US1542601A - Art of producing gypsum blocks - Google Patents

Description

June 16, 1925. 1,542,601

O. E. BORNHAUSER ET AL ART 0F PRODUGING GYPSUM BLOCKS Filed June 5, 1924 l 2 Sheets-Sheet l INveNoRs.'

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-fils /Hk Yneqy "June16, 1925. 1,542,601

` o. E. BoRNHAUsER ET A1.

ART OF PRODUCING GYPSUM BLOCKS I/v'e/vroks: am E. fam' "WM www Patented June 16, 1925.l

l UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

OTTO E. BORNHAUSER AND vJOHN EDWARD HERMAN, OF SANDUSKY, OHIO.

ART OF PRODUCING GYPSUM BLOCKS.

Application led .Tune 5,

To all'wlwmc't may concern.' Be it known that we, O'rro E. BORN- HAUSEP. and JOHN EDWARD HERMAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Sandusky, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in the Art of Producing Gypsum Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates t0 improvements in the art of producing gypsum blocks, and pertains more especially to the production of an improved gypsum block made from a suitably worked mixture comprising calcined gypsum and water or liquid andpreferably also, but not necessarily, binding material. One object of this invention is to produce gypsum blocks which are stronger and more durable that gypsum blocks heretofore made.

Another object is to facilitate the manufacture of gypsum blocks and to greatly enlarge their production per mold used in making said blocks.

. Another object is to produce gypsum blocks having greater ability to hinder the passage of sound `therethrough than gypsum products heretofore made.

Another object is 'to produce gypsum blocks which have adequately set and, without .liability of injury to the block are safely handleable as-'soon as they have been formed, and do not have to be laid aside for setting and drying preparatory to shipment or transportation.

With these objects in view, and to attain other objects hereinafter appearing, this invention consists in the hereinafter described and claimed improvements in the art of making gypsum blocks.

Apparatus comprising a mold suitable for use in receiving a moldable mass or body to be molded into the improved gypsum' block to be produced by our improved process is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a central vertical longie tudinal section and shows said mold as charged with said mass or body and as comprising a moveable plunger disposed to form an upright wall of the material-receiving interior chamber of the mold and moveable toward and from the opposite vertically withdrawable upright wallof said chamber. Figs. .2 and 3 are horizontal sections taken along the line 2^-2 and line 3-3 respectively in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken along the line 4-#4 `in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a verticalv section cor- Y said inlet.

1924. serial No. 718,004.

vresponding with Fig. 1, except that in Fig. 5'

mass or body in the mold, and a block is A shown as having been formed, and also a cut-olf or valve, controlling the supply of material to the aforesaid chamber, is shown in its closed position in Fig. 5, whereas said valve is shown in its open osition in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a vertical section substantially corresponding with Fig. 5, except that in Fig. 6 the hereinbefore mentioned vertically withdrawable wall of the mold has been removed to permit the block shown .formed in Figs. 5 and 6 to be removed from the mold by the hereinbefore mentioned plunger onto an endless conveyor. Fig. 7 is a vertical section corresponding with Fig. 6, except that'in Fig. 7A the plunger is shown as having been moved far enough forwardly to remove the tblock from the mold onto said conveyor. Figs. 8 and 9 are transverse vertical sections taken'along the line 8-8 and line 9 9 respectively in Fig. 7. Portions are broken' away in the drawings to top 16 provided over one end portion of the chamber 15 with an opening 17 forming the inlet Aof said chamber for material to be fed or forced at said inlet into said chamber, and 18 indicates the lower end ortion of a hopper which extends and disc arges into In said hopper the materials or substances Supplied thereto are massed and worked and mixed in any approved manner, and the hereinafter described moldable mass or body to be produced in said hopper is made by mixing and kneading or working calcined gypsum, water or liquid, and'binding material or solid matter other than gypsum,'and.material is forced or fed intermittently from said hopper in any approved manner.

The chamber 15 is rectangular inhoriand rests on the topedges of said walls and is removably secured to said walls by bolts or screws 20, as shown in Figs.- 2 and9.

One of the side walls 19 is preferably formed integral with the mold bottom-10, and the otherbf said walls preferably consists of a substantially vertical metal plate provided at its outer side with lugs 19" restin on the table and removably secured by lts or screws 19b to said table. A

At the lower and discharging nd ofthe inlet 17 (see Figs. 1, 5, 6, 7 and -8) is provided a cut-R21 for controlling communiplunger extends between the side walls 19.

of the mold-chamber 15 and is movable horizontally andendwise of the mold and comprises a stem' 254 which extends rearwardly from the rear side of the plunger-body 23 to and loosely through a standard 26 with vwhich thetable 11 is provided. The relative arrangement of the parts is such, that the plunger, in its rearward and normal positionshown in Fig. 1, is arranged between the flange 22 of the mold-top 16 and the inletl 17 of the chamber 15 and abuts at the.

