Mold For A Hollow Block

Abstract

A mold for a hollow block such as one formed of concrete in which the mold includes a pair of outer side walls, end walls therefor and inner walls. Portions of the lower ends of the inner walls terminate above the lower ends of the outer side walls to form spaces. Pivotally mounted vanes extend downwardly and outwardly from between the inner walls and through the spaces, which vanes, together with a pallet, form the bottom of the mold. The vanes are yieldingly urged outwardly but yield inwardly when the pallet is lowered and pressure is applied to the top of the block, whereby the formed block can be removed through the bottom of the mold.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The mold of the present invention is suitable for forming blocks such as disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 806,413, filed Mar. 12, 1969, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to molds for forming blocks, particularly hollow concrete blocks.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The prior art, to applicant's knowledge, is disclosed in the U.S. Pats. to Parker No. 680,273; Besser No. 2,319,291; Jackman No. 2,667,679; and Donati No. 2,934,807. Besser discloses a mold box for molding a hollow concrete block comprising a top or upper press member devised for compressing the concrete into a block. Donati discloses a machine for molding a concrete block comprising a vertically movable pressure head and movable side members. This machine also includes a movable pallet under the mold. Jackman discloses a machine for molding concrete blocks including a compressor which is forced downwardly to compact the concrete mixture. Parker shows a collapsible core in combination with a molding apparatus.

All of these prior art structures are not related to this invention in particular purpose or design. None shows the simple employment of vanes which, in combination with the pallet, provide the bottom of the mold.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The outer side walls, together with the inner walls and end walls provide a mold form for receiving a mixture such as a concrete mixture. This mold rests on a flat pallet as typical of standard block making machines and this pallet together with pivotally mounted vanes form the bottom of the mold. The vanes are positioned outwardly by a combination of a compression spring between the vanes and the upward pressure of the pallet, and maintained in this position by the continuous upward pressure of the pallet until the concrete mix is compressed to form the block. After the block is compressed and formed, the pallet is lowered and the continuous pressure on the block causes inward movement of the vanes so that the block can be forced out of the bottom of the mold.

Other features and the advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a longitudinally sectional view of a mold made in accordance with the present invention, the section being taken along line 1-1 of FIG. 2, but turned at an angle of 90.degree.;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view looking in the direction of arrows 3--3 of FIG. 2, but with the outer side wall removed;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view looking at the bottom of the block formed by the mold.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The block 10 formed by the mold 12 includes side walls 14 and 16, and cross webs 22 and 24.

The mold 12 includes parallel outer side walls 25 and 26, end walls 28 and 30, three pairs of inner channels or sections 32, 34 and 36. Channel 32 includes parallel wall portions 38 and 40 that are spaced inwardly, respectively, with outer walls 25 and 26 and are joined by an end wall 42. Wall portions 43 and 44 flare outwardly, respectively, from the parallel portions 38 and 40 and the outer ends of the flared portions 43 and 44 abut the end wall 28. The inner channel 34, like inner channel 32 includes parallel wall portions 46 and 48 that are spaced inwardly, respectively, with outer walls 25 and 26 and are joined by an end wall 50. Wall portions 52 and 54 flare outwardly and abut end wall 30. The central channel 36 is interposed between channels 32 and 34 and it includes side walls 56 and 58, which are aligned, respectively, with wall portions 38 and 40 of channel 32 and with wall portions 46 and 48 of channel 34. End walls 60 and 62 are joined, respectively, with the side walls 56 and 58. Each of the channels 32, 34 and 36 is closed by a top wall like the top wall shown at 64 in FIG. 2. These top walls are fixed to and are spanned by a locating bar 66 which is common in the art.

As seen in FIG. 2, the lower ends of the inner side walls 56 and 58 terminate vertically above the lower ends of side walls 25 and 26, and the lower ends of these inner side walls are beveled.

