WO1992022717A1

WO1992022717A1 - Method and apparatus for the construction of walls of bricks or blocks

Info

Publication number: WO1992022717A1
Application number: PCT/DK1992/000180
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan RØMSGAARD
Original assignee: Roemsgaard Jan
Priority date: 1991-06-12
Filing date: 1992-06-10
Publication date: 1992-12-23
Also published as: AU1984692A; DK111391D0; DK167030B1; DK111391A

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for the production of walls of bricks (29) has piston means (11) with which mortar can be fed towards a discharge opening (21) for the apparatus (1) at such high speed that the mortar leaves the opening (21) in a stream which fills out the joint (41) between the bricks (29) from the area (27) furthest from the opening (21) and in a direction towards said opening (21). Solidification of the mortar in the area close to the opening (21) is hereby avoided.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS OF BRICKS OR BLOCKS.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Several methods are known for the construction of brickwork of bricks or other moulded building materials with the intention at least of avoiding the use of skilled labour. Gradually, the need for a method for the automatic construction of walls has increased, since the building trade can in many cases use prefabricated facings which are produced at a factory and conveyed in their finished state to the building site.

Some of the known apparatus have aimed at simulating the movements of the bricklayer, where mortar and bricks are laid alternately on top of each other. However, these methods and apparatus have never found practical application.

Another method, which is also the basis for the present invention, has been presented in the description of DK patent application no. 437/45. According to this, the wall is produced by an apparatus which introduces mortar into the joint between the bricks or between bricks and wall, while the new bricks are held in their future new position. By this known method, a mortar injection nozzle is introduced into the joint which is filled with mortar at the same time that the nozzle is drawn back from the joint. The filling of the joint thus takes place immediately in front of the nozzle's discharge opening, hereby avoiding the problem which normally arises in the introduction of mortar from a nozzle, namely that the mortar which comes into contact with the brickwork immediately in front of the nozzle opening stiffens, thus preventing additional mortar from reaching forward to the deeper-lying parts of the joint. The known method is, however, complicated to execute, the reason being that is requires a simultaneous movement of the nozzle during the introduction of the mortar. Moreover, the apparatus is complicated in construction.

An appartus for use in the introduction of the mortar between vertical end-walls of moulded brick is known from US patent no. 3,371,459, which presents a method whereby a mortar injection nozzle is positioned opposite the joint, after which the mortar is pressed in by a combined action of compressed air and some pushrods. The same publication also presents another method where the injection nozzle comprises a slot of the same width as the joint, but where behind the injection nozzle their is provided a plate with slightly smaller dimensions than the nozzle opening. The plate is moved forwards and backwards in relation to the nozzle opening, hereby pressing mortar into the joint. The US patent presents and describes only the filling out of vertical heading joints. It is also characteristic of the apparatus in accordance with the latter-mentioned publication that the mortar is tamped or introduced by rods or a carrier plate forward to the discharge opening of the nozzle or further.

In both cases, the filling of the joint from the nozzle and onwards is carried out with the above-mentioned disadvantages as a consequence.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

The special aspect of the method according to the invention is that the apparatus injects the mortar via its nozzle into the joint at such high speed that a portion of the mortar leaves the nozzle in a stream and is deposited in the joint at some distance from the nozzle, in that the filling of the joint is effected in a direction towards the nozzle.

In this manner, contact between the bricks and the mortar before it is deposited deeply inside the joint is avoided. There is thus no problem here of the mortar immediately in front of the nozzle preventing the penetration deeper into the joint. Moreover, in this way the mortar can be introduced more quickly and in a more simple manner than with the known technique. The injection can take place both towards a shutter element on the opposite side and at the same time from both sides. When injecting from both sides at the same time, the filling will thus be effected from the middle of the space between the bricks, while with one-sided injection the filling is effected from the opposite side of the joint, i.e. from a shutter or the like.

The new and special aspect of the apparatus according to the invention is that the piston means can be fed relatively quickly towards the discharge opening, so that the mortar can be injected into the spaces in a stream in such a manner that a part of the mortel will leave the nozzle's discharge opening and be deposited at a distance from the nozzle. The apparatus according to the invention can thus be constructed in ways which are more simple than the known apparatus, and the operational reliability has reached a practical usable level.

