US1392435A - Automatic press for concrete blocks - Google Patents

Description

' J. MILNER. AUTOMATIC PRESS FOR CONCRETE BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1920.

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P My W8 W. .l. MILNER.

AUTOMATIC PRESS FOR CONCRETE BLOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15. 1920.

1,392,435, v Patented 00th 4, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

. INVENTOR.

BY Q5 3:3

A TTORNEY NITE STATES PATENT o nc ILLIAM J. MILNE QOF s'rocx'ron, CALIFORNIA.

. AUTOMATIC r nnssron CONCRETE Brooks-.1

Application filed May 15,

T 0 all whom it may concern: 1 1

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J MILNER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Presses for Concrete Blocks; and I. do declare the following to-be a'full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this application. 7 7

This invention relates to improvements in machines for pressing concrete blocks used in building construction, theprinci'pal ob ject of the invention being to prod'ucea machine for the purpose which willautomatically feed exactly'the necessary amount of concrete into the presser chamberand then press the same, and after pressing, automatically expose the block so that "it may readily be removed prior to another press-' ing operation.

By this means, it is possible with no'attention. on thepart of the operator other than to see that the supply of'concrete to the machine is maintained, to have concrete blocks turned out which will all have the same amount of material therein, and consequently will be pressed to thesame density. Y A further object of the inventionis to produce a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts asvwill fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.- p 1 Figurel is a front elevation. v Fig. 2 is a rear view, certain parts being omitted in order to show the actuating mechanisms more clearly.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section.

Fig- 4 is a top plan view.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a removable block-retaining hood.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes'the framework ofthe machine, of any suitable and substantial Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 4, 1921.

1920. Serial No. 381,561.

construction. Fixed to the frame are'upper and lower pairs of vertical guide bars 2 and 3, each pair being spaced apart vertically a certain distance. Slidable between the guides are crossheads 4 and 5 respectively, to which are fixed presser heads 6, having a face area equal to the blocks to be pressed, and movable in the space between the pairs of guides. I

, Connecting rods 7 and 8 are pivoted to the cross heads 4: and 5 respectively and to gears 9 and 10 mounted to the frame 1, which gears are connected to turn simultaneously and in the same direction by an idler pinion ll therebetween.

The lower gear 10 is operatively connected to be driven at any desired rate of speed by. a train of gears 12, which may be turned by hand, or be power driven, as desired.

y The presser heads 6 are slidable in achamber 13, having a-continuous wall 14 fixed to the frame between the presser heads and the gears 911, the latter being spaced somewhat therefrom fora purpose .as willthat side opposite the wall 14, is provided" for a portion of its height with a. hinged door 15, adapted to open downwardly, the door having sides 16 hinged thereto, which also form the sides of the chamber for that portion thereof, said sides being provided with, spring clips 17 on the lower ends, projecting inwardly and adapted to'engage and hold an independent and removable bottom pie'ce- 18, which, when the structure is in position in the chamber, is above the lower presser head 6, and forms a wall between 'theconcrete and the said presser head.

' Positioned to discharge into the chamber 13 above the door is an an led chute 18, extending'the full width of t e chamber.

Above said chute and of course communicating therewith is a vertical chute 19 having a transverse cut-off plate 20 slidable therein. Slidable in the chute 19 for a cer- I tween the two cut-off plates controlling the amount of concrete in a block to be pressed.

The upper cut-ofl plate is automatically moved in and out of the chute by means of a dog 25 fixed to the back-plate 14 adjacent the gear 9, said dog being positioned to be engaged and moved by the pivotal pin 7" of the connecting rod 7 in said gear. This dog is connected by a suitable lever and link mechanism 26 to a bar 27 pivoted to the frame 1, and connected to the cut-off plate 24 by a link 28, so that when the dog is moved by the pin, the cut-off plate will be slid out of the chute. A spring 29 is connected' to the structure to normally hold the plate in the chute to prevent the passage of any concrete thereby.

