Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B28—WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE
  • B28B—SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER
  • B28B23/00—Arrangements specially adapted for the production of shaped articles with elements wholly or partly embedded in the moulding material; Production of reinforced objects
  • B28B23/005—Arrangements specially adapted for the production of shaped articles with elements wholly or partly embedded in the moulding material; Production of reinforced objects with anchoring or fastening elements for the shaped articles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B28—WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE
  • B28B—SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER
  • B28B23/00—Arrangements specially adapted for the production of shaped articles with elements wholly or partly embedded in the moulding material; Production of reinforced objects
  • B28B23/0043—Arrangements specially adapted for the production of shaped articles with elements wholly or partly embedded in the moulding material; Production of reinforced objects with gaskets or sealing elements, e.g. for tunnelings or man holes
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B28—WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE
  • B28B—SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER
  • B28B7/00—Moulds; Cores; Mandrels
  • B28B7/0064—Moulds characterised by special surfaces for producing a desired surface of a moulded article, e.g. profiled or polished moulding surfaces
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B28—WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE
  • B28B—SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER
  • B28B7/00—Moulds; Cores; Mandrels
  • B28B7/02—Moulds with adjustable parts specially for modifying at will the dimensions or form of the moulded article
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21D—SHAFTS; TUNNELS; GALLERIES; LARGE UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS
  • E21D11/00—Lining tunnels, galleries or other underground cavities, e.g. large underground chambers; Linings therefor; Making such linings in situ, e.g. by assembling
  • E21D11/38—Waterproofing; Heat insulating; Soundproofing; Electric insulating
  • E21D11/385—Sealing means positioned between adjacent lining members

Definitions

• This invention relates to a moulding apparatus for moulding articles in a settable material, and more particularly but not exclusively to a moulding apparatus for moulding a concrete article such as a segment of a lining for a tunnel, or a pipeline.
• Moulds are known for moulding tunnel linings or pipeline segments. These comprise a base having a moulding recess into which concrete is poured. The recess is bounded by sides and ends at least one of which is configured so that the corresponding end and/or side edge of the concrete segment is provided with formations which are used in assembly of the segments to form the tunnel lining or pipeline.
• the end and/or side edges may be formed with grooves which receive sealing gaskets, and/or the end or side edges may be formed with formations which enable or facilitate connection of the segment to an adjacent segment in the tunnel lining or pipeline.
• At least one end or side of the moulding recess requires forming to a desired configuration.
• Such known moulds are typically made in a material such as concrete, timber or metal.
• tunnel lining or pipeline it is usual for a tunnel lining or pipeline to be made up from a variety of different configuration tunnel lining/pipeline segments. Whilst the majority of segments for each of a plurality of rings of segments which are arranged end to end may be the same, to enable the ring to be completed, at least one, usually two or three of the segments need to be of different configurations. Thus to produce a ring of segments typically two or three different moulds are required to produce all the necessary alternative configuration segments.
• moulds which are constructed out of a kit of moulding apparatus parts in accordance with the exact form of the article to be moulded.
• these have to be disassembled to remove the moulded article from the mould.
• they are time consuming to use as they require assembling and disassembling for each use.
• a moulding apparatus for moulding articles in a settable material
• the moulding apparatus including a primary part having a base and a plurality of mould edges
• the moulding apparatus being characterised in that it further includes at least one insert which is arranged to extend along a mould edge to provide with the primary part a moulding recess into which settable material is introduced, the insert having a surface which faces inwardly of the moulding recess which is configured so that an edge of the article moulded in the moulding apparatus is provided with a desired formation, the insert being removable from the primary part with the moulded article.
• the inwardly facing surface or surfaces of the insert or inserts may be configured to produce an article with a desired edge formation.
• articles with different edge configurations may be produced by changing the insert or inserts or selecting an appropriate insert or inserts.
• the invention is particularly but not exclusively applicable for producing articles which in plan view four sided, e.g. generally rectangular in configuration, having pairs of opposed ends and sides, in which case there may be provided an insert configured to form at least one of the edges of the ends or sides with the desired formation, but preferably, a pair of inserts are provided in the moulding apparatus to form edges of both of one of a pair of end or side edges at least, with desired formations.
• the insert is removable after use preferably at least part of the insert is either re-usable, or the insert or part of the insert becomes permanently attached to the settable material.
• the insert may be made of a suitable plastics material, such as a fibre reinforced resin, so that the surface thereof which faces inwardly of the moulding recess may readily be configured.
• the insert may include a gasket which becomes attached to the settable material, e.g. to facilitate subsequent sealing between two adjacent articles.
• the inwardly facing surface of the insert includes a recess so that the corresponding end or side edge of the resultant article will have a protuberance.
• the inwardly facing surface of the insert may have a protuberance so that the corresponding end or side edge of the resultant article will have a recess.
• the protuberance may include an outwardly extending anchor means which anchors the gasket in the suitable material.
• the insert may be a unitary structure, or may be made up of insert parts which together form the insert.
