US3325146A - Mold raising mechanism - Google Patents

Description

June 13, 1967 B. AHL 3,325,146

MOLD RAISING MECHANISM Filed March 16, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTOP B e Wz/zard A h] ATTYJI June 13, B AHL MOLD RAISING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 16, 1966 Fig. 4

lNl/ENTOF? B n/zara A HTTXJI United States Patent 3,325,146 MOLD RAISING MECHANISM Bernhard Ahl, Wormser Str. 33, Cologne, Germany Filed Mar. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 534,775 Claims priority, application Germany, May 5, 1965, A 4 ,113 7 Claims. (Cl. 254-106) This invention relates to a mechanism for raising sliding molds on vertical climbing poles during the production of concrete structures by the slide-molding system.

Previously proposed mold raising or climbing mechanisms for slide molding applications have suffered from slippage mainly as a result of rust on the climbing poles, or the presence of dirt on or wear of the grabs. Such slippage causes deformation, tilting and cracking of the concrete. Moreover, previously proposed mold raising mechanisms have been such that it is impossible to economically interrupt the work at a particular point in time as, for example, at the end of a days work.

In keeping with the above, it is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the above disadvantages in conventional mold raising mechanisms.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mold raising mechanism for raising sliding molds for the production of concrete structures by the slide-molding system, the mold raising mechanism including grab-heads positioned above and below one another, eccentrically mounted grabs or clamps carried by the grab-heads for clamping an associated climbing pole, the upper and lower grab-heads being connected to two independently operated, extensible and contractible pressure fluid actuators for raising and lowering the grab-heads, the actuators extending parallel to the climbing pole, each pressure fluid actuator including at least one auxiliary lengthadjusting device, and an upper one of the grab-heads being provided with a release device to hold the grabs free from the climbing pole.

. A further object of the invention is to provide a mold raising mechanism of the type above-described in which the pressure fluid actuators are piston-cylinder units which are pivoted to the grab-heads, and each length-ad" justing device is arranged between a piston and a lug by which each unit is pivoted to an associated grab-head.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism as defined above, the mechanism further including an adjust-able fixing ring attached to the climbing pole above the upper grab-head, and release-bolts for the grabs are provided between the fixing ring and the grabs to shake molds carried by the grab-heads to settle concrete in the molds.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view of the mold raising mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a sectional end view mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-Ill of FIG. 1 showing an upper grab-head of the mechanism; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the mold raising or climbing mechanism 1 operates in conjunction with a vertical climbing pole 2 and includes an upper grab-head 3 and a lower grab-head 4. Lifting apparatus in the form of two pressure fluid actuators or hydraulic rams 5 and 6 are positioned between the grab-heads 3, 4. Each ram 5, 6 includes a cylinder 7in which a piston 8 is slidably disposed. Fluid openings or ports 9 and 10' open into each cylinder 7 above and below the piston respectively,

of the mold raising grab of the mold raising and hydraulic pressure medium, e.g. oil, is introduced or extracted therethrough, as will be more apparent hereafter. The rams each terminate in lugs 14 and 15 which are pivoted by bolts 16 and 17 to lugs 18 and 19' on the respective grab-heads 3, 4. Each piston is provided with a piston rod 8a whose upper end 8b is screwed into an associated holding head 14. To each of the piston rods 8a is attached a threaded bushing 12 having threads 12a threadably receiving an adjusting ring 13-. A conical shell 11 serves as a support for the adjusting ring 13 which forms an auxiliary length-adjusting device which operates in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

The grab-heads 3, 4 are disposed in housings 20' in which are located grabs or clamps 21 and 22 eccentrically mounted by bolts 23 and 24. The grabs 21, 22 are biased under the influence of adjustable springs 25 and 26 which are carried on square- headed bolts 27 and 28, respectively. The free ends of the springs 25, 26 rest on projecting arms 21a of each of the grabs 21, 22. The housing of the upper grab-head 3 is provided with a headpiece 20a. Holes 29 and 30 parallel to the climbing pole 2 are formed in the head-piece 20a and movable bolts 31 and 32 are slidable through the holes and contact offset surfaces 33, 34 on the grabs 21, 22, respective ly. Above the bolts 31 and 32 is a fixing ring 35 which can be fixed to the climbing pole 2 by means of an adjusting screw 36. Holes 3-7 and 38 are provided in the housings 20 to receive rods or the like to which molds (not shown) for concrete are attached.

