US3262175A - Concrete pipe machine - Google Patents

Description

y 6, 1966 L. c. GOURLIE ETAL 3,262,175

CONCRETE PIPE MACHINE Filed July 29, 1964 .3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIEZZ INVENTORS LARRY 62 BY 6027 M (ea/44.

779M145 K. BRE/VFWSS MW MW! Wm July 26, 1966 L, c. GOURLIE ETAL 3,262,175

CONCRETE PIPE MACHINE Filed July 29, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 MIN? llllllll'l INVENTOR'S 44x27 6. 600mm BY C027 A4. CONE-{L THOMAS A. BEE/759;: My) *2/11;

Arramrers July 26, 1966 GOURLIE ETAL 3,262,175

CONCRETE PIPE MACHINE .5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 29, 1964 INVENTORS FIE. 4 M

United States Patent 3,262,175 CONCRETE PIPE MACHINE Larry C. Gourlie, Kent, Wash, Curt M. Cowell, Salem,

Greg, and Thomas K. Breitfuss, Kent, Wash, assignors to Hydrotile Machinery Company, Nashua, Iowa, a

corporation of Iowa Filed July 29, 1964, Ser. No. 385,870 12 Claims. (Cl. 25-36) The present invention has relation to a concrete pipe machine of the type using a reinforcing cage and a packet head for forming the pipe in the machine and more particularly to an automatic cage positioner for the machine which eliminates the necessity of using a great deal of manual labor in positioning the reinforcing cages.

In casting or forming reinforced concrete pipe, there is a cage of wire mesh positioned inside an outer mold. A packer head is initially positioned at the bottom of the mold and a concrete mix is poured into the mold. The packer head is moved upwardly and at the same time is rotated to force the concrete outwardly so that a tubular pipe is formed between the packer head and the outer mold. The concrete is packed around a reinforcing cage positioned between the outer mold and the packer head as the packer head moves upwardly. The cage must be supported in concentric position with the mold and packer head so that the concrete is uniformly disbursed around the cage and a solid dense pipe is made.

Various structures have been presented for supporting these reinforcing cages in place while the packer head moves upwardly and forms the concrete pipe between the outer mold and the head. While some of these prior structures have worked with limited success none have proved completely adaptable to automatic use.

The device of the present invention presents a cage positioner unit which will fit within a reinforcing cage in position relative to the axis of the pipe and will move upwardly with the packer head and hold the reinforcing cage properly positioned as the concrete pipe is formed. As shown, the device utilizes three radially projecting and extensible supports which are operated by fluid pressure and which will automatically center the cage in proper position in relation to the pipe axis. When the unit has reached the upper limit of travel, means are provided for automatically retracting the cage supports to clear a provided upper tongue forming head for the T pipe. The cage supports will remain retracted until an operator again operates them to center a new cage.

It is an object of the present invention to present a device which will automatically center a reinforcing cage in relation to the axis of a pipe to be formed and retain it in proper position while the material from which the pipe is being formed is packed around the cage.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a packer head type concrete pipe making apparatus utilizing a cage positioner made according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the pipe mold, packer head and cage positioner apparatus of the device of FIG. 1, and taken as on line 22 in FIG. 1;

'FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken as on line 3-3 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken as on line 44 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a hydraulic control valve used with the invention.

Referring to the drawings and the numerals of reference thereon, a pipe making machine of the packer head type, illustrated generally at 10, includes an outer frame 11 which is mounted onto a base 12. The frame 1i1 is an upright frame having an overhead support member 1 3 .and a plurality of upright support members .14. An outer mold jacket 15 is mounted on the base 12 inside the frame 11 and extends u'prightly therefrom. The outer jacket 15 is supported on the base in a usual or preferred manner and has a groove forming ring or pallet 16 located in the interior thereof. The upper end of the jacket 15 is supported by a suitable charging or loading-filling platform 17 which in turn is vertically slidably mounted on suitable support members 18 attached to the frame 11. The charging platform 17 can be raised or lowered to accommodate different size outer molds 15 and also raised to permit the finished pipe and mold to be removed and a new mold and cage inserted. The outer mold 1 5 can be of the ordinary split mold type which has a plurality of annular reinforcing rings 20 which can be clamped together in any preferred manner to hold the two mold sections in a cylindrical shape. The jacket or mold 15 is held with respect to the charging platform with brackets 53 during the pipe forming operation.

