AU7396998A - Forming of mouldings - Google Patents

Description

P/001011 2815/91 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor Westcoast Gyprock Pty Ltd Philip Leslie Barker Address for service is: WRAY ASSOCIATES 239 Adelaide Terrace Perth, WA 6000 Attorney code: WR Invention Title: "Forming of Mouldings" Details of Associated Provisional Application Nos: P07648 1 July 1997 PP0728 3 December 1997 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- ~nar~clT~rrsarraavnrxaarpra~ 3 i~ The present invention relates to a method of forming elongate mouldings such as decorative mouldings which may be used as cornices.

Throughout the specification the term "paper' shall be taken to include any form of covering that can be used in forming of decorative mouldings and which may be formed of paper, cardboard, plastics, textile or like material which is capable of being folded to form a casing.

Throughout the specification the terms "plaster" and "plaster slurry" shall be taken to comprise any form of settable composition which can be mixed in a liquid form and which after a period of time will set to form a solid composition.

10 Accordingly the invention resides in a method of forming elongate mouldings Sutilising a mould comprising a pair of elongate elements which are adapted to be interengaged, each element having a moulding face, where the moulding faces combine to define an elongate moulding space conforming to the configuration of the elongate moulding when the elements are interengaged, said method comprising folding a strip of paper to conform to the outer profile of the moulding to provide a casing for the moulding, said method further comprising locating the casing over the moulding face of one of the elements and positioning the other element over the one element such that the moulding face of the other element overlies the casing and the moulding faces define the space, introducing a plaster slurry into the casing in order to fill the mould and allowing the plaster slurry to set.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the method further comprises closing one end of the mould, prior to introducing the plaster slurry into the casing from the other end.

According to a further preferred feature of the invention the method comprises positioning the mould in an upwardly directed position at which position the closed end is lowermost prior to the introduction of the plaster slurry.

lrr~a~nrrnaR;J-~i~sar~n~r~-a;ar~oa~r~r I I According to a further preferred feature of the invention the method further comprises in retaining the mould in the upwardly directed position until the plaster slurry has hardened.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the method further comprises stacking a plurality of moulds one upon the other in side by side relationship with their ends located in substantially the same plane and clampingly retaining the moulds in the stacked condition prior to the introduction of the plaster slurry jj and clampingly disengaging the moulds from each other on substantial completion of the curing of the plaster slurry. According to one preferred embodiment the elongate moulds are stacked upon a base frame, an upper frame is then located on the stacked elongate moulds, a clamping means is .mounted between the base frame and the upper frame and a clamping force is applied to the stacked elongate moulds by the base frame and the upper frame said clamping force being applied substantially uniformly to the stacked moulds.

According the invention also resides in an elongate mould for use in forming elongate mouldings according to the above method and comprising a pair of elongate elements which are adapted to be interengaged, each element having a moulding face which moulding faces combine to define an elongate space conforming to the configuration of the elongate moulding when the elements are interengaged.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the opposed exterior faces of the mould are configured to enable the moulds to be nestably stacked one upon the other whereby when the moulds are stacked one upon the other they are uniformly supported one upon the other for the length of the elongate moulds.

According to a further preferred feature of the invention the moulding faces are associated with locating means to each side of the moulding face which are capable of interengagement when the elements are interengaged to accurately locate one element on the other and to seal the junction between the elements srmn~nr~;~- rasmpn-pm mr~ Salong the respective side of the elongate space. According to one preferred embodiment the locating means comprises a rib on one element which is snugly receivable in a groove provided the other element- The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of several specific embodiments. The description is made with f reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of the form of mould according to the first embodiment; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of the form of mould according to the second embodiment: Figure 3 is a side elevation of a plurality of stacked moulds located in a clamping means according to the first embodiment; and Figure 4 is an end elevation of the stacked moulds and clamping means shown at Figure 3.

The first embodiment relates to a method and means for forming cornices from plaster where the cornices are provided with an outer coating of paper.

According to the first embodiment a strip of paper is caused to pass through a roll former which has rollers capable of folding the strip of paper longitudinally to Sform a casing 11 having a configuration which is generally corresponds to that moulding. The casing 11 is intended to be used with a mould 12 which is of the form shown at Figure 1 has a lower portion 13 and an upper portion 14 which is receivable over the lower portion 13 Each portion has a moulding face 20 and 21 which cooperate withe each other when the two portions are brought together to define between themselves a moulding space 15 corresponding in configuration to that of the intended moulding.

