Claims
- 1. A press for making articles from a high water-to-cement ratio concrete slurry, said press comprising a plurality of spaced apart, generally vertically oriented frame means disposed adjacent the opposite sides of and defining a platen receiving space,
- upper and lower platen means disposed within said space in generally parallel spaced apart relation, said lower platen means being constructed and arranged to support a concrete containing mold having sides presented toward the frame means on the opposite sides of said space,
- first force producing means coupled to one of said platen means for moving the same toward the other of said platen means thereby to compress the concrete in said mold,
- a plurality of wedge means, at least one of said wedge means being disposed between each of the sides of said mold and said frame means disposed on each of the sides of said space, each of said wedge means being mounted for generally vertical movement into and out of high pressure wedging engagement between the respectve sides of said mold and said spaced apart frame means on the opposite sides thereof for exerting a force inwardly toward said mold in opposition to the forces tending to deform the mold laterally as said mold is compressed between said platen means,
- selectively operable force producing means for selectively moving each of said wedge means vertically on said frame means and into and out of high pressure engagement with the adjacent side of said mold,
- means for conveying said mold into and out of said space through the ends of said frame means, pivotally mounted clamping means positioned adjacent the path of said mold and each of the ends of said mold,
- and third force producing means operatively connected to said clamping means for selectively pivoting said clamping means out of said mold path and into said path for exerting a longitudinal clamping force on the ends of said mold and for moving said clamping means out of the path of said mold to permit insertion and withdrawal thereof.
- 2. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein said wedge means comprises wedging members mounted on said frame means for sliding generally vertical movement between said frame means ad said mold, said wedging members having an inclined surface presented toward said mold side whereby said inwardly directed forces are increased or decreased as said members are moved in one generally vertical direction or the other on said frame means.
- 3. The invention set forth in claim 2 wherein a plurality of said frame means are provided and each includes generally vertically extending opposed side leg portions joining a laterally extending portion and spaced from said mold sides, said portions defining said platen receiving space, one of said wedging members being disposed on each of a plurality of said side leg portions at each side of said mold and between said leg portions and said mold.
- 4. The invention set forth in claim 3 and including an elongate force transmitting member disposed between the sides of said mold and said wedging members for distributing the force exerted thereby to said mold sides.
- 5. The invention set forth in claim 4 wherein said selectively operable means includes hydraulic cylinder means coupled to each of said wedging members for exerting a force thereon generally parallel to said mold sides for moving said wedging member into and out of said high pressure wedging engagement with said mold sides and for maintaining said pressure during the molding operation.
- 6. A press for making articles from a hgih water-to-cement ratio concrete slurry, said press comprising:
- a plurality of generally vertically oriented frame means, each of said frame means including an upper, laterally extending portion, and generally vertically extending opposed side leg portions joining said laterally extending portion, said portions defining a platen receiving space,
- upper and lower platen means disposed within said space in generally parallel spaced apart relation, said lower platen means being constructed and arranged to support a concrete containing mold one of said platen means being movable toward the other,
- a plurality of wedging members, one of said wedging members being disposed between at least some of said side leg portions and said mold and engageable therewith,
- first force producing means is coupled to said frame means and to said movable platen means for moving the same toward the other platen means to compress the concrete in said mold and so that said frame means is subjected to tensile stress when said movable platen means is moved into high pressure engagement with said mold,
- said wedging members being mounted on said frame means for sliding vertical movement between their associated side leg portions and said mold, said wedging members having an inclined surface presented toward said mold whereby said inwardly directed forces are increased or decreased as said members are moved in one vertical direction or the other on said frame means,
- selectively operable force producing means operative to force said wedging members into and out of high pressure welding engagement with said mold and said frame means,
- an elongate force transmitting member disposed between the sides of said mold and said wedging members for distributing the force exerted thereby to said mold sides,
- means for conveying said mold into and out of said space through the ends of said frame means,
- pivotally mounted clamping means positioned adjacent the path of said mold and each of the ends of said mold,
- and third force producing means operatively connected to said clamping means for selectively pivoting said clamping means out of said mold path and into said path for exerting a longitudinal clamping force on the ends of said mold during a molding operation and for moving said clamping means out of the path of said mold to permit insertion and withdrawal thereof.
- 7. The invention set forth in claim 6 wherein said first force producing means comprises a plurality of extensible and contractible hydraulic work cylinders each coupled to the laterally extending portions of said frame means and to said upper platen means for moving the same vertically, said lower platen means being fixedly supported.
- 8. The invention set forth in claim 7 including support means disposed along laterally opposed sides of said platen receiving space for supporting a mold at an elevation above said stationary lower platen means when the mold is transported between said platen means, and elevating means operatively coupled with said support means for selectively moving the same to said elevation and for lowering said mold onto said stationary lower platen means.
- 9. The invention set forth in claim 8 including conveyor means for conveying a mold that is supported on base means through said press, said conveyor means comprising roller chain means and longitudinally spaced apart base engaging means carried thereby, said chain means being disposed for translation on laterally opposite sides of said platen receiving space, means operable between two positions and adapted to support a mold base while it is being conveyed in said space, said elevating means when operated to at least one position elevating said mold supporting base means so as to be engageable by said base engaging means on said chain means, the aforesaid base engaging means being constructed and arranged to permit said base means to be lowered from its elevated position in said press while said engaging means are engaged.
- 10. A press for molding concrete articles from a concrete slurry of high water-to-cement ration, comprising:
- frame means having vertically spaced upper and lower laterally extending parts and laterally opposite leg means extending downwardly from said upper parts, said parts and leg means defining an opening in the frame means,
- a stationary horizontally disposed lower platen mounted in said opening on said lower part for receiving a mold having sides facing said leg means,
- an upper horizontally disposed movable platen in said opening above said lower platen means and defining a mold receiving space therebetween,
- extensible and contractible hydraulic work cylinder means connected to said upper platen and reacting between said platen means and said laterally extending upper part of the frame means, and
- force transmitting means interposed between opposite sides of said mold and said opposite leg means for transmitting to said leg means and transversely thereto lateral forces generated in a mold when it is being pressed between said platens and for producing a positive counter force directed inwardly toward said mold, said force transmitting means comprising a generally vertically movable wedge element slidably mounted on said leg means disposed between each of said leg means and engageable with said mold sides, and hydraulic cylinder means for selectively moving each of said elements generally vertically and into and out of high pressure wedging engagement between said leg means and said mold sides and for maintaining said positive counter force during the molding operation,
- means for conveying said mold into and out of said opening throuugh the ends of said frame means,
- pivotally mounted clamping means positioned adjacent the ends of said frame means, said clamping means having a first position displaced from the path of said mold and a second position for engaging a mold in said opening,
- and force producing means operatively connected to said clamping means for selectively pivoting said clamping means between its first and second positions and into and out of high pressure longitudinal clamping engagement with the ends of said mold and for moving said clamping means out of the path of said mold to permit insertion and withdrawal thereof.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 225,575, filed Feb. 11, 1972, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
440,568 |
Jul 1967 |
CH |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
225575 |
Feb 1972 |
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