EP1674813A2

EP1674813A2 - Method for preparing brick elements for firing in a kiln

Info

Publication number: EP1674813A2
Application number: EP05027727A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ugo Zanrosso
Original assignee: Assounisol Srl
Current assignee: Assounisol Srl
Priority date: 2004-12-22
Filing date: 2005-12-19
Publication date: 2006-06-28
Also published as: EP1674813A3; ITMO20040342A1

Abstract

Method for preparing brick elements (1) for firing in a kiln, comprises positioning a face (19) of a brick element (1) in contact with a further face (20) of a further brick element (1), said positioning comprising engaging cooperating means (12, 13) of said face (19) and of said further face (20).

Description

The invention relates to a method for preparing brick elements for firing in a kiln.
Brick elements are known for building structures, which are used, for example, for covering floors, possibly reinforced with iron reinforcements which are arranged on rows of brick elements aligned with one another and which are fixed with a cast of concrete. Known brick elements are provided with side surfaces that enable a brick element to be placed alongside a similar brick element, with head surfaces that enable several brick elements to be arranged longitudinally and with base surfaces having an extent that is substantially greater than the side surfaces. The brick elements are produced by means of a clay-based mixture that, by means of a brick-moulding machine, is drawn and divided into parts of the desired length.
The brick elements produced by the brick-moulding machine are then conveyed to a drying station where they are arranged on racks, in such a way as to enable a quantity of excess water contained in the inside thereof to exit easily in the form of steam. Once dried, the brick elements acquire a mechanical resistance that is sufficient to enable arranging thereof in stacks, thus preventing the brick elements, on which the weight of further elements rests that are superimposed thereon, giving way. In particular, the brick elements are placed next to one another in such a way as to form groups of brick elements that are loaded onto conveying carriages and are advanced along rails that pass through a firing kiln. The groups of brick elements are arranged in such a way as to form superimposed layers. Each layer is formed of groups of brick elements arranged parallel to one another and which are arranged transversely to groups of brick elements associated with adjacent layers. In this way the currents of hot air of the kiln that advance upwards through convection lap the surfaces of the brick elements, enabling effective firing of the latter.
A drawback of known brick elements is that they cannot be arranged to generate stacks that are sufficiently stable and resistant to vibrations that occur during advancing of the carriages in the kiln. During the firing process, furthermore, the brick elements are subject to thermal-type shrinkages that provide further instability to the stacks arranged on the carriages. In particular, overturning of the brick elements can be generated with sudden load transfers that cause the stacks associated with the upper layers to fall. The fall of brick elements from the carriages can often cause an obstruction of the passage inside the kiln with grave consequences in financial and production cycle terms. In fact, a fall of brick elements inside the kiln causes the kiln to be switched off, so as to eliminate the obstruction of the passage, with consequent loss of time and financial harm. In fact, owing to the significant thermic inertia associated with the kiln structure, the blowing-out time of the latter is very long. Similarly, a very long time is required to ignite the kiln before the productive cycle is restored.
An object of the invention is to improve the methods for preparing the brick elements for firing in a kiln.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method that enables brick elements to be prepared for firing in a kiln with extreme reliability and rapidity, in such a way as to prevent the brick elements collapsing owing to stress, thereby occluding the passage through the kiln.
According to the invention, there is provided a method for preparing brick elements for firing in a kiln, comprising positioning a face of a brick in contact with a further face of a further brick element, characterised in that said positioning comprises engaging cooperating means of said face and of said further face.
Owing to the invention, it is possible to arrange brick elements in such a way as to generate stacks that are very stable to stress and can be moved with extreme reliability.
The stacks of brick elements are in this way resistant to shocks and vibrations that occur during advancing in the kiln and to relative movements between brick elements caused by shrinkages of thermal type that are generated during the firing phase.
Owing to the invention, it is furthermore possible to stack the brick elements with extreme rapidity and precision, thus significantly reducing the time required to arrange a face of a brick element correctly in contact with a further face of a further brick element.
The invention may be better understood and implemented with reference to the attached drawings, that illustrate some embodiments thereof by way of non-limitative example, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brick element;
Figure 2 is a frontal view of brick elements arranged to partially form a group of brick elements;
Figure 3 is a view that shows schematically stacks of brick elements arranged on a carriage for conveying into a kiln for firing.

