WO2012129313A2 - Appareil et procédé pour produire une tuile en béton - Google Patents

Appareil et procédé pour produire une tuile en béton Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2012129313A2
WO2012129313A2 PCT/US2012/029960 US2012029960W WO2012129313A2 WO 2012129313 A2 WO2012129313 A2 WO 2012129313A2 US 2012029960 W US2012029960 W US 2012029960W WO 2012129313 A2 WO2012129313 A2 WO 2012129313A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
strip
concrete
membrane
formable
tile
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2012/029960
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2012129313A3 (fr
Inventor
Don DEMAAGD
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Polycem LLC
Original Assignee
Polycem LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Polycem LLC filed Critical Polycem LLC
Publication of WO2012129313A2 publication Critical patent/WO2012129313A2/fr
Publication of WO2012129313A3 publication Critical patent/WO2012129313A3/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B28—WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE
    • B28B—SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER
    • B28B7/00—Moulds; Cores; Mandrels
    • B28B7/0097—Press moulds; Press-mould and press-ram assemblies
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B28—WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE
    • B28B—SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER
    • B28B3/00—Producing shaped articles from the material by using presses; Presses specially adapted therefor
    • B28B3/02—Producing shaped articles from the material by using presses; Presses specially adapted therefor wherein a ram exerts pressure on the material in a moulding space; Ram heads of special form
    • B28B3/024—Producing shaped articles from the material by using presses; Presses specially adapted therefor wherein a ram exerts pressure on the material in a moulding space; Ram heads of special form the pressure on the material being transmitted through flexible or resilient wall parts, e.g. flexible cushions on the ramming surface, resilient wall parts pressing as a result of deformation caused by ram pressure
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B28—WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE
    • B28B—SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER
    • B28B7/00—Moulds; Cores; Mandrels
    • B28B7/0064—Moulds characterised by special surfaces for producing a desired surface of a moulded article, e.g. profiled or polished moulding surfaces
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B28—WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE
    • B28B—SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER
    • B28B7/00—Moulds; Cores; Mandrels
    • B28B7/36—Linings or coatings, e.g. removable, absorbent linings, permanent anti-stick coatings; Linings becoming a non-permanent layer of the moulded article
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B28—WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE
    • B28B—SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER
    • B28B7/00—Moulds; Cores; Mandrels
    • B28B7/40—Moulds; Cores; Mandrels characterised by means for modifying the properties of the moulding material
    • B28B7/44—Moulds; Cores; Mandrels characterised by means for modifying the properties of the moulding material for treating with gases or degassing, e.g. for de-aerating