The pipe making machine, as shown, if the packer head type wherein a packer head 21 is mounted for vertical movement along and about the axis of the mold 15. Suitable cementitious material is poured onto the charg ing platform 17 and is dropped down into the pipe forming cavity of the mold which is the annular space between the outer surface of the packer head and the inner surface of the outer mold. The packer head 21 rotates and has suitable blades 22 thereon for moving the material toward the outer edges thereof and filling the pipe forming cavity with a ce-mentitious material illustrated generally at 23. The packer head also carries rollers that will pack the concrete against the outer mold to form the pipe.

The packer head 21 can be of any usual or preferred design known in the trade. The packer head 21 is in turn fixedly attached to the upright drive shaft 24 which passes through and is rotatably supported by an outer support tube 25 and is rotatably mounted on a vertically movable carriage 26. The carriage 26 includes upper and lower support members 27 and 2 8, respectively which move as a unit along suitable guide shafts 32, 32 which are rfixed between the upper member 13 of the frame 111 and a guide plate cross member 43. The carriage 26 is raised and lowered in any suitable manner, for example a winch illustrated schematically at 33 that is supported on the top member 13 and has a controlled cable 64 extending downwardly to engage the upper member 27 of the carriage 26. By operating the winch the carriage 2 6 can be raised or lowered as desired.

The shaft 24 is located on the rotational axis of the packer head 21 and also is coincidental with the axis of the outer jacket '15 for the pipe to be formed. This puts the axis of shaft 24 directly on the axis of the pipe which will be formed.

A bevel gear 35 is drivably mounted on the upper end of the shaft 24 and is held from axially movement along the shaft as well as rotating with the shaft. Bevel gear 35 is positioned above the lower member 28 of the carriage 26 land a suitable thrust bearing 36 can be placed between the back of the gear and the top of the lower support member 28 to support the gear as it rotates. The gear 35 will carry the vertical load of the packer head 21. A pinion 3-7 drivalbly engages the bevel gear 35 and is driven through a shaft 38 from a motor 41. Whenever the motor 41 is powered, shaft 38 will rotate, and the gear set 35 and 37 will cause the shaft 24 to rotate, which in turn will cause the packer head 21 to rotate. Movement of thecarriage up and down will also cause the packer head to be raised and lowered along its axis through the connection of gear 35 and shaft 24. The packer head can be rotated at the same time it is raised and lowered.

The outer support tube 25 has an integral flange 42 at an upper end thereof which is bolted to the bottom member 2 8 of the carriage 26. The support tube 25 also raises and lowers along with the carriage. A guide plate 43 is mounted on the frame 11 and has a plurality of rollers 44 which roll against the outer surfaces of the support tube 25 and help to keep the support tube in position so that the axis of shaft 24 coincides with the axis of the jacket 15. The shaft 24 will rotate within the support tube (on suitable bearings) but the shaft 24 and tube 25 do not move longitudinally relative to each other.

In making of reinforced concrete pipe, a reinforcing cage 45 which is made up of suitable vertical reinforcing wires 46 joined together by annularly extending wires 47. The wires are welded at their intersections to form the cage. The cage is placed within the outer jacket 15. The cage 45 must be spaced from the outer jacket 15, as shown, and also must be spaced from the outer surface of the packer head 21. The cementitious material indicated at 23 is packed around the cage 45 and the cage reinforces this cementitious material or concrete when the pipe has been formed. As can be seen, the cages merely rest on the pallet 16 at the bottom end thereof and has a bell shaped section 51 which corresponds to the end portion of the jacket 15. The upper end of the cage is spaced downwardly from a tongue forming header 52 that is attached to the charging or filling platform 17.

In order to obtain high quality pipe it is imperative that the reinforcing cage 45 is properly positioned between the jacket and packer head 21. It is also imperative that the proper spacing is maintained from the jacket 15 and the packer head so that the thickness of the concrete surrounding the cage is the proper thickness.

In order to insure that the reinforcing cage 45 is properly concentrically or co-axially positioned about the axis of the pipe, a cage locator structure illustrated generally at 54 is provided.

