1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of devices for producing concrete floors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Concrete slabs are used in animal pens to form slotted floors. The slabs are spaced apart to allow for the animal droppings to pass therethrough to a pit or ditch located beneath the floor. It is desirable for the concrete slabs to have a smooth top surface thereby allowing for the easy removal of the animal droppings from the slabs. In order to obtain the smooth top surface for each slab, I have provided a mold disclosed in my co-pending U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 457,068, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,422 wherein the slabs are poured upside-down. The mold is provided with a smooth bottom surface thereby forming a smooth top surface of the slabs which are simultaneously poured into an integral section.
Heretofore, a floor section composed of a plurality of slabs has been formed by manually filling and handling the mold. This method limits the number of floor sections pourable in a single day and provides for inefficiency. I have therefore provided a system for pouring a plurality of molds. The system disclosed herein allows for a far greater number of floor sections to be produced in a single day.
The molds are provided with open tops and as a result, the mold must first be turned over in order to remove the mold from the poured floor section. The mold when filled with concrete is exceptionally heavy therefore requiring a hoist or other device for lifting and turning the mold over. Disclosed herein is an automatic system for turning the mold over as the mold progresses down a conveyor line. Likewise, it is necessary to turn the mold right-side-up once the mold has been removed from the floor section. Disclosed herein is a return conveyor which rotates the mold to a right-side-up position. A shaker table is provided allowing for settling of the concrete within the mold.