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to apparatuses and processes for producing an item from a formable amount of material, and more specifically to producing concrete tile from a strip of formable concrete.
  • an apparatus for producing a concrete tile from a strip of formable concrete disposed on a tile carrier may comprise a gas permeable membrane positioned over the strip of formable concrete, and a compression tool defining a recess surrounded by a mandrel, the recess and inner periphery of the mandrel together defining finished dimensions of the concrete tile.
  • the strip of formable concrete and the gas permeable membrane may both be sized larger than the inner periphery of the mandrel such that the mandrel contacts the gas permeable membrane and the strip of formable concrete completely about the inner periphery of the mandrel when the compression tool is brought into contact with the combination of the gas permeable membrane and the strip of formable concrete.
  • the gas trapped in the recess of the compression tool passes through the membrane and around the mandrel to ambient when the compression tool is pressed into the combination of the gas permeable membrane and the strip of formable concrete to produce the concrete tile.
  • an apparatus for producing a concrete tile from a strip of formable concrete disposed on a tile carrier may comprise a membrane positioned over the strip of formable concrete, a pre-press tool defining a contact surface having a cross-sectional area sized at least as large as a cross-sectional area of a top surface of the strip of formable concrete, the contact surface configured to press the membrane onto the top surface of the strip of formable concrete, and a compression tool defining a recess surrounded by a mandrel, the recess and inner periphery of the mandrel together defining finished dimensions of the concrete tile.
  • the compression tool may be controlled to press the recess and mandrel into the combination of the membrane and the strip of formable concrete to stamp the concrete tile with the finished dimensions from the strip of formable concrete after the pre-press tool is controlled to press the membrane onto the top surface of the strip of formable concrete.
  • an apparatus for producing a concrete tile from a strip of formable concrete disposed on a tile carrier may comprise a membrane application tool which applies a membrane over the strip of formable concrete, and a compression tool defining a recess surrounded by a mandrel, the recess and inner periphery of the mandrel together defining finished dimensions of the concrete tile.
  • the compression tool may be controlled to press the recess and mandrel into the combination of the membrane and the strip of formable concrete to stamp the concrete tile with the finished dimensions from the strip of formable concrete after the membrane application tool applies the membrane to the top surface of the strip of formable concrete.
  • a process for producing a concrete tile from a strip of formable concrete disposed on a tile carrier may comprise placing a gas permeable membrane over the strip of formable concrete, and pressing a
  • the compression tool defining a recess surrounded by a mandrel into the combination of the gas permeable membrane and the strip of formable concrete to stamp the concrete tile from the strip of formable concrete such that the concrete tile has dimensions defined by the recess and an inner periphery of the mandrel.
  • the strip of formable concrete and the gas permeable membrane may both be sized larger than the inner periphery of the mandrel such that the mandrel contacts the gas permeable membrane and the strip of formable concrete completely about the inner periphery of the mandrel when the compression tool is pressed into the combination of the gas permeable membrane and the strip of formab!e concrete.
  • Gas trapped in the recess of the compression tool may pass through the gas permeable membrane and around the mandrel to ambient when the compression tool is pressed into the combination of the gas permeable membrane and the strip of formable concrete to produce the concrete tile.
  • a process for producing a concrete tile from a strip of formable concrete disposed on a tile carrier may comprise pressing a membrane onto a top surface of the strip of formable concrete, and after pressing the membrane onto the top surface of the strip of formable concrete, pressing a compression tool defining a recess surrounded by a mandrel into the combination of the membrane and the strip of formable concrete to stamp the concrete tile from the strip of formable concrete such that the concrete tile has dimensions defined by the recess and an inner periphery of the mandrel.
  • the strip of formable concrete and the membrane may both be sized larger than the inner periphery of the mandrel such that the mandrel contacts the membrane and the strip of formable concrete completely about the inner periphery of the mandrel when the compression tool is pressed into the combination of the membrane and the strip of formable concrete.
  • FIG. 1 A is a top plan view of one illustrative apparatus and process for producing concrete tile from a strip of formable concrete.
  • FIG. B is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus and process of FIG. 1A viewed along section lines 1 B-1B.
  • FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of one illustrative embodiment of the pre-press apparatus of FIGS. 1A and 1 B.
  • FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional and magnified view of the portion B of FIG. 2A illustrating the membrane, strip of formable concrete and tile carrier prior to the pre-press operation.
  • FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional and magnified view of the portion C of FIG. 2A illustrating the membrane, strip of formable concrete and tile carrier after the prepress operation.
  • FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of one illustrative embodiment of the form press apparatus of FIGS. 1A and 1 B illustrating the membrane, strip of formable concrete and compression tool of the form press partially through form press operation.
  • FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the form press apparatus of FIG. 3A illustrating the membrane, strip of formable concrete and compression tool of the form press at the end of the form press operation.
  • FIG. 4A is a top plan view of another illustrative apparatus and process for producing concrete tile from a strip of formable concrete.
  • FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus and process of FIG. 4A viewed along section lines 4B-4B.
  • FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of another illustrative embodiment of the pre-press and form press in the apparatus and process of FIGS. 4A and 4B.
  • FIG. 6A is a top plan view of an illustrative apparatus and process for producing concrete tile from a continuous strip of formable concrete.
  • FIG. 6B is a side elevational view of the apparatus and process of FIG.
  • FIGS. 1A and 1 B one illustrative apparatus and process 10 for producing concrete tile 38 from a strip of formable concrete 30 is shown. It will be understood that some of the dimensions of components and/or products illustrated in the attached drawings may be exaggerated from actual dimensions or from dimensions of some components and/or products relative to other components and/or products, and that this is done only for the purpose of illustrating the concepts of the disclosed subject matter.
  • the apparatus and process 10 includes a conveyance path 12 which sequentially transports a number of tile carriers 32 through at least a portion of a tile production process.
  • the conveyance path 12 is illustratively provided in the form of a conventional conveyor system.
  • at least portions of the conveyance system include conventional alignment structures which engage the various tile carriers 32 in a conventional manner to guide the tile carriers 32 along the apparatus and process 10.
  • the tile carriers 32 are conventional, and may be referred to in the art as "cure boards.”
  • the tile carriers 32 are illustratively formed of a resin based material, although the tile carriers 32 may alternatively be formed of other conventional materials, examples of which include, but should not be limited to, die cast materials, wood, or the like.
  • a strip of formable concrete 30 is disposed on each sequential tile carrier 32 carried by the conveyance path 12.
  • the term "formable concrete” is defined as a concrete formulation that has been prepared, e.g., by mixing, but that has yet to cure to a hard, dry and final form.
  • the formable concrete is flowable, and therefore formable, for a time period following preparation thereof, and is during this time period that the process illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1 B is carried out.
  • the strips of formable concrete 30 are formed within several minutes of initial preparation of the concrete formulation.
  • the concrete formulation is that described in U.S. Patent No. 6,569,923, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, although other concrete formulations may alternatively be used without deviating from the scope of this disclosure.
  • the strip of formable concrete 30 may be formed using any of various techniques.
  • a continuous strip or ribbon of formable concrete is formed, e.g., via a conventional extrusion process, and deposited on a continuous stream of cascaded tile carriers 32 (e.g., see FIG. 6B).
  • the individual strips of formable concrete 30 are then illustratively formed by selectively cutting or otherwise separating the continuous strip of formable concrete such that each tile carrier 32 carries a single strip of formable concrete 30.
  • each strip of formable concrete 30 is formed individually, e.g., via a conventional extruding process, and deposited on a different tile carrier 32.
  • the thickness of the strips of formable concrete 30 is illustratively about 240 thousandths of an inch, although other thicknesses of the strips of formable concrete 30 may alternatively be used.
  • a membrane 34 is positioned over each strip of formable concrete 30.
  • the membrane 34 has length and width dimensions at least as great as the length and width dimensions of the strips of formable tile 30, and in one embodiment the membrane 34 has length and width dimensions slightly greater than those of the strip of formable tile 30 such that the outer periphery of the membrane 34 extends slightly beyond the outer periphery of the strips of formable tile 30 as illustrated in FIG. 1 B.