The lower plate 20 is similarly actuated by means of a dog 30-positioned in the path of the pin 7 to be moved thereby, said dog being positioned beyond the dog 25 a certain distance in the direction of rotation of the gear,so that the upper plate 24 will be actuated before the lower plate is moved.

The link mechanism 31 between the plate 20 and the dog 30 is also provided with a spring 7 32 so that the plate 20 normally closes the chute 19 against the passageway of any concrete therethrough.

In order to clamp the door 15 and sides 16 together to prevent the spreading or buckling thereof, when the presser heads 6 are moving toward each other and pressin the block, I provide a pair of rods 33 positioned alongside the door 15 and rear wall 14, and connected by transverse bars 34 adapted to engage the sides 15. This rod and bar structure is arranged to be moved vertically from the bottom of the door to a point about halfway up the same by means of pivoted bell cranks 35 one arm of each of which slidably engages the ends of the rods, and the other arms are connected in common to a lever 36 from one end of which a link 37 extends to a dog 38 pivoted to the backplate 14 in the path of the pivotal pin 8 of the connecting rod 8 in the gear 10.

On the front side of the presser head chamber, the link mechanism of the bell cranks is of course omitted, the pivotal shafts 35 thereof transmitting motion from one pair of bell cranks to the corresponding ones on the front side. i

The clamping of the door and side structure 1516 takes place of course at a predetermined point'in the revolution of the gear 10 and the movement of the presser heads, and stays in such clamped position until the presser heads have finished the pressing operation, and are on their diverging strokes, when it will be released by reason of the pin 8 engaging a cam-recess 36 in the lever 36, this lever being moved by the prior action of the said pin on the member 38 to throw the cam-recess 36 into the path of the pin 8".

In operation, a continuousflow of conpresser heads, the upper presser head having then commenced its downward stroke and finally passing by and covering the opening from the chamber '13 into said chute 18.

vAt the same. time the door clamping mechanism has been actuated so that when the presser heads come together, a rigid inclosure is had in which the concrete is pressed into a block. The door clamping mechanism then releases, and the door may be swung down, and the block removed to a table or placed on an endless conveyer such as is indicatedat 40.

Meanwhile another quantity of concrete is being measured in the upper chute structure, and by the time the door structure is again folded in position, the concrete is ready to be discharged into the chamber .13 and again pressed so that a continuous operation is thus had. v

In practice, the driving mechanism would be rovided with a clutch or brake similar to t at used on hoisting drums, so that the machine may be instantly stopped at any point in its operation if necessary.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have device as, substantially ful Is the object of the invention as set, forth herein. s

While this specification sets 'forthin detail the present and preferred construction from such detail maybe resorted to .as do not form a deiparture from the spirit of the invention, s fined by the appended, claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is v g V 1. A concrete block press includinga pair of presser heads arranged for opposed reciprocatory movement, a chamber in which sald presser heads slide and adapted to receive the concrete to be pressed, a flexible wall structure for the chamberat the point where the concrete is pressed, such structure comprising a door hlnged to the front of the chamber and side members hinged to the door; and automatic means for holding said door and sides firmly in position adj acent the chamber when the block'is being pressed. V

2. A concrete press including a pair of presser heads, meansforimpartmg opposed roduced such a 1 reciprooatory movement thereto, a chamber in which said presser heads slide and adapt ed to receive the'concrete to be pressed, a door hinged to the chamber at the point where the block is pressed, side members hinged to the door, said door and sides being adapted to open outwardly to permit the removal of the block when the latter has been pressed, and means actuated by the presser-head actuating means for clamping the door and sides in position adjacent the chamber when the concrete is being acted on by the resser-heads.

3. A concrete block press including a pair of presser heads arranged for opposed reciprocatory movement, a chamber in which said presser heads slide and adapted to receive the concrete to be pressed, a flexible Wall structure for the chamber at the point where the concrete is pressed, such structure comprising a door hinged to the front of the chamber and side members hinged to the door; and automatically actuated means for clamping the door and sides firmly in position adjacent the chamber when theblock is being pressed and for releasing said door and sides after the pressure on the block is withdrawn, whereby the door may be opened and the block removed from the chamber.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM J. MILNER.

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