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In the case of the form of mould of the first embodiment shown at Figure 1 the abutting edges of the upper and lower portions are formed such that they can be matingly interengaged whereby when they are so engaged they are unable to move transversely relative to each other- In addition each portion is formed to be substantially self supporting and to this end each lower portion 13 is provided with a pair of intermediate longitudinal webs 16 on their outer face and the upper portion 14 is provided with a pair of lateral webs 17 to each side. As a result the outer configuration of the mould is generally that of an elongate rectangular prism and as a result the mould is able to be stacked upon a mould of corresponding form and is able to receive upon it another mould of corresponding form. The interengagement between the moulds is facilitated by the use of a locating rib 18 which is provided along the length of the undersurface of each side of the lower portion 13 and a complementary groove 19 provided along the upper surface of the side members 17 of the upper portion 14 which are interengagable and which enable the moulds to be stacked one upon the other and to be positively retained in position with respect to each other.

In use the casing 11 is located on the lower portion 13 of the mould and the upper portion 14 of the mould is then placed over the lower portion 13. Prior to closing the mould one end of the casing is closed by locating a plug (not shown) in one end of the casing where the plug is shaped to sealingly close the one end of the mould when it is closed. According to the embodiment a number of moulds are assembled in the manner described above to accommodate a folded casing. The moulds are then stacked one upon the other to form a stack and the stack is then placed on a base frame 31 which has a substantially planar support surface. A number of stacks 30 of moulds, each being of the same height, are positioned in side by side relationship on the base frame An upper frame 32 having a lower surface which is substantially planar is then applied over the stacks 30 of moulds and the base frame 31 and the upper frame 32 are the interconnected by tie rods 33 and a clamping force is applied by the tie rods between the frames to clampingly hold the stacks of moulds -6together. The base frame 31 is provided with an upstanding end plate 34 which will extend across the space between the frames when they are clampingly interengaged. In locating the moulds in position the closed ends of the moulds are located in abutting relationship with the end plate 34 The assembly comprising the frames 31, and 32 and the stacks 30 of moulds is the raised such that it is supported by the end plate 34 and the moulds are substantially upright.

A plaster slurry is then introduced into the moulding space 15 within each of the moulds until the moulding space has been completely filled by the slurry. It has been found that the hydrostatic pressure created by the slurry in the upright moulds serves to ensure that the casing is forced into intimate engagement with the moulding faces of the mould. Once each mould has been filled the plaster slurry is allowed to set. and once set the assembly is returned to the horizontal position as shown at Figures 3 and 4. The tie rods are then removed and the i: upper frame is lifted from the assembly. The moulds can then be removed from 15 the base frame and the upper portion 14 is removed from the lower portion 13 of each mould which enables the formed moulding to be removed from the mould 12.

The second embodiment uses a form of mould as shown at Figure 2 which comprises using a pair of identical sections 113 and 115 to form each moulding space where the opposed faces of the section define one 120 and the other 121 moulding faces of the mould whereby on the sections being stacked one upon the other the opposed moulding faces of adjacent sections define the moulding space conforming to the desired shape of the elongate moulding. In addition the side face of the section is tormed with a rebate 122 along one edge and an upstanding web along the other edge whereby the rebate is dimensioned and configured to be complementary to the upstanding web 123 whereby on a pair of sections being interengaged the webs 123 at each side of one section are received in the rebates 122 provided on the other section to positively retain the sections in interengagement with each other. m In addition the face of the section having the upstanding web 123 is formed with a groove 124 between the upstanding web 123 and the moulding face 120, while the opposed face of the section is formed with a rib 125 between the rebate and the other moulding face 121 where the groove 124 and the rib 125 are of complementary configuration.

The rib 124 and the groove 125 to each side of the respective moulding faces serve to provide further positive interengagement between the sections and also seal the junction between the adjacent sections at the edges of the moulding space defined by the adjacent sections.