  • the membrane 34 is illustratively gas permeable. In other embodiments, the membrane 34 may be gas impermeable. Examples of each will be described in greater detail hereinafter. In the process illustrated in FIGS.
  • placement of the membrane 34 over the strips of formable tile 30 is illustratively a manual process carried out by a technician, although this disclosure contemplates alternate embodiments which include automatic placement of the membrane 34 over the strips of formable tile 30 as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.
  • a pre-press unit 14 is provided along the conveyance path 12.
  • the pre-press is a 40-ton press, although this disclosure contemplates alternative embodiments in which different weight presses may alternatively be used.
  • the pre-press 14 includes a contact head 20 defining a rigid contact surface 22.
  • the contact surface 22 illustratively has a cross-sectional area sized at least as large as a cross- sectional area of a top surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 so that the contact surface 22 contacts the entirety of the top surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 via the membrane 34.
  • the pre-press 14 is controllable, e.g., either manually or via computer control, to press the contact surface 22 upon the combination 36 of the membrane 34 and the top of the strip of formable concrete 30.
  • the pre-press 4 serves at least two purposes.
  • One purpose of the pre-press 14 is to press the membrane 34 against the top surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 in preparation for the form press 16 positioned downstream on the conveyance path 12.
  • placement of the membrane 34 over the top surface of the strip of formable tile 30 may result in a small gap, G, between the membrane 34 and the top surface of the strip of formable concrete 30, e.g., see FIG. 2B.
  • Such a gap, G may be uniform across the top surface of the strip of formable concrete 30, or may appear in the form of several non-uniform pockets along the top surface of the strip of formable concrete 30.
  • Pressing of the contact surface 22 of the pre-press 14 against the combination 36 of the membrane 34 and strip of formable concrete 30 serves to press together the bottom surface of the membrane 34 and the top surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 to eliminate, or at least greatly reduce, any such air gap(s) G as illustrated in FIG. 2C.
  • the tile carriers 32 may define a textured, embossed and/or porous top surface which results in a textured or embossed bottom surface of the resulting finished tile product after the pressing operations described herein.
  • a textured top surface of a tile carrier 32 is illustrated in FIGS. 2B and 2C as a series of tooth-shaped recesses 50 extending across the top surface of the illustrated tile carrier 32.
  • air and/or other gas 52 may be trapped between the bottom surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 and the top surface of the tile carrier 32 as illustrated in FIG.
  • the pre-press 14 is to press the bottom surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 against and into the top surface of the tile carrier 32 to thereby remove air and/or other gas 52 trapped between the tile carrier 32 and the bottom surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 as illustrated in FIG. 2B.
  • the tile carriers 32 define a textured, embossed and/or porous top surface
  • yet another purpose of the pre-press 14 is to press the bottom surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 into the textured top surface of the tile carrier 32 to impress a corresponding textured surface into the bottom surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 as further illustrated in FIG. 2B.
  • the contact surface 22 of the contact head 20 of the pre-press 14 illustratively has a convex shape.
  • the contact head as the contact head is lowered and pressed into the combination 36 of the membrane 34 and the strip of formable concrete 30, it contacts the combination 36 of the membrane 34 and the top surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 first in the center of the membrane 34 and top surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 and then progressively toward the outer periphery thereof.
  • any air and/or other gas trapped between the membrane 34 and the top surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 is likewise released about the periphery of the interface between the membrane 34 and the top surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 as the contact surface 22 is pressed into the combination 36 of the membrane 34 and the strip of formable concrete 30.
  • the contact surface 22 of the contact head 20 of the pre-press 14 may have a shape other than convex.
  • the contact head 20 may define a flexible or semi-flexible contact surface 20 defining a generally convex surface before contacting the combination 36 of the membrane 34 and the top of the strip of formable concrete 30.
  • the contact head 20 may be provided in the form of a flexible or semi-flexible bladder, e.g., formed of rubber or other suitable material, and in this embodiment the contact head 20 is connected to a conventional source of compressed gas, e.g., air, to inflate the flexible or semi-flexible bladder to a substantially constant pressure.
  • a conventional source of compressed gas e.g., air
  • the flexible or semi-flexible bladder first contacts the center portion of the combination 36 of the membrane 34 and the top of the strip of formable concrete 30 as the contact surface 22 is controlled downwardly toward the combination 36, and the flexible or semi-flexible bladder then flattens out as the contact surface 22 is pressed into the combination 36 of the membrane 34 and the top of the strip of formable concrete 30.
  • the pre-press 14 may be omitted and the conveyance path 12 may sequentially pass the tile carriers 32 with the combination 36 of the membrane 34 and strip of formable concrete 30 on each directly to a form press 16.
  • the conveyance path 12 moves the sequential combinations 36 of the membrane 34 and strip of formable concrete 30 from the pre-press 14 to a form press unit 16 positioned downstream of the prepress unit 14.
  • the form press 70 is illustratively a 70-ton press hydraulic form press configured to form a single concrete tile from a single strip of formable concrete 30, although this disclosure contemplates alternative
  • the form press 16 in the illustrated embodiment includes a compression tool 24 defining a recess 26 surrounded by a mandrel 28.
  • the recess 26 and the inner periphery of the mandrel 28 together define the finished dimensions of the concrete tile 38 resulting from the form press operation.
  • the finished dimensions of the concrete tile 38 are less than the thickness, width and length of the strip of formable concrete 30.
  • the width and/or length of the strip of formable concrete 30 is/are less than that of the finished dimensions of the concrete tile 38, and the thickness of the strip of formable concrete is greater than that of the finished thickness of the concrete tile such that operation of the form press 70 causes the thickness of the strip of formable concrete 30 to decrease while also expanding the width and/or length thereof.
  • the form press 16 is controllable, e.g., either manually or via computer control, to press the compression tool 24 upon and into the combination 36 of the membrane 34 and the top of the strip of formable concrete 30.
  • the strip of formable concrete 30 and the membrane 34 are both sized larger than the inner periphery of the mandrel 28, which is also the outer periphery of the recess 26, such that at least a portion of the mandrel 28 contacts the membrane 34 and the strip of formable concrete 30 completely about the inner periphery of the mandrel 28 when the compression tool 24 is brought into contact with the combination 36 of the membrane 34 and the strip of formable concrete 30.
  • the mandrel 26 As the mandrel 26 penetrates the surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 in the downward direction, D, of the form press 16, it takes with it the membrane 34 as illustrated in FIG. 3A. As the compression tool 24 continues advancing downwardly in the direction D, the terminal surface of the recess 26 contacts the membrane 34 and presses the membrane 34 and top surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 downwardly.
  • the concrete tile 38 is produced by this stamping process with its finished dimensions as the mandrel 28 reaches the top surface of the tile carrier 32, as illustrated in FIG. 3B.
  • the top surface of the strip of formable concrete 30, having an initial height or thickness Ti above the tile carrier 32 as illustrated in FIG. 3A, is pressed down to its finished height or thickness T 2 , as illustrated in FIG.
  • the finished thickness T 2 may be, but need not be, slightly less than the thickness Ti of the strip of formable concrete 30.
  • the foregoing tile stamping process produces some amount of waste concrete 40 about the periphery of the mandrel 28 which is discarded, e.g. , manually or by machinery, when the form press 16 returns upwardly to its starting position.
  • the membrane 34 is removed, as is the waste concrete 40, following formation of the concrete tile 38 by the form press 16, and the concrete tile 38 is then further processed, e.g. , sealed and/or cured, to its finished form.
  • the membrane 34 is a gas permeable membrane, and in this embodiment air and/or other gas 60 trapped within the recess 26 as the mandrel 28 advances into the strip of formable concrete 30 escapes the recess 26 by passing through the gas permeable membrane 34 and around the mandrel 28 to ambient as graphically illustrated by the flow arrows 62.
  • the membrane 34 may be gas impermeable, and in some such embodiments the compression tool 24 may be vented in the recess 26 and/or the mandrel 28 to allow air and/or other gas 60 trapped in the recess 26 during operation of the form press 16 to escape to ambient.
  • the membrane 34 may be gas impermeable if the compression tool 24 is not vented but if the pre-press 14 is included in the apparatus and process 10 and sufficiently reduces trapped air and/or other gas as described hereinabove such that any air and/or other gas trapped in the recess 26 9960
