US2896298A - Apparatus particularly for the removal of the upper expansion layer from open casting moulds in the manufacture of porous light-weight concrete - Google Patents

Description

July 28, 1959 K. G. OLSSON 2,396,298

APPARATUS PARTICULARLY FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE UPPER EXPANSION LAYER FROM OPEN CASTING MOULDS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POROUS LIGHT-WEIGHT CONCRETE Filed Nov. 17, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 M A m July 28, 1959 G. OLSSON 2,896,298

. APPARATUS PARTICULARLY FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE UPPER EXPANSION LAYER FROM OPEN CASTING MOULDS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POROUS LIGHT-WEIGHT CONCRETE Filed Nov. 17. 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NViNIOR [641m 6. Owazv fimw}- ATTORNEY July 28, 1959 K. G. OLSSON 2,896,298

APPARATUS PARTICULARLY FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE UPPER EXPANSION LAYER FROM OPEN CASTING MOULDS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POROUS LIGHT-WEIGHT CONCRETE Filed Nov. 17, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 MIYZOK K1121, & OJZSSQV.

ATTORNEY July 28, 1959 K. G. OLSSON 2,896,298

APPARATUS PARTICULARLY FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE UPPER EXPANSION LAYER FROM OPEN CASTING MOULDS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POROUS LIGHT-WEIGHT CONCRETE Filed Nov. 17. 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 wauwmuuwwwmwww! l 28 2a A 4 r 22 llllllilllllIHIIl|flIlllIIIIllIll|IllIllI!"ll !lHflllllllllllllllllllflllllllmllllllllllllilllllllll Il||||nf11t::"..., lIIIh III/II/IIIIII/IIIl/IIIII/gWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/llfli... I"!

LVVEIVTOR. fiOzsscw AT TORHEY United States APPARATUS PARTICULARLY FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE UPPER EXPANSION LAYER FROM OPEN CASTING MOULDS IN THE MANUFAC- T BE 'OF POROUS LIGHT-WEIGHT CONCRETE Karl Gustav 'Olsson, S'olna, Sweden, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Casius Corporation Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada This invention concerns the manufacture of porous or cellular light-weightconcrete and more particularly the invention relates to an apparatus especially adapted for the removal of the upper expansion layer formed in open casting moulds in the production of such concrete, after the expansion of the concrete has finished and it has assumed a plastic form that can be cut. The apparatus is, however, also applicable to other purposes such as the formation of grooves on the upper side of a light-weight concrete body which is lying in a casting mould.

As is well-known, porouslight-weight concrete or cellular concrete bodies are manufactured from a mass containing porosity producing agents in the form of gasdeveloping or foam-producing substances, which mass after it has been cast is allowed to expand in the mould which results in a considerable increase of the volume of the mass. Even if it were theoretically possible to balance or adjust the quantity of the mass poured into the mould in such away that after expansion the mould would be filled up to a predetermined level, this would be very difficult to carry out in practice. When casting light-weight concrete in open moulds, therefore, it is customary to pour so much of the mass into the mould that it rises a few millimetres above the edges of the mould during expansion. The upper expansion layer must then be removed in some way or other to enable the finished light-weight concrete body to attain the desired dimensions, and this work which hitherto has always been carried out manually and with primitive implements, has been time-consuming, heavy and unpleasant. To facilitate the work it has also been practiced to remove the upper expansion layer before the mass had attained its cheeselike plastic state in which it could be cut. However, this has often resulted in the damaging of the relatively soft mass when cutting away the surface layer, and for this reason Waste of the product has often occurred.

The present invention has for its object to mechanize the process of removing the upper expansion layer from open light-Weight concrete moulds, whereby it is primarily rendered possible to delay the removal of the said upper expansion layer until the cast mass has assumed a plastic form that can be cut. The mass is then no longer pasty and the upper expansion layer after it has been cut ofi, can be broken into pieces which can be transported away relatively easily.

