US3127657A - Concrete block making machine - Google Patents

Description

April 7, 1964 w, G. BENJEY ETAL 3,127,657

CONCRETE BLOCK MAKING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 9, 1 962 mmvrom M/l'l/l'am G. B'er/ey 8 Wi/l/am D. Reyna/d5 BY ATTURNEY.

April 7, 1964 w s. BENJEY ETAL 3,127,657

CONCRETE BLOCK MAKING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 9, 1962 uvmvrons & l V/W/am Q Fe no/afs ATIURNEY.

W/W/am 6. Ben/2y April 7, 1964 w. G. BENJEY ETAL 3,127,657

CONCRETE BLOCK MAKING MACHINE Filed March 9, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 5 b@* l 42 w r m i 9 WE/GH 554M TRIP OFF OFF Ms cuev T055 9 AME: U W

MANUAL 294 \L95 9o INVENTORJ W/W/am Gian/2 MY/famD. Peyno/ds A ORNEY.

April 7, 1964 w. e. BENJEY ETAL 3,127,657

CONCRETE BLOCK MAKING MACHINE Filed March 9, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORJ ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,127,657 CONCRETE BUICK MAKING MACHINE William G. Benjey and William I). Reynolds, Alpena, Mich, assignors to Alpena Research 8: Development Company, Alpena, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Mar. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 178,589 7 Claims. (Cl. 25-41) This invention relates to a concrete block making machine and more particularly to a machine incorporating several novel features which contribute to the rapid and efficient production of concrete masonry blocks.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a concrete block making machine that will accurately weigh and measure the material used thereby so that the concrete blocks are uniform in size, weight, and density.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a concrete block making machine that will feed mixed concrete aggregate automatically and rapidly without varying the amount or weight of the concrete aggregate supplied.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a concrete block making machine that incorporates a novel mold box and means for oscillating the same on diiferent planes.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a concrete block making machine incorporating a novel packer head arranged to move into the mold box to compress mixed concrete aggregate therein in conjunction with the vertical oscillation of the mold box.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a concrete block making machine having means for supplying a measured amount of block forming material to a block forming device including a mold box and a packer head and means for operating said mold box and packer head so as to comprise the block forming material and provide a troweiling effect on the sides of the block being formed.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a concrete block making machine having means for feeding and measuring material from which the concrete blocks are formed, arranged so that the amount of material is determined by weight and not volume and so designed to repeat without appreciable variance.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a concrete block making machine in which block making material is automatically measured and supplied into a block forming portion and wherein means are provided for removing the formed blocks from the block forming portion in an automatic sequence of operations.

The concrete block forming machine disclosed herein incorporates several novel devices and functions which are particularly advantageous in the art. The novel devices and functions are such that they may be applied to other forms of material molding such as briqueting. The block making machine is designed so that it may be operated continuously by relatively unskilled labor and it Will operate efficiently and rapidly as long as suitable material is supplied to its material hopper and the completed blocks are removed from the block receiving pallets thereof. There are no parts that require critical adjustment and the construction is such that little lubrication is necessary and the machines components are so arranged so that they will operate in their desired cycle without manual assistance.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not con- Patented Apr. 7, 1964 ice stitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the concrete block making machine.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section of the upper half of the machine shown in FIGURE 1 and taken on line 2--2 thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional elevation on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view.

FIGURE 5 is a wiring diagram of that part of the electrical circuit controlling the feed conveyer portion of the concrete block making machine.

FIGURE 6 is a wiring diagram of the several parts of the electrical circuits controlling the other parts of the concrete block making machine.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seen that the concrete block making machine comprises a framework preferably formed of two vertically positioned, horizontally spaced side panels 10 and 11. A transverse frame member 12 is positioned between the panels 10 and 11 in the upper front portion thereof and a secondary frame member 13 is positioned between the panel members It and 11 adjacent their lower ends and on the same vertical plane as the frame member 12. The frame members 12 and 13 are apertured inwardly from their ends and resilient bushings 14, 1d are positioned in the apertures in vertically aligned pairs and a pair of support rods 15, 15 are positioned vertically through the resilient bushings 14, 14 and form a resilient sub frame which is capable of movement relative to the remainder of the machine as will be hereinafter explained.