Means are provided for pivotally connecting the vanes to the respective channels. These means include shafts 68, 70 and 72 which are supported, respectively, in channels 32, 34 and 36. Shaft 68 is supported by end wall 28, which spans outer side walls 25 and 26 and by end wall 42 of channel 32. Shaft 70 is supported by end wall 30, which spans outer side walls 25 and 26 and by end wall 50 of channel 34. Shaft 72 is supported by end walls 60 and 62 of channel 36. As shown in FIG. 2, two vanes 74 and 76 are journaled on shaft 72. These vanes extend downwardly and outwardly of one another. Vane 74 extends to the right, as viewed in FIG. 2, beyond the lower end of wall 56 of channel 36 into the space between the bottom of the outer side wall 25 and wall 56. Vane 76 extends in the opposite direction, below the lower end of wall 58 of channel 36 into the space between the bottom of outer side wall 26 and wall 58. As before stated, the lower ends of walls 56 and 58 are beveled to complement the angle of the vanes. Triangular shaped closure lugs 75 are attached to all vanes to prevent mixture from flowing behind the vanes.

A means in the form of a coil spring 78 is interposed between the vanes 74 and 76 and yieldingly urges the vanes away from one another. Like vanes 80 and 82 are journaled on shaft 68, and like vanes 84 and 86 are journaled on shaft 70. Springs like spring 78 urge the vanes 80, 82, 84 and 86 outwardly.

In utilizing the mold, a pallet 88 is moved upwardly so as to span the outer side walls 25 and 26. The vanes will be in the position shown in FIG. 2. Concrete mix is then poured into the space between the side walls 25 and 26 and end walls 28 and 30. The three top walls like top wall 64 of channel 36 prevents the flow of the concrete mix into the channels 32, 34 and 36 whereby the webs 22 and 24 span the side walls 14 and 16 of the concrete block 10.

After the concrete mixture is poured into the mold, a suitable pressure element is applied to the top of the mixture to form the block to its desired contour. After the mixture is set, the pallet 88 is lowered and the pressure element is forced downwardly. Upon downward movement of the block, the vanes will move toward one another to the positions shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, whereby the block can be expelled through the lower end of the mold. When the block is expelled, the vanes will be returned by the springs to the position shown in full lines in FIG. 2.

It is to be understood that the present invention is directed to the mold and not to the mechanisms for raising the pallet and removing the same after it carries the block, nor is the present invention directed to the mechanism for compressing the mixture. Such mechanisms are shown and described in the aforementioned patents.

There are advantages for sloping the top and bottoms of the block as shown by the slopes 90 and 92 as is fully explained in my aforementioned application Ser. No. 806,413. The vanes provide for such slopes at the bottom of the block.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that by virtue of the present invention, I have provided a simple and inexpensive mold for forming a slope on the interior faces of the side walls on the surface of the block next to the pallet.

Claims

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A hollow mold for forming a hollow block, such as a concrete block, said block having side walls and at least one web interconnecting the side walls, said mold comprising:

A. a vertically extending side wall (25);

B. a second vertically extending side wall (26) spaced laterally from the first mentioned side wall;

C. a vertically extending end wall (28) connected with like ends of the side walls (25, 26);

D. a second vertically extending end wall (30) connecting the opposite ends of the side walls (25, 26);

E. a channel including the first mentioned end wall (28) and also including:

1. a vertically extending side wall (38) having a portion spaced inwardly from the first mentioned outer side wall (25), and having an angling portion extending outwardly and terminating at the first mentioned end wall (28),

2. a vertically extending side wall (40) having a portion spaced inwardly from the second mentioned side wall (26) and having an angling portion extending outwardly and terminating at the second mentioned side wall,

3. a vertically extending end wall (42) interconnecting the inner ends of the third (38) and fourth (40) mentioned side walls, the lower ends of said third (38) and fourth (40) mentioned side walls terminating, respectively, above the lower ends of the first (25) and second (26) mentioned side walls;