The apparatus according to. the invention mainly comprises a table pivotally suspended to be tiltable around its longitudinal axis, on which table the casting mould is adapted to be placed and which is provided with rail tracks fora truck which is movable in the longitudinal direction of the table, said truck carrying aknife which at ent Ofiice 2,896,298 Patented July 28, 1959 extends across the table and over the mould and is of such a width and shape that on the tilting of the table, it can serve as a chute for transporting the upper expansion layer cut off on the movement of the truck, to one (the lower) side of the cutting table.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction and process of manufacture hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein described may be made within the scope of What is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will be furtherunderstood that my invention is susceptible of embodiment in many and various forms, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and that the structural de-= tailsor particular steps of the method herein set forth may be varied to suit particular purposes and still remain within my inventive concept.

Other characteristic features of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus which is by way of example shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end View of the same apparatus showing in dotted lines the table supporting the casting mould in a horizontal position and in full lines the table in the inclined working position;

Fig. 4 illustrates diagrammaticelly the procedure when cutting in one direction with the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 3; and

Fig. 5 illustrates diagrammatically the procedure when cutting in the other direction with the same apparatus.

As may be seen from the drawings, theapparatus comprises a table 1 which by means of end members 2 is pivotally suspended in two supports 3 which project upwards from the floor so that the table can pivot around the shaft-ends 4 located above the surface of the table 1 and running substantially centrally in relation to the Width of the table. The longitudinal sides of the table are formed by two parallel I-girders 5 placed on edge which extend beyond the supports 3 for some distance at each end of the table 1.

The I-girders 5 form running tracks for a truck 6 which extends transversely under the table 1 and is provided on either side of the latter with two wheels 7 which run on the lower, outer flanges of the I-girders 5. The truck 6 carries an electric motor 8 under the table, which drives a transversely moving synchronizing shaft 9 which in turn, through gear transmission, drives pinions10 mounted at each side of the truck between the wheels 7, the said pinions cooperating with a gear rack 11 fixed on the. underside of each I-girder 5 at the upper, outer flange thereof, respectively. Thus, with the help of the motor 8, the truck 6 can be moved along the table 1 and this movement can take place independently of the inclined position of the table 1 as the truck is guided at the sides by flanges on the wheels 7 and furthermore, it is stabilized by the fact that the wheels 7 run against an upturned surface whereas the pinions 10 act against a turned-down surface on the table.

The truck 6 is provided with end members 6 which project upwards on each side of the table 1 and the light-Weight concrete casting mould 12 placed thereon.

by gravity to lie against supporting studs 13 arranged along one side edge of the table. The end members 6 serve as supports for a knife running transversely over the mould 12, said knife consisting of a metal plate 15 equipped with downwardly directed end members 14, one edge of the said metal plate being formed to provide a cutting edge 16. The end members 14 are substantially triangular and are pivotally mounted at their lower ends on pins 17 on the outer sides of the end members '6' of the truck. Each end member 14 is provided with an arm 14' projecting beyond the cutting edge 16 of the plate 15, and between these arms 14', a cutting wire 18 is stretched to run somewhat in front of the edge 16 as best seen in Fig. 1. This cutting wire 18 serves to cut away the upper expansion layer slightly in front of the point at which it is broken upwards by the plate 15, thus preventing damage to the cut upper side of the lightweight concrete body.

Each end member 14 is provided, in addition, with a lug 19 bent inwards through which an adjusting screw 20 is threaded. This adjusting screw 20 rests with its point against each end member 6 of the truck 6. By means of these adjusting screws 20 the plate 15 can be ad-. justed in such a way that the cutting edge 16 and the cutting wire 18 can be held at the desired height above the table 1 during the cutting operation when the edge 16 is turned down towards the upper side of the casting mould 12.

The position of the knife is thus independent of the height of the side members of the mould, which permits the cutting of the cast mass above the upper edges of the mould, if necessary to obtain the desired dimension of the light-weight concrete body.

The opposite side edge of the plate 15 is provided with groove-shaped projections 22 by means of which grooves 23 can be cut in the light-weight concrete body present in the casting mould when the truck 6 is returned to its initial position after the upper expansion layer has been removed by moving the truck from right to left in Fig. 2. During the latter operation the projections 22 are kept raised by the inclination of the plate 15, but when cutting grooves the plate 15 is swung over in the opposite direction so that the projections 22 engage in the contents of the casting mould 12 while the edge 16 and cutting wire 18 are kept raised. When the projections 22 are lowered their height can be regulated by means of screws 24 corresponding to the adjusting screws 20, at each end member 14 on the knife.

The plate 15 has an appreciable width so that, during the cutting process which is first undertaken after the table 1 and casting mould 12 have been pivoted to the inclined position shown by full lines in Fig. 3, the said plate can serve as a chute for the material cut oif to enable the latter to be conveyed away automatically in the transverse direction of the table 1. As it is necessary to keep the inclination of the plate 15 as small as possible however, to prevent damage to the mass lying underneath in the casting mould in the casting operation, it might be possible that the moment of velocity for the cut material to continue to move more or less straight across the knife would be greater than the moment of velocity in the direction toward the lower end of the knife due to gravity. As a result, the cut material could easily become deposited again on the clean-cut mass in the mould 12, which would be undesirable. To prevent this, a pivoted arm 25 is mounted at each of the end members 14 of the knife, and, at the upper ends of these arms which project above the plate 15, a diverting vane 26 is pivotally mountedin such a way that when cutting in one direction it can assume the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, while when cutting in the other direction it is swung over to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The eifect of this can be most clearly seen from Figs. 4 and in which the diverting vane 26 is shown in its respective positions for the difierent cutting operations. The diverting vane 26 thus guides the material to the side down the plate 15 in either direction of travel of truck 6. Stopping devices 27 on the end members 14 limit the pivotal movement of the arms and it is obvious that the diverting vane 26, owing to its pivoted mounting at the upper ends of the arms 25, can so adjust itself that it always rests with its lower edge against the plate 15.

Since in most cases it is unsuitable to place the upper expansion layer cut off from the casting mould 14 on the floor of the locality where the apparatus is installed, a truck 28 may advantageously be employed for collectingthe material falling from the plate 15. The truck 28, which may, if required, run on rails or the like laid on the floor, is provided on its side turned towards the table 1 with a yoke-shaped driving member 29 which is caused to engage with a hooked projection 30 on one end 6' of the truck 6 when the table 1 is pivoted into its inclined position. In this way the truck 28 and the truck 6 are coupled to one another so that the truck 28 follows the reciprocating movements of the truck 6.

The pivoting of the table 1 is effected by means of a hydraulic or pneumatic jack 31 which is mounted between the floor and one end part of the I-girder 5 projecting in front of the table 1 and located furthest away from the path of movement of the truck 28.

The invention is obviously not restricted to the detail arrangements shown in the form of construction of the example but may be varied within wide limits. Thus,

the knife may be provided with a straight edge and cutting wires on both sides for example, if it is not desired to form grooves on the upper side of the cast body. The driving of the truck 6 may be effected in some other manner, for example by means of gear racks 11 mounted on the undersides of the I-girders. The table 1 may be pivoted to the inclined position by hand with the help of a crank, for example, and the knife may be fixed, or pivotally mounted on the truck 6 in some other manner than that illustrated and described.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for the removal of the upper expansion layer from open casting moulds in the manufacture of porous lightweight concrete, comprising a casting mould, means pivotally mounting said casting mould for tilting around its longitudinal axis, truck means mounted for tilting movement along with said casting mould, means connected to said truck means for moving said truck means independently of and in the longitudinal direction of said casting mould, and a knife mounted on said truck means and extending over and transverse to the pivotal axis of said casting mould, said knife being of a width and shape that on the tilting of said mould, said knife serves as a chute for transporting the upper expansion layer, cut off on the movement of said truck means, to the lower side of said mould when tilted.