A plurality of tie rods or second frame members 16, 16 are positioned transversely of the side panels 10 and 11 and support various mechanisms incorporated in the machine.

In the upper rear portion of the machine as best seen in FIGURES 1 and 4, a pair of said secondary frame members 16 are arranged to support a hopper 17 which is open at its upper and lowermost ends and adapted to receive the mixed concrete aggregate used in making concrete blocks. Longitudinal frame members 18, 18 secured at their ends to the secondary frame members 16, 16 carry journals 19, 19 which in turn support a pair of rollers 20, 20 over which a continuous conveyer feed belt 21 is positioned. It will be observed that the conveyer belt 21 has its upper surface disposed adjacent the open bottom end of the hopper 17 so that material in the hopper will be continuously deposited on the conveyer belt 21 and moved, when the conveyer belt 21 is operating, longitudinally thereof and off the forward edge thereof as seen in FIGURE 1 of the drawings.

Means for moving the conveyer belt 21 comprises a motor 22 driving right angular gear box 23 which in turn supports a pulley 24 over which a chain 25 is trained. The chain 25 is also trained over a sprocket on one of the rollers 20, the motor 22 is connected in an electrical circuit and controlled by a mercury switch as hereinafter described.

Immediately below the conveyer feed belt 21, there are a pair of secondary longitudinal frame members 26, 26 which are spaced horizontally a distance greater than the longitudinal frame members 18, 18 heretofore referred to and which are supported intermediate their ends by brackets 27, 27 which in turn are pivotally mounted on another one of the sub frame members 16, 16. Journals 28, 28 on the secondary longitudinal frame members 26, 26 support a pair of secondary rollers 29, 29' which in turn have a secondary conveyer weighing belt 30 trained thereover. One of the rollers 29 has a sprocket 3-1 on one end thereof and one of the brackets 27 has a horizontal extension 32 thereon which carries a motor 33 having an attached gear box 34, all of which are pivotally balanced on the sub frame 16 with the forward end (the right end in FIG- URES 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings) of the secondary conveyer weighing belt 31} positioned above a chute 39. Broken lines in FIGURE 2 show the alternate position of the tiltable conveyer weighing belt assembly. A mercury switch 40 located on one of the brackets 27 is wired into the electrical circuit controlling and supplying the motor 22 heretofore referred to. Thus, when the concrete block making machine is operating and the lower or secondary conveyer weighing belt 30' is stationary, the upper conveyer feed belt 21 is started and material in the hopper '17 is fed onto the feed belt 21 and deposited thereby on the weighing belt 30 at a point forward or to the right of the secondary frame 16 on which the weighing belt 30, its support arms 26 and its drive motor 33 are pivotally mounted. When a predetermined amount of material, by weight, accumulates on the weighing belt 30 the entire assembly tilts as from the solid line showing in FIGURE 2 to the broken line showing therein and which action tilts the mercury switch 40 which in turn breaks the circuit to the motor 22 and stops the feed belt 2 1. Simultaneously, the weighing belt 30 starts to move by reason of the energization of the motor 33 and deposits the predetermined amount of material in the chute 39 from whence it falls directly into a mold box 41 as best seen in FIGURE 1 of the drawings. 7

The mold box 41 is preferably a rectangular open top and bottom box with several transverse partitions-therein arranged to define several cavities so as to produce several cement blocks simultaneously. It is provided at its opposite ends with brackets 42, 42 which are apertured vertically and through which the support rods 15, 15 pass. The mold box 41 is therefore capable of being moved relative to :the vertical rods 15, 15 and is subject to such movement only when being oscillated by means hereinafter described.

