US1375950A - Method and apparatus of forming concrete pots - Google Patents

Description

C. G. BEWLEY.

METHOD AND APPARATUS 0F FORMING CONCRETE POT S.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, I920.

INVENTOR' \flmef Esrry WW 6 ATTORNEY m 11 M R mfi f m 6 Z/ 4, a fi 76 L; A. .A 5 5% 1 .?4

ounce srra CLAUDE G. BEWLEY, or SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, AssIeNoR T0 sroxann CONCRETE FLOWER roar MACHINE co. 11m, A CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON.

METHOD AND APPARATUS OF FORMING CONCRETEJPOTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

Application filed. March 15, 1920, Serial No. 365,732.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that CLAUDE G. BEWLEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at nism; and No. 1,185,968, issued June 6, 1916,

for improvement in machine for molding plastic articles.

In all my prior devices, and in all devices now known to me, the rotating male and female members have been disposed in an upright position, the female member being the supporting mold member and being that member to which driving power is applied to rotate the male and female members in unison. In this class of devices, it is necessary to first introduce the material for forming the bottom of the pot, before the male members are introduced or lowered into position. Subsequently, the wall of the pot is tamped and formed. This method requires a practically definite initial delivery of a prescribed quantity of material for forming the bottom of the pot, dependent upon the size of the pot to be formed. F urthermore, I have found in practice that the bottom of the pot, as regards its exterior surface, is not as smoothly finishedas is de sired in some cases, likewise the rims are rough.

Many other'advantages and also a great simplification together with material in crease in speed and efficiency have all resulted from the use of my present invention wherein it is a special feature to reverse the positions of-the rotatingmembers from an upright to an inverted position. Thus in my present method and mechanism, the wall of the pot is first formed, and lastly, the bottom is formed.

It is a feature of my present invention to apply driving power to the male member, and to provide the'latter and the female member with means for supportingly centering the female member on the male memher in such a manner as to truly concentrically space the female member with respect tothe male member, the intervening space bemg the pot wall forming space. It is a feature of this invention to provide a female member which is open at both ends, the lowermost end being closed by its supportmg engagement with the male member, thus the finished product adheres to the female member and is removedfrom the male member when the female member is taken off from the former. This applies to pots of light weight and relatively small size. I

To facilitate removal of the product where the latter is relatively heavy, and of large size, it is a feature of my invention to provide a product liftingring whereby after the female member is removed with the product thereon, the product can be lifted off from the male mold without any danger of disintegration. In this connection, it is a special feature of my invention to so construct the members and the lifting ring that the latter will not only be truly centered in position when mounted on the male mold, but will also truly center the female mold and will further function to close the bottom of the intervening space between the molds and form a ledge against which the edge of the wall to be formed may rest.

My invention has to dowith an improved means for finishing or leveling off the material forming the pot bottom, together with means for forming and shaping said bottom in such a manner that the latter will not only be effectively tamped but will have no ridge or bead forming the line of demarkation between the bottom andthe wall of the pot as regards the exterior thereof.

As a method, my invention consists in first forming the wall of the pot while the mold is rotating and lastly finishing the bottom of the pot while the latter is in a state of movement.

Other features and objects of my invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing and will be .more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1, is a view in front elevation of my improved pot molding machine with parts in section.

Fig,- 2, is a. view partly in section and partly in elevation looking from the right of Fig. 1, these two views showing the feeding, tamping and leveling mechanism in position.

Fig. 3, is a view in front elevation, partly in section, with said mechanism withdrawn, and with the bottom forming mechanism in position.

F ig. 4, is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing the manner in which the product lifting ring is employed for molds of relatively large size.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawing.

I have fragmentally shown portions of the frame 1, sufliciently to distinguish between the movable and stationary parts as my invention does not relate to the frame structure. A suitable driven shaft 2 is journaled in any desired manner to rotate about a vertical fixed axis and on shaft 2 is rigidly mounted a male member 3, in an inverted position. The uppermost end of the member 3, designated at 4, is the pot bottom forming end, and the lowermost end 5 is provided with a ledge or flange to support the normally top edge of the pot to be formed. A protuberance 6, is provided on the end 4, for coaction with an element to be described, for forming the usual hole in the bottom of the pot when the machine is used for making flower pots. It will be seen that the wall 7 of the male member 3 is a straight tapering wall, the male member being in the form of a truncated cone.

