EP2372034B1

EP2372034B1 - Device for coiling and cutting reinforcing fibres and for the production of capsules made of a coiled fibre and a wrapper of glue or frozen water

Info

Publication number: EP2372034B1
Application number: EP10466033A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Karel Pospisil
Original assignee: Centrum Dopravniho Vyzkumu VVI
Current assignee: Centrum Dopravniho Vyzkumu VVI
Priority date: 2010-12-16
Filing date: 2010-12-16
Publication date: 2013-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 2030-12-16
Also published as: EP2372034A1

Description

Background of invention

The invention concerns a device for coiling and cutting reinforcing fibres and for the production of capsules made from a coiled fibre and a wrapper of glue or frozen water for fibre reinforced concrete.

State of the art

The concrete is characterized by low tension strenght. For that reason concrete elements, which are exposed to tension stress, bending stress or shear stress are reinforced. Most traditional method for reinforcing of elements is by steel reinforcement, which creates so-called "steel reinforced concrete" or by prestress reinforcement, which creates so-called "pre-stressed concrete". In the last few decades a technology of "fibre concrete" has been developped, wherein tension forces are absopted by plastic, glass or metal fibres. Ideally said fibres should be uniformly dispersed in a tension stressed part of the concrete element and oriented so that their maximum reinforcing effectivity is reached. By known technologies with use of fibres there is not sufficient effectivity of dispersion and clusters of a non-uniformly dispersed reinforcement, are created. Consequently the fibres do not offer sufficient reinforcement and there are local breaking strength areas. When the clusters are close to the external surface of the construction, it is unaesthetic.
The documents US 3,616,589 and CA 2547694 A1 suggest adding steel fibers with diameters from 1,15 to 1,8 mm. The disclosure, however, does not mention any particular solution of the problem resulting from the formation of fibrous clusters and, besides that, the application of steel is unsuitable.
The document US 7,285,167 suggests adding carbon nanofibers. The disclosure does not mention any particular solution of the problem resulting from the formation of fibrous clusters.
The document US 4,565,840 suggests adding carbon fibers having dual length, the longer ones having the values of Young's module higher than the base concrete material has and, conversely, the shorter ones having the values of Young's module lower than the base concrete material has. The preparation of such dual fibers is arduous and, moreover, it is not obvious whether the embodiment provides a sufficient solution of the aforesaid problem resulting from the formation of fibrous clusters.
In DE 4214540 C1 a manufacture method of a fibre concrete is presented, where the plastic fibres are placed into soluble plastic bags, which are made by polyvinyl-alcohol. The geometry of the bags, which are used for this method, is different in comparison with the geometry of another part of the mixture; moreover arrangement of the bags is nonuniform. Furthermore insertion of the fibres into the bags is very complicated, whereas said method of insertion of the fibres into the bags does not solve the problem with the clumps of the fibres and does not solve the problem of nonuniform dispersion of the fibres.
In WO 01/64599 A1 a manufacturing method of fibred concrete is presented, where long ropes of fibres are placed into an epoxy matrice, which is let to dry. After it, those fibred sticks are cut into smaller parts of a lenght from 20 mm to 60 mm. Afterwards they are mixed into the concrete mixture. During this process the epoxide is not rendered soluble, so a clear fibred effect is not reached, and reinforcing is made by stakes instead of fibres. The covering of the fibres made of epoxy is not soluble so its chemistry has a negative effect on the chemistry of the concrete mixture.
In CZ 19399 U1 and CZ 19400 U1 capsules made by fibres and glue or ice, intended for reinforcing fibred concrete, are presented, including a method of its production and implementation, but these cited utility models do not describe a particular device for the production of the capsules. US 5907923 A shows a device for trapping fruit flies having most of the features of claim 1, but not suitable for cutting reinforced fibres.
The document EP-A-2206848 shows all the features of the preamble of claim 1.
The aim of the present invention is to present a device for coiling and cutting reinforcing fibres and for the production of capsules made from a coiled fibre and a wrapper of glue or frozen water for fibre reinforced concrete with added fibers.

Feature of the invention

The above mentioned disadvantages are considerably eliminated by the use of a device for coiling and cutting reinforcing fibres and for the production of capsules made from a coiled fibre and a wrapper of glue or frozen water for fibre reinforced concrete, characterized in that, it consists of a container and a cutter, the container consisting of a first closed, wall defining a first longitudinal opening in a first longitudinal direction parallel to the first closed wall, and a bottom closing that first longitudinal opening, the cutter consisiting of a second closed wall defining a second longitudinal opening in a second longitudinal direction parallel to the second closed wall, and an upper lid closing that second longitudinal opening, the second closed wall comprising a lower rim provided with a cutting edge suitable for cutting said fibres, wherein the cutter is slidably arranged inside the container in such a way that the first and second longitudinal directions become parallel and that the distance between the upper lid of the cutter and the bottom of the container is greater than the distance between said cutting edge and the bottom of the container, wherein the container and the cutter are so dimensioned that the second closed wall of the cutter slides in a tightly manner inside the first longitudinal opening defined by the first closed wall of the container, and wherein the cutter (6) is provided with an aperture in the upper lid and the container is provided with an opening in the first closed wall, intended for introducing the fibre to be coiled and cut.
In an advantageous embodiment the container and the cutter are made as cylinders.
In another advantageous embodiment the fibre is arranged in an unrolling roll.

Description of the drawings

The invention will be further explained by using the drawings, in which Fig. 1 presents a roll with an unrolled fibre, which is introduced into the device according to the invention, with schematicaly shown feeding device, Fig. 2 presents a detailed view of a device intended for the production of the capsules according to the invention and Fig. 3 presents details of cutting area with cutter and a bottom of a container.