Above the mold box 41 there is a packer head which includes a plurality of depending members 43 corresponding in number with the cavities in the mold box 41 in which cement blocks are to be formed and which depending members 43 are attached to a transverse packer head 44 which in turn is provided with apertured brackets 45, 45 on its opposite ends. The apertured brackets 45, 45 are slidably engaged upon the support rods 15, 15 and the entire packer head is adapted to'be moved vertically and into and out of the mold box 41. Means for imparting vertical movement to the packer head comprise a pair of arms 46, 46 pivoted intermediate their ends to the brackets 45, 45 and at their outermost ends to the ends of arms 47, 47 which in turn are pivoted at their innermost ends to support pieces 48, 48 whichare secured to the vertical rods 15, 15 and held in fixed position by a transverse shaft 49. The opposite ends of the arms 46, 46 are bifurcated and adapted to be engaged by pins on actuating chains positioned vertically in the machine one adjacent each of the side panels and 11 and as indicated generally in FIGURE 1 by the numerals 50', 50. The actuating chains 50, 50 are positioned over idler sprockets 50A, 50A which are vertically aligned and attached to the inner sides of the panels 10 and 11. The pins on the chains 50 50 move vertically with the chains to actuate the arms 46 at predetermined times'as well as other parts of the machine as hereinafter described.

The concrete block making machine includes core mounting body members 51, 51 positioned on a core carrier 52 located below the mold box 41 and having its ends apertured and mounted on the vertical rods 15, 15. Core actuating arms 53, 53 are pivoted to the ends of the core carrier body 52 and have their outermost ends pivoted on projecting pins 54, 54 which are also pivoted to the ends of arms 55, 55 which are in turn pivoted at their other ends to a transverse shaft 56 which is journalled in a pair of doubly apertured brackets'57, 57. The doubly apertured brackets 57, 57 are positioned near the lower ends of the vertical rods 15, 15 and secured thereto while the shaft 56 is rotatably mounted therein. A secondary transverse shaft 58 is positioned through the doubly apertured brackets 57, 57 and extends outwardly beyond the sides thereof. A third pair of actuating arms 59, 59 are pivoted midway between their ends to the ends of the shaft 58 and at their outer or lowermost ends to members 60, 60 which are movably relative to the machine. The opposite or upper ends of the actuating arms 59, 59 are bifurcated and adapted to be engaged by the pins on the chains 50, 50. The doubly apertured brackets 57, 57 are movable with the vertical rods 15, 15 and responsive in such movement to the actuation of the pins on the chains 59, 50 and the variable limited movement of the members 60 on the third pair of arms 59, 59. When these arms 59, 59 are in uppermost position they support the vertical rods 15, 15 that guide and locate the various mechanisms described hereinbefore and as the chains 50, 50 and the pins thereon bring these arms 59, 59 down, the packer head 43 being connected to the rods 15, 15 forces the formed blocks from the mold box 41 onto a pallet and lowers them on pallet handling arms hereinafter described. At that point the chains 50, 50 have traversed their downward cycle and are stopped by a limit switch, the machine now is ready to reverse the chain drive and reposition the assembly, making ready for the next cycle.