The female member is designated at 8, and the same is inverted when disposed in an operative position and has an open upper end 9 and an open lower end 10, the latter being suitably shouldered at 11 so that the female member will be truly centered on the flange 5 in exact concentric relation with the male member. The female member is provided with a recessed portion 12 for forming the usual shoulder on a flower pot and the upper portion is suitably beveled at 13, to guide a former into position as will presently appear.

I will next refer to a feeding and tamping mechanism which I am not claiming specifically in this case, and which I have briefly shown, said mechanism being very similar to that shown in my previously idenblock 19 is spring controlled.

shown in said figure, abreast of the open top of the members Or into a retracted position leaving the top of the molds absolutely free and accessible, as far as said mechanism is concerned, as shown in Fig. 3, for operation of the forming mechanism. The material is delivered down the trough 17 and the tamping bar 18 extends through the open top of the female member and tamps the wall of the pot as the members rotate in unison. This tamping operation continues until the wall is formed up to the level of the top 4 of the male member 3.

The material is delivered continuously in a manner to 'fill up the female member 8 and cover the top 4, subsequent to completion of the wall.

I will next describe a pressing and leveling means which is not shown in my prior patents and which is a special feature of this invention.

This pressing and leveling means is illustrated in the form of a block 19 which in one dimension, is clearly shown in Fig. 2, the other dimension being shown in Fig. 1. A slight space 20 remains between the left handside of the block 19 and the trough 17 for delivery of material to fill space above member 8 after the wall of the pot has been formed. A space 21 provides clearance from the tamping bar 18. This leveling A rod 22 mounted on wall 15 has a spring 23 interposed between a lug 24, on said block 19, and a washer 25 to exert pressure on said block to press down the leveled material. This rod 22 will be of suflicient length so that this leveling block, when the wall of the pot is being formed, can be lifted up and turned laterally so that its bottom 26 will be supported on the edge 27 of frame 16, thereby permitting a free flow of material into the members. After the wall is formed, and either before or after the material is delivered for forming the bottom of the pot, this block 19 can be adjusted into the position shown in Fig. 2, so that it will function to press and level off the material performing the pot bottom on a level with the top edge 28, of mold 8, or approximately so. In the present showing, the bottom face 26 projects slightly into the member 8 to press and level off the material approximately at the lower edge of the beveled portion 13. After the pot wall has been formed and the pot bottom has been leveled off, then the entire mechanism on frame 14 shifted out of position to the right of Fig. 2 leaving the top of member 8 entirely free and unobstructed.

I will next describe the novel means of forming the pot bottom, which is the last forming step.

A vertically shiftable rod 29 is journaled in suitable bearings 30 and a cam 31, mounted on shaft 32, may serve to shift said rod 29 from the lower position shown in Fig. 3 to the upper position shown in Fig. 1. A collar 33, on said rod 29, may be connected with a spring 34 which is likewise suitably connected with the frame of the machine. This spring resists upward shifting movement of rod 29, and as shown, is so connected that it will normally act to rotate rod 29 in the direction of the arrows shown. A cam 35, on rod 29, has a flattened face 36 which is adapted to coact with a fixed lug 37 to hold the rod 29 in the position shown in Fig. 1. An arm 38 is mounted on the top of said rod 29 and when said arm is thrown into an operative position it descends between and is retained in position by the forked members 39 and 40 of a bifurcated plate 41. The portion 39 is somewhat shorter than the portion 40 to permit the bar 38 to readily descend. therebetween. The precise mechanism for permitting said bar 38 to swing about the rod 29, as an axis. is not essential to my invention and I do not wish to be limited thereto except as the claims may import, as many other specific ways of controlling said bar 38 may be devised. The mechanism shown, holds the bar 38 either in inoperative or operative positions and also functions to normally actuate the bar 38 from an inoperative to an operative position. As a matter of fact, this feature of my invention would be entirely operative if the arm 38 were wholly manually actuated although the mechanism employed facilitates a more rapid operation.

