US2586184A - Hand-operated machine for molding blocks or bricks - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 19, 1952 R. STURTEVAN T ETAL 2,586,184

HAND-OPERATED MACHINE FOR MOLDING BLOCKS OR BRICKS Filed Dec. 17, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1952 R. STURTEVANT ETAL 2,586,18

HAND-OPERATED MACHINE FOR MOLDING BLOCKS OR BRICKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 17, 1949 5&

Attorney Feb. 19, 1952 HAND-OPERATED MACHINE FOR MOLDING BLOCKS OR BRICKS Filed Dec. 17, 1949 R. L. STURTEVANT ETAL 3 Sheets-Sheet :5

Patented Feb. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND-OPEBATED MACHINE Ion MOLDING BLOGKS OR- BRICKS Richard Lawrence Sturtev'ant and Bernard J oh'n sturtevant, Heath Common,- Storrington, and Richard Lawrence Sturteiiant, Jr., Findon Val-'- ley, Worthing, Eng-land Ap licatiqn'necember 17, 1949, Serial No. 133,546 In Great Britain July 19, 1949 This invention relates to machines of the hand operated type for moulding precast blocks or bricks, either plane or embossed, from concrete or other suitable material in which the loose material is charged into a mould box wherein it is compressed upon operation of a hand lever and finally ejected.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved machine of the above kind in which both the labour of operating the hand lever and the time required to mould a block are reduced in comparison with existing machines.

The above object is attained by constructing the machine so that the operations necessary to mould the loose material within the mould box and to eject the moulded block therefrom are performed as a result of a unit-directional movement of the hand lever and this isto be considered as the principal feature of the present invention.

In a preferred construction of machine according to this invention the operations performed as a'result of a continuous movement in one direction of the hand lever comprise the compression of the loose material within the mould box by pressure plates, the partial release of one pressure plate to release pressure acting against the underside of a removable cover plate serving to close the upper end of the mould box, the removal of the said cover plate from its closed position with opening or full separation of both pressure plates, and ejection of the moulded block through the upper open end of the mould box by an elevating movement through the mould box of an ejector the head of which normally constitutes the bottom of the mould box on which the block is supported.

In this preferred construction the operations above set forth are effected through cams mounted on a horizontal shaft which is turned by the aforesaid hand lever, said shaft with its cams being situated well to the rear of the mould box so that loose material and moisture spilling from the mould box cannot fall upon the cams. In some known machines the operating mechanism is situated below the mould box and in con a sequence it is almost impossible to prevent such mechanism from becoming choked by drippings from the mould box. I

In practice we prefer to fit our machine with a chute capable of carrying suflicient mix for a number of blocks and to arrange this chute in proximity to the upper end of the mould box so that the mould box may be filled by the simple expedientof dragging by hand material from the chute into the mould box; and'when the same is 3 Claims. (Cl. 25101) thus roughly filled, smoothing off the 'top and forcing back into the chute any excess by means of the top cover plate which for the purpose is ada'ptedto be pushed into the closed position by hand. Its opening movement however is effected through the instrumentality of one of the aforesaid cams.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and carried into effect a machine according to the above preferred construction will now be described, by Way of example, and by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the complete machine.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line III-III in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line IV-IV in Fig. 2 showing the position of the parts at the commencement of compression.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation showing the position of the parts after compression and the completion of the return or opening movement of the rear pressure plate.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation showing the position of the parts at the completion of the full operating stroke of the hand lever with the compressed block raised out of the mould box to a position convenient for removal.

Referring now to the drawings the machine therein illustrated comprises a frame consisting of a horizontal rectangular top bed I supported at a convenient height upon a pair of rear legs 2 and front legs 3 formed by bending a single length of material to form an inverted V. These legs are suitably braced to the top bed I by struts or ties 4.

Forming part of the top bed I and mounted, in parallel spaced relationship, are a pair of side members 5 each formed from a length of angle iron and these together form a bearing support for a transverse cam shaft 6 and a means of support for the fixed vertical side members 1 of the mould box which is disposed at the front end of the machine between the side members 5 Whilst the cam shaft 6 is arranged at the rear end of the machine. By this arrangement the cam shaft, and most of the operating gear, is maintained free from contamination by droppings from the mould box.