Disposed vertically and to the right in FIGURE 1 of the mechanism just described there are a pair of vertically positioned, horizontally spaced secondary panels 61, 61, tie rods 62 secure the same together and the secondary panels 61, 61 in turn restupon the foremost of the secondary frame members 16 heretofore referred to. The members 69 are pivoted to a bar 63 beneath the rear portion of the secondary panels 61, 61 which also: rest thereon. The ends of the bar 63 are engaged in the side panels 10 and 11. The secondary panels 61 define a platen feeding and receiving station, and metal plates (not shown) comprising platens are positioned in the lower portion of the area between the secondary panels 61, 61 where they are held and individually fed into the block making machine. A lifting device which is moved vertically by a pair of lifting chains 50B, 50B and whose upper and lower ends are journalled on vertically aligned sprockets on shafts 59C. The individual platens are guided by a plurality of roller gniides 63A to a position between the lifting chains 50B, 50B where they are picked up by said devices and elevated and moved one at a time into position im- 'mediately beneath the mold box 41 when the core carrying member 51 and the core assembly thereon is lowered relative thereto. Cement blocks formed in the mold box 41 are then pushed downwardly by the packer head 43 as hereinbefore'described onto the prepositioned platen which is then swung downwardly on platen receiving and conveying arms 79 and '80 which are shown in retracted (lowered) position in FIGURE 1 of the drawings beneath platen conveyer belts 64, 64 heretofore referred to, and thus positioned on the upper horizontal end of the mechanism between the secondary panels 61, 61 so that they are deposited on the platen conveyer belts 64, 64 which convey the platens and the blocks forwardly out of the machine and to a point of disposal. The platen carrying arms 79 and 80 are secured to a transverse shaft 81 which has a bifurcated actuator member 82 thereon adapted to be engaged by a roller 83 positioned between spaced short arms 84 secured to the shaft 56 heretofore referred to.

At the time the cement blocks are being formed in the mold box 41, oscillators are employed to insure the filling of the voids in the mold box 41 and to eifect trowelling of the surfaces of the blocks and to insure their proper compacted form. The oscillators are operated progressively and comprise a first pair of oscillator arms 65, 65 driven by eccentrics 66, 66 attached to the inner sides of the panels 10 and 11 and having their opposite or outermost ends attached to projections 67, 67 on the brackets 42, 42 of the mold box 41. When the material is initially deposited in the mold box 41 with the cores 51 in position as shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a timing mechanism actuates and energizes a motor 68 mounted on the transverse frame members 16, 16 extending between the panels 10 and 11 which motor 63 operates first in one direction in which the eccentrics 66, 66 revolve and thereby imparts horizontal motion to the oscillator arms 65, 65 and to the mold box 41. When the material is settled in the mold box 41 and the voids filled, the packer head 43 moves downwardly through the actuation of the chains 50, t) hereinafter described and limit switches cause the motor 68 to stop and reverse whereupon the eccentrics 66, 66 stop rotation as they are capable of operating in one direction only and a second pair of eccentrics 69, 69 begin to operate and drive a second pair of vertically oscillating arms 70, 70 which are also connected to the extensions 67, 67 on the opposite ends of the brackets 42, 42 of the mold box 41. The resulting vertical oscillation moves the mold box in a vertical plane and has the desired trowelling effect on the sides of the block being formed inasmuch as the cores and the packer heads are stationary. The vertical oscillation also produces a positive displacement effect and pumps the material into any unfilled voids and produces uniform compaction in all areas of the blocks being formed. Appropriate controls stop the motor 68 as the cycle proceeds.

A main driving motor 71 is mounted in the machine be tween the side panels and 11 on an upright portion 72 of a pivoted and tiltable support bracket '73. A speed reducer 74 is driven by the motor 71 by way of a belt '75 engaged in a variable pitch V-sheave 76 that is actuated by a cam 77 driven from one of the main activating chains 56, 50. It will be seen that the speed reducer 74 and the motor 71 are both mounted on the tiltable support bracket 73 which, will, therefore, lift in a tilting motion when the tension on the activating chain 78 passes a predetermined point. A mercury switch in the circuit energizing the motor 71 as seen in the wiring diagram is arranged to stop the motor 71 when the support brackets 73 reach a predetermined angle. This construction allows the machine to produce a highly compacted block or a less dense one as desired.