The cage locator assembly '54 includes a plurality of guides comprised of double acting hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 55 (three as shown) which are welded or otherwise fixedly attached to an annular band 56 that in turn is spaced outwardly from the tubular support and is attached thereto with suitable closure rings 57, 57. The closure rings 57 and band 56 from a manifold 58 which extends annular around the support tube 25. The hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 55, as shown, are spaced 120 degrees apart and each has a slidably mounted piston 61 therein. More or less cylinders can be use-d if desired. In certain cases elliptical cross section reinforcing cages are used in cylindrical concrete pipes in order to get greater strength with less steel. When elliptical cages are used, four cylinders are used along the major and minor axes of the ellipse. The cage longitudinal axis still coincides with the packer head axis, which is the pipe axis, while the description deals with a cylindrical cage and holding the cage concentric with the packer head in the cases where an elliptical cage is used, this terminology is to mean the axis of the cage and pipe are substantially coincidental. Each piston 61 is sealed with respect to the interior of its associated cylinder with a suitable O-ring 62. A separate elliptical cross section piston rod 63 is fixedly attached to each of the pistons and extends outwardly through a provided opening in its respective cylinder end cap 64. Each end cap in turn has an O-ring '65 with seals on the piston rod 63. The outer end of each of the piston rods has a separate tubular sleeve 66 pinned thereto, as at 69. Sleeves 66 are removable from their piston rods by replacing the pin joining it to the rod. Sleeves 66 have a nut 67 welded at the outer end thereof and a stud 70 is threadably mounted in the nut 67. Each of the studs 70 is also fixedly mounted in a collar 71 that is attached to separate reinforcing cage support shoe 72. The shoe 72, as shown, comprises a round rod having outer end portions 73 bent away from the reinforcing cage. The

main portions of the shoe 72 extend longitudinally, or in other words, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipe. The shoe 72 will rest against or be only slightly spaced from the annular wires 47 of the reinforcing cage assembly 45 and slide upwardly and downwardly with respect to these wires. The elliptical cross section of the rods on the cylinders prevents them from rotating and therefore maintains the shoes properly oriented.

As shown typically in FIG. 4, the band 56 of the manifold 58 has three ports or openings 75 defined therethrough. Each of the ports or openings 75 aligns with one of the cylinders 55 and is open to the interior thereof. A pressure conduit 76 is also open to the interior of the manifold 58. The conduit 76 is connected in a suitable manner to a suitable double acting control valve shown schematically at 77. The valve 77 controls fluid under pressure from a suitable source, such as a hydraulic pump 79. When moved to proper position fiuid under pressure will be directed to conduit 76.

Each of the cylinders 55 has a passageway 78 in its respective end cap 64. A suitable common conduit 81 is connected to each of the passageways 78 and leads back to the valve 77. The cylinders are then hydraulically connected in parallel.

When the valve 77 is positioned to direct fluid under pressure through conduit 76 to manifold 58, suitable ports also open so that the conduit 81 is connected back to the reservoir and will permit fliud to flow freely from the rod sides of the pistons 61. The pressure in manifold 58 will in turn exert hydraulic fluid pressure through the port 75 into each of the cylinders 55. This will force the pistons 61 in direction as indicated by arrow 82 in FIG. 4. This will also force the shoes 72 in this direction until the pistons hit the end caps. The shoes are normally held in slightly spaced relation to the cage. This permits some variation in cage size and also helps to make the unit work when the cages are slightly elliptical.

In order to make sure that the cage is properly positioned when the shoes 72 are in their extended position adjacent the inner surfaces of the cage, the tubular sleeves 65 and studs are adjusted in length so that the shoes 72 for each of the cylinders will extend an equal distance outwardly from the axis of the shaft 25, and, therefore, the axis of the pipe which will be formed when the pistons 61 are against their end caps. This position is shown in FIG. 4.

If different diameter cages are used different sleeves 66 are used. Also, the threadable adjustment of the studs 70 will aid in making minor adjustments. In all cases in operation fluid under pressure is introduced into the manifold 58 and each piston 61 will contact the end cap 64 of its respective cylinder assembly before the cage is properly positioned.

In the forming operation, the cage and outer mold are properly positioned below the charging platform with the packer head in a raised position, according to well-known procedures.

The packer head is lowered down inside the cage as shown in FIG. 2. The control valve is actuated by an operator so that fluid under pressure is admitted to manifold 58. The shoes 72 engage the cage and the device is ready to be used. Concrete or other cementitious material will be poured onto the charging platform 17 from suitable chutes leading from a source of supply and will be scraped through the openings 83 at the upper end of the outer jacket 15. If necessary, the upper part of the cage can be steadied by the operator during the initial portion of the filling operation. The material coming through opening 83 will fall on top of the packer head. The motor 41 will then be started which in turn will rotate the shaft 24 and rotate the packer head. It will be noted that the outer tubular member 25 will not rotate and therefore the shoes 72 will not rotate either. Cementitious material will be forced outwardly by the blades 22 to fill the pipe forming cavity between the packer head 21 and the jacket 15. After the lower portions of the pipe forming cavity have been filled as shown in FIG. 2 the packer head will then be moved upwardly by activating the winch 33 and pulling on the carriage 26. The packer head will continue to rotate. At the same time, the tube 25 will be raised. This will cause the shoes 72 to slide up with respect to the cage in a vertically upward direction. This will insure that the cage is being properly positioned as the packer head advances upwardly and that there will be sufiicient material on both sides of the cage. The shoes 7-2 lead the packer head by a short distance. The shoes will hold the section of the cage surrounding the packer head properly positioned.

