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(11) | EP 0 050 819 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Mold with hydraulic opening for the casting of concrete blocks having four diverging frustoconical elements |
| (57) A mold with hydraulic opening and closing for the casting of concrete blocks with
four diverging frustoconical elements, comprises a reinforced stationary base and
three tilting forms pivoted to said base and each moved by a corresponding hydraulic
jack. Three tilting covers are also provided for closing three of the four end openings
between the forms, and fast screw tightening means between said forms and said covers,
as well as jig locators and dowel pins for centering the various mobile parts of the
mold one in respect of the other. The three hydraulic jacks controlling the movement
of the tilting forms are controlled by a common hydraulic gearbox. |
[0001] The present invention relates to a mold with hydraulic opening for the casting of concrete blocks, of the type - chiefly designed to form marine or fluvial coastal weirs - comprising four diverging frustoconical elements.
[0002] The object of the invention is to provide a mold with a very simple and stout structure and allowing at the same time, during use thereof, to greatly facilitate and speed up the setting up and dismantling operations, without causing any losses during the casting operation.
[0003] A mold which efficiently satisfies all these requirements is characterized in that it comprises a reinforced stationary base, three tilting forms pivoted to said base and each moved by a corresponding hydraulic jack, three tilting covers for closing three of the four end openings between each form and the adjacent one, and fast screw tightening means between said forms and said covers.
[0004] Preferably, the mold will also comprise jig locators and dowel pins for its various cooperating parts, and a hydraulic gearbox controlling the three jacks which operate the movements of the forms.
[0005] The invention will now be described in further detail, by mere way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent a preferred embodiment thereof-and in which:
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the mold according to the invention, of which:
Fig. 2 is a view from the arrow II; and
Fig. 3 is a section view along the line III-III of figure 1;
Fig. 4 is a partial view, on an enlarged scale, from the arrow IV of figure 2;
Fig. 5 shows, always on an enlarged scale, the detail V of figure 2;
Figs. 6 and 7 are section views along the lines VI-VI and VII--VII of figure 2, illustrating the mutual centering and tightening of the forms; and
Fig. 8 is a plan view, similar to that of figure 1 but on a reduced scale, showing the opening of the mold forms.
[0006] With reference to the drawings, the. mold according to the invention consists of a reinforced stationary base 1, to which are pivoted in 2 three tilting forms 4, 5, 6, controlled by hydraulic jacks 7, and to which are also pivoted in 8 three manually controlled covers 9 for closing the three lower end openings 10 existing between each form and the adjacent one when the mold is closed. A fourth upper opening 11 between the forms is instead left open to allow the casting. Figure 3 shows how the stationary base 1 and the jacks 7 are anchored to the ground by means of metal hooks G buried into concrete castings C.
[0007] Figure 5 shows in detail how one of said covers 9 is locked, to close its opening 10, by fast tightening means consisting of a screw stay 12 mounted oscillating in 12' on the form 4, and apt to be associated to the cover 9 by insertion into an appropriate seat thereof, and to be locked by a nut 13 pressing onto the outer surface of said cover 9.
[0008] Figure 6 shows the centering means between two of the adjacent forms 4, 5 and 6: these means consist of frustoconical seats 14 welded onto a support 15 provided on one of said forms, for instance form 5, and of frustoconical pins 16 projecting from a support 15' similar to the previous one and provided on the adjacent form, for instance form 6; on approaching of the two forms in the closing phase, the pins 16 tend to introduce themselves, and then introduce themselves into the seats 14, as shown in the drawing, in order to obtain the perfectly centered positioning and sealing between the two forms.
[0009] Figure 7 shows the tightening means between the forms 4, 5 and 6, designed to be operated after said forms have been closed and centered one in respect of the other, thanks to the means illustrated in the previous figure. Such tightening means comprise - like those (12 and 13) for closing the covers 9 - a screw stay 18, pivoted in 19 to an ear (for instance ear 17) of a form (for instance form 5), and a nut 20 applied on said stay rod, after this latter has inserted itself into an appropriate seat of an ear (for instance ear 17') of the adjacent form (for instance form 6).
[0010] It is not difficult to explain the working of the heretofore described and illustrated mold. The setting up thereof is carried out by closing the three forms 4, 5 and 6, through simultaneous control of the hydraulic jacks 7 in the direction of mutual approach of said forms, for instance by anticlockwise rotation with motion from right to left, on looking at the drawings with reference to the form 4 of figure 3, from the position illustrated in dashed lines to that illustrated in continuous lines.
[0011] At the end of their motion, the forms 4, 5 and 6 will be centered one in respect of the other, thanks to the action of the centering means described with reference to figure 6, and it will then be possible to lock them manually in a sealed position by applying the tightening means described with reference to figure 7. Subsequently, the covers 9 will be applied - also manually - to close the three lower openings 10 between each form and the adjacent one, in correspondence of the ends of the diverging frustoconical elements of the block to be casted. This operation will be carried out by overturning the covers 9 and tightening them in a closing position, by manual application of the appropriate means (12 and 13) illustrated with reference to figure 5.
[0012] At this point, the concrete casting may be carried out - by the 'known methods - with the use (if appropriate) of wall vibrators applied on the forms 4, 5 and 6 and/or of plunge vibrators introduced from the upper opening 11. At the end of the casting and after setting of the concrete, the dismantling will be easily carried out by removing the means tightening the covers and the forms, by manually overturning the covers and, finally, by also overturning the forms under the control of the jacks. The block B (figures 2 and 8) will rest properly onto the stationary base 1, appropriately shaped to provide a comfortable and reliable rest surface, and may then be removed by the help of a crane, or like, in a known manner.
[0013] The jacks 7 are controlled by a single hydraulic gearbox, not shown, so as to work in synchronism.
[0014] It appears evident that the structure provided for the mold according to the present invention is very simple and efficient, and also very easy and quick to operate: the use of pin locating means and of the various tightening means allows in fact to easily and rapidly find the respective positions of the various cooperating parts, which automatically take up their correct positioning in a short while.
1) A mold with hydraulic opening and closing for the casting of concrete blocks of
the type having four diverging frustoconical elements, characterized in that it comprises
an appropriately shaped reinforced stationary base, three tilting forms - also suitably
shaped - pivoted to said base and each moved by a corresponding hydraulic jack, three
tilting covers for closing three of the four end openings between each form and the
adjacent one, centering means between the various mobile parts of the mold, and fast
screw tightening means between said forms and said covers.
2) A mold as in claim 1, wherein the fourth end opening between the forms, which has
no cover, is left open to carry out the casting of the block.
3) A mold as in claims 1 and 2, wherein the three hydraulic jacks which operate the
opening and closing of the forms by overturning the same, are controlled by a single
common hydraulic gearbox.
4) A mold as in claims 1 to 3, wherein the centering means comprise frustoconical
pins and seats of mating shape, placed on supports welded to the forms, said forms
being apt to position themselves one adjacent to the other during closing of the mold.
5) A mold as in claims 1 to 3, wherein the fast screw tightening means between said
forms and said covers comprise screw stays pivoted at one end onto a mobile part of
the mold and apt to be tightened onto the adjacent part, to be joined to the first,
by a nut applied at the opposite end, after insertion of said stays into an appropriate
open seat of the second mobile part.