MOORE BRIAN ALBERT (AU)
| AU2771984A | 1984-11-08 | |||
| AU7814891A | 1991-12-12 | |||
| DE19506636A1 | 1996-09-05 | |||
| DE19756148A1 | 1998-08-06 |
| 1. | A brick making machine including; a mixer means for mixing brick making material, said mixed material being conveyed to a chute by a conveyor belt; said chute including at least one hole at a lower end thereof; at least one arm slidably movable between a first position and a second position and having a bore, said bore being in communication with said hole when in said first position, said arm having a top surface sealingly engaging said hole when said arm is not in said first position, said arm further slidably movable on a surface having a mould, said bore being in communication with said mould when said arm is in said second position; said mould having side walls and a bottom wall, said bottom wall movable from a first position defining said mould to a second position wherein said bottom wall is substantially in line with said surface; a plate coaxially disposed with said bottom wall and movable from a position distally apart from said mould to a position extending at least in part into said mould; wherein in use said arm moves from the first position, in which material passes through said hole in the chute into the bore, to the second position whereby said material passes from the bore into the cavity, the arm then being moving back to its first position at which time the plate is caused to move into the mould causing compression of the material to thereby produce a brick after which said plate is retracted back to its first position, said bottom plate is moved to its second position and said arm is moved to its second position simultaneously moving said brick along said surface away from said mould and causing further material to flow into said mould. |
| 2. | A brick making machine as in claim 1 wherein said movement of said arm, bottom surface and said plate are caused by a hydraulic pumping system. |
| 3. | A brick making machine as in any one of the above claims wherein said side walls are substantially nondeformable. |
| 4. | A brick making machine as in any one of the above claims wherein there are at least two holes in said chute, each cooperating with an arm having an aperture, and a mould. |
| 5. | A brick making machine as in any one of the above claims wherein said mould is of a rectangular shape. |
| 6. | A brick making machine as in any one of the above claims wherein said plate includes nonplana shapes to be imprinted into the brick in the compression phase. |
| 7. | A brick making machine as in any one of the above claims wherein said mixer includes a first stage and a second stage, said first and second stages in communication with each other through a sealable door, wherein in use the material is first mixed in said first stage before passing into said second stage. |
| 8. | A brick making machine as in any one of the above claims including a frame supporting said machine, said frame adapted to be movable by use of a lifting means. |
| 9. | A brick making machine as in any one of the above claims wherein said mixing means includes a paddle mixing mechanism having a rotatable shaft on which are symmetrically disposed a plurality of paddles. |
| 10. | A brick making machines as in any one of the above claims wherein said building material includes a ratio of cement to cement derivative to the other material in the bricks in the range of 2% to 10% by volume. |
| 11. | A brick making machines as in any one of the above claims wherein the building material includes water in the range of 2% to 10% by volume. |
| 12. | A brick making machine as in any one of the above claims wherein the top plate exerts a pressure in the order of some 10,000 to 40,000 kg on the surface of said material in said mould. |
| 13. | A brick making machine wherein the top plates exerts a pressure on said material in said mould for a time not less than 2 seconds. |
| 14. | A building block manufactured using a brick making machine as defined in any one of the above claims. |
| 15. | A brick making machine including; a mixing means adapted to mix building material together with cement and water; a conveyor adapted to move said mixed material from said mixer to a distribution means, said distribution means including at least one arm means, said arm means adapted to move a selected quantity of said material from said distribution means into a mould means; a compression plate means adapted to compress said material in said mould to thereby produce a brick; a bottom plate adapted to lift said brick from said mould and into the path of said arm which thereby causes the brick to be moved away from said mould. |
| 16. | A brick making machine substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings. |
| 17. | A brick made by a brick making machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Building blocks or bricks have been conventionally manufactured by mixing appropriate material with a substantial amount of water, shaping them into a desired shape such as blocks, by placing them into moulds, and then drying exposing the blocks to heat such as a furnace to produce clay fired bricks or simply allow them to dry in the sun such as mud or concrete bricks.