  • the membrane 34 is gas permeable or gas impermeable, one independent purpose of the membrane 34 is to provide a barrier to concrete deposition on the compression tool 24. Because the membrane 34 is positioned at all times between the strip of formable concrete 30 and all surfaces of the compression tool 24, i.e., the recess 26 and the mandrel 28, the membrane 34 keeps the compression tool 24 from coming into contact with concrete 30, thereby keeping the compression 24 unsoiled by concrete and providing for complete release of the compression tool 24 from the concrete tile 38. The form press 16 may thus be operated many times in succession to form successive concrete tiles 38 without cleaning the compression tool 24.
  • the texture of the surface of the membrane 34 that contacts the surface of the strip of formable concrete 30 will necessarily be imprinted on the surface of the resulting concrete tile 38.
  • a non-woven material e.g., a polyester fabric or cotton fabric
  • a woven texture may be desired in which case the gas permeable membrane 34 may be a woven fabric.
  • a smooth, gas impermeable material e.g., polypropylene sheet
  • the membrane 34 may be a synthetic or non-synthetic material.
  • the membranes 34 may be recycled and/or reused.
  • it may be desirable to produce the concrete tile 38 with a textured surface in which case a correspondingly textured membrane 34 may be used.
  • the membrane 34 may be embossed with the mirror image of a desired surface pattern, and when used with the form press 16 as described above the desired surface pattern will be transferred by the embossed pattern of the membrane 34 onto the top surface of the concrete tile 38.
  • FIGS. 4A and 4B another illustrative apparatus and process 10' for producing concrete tile 38 from a strip of formable concrete 30 is shown.
  • the apparatus and process 10' is identical in many respects to the apparatus and process 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1A-3B, and like numbers are therefore used to identify like components and functions.
  • the apparatus and process 10' differs from the apparatus and process 10 in that the pre-press unit 14' includes a membrane application tool 70 that positions a membrane 34 over each strip of formable concrete 30 as the tile carriers 32 carrying the strips of concrete tile 30 are sequentially transported along the conveyance path 12.
  • the membrane 34 may be gas permeable or gas impermeable, and may have any one or more of the physical attributes described hereinabove with respect to FIGS.
  • the membrane application tool 70 dispenses membrane 34, e.g., from a roll of membrane material, downwardly to the contact head 20 of the pre-press tool 14'.
  • the contact head 20 presses the membrane material onto the strip of formable concrete 30 and cuts the individual membranes 34 from the roll of membrane material such that the individual membranes 34 are positioned on the top surface of the strips of formable concrete 30 just prior to the pre-press process as described hereinabove.
  • an alternate embodiment of the pre-press 14" in a modified apparatus and process 10" applies the membranes 34 to multiple, e.g., two, strips of formable concrete 30 during each press cycle.
  • the membrane 34' illustratively is not cut between each adjacent tile carrier 32 but is rather cut after every other tile carrier 32 such that a single membrane 34' is simultaneously applied by an appropriately sized contact head 20' to two adjacent strips of formable concrete 30 during each pre-press operation.
  • An alternate form press 16' is also provided in the apparatus and process 10" which includes two side-by-side compression tools 24 ⁇ and 24 2 each of which are identical to the compression tool 24 illustrated and described with respect to FIGS. 1A, 1 B, 3A and 3B.
  • the form press 70' is illustratively a 200-ton hydraulic form press configured to form two concrete tiles from two separate strips of formable concrete 30 during each form press operation, although this disclosure contemplates alternative embodiments in which different weight form presses may alternatively be used.
  • FIGS. 6A and 6B yet another illustrative apparatus and process 10'" for producing concrete tile 38 is shown.
  • the apparatus and process 10"' is identical in some respects to the apparatus and process 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1A-3B, and like numbers are therefore used to identify like components and functions.
  • the apparatus and process 10"' differs from the apparatus and process 10 in that a continuous membrane 34" is applied via a membrane application tool 100 to a continuous strip of formable concrete 30' disposed on a number of cascaded tile carriers 32 moving along the conveyance path 12, and the individual combinations 36 of the membrane 34 and strip of formable concrete 30 on each tile carrier 32 are cut by a cutting tool 110 downstream of the membrane application tool.
  • a cutting tool 110 downstream of the membrane application tool
  • a pick and place tool e.g., robot 80 sequentially places tile carriers 32 on the conveyance path 12 to form a number of adjacent, cascaded tile carriers 32 moving along the conveyance path 12.
  • the cascaded tile carriers 32 are placed on the conveyance path with a gap or space between each, although this disclosure contemplates embodiments in which the cascaded tile carriers 32 alternatively abut each other.
  • Downstream of the pick and place tool 80 is an extruder 90 which operates to apply a continuous strip of formable concrete 30' onto the number of cascaded tile carriers 32 moving along the conveyance path 12.
  • the extruder 90 operates in a conventional manner and the thickness of the continuous strip of formable concrete 30' is illustratively the same as, or similar to, that described hereinabove with respect to the individual strips of formable concrete 30.
  • the membrane application tool 100 includes a membrane application roll 104 containing a continuous strip of the membrane 34 and a membrane roller 102 which rolls the continuous strip of the membrane 34" into the top surface of the continuous strip of formable concrete 30'.
  • the continuous strip of membrane 34" may be gas permeable or gas impermeable, and may have any one or more of the physical attributes of the membrane 34 described hereinabove with respect to FIGS. 1A-1 B.
  • the roller 102 is configured to apply sufficient force to the combination of the continuous membrane strip 34" and the continuous strip of formable concrete 30' when rolling the continuous membrane strip 34" onto the continuous strip of formable concrete 30' to press the bottom surface of the continuous strip of formable concrete 30' against the top surface of each tile carrier 32 to remove any air and/or other gas trapped between the bottom surface of the continuous strip of formable concrete 30' and the top of the tile carriers 32.
  • such force applied by the roller 102 to the combination of the continuous membrane strip 34" and the continuous strip of formable concrete 30' when rolling the continuous membrane strip 34" onto the continuous strip of formable concrete 30' also presses the bottom surface of the continuous strip of formable concrete 30' into the textured top surface of the tile carriers 32 such that a corresponding textured surface is impressed into the bottom surface of the continuous strip of formable concrete 30'.
  • the roller 102 thus takes the place in the apparatus and process 10"' of the pre-press unit 14 described hereinabove in the apparatuses and processes 10 and 10'. It will be understood that such a roller 102 may alternatively be used in the apparatus and process 10, 10' or 10" in place of the pre-press 14, 14' or 14".
  • a cutting tool 110 Downstream of the roller 102 is a cutting tool 110, e.g., a wire cutter, which is controllable, e.g., manually or via computer control, to cut the combinations 36 of the membrane 34 and strip of formable concrete 30 from the continuous strips of membrane 34" and formable concrete 30' such that one combination 36 of a membrane 34 and a strip of formable concrete 30 is positioned on each tile carrier 32.
  • a form press 16 or 16" is positioned along the conveyance path 12 and is operable as described hereinabove to produce the concrete tiles 38.
  • strips of formable concrete 30 and the concrete tile 34 are illustrated in the FIGS as being generally square in shape, it will be understood that the strips 30 and/or concrete tile 34 may alternatively be formed in other shapes. In such other embodiments, the membrane 34 will typically be provided and/or cut in a shape similar to that of the corresponding strip of formable concrete 30.
  • the form press 16, 6' may include a membrane application tool which places the membrane 34 onto the top surface of the strips of formable concrete 30 prior to the stamping operation of the form press 16, 16'.
  • the membrane 34 may be omitted, and in such embodiments the compression tool 24 may be vented in the recess 26 and/or the mandrel 28, or may otherwise be porous, to allow air and/or other gas 60 trapped in the recess 26 during operation of the form press 16 to escape to ambient.
  • the prepress 14 and/or roller 100 may further be included for the purpose of releasing air trapped between the strips of formable concrete 30 and the tile carriers 32, although this disclosure contemplates embodiments in which the pre-press 14 and/or roller 100 are omitted.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Press-Shaping Or Shaping Using Conveyers (AREA)
  • Devices For Post-Treatments, Processing, Supply, Discharge, And Other Processes (AREA)
  • Moulds, Cores, Or Mandrels (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention porte sur un appareil et sur un procédé pour produire une tuile en béton à partir d'une bande de béton pouvant être formé. Dans un mode de réalisation, une membrane perméable aux gaz est positionnée sur la bande de béton pouvant être formé. Un outil de compression définit un creux entouré par un mandrin. La périphérie interne du mandrin et le creux définissent ensemble des dimensions finies de la tuile en béton. La bande de béton pouvant être formé et la membrane perméable aux gaz sont toutes deux dimensionnées de façon à être plus grandes que la périphérie interne du mandrin, de telle sorte que le mandrin vient complètement en contact avec la membrane perméable aux gaz et la bande de béton pouvant être formé autour de la périphérie interne du mandrin. Un gaz piégé dans le creux de l'outil de compression traverse la membrane perméable aux gaz et passe autour du mandrin vers l'environnement ambiant lorsque l'outil de compression est pressé dans la combinaison de la membrane perméable aux gaz et de la bande de béton pouvant être formé, de façon à produire la tuile en béton.
PCT/US2012/029960 2011-03-23 2012-03-21 Appareil et procédé pour produire une tuile en béton Ceased WO2012129313A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201161466582P 2011-03-23 2011-03-23
US61/466,582 2011-03-23