A former 42 is secured in arm 38, adjustably, by means of a screw 43, and the former 42 has a diameter closely fitting the open beveled end 13 of the member 8. As will be clearly seen by reference to Fig. 3, the lower face of the former 42 merges with the top of the inner wall surface of the member 8 in such a manner as to insure continuity of the exterior of the pot where the wall joins the bottom in a sharp corner, thereby avoiding the formation of a bead or ragged ridge. This former has a cavity 44, coacting with protuberance 6 to form a hole in the bottom of the pot and the configuration of the face 45 of the former 42 is such as to impart a shoulder on the bottom of the pot, or in other words, to cause the perforated portion of the pot to be slightly elevated with respect to the supporting portion of the pot, as is common in flower pots.

Now it will be seen that the former 42 constitutes non-rotative means for engagement with the material of the pot bottom to smooth and form the same flush with the exterior pot wall while the members are rotating. However, I find in practice that the best results are obtained by tamping the material which is designed to form the bottom of the pot as this not only affords a more finished product but also a more serviceable one. Therefore, I provide the former 42 with a sleeve 46 in which a relatively heavy tamping bar 47 is slidably disposed. Therefore, while the former 42 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the operator will grasp the bar 47 and by a series of up and down movements acting in the manner of a hammer, a certain compression will be im- 1parted to the bottom forming material therey compactly tamping the same. The bar 38 isof sufiicient length to yield to the slight movement necessary to the former 42 for the performance of this function.

After the completed product has been formed, the former 42 will be swung back to the position shown in Fig. 1, the female member will be lifted off from the male member and the product will cling to the interior of the female member. The female member will then be placed upon a drying rack and slightly tapped tofrelease the product. This is the operation where relatively small pots of approximately light weight are formed. In the case of large and heavy pots, a mold member 48 will have a flange 49, as shown in Fig. 4. A product lifting ring 50 willbe mounted upon flange 49 and centered on mold member 48 by engagement with the surface 51. Ring 50 will have an elevated annular ridge 52. The female mold 53 will seat on said ridge and will thereby be concentrically centered with respect to the male member. Furthermore, it will be seen thatthe ring 50 closes the lowermost space between the members so that after the product is formed, it will rest upon the ring 50. It will now be clear how the female member 53 may be lifted off from the finished product to later permit the product itself to be lifted off from the male member 48 by the ring 50. If desired, the ring 50 may be lifted off from the male member 48 together with the female member 53 and the latter may be subsequently removed.

Attention is called to the fact, and 1t 1s a feature of this invention, that the frame 16, because of the fact that it extends across the top of the mold, in one direction, functions to level off the loose material. The block 19, which also functions to a certain extent as a leveler, additionally functions to press down on the leveled material, by reason of the spring 23, thereby lnsurlng the exact amount of material for forming the bottom of the pot. I have found in practice that by the use of this mechanism, the pots are very accurately of uniform welght. Therefore, after the former 42 has functioned, the completed article will not only have the exact thickness of bottom, but the previously prepared material for the bottom will have been proportioned to permit the former 42 to very accurately function. It willreadily'be seen that if'there was a too great thickness of material, then the former 42 would not reach the lower terminal of the bevel 13, but with just the right amount of material, the former will reach this point and consequently the juncture of the wall and the bottom will be a sharp and uniform angle.

7 It will be understood that the form shown in Fig. 4: is not inany sense a modified form since this form is merely used for the heavier products, in the same machine. The only reason why it is not used in connection with the small product, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is because the small product will adhere to the female member 8 when the latter is taken off from the male member 3.

It is believed that my improved method and apparatus will be clearly understood from the foregoing description, and I do not wish to be limited except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim 1. In a machine for molding concrete or like pots in an inverted position,inverted male and femalemold members rotatable in unison, mechanism for delivering the material between said members, means for forming the wall of the pot while said members are rotating, and means for forming the bottom of the pot.

2. In a machine for molding concrete pots, inverted male and female mold members rotatable in unison, mechanism extending between said members for first forming the wall of the pot, and means for forming the bottom of the pot after the wall has been formed.

3. In a machine for molding concrete or like pots in an inverted position, male and female members rotatable in unison, and means coacting with the top of the male member for forming the bottom of the pot.