F. a vane (80) angling downwardly from the lower end of the third mentioned sidewall (38) and terminating adjacent the lower end and at the same horizontal level as the first mentioned side wall (25);

G. a second vane (82) angling downwardly from the lower end of the fourth mentioned side wall (40) and terminating adjacent the lower end and at the same horizontal level as the second mentioned side wall (26);

H. means for pivotally connecting the vanes to the channel;

I. means yieldingly urging the lower ends of the vanes, respectively, toward the first (25) and second (26) mentioned side walls;

J. a second channel including the second mentioned end wall (30) and also including:

1. a vertically extending side wall (46) having a portion spaced inwardly from the first mentioned side wall (25) and having an angling portion extending outwardly and terminating at the second mentioned end wall (30),

2. a vertically extending side wall (48) having a portion spaced inwardly from the second mentioned side wall (26) and having an angling portion extending outwardly and terminating at the second mentioned end wall (30),

3. a vertically extending end wall (50) interconnecting the inner ends of the fifth (46) and sixth (48) mentioned side walls, the lower ends of the fifth and sixth mentioned side walls terminating, respectively, above the lower ends of the first (25) and second (26) mentioned side walls;

K. a third vane (84) angling downwardly from the lower end of the fifth mentioned side wall (46) and terminating adjacent the lower end and at the same horizontal level as the first mentioned side wall (25);

L. a fourth vane (86) angling downwardly from the lower end of the sixth mentioned side wall (48) and terminating adjacent the lower end and at the same horizontal level as the second mentioned side wall (26);

M. means for pivotally connecting the third and fourth mentioned vanes to the second mentioned channel;

N. means yieldingly urging the lower ends of the third (84) and fourth (86) mentioned vanes, respectively, toward the first (25) and second (26) side walls.

2. A mold as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the vane-urging means are springs.

3. A hollow mold as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the first mentioned means (H) for pivotally connecting the first (80) and second (82) mentioned vanes to the first mentioned channel (E) comprises:

H. (1) a shaft (68) carried by the first mentioned end wall (28) and the third mentioned end wall (42); and further characterized in that the first and second mentioned vanes are pivotally carried on said shaft; and further characterized in that the second mentioned means (M) for pivotally connecting the third (84) and fourth (86) mentioned vanes to the second mentioned channel (J) comprises:

M. (1) a shaft (70) carried by the second mentioned end wall (30) and the fourth mentioned end wall (50); and further characterized in that the third and fourth mentioned vanes are pivotally carried by the second mentioned shaft (70).

4. A hollow mold as defined in claim 3, characterized in that the means for urging the vanes are springs.

5. A hollow mold as defined in claim 1, characterized to include:

O. a third channel including:

1. a vertically extending side wall (56) spaced inwardly from the first mentioned side wall (25),

2. a vertically extending side wall (58) spaced inwardly from the second mentioned side wall (26),

3. an end wall (60) interconnecting like ends of side walls (56, 58),

4. an end wall (62) interconnecting the opposite ends of side walls (56, 58),

the lower ends of the seventh and eighth mentioned side walls terminating, respectively, above the first (25) and second (26) mentioned side walls;

P. a vane (74) angling downwardly from the lower end of the seventh mentioned side wall (56) and terminating adjacent the lower end of and at the same horizontal level as the first mentioned side wall (25);

Q. a vane (76) angling downwardly from the lower end of the eighth mentioned side wall (58) and terminating adjacent the lower end of and at the same horizontal level as the second mentioned side wall (26);

R. means for pivotally connecting the fifth (74) and sixth (76) mentioned vanes to the third mentioned channel;

S. means yieldingly urging the fifth (74) and sixth (76) mentioned vanes, respectively, toward the first (25) and second (26) mentioned side walls.

6. A hollow mold as defined in claim 5, characterized in that the fourth mentioned means (R) for pivotally connecting the fifth (