In operation the machine is actuated to bring the several portions thereof into top position whereupon the appropriate circuit controls are actuated to energize the motor 33 which drives the weighing belt 30 which then proceeds to deposit a predetermined amount of mixed concrete material into the chute 39 and the mold box 41. The horizontal shaking action occasioned by the oscillators 66 is also actuated at this stage and the main driving motor 71 indirectly drives the actuating chains 50 to move the packing head 43 downwardly into the mold box. The weighing belt 36 is then stopped by a limit switch actuated by the position of the packer head and the motor 68 which had been operating in one direction driving the eccentrics 66 producing the horizontal shaking action is stopped and reversed whereupon the slip clutches in the eccentrics 66 function with the result that the eccentrics 69 then operate and impart vertical oscillation to the mold box 41. The motor 68 stops after a suitable period as controlled by a limit switch actuated by the lowermost position of the packing head 43. The delivery of the material fromthe weighingbelt 30 permits it to tilt bacl wardly into horizontal position as occasioned by the counterweight 38 whereupon the circuit control including the mercury switch thereon actuates the motor 22 which in turn indirectly drives the feed belt 21 and an additional quantity of material is delivered to the Weighing belt 30 which is then stationary. The main drive motor 71 controlled by limit switches, stops and reverses after the actuating chains 56, 50 and the pins thereon have successively engaged the bifurcated ends of the arms 46, 46 to move the packer head 43; the bifurcated ends of the levers 53, 53 to move the core as semblies downwardly out of the mold box and to swing the platen and block receiving arms 79 and 80 upwardly to receive the blocks and have actuated the bifurcated ends of the arms 59, 59 which move the rods 15 downwardly together with the packing head to push the blocks out of the mold box onto the platens. The main drive motor 71 is then re-energized to reposition the pins on the chains 56, 56 in uppermost position whereupon all of the mechanisms have completed one cycle and the machine is in position for starting another cycle.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURE 5 in particular, a diagram of that portion of the electrical circuit which is directly related to the feed conveyer belt 21 may be seen. It will be observed that the feed conveyer belt motor 22 is a three-phase motor in a three line circuit including circuit breakers 85, three-phase starter contacts 86, and incorporating overload switches 87 so arranged that two of the circuit wires are controlled by a control circuit section including a control transformer 88, fuse 89, and manual and automatic selector switches 90 and 91 respectively. A cam driven limit switch 92 is included in the control circuit and the mercury switch, the position of which is controlled by the tiltable mounting 27, is indicated by the numeral 93. A starter magnetic coil 34 and overload controls 95 complete the circuitry which will be understood by those skilled in the art as necessary for the timed sequence or cycling operation of the feed belt 21.

By referring now to FIGURE 6 of the drawings and the uppermost portion thereof, the three-phase motor 33 of the weighing conveyor 30 is indicated together with the three-phase wiring necessary incorporating overload switches 96, three-phase starter contacts 97 and threephase circuit breakers 93. The control section of the three-phase circuitry includes a control transformer 99, a control circuit fuse 160, and manual and automatic selector switches 161 and 162 respectively. This portion of the control circuit includes a cam driven limit switch 163, starter magnetic coil 164 and overload contacts 105. The next lower portion of the diagram comprising FIG- URE 6 includes the three-phase or main drive motor 71, overload switches 106, the forward three-phase starter contacts 197, the reverse three-phase starter contacts 103, the three-phase circuit breakers 109, the control section transformer 110, fuse 111, manual and automatic selector switches 112 and 113, the starter magnetic coil auxiliary contact 114, the cam driven limit switches 115 and 116, forward starter magnetic coil 117, the chain drive overload mercury switch 118, starter coil magnetic interlocks 119, the reverse starter magnetic coil 126, the relay coil 121, its associated relay contacts 122. The next lower or third portion of the circuit diagram comprising FIGURE 6 relates to the control of the vibrator motor 68, three-phase circuit wires therefor which incorporate overload switches 123. The forward three-phase starter contacts 124, the reverse three-phase starter contacts 125, the three-phase circuit breaker 126, the control section transformer 127 and fuse 128, the manual and automatic selector switches 129 and 130, interlock contact from the chain drive relay 131, the starter magnetic coil contacts 132 and 132, the forward starter magnetic coil 133, relay coil 134, starter coil magnetic interlocks 135, and overload contacts 136.

