GB2100177A

GB2100177A - Apparatus for moulding screen blocks

Info

Publication number: GB2100177A
Application number: GB8216737A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: FLETCHER JOSEPH HERBERT
Current assignee: FLETCHER JOSEPH HERBERT
Priority date: 1981-06-09
Filing date: 1982-06-09
Publication date: 1982-12-22
Also published as: GB2100177B

Abstract

Apparatus for use in moulding screen blocks on base boards comprises a mould box within which is a former (Fig. 1) having components (10) between and about which passageways (13) are formed. The components (10) are supported by upright members (11). A feed box has a loading side or front formed by a series of panels 17 of resilient material which when pushed past members (11) flex at their edges when passing the upright members (11). A tamping device having a face component (20) of shape similar to that of the complex of passageways (13) is provided to tamp a screen block when formed of mouldable material fed into the passageways of the mould box and vibrated the tamped screen block on a base board being then removed for curing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Screen-block moulding apparatus This invention relates to apparatus for use in moulding ornamental wall blocks of the type which are commonly called and hereinafter referred to as "screen blocks" and which when viewed from either major face have a rectangular surround within which is an openwork pattern.

The former is made up of a number of interspaced and interrelated shaped components between and about which are the passages into which the mouldable material mix is filled in order to form the surround and openwork pattern. The components are secured together in their spaced relationship by members which traverse the passages and abut the tops of the components. A disadvantage is that the members obstruct the passages where they traverse same and prevent adequate filling of the passages immediately thereunder, and although material fills into these localised areas from opposite sides thereof before and during vibration of the mould box, nevertheless there is not sufficient material filled thereinto to obviate the appearance of iocalised blemishes on one major face of the finished block, whereby the aesthetic appearance of a wall built with block made in this way is marred.

Apparatus heretofore in use for moulding screen blocks comprises a base board, a mould box locatable on said board and having therein a former to create the surround and openwork pattern, and a feed box movable from an out-ofuse position to an in-use position above said mould box and former. In use of the apparatus, a mouldable material mix is fed into said feed box and passes into the passages formed within said mould box by the former, the mould box is then vibrated, the feed box is withdrawn, the mould box and former are removed and the base board with the former block thereon are stored after the material has acquired an initial set, so that the material can acquire a final set and be cured.

An object of the present invention is to obviate or mitigate said disadvantage.

According to the present invention, apparatus for use in moulding screen blocks comprises a base board, a mould box locatable on said board and having therein a former to create the surround an openwork pattern and made up of a number of interspaced and interrelated components between and about which are the passages into which the moudable material mix is filled in order to form the surround and openwork pattern, each component having projecting upwardly therefrom one upright member of one series of several parallel series of upright members of even height, the upper ends of the upright members of each series being rigid with a top bar, a feed box movable from an out-ofuse position clear of the mould box leading in each movement being formed of a series of panels of width determined by the spacing of the several parallel series of uprights and whose contiguous edges are resiliently flexible to enable said leading side of said feed box to pass said uprights, and a tamping device actuable vertically and having a face component of shape similar to the complex of passages defined by the mould box and the former.

The present invention also comprehends a screen block when formed using the apparatus described in the next preceding paragraph.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a former of an apparatus according to the present invention with the top bars shown in broken line for the purposes of better illustration; Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the series of uprights and associated top bar for the former; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a feed box with the front or leading side thereof being shown expanded; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the feed box to a larger scale than Fig. 3 and; Figs. 5A and 5B are a sectional plan view and a side view, respectively, of a tamping device.

Referring to the drawings, apparatus of the type stated comprises a mould box (not shown) within which is a former (Fig. 1) to create the surround and openwork pattern of a screen box and made up of a number of interspaced and interrelated components 10 between and about which are passageways 13 into which a mouldable material mix is filled in order to form the surround and openwork pattern. Projecting upwardly from each component 10 is one upright member 11 of one series of three parallel series of upright members 11 of even height, the upper ends of the upright members of each series being rigid with a top bar 12.The bars 12 are disposed on edge in spaced parallel relationship and the side surfaces of the upright member 11 associated with each are flush with the side or major surfaces of the bar and the edge surfaces of each upright member taper outwardly.

A feed box (Figs. 3 and 4) comprises a base 14, two lateral sides 1 5, a back 16, and a front formed of a series of abutting edge-to-edge panels 17 formed of a resilient flexible material, such as natural or synthetic rubber belting. The panels 17 are of widths determined by the spacing apart of the three series of upright members 11 to enable the front side of the feed box to be pushed past the upright members 11 to the in-use position over the mould box and to be withdrawn past the upright members 11 to the out-of-use position clear of the mould box. The panels 1 7 are held in position by being sandwiched between rigid parts of the box, namely straps 1 8 and cranked stay bars 1 9 extending forwardly from the back 1 6.

The face component 20 of a tamping device (Figs. 5A and 5B) has a shape similar to that of the complex of passageways 1 3 definecl by the mould box and former. The face component 20 is backed by six strips 21 appropriately shaped to complement one another and each bolted to the face component 20. Upstanding from each of the strips are two rods 22 of even height, four angle members 23 of the same height as the rods 22 being provided, one at each of the four corners of the tamping device. The height of the rods 22 and angle members 23 is substantially greater than that of the upright members 11.

In use, the apparatus is pushed into its operative position above the mould box, the panels of the front of the feed box flexing at their side edges when passing the upright members 11.

Mouldable material, such as concrete, is fed from the feed box into the mould and vibrated and a screen block is formed, the openwork pattern thereof being determined by the design of the former. The tamping device is lowered into contact with the upper surface of the cut material after the feed box has been withdrawn and, when the tamping device is in position, the mould box and the former are removed upwardly clear of the moulded article. The tamping device is then removed and the formed block is removed for final setting and curing.

It is to be understood that the openwork pattern of the block to be formed can be of any configuration desired and other than that shown in the drawings, and the design of the former, and components therefor accordingly determined to provide that openwork pattern.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in moulding screen blocks comprises a base board, a mould box locatable on said board and having therein a former to create the surround and openwork pattern and made up of a number of interspaced and interrelated components between and about which are the passages into which the mouldable material mix is filled in order to form the surround and openwork pattern, each component having projecting upwardly therefrom one upright member of one series of several parallel series of upright members of even height, the upper ends of the upright members of each series being rigid with a top bar, a feed box movable from an out-of-use position clear of the mould box to an in-use position over the latter, the side of the feed box leading in each movement being formed of a series of panels of width determined by the spacing of the several parallel series of uprights and whose contiguous edges are resiliently flexible to enable said leading side of said feed box to pass said uprights, and a tamping device actuable vertically and having a face component of shape similar to the complex of passages defined by the mould box and the former.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Ciaim 1, wherein the panels of the leading side of the feed box are of resiiient flexible material held in position by being sandwiched between rigid parts of said box.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the upright members are bars disposed on edge and arranged in three parallel series with the edge surfaces of each upright member tapering outwardly.

4. Apparatus for use in moulding screen blocks substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A screen block when formed with apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.