The cam shaft is mounted to rotate in bearings 8 in the side members 5 and the operatin handle 9 for the same is mounted on the right hand end. of the shaft. 7

Mounted on the cam shaft and between the side members 5 are three cams, a central or intermediate cam ID for effecting operation of the ejector and two double sided cams ll arranged one on each side of the cam 10. These latter cams II are employed for actuating. opposing pressure plates I2 and I3 forming the front and rear transverse movable sides respectively of the mould box and serving to compress material within the mould box. This inward r compressing movement of the pressure plates is effected against the resistance of draw-back springs [4 which serve gradually to return both pressure plates to their separated positions as the cams turn away from the position of full compression.

The pressure plates are actuated by the cams ll through pairs of connecting bars l5 and I6,

the bars I5 being attached'a't their front ends to the front pressure plate I2 and the other bars IE to the rear pressure plate l3. 3

The bars I5 and I6 extend side by side one on each side of the machine and the bars in each such couple are cross connected by one of the springs l4 whereby in moving oppositely to each other, when the pressure plates are being closed by the cams, these springs are extended and ready, when the movement of the cams permit, to effect the aforesaid separation of the pressure plates.

The cams ll operate on the bars 15 and [6 through rollers l1, said rollers being affixed adjustably on the outer ends of the bars so that the roller are grouped in pairs and engage at diametrically opposite points on each cam. By this arrangement, and in consequence of each cam being double ended 0r compound, the rotation of the cams by a downward motion of they hand lever 9 towards the front of the machine causes the rollers in each pair to be forced apart simultaneously and thus correspondingly to draw the two pressure plates l2, [3 together.

The upper end of the mould box is adapted to be closed during each moulding operation by a displaceable top cover or head plate l8 and in the machine illustrated this cover plate is carried by and extends across the upper ends of a pair of rocking arms [9 which are pivoted at to each of the front legs 3.

The rocking arms l9 and the cover plate are free to be swung into and out of the closed position by hand but in practice the closing movement only is effected by hand, the opening movement being effected by contact between an extension piece llla on the cam I0 and a roller 2| which is mounted on'a rod 22 serving to tie the outer ends of a pair of arms 23, which, at their inner ends, are pivotally attached as at 24 to the rocking arms I9. The component, consisting of the roller 2| and the arms 23, is supported by resting against a suitable part of the main frame and on being contacted by the extension piece [0a of the cam l0 it is knocked rearwardly until the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 6 where the roller 2| has ridden up on top of the cam extension piece Illa and abuts against a stop Illb which serves to hold the cover plate in the open position shown against accidental closing.

The mechanical ejection of each moulded block is rendered possible by providing as a base for the mould box a platform 25 which acts as a support for a removable wooden pallet 26 on; which the concrete or other material is moulded, and is mounted upon the upper end of a vertically movable pillar 21. The support for the pillar 21 comprises twin bars 28 which extend rearwardly to a point of pivotal attachment 29 between the sides of a depending bracket 30, and a further bar or rod 3| which is also pivotally attached as at 32 to the bracket 30. By pivotally attaching the front ends of the bars 28 and 3| as at 33 and 34, to two separate points on the pillar 21, and by similarly disposing the pivots 29 and 32 on the bracket 30, there is provided a simple means of ensuring that the pillar will maintain a substantially vertical position during the whole of its vertical motion.

The vertical lift is imparted to the platform 25 from the centre cam I0 and for this purpose the bar 28 is provided with an upstanding attachment or branch piece 35 on the upper end of which is mounted a roller 36 so situated as to be contactable by the rear end of the cam I0. When this contact takes plate the roller 36 is displaced rearwardly and this results in the forward end of the bar 28 being raised, thus giving to the pillar 21 the required vertical motion which is continued until the platform 25 is lifted clear of the mould box to the position shown in Fig. 6. In this figure, a moulded block is shown in chain dotted lines ready for removal and such block is indicated by the reference numeral 31.

Preparatory to the step of knocking back the cover plate I8 it is necessary or advisable to relieve this plate from the pressure which acts against its underside due to the lateral compression of the material within the mould box imposed by the two pressure plates, and this is brought about in the machine illustrated by permitting the springs Hi to draw back the rear pressure plate l3 to the slight extent illustrated in Fig. 5 where the dotted line indicates the position taken up by this plate when under full compression whilst the full line position indicates that assumed after said initial withdrawal has been effected. This initial movement of the rear pressure plate is permitted by providing the forward end of each outer cam I l with a low portion I la and in the position shown in Fig. 5 the rollers contacting said forward ends of these cams II, and associated with the rear plate, have dropped into these low portions, thus permitting the springs l4 correspondingly to draw back the said pressure plate [3.