The mould of the second embodiment is used in substantially the same manner as has been described in relation to the first embodiment in the forming of the elongate mouldings. However the form of mould as shown at "igure 2 enables a single section to be used to provide each element of the mould and as a result in the forming of the stacks of moulds the casings can be located in position on the uppermost moulding face of the stack before the next section is applied to the stack: According to an alternative embodiment the assembly of the frames and moulds of the first embodiment need not be raised to the upright position but may be raised to an inclined position According to another alternative embodiment the assembly of the frames and Smoulds of the first embodiment are not be raised substantially and the plaster slurry is injected under pressure into the moulds This may however involve S 20 raising the assembly to an inclined position if it is deemed appropriate.

i Each of the embodiments of the present invention as described above provide a means of forming elongate mouldings more rapidly and with less the labour which has been traditionally required in the formation of such mouldings.

Throughout the specification. unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise' or variations such as -comprises' or comprising', will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

-8- It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention need not be limited that the particular scope of the embodiment described above.

I j ere

Claims (10)

1. A method of forming elongate mouldings utilising a mould comprising a pair of elongate elements which are adapted to be interengaged, each element having a moulding face, where the moulding faces combine to define an elongate moulding space conforming to the configuration of the elongate moulding when the elements are interengaged, said method comprising folding a strip of paper to conform to the outer profile of the moulding to provide a casing for the moulding, said method further comprising locating the casing over the moulding face of one of the elements and positioning the other element over the one element such that the moulding face of the other element overlies the casing and the moulding faces define the space. introducing a plaster slurry into the casing in order to fill the mould and allowing the plaster slurry to set.

2. A method of forming elongate mouldings as claimed at claim 1 wherein the 15 method further comprises closing one end of the mould, prior to introducing the plaster slurry into the casing from the other end.

3. A method of forming elongate mouldings as claimed at claim 2 wherein the method further comprises positioning the mould in an upwardly directed position at which position the closed end is lowermost prior to the introduction of the plaster slurry.

4. A method of forming elongate mouldings as claimed at claim 3 wherein the method further comprises retaining the mould in the upwardly directed position until the plaster slurry has hardened. A method of forming elongate mouldings as claimed at any one of claims 2. 3 or 4 wherein the method further comprises stacking a plurality of moulds one upon the other in side by side relationship with their ends located in substantially the same plane and clampingly retaining the moulds in the stacked condition prior to the introduction of the plaster slurry and clampingly disengaging the moulds from each other on substantial completion of the curing of the plaster slurry.

6. A method of forming elongate mouldings as claimed at claim 5 wherein the elongate moulds are stacked upon a base frame, an upper frame is then located on the stacked elongate moulds, a clamping means is mounted between the base frame and the upper frame and a clamping force is applied to the stacked elongate moulds by the base frame and the upper frame said clamping force being applied substantially uniformly to the stacked moulds. S 10 7. An elongate mould for use in forming elongate mouldings according to the method as claimed at any one of claims 1 to 6 comprising a pair of elongate elements which are adapted to be interengaged, each element having a moulding face which moulding faces combine to define an elongate space conforming to the configuration of the elongate moulding when the elements are interengaged.

8. An elongate mould for use in forming elongate mouldings as claimed at claim 7 wherein the opposed exterior faces of the mould are configured to enable the moulds to be nestably stacked one upon the other whereby when the moulds are stacked one upon the other they are uniformly supported one upon the other for the length of the elongate moulds.

9. An elongate mould for use in forming elongate mouldings as claimed at any one of claims 7 or 8 wherein the moulding faces are associated with locating means to each side of the moulding face which are capable of interengagement when the elements are interengaged to accurately locate one element on the other and to seal the junction between the elements along the respective side of the elongate space. -11- An elongate mould for use in forming elongate mouldings as claimed at claim 9 wherein the locating means comprises a rib on one element which is snugly receivable in a groove provided the other element.

11.An elongate mould for use in forming elongate mouldings as claimed at any one of claims 7, 8, 9 or 10 wherein each element is of substantially the same Scross section where one face is formed to provide one moulding face and the opposed face is formed to provide the other moulding face.

12.A method of forming elongate mouldings substantially as herein described. S13.An elongate mould for use in forming elongate mouldings according to the method as claimed at any one of claims 1 to 6 and claim 12 substantially as herein described. Dated this thirtieth day of June

1998. SWESTCOAST GYPROCK PTY LTD Applicant Wray Associates Perth, Western Australia Patent Attorneys for the Applicant i I: