Duplex automatic machine for the manufacture of concrete blocks
United States Patent Arriaga I Apr. 8, 1975 {54] DUPLEX AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR THE 2,620,541 l2/l952 Davies 425/424 MANUFACTURE OF CONCRETE BLOCKS 2.622.301 l2/l952 Argarden 425/424 3.128.522 4/1964 Benjey 425/424 [76] Inventor: Miguel Alvarez Arriaga, Dr. E- 3.l69 285 2/1965 Hatch 425/424 x Pallares y Portillo l64-102B. 3.426 404 2/1969 Yamasita et al. 425/415 Mexico. D. F. 2!, Mexico [221 Filed: Feb. 6, 1973 Primary E.\aminerFrancis S. Husar Assistant Examiner-John S. Brown [211 Appl 33009S Attorney, Agent, or Firm Berman. Bishoff &amp; Platt [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 8. I972 Mexico [33160 1 1 ABSTRACT U S Cl 425/424 A concrete block making machine having a feeder box [5 H 1/08 that reciprocates between a pair of molds with inter- [58] Field 424 4&#39;5 mittent stops and is loaded by a storage hopper be- 2 3 tween the molds. Vibrating and tamping means are ash sociated with each of the molds and operate indepen- [sbl References Cited dently of the vibrating and tamping means associated with the other mold, UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.457.368 [2/1948 Hanson i. 425/424 X 10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures DUPLEX AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CONCRETE BLOCKS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide a fully automatic concrete block making machine with a pair ofindependently operated molding, vibrating, and compressing systems. each of which is supplied with concrete mixture by the same feeder box to make the machine substantially symmetrical in construction.  
  Another object of the invention is to provide a concrete block making machine having a system of hydraulic cylinders and chains for moving the feeder box from the center of the machine to opposed working sides on an alternating basis with the chains so arranged that there is no interference with the molding, tamping and vibrating portions of the machine.  
  A further object of the invention is to provide a power source for vibrating tables which include electromagnetic clutch-brake units to transmit movement to the vibrating tables and stop them alternatively.  
  A still further object of the invention is to provide a conveying system which simultaneously and alternatively removes a plate bearing a finished concrete block from one side of the machine and inserts an empty plate to occupy the place of the removed one.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of my concrete block making machine. with parts broken away.  
  FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of my machine, with parts broken away.  
 FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of my machine.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT This machine contains elements, groups of elements, and operating systems which are conventional and gen erally widely known in this field and. since their exact nature or type is not necessary for an understandinng and use of the invention by a person skilled in the art, such elements. groups of elements, and operating systems will not be described in detail.  
  Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, the machine includes a base and an open frame 12 mounted thereon. The frame consists. essentially, of two pairs of spaced uprights mounted adjacent opposite ends of the machine with top beams extending across and mounted upon the upper end of each corresponding pair of uprights. Since the machine is symmetrical in construction. only one side of the machine will be described in detail, it being understood that the other side is correspondingly constructed.  
  Thus, near one end of the machine are mounted uprights l4, 16 with a top beam 18 extending across and mounted upon the top of each of the uprights l4. 16. A vibrating table 20 is carried by the base between the uprights 14, I6. Positioned above the vibrating table 20 and between the uprights l4, I6 is a mold 22 which is mounted on the uprights l4 and 16 for vertical movement toward and away from the vibrating table 20. A tamping assembly 24 depends from the cross beam 26 which is slidably mounted on the uprights l4 and 16 with the tamping assembly positioned above and in alignment with the mold 22, and is thereby mounted for movement toward and away from the mold.  
 LII  
  As best seen in FIG. 2, a storage hopper 28 for a wet concrete mixture is positioned centrally of the machine near the top thereof, approximately equidistant from the opposed pairs of uprights.  
  A wheel mounted feeder box 30 is rollingly supported upon spaced tracks 32 which are segmented and best seen in FIG. 2 as 32a, 32b and 320. The feeder box 30 is movable, by means to be described below, in a substantially horizontal plane from a position for loading directly under the storage hopper 28 to a discharging position (FIG. 1), back to its central loading position, and then to its discharge position at the other end of the machine, before it returns to its central loading position for a new cycle.  
  The lower end of the storage hopper 28 carries a pair of hatches or doors which normally close the storage hopper but may be opened through a conventional fluid pressure system to permit the wet concrete mix ture to flow downwardly into the feeder box.  
  The means for effecting the reciprocating movement of the feeder box will now be generally described. Extending across and mounted upon the top beams 18 are a pair of double rod or piston hydraulic cylinders 36, 38 of conventional construction. A chain. through conventional pulleys or sprockets. connects each piston or rod with the feeder box in a unique arrangement which permits the feeder box to travel twice the distance traveled by the end of the cylinder rod at the same time reducing the length of the hydraulic cylinders as well. The end of each cylinder rod has two guide wheels 40 on each side of the pulley 42 to prevent lateral loads which might be transmitted to the cylinder itself.  
  It will be seen that each ofthe hydraulic cylinders 36. 38 is connected to a pair of chains and, hence. only one set will be described. it being understood that the other set operates and is constructed in a like manner. As shown in FIG. 2, a chain 44 has its upper end connected to a fixed point of the two guide wheels passing over the pulley 42 which is pivoted in one of the cylinder rods of the hydraulic cylinder 38 and extends first vertically downwardly over conventional pulleys or sprockets. and then horizontally past the end 46 of the feeder box 30 and is connected to the end 48 thereof. The other chain 50 is mounted at its upper end in a similar fashion to the other rod of cylinder 38 and is trained downwardly over conventional pulleys or sprockets in a vertical path and then horizontally to be attached to the end 46 of the feeder box. From this ar rangement, it will be observed that the lower ends of the chains 44 and 50 are crossed. When the feeder box 30 is in its central loading position. neither of the chains 44 and 50 will interfere with the vertical movement of the molds and tamping assemblies.  