In the operation of the mechanism 1 a hydraulic medium is introduced through the opening 10 causing the piston 8 to rise to the height permitted by the adjusting ring 13, this height having been exactly determined beforehand. The mold (not shown) fastened to the grab-head 3 is thus raised upwardly. During this upward movement of the grab-head 3 the grabs 21 and 22 are automatically released due to the eccentric mounting thereof, and are therefore biased against the climbing pole 2 by the springs 26. The grabs in the lower grab-head 4 are clamped by means of the appropriate springs and by the hydraulic pressure exerted by the holding-head. 15 against the climbing pole below the piston 8, thereby providing the counter-pressure for the lifting of the mold. On the release of the hydraulic pressure medium the upper grabhead 3 drops down slightly due to the weight of the mold carried by it, and the eccentrically-set grabs 21 and 22 of the upper grab-head 3 pivot and clamp fast to the climbing pole 2. The springs 25 and 26 effect an immediate clamping of the grabs 21 and 22 when the pressure of the medium drops.

When the medium is introduced through the openings 9 the cylinder 7, with the lower grab-head 4 hanging from them, are raised by the same height as the cylinders whereby the grab-head 4 is drawn along with them. An alternate introduction of the pressure medium through the openings 10 or 9 thus gives rise to continuous upward movement of the mechanism 1, whereby raising the mold attached thereto.

When irregular clamping of the grabs 21, 22 occurs the adjusting ring 13 can be adjusted according to the amount of slippage by merely raising or lowering the shell 11 and ring 13 on the bushing 12, in a manner clearly apparent from FIG. 2 of the drawings. Slippage is in this way equalized, and regular and controllable raising of the mold is attained. Thus, any tilting of the concreted construction because of the occurrence or irregular slippage can be corrected by the adjustment of the ring 13, whereby the construction can be pulled back into the normal perpendicular again. Various settings of the adjusting rings 13 on each of the numerous mechanisms 1 and during a concreting operation may be used I I I) J to allow a desired degree of tilt to be achieved in the v concreted construction.

grabs 21, 22 cannot grip the pole 2 when the pressure medium is withdrawn, and the grab-head 3 with its attached mold moves back to its last position by its own weight and that of the concrete platform lying on the mold. In this manner the mold can be brought to the desired level position during raising. This control, and with it the automatic levelling of all the raising mechanisms, can be effected as needed and according to requirements.

' When the concreting process is to be stopped or interrupted, the mold must not be moved or raised until the concrete is hard and there is no more adhesion of the concrete to the mold. With the clamping of the fixingring 35 to the pole 2, and alternating the introduction of the pressure medium by means of the striking of the release bolts .31 and 32 against fixing-ring 35, a continuous up-and-down sliding of the upper grab head 3 and its attached mold can be attained, without a final raising of the mold resulting, and the mold being drawn up out of the wet concrete. The mold instead slides up and down in the same range of height. This up-and-down movement of the mold without actually climbing is carried out until the concrete is hard and no longer adhesive. This can be achieved by means of electromagnetic control of the alternating introduction of the pressure medium through the openings 9 and 10. Such a shaking motion can be predetermined and afterwards carried out by a time-clock connected to the electromagnetic control.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A mold raising mechanism for raising sliding molds on vertical climbing poles comprising a pair of grabheads, means eccentrically mounting a grab in each of said grab-heads for clamping a climbing pole, a pair of extensible and contractible pressure fluid actuators for moving said grab-heads toward and away from each other, said pressure fluid actuators being in generally parallel Air relationship, each pressure fluid actuator including means for adjusting the stroke thereof whereby said grab-heads can be moved maximum and minimum predetermined distances from each other, and one of said grab-heads being provided with releasable means to prevent an associated grab from clamping an associated climbing pole.

2. The mold raising mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said pressure fluid actuators are piston-cylinder units, and means are provided for pivoting said units to each of said grab-heads.

3. The mold raising mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said adjusting means consists of an adjustable ring movable along a threaded portion of a piston rod of each of said piston-cylinder units.

4. The mold raising mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said presure fluid actuators are piston-cylinder units, means are provided for pivoting said units to each of said grab-heads, and said adjusting means being an adjustable ring movable along a threaded portion of a piston rod of each of said piston-cylinder units.

5. The mold raising mechanism as defined in claim 1 including in combination therewith a climbing pole to which is attached an adjustable fixing-ring above an uppermost of said grab-heads and said releasable means are cooperative with said fixing-ring to prevent the uppermost grab from clamping said climbing pole.

6. The mold raising mechanism as defined in claim 5 wherein said releasable means are elongated elements movable in a direction generally parallel to said climbing pole, said elements being cooperative to release said grabs of said upper grab-head, and biasing means normally maintaining said upper grab-head grabs in clamping relationship against the climbing pole.

7. The mold raising mechanism as defined in claim 6 wherein said biasing means are springs and means are provided for adjusting the tension thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,756,019 7/1956 Van Hudenstan et al. 254105 2,851,759 9/1958 Bcrntsen 25-131 2,902,256 9/1959 Gustafson 254 106 3,085,787 4/1963 Gattnar et al. 254-106 OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner.

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