Compaction device for concrete block molding machine

• US 4,802,836 A
• Filed: 07/13/1987
• Issued: 02/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gilles Whissell
• Original Assignee: Gilles Whissell
• Inventors: Whissell, Gilles
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Jay H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Housel, James C.
• Application Number:
  US07/073,228
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 425/253, 425/254, 425/255, 425/260, 425/344, 425/346, 425/351, 425/357, 425/358, 425/413, 425/419, 425/421, 425/422, 425/424, 425/432, 425/452, 425/456, 425/448, 100/237, 100/269 R
• US Class Current: 425/253
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 17/0081 Process control
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 3/022 combined with vibrating or jolting
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 3/06 with two or more ram and mould sets

Abstract

A compaction device for a concrete block molding machine, comprising a mold formed with cells opened at the top and at the bottom, and filled with a no-slump concrete mix. The mold freely rests either on a pallet or vibrating table, which acts as bottom wall for the mold. Compaction shoes, equal in number to the number of cells in the mold, are sized, configured and positioned above the mold so that they may snugly fit into the mold cells. The shoes are mounted at the lower ends of power jacks which are connected to a same fluid pressure source or, alternatively, are altogether in fluid communication. The power jacks are operative to move the compaction shoes over the concrete mix in the cells so as to apply to the mix in each cell, preferably, in the final cycle of vibration, an equal compaction pressure suitably selected to produce concrete blocks having a maximum equal density or more uniform desired or selected physical properties. With the mold held stationary, the support table or pallet may thereafter be moved down away from the mold to allow the concrete blocks to be dislodged from the mold by the downward movement of the compaction shoes. Alternatively, the shoes may be held stationary, above the pallet standing underneath and the mold is moved up, leaving on the pallet a row of dislodged blocks.

Claims

1. In a concrete block molding machine of the type comprising:

a stationary mold formed with a plurality of vertical cells, each of said cells having an open top and an open bottom;

closure means located beneath the mold to close the bottoms of the cells of said mold;

means for moving said closure means vertically towards and away from the mold;

means for filling the cells of the mold with a non-slump concrete mix when the closure means has been moved toward the mold and is closing the bottoms of the cells of said mold;

compaction means for applying a compaction pressure onto the mix poured in the cells, said compaction means comprising;

head plate located above the mold;

a plurality of compaction shoes connected to said head plate, said compaction shoes being equal in number to the number of cells in the mold and each sized, configured and positioned above the mold for snug insertion into one of the cells of said mold, and

means for moving said head plate and compaction shoes bodily towards the mold to apply a predetermined compaction pressure over the mix in the cells; and

vibrating means for vibrating the mold while a compaction pressure is applied onto the mix in the cells;

the improvement wherein said molding machine further comprises;

a plurality of fluid power jacks equal in number to the number of compaction shoes, each of said power jack supporting one of said shoes and comprising a cylinder and a piston rod telescopically mounted within the cylinder for linear, non-rotatable displacement therein, said displacement being such that each power jack has a working stroke essentially equal to a predetermined allowable difference in height of the concrete block to be molded in the corresponding cell; and

means for interconnecting the power jacks so that the cylinders of all of said power jacks are in fluid communication with each other;

whereby an equal compaction pressure is applied by each compaction shoe in each cell when the compaction means are operated, thereby allowing production of concrete blocks having the same maximum density in all of said cells.

2. An improved molding machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means connected to the power jacks for simultaneously applying the same fluid pressure in the cylinders of said jacks so as to transmit to the concrete mix in each cell an equal compaction pressure through said cylinders, rods and compaction shoes.

3. An improved molding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said power jacks are hydraulic power jacks.

5. An improved molding machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the closure means forms part of a vibrating table acting as said vibrating means.

6. An improved molding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each compaction shoe is integral with its corresponding power jack.

7. An improved molding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cells of the mold have different heights and the power jacks are sized to accommodate this difference in height to apply an equal pressure in each cell.

8. An improved molding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cells in the mold have different shapes and sizes and the power jacks are sized to accommodate this difference in shape and size to apply an equal pressure in each cell.

4. An improved molding machine as claimed in claim I, wherein the closure means consists of a pallet mounted on a support and the molding machine further comprises conveyor having a top surface alignable with the support of the pallet when said support is away from the mold, for allowing translation of the pallet, and concrete blocks thereon, onto said conveyor.