2. An apparatus for the removal of the upper expansion layer from open casting moulds in the manufacture of porous lightweight concrete, comprising a table pivotally suspended to be tiltable around its longitudinal axis, said table being tiltable in the range of zero to said tilting being performed for the purpose of providing an elevation for a severed upper portion of the main body of the expanded, porous, light-weight concrete, a casting mould mounted on said table for movement therewith, tracks carried by said table and extending longitudinally thereof, a truck mounted on said tracks for movement in the longitudinal direction of said table, a knife mounted on said truck and extending across said table and over and transverse to the pivotal axis of said casting mould, said knife being of a width and shape that on the tilting of said table, said knife serves as a chute for transporting the upper expansion layer cutoff on the movement of said truck, to the lower side of said cutting table when tilted.

3. An apparatus for the removal of the upper expansion porous light-weight concrete, comprising a table pivotally suspended to be tiltable around its longitudinal axis, a castingmouldmounted on said table for movement therewith, tracks carried by said table and extending longitudinally thereof, a truck. mounted on said tracks for movement in the longitudinal direction of the table, a knife pivotally mounted on said truck to swing about a transverse axis in relation ,to said table and extending across ,said table and over said casting mould, said knife being of a width and shape that on the tilting of said table, said knife serves as a chute for transporting the upper expansion layer cut 01f on the movement of said truck, to the lower side of said cutting table when tilted.

4. An apparatus for the removal of the upper expansion layer from open casting moulds in the manufacture of porous light-weight concrete, comprising a table pivotally suspended to be tiltable around its longitudinal axis, a casting mould mounted on said table for movement therewith, tracks carried by said table and extending longitudinally thereof, a truck mounted on said tracks for movement in the longitudinal direction of the table, a knife, means mounting said knife on said truck for extension across said table and over and transverse to the pivotal axis of said casting mould with height of the cutting edge of said knife relatively adjustable with respect to said mould, said knife being of a width and shape that on the tilting of said table, said knife serves as a chute for transporting the upper expansion layer cut off on the movement of said truck, to the lower side of said cutting table when tilted.

5. An apparatus for the removal of the upper expansion layer from open casting moulds in the manufacture of porous light-weight concrete, comprising a table pivotally suspended to be tiltable around its longitudinal axis, a casting mould mounted on said table for movement therewith, tracks carried by said table and extending longitudinally thereof, a truck mounted on said tracks for movement in the longitudinal direction of said table, a knife mounted on said truck and extending across said table and over and transverse to the pivotal axis of said casting mould, said knife being flat and having a double edge and of a width and shape that on the tilting of said table, said knife serves as a chute for transporting the upper expansion layer cut off on the movement of said truck, to the lower side of said cutting table when tilted, and said knife being provided with a diverting vane projecting from the plane of said knife for preventing the upper expansion layer which is cut off by said knife from passing thereover and back down to the cast mass in said mould behind said knife during the cutting operation.

6. An apparatus for the removal of the upper expansion layer from open casting moulds in the manufacture of porous light-weight concrete, comprising a table pivotally suspended to be tiltable around its longitudinal axis, a casting mould mounted on said table for movement therewith, a pair of tracks carried by said table and extending longitudinally thereof, one track at either side of said table, respectively, a truck mounted on said pair of tracks by means of wheels cooperating therewith for movement in the longitudinal direction of said table, a driving motor carried by said truck and drivingly connected with at least one of said wheels, a knife mounted on said truck and extending across said table and over and transverse to the pivotal axis of said casting mould, said knife being of a width and shape that on the tilting of said table, said knife serves as a chute for transporting the upper expansion layer cut off on the movement of said truck, to the lower side of said cutting table when tilted.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said tracks comprise racks and at least one of said wheels at each trackcomprises a pinion in meshing engagement with a respective one of said racks and the driving connection from said motor is mechanically linked to at least said two pinions for synchronously driving the same.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein fluid- .3 operated jack means cooperate withthe table for tilting the same.