41. In a machine for molding concrete or like pots in an inverted position, male and female members rotatable in unison and the female member having an open top, means for feeding the material through said open top to said members, means extending through said open top and between said members to form the wall of the pot, and means extending through said open top and coacting with the upper end of the male member to form the bottom of the pot.

5. In a machine for molding concrete or like pots in an inverted position, male and female members rotatable in unison, and

' means coacting with the top of the male member for forming the bottom of the pot, said means having a hammering device for compacting and smoothin or finishing the bottom face of the pot while the members are rotating.

6. In a machine for molding concrete or like pots in an inverted position, male and female members rotatable in unison, and

non-rotating means coacting with the top of the male member for forming the bottom of the pot while the members are rotating.

7. In a machine for molding concrete or like pots, inverted male and female members, means for feeding material between said members tofirst form the wall of the pot While the members are rotating, and means for forming the bottom of the pot after the wall has been formed and while the members are rotating.

8. A machine for molding concrete or like pots, including an inverted circular male member having a supporting flange, an inverted circular female member adapted to be supported on said male member, and a lifting ring interposed between said flange and said female member to facilitate lifting the molded product and the female member off from the male member.

9. A machine for molding concrete or like pots, comprsing in combination, an inverted circular male mold member having a supporting flange, an inverted circular female mold member telescoping said male member in spaced relation thereto, and a product lifting ring interposed between said flange and female member and closing the space between said memberswhereby said female member and the molded product may be elevated olf from the male member on said ring.

ing inverted male and female mold members and the uppermost end of the female member being open, combined feeding and tamping mechanism movable over said open end to deliver and tamp material between said member and movable off from said members after the same have been filled, and bottom finishing means movable over said open end and coacting with the uppermost end of said male member to form and finish the bottom of the pot.

11. A machine for making concrete or like pots, comprising in combination, rotating male and female mold members and the uppermost end of the female member being open, means for feeding the material through said open end for delivery between said members, and a leveler for leveling off the material to form the bottom of the p 12. A machine for making concrete or like pots, comprising in combination, rotating male and female mold members and the uppermost end of the female member being open, feeding mechanism for delivering material through said open end, and a leveling block resiliently mounted on said feeding mechanism and movable into a leveling position with respect to the material forming the bottom of the pot.

13. The herein described method of molding concrete or like pots, which consists, in first filling and tamping the wall forming mold space while the mold members are rotating, and lastly filling the pot bottom forming space, and then shaping and finishing the pot bottom.

14. The herein described method of molding concrete or like pots in an inverted position, which consists, in first forming the wall of the pot while the-mold members are rotating, then filling in the bottom forming mold space, and lastly finishing the pot bottom.

15. A machine for molding concrete or like pots, comprising in combination, circular male and female mold members inverted and rotatable, a product lifting ring centered on said male member and closing the wall forming space between said mem bers at the lower portion thereof, said ring having means for centering the female member with respect to the male mold, whereby, the female mold may be lifted off with the product from the male member by said ring.

16. A machine for molding concrete or like pots, comprising in combination, inverted rotating male and female mold members and the female member being open at the top, means for leveling off the concrete to form the bottom of the pot, and pressure means for imparting pressure to the concrete while the same is being leveled off.

ing male and female mold members and the latter being open at the top and having a beveled guiding edge, said bevel merging with the interior wall of the female member at the top thereof, and a former for tamping and finishing the bottom forming material and coacting with said guiding edge for entrance into tamping and forming relation with said female member.

18. A machine for molding concrete pots, comprising in combination, inverted rotating male and female mold members and the latter being open at the top, said female member having a beveled edge at the terminal of its interior wall, mechanism for leveling and pressing the pot bottom forming material to approximately the level of said edge, and a former coacting with said edge to form the bottom of the pot, whereby the exterior of the bottom and the wall will be free from F beads or ridges.

19. In a machine for molding concrete or like pots, inverted male and female mold members, and means for rotating said members, means for tamping the wall and means for shaping the bottom as the wall and bottom of the pot is being formed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I hereby afiix by signature.

CLAUDE G. BEWLEY.

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