Claims
- 1. An apparatus for the production of wall panels having openings for doors and windows by perpendicular superposition of rows of blocks wherein said blocks have mortar disposed between both their horizontal and vertical faces in which said apparatus comprises:
- a. a conveying means adapted to support and transport a row of blocks;
- b. means for aligning said blocks with their intended vertical faces horizontally oriented;
- c. first applying means for applying mortar of a predetermined thickness onto the intended vertical faces of said blocks;
- d. means for turning said blocks by 90.degree. after passage from said first applying means whereby the intended vertical faces are oriented vertically and the intended horizontal faces are oriented horizontally;
- e. means for bringing the intended vertical faces together to form vertical joints;
- f. second applying means for applying mortar of a predetermined thickness onto said intended horizontal faces of said turned blocks;
- g. second aligning means disposed adjacent to an end section of said conveying means for aligning portions of a row of blocks into groups which form piers when rows of blocks comprising said groups are stacked on top of another; and
- h. means for transporting a predetermined number of said blocks onto a horizontal support so that a row of a wall panel of such blocks is formed.
- 2. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein a third applying means is disposed adjacent to said conveying means for applying mortar of a predetermined thickness to additional blocks which are inserted onto the conveying means subsequent to said turning means.
- 3. An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said second aligning means comprises a plurality of sighting levels each operatively engaged with a stop, said sighting levels and stops being secured to a pivot arm arranged to pivot said sighting levels and stops to engage groups of blocks and align them according to predetermined orientations, said pivot arm also being operative to pivot said sighting levels and stops to a position so that said means for transporting can lift the blocks off of the end section of said conveying means.
- 4. An apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein said means for transporting is disposed on a frame which is movable over a floor surface or the like, said frame enabling said means for transporting to lift blocks off of said conveying means and stack said blocks into wall panels, said wall panels being produced in a line one after another.
- 5. An apparatus as described in claim 3 wherein means for introducing lintels onto said conveying means is disposed adjacent to said conveying means at a position following said turning means.
Priority Claims (2)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
| 2253816 |
Nov 1972 |
DT |
|
| 2333709 |
Jul 1973 |
DT |
|
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This application is a Continuation-in-Part of applicant's co-pending application Ser. No. 409,005 filed on Oct. 23, 1973 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,228 issued Nov. 19, 1974.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the manufacture of prefabricated wall panels by vertical stacking of blocks or brick rows which are grouped on a conveyor system from individual blocks. Mortar is then applied by two separate devices to both vertical and horizontal mortar joints and the block row is placed by means of a gripper onto a descending support. Another embodiment of the present invention which is the subject of this Continuation-in-Part application sets forth a method and an apparatus for constructing a wall panel having openings for doors and windows or the like. Also, crosspieces may be automatically inserted into a conveyor system transporting individual blocks and the gripper may be utilized to place the crosspieces in blocks onto the descending support.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The making of wall panels by stacking block rows having a horizontal joint of mortar is known. It is also known to fill the vertical joints after block rows have been stacked. Further, it is known to build wall panels mechanically by individually placing the blocks and filling the vertical joints. The filling of the vertical joints after the blocks or block rows have been placed in a panel has several disadvantages with regard to the production capacity for the manufacturing of such panels, and also with regard to the strength and dimensional precision of same.
To fill several vertical joints, mortar has to be applied by several supply lines periodically interrupted. Because of the partial setting of the mortar during these pauses, uneven supply and filling of the vertical joints results in lower wall strength. Another attendant disadvantage is that when the individual blocks are grouped in walls and transferred to the panel, they are not connected by a vertical mortar joint and thus the alignment to the panel face can change in the process. Furthermore, filling of the vertical joints of the blocks slows down the production process.
A further disadvantage of the process is that the blocks require a special shape for the vertical joints and, therefore, more expensive block material may be required.
Previous methods of prefabricating block wall construction are known. A method is known to apply the mortar on the blocks to form only a horizontal joint as disclosed in the Austrian patent No. 252,089 of Feichtinger, in which blocks are moved through a mortar applicating device, are then tilted 90.degree. after the mortar is applied, and are then closed up in groups where the mortared faces are in a common vertical plane and moved to a horizontal form to be grouped into horizontal panels. However, this method does not provide for a vertical mortar joint in the finished vertical panel and has a further disadvantage in that the mortar may run off during assembly leading to an unevenly filled horizontal joint and resulting in mortar build-up on the conveyor system.
Another method is disclosed in an application of applicant, Ser. No. 186,628, filed Oct. 5, 1971 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,428 issued Feb. 5, 1974 and divisional application thereof Ser. No. 413,459 filed Nov. 7, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,981, in which a device and method are disclosed for manufacturing prefabricated wall panel blocks in which rows of blocks are placed upon a conveyor belt so as to leave gaps between the rows. A feeding device then supplies special blocks to at least partially fill these gaps. In the next step mortar is applied to the upper faces of the rows of the blocks, whereupon the rows are then transferred from the conveyor to a descending support device in which panels are created by stacking the rows.
