Description

Tilting equipment for production of concrete structural elements Technical Field

[0001] The invention refers to tilting equipment for the production of concrete structural elements, predominantly the double sided elements for construction of fencing and enclosures.

Background Art

[0002] Currently the concrete structural elements used for construction of fencing and enclosures are made of concrete mixtures containing sand or gravel, cement and water and possibly also a colouring agent to obtain a concrete structural element of required colour. First, a mould is prepared, treated with separator agent on its inner walls, following which the mould is filled with concrete mixture, reinforcing bars are inserted and the mixture is then compacted on the vibration compactor and the surface is smoothed with a finishing trowel. Subsequently, the mould with concrete mixture is placed aside where the concrete mixture will set and mature. When the time required for complete setting and maturing of concrete has been reached the concrete structural element is removed from the mould. Tilting of the concrete structural element or mould is done manually, and since the entire procedure should be carried out carefully a greater number of workers are needed to ensure that the finished concrete elements are not damaged during this step. In practice, hoists are also used for the purpose which means that moulds should be provided with eyes to snag hooks.

Disclosure of Invention

[0003] The above deficiencies may be overcome with the invention the description of which is included under this patent application and the background of which lies in the capability of equipment subject of the invention to tilt the mould with structural element by 180°, such equipment consisting of a frame that is provided on one side with fixed supports and one roller while the other side of the frame has swinging supports attached and these are provided with two rollers. The opposite placed rollers run in groves of rims the cross-section of which has the U-shape. The upper part of rims rests via upper longitudinal beams and brackets on a fixed roller track, at least one of the upper longitudinal beams being provided with at least two stable swinging supports and the other side of upper longitudinal beams is provided with at least two adjustable swinging supports connected via a driving mechanism to a hydraulic motor. The lower part of rims is provided via the lower longitudinal beams and brackets with a moving roller track in the vertical direction. The swinging brackets are connected

with drive rods attached to the piston of a hydraulic motor. The frame of the equipment bears the motor with gear unit, the chain wheel of which drives the chain placed in one of the rims providing thereby for tilting of the mould. The chain is prevented from tilting at an angle exceeding the angle of 180 degrees due to the use of limit switches. [0004] The mould with concrete structural element and the palette placed on these are transferred on the roller track into the tilting equipment and then by means of adjustable swinging arms with cylinders attached via the driving mechanism to the hydraulic motor the mould with concrete element is stabilised after it is pressed against the fixed rollers, the hydraulic mechanism lifts the lower roller track, the palette with mould and the concrete structural element is pressed against the upper rollers. The motor is then started and by means of the chain wheel in the rim and chain the mould with palette are turned upside down so that the palette is below and the mould above and they leave the tilting equipment retaining this position for further handling. The equipment then restores its initial position.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0005] The enclosed Fig.l shows the equipment in its initial (zero) position. The enclosed Fig. 2 shows the equipment in the tilted position. The Fig. 3 shows the equipment in axonometric view.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0006] The tilting equipment consists of the frame 6, which is provided on the one side with the fixed supports 7 and one roller 9 and on the opposite site of the frame 6 there are the swinging supports & attached, provided with two rollers 9. The opposite rollers 9 are placed in the groves of the rims 14, the cross-section of which has the U shape. The upper part of the rims 14 is provided via the upper longitudinal beams K) and brackets 11 with the upper fixed roller track 4, while the one side of the upper longitudinal beams K) is provided with at least two fixed turning rollers 1£ and the opposite side of the upper longitudinal beams K) is provided with at least two adjustable swinging arms with rollers 19 connected via a driving mechanism with the hydraulic motor 20. The lower part of the rims 14 is provided via the lower longitudinal beams 12 and the swinging brackets 13 in vertical direction with the moving roller track 5. The swinging brackets 13 are attached to driving rods J/7, which are connected with the piston of the hydraulic motor. The frame 6 of the equipment bears the motor with gear unit 22, the chain wheel 16 of which drives the chain 15 placed in one of the rims 14, to provide for tilting.

[0007] The mould 2 with the concrete structural element 1 and the palette 3 placed on it is then transferred on the lower roller track 5 into the tilting equipment where the palette 3 with the mould 2 and the concrete structural element 1 are pressed by means of the

two adjustable swinging amis with rollers 19 connected to the hydraulic motor 20 against the two fixed turning rollers 1&, in order to prevent any undesirable movement of the palette 3 with the mould 2 and the structural concrete element 1 in the transverse direction during tilting and also to achieve that the needed pressing force against the roller tracks 4 a 5 is not too high, then the lower roller track 5 is lifted by means of hydraulic motor and the palette 3 with the mould 2 and the structural concrete element 1 is pressed against the upper roller track 4. Subsequently the motor is started and the chain wheel 16 and the chain 15. n the rim 14 will provide for tilting the mould 2 with the palette 3 in such manner that the palette 3 is below and the mould 2 is above and they leave the tilting equipment by moving on the upper roller track 4 in this position, to allow further handling. The motion of the chain 15 is restricted to the angle of 180 degrees upon passing which the movement is switched off by the limit switches 2 _L L ensuring the appropriate tilting angle. The equipment then restores the initial position by reverse motion.

Industrial Applicability The present invention allows quick production of double sided shaped products made of semi dry concrete mixture, while increasing at the same time the productivity of labour in the respective area, especially by removing manual labour needed before for tilting of the element, since currently the similar elements are tilted manually. The present invention allows manufacturing of products without any restrictions of weight and the entire production process may be subject to automation.