This invention is a mould for the manufacture of ceramic articles (floor tiles, wall tiles, pavement, coverings, etc), which does not depend on the movement of accessories of the press for its own movement, either by forming an indivisible part of the press or by some mechanical or hydraulic element that is attached to it for the movement of the mould, as was the case with traditional moulds. In this case, the autonomous hydraulic mould uses the hydraulic energy of the press for its movements, eliminating all the elements that existed on the press for the movement of moulds but taking advantage of the control mechanisms that the press includes, (electrovalves, control systems, safety mechanisms, etc.).
Many systems, mechanisms or means for the movement of moulds on ceramic presses are known see for example WO-A-93/22117. What differentiates them from the present system is that all of them are external to the mould, or in other words, they are mechanical or hydraulic elements that form part of the press or that are installed beneath the mould for the mould to move, when the press decides, during the formation process of the ceramic parts. Of these existing systems, there are different types on the market. Some in which the movement is transmitted to the mould by connecting rods that are situated underneath the bedplate of the press (the part where the mould rests in order to work with the press). These connecting rods are moved by a mechanical mechanism that includes some hydraulic pistons to move the connecting rods vertically. These rods then transmit the movement to the mould. These systems also include electrical or pneumatic elements for the correct regulation of the different positions to be able to co-ordinate the movements with the rest of the press.
In order to house all these elements, the presses that include these systems must have a well under the press made specifically on the ground together with the base of the press.
Other existing systems, of a more modern conception, are installed directly on the press bedplate and the mould is then installed on these. These systems also include connecting rods or a plate where the inferior part of the mould is fixed so that the movement is transmitted directly to the mould for all these elemnts move together.
The autonomous hydraulic mould changes the traditional functioning concept for moulds in the formation of ceramic elements, because it is no longer a passive part of the press, it is now an active part of the press.
The most relevant advantages of this new mould are the elimination, on the press where it is installed, of:
Another advantage is that the moulds of the press can be changed more quickly, and the elimination of the regulations necessary after installing a new mould on the press, with the obvious saving in the time production is stopped.
One more advantage is that one autonomous hydraulic mould can be used on different types of press, only depending on its size. In other words, it can work correctly independently from the brand or model of the press on which it is installed.
The main elements of this type of autonomous hydraulic mould continue to be practically the same as a traditional mould:
The elements that will be different to those of a traditional mould, are the parts of the mould that are defined as the base plate and the ejector plate. The base plate, Figure 1 & 2, (7), is the part of the mould that is screwed to the bedplate of the press. The ejector plate, Figure 1 & 2, (5), is where the plunger holders are fixed in order to transmit the movement to the inferior plungers inside the matrix.
All the hydraulic, mechanical, electronic, pneumatic and electrical systems will be installed in the combination of base plate (7) and ejector plate (5). They will transmit the movement and the regulations to the autonomous hydraulic mould for its correct and co-ordinated movement together with the press.
The whole is protected from possible entry of strange bodies and dust by a leather skirting, Figure 1 & 2, (6), closing the entire perimeter of the base plate (7) and the ejector plate (5).
If necessary, this combination of base plate (7) and ejector plate (5), because of changes in production depending on the needs of the ceramist, may be attached to the bedplate of the press, in which case, it would only be necessary to change 50% of the mould and the cost of the investment and of maintenance for the client would be much lower.
For all the elements to work in co-ordination with the movement of the press, this type of mould must include an electronic panel with an automatic system which manages the orders received from the press and sends the necessary signals for the mould to work correctly.
The automatic system communicates with the operator through the screen of a digital monitor, where a number of images inform the operator of the operations the mould is undertaking and of those the operator should carry out. On this screen the operator may also correct or modify instructions, values, etc, or with a bar code scanner, introduce the working parameters directly to the automatic system.
This scanner reads the data from a label, supplied by the manufacturer of the mould or the person who repairs the mould, which makes the start up of this type of mould much easier and faster.
The software of the automatic system regulates the load of ceramic paste that the mould is going to press, regulates the height of the inferior plungers that the mould will be using, reads and manages the pressure of each one of the tiles that is being pressed at a given moment, controls the temperature of the plungers, moves the mould in order to extract the plungers, moves the mould in order to remove it from the press, controls the magnetic fixing system of the plungers, reads the bar codes with technical and regulation specifications with which the mould is delivered to the ceramist, accumulates production values, etc, etc.
Obviously, it also sends the emergency and blocking signals for the press, and obeys the signals that the press sends for its correct function.
In existing traditional systems mentioned above, many of these regulations and movements have to be carried out by complicated mechanical regulations directly on the mechanical elements that move the mould.
In order to understand the different parts of a mould as usually defined, we enclose drawings where Figure 1 shows a perspective of the whole and Figure 2 the profile in order to be able to see the main parts of an autonomous hydraulic mould. These drawings are not binding. They are only an example because the external aspect may vary depending on the number of exits, size of those exits, etc.
As explained above, the mechanical, electrical, electronic, etc. elements that make the autonomous hydraulic mould work are installed inside the whole made up of (Figure 1 & 2) base plate (7) and the ejector plate (5). This whole is closed and isolated from the exterior by leather skirting (6). On the back of the base plate (7) we install the hydraulic pistons so that, through some holes drilled in the base plate we can supply the oil necessary for the pistons to move. These holes are connected to the outside of the mould and at the same time to the hydraulic circuit of the press by means of some pressure connectors situated on the hydraulic block (4). This base plate (7) is, in turn, directly fixed to the bedplate of the press.
The hydraulic pistons move the ejector plate (5) they are fixed to at the cylinders so that on its upstroke and downstroke movement it positions the ejector plate (5) and, obviously, the other elements fixed to it: plunger holders (3), plungers (2), etc.These different positions will adapt based on the different orders that the press sends to the automatic system of the mould and on the orders that the automatic system sends to the press. All this is managed through the sensors and encoders that are strategically situated inside the combination of base plate (7) and ejector plate (5). These sensors and encoders measure the different positions of the pistons and of the mechanical elements related to them so that the automatic system may indicate to the press, to the mould and to the operator the position and state of the mould for the necessary actions to be carried out.
Depending on the system the press originally had for auctioning of the traditional models, the autonomous hydraulic mould will either include a mechanical system to limit its stroke or a proportional control system that is included in the most modern presses. With these proportional-positioning systems the mould has no mechanical limitations as far as its stroke is concerned (upstroke or downstroke). The encoder, together with the electronic systems and the electrovalves of the proportional control system, receives and sends data on the position of the mould to the mould's automatic system and this system informs the electrovalves where they must stop the mould in its stroke in "proportion" to the signal received from the encoder. Therefore, the positions of the mould are practically unlimited.The materials, form, size, design and situation of the elements may be changed if they do not suppose an alteration in the essential conception of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.