• the insert may have a main body and one or more auxiliary parts and the main or one of the auxiliary parts may become attached to the suitable material whilst the auxiliary or main parts may be removable subsequent to moulding.
• the inwardly facing surface may be provided with a variety of configurations. Thus it is unnecessary to provide a different insert for each insert configuration.
• the primary part is monolithic having a base and integral mould edges, and the mould edge of the primary part along which the inset extends and the adjacent edge of the insert, may be configured, e.g. plain, to permit and facilitate the moulded article and insert to be removed together from the primary part when the settable material has set.
• the insert will extend along substantially the full extent of the mould edge.
• the invention has been particularly developed for use where the article to be moulded is a tunnel lining or pipeline segment which is four sided, e.g. generally rectangular in plan view, but in which the base of the primary part is curved.
• a tunnel lining or pipeline segment which is four sided, e.g. generally rectangular in plan view, but in which the base of the primary part is curved.
• appropriately curved end edges of the segments may be provided with desired formations using inserts, whilst straight mould edges may bound the moulding recess to form side edges of the segments which are adapted to co-operate with side edges of adjacent segments.
• the insert or inserts may include or support fixings during moulding which fixings become embedded in the settable material of the segment during moulding, and are subsequently used to connect or facilitate connection of the segment to another segment.
• the settable material is typically concrete.
• a method of moulding an article in a settable material using a moulding apparatus including a base and one or more mould edges characterised in that the method includes placing into the moulding apparatus at least one insert which is arranged to extend along a mould edge to provide, with the base, a moulding recess, and introducing into the moulding recess moulding material, the insert having a surface which faces inwardly of the moulding recess which is configured so that the article moulded in the moulding apparatus is provided with a desired edge formation.
• the moulding apparatus may have any of the features of the moulding apparatus of the first aspect of the invention.
• FIGURE 1 is a perspective illustrative view of a moulding apparatus for use in the invention
• FIGURE 2 is a view similar to figure 1 but showing a pair of inserts prior to their placement in the moulding apparatus;
• FIGURE 3 is a view similar to figure 2 but with the pair of inserts in place;
• FIGURES 4a, 4b, and 4c are illustrative cross sectional views of an insert adapted to provide three alternative formations in an article to be cast.
• FIGURE 5 is an illustrative view of a segment made in a moulding apparatus of the invention.
• moulding apparatus 10 which in this example is made in concrete from a concrete master generally of the configuration of an article to be made using the moulding apparatus 10.
• the moulding apparatus 10 is for moulding a tunnel lining segment of the kind which, together with a plurality of similar segments, may be assembled together to produce a ring of segments.
• the tunnel lining is made up of a plurality of such rings of segments arranged end to end.
• a similar moulding apparatus to that shown at 10 may be utilised to produce pipeline or other curved segments.
• the invention is however applicable to moulds more generally and the example described below is only one application of the invention.
• the moulding apparatus 10 has a primary part 11 providing a recess 12.
• the primary part has a base 14 which is curved and of the shape of the segment to be produced, which curve is largely governed by the diameter of the tunnel lining to be produced.
• the primary part has a plurality of mould edges, in this example four mould edges 15-18, which bound the base 14 and which with the base 14 define the recess 12.
• the primary part 11 of the moulding apparatus 10 cannot be disassembled, and preferably is monolithic i.e. made as a single piece.
• the recess 12 would have been a moulding recess into which concrete would be cast, and the mould edges 15, 17 would have been configured to provide the moulded article with sides of a desired configuration, e.g. having a recess to receive a sealing gasket, whilst the mould edges 16, 18 would have been configured to provide the moulded article with ends of a desired configuration, e.g. having both a recess later to receive a sealing gasket for sealing between two adjacent segments in use, and supporting fixings by means of which the segment may be connected end to end with an adjacent segment.
• At least the end edges of the article to be moulded are configured with a desired formation or formations, by using a pair of mould inserts as indicated at 20 and 21.
• Each of the inserts 20, 21 may be made in a suitable plastics material such as a fibre reinforced resin to high tolerances, and each insert 20, 21 is thus provided with formations indicated at 25, 26 in a surface 28 thereof which in use faces inwardly of the recess 12 so that in the resultant segment end edge, there is provided a protuberance which may be received in a recess of the adjacent segment opposing end edge.
• Opposite outwardly facing sides 28a of the inserts 20, 21 are generally plain, as are the adjacent mould edges 16, 18, and thus are configured so that the inserts 20, 21 are removable from the primary part 11 of the moulding apparatus 10 with the resultant segment, when the concrete has set.
• the inserts 20, 21 are curved so as to extend along the curved base 14.
• the inserts 20, 21 are shown in figure 3 positioned alongside the adjacent mould edges 16, 18 and are thus supported by the mould edges 16, 18.
• one or both of the inserts 20, 21 may be positioned inwardly of the adjacent mould edge 16, 18 so that segments of different lengths L may be produced, again using the same basic moulding apparatus 10.
• the insert 20 may be modified to provide different configuration edge formations in the segment to be moulded, using auxiliary mould parts.