Whilst bricks like that have been satisfactorily made for centuries, they take a long time to cure, and cannot be readily shaped into different shapes. In addition the bricks have to be made at a central location where the brick making facilities are located, which means that raw materials have to be shipped in to those facilities with the bricks transported out to sites where they are then used. This also adds to the cost of a brick and can cause delays in the availability of bricks.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least some of the abovementioned problems or to provide the public with a useful alternative.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore in one form of the invention, though this need not be the only or indeed the broadest form, there is proposed a brick making machine including; a mixer means for mixing brick making material, said mixed material being conveyed to a chute by a conveyor belt; said chute including at least one hole at a lower end thereof; at least one arm slidably movable between a first position and a second position and having a bore, said bore being in communication with said hole when in said first position, said arm having a top surface sealingly engaging said hole when said arm is not in said first position, said arm further slidably
movable on a surface having a mould, said bore being in communication with said mould when said arm is in said second position; said mould having side walls and a bottom wall, said bottom wall movable from a first position defining said mould to a second position wherein said bottom wall is substantially in line with said surface; a plate co-axially disposed with said bottom wall and movable from a position distally apart from said mould to a position extending at least in part into said mould; wherein in use said arm moves from the first position, in which material passes through said hole in the chute into the bore, to the second position whereby said material passes from the bore into the cavity, the arm then being moving back to its first position at which time the plate is caused to move into the mould causing compression of the material to thereby produce a brick after which said plate is retracted back to its first position, said bottom plate is moved to its second position and said arm is moved to its second position simultaneously moving said brick along said surface away from said mould and causing further material to flow into said mould.
Preferably said movement of said arm, bottom surface and said plate are caused by a hydraulic pumping system.
Preferably said side walls are substantially non-deformable.
Preferably there are at least two holes in said chute, each co-operating with an arm having an aperture, and a mould.
Preferably said mould is of a rectangular shape.
Preferably said plate includes non-planar shapes to be imprinted into the brick in the compression phase.
Preferably said mixer includes a first stage and a second stage, said first and second stages in communication with each other through a sealable door, wherein in use the material is first mixed in said first stage before passing into said second stage.
Preferably, said mixer further includes a water content sensor and a cement content sensor wherein these sensor provide an operator with an indication of
the water and cement content of the material.
Preferably said machine further includes a frame supporting said machine, said frame adapted to be movable by use of a lifting means.
Preferably said mixing means includes a paddle mixing mechanism having a rotatable shaft on which are symmetrically disposed a plurality of paddles.
Preferably said building material includes a ratio of cement to cement derivative to the other material in the bricks in the range of 2% to 10% by volume.
Preferably the building material includes water in the range of 2% to 10% by volume.
Preferably the top plate exerts a pressure in the order of some 10,000 to 40,000 kg on the surface of said material in said mould.
Preferably the top plates exerts a pressure on said material in said mould for a time not less than 2 seconds.
In a further form of the invention there is proposed a brick making machine including; a mixing means adapted to mix building material together with cement and water; a conveyor adapted to move said mixed material from said mixer to a distribution means, said distribution means including at least one arm means, said arm means adapted to move a selected quantity of said material from said distribution means into a mould means; a compression plate means adapted to compress said material in said mould to thereby produce a brick; a bottom plate adapted to lift said brick from said mould and into the path of said arm which thereby causes the brick to be moved away from said mould.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An embodiment of the invention is described hereunder in some detail with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brick making machine; Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of a brick making machine showing in detail the moulding of a brick; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the brick making machine; Figure 4 is a top view of the arm assembly; Figure 5 is a side view of the arm assembly; and Figure 6 (a)- (d) are view showing the progressive production of a brick.
BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION As shown in the figures a brick making apparatus 10 includes a frame 12 which supports the various part of the machine. The frame 12 includes lugs 13 which can be used to move the apparatus by use of a suitable lifting device.
Thus the whole machine may be delivered to a building site on the back of a truck and the like and unloaded positioning the machine at the best possible site.
At one end of the frame there is located a two-stage mixer 14 including a first stage 16 and a second stage 18, both stages of a cylindrical configuration.
The material 19 from which the bricks are to be made is fed into the first stage through grate 20 ensuring that no large conglomerates of material enter the mixer. To this mixture is added the required amount of moisture, cement and other materials. Alternatively these materials may be added to the mixture before they are loaded into the first stage. A paddle mixing mechanism including a rotatable shaft having a plurality of paddles acts on the mixture so as to thoroughly mix it.
When the material has been satisfactorily mixed, a trap door 24 is opened causing the mixture to fall into the second stage, also including a paddle mixing mechanism having a rotatable shaft with a plurality of paddles and which simply ensures that the mixture remains completely mixed. A trap door 28 allows the mixed material to feed onto a conveyor belt which transport the mixture to chute 34.
The chute 34 includes two bottom holes 36. Two arms 38 (shuttle assemblies) having a top surface 39 and a bore 40 passing through said top surface are slidably movable on a surface 41 between a first position 42 and a second position 44. When in the first position 42, the bore 40 is in line with its respective hole 36 causing the mixture to pass through the hole 36 and into the bore 40, and where the mixture is contained in the arm since the bottom of the bore is sealed by being in contact with the surface 41. When the arm is moved to the second position, the bore becomes aligned with a cavity 46 in the surface 41 causing the mixture to pass into said cavity. The cavity is defined by non-deformable side walls 48 and a non-deformable bottom wall 50 which is movable by a hydraulic pump allowing the bottom wall to be moved form a first position defining the cavity to a second position where its surface is in line with the surface 41. Co-axially aligned with the bottom wall 50 is a top wall 54 also movable by a hydraulic pump from a first position where is it distally apart from said cavity to a second position where the top wall is caused to move at least partially into said cavity.
In operation therefore, when the arm bore is in line with the hole in the chute, material is caused to flow due to gravity into said aperture. The arm is then moved into the second position whereupon the material is caused to pass from said bore into the cavity. Further material is then prevented form flowing through the chute hole since the top surface of the arm 39 effectively seals the hole. The arm is then retracted to its first position and whereupon the top wall is caused to move downwards and cause compression of the material in the cavity or the mould. At the same time the bottom wall may be moved upwards to further aid in the compression. To assist in the arms moving in a relatively straight configuration, the arms include side members 64 engaging side rods 66.
When the material has been compressed the top wall is moved away from the cavity whilst the bottom wall moves up lifting the now compressed material being a moulded brick. When the bottom wall is in line with the surface 41, the arm is moved forward again moving the brick forward where it may then be
collecte for curing and/or storage.
It is to be understood that all of these actions need not occur not in a step type arrangement but rather in a continuous operation. That is, as the arm is sliding into the second position and pushing the brick away, the bottom wall is moving downwards enabling the material captured in the arm bore to feed into the cavity. Then, as the arm is retracting, its top surface reveals the hole in the chute causing material to flow into the arm bore.
Figures 6 (a)- (e) show the process of making the brick. Thus in (a), the bore in the arm is filled with material whilst a completed brick is raised so that its bottom surface is in line with the bottom of the arm. As the arm is moved forwards, shown in (b), it pushes the brick forward, whilst allowing the material confined in the arm to fall into the mould. The top surface of the arm ensures that no further material falls from the chute. When the mould has been filled, the arm begins to retract as shown in (c). Then shown in (d) is the arm being back in position to receive material from the chute, whilst the top plate acts on the material in the mould so as to compress it. Finally in (e), when the material in the mould has been compressed the top plate moves away whilst the bottom plate moves the now made brick until it is raised form the mould as in (a).