  The vertical movement of the tamping assembly 24 is accomplished through conventional hydraulic cylinders 52 which extend between the brackets 54 and the cross beam 26, as shown in FIG. 3. The vertical move ment of the mold 22 occurs through the use of conventional hydraulic cylinders 56 which extend between the base 10 and the mold.  
  The feeder box 30 carries mixture agitators 58 which are oscillated by a conventional hydraulic unit 60 to speed up fedding of the mold 22 when the feeder box is in its discharging position shown in FIG. 1.  
  Located at opposite ends of the machine are chain conveying systems 6. As may be best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the system includes a double rod hydraulic cylinder 64, a driving chain 66, a driven chain 68, and appropriate sprockets, pulleys and pawls. Plates 70, upon which the molds 22 may be supported, are mounted on the vibrating tables 20 as shown in FIG. 2.  
  Located on the base are a pair of electric motors 72 which are connected to a pair of electromagnetic clutch-brake units 71 of conventional construction and operation to transmit movement through belts 74 to the vibrating tables and stop them alternatively. One electromagnetic clutch-brake unit on each side of the electric motor permits more efficient use.  
 OPERATION The feeder box 30 is placed in its central loading position and the wet concrete mixture, contained in stor&#39; age hopper 28, is permitted to drop by gravity into the feeder box 30 by opening the hatches 34 through operation of the hydraulic cylinder 35. When the feeder box 30 is fully loaded, it is moved laterally until it is superimposed in alignment over the mold 22, whereupon the vibrating table 20 is activated by the magnetic clutch unit. At about the same time, the mixture agitators 58 are oscillated by the hydraulic unit 60 to speed up loading ofthe mold 22. When this has been completed, the feeder box 30 is returned to its original central loading position by the hydraulic cylinders 36, 38 and chains 44 and 50 where it is ready to receive another charge of concrete mix after which it may start another cycle on the other side of the machine.  
  As soon as the feeder box 30 clears the mold 22 in its lateral movement, the tamping assembly 24 is activated and the cross beam 26 is moved vertically down wardly by the hydraulic cylinders 52 thereby compressing the concrete mixture in the mold 22 at the same time the vibrating table 20 is operating, until the desired height ofthe finished block is reached. When this step has been completed, the mold 22 is elevated by hydrauiic cylinders 56 while the tamping assembly 24 is maintained in the same position (see the right side of FIG. 2). until the molded concrete blocks 76 are completely released. At that time, the tamping assembly 24 is returned upwardly to its original position, as seen on the left side of FIG. 2, while the conveying system 62 operates to move the plate 70 carrying the molded concrete block 76 away from the molding position, and inserts an empty plate 73 below the empty mold to initiate a new working cycle.  
  As indicated above, the sequence of operation of both sides of the machine is the same.  
  While a specific embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitation be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.  
 I claim:  
 1. A concrete block making machine comprising:  
 a. a pair of spaced mold support means;  
 bv a pair of molds positioned adjacent said pair of mold support means with each mold movable into and out of engagement with the adjacent one of said mold support means;  
 c. a concrete mixture storage means positioned above and between said mold support means;  
 dv a feeder box positioned below said storage means and movable from a position between said molds in which it is loaded with concrete mixture from said storage means to a discharge position over a selected one of said molds;  
 e. means for moving said feeder box between its loading position and a selected one of its discharging positions;  
 f. and means for moving said molds into and out of engagement with said mold support means.  
  2. The concrete block making machine of claim 1, and vibrating means operatively connected to each of said mold support means.  
  3. The concrete block making machine of claim 1, and tamping means adjacent each of said molds movable into and out of said feeder box at each of its discharging positions.  
  4. The concrete block making machine of claim 1, wherein said feeder box moving means comprises a pair of double-acting fluid operated cylinders with pistons at opposite ends thereof, first flexible means connecting one piston of each cylinder with one end of said feeder box, and second flexible means connecting the other piston of each cylinder with the other end of said feeder box.  
  5. The concrete block making machine of claim 2, and a power source for said vibrating means with an electromagnetic clutch brake unit operatively connecting said power source and each of said vibrating means to permit the vibrating means to operate independently of each other.  
  6. The concrete block making machine of claim 1, and means adjacent each of said mold support means for moving a molded concrete block away from the area in which it was molded.  
 7. A concrete block making machine comprising:  
 a. a base;  
 b. a frame mounted on said base and including a first pair of spaced uprights at one end of said base and a second pair of spaced uprights at the other end of said base;  
 c. A vibrating table on said frame between the uprights of each pair of uprights;  
 d. a mold located above each table and mounted on the adjacent pair of uprights for movement toward and away from the corresponding table;  
 e. tamping means positioned above each mold and mounted on the adjacent pair of uprights for movement toward and away from the corresponding mold;  
 f. a storage hopper positioned between said first and second pairs of uprights;  
 g. a feeder box mounted on said frame below said hopper for reciprocating movement between its position for loading directly under said hopper and each of said molds;  
 h. first means on said base operatively connected to said feeder box and effecting said reciprocating movement;  
 i. second means on said base operatively connected to each of said molds and effecting the movement of each mold independently of the other mold;  
 j. third means on said base operatively connected to each of said tamping means and effecting the movement of each tamping means independently of the other tamping means;  
 k. and conveying means on said base adjacent each mold and effecting the movement ofa formed consecond flexible means connecting the other piston of each cylinder with the other end of said feeder box.  
  10. The concrete block making machine of claim 9, wherein said one end of said feeder box is remote from said one piston when the feeder box is in its loading position, and said other end of said feeder box is remote from said other piston when the feeder box is in its loading position.  
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