mix hopper to receive a portion of the two or more semi-dry concrete mixes, and a second position over a mold to distribute the portion of the two or more semi-dry concrete mixes to the mold.

5. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 4, the feedbox having a volume large enough to hold between two and five cycles worth of the semi-dry concrete mixes.

6. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 1, the controllably variable positions in which the two or more different color semi-dry concrete mixes are received on the conveyor comprise a first colored semi-dry concrete mix being spaced a controllable distance from a second colored semi-dry concrete mix, and the first colored semi-dry concrete mix partially or completely overlapping the second colored semi-dry concrete mix.

7. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 1, the controllably variable positions at which the two or more different colored semi-dry concrete mixes are distributed across the width of the face mix hopper by the conveyor comprise a first end of the face mix hopper, a second end of the face mix hopper opposite the second end, and any position between the first and second ends.

8. A color blending apparatus for blending different colored semi-dry concrete mixes together, the different color semi-dry concrete mixes being delivered to a mold from a feedbox, the feedbox moving over the mold in a reference direction, the apparatus comprising:

a first conveyor;

a plurality of dosing hoppers including a first dosing hopper for depositing an amount of a first colored semi-dry concrete mix on the first conveyor, and a second dosing hopper for depositing an amount of a second colored semi-dry concrete mix on the first conveyor in a controllably variable position relative to the first color semi-dry concrete mix deposited on the first conveyor;

a second conveyor for receiving the amounts of the first and second color semi-dry concrete mixes from the first conveyor;

a face mix hopper for delivering the different colored semi-dry concrete mixes to the feedbox, the second conveyor capable of controllably varying a placement of the first and second colored concrete semi-dry concrete mix in the face mix hopper in a direction generally perpendicular to the reference direction.

9. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the plurality of dosing hoppers comprise six dosing hoppers for supplying up to six different colored semi-dry concrete mixes.

10. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 8, further comprising a feedbox for receiving the first and second colored semi-dry concrete mixes from the face mix hopper, the feedbox cycling between a first position under the face mix hopper to receive a portion of the first and second colored semi-dry concrete mixes, and a second position over a mold to distribute the portion of the first and second colored semi-dry concrete mixes to the mold.

11. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 10, the feedbox having a volume large enough to hold no more than five cycles worth of the semi-dry concrete mixes.

12. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 8, the controllably variable positions in which the first and second colored semi-dry concrete mixes are supplied on the first conveyor comprise the first colored semi-dry concrete mix being spaced a controllable distance from the second colored semi-dry concrete mix, and the first colored semi-dry concrete mix partially or completely overlapping the second colored semi-dry concrete mix.

13. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 8, the controllably variable positions at which the first and second different color semi-dry concrete mixes are distributed across the width of the face mix hopper by the second conveyor comprise a first end of the face mix hopper, a second end of the face mix hopper opposite the first end, and any position between the first and second ends.

14. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 8, further comprising a first optical encoder for identifying a position of the first and second color semi-dry concrete mixes as the first and second color semi-dry concrete mixes move along the first conveyor.

15. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 14, further comprising a second optical encoder for identifying a position of the first and second colored semi-dry concrete mixes as the first and second color semi-dry concrete mixes move along the second conveyor.

16. A color blending apparatus for blending different concrete mixes together to form a concrete product, the apparatus including a coarse mix side having a coarse mix feed box supplying a first amount of semi-dry concrete mix to a mold, and the apparatus including a face mix side supplying a second amount of different colored semi-dry concrete mix to the mold, the first amount of semi-dry concrete mix being larger than the second amount of different colored semi-dry concrete mix, the face mix side of the color blending apparatus comprising:

a conveyor for receiving two or more different colored semi-dry concrete mixes;

a face mix hopper having a top portion for receiving the two or more different color semi-dry concrete mixes from the conveyor across a width of the conveyor; and

a face mix feedbox having a top portion for receiving the two or more different color semi-dry concrete mixes from the face mix hopper, the face mix feedbox supplying the two or more different color semi-dry concrete mixes to the mold, the face mix feedbox having a throughput of between 2 to 5 cycles.

17. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the two or more different colored semi-dry mix comprise six different colored semi-dry mix.

18. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the two or more different colored semi-dry mixes comprise between two and six different colored semi-dry mixes.

19. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising a feedbox for receiving the two or more semi-dry concrete mixes from the face mix hopper, the face mix feedbox cycling between a first position under the face mix hopper to receive a portion of the two or more semi-dry concrete mixes, and a second position over the mold to distribute the second amount of semi-dry concrete mixes to the mold.

20. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 16, the face mix feedbox having a volume of between 83 and 124 liters.

21. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 16, the face mix hopper having a volume of about 240 liters.

22. A color blending apparatus for blending different colored semi-dry concrete mixes together, the different colored semi-dry concrete mixes being delivered to a mold from a feedbox, the feedbox moving over the mold in a reference direction, the apparatus comprising:

a conveyor for receiving two or more different colored semi-dry concrete mixes; and

a face mix hopper having a top portion for receiving the two or more different color semi-dry concrete mixes and a bottom portion for distributing the two or more different color semi-dry concrete mixes received in the top portion to the feedbox, the face mix hopper having a columnar shape with a substantially constant cross-sectional area from the top portion to the bottom portion.

23. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 22, the face mix hopper having a volume of about 240 liters.

24. A color blending apparatus for blending different colored semi-dry concrete mixes together, the different colored semi-dry concrete mixes being delivered to a mold from a feedbox, the feedbox moving over the mold in a reference direction, the apparatus comprising:

a conveyor for receiving two or more different colored semi-dry concrete mixes; and

a face mix hopper having a top portion for receiving the two or more different color semi-dry concrete mixes and a bottom portion for distributing the two or more different color semi-dry concrete mixes received in the top portion to the feedbox, the face mix hopper having four substantially vertically oriented walls.

25. A color blending apparatus as recited in claim 24, the face mix hopper having a volume of about 240 liters.

26. A method of loading a face mix hopper with two or more different colored semi-dry concrete mixes, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) distributing the two or more different semi-dry concrete mixes onto a conveyor in a controllably variable position in relation to each other;

(b) conveying the two or more different concrete into a face mix hopper in a controllably variable position in relation to each other across a width of the face mix hopper.

27. A method of loading a face mix hopper with two or more different colored concrete mixes as recited in claim 26, the step of distributing the two or more different colored semi-dry mixes on the conveyor in a controllably variable position in relation to each other comprises the steps of spacing a first colored semi-dry concrete mixes a controllable distance from a second colored semi-dry concrete mixes, and/or partially or completely overlapping the first and second colored semi-dry concrete mixes.

28. A method of loading a face mix hopper with two or more different colored semi-dry concrete mixes as recited in claim 26, the step of conveying the two or more different colored semi-dry concrete mixes into a face mix hopper in a controllably variable position in relation to each other across a width of the face mix hopper comprises the steps of conveying the two or more different colored semi-dry concrete mixes to a first end of the face mix hopper, a second end of the face mix hopper opposite the first end, and any position between the first and second ends.