Once the shoes 72 reach the top portions of the cage 21 small finger 84 on the carriage 26 will trip a microswitch 85 which will activate a solenoid 80 to move valve 77 in opposite direction and will direct fluid under pressure through the conduit 81 and passageway 78 into the interior of the cylinders 55. The pressure will act against the rod sides of the pistons 61 and will force the pistons in opposite directions as indicated by arrow 82. The valve 77 is made so that suitable ports will open to permit the fluid within the cylinders 55 to flow back out through opening port 75, manifold 58 and conduit 76 into the reservoir. Shoes 72 will then be moved to their retracted position wherein the end of tubular sleeve 66 strikes against the end cap 64. This will be sufiicient distance so that the shoes 72 will clear the inner peripheral edges of the tongue forming pallet or ring 52. The packer head will continue to be raised until the complete pipe has been formed, including the portions Within the ring 52. It will be noted that the packer head can pass through the opening 83. The valve 77 is made so that once the microswitch has been tripped the valve will remain in position to hold the cylinder rods and shoes in retracted position until the valve is manually operated again. This can be done by the use of a spring loaded detent 86 on the solenoid, as shown, which will hold the valve handle in the dotted position shown in FIG. 5 until the control handle is manually moved, regardless of the position of the microswitch. If desired, suitable time delay relays can be provided, which, once the microswitch is tripped, will lock the control valve in position until the cylinders are fully retracted and then will release the valve to its neutral position, (the valve must be spring loaded to neutral) which will hold the cylinders retracted. A relief valve 74 can be provided to prevent damage to the system.

When the pipe has been finished the packer head will be raised completely clear of the charging platform 17 and the brackets 53 will be released. The charging platform 17 will be raised and the outer jacket 15 and the finished pipe can be carried away for curing. With the packer head in its raised position a new reinforcing cage 45 can be placed on a new pallet 16 and a new outer jacket 15 can also be placed around the reinforcing cage. The packer head will then be again lowered to position shown in FIG. 2, the cage positioner 54 will be actuated by moving the valve control handle to position to direct fluid under pressure into the interior of the cylinders 55. The shoes 72 will then properly concentrically position the reinforcing cage with respect to the axis of the pipe and the forming operation can be repeated.

It will be noted that shoe 72 will slide easily past the annular wires 47 as the positioner is raised during the initial pipe forming sequence. It is again to be noted that once the initial pass has been made by the packer head the positioning shoes 72 will be retracted to clear the ring 52 at the upper end of the pipe and will remain retracted during all subsequent operations of the packer head in packing, forming and smoothing the interior of the pipe. The shoes therefore retract so they clear the inside diam- :ter of the formed pipe.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pipe making machine having an outer mold jacket, a reinforcing member positioned within said outer mold jacket, and an axially movable packer head within said mold, the improvement comprising positioner means for holding said reinforcing member spaced between the inner surface of outer mold jacket and the outer surface of said packer head, said means comprising a plurality of radially extending guides, a separate shoes at the outer end of each of said guides, said radially extending guides being movable between extended and retracted positions, and actuating means to move said radially extending guides to their extended position wherein said shoes hold said reinforcing member spaced from and between the mold and packer head and to move said radially extending guides to their retracted position, wherein said shoes clear said reinforcing member.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein the guides are axially spaced from the packer head and are movable with the packer head in axial direction.

3. The combination with a machine for making reinforced concrete pipe having a substantially cylindrical outer mold, a reinforcing cage positioned within said outer mold and spaced therefrom, and an axially movable rotatable packer head within said reinforcing cage, of: positioner means to position said cage so the longitudinal axis thereof is substantially coincidental with the axis of said packer head and in spaced relationship between the inner surface of said outer mold and the outer surface of said packer head, said positioner means comprising a plurality of radially extensible members, said members being movable between an extended and retracted position, and a separate shoe at the outer end of each of said radially extensible members adapted to position and hold said cage substantially co-axial with the packer head when said members are in their extended position, said members being axially movable with said packer head.

4. The combination as specified in claim 3 wherein said radially extensible members have elongated shoes at the outer ends thereof, the longitudinal dimension of said shoes extending substantially parallel to the axis of said packer head.

