Ceramic tile mould with quick format change

Abstract

 A ceramic tile forming mould comprises a bench protector plate (2), a block (3) associated with said bench protector plate (2) by raising means (11), at least one pad (6) securely fixed to said block, and a series of cylinder-piston units (22) supporting a vertically movable die plate (4), in which a pad linkage plate (5) is present, fixed to the block (3) by locking means operable from the outside and on which the pads (6) are securely fixed, and a manipulator bar (8) arranged to connect said die plate and said pads together to maintain them coherent and centered during the mounting and demounting of the remaining parts of the mould.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to the quick replacement of those parts which determine the tile format in press-mounted moulds for forming ceramic tiles.

[0002] In the known art, forming moulds are complex structures comprising a plate, known as the bench protector, which is securely fixed to the bed of the press.

[0003] Hydraulic cylinder-piston units, also known as columns or feet, extend upwards from the bench protector plate to support a vertically movable upper die plate in which through seats are provided to create the forming cavities for the powder.

[0004] In a position below the die plate, the bench protector plate carries a slab, known as the block, which is movable vertically relative to the bench protector plate by a series of rods rising from the press raising system and passing through holes in the bench protector plate to engage the block bilaterally.

[0005] A number of pads equal to the number of through cavities of the die plate are securely fixed on the block, on each pad there being fixed, generally by magnetic fixing, one of the two dies forming the rear surface or exposed surface of the tile. Said two dies are known respectively as the reverse face die for the rear surface and the obverse face die for the exposed surface.

[0006] The tile format is defined by the die plate cavities and the dies, and to a certain extent by the underlying pads which must have dimensions just less than those of the dies.

[0007] Dies such as the aforedefined are described in Italian Industrial Model Patent No. 235153 in the name of the same applicant.

[0008] Hence in known moulds, changing the tile format is a lengthy and laborious operation.

[0009] The die plate must be released from its cylinder-piston support units and removed from the press.

[0010] Before removing the dies, which is fairly simple because of their magnetic fixing, the pads must be released from the block and removed from the press.

[0011] The bed (consisting of the bench protector plate/block/bellows/feet) must then be detached and removed from the press.

[0012] Then the block of the new format must be remounted on the bench protector plate, the respective pads and dies must be mounted on the block and the die plate of the new format be remounted, after which lengthy and laborious mutual settings must be effected on the various parts before commencing the new production.

[0013] These briefly described operations require a time of not less than four hours in total.

[0014] The object of this invention is to provide a mould having quickly interchangeable parts to enable the format to be easily changed in a short time, including the final setting operations.

[0015] This object is attained by a mould having the characteristics defined in the claims.

[0016] Essentially the mould of the invention comprises a bench protector plate, a block associated with said bench protector plate by raising means, at least one pad securely fixed to said block, and a series of cylinder-piston units supporting a vertically movable die plate. It differs from the known art by a base plate fixed to the block by locking means operable from the outside and on which the pads are securely fixed, and a manipulator bar arranged to connect said die plate and said pads together to maintain the assembly coherent during the replacement.

[0017] The functional and constructional merits and characteristics of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing detailed description given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic view of the invention in its working configuration.

Figures from 2 to 5 show the invention of Figure 1 during the various stages of changing the format.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a component of the invention.

Figure 7 shows the section VII-VII of Figure 6.

Figure 8 shows the section VIII-VIII of Figure 6.

[0018] The figures show the crosspiece 1 of the press raising system, on which the bench protector plate 2 is securely fixed.

[0019] From the crosspiece 1 there upwardly extend two rods 11 which pass through holes 21 in the bench protector plate 2, to engage in the overlying block 3.

[0020] The bilateral locking means between the rods 11 and block 3 are omitted as these are of usual type.

[0021] The rods 11 are operated hydraulically to raise the block 3 from the bench protector plate 2 when required. A bellows 31 protects the region between the block 3 and bench protector plate 2 against dust. Four hydraulic cylinder-piston units 22 extend upwards from the bench protector plate 2 to support the die plate 4 by four equidistant bushes 41, also known as loading spacers.

[0022] A screw 42, passing through the bush 41, fixes the die plate 4 to the piston rod of the cylinder-piston unit 22. The die plate 4 comprises the cavities 43 within which the powder is pressed.

[0023] A plate 5, known as the pad linkage plate, is rested on and fixed to the block 3 by magnetic means 32, and has the same plan dimensions as the block.

[0024] The block 3 also comprises four seats 33 for four hydraulic cylinder-piston units 34 for raising the pad linkage plate 5 from the block after deactivating the magnetic means 32.

[0025] A number of pads 6 equal to the number of cavities 43 of the die plate 4 and having plan dimensions just less than those of the respective cavity are securely fixed by usual means, not shown, to the pad linkage plate 5.

[0026] The respective reverse or obverse face die 61 is then fixed by usual magnetic means to each pad 6.

[0027] The figures also show the press upper crosspiece 10 which by usual magnetic means supports the upper dies 101 to be inserted into the cavities of the die plate 4.

[0028] The invention is completed by a manipulator bar 8 (see Figure 3) which during format change maintains the die plate 4, the pads 6 and the pad linkage plate 5 joined together and centered, and by suitable spacers 81.

[0029] The format is changed in the following manner.

[0030] The die plate is lowered by operating the cylinder-piston units 22 until they are flush with, or slightly below, the upper face of the pads 6, the dies 61 then being removed after deactivating the magnetic locks (Figure 2), while at the same time the block 3 is raised by the hydraulic rods 11 until it rests against the lower side of the die plate 4.

[0031] The screws 42 which connect the die plate 4 to the piston rods of the cylinder-piston units 22 are then slackened.

[0032] Having done this the die plate 4 is again raised (Figure 3), it is disengaged from the bushes 41, and spacers 81 having their top flush with the upper surface of the die plate are placed on the pads 6.

[0033] At this point the manipulator bar 8 for maintaining the die plate, the pads and the underlying pad linkage plate 5 joined together as a single assembly, is fixed onto the die plate 4 with the spacers 81 interposed.

[0034] The fixing screws 42 between the die plate and cylinder-piston units 22 are then removed completely and the cylinder-piston units 34 are operated to raise said assembly as shown in Figure 4.

[0035] The assembly can then be collected and removed from the press by a usual fork lift truck 100, after lowering the cylinder-piston units 34. The assembly of the new format previously assembled outside the press is then mounted by the reverse operations.

[0036] By virtue of the invention the operations needed to replace those parts of the mould involved in changing the tile format require a total time not exceeding one hour.

Claims

1. A ceramic tile forming mould comprising a bench protector plate (2), a block (3) associated with said bench protector plate (2) by raising means (11), at least one pad (6) securely fixed to said block, and a series of cylinder-piston units (22) supporting a vertically movable die plate (4), characterised by comprising a pad linkage plate (5) fixed to the block (3) by locking means operable from the outside and on which the pads (6) are securely fixed, and a manipulator bar (8) arranged to connect said die plate and said pads together to maintain them coherent and centered during the mounting and demounting of the remaining parts of the mould.

2. A mould as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the locking means between the pad linkage plate 5 and the block 3 are magnetic means.

3. A mould as claimed in claim 1, characterised by comprising, between said pad linkage plate 5 and said block 3, spacer means operable from the outside.

4. A mould as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said spacer means are hydraulic cylinder-piston units 34 securely fixed to the block.

5. A mould as claimed in claim 1, characterised by comprising distance pieces 81 to be positioned as spacers between the manipulator bar 8 and the pads 6.

Drawing