Preferred embodiments of the invention

In Fig. 1 a roll 1 with wounded fibre 2 is presented, where the fibre 2 is introduced through an opening 7, which is placed on a casing of a container, into the container 3, which has a diameter of 5 mm to 7 mm and a height of 2 mm to 3 mm. The fibre 2 is caught by a fork 5 of a machine 4 and afterwards it is put into the container 3 by the said fork 5, where the fibre 2 hits an inner wall of the casing of the container and then it is coiled along that wall. Insertion of the fibre 2 is stopped immediately after insertion of a demanded length of the fibre 2, for example 20 mm. The machine 4 contains an electric motor or another suitable drive, intended for drawing the fibre 2 by the fork 5 into the container 3. The fibre 2 is held by the fork 5 until the fibre is not cut. Afterwards clamping of the fibre 2 by the fork 5 is unblocked and the machine 4 will shift the fork 5 into the determinated position, for example 20 mm backwards. Afterwards the fibre 2 is caught again by the fork 5 and said cycle is repeated.
In Fig. 2 the container 3 with an opening 7 is presented, through which the fibre 2 was introduced into the container 3. In the present embodiment there is a cutter 6 made as a cylindre, which consists of a wall 12 and a lid 13, which is pushed into the container 3 by circling movement. As well the container 3 is made as a cylindre, which consists of a wall 10 and a bottom 11. The wall 10 of the container 3 and the wall 12 of the cutter 6 are mutually modificated for their tight guide with a possibility of mutual circling guide and with a possibility of a mutual circling movement. It is clear that the wall 10 of the container 3 and the wall 12 of the cutter 6 can be e.g. elliptic or it can be constituted e.g. as a cuboid or in another shape. Disadvantage of such alternative shapes is the impossibility to use a circling movement for pushing the cutter 6 into the container 3.
When the cutter 6 is pushed approximately into the half of the height of the container 3 the fibre 2, which is passed through the opening 7, which is provided at the wall 10 of the container 3, is cut. Pushing of the cutter 6 into the container 3 is continued until its absolute insertion, in other words, until the edge 9 of the wall 12 will not be in contact with the bottom 11 of the container 3
In case the capsule is made by a fibre and frozen water, water is droped into the container 3, where the fibre 2 is coiled, through the aperture 8, which is placed in the lid 13 of the cutter 6, until completely flooding of the container 3. Afterwards the container 3, with inserted cutter 6 and with the flooded coiled fibre 2 inside is placed for few seconds into a container with liquid nitrogen. Afterwards the container 3 is removed from the deep freezing container, whereas the cutter 6 is pulled out from the container 3 and the capsule is pushed out from the cutter 6 by a thorn inserted into the aperture 8. The created capsules are placed into a common freezer for transportation or storing. The temperature of the capsule has to be under -18°C such as to prevent the joining of the capsules into one iced unit. Before being used the capsules are placed into a storage container, where the slightly mutually frozen capsules are separated due to vibration of the container, and afterwards they are applied into the concrete mixture.
In case the capsule is made by fibre and glue, the glue is droped into the container 3, wherein the fibre 2 is coiled, through the aperture 8, which is placed in the lid 13 of the cutter 6, unitil completely flooding of the container 3. Afterwards the container 3, with inserted cutter 6 and the flooded coiled fibre 2 inside it, is placed for few minutes into the dryer. Afterwards the container 3 is removed from the dryer, whereas the cutter 6 is pulled out from the container 3, and the capsule is pushed out from the cutter 6 by a thorn inserted into the aperture 8. The created capsules are placed into a dry atmosphere for transportation or storing. Before their use the capsules are placed into a container, wherein the slightly mutually glued capsules are separated due to vibration of the container, and then applied into the concrete mixture.
In Fig. 3 a detail of the wall 10 and the bottom 11 of the container 3 and of the wall 12 of the cutter 6 which is inserted into the container 3, is presented whereas the rim of the wall 12 of the cutter 6 is shaped into a cutting edge 9, which is able to cut the fibre 2 in accordance to the above mentioned description.
Advantageously, the present device for coiling of the fibres can be used in automated production lines, which can comprise up to tens of such devices, whereas manipulation of the fibres and the containers is provided by programmed manipulators.

Claims

Device for coiling and cutting reinforcing fibres and for the production of capsules made from a coiled fibre and a wrapper of glue or frozen water for fibre reinforced concrete characterized in that, it consists of a container (3) and a cutter (6) the container consisting of a first closed wall (10) defining a first longitudinal opening in a first longitudinal direction parallel to the first closed wall (10), and a bottom (11) closing that first longitudinal opening, the cutter (6) consisiting of a second closed wall (12) defining a second longitudinal opening in a second longitudinal direction parallel to the second closed wall (12), and an upper lid (13) closing that second longitudinal opening, the second closed wall (12) comprising a lower rim provided with a cutting edge suitable for cutting said fibres (9), wherein the cutter (6) is slidably arranged inside the container (3) in such a way that the first and second longitudinal directions become parallel and that the distance between the upper lid (13) of the cutter (6) and the bottom (11) of the container (3) is greater than the distance between said cutting edge (9) and the bottom (11) of the container (3), wherein the container (3) and the cutter are (6) so dimensioned that the second closed wall (12) of the cutter slides in a tightly manner inside the first longitudinal opening defined by the first closed wall (10) of the container (3), and wherein the cutter (6) is provided with an aperture (8) in the upper lid (13) and the container (3) is provided with an opening (7) in the first closed wall (10), intended for introducing the fibre (2) to be coiled and cut.
Device according to the claim 1, characterized in that, the container (3) and the cutter (6) are made as cylinders.
Device according to the claim 1, characterized in that, the fibre (2) is arranged in an unrolling roll (1).