` rear side df its body 23 against said flange.

proved gypsum block 31 shown' asfformedv We would here remark that in said position of said plunger a predetermined supply of cementitious non-pourable materialV is forced or fed, in advance of the ace f the plunger, from the hopper into d chamber, and 27 indicates a moldable mass or 'body snppliedto said chamber fromsaid'ho per and requiring pressure thereon to mol o r shape it into the block to formed in lthe Upon suppl ing the mold-chamber 15 with the molda le gypsum body 27 shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the plunger, fprming one end wall of the chamber 15 as hereinhefore indicated is actuated forwardly toward ,the upwardly removable opposite end wall 29 -of said chamber and to the osition 'shown in solid lines in Fig. 5 in whichthe face of the plunger is somewhat forward of the inlet .17 of said chamber. Said plunger is adapted, during its -movement from the position shown. in Figs. 1 and 3 into the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 5, to exert the hereinafter describedpressure on the moldable body 27 shown within the mold-chamber 15 in Figs. 1 and` 3, and to form the imin saidA chamber in Fig. 5 between the end wall formed by the plunger and the opposite and removable end wall 29 of said chamber.

The last-'mentioned or removable end wall` 2 9 of the mold-chamber 15 normally is in its lowerpositionand rests on the table 11, as shown-'1n Figs. 1 and 5, and engages vertical slideways 30 formed in the top 16 and at the'inner sides of the side walls 19 of the mold,.as'shown in Figs. 1', 2 and-3, and extends loosely through and above said to 16.

The plunger, after movement thereof om the sition shown in Figs. 1 and 3 into the posi ion shown in solid lines in Fig. 5 to form the block 31, is preferably moved slightly rearwardly into the position shown in Fig. 6 and in broken lines at 32 in Fig. 5, to readily permit withdrawal of the vertically movable wall 29, whereupon said wall is removed upwardly from the mold in any aproved manner, and thereupon the plunger is actuatedv forwardly into the position shown in Fig. 7 to remove the block 31 from the mold. The plunger, during its movement from the position shown in Fig. 6 into the position shown in Fig. 7, removes the block 31 from the mold onto an endless belt or eonveyer 33 arranged toreceive said block. The application and operation of endless conveyers and lthe operation of plurigers are so well known by mechanical engineers that further description and illustration, in this specification, of the construction and operation of the plunger, and conveyer of the hereinbefore described apparatus are not considered neceary. Upon reference to Figs. 7 and 8 it will'be observed that the valve-forming plate 21 is large enough in dimensions to close the lower and discharging end of the inlet 17 of the moldchamber 15 in the extreme forward position of the plunger. n

We are aware that heretofore psum blocks have been made from material produced by mixing calcined gypsum with enough water to produce a Apourable semifluid'mass and then pouring said mass into molds placed aside to permit the poured ma- "terial to set and, also, that gypsum blocks have been made by mixing calcined gypsum with enough water to obtain a pouring fluidity and pouring the mass into molds in which thev material was allowed to partially set, and the partially set blocks were removed from the molds before the completion of the setting of the blocks.

Our improved process preferably com- 'prises the mixing, mithin the hereinbefore mentioned hopper, of solid matter consisting largely of calcined gypsum with water or liquid the quantity of which is greater to such an extent than the amount of liquid required for moistening the solid mattei' other than said calcined gypsum that rtihe amount of liquid in excessofthe liquid for said moistening is neither over about one and one-half times non appreciably less than the amount of water of crystallization in the raw gypsum used in producing said calcined gypsum, so as to produce a non-pourable mass highly suitable for making gypsum blocks. Preferably the mixture or mass produced Within said hopper consists of calcined gypsum, Water or liquid and other suitable solid material such, for instance, as ashes or vegetable liber, serving as a binder. Sawdust and wood shavings constitute suitable vegetable fibrous material. Ashes and vegetable fibrous material have -the ability to absorb or hold liquid. 'The quant-ity of water or liquid used for the production of a moldable mass or body comprising calcined gypsum and a liquid-absorbing binding material is to suchan extent greater than the amount of liquid required for V'just satisfying the liquid-absorbing capacity of said binding material that the quantity of liquid in excess of the liquid required for the liquid-absorbing capacity of said binding material shall be not over one 1 and one-half times and not appreciably less than the amount of Water of crystallization in the raw gypsum used in producing said calc-ined gypsum. VVewould remark that a highly desirably non-pourable mixture of4 calcined gypsum, binding materialor solid matter other than calcined gypsum, and Water or liquid, is obtained by having the quantity of water or liquid used in producing said mixture greater to suchy an extent than the amount of liquid required for the liquid-absorbing capacity or moistening of the so-lid material other than calcined gypsum that the quantity of liquid in excess of the liquid required'v for said liquid-absorbing capacity or molistening shall be from fore mentioned plunger to the mold-chamber' about one and one-fourth to about one and one-third times the amount of water of crystallization in the raw gypsum.

The mixture or mass of calcined gypsum, water or liquid and binding material or solid matter other than gypsum, is Worked and preferably kneaded in any approved manner' within the hereinbefore mentioned hopper to thoroughly mix or intimately associate the constituentsmfof and form a nonpourable mass having such a consistency that pressure on any lportion of said mass is required to mold said portion into the form of a building block.