9. An apparatus for the removal of the upper expansion layer from .open casting moulds in the manufacture of porous light-weight concrete, comprising a table pivotally suspended to be tiltable around its longitudinal axis, a casting mould mounted on said table for movement'therewith, tracks carried by said table and extending. longitudinally thereof, atruck, mounted on said tracksfor movement in the longitudinal. direction. of saidjtable, a knife mounted on, said truck and, extending across said table and over said casting mould, said knife mounted transverse to the pivotal axis of said mould and comprising a metal plate of a width and shape that on the tilting of said table said knife serves as a chute for transporting the upper expansion layer cut off on the movement of said truck to the lower side of the cutting table when tilted, and a cutting wire stretched in front of the forward edge of said knife as reckoned by the cutting direction.

10. An apparatus for the removal of the upper expansion layer from open casting moulds in the manufacture of porous light-weight concrete, comprising a table pivotally suspended to be tiltable around its longitudinal axis, a casting mould mounted on said table for movement therewith, tracks carried by said table and extending longitudinally thereof, a truck mounted on said tracks for movement in the longitudinal direction of said table, a knife movably mounted on said truck and extending across said table and over and transverse to the pivotal axis of said casting mould, said knife being of a width and shape that on the tilting of said table, it serves as a chute for transporting the upper expansion layer cut off on the movement of said truck, to the lower side of said cutting table when tilted, and means for tilting said knife in either of two directions with respect to the top of said casting mould whereby an edge may be presented in cutting angle relationship to a mass in said mould.

11. An apparatus for the removal of the upper expansion layer from open casting moulds in the manufacture of concrete, comprising a table pivotally suspended to be tiltable around its longitudinal axis, a casting mould mounted on said table for movement therewith, tracks carried by said table and extending longitudinally thereof, a truck mounted on said tracks for movement in the longitudinal direction of said table, a knife movably mounted on said truck and extending over said table and over and transverse to the pivotal axis of said casting mould, said knife being of a width and shape that, on the tilting of said table, it serves as a chute for transporting the layer, cut off on the movement of said truck, to the lower side of said cutting table when tilted, and means for tilting said knife in a direction with respect to the top of said casting mould whereby an edge may be presented in cutting angle relationship to a massin said mould.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said knife is double-edged and one edge of the double-edged knife is straight while the other is shaped to cut grooves in the cast mass.

13. An apparatus for the removal of the upper expansion layer from open casting moulds in the manufacture of porous light-weight concrete, comprising a table pivotally suspended to be tiltable around its longitudinal axis, a casting mould mounted on said table for movement therewith, tracks carried by said table and extending longitudinally thereof, a truck mounted on said tracks for movement in the longitudinal direction of said table, a knife mounted on said truck and extending across said table and over and transverse to the pivotal axis of said casting mould, said knife being of a width and shape that on the tilting of the table, it serves as a chute for transporting the upper expansion layer cut off on the movement of said truck, to the lower side of said cutting table when tilted, a movable collecting truck, and means mounted on said first truck for engaging said collecting: truck when said table is tilted and causing said collecting truck to 7 8 move along with said first truck for the purpose of col1ect- 2,261,807 Friederichsen Nov; 4, 1941 ingthe material removed from the casting mass by said 2,295,155 Brown et a1 Sept. 8, 1942 knife and moving therealong. V v 7 2,522,116 Hayes Sept. 12, 1950 5 2,7 a1 1 References Cited in the file of this patent 77,184 Monk 6t 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS V FOREIGN PATENTS a 346,931 Martin Aug. 10, 1886 159,597 Great Britain Feb. 28, 1921 867,852 Switzer et a1 Oct. 8, 1907- 505,095 Germany Aug. 14, 1930 923,853 Kem 1ell June 8, 1909 10 53,176 Netherlands Sept. 15, 1942 1,523,830 N0rt0n Jan. 20, 1925 498,740 Belgium Feb. 15, 1951 2,061,497 Beauchamp Nov. 17, 1936

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