For ease in charging the mould box with the desired aggregate the machine shown is fitted with a chute 38. This is supported above the top of and by the main frame in an inclined position with its lower and discharge end just above the rear pressure plate I3. This chute is kept charged with material and each time the mould box requires filling suificient material for the purpose is raked down into it from the chute. The material within the mould box is then levelled off by the act of pushing the cover plate I8 into the closed position, and by providing this plate at its rear transverse edge with an upstanding lip l8a all excess material is pushed back into the chute.

As previously explained in this specification an important feature of this invention is that uni-directional motion of the hand lever 9, from the vertical position shown in Figs. 1 to 3 to the fully inclined position shown in Fig. 6, serves to produce the" performance of all the operations necessary to compress the loose material into a moulded block and the ejection of the said block from the mould box to a position convenient for its removal, and the operations thus performed in the machine illustrated will now be described.

Assuming that the wooden pallet 26 has been positioned and the mould box has been charged with the aggregate, and the charge levelled at! by the hand closure of the top cover IS, the operator, who stands at the front of the machine facing the mould box, now grasps the hand lever 9 and pulls it over with a steady and continuous motion until it comes to rest in the fully depressed position shown in Fig. 6. During this continuous uni-directional movement of the hand lever, the aggregate within the mould box is compressed by the inward or closing movements of the two pressure plates l2, l3 and pressure so imparted forces the material hard up against the underside of the closed cover plate l8. This upward pressure is then released by the partial release from cam pressure, on account of the low parts I la, of the rear pressure plate l3 which moves back under the action of the springs I 4 to the full line position shown in Fig. 5. The cover plate I8 is then knocked back by the part Illa on the cam It] to open the top of the mould box and at the same time the two pressure plates l2, l3 are free to be fully opened by the springs I4. The platform '25 supporting the wooden pallet and the compressed block is then moved upwards through the open mould box until it and the supported block attains the fully elevated position shown in Fig. 6 when the block is removed by hand for drying, a new pallet fitted, and the hand lever 9 returned to its original vertical position, when the machine is ready for moulding a further block.

When the hand lever 9 is fully pulled over to the position shown in Fig. 6 the cover plate 18 is held against accidental closure by reason of contact between the roller 2| and the stop Illb on the cam I0, whilst the pallet support 25 is held steady by the fact that the roller 35 is in engagement with the end of the cam l0 and in consequence is prevented from falling until the lever 9 is being returned to its starting position.

We claim:

1. A hand operated machine according to claim 3 in which the operative mechanism comprises cams mounted on a cam shaft and turnable with a hand lever wherein three cams are employed, an intermediate cam for opening the top of the mould box preparatory to the ejection of the molded block and for efiecting said ejection and two further cams arranged one on each side of the intermediate cams, said outside cams serving to force the pressure plates inwards in compressing the material within the mould box against a load arranged to return the pressure plates to their open positions as the pressure of the cams is released. I

2. A hand operated machine according to claim 3, in which the operative mechanism comprises cams mounted on a cam shaft and turnable with a hand lever wherein three cams are employed, an intermediate cam for opening the top of the mould box preparatory to the ejection of the moulded block and for effecting said ejection and two further cams arranged one on each side of the intermediate cams, wherein each outside cam has two high parts, one of said high parts serving to move one pressure plate and the other high part the opposite pressure plate, the high parts for one pressure plate also each including a low part to permit one of the pressure plates to be moved away from the other pressure plate under the action of the said load.

3. In a hand operated machine for making precast blocks comprising a mould box having two fixed sides and two oppositely movable pressure plates for compressing each charge therein, and defining the other sides of said mould box, a cover plate for opening and closing the upper end of the mould box and an elevator base for said mould box vertically movable, upon the opening displacement of the cover plate, to lift the precast block moulded therein above the sides thereof, a shaft incorporating a plurality of cams displaced from said mould box in a horizontal plane, means serving to operatively connect the respective cams with the pressure plates, cover plate and elevator base respectively, said pressure plates being normally biased to remain in spaced open position, and means for unidirectionally angularly displacing said shaft for transmitting in sequence, a simultaneous inward movement of said pressure plates to form a charge in the mould into a moulded product, a partial separation of one of the pressure plates in relation to the other to release the pressure within the mould box developed by the charge being moulded, the full separation of the pressure plates and the displacement for opening of the cover plate, and finally, the ejection of the moulded block by vertical movement of the elevator base.

RICHARD LAWRENCE STURTEVANT.

BERNARD JOHN STURTEVANT.

RICHARD LAWRENCE STURTEVANT. JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 314,274 Tiffany Mar. 24, 1885 837,938 Leggett Dec. 11. 1906

Images