The amount or portion 27 of said mass, shown supplied in advance ofthe hereinbe- 15`in Figl 1, is placed, by said plunger during the movement of the plunger fromv the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 into the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 5, under the pressure required to cause the moldable body of material supplied to said chamber/to fill every portion of said chamber between dred and fty pounds per squalre inch of the face of the plunger, and the resulting gypsum block, formed by and within the mold, will be found to be remarkably strong and durable and to have great ability to hinder the passage of sound therethrough, and

furthermore said block will be found to have so adequately set during its formation that the block is safely handleable, as soon as it has been formed, without necessitating the laying of the block aside for setting and drying preparatory to shipment or transportation. i

We would here remark that preferably during the formation of a block by and within the mold and during the removal of the block from the mold, just enough mixture is prepared in the hereinbefore mentioned hopper for one charge of the mold, and that the mold is again charged as soon as the plunger has been returned into its rearward and normal position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 from the position shown in Fig. 7

VVha-t We claim is l 1. In the art of making gypsum blocks a process comprising the mixing of soli matter consisting largely of calcined gypsum with water or liquid the quantity of which is greater to such an extent than the amount of liquid required for moistenin the solid matter other than said calcine gypsum that the amount of liquid in excess of the liquid required for said moistening shall be not over about one and one-half times and not appreciably le than the amount of Water of crystallization in the raw gypsum used in producing said calc-ined gypsum and thereby producing a nonpourable mass, then Supplying a predetermined amount of the mixture from said mass to the interior chamber of a mold for forming the desired block, and then exerting pressure on the body of material supplied to the mold and thereby completing the formation of said block.

2. In the art of making blocks of the character indicated, a process consisting in mixing calcined gypsum and liquid-absorbing binding material with water or liquid theY quantity of which is greater to such an exsaid bin ing material that the amount of interior c .sumusedin iiquia iii 'excess 40i the. liquid foinor appreciably less than the amount of water of stallization in the raw gypsum used in pro ucing said calcined gypsum and thereby producing a non-pourable mass, then supplyin a portion of said mass to the r of a mold for forming the desired block, and then exerting pressureon the body of material supplied to the mold and thereby completing the formation of said block.

3. In the art of making blocks of the char- .actor` indicated, a process comprising the mixing of solid matter consisting largelyv of calcined gypsum with water or liquid the quantity of which isgreater to such an extent than the amount of liquid required for -moistening the solid matter other than said calcined gypsum that the amount of liquidin excess of the liquid required for said moistenin shall be not over about one. and one-half times but eater than the amount of water of crystallgi.

producing said calcined gypsum anll there y'producing a. nofn-piurable Am t en su 1 a ortion o sai mass JB inierioiilapiap ing the desired block, and then exerting pressure on the body of material supplied to the mold andA therebyV completing the formation ofsaid block.

4. In the art of making blocks of the character indicated, a process consisting in mixing solid matter consisting largely of calcined gypsum with water or liquid the quantity of which is greater to such an extent that the amount of liquirequired for moistening` the solid matter o er thansaid calcined gypsum that the amount of liquid in excess of the liquid required for said moistening shall be from about one and onefourth to about one and one-third times the amount o water of crystallization in the raw gypsum used in producing said calcined gypsum and thereby producing a nonpourable mass, then supplying a portion of said mass to the interior chamber oi a mold for forming the desired block, and then exerting pressure on the body oi material supplied te the mold and thereby completing the formation or" said block.

5. In the art of producing gypsum blocks ci the character indicated, a process consistzation in the raw gyp of a mold for form` in supplying the interiorchamber of the .I

mold with a non-pourable moist mixture `which consistslargely of 'calcined gypsum and constitutes a m`o1dable bodyhaving a consistency requiring pressure thereon or nlizlding or shaping said body, and then exe mg compose said block, of a pressure of at least r toward the other pressure on the body of material supphed toithe mold and thereby completing twenty-five pounds per squareinch of` the A faceof said plunger.

7. In the m of producing blocks of are character indicated, a process consisting 1n supplying a non-pourable moist mixture comprising calcined gtypsum in advance of a plunger employed in ormng one of two opposite. walls of the interior chamber of a mold adapted, to completely enca'se the block to be formed by and within the mold, and

vthen actuating said plunger toward the other of said walls and thereby eifectin the exertion, on the body of material a apted to compose said block, of a pressure considerably greater 4than twenty-live pounds per square inch of the face of said plunger.

8. In the art of producing blocks of the character indicated, a process consisting in supplying a' non-pourable moist mixture comprising calcined gypsum in advance of a plunger employed in orminglone of two opposite wallsof the interior c amber of a mold-which is 'adapted to completely encase the block to be formed, and then actuating said plunger toward the other of said walls and there y eecting the exertion, on the body of material adapted to compose said block, of a pressure of about one hundred and nity pounds per square inch of the ace of said plunger.

In testimony whereof, we sign the foregoing specication. Y

@ITO E. BORNHAUSER.

mi EDWARD HERMAN.

NIJ

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