5. The combination as specified in claim 3 wherein said radially extensible members are comprised as a plurality of radially extending fluid actuated cylinders of the double acting type having extensible and retractable rods each cylinder being fluidly connected in parallel with the others, and mechanical stop means to prevent movement of the extensible rods beyond their extended position.

6. A device for positioning a reinforcing cage within an outer mold of a pipe machine having a rotatable axially movable packer head concentric with said outer mold, said device including a plurality of extensible members vertically movable with said packer head and positioned spaced above said packer head, said members being movable from extended position wherein they hold said reinforcing cage substantially co-axial with the packer head to a retracted position wherein they will clear the inside diameter of the pipe formed by the packer head, and means to move said members between their extended and retracted positions.

7. The combination as specified in claim 6 and control means operable to move said members to their retracted position whenever said members move to position aligned with the upper portions of said pipe.

8. The combination as specified in claim 6, wherein said radially extensible members are comprised as a plurality of radially extending fluid actuated cylinders of the double acting type having extendible and retractable rods, each cylinder being fluidly connected in parallel with the others, and stop means to prevent movement of the extendible rods beyond their extended position.

9. In a machine for making reinforced concrete pipe having a substantially vertical outer mold, a reinforcing cage within said outer mold, a rotatable packer head positioned concentrically within said outer mold and cage and adapted to be moved in direction along its rotational axis, said packer head being drivably mounted to a shaft which is rotatably attached to a support member, a tubular housing around said shaft and movable with said packer head and a tongue forming header at the upper end of said mold having an inner diameter of substantially less than the inner diameter of the reinforcing cage in said mold, of: a positioner for said cage comprising a plurality of radially extending fluid actuated cylinders attached to said tubular support, said cylinders having internal pistons with outwardly projecting piston rods which are movable between extended and retracted positions, a separate shoe attached to the outer ends of each of said piston rods, said shoes being adapted to engage said cage and hold it substantially concentric with the axis of said tube when said piston rods are in their extended positions, stop means provided on said cylinders to prevent said rods from from moving beyond their normal extended positions, and means to direct fluid under pressure to said cylinders so as to move said cylinders to retracted position wherein said shoes will pass through the opening in a pipe formed by said packer head.

10. In a pipe making machine having a substantially cylindrical outer mold jacket, an axially movable substantially cylindrical packer head positioned concentric with the jacket and rotatable with respect thereto, and a reinforcing cage located in the annular cavity between the mold and the packer head, the improvement comprising a positioner for the reinforcing cage, said positioner comprising a plurality of radially extensible members movable with said packer head in the axial direction of the packer head, said radially extensible members being radially movable between an extended position wherein the outer end portions of said members extend outwardly from the axis of rotation of the packer head a distance greater than the radius of the packer head and less than the radius of the inner surface of said outer mold, to a retracted position wherein the extensible members are of length which is less than the radius of said packer head.

11. The combination as specified in claim 10 wherein said members are comprised as a plurality of radially extending double acting fluid actuated cylinders having extendible and retractable rods, each cylinder being fluidly connected in parallel with the others, and wherein each of said rods has an elongated shoe at the outer end thereof, the longitudinal dimension of said shoe being substantially parallel to the axis of said packer head.

12. The combination as specified in claim Ill and control means for said fluid actuated cylinders adapted to cause said cylinders to move said rods to their retracted position whenever the extensible members are moved vertically to position adjacent an upper end of the mold and to hold said rods in said retracted position, and manually operable means for returning said piston rods to their extended positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 981,051 1/1911 Besser 2536 1,828,890 10/1931 Cook 25-36 1,938,230 12/1933 Ukropina 2536 2,575,353 11/1951 MacEvoy 25-38 3,180,000 4/1965 Bossner 251l8 J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

G. A. KAP, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 6. A DEVICE FOR POSITIONING A REINFORCING CAGE WITHIN AN OUTER MOLD OF A PIPE MACHINE HAVING A ROTATABLE AXIALLY MOVABLE PACKER HEAD CONCENTRIC WITH SAID OUTER MOLD, SAID DEVICE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF EXTENSIBLE MEMBERS VERTICALLY MOVABLE WITH SAID PACKER HEAD AND POSITIONED SPACED ABOVE SAID PACKER HEAD, SAID MEMBERS BEING MOVABLE FROM EXTENDED POSITION WHEREIN THEY HOLD SAID REINFORCING CAGE SUBSTANTIALLY CO-AXIAL WITH THE PACKER HEAD TO A RETRACTED POSITION WHEREIN THEY WILL CLEAR THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE PIPE FORMED BY THE PACKER HEAD,

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