It is preferred to execute the method as disclosed in claim 2, where the mortar is accelerated by means of the piston means which move the mortar towards a part of the nozzle which is provided with converging sides, and in the direction towards the discharge opening of the nozzle.

It is also preferred that the nozzle is positioned outside the joint during the injection of the mortar, and that the cross-section of the mortar which leaves the nozzle is less than the cross-section of the joint, cf. claim 4. Contact between bricks and mortar is hereby avoided, and herewith solidification immediately in front of the nozzle opening.

It is preferred to configure the apparatus according to the invention as disclosed in claims 6 and 7.

As presented in claim 8, the apparatus can comprise holding means which consist of a first holding surface which is disposed in a fixed manner at and in relation to the nozzle, and a second surface which is movable and mainly parallel in relation thereto which can be influenced by one or more pressure cylinders. The holding surfaces can have configurations other than plate form, e.g. fluted rods. The apparatus with holding means can be arranged to lay one or a few bricks or a whole brick course.

With one-sided injection of mortar into the joint, it is preferred that the apparatus is configured as disclosed in claim 9, where the second holding surface extends to an area opposite the discharge opening. When injected, the mortar is then stopped by the shutter.

In order for the apparatus also to be able to conclude a course, or to carry out bonding which involves half, three- quarter or quarter bricks, it is expedient to arrange the apparatus as presented in claim 10. In association with the holding means there are arranged shutter elements which are movable between at least two positions, and which in an active position can form a blockage for the mortar in a direction transversely to the mortar's direction of movement in relation to the discharge opening, and which in the inactive position can allow the presence of bricks or brickwork in the area for the active position. The shutter elements hold the mortar in the joint. In order to be able to build walls in a fully automatic manner, it is preferred as disclosed in claim 11 that the apparatus is mounted on guideways along whivch it can be moved by driving means which are controlled by a control unit.

THE DRAWING

An embodiment will now be described by example with reference to the drawing, where

fig. 1 shows an apparatus according to the invention mounted on a frame with three-dimensional guideways,

fig. 2 shows the apparatus according to the invention in perspective,

fig. 3 shows the apparatus seen from above,

fig. 4 shows a section along the line IV-IV in fig. 3, and

fig- 5 shows a detail section along the line V-V in fig. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In fig. 1 is seen how the apparatus according to the invention can be suspended in a system of guides which can lead the apparatus 1 to any point within the outer limits of a frame 3 in order to be able to build a wall 2. A carriage 5 can run along the frame 3 in the x direction, while another carriage 7 can run on the carriage 5 in the y direction. Finally, the apparatus 1 can be moved in the z direction, at right-angles to the remaining directions, in relation to the carriage 7. The movement of the apparatus 1 and the carriages 5,7 is effected with electric motors via a chain drive, these movements depending on a not-shown control unit which also controls the remaining functions of the apparatus.

Alternatively, the apparatus can be disposed at the end of an arm on a handling robot which guides the apparatus between a store for bricks and the wall.

A preferred embodiment of the apparatus 1 according to the invention is shown in fig. 2. The apparatus is provided with an upwardly-open container 9, in the bottom of which there are pistons 11 which via rods 13 can be driven parallel with the bottom of the container by pressure cylinders 15. In association with the container 9, there are built channels 17 which have a converging section 19 close to the nozzle's discharge opening 21, 23.

In the example shown, the apparatus is configured with three channels through which two horizontal discharge openings 21 and a vertical opening 23 can be supplied with mortar, see fig. 5. In connection with the openings 21 and 23 there is a surface 25 which, together with a movable plate 27, forms a holding element for the brick 29, see fig. 4. The plate is driven by two short pneumatic cylinders 31.

To connect the plate 27 to the surface 25, two welded-on intermediate pieces 33 are provided which at the same time serve as guides for movable shutters 35 and 36. Pneumatic cylinders drive the shutters 35,36, one of which 35 is shown in the partly shut-down position in fig. 5. The other shutter 36 has the same breadth as and is placed opposite to the opening 23, so that when in its active position it simultaneously closes the vertical discharge opening 23.