It will thus be seen that a concrete block making machine has been disclosed which incorporates several completely novel structures and devices in an assembled machine which are interconnected and interrelated so that the various devices co-operate in an appropriate time cycle for the eflicient operation of the machine as hereinbefore described. The principal point of novelty in the present disclosure is the portion or portions of the concrete block making machine which automatically feed and accurately weigh the material and deliver the same to the '7 mold box for processing by the other portion of the machine, and having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a machine for making concrete blocks and comprising a vertical supporting framework, cross members in said framework; resilient members in said cross members, and a pair of vertically positioned rods movably mounted in said resilient members, a mold box for receiving a cement mixture positioned between said rods and secured thereto, a core assembly and a support base therefor movably mounted on said vertical rods beneath said mold box for registry vertically into and out of said mold box and a packer head movably mounted on said vertical rods above said mold box and movable vertically into and out of said mold box, means on said framework for imparting horizontal and vertical vibrating motion to said mold box, rods, core assembly, support base and packer head as permitted by said resiliently mounted rods, means for delivering predetermined quantities of material into said mold box, said means comprising an elevated feed hopper having a discharge opening in the upper portion of said machine, a horizontally disposed endless feed belt positioned immediately below said feed hopper so as to partially'restrict said discharge opening of said feed hopper, means for imparting driving motion to said feed belt to move said material, a normally horizontally disposed endless weighing belt tiltably positioned beneath said feed belt and extending outwardly therefrom and having one end disposed in a position for delivering material therefrom into said mold box, pivoted support means in said framework tiltably mounting said weighing belt, means for imparting driving motion to said weighing belt and control means on said weighing belt support means responsive to the position thereof for controlling said means for imparting driving motion to said feed belt.

2. The improvement in the concrete block making machine set forth in claim 1 wherein said pivoted support means for tiltably mounting said endless weighing belt comprises a sub frame having rollersat its opposite ends over which said endless weighing belt is trained, support brackets at the opposite sides of said sub frame, said means for driving said feed belt being attached to said support brackets, and secondary support means pivotally mounting said support brackets and said sub frame in said framework of said machine and arranged so that the depositing of a predetermined amount of material on said weighing belt by said feed be'lt causes said feed belt, sub frame and brackets to tilt.

3. The improvement in the concrete block making machine set forth in claim 1 and wherein a pair of endless actuating chains are disposed vertically and journalled over vertically aligned pairs of sprockets in said machine, means in said machine for imparting motion to said actuating chains, projecting pins on said chains, actuating arms pivoted to said core assembly support base for engagement with said pins on said actuating chains for moving said core assembly support base and core assembly relative to said vertical rods, secondary actuating arms on said packer head arranged for engagement with said projecting pins for moving said packer head relative to said vertical rods and means controlling the operation of said weighing belt actuated by said actuating chains and arranged to operate said weighing belt when said packer head is in elevated position on said rods relative to said mold box.

4. The improvement in the concrete block making ma- 8 chine set forth in claim 1 and wherein a first sub frame is positioned in said machine on a horizontal plane immediately below the discharge opening of said feed hopper, rollers journalled on the opposite ends of said first sub frame and wherein said feed belt is trained over said rollers on said first sub frame.

5. The improvement in the concrete block making machine set forth in claim 4 and wherein said means for imparting motion to said feed belt comprises a motor, a gearbox driven by said motor, a drive shaft on said gearbox having a sheave thereon, a sheave on one of said rollers on said first sub frame and a continuous flexible driving member engaged over said sheaves whereby motion of said motor and said drive shaft of said gearbox is imparted to said feed belt.