With reference to Figure 1, a brick element 1 is shown provided with a pair of side walls 2 opposite one another, a pair of head surfaces 5 and a base surface 3 provided with grip grooves 9 that are used to join firmly the mortar and/or concrete to the brick element 1. The base surface 3 has an extent that is substantially greater than the surfaces of the side walls 2 and of the head surfaces 5. By means of the base surface 3 the brick element is laid in such a way as to generate a floor covering. The brick elements 1 can be arranged longitudinally in succession to one another, so that the head surface of a brick element meets the head surface of an adjacent brick element. Furthermore, metal reinforcements can be associated with the brick elements arranged as disclosed just above, which metal reinforcements are fixed to the brick elements with a concrete cast.
In this way beams are generated that can in turn be placed alongside one another to generate the floor covering.
The brick element 1 is lightened by longitudinal channels 6 that are also suitable for receiving utility pathways, and is provided longitudinally with a central groove 7 shaped in such a way as to receive metal reinforcing latticework. The central groove 7 is provided laterally with protruding longitudinal portions 8 that promote the adhesion of the mortar and/or the concrete to the brick element 1 through coupling in a shaping manner.
On the base surface 3 and on the surfaces of the side walls 2 that face the half way line of the brick element 1, further grip grooves 4 that enable the mortar or concrete to adhere firmly to the brick elements 1 are obtained.
Each side wall 2 is provided with a first side 10 that is coplanar with the base surface 3, and with a second side 11, opposite the first side 10 and extending to the brick element 1 in a longitudinal direction. On each first side 10 a recess groove 12 is obtained that extends longitudinally over the entire length of the brick element 1 and having a section that is semicircular in shape. On each second side 11 a projecting portion 13 is obtained extending over the entire length of the brick element 1, having a semicircular shape that is substantially complementary to the section of the recess groove 12. The side walls 2 are shaped in such a manner that by arranging the first sides 10 of a brick element in contact with the second sides 11 of a further brick element, the projecting portions 13 are received inside the recess grooves 12. Once the brick elements 1 have been extruded from a brick-moulding machine and subsequently been dried, this enables the brick elements 1 to be arranged to form stacks 14 that are very stable with regard to stress and/or vibrations. It is possible to arrange the brick elements 1 extremely easily and precisely, significantly reducing the time required to correctly arrange a face 19 of a brick element in contact with a further face 20 of a further brick element. Owing to the fact that the projecting portions 13 are received inside the recess grooves 12, the brick elements 1 are arranged in relation to one another in the correct position in a rapid and simple manner.
Once the brick elements 1 have been arranged in contact with one another to form groups 17 of brick elements, the position thereof to one another is fixed by means of straps 15 arranged transversely to each brick element 1. In this way, each strap 15 keeps the second sides 11 of a brick element pressed against the first sides 10 of a further adjacent element. Coupling the projecting portions 13 with the respective recess grooves 12 prevents the brick elements 1 from running in relation to one another in a direction that is transverse to the longitudinal axes thereof. This enables the groups 17 of brick elements to be moved with greater security and the latter to be transferred to a carriage 16, arranging the base surfaces 3 in a vertical position.
The groups 17 are placed on the carriage 16 so as to generate layers 18 that are superimposed on one another, each of which comprises groups 17 arranged parallel to one another. The groups 17 of a general layer 18a are furthermore positioned in such a way as to be arranged transversely to the groups 17 associated with a lower adjacent layer 18b and with an upper adjacent layer 18c. In this way the stacks 14 of brick elements 1 are stable to vibrations and/or to shocks and are ready to be conveyed to the kiln for firing by means of the carriage 16.

Claims

Method for preparing brick elements (1) for firing in a kiln, comprising positioning a face (19) of a brick element in contact with a further face (20) of a further brick element, characterised in that said positioning comprises engaging cooperating means (12, 13) of said face (19) and of said further face (20).
Method according to claim 1, wherein said engaging comprises introducing projecting means (13) of said face (19) into recess means (12) of said further face (20).
Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said positioning comprises arranging side surfaces (2) of a brick element in a coplanar manner in relation to further side surfaces (2) of a further brick element.
Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and furthermore comprising arranging strap means (15) for keeping said face (19) and said further face (20) in contact with one another in such a way as to generate groups (17) of brick elements (1).
Method according to claim 4, and furthermore comprising arranging said groups (17) in layers (18) in such a way as to form stacks (14) of brick elements (1).
Method according to claim 5, wherein the groups (17) associated with a layer (18) are arranged parallel to one another.
Method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein groups (17) associated with a general layer (18a) are arranged transversely to groups (17) associated with adjacent layers (18b, 18c).
Method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, and furthermore comprising advancing, through conveying means (16), said stacks (14) inside a kiln for firing.