The power for the apparatus is supplie by use of a diesel engine 60, with controls 62 controlling the operation of the machine. The diesel engine may use a belt or direct drive for the paddle mixing mechanism and the conveyor belt whilst providing hydraulic power for the hydraulic pumps. It is to be understood though that power may be equally provided by use of electrical power, or alternatively the diesel engine powering a generator.
The present machine thus allows for the continuous production of brick using material that may be found on building sites, or material that is brought to the machine from a quarry or environmental waste site, by providing a two stage mixing process. That is as the material has been thoroughly mixed in the first mixer it passes into the second mixer from which it is continuously fed to the conveyor. At the same time a new batch of material may be mixed in the first stage ready to be fed into the second stage. A further improvement (not shown) is the addition of a sensor at the chute controlling the conveyor and ensuring that the chute is not overloaded. A typical sensor may be a light
beam which sense the height of the material in the chute although other sensors may very well be employed.
The present apparatus can produce bricks using common soiis excavated at building sites as well as waste materials such as ash. The exact mixture of moisture and cement required will depend on the main source/base material.
However, tests have revealed that a moisture content of some 4-8%, preferably 6% produces a good mixture, with cement being of the order of some 10% (by volume). Normally such a mixture is too dry to mould and cure over time in conventional brick making methods. In this particular case by providing a substantial compression, of the order of some 40 tons, the dry material is caused to be compressed so tightly that when it has been expelled from the mould it can be handled to some degree and sorted for further curing.
This removes the need for separate moulds which are currently used to make bricks of this type and which have to be left for at least a day or two before the brick can be removed from the mould.
Other features, although not shown in the drawings, may be added to the present machine. These include a conveyor to conveyor material into the mixer as well as a crushing mechanism to reduce the size of otherwise overly large conglomerates. A conveyor belt arrangement may also be attached so as to remove bricks from the machine once they have been moulded. As the bricks are being moved away they may be subject to a further processing such as application of paint or other surface treatments that may, for example, assist in curing and the strengthening of bricks. The bricks may also have different patterns or identifying features marked on them. A further mechanism may be a testing apparatus that can determine the unconfined compressive strength of the bricks.
The present embodiment shows a brick making machine with two moulds that operates in tandem. It is to be understood though that the system could be adapted to only have one mould or alternatively a plurality of moulds.
It has been found that different types of material may be used, ranging from sand to clay soil although it has been found that a mixture thereof has been best suitable. For best results the ratio of cement or cement derivatives to the other material or soil in the mixture is in the range 2-10% to which is added water in the range of 2-12% per weight or volume. To simply increase the
strength of the brick, extra cement may be added, increasing the pressure applied on the material whilst decreasing the time. However, the brick is usually left for a period of several days before use.
It is thus seen that the present invention provides for method and machine producing building blocks that uses earth, rubble or waste products as its base material. To this is added cement and fluid as well as stabiliser and the wet mixture is then compressed with a hydraulic ram. The advantages of this method is that the machine can be transported to a local building site enabling the bricks to be produced on site to be used in building a dwelling or providing bricks for paving and the like. This eliminates any transport costs and also uses some of the excavated soil which usually needs to be removed from the building site. The bricks that are produced can not only be used to make walls but can also be used as pavers.
In typical trials, a machine operating with two arms and using soil material was found to produce around 1000-1500 bricks per hour. With a typical house using maybe some 15,000 bricks, one can see that all of the requirements for a standard size house can be met within several days. In addition, the bricks are made from surplus soil material reducing the cost of having this soil removed.
Other improvement to the machine including different shaped cavities to produce different shaped bricks. Similarly the top and bottom walls may include feature to add to the three-dimensional shape of the brick such as grooves, patterns or bevelled edges. The machine may be made more automated and may include sensors and computational ability which can determined the moisture and cement content and automatically add additional moisture or cement to the first mixer stage or alternatively may advise an operator as to what additional material may be require for particular type bricks.
The foregoing describes only several embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.