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2012129313A2 true WO2012129313A2 (fr) 2012-09-27
WO2012129313A3 WO2012129313A3 (fr) 2012-12-27

Family

ID=46880016

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2012/029960 Ceased WO2012129313A2 (fr) 2011-03-23 2012-03-21 Appareil et procédé pour produire une tuile en béton

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2012129313A2 (fr)

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0752124A (ja) * 1993-08-16 1995-02-28 Fujimi Ceramic Kk 模様付タイルの製造方法及び成形型
JP4531182B2 (ja) * 2000-02-15 2010-08-25 株式会社隅谷 タイルの乾式製造方法
US20040101619A1 (en) * 2000-03-30 2004-05-27 Carlo Camorani Object decoration
JP4515246B2 (ja) * 2004-12-24 2010-07-28 Ｔｏｔｏ株式会社 タイルユニット加工機
PT1882571E (pt) * 2006-07-26 2012-11-14 Ta Ro Progetti S N C Di Tagliati Rodolfo E C Matriz isostática para formação de ladrilhos
TW201026597A (en) * 2008-09-30 2010-07-16 Calera Corp CO2-sequestering formed building materials

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2012129313A3 (fr) 2012-12-27

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CA2196119C (fr) Ethode et appareil pour la production de dalles en pierre granulee et/ou en sable lie au moyen d'une resine durcissable
JPH07171010A (ja) 多数の面ファスナー片を有したテープの製造方法
JP2014073515A (ja) ロールプレス抜き加工方法及び装置
WO2012129313A2 (fr) Appareil et procédé pour produire une tuile en béton
US20190099964A1 (en) Reinforcing structure made of a sheet-like cellular base material and method for manufacturing a three-dimensionally deformable, sheet-like reinforcing structure
JPH0698614B2 (ja) 繊維強化水硬塊の整形体を連続的に生産する方法
EP0925184B1 (fr) Napperon absorbant
EP1447191B1 (fr) Procédé et appareil pour la fabrication de produits plats en céramique
US20240190042A1 (en) Device and method for compacting ceramic material
CN108349108A (zh) 用于陶瓷制品的成型部件
EP1674227B1 (fr) Dispositif de production de feuilles céramiques
JP6525011B2 (ja) エアダムを形成する方法
US4952264A (en) Method for producing plastic components
CH687450A5 (de) Verfahren zur Herstellung gepraegter Hartschaumplatten, Vorrichtung zur Durchfuehrung des Verfahrens und nach dem Verfahren hergestellte gepraegte Hartschaumplatte.
GB2325195A (en) Absorbent pad
CN114099335A (zh) 一种用于带有珠光膜的膏药加工装置
JP3013175B1 (ja) 適量の目安表示付き化粧綿の製造方法
WO2002026455A8 (fr) Systeme de moulage
US2550862A (en) Method and apparatus for manufacturing asbestos-cement sheet products
CN222806504U (zh) 一种批量打包扣生产系统
CN210525875U (zh) 一种凝胶涂布机分切装置及数控凝胶涂布机
GB2164889A (en) Cutting system
KR102562960B1 (ko) 포장박스용 핸들러 제조장치
CN208614956U (zh) 冲压贴合模
EP2014155B1 (fr) Procédé destiné à la fabrication de tranches de fromage, tranches de fromage ainsi fabriquées et dispositif d'exécution du procédé

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 12760587

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A2

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase

Ref document number: 12760587

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A2