3. Brief Description of the Invention
The present invention contemplates a method and apparatus in which blocks initially are fed onto a system of conveyors so that the intended vertical joint faces are first oriented in a horizontal plane, while the intended horizontal joint faces are first oriented vertically perpendicular to the direction of travel of the blocks. The blocks are then transferred onto the next belt of the conveyor system and controlled to form a closed-up row which moves under a mortar applying device so that mortar is applied onto the intended vertical joint faces of the blocks. After the mortar band is applied to this intended vertical joint, the blocks are individually tilted 90.degree. so that the intended vertical joint mortar band faces are indeed vertical and facing the vertical joint of the preceding block. The blocks are then pushed together by transfer onto a slower moving belt of the transport system so that the vertical joint mortar bands are compressed against the vertical joint faces of the preceding blocks to a required joint thickness, which will determine the length of the row and the width of the panel. Mortar is then applied to the horizontal joints by means of a second mortar applying device, whereupon the now completed row of mortared blocks is transferred to a further belt or the transport system and moved forwardly against a stop, whereupon the entire assembled and mortared block row is picked up by means of a grabbing crane or similar device which places the row of blocks onto a descending support to form a wall panel. The process is repeated until the desired length and height of a wall panel is manufactured.
Advantages achieved by the present invention are that the vertical joint is formed by a simple method in the production system, such that the vertical joints can be made to have different profiles with a wall having higher strength when compared to other known methods. Also of advantage is the possibility of applying the vertical joint with different bands or layers of mortar. For example, several separated bands or layers could be applied to increase the insulation of the wall in the vertical joint area. Applying the vertical joint mortar on a row of blocks at a fixed distance from the conveying support also provides for dimensional precision in the mortar band thickness. After the tilting of the blocks, the horizontal joint is formed with a layer of mortar predetermined by the second mortar applying device such that two dimensional precision (i.e., the thickness of both vertical and horizontal mortar joints) for the manufacturing of the wall panel is assured.
A further advantage is the exact dimensional precision of and uniformity of the vertical as well as the horizontal joints from inside to the outside faces of the block rows, so that a face block panel with a required aesthetic joint appearance can be made.
Additional features of the present invention reside in the insertion of different sized blocks and lintels onto the conveying system so that a wall panel having openings for doors and windows or the like may be constructed. In this embodiment of the invention, there is a final conveyor or place in readiness path wherein blocks may be aligned into piers and then transferred by means of a grabbing crane onto a wall panel. After the piers have been built to a predetermined height, another row of blocks having lintels is set on top of the piers by means of the grabbing crane so that a crosspiece is set over the doors and windows. Additional rows of blocks may then be transported by the grabbing crane onto the preceding blocks and lintels to form a completed wall panel.
The present invention also contemplates the use of a traveling grabbing crane which is constructed in a frame movable along a horizontal direction on a floor surface wherein the gripping means may be moved over the entire height of a wall panel formed. This feature enables wall panels to be built up having doors and windows wherein the wall panels may be placed in rows one behind the other. This is advantageous from a production standpoint in that a wall panel so formed may be allowed to remain where it is placed until the mortar is set. With prior art devices, before another wall panel could be placed on a floor surface by the grabbing crane, the previously formed wall panel had to be moved. Such a system hindered the efficiency of a wall panel instruction production line.
The above enumerated advantages of the instant invention are not apparent in any of the other known methods. The present invention is an improvement of the automatic manufacturing of prefabricated block wall panels and results in high quality as well as high production capacity.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide individual blocks with both a vertical and horizontal joint before they are grouped into wall panels, so that the vertical as well as the horizontal joints may be formed precisely and in accordance with the demands of a required wall panel specification.
It is another object of the present invention to make the joint thickness and shape in conformance to a particular construction, for example, with two parallel mortar bands or layers on the vertical joint before the block row is compressed and fed into the wall panel, so that the vertical joint is filled reliably and in even distribution.
It is a further object of the present invention to increase block wall panel stability and strength while providing increased dimensional precision.
Another object of the present invention is to form block layers in the length of a wall panel automatically, and in which mortar is applied to the vertical and horizontal joints which allow the blocks to be stacked to form wall panels in a succeeding step to achieve a required prefabricated wall structure.
A further object of the present invention is to form wall panels having openings for doors and windows or the like, wherein crosspieces are transported above the openings as a part of the production process.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide for production apparatus for forming wall panels in which different sized blocks may be inserted into the conveying system and also wherein lintels may be inserted into the conveying system, the lintels being used as crosspieces.
A further object of the present invention is to provide for apparatus in which wall panels of substantial length may be produced, the invention also enabling wall panels to be produced in stacks one behind the other so that a wall panel has sufficient time to become stable before being moved.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide for a wall panel construction apparatus wherein blocks may be set up at a distance from one another on the conveying system so that insulating material can be filled in between the blocks.
Additional objects of the present invention reside in the specific construction of the exemplary apparatus hereinafter particularly described in the specification and shown in the several drawings.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
409005 |
Oct 1973 |
|
Patent Grant
3930929