• an auxiliary mould part such as shown at 30 in figure 4b may be placed in a recess 25 of a main body part 31 of the insert 20, and extend outwardly of the recess 25 to form a recess in the segment end edge.
• auxiliary insert part 30 may be shaped as desired, and in the example shown is chamfered as indicated at 35, so that the resultant recess in the end edge of the segment to be produced is particularly shaped to accommodate a sealing gasket of a corresponding configuration, but with a space around the sealing gasket into which the gasket may deform when a pair of segments are connected together edge to edge with a gasket between them.
• the insert 20 is shown with a pair of alternative configuration auxiliary insert parts 46, 47 received in sides of the recess 25 of the surface 28 thereof. Between them, there is located a rubber gasket 36.
• the gasket 36 as the concrete is cast, becomes attached to the concrete, so that it is unnecessary later, to insert a gasket between two segments to be connected together.
• the gasket 36 includes in this example, an integral anchor means A, which includes a formation which extends away from the recess 25 in the insert 20, into the moulding recess, the formation including a plurality of laterally extending tangs B which assist in anchoring the gasket 36.
• the auxiliary insert parts 46, 47 are removed to leave gaps to the sides of the gasket 36, into which the gasket 36 may be deformed when the segment is connected to another segment.
• the gasket 36 may have hollows H to assist deformation, and may include a strip or strips of hydrophilic gasket material, to assist sealing in wet conditions.
• anchoring means may be provided as required for a particular gasket configuration.
• FIG 5 there is shown a segment 50 moulded in the moulding apparatus 10 of the previous figures, the segment 50 having ends 16a, 18a and sides 15a, 17a, one of the ends 16a having a protuberance 51 and the other of the ends 18a having a corresponding recess 52, the protuberance 51 being adapted to be received in a recess 52 of an adjacent segment.
• Opening 53 extends throughout the length L of the segment 50 and is formed by placing a rod or the like in the recess 12 of the moulding apparatus 10 so as to extend between and be supported in the moulding recess 12 by the pair of inserts 20, 21.
• a through opening 53 may be used to accommodate a connecting rod whereby the segment 50 may be connected end to end with an adjacent segment.
• Opening 54 accommodates a receptor box 56 with which a T shaped connector may be engaged, again to enable the segment 50 to be connected to an adjacent segment.
• the receptor box 56 is placed in the moulding apparatus 10 and is supported by an insert 20 or 21 so as to extend inwardly of the moulding recess 12, whereby the receptor box 56 is embedded in the concrete when the concrete is introduced into the moulding apparatus.
• Opening 55 accommodates an alternative configuration receptor 57 with which a fixing may engage to align and connect the segment 50 to an adjacent segment during construction of the tunnel lining, pipeline or other construction.
• segment 50 would usually have only one kind of edge connector or connectors, and that the three alternative types have only been shown in one segment for illustrative purposes.
• connectors may include cast-in threaded inserts for curved connector bolts, simple dowels to aid location of adjacent segments, or bolts.
• segments 50 with different arrangements of fixings embedded in the concrete can be produced using a common basic moulding apparatus 10, because different inserts or auxiliary insert parts may be used to support different fixings in different positions along the end edges 16, 18 of the moulding apparatus 10, as desired.
• the invention has been described in relation to a moulding apparatus 10 etc. for producing tunnel lining/pipeline segments, it will be appreciated that the invention may be applied to producing other moulded articles in other than concrete particularly where it is necessary to produce a variety of similar articles with varying side, end or other edge features.
• the article produced need not be rectangular as is the segment 50 of figure 5, and need not be curved such that the base 14 of the moulding apparatus 10 need not be curved.
• an insert may be provided along all of the mould edges 15-18. At least one of these inserts may become attached to the cast material, for example to envelope the edge of the cast article, for reinforcement of the concrete.
• the moulding recess may be closed with a lid through an opening in which the concrete or other settable material may be introduced into the moulding recess.
• a lid may be curved and correspond in shape to the base 14.
• the inserts 20 need not be of plastic as described, but could be made of other materials such as steel, timber or even concrete.
• the base 14 of the moulding recess 12 need not be smooth as shown, but may be configured to enable a coffered inwardly facing surface to be produced.
• an insert may be placed on smooth base 14, the insert having a inwardly facing surface with coffered type formations.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Geology (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Lining And Supports For Tunnels (AREA)
• Rigid Pipes And Flexible Pipes (AREA)
• Compositions Of Macromolecular Compounds (AREA)
• Lining Or Joining Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (3)

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• 1999
  • 1999-07-07 GB GB9915794A patent/GB2351692A/en not_active Withdrawn
• 2000
  • 2000-06-28 AT AT00940636T patent/ATE261804T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2000-06-28 AU AU55547/00A patent/AU5554700A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-06-28 EP EP00940636A patent/EP1192028B2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2000-06-28 WO PCT/GB2000/002476 patent/WO2001003897A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 2000-06-28 DE DE60009067T patent/DE60009067D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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