6. In a machine for making concrete blocks and comprising a framework, rubber bushings in said framework, a pair of vertically positioned, horizontally spaced rods movably mounted in said rubber bushings in said framework, a mold box positioned between said rods .and secured thereto, a core' assembly movably mounted on said rods and normally disposed beneath said mold box and arranged for temporary registry in said mold box, a

packer head movably mounted on said rods above said mold box and arranged for temporary registry in said mold-box and means for imparting vertical motion to said core assembly and said packer head to move the same relative to said rods, said means comprising a pair of actuating chains positioned vertically in said machine,

means for imparting controlled motion to said actuating chains, pins on said actuating chains and means on said ,packer head and on said core assembly for selectively engaging said pins on said actuating chains in sequence,

means for vibrating said moldbox, rods, packing head and core assembly horizontally and vertically, means for delivering a predetermined quantity of mixed concrete block making material into said mold box, said means comprising a feed belt horizontally disposed in the upper portion of said machine, a counterweighted weighing belt positioned below said feed belt and extending outwardly from one end thereof and means tiltably supporting said weighing belt, one end of said weighing belt arranged to deposit material in said mold box and means for selective ly operating said feed belt and weighing belt in sequence and means on said weighing belt controlling said means for operating said feed belt.

7. The improvement in the concrete block making ma chine set forth in claim 6 and wherein said means for imparting controlled motion to said actuating chains comprises a principal drive motor disposed in said machine, a reducing unit positioned adjacent said motor and operatively connected thereto so as to be driven thereby and an operating drive member connecting said reducing unit and at least one of said actuating chains and limit switches in said machine adjacent at least one of said actuating chains for controlling said principal drive motor.

References Cited in the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims (1)

1. IN A MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE BLOCKS AND COMPRISING A VERTICAL SUPPORTING FRAMEWORK, CROSS MEMBERS IN SAID FRAMEWORK; RESILIENT MEMBERS IN SAID CROSS MEMBERS, AND A PAIR OF VERTICALLY POSITIONED RODS MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID RESILIENT MEMBERS, A MOLD BOX FOR RECEIVING A CEMENT MIXTURE POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID RODS AND SECURED THERETO, A CORE ASSEMBLY AND A SUPPORT BASE THEREFOR MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID VERTICAL RODS BENEATH SAID MOLD BOX FOR REGISTRY VERTICALLY INTO AND OUT OF SAID MOLD BOX AND A PACKER HEAD MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID VERTICAL RODS ABOVE SAID MOLD BOX AND MOVABLE VERTICALLY INTO AND OUT OF SAID MOLD BOX, MEANS ON SAID FRAMEWORK FOR IMPARTING HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL VIBRATING MOTION TO SAID MOLD BOX, RODS, CORE ASSEMBLY, SUPPORT BASE AND PACKER HEAD AS PERMITTED BY SAID RESILIENTLY MOUNTED RODS, MEANS FOR DELIVERING PREDETERMINED QUANTITIES OF MATERIAL INTO SAID MOLD BOX, SAID MEANS COMPRISING AN ELEVATED FEED HOPPER HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID MACHINE, A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ENDLESS FEED BELT POSITIONED IMMEDIATELY BELOW SAID FEED HOPPER SO AS TO PARTIALLY RESTRICT SAID DISCHARGE OPENING OF SAID FEED HOPPER, MEANS FOR IMPARTING DRIVING MOTION TO SAID FEED BELT TO MOVE SAID MATERIAL, A NORMALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ENDLESS WEIGHING BELT TILTABLY POSITIONED BENEATH SAID FEED BELT AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM AND HAVING ONE END DISPOSED IN A POSITION FOR DELIVERING MATERIAL THEREFROM INTO SAID MOLD BOX, PIVOTED SUPPORT MEANS IN SAID FRAMEWORK TILTABLY MOUNTING SAID WEIGHING BELT, MEANS FOR IMPARTING DRIVING MOTION TO SAID WEIGHING BELT AND CONTROL MEANS ON SAID WEIGHING BELT SUPPORT MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION THEREOF FOR CONTROLLING SAID MEANS FOR IMPARTING DRIVING MOTION TO SAID FEED BELT.

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