The actual pistons 11 are more or less in the form of rectangular plate pieces having smaller dimensions than the associated channels 17, so that a clearance of some millimeters in breadth is formed at each side. During the feeding forward of the piston 11 towards the converging section 19 and the opening 21, 23, a part of the mortar will be pressed through the clearance behind the piston 11. The mortar which is pressed backwards during the return stroke will thereafter be fed to the container 9, which ensures continuous mixing of the mortar during operations . Furthermore, the clearance takes care that the surplus mortar during injection can be led backwards, in that it is preferred to let the piston-stroke volume be greater than that volume which is to be injected into the joint 41.

The breadth of the discharge openings 21 and 23 is less than the breadth of the joint 41 they are required to fill out. During the feeding forward of the piston 11, the mortar will leave the openings 21 and 23 as a free stream which does not touch the closest parts of the bricks or the wall, and therefore there are no problems with the filling out of the rearmost portions of the slot. In the present configuration, the holding plate 27 is of such a breadth that it forms a kind of shutter which the mortar comes up against during the injection.

The shutters 35,36 are used at the beginning or the end of a course where only half a brick is laid. Morter can hereby be prevented from leaving the joint at the end of the wall. The piston cylinders 15 are individually controlled, so that during the work it can be programmed precisely via the control unit where the mortar shall be placed. One or more cylinders 15 can be taken out of operation individually in order to omit the injection of mortar through one or more slots 21 , 23 .

By a modified method, the same principles can be used in another manner with bricks or blocks with throughgoing holes. The mortar is then injected through the holes in the bricks, i.e. from above, and when the mortar comes up against the underlying brick course, it is spread to the sides and hereby fills out the joint.

With the method and the apparatus according to the invention, it is possible to carry out wall construction in a fully automatic manner, e.g. of a prefabricated facing wall, and which in addition to being implemented in a practicable manner, does not require complicated apparatus.

Claims

1. Method for the production of walls of bricks or blocks by means of an apparatus which introduces mortar into the joint between the bricks or between bricks and wall while the new bricks are secured in their future new position, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the apparatus, via at least one nozzle, injects mortar into the joint at such great speed that a portion of the mortar leaves the nozzle in a stream and is deposited in the joint at a distance from the nozzle, whereby the joint is filled in a direction towards the nozzle in such a manner that those areas of the joint which lie furthest away from the nozzle are filled first, while the areas closest to the nozzle are filled last.

2. Method according to claim 1, whereby the introduction of the mortar is effected with piston means, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the mortar is accelerated by means of the piston means which move the mortar towards a part of the nozzle which is provided with converging sides, and in the direction towards the discharge opening of the nozzle.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the apparatus secures the bricks which are used in the wall construction in their new position by means of a clamping arrangement on the apparatus.

4. Method according to one of the claims 1-3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the nozzle is disposed outside the joint during the injection of the mortar, and that the cross-section of the mortar which leaves the nozzle is smaller than the cross-section of the joint.

5. Apparatus for the execution of the method according to any of the claims 1 - 4, and comprising a nozzle for the injection of mortar into the spaces between the bricks or blocks in the production of a wall, and piston means for the pressing of the mortar out through the nozzle, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the piston means can be fed forwards relatively quickly towards the discharge opening, so that the mortar can be injected into the spaces in a stream, and in such a manner that a portion of the mortar will leave the nozzle's discharge opening and be deposited in the joint at a distance from the nozzle.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, comprising a channel in which a piston can be fed forward and which has a section where the sides of the channel converge in a direction towards the discharge opening of the nozzle, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that most of that section of the channel which is swept by the piston lies in front of the section with converging sides seen in the feeding direction, and that a part of the piston-swept section is in connection with a container for mortar.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the smallest dimension of the cross-section of the nozzle's discharge opening is less than the smallest dimension of the joint.

8. Apparatus according to one of the claims 5 - 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the apparatus comprises holding means consisting of a first holding surface which is disposed in a fixed manner at and in relation to the nozzle, and a second surface which is substantially parallel and movable in relation thereto, and which can be influenced by one or more pressure cylinders.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the second holding surface extends to an area facing the discharge opening.

10. Apparatus according to one of the claims 8 or 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that in association with the holding means there are arranged shutter elements which are movable between at least two positions, and which in an active position can serve to obstruct the mortar in a direction transversely to the mortar's direction of movement in relation to the discharge opening, and which in the inactive position can allow the presence of bricks or brickwork in the area for the active position.

11. Apparatus according to one of the claims 5 - 10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the apparatus is mounted on guideways along which it can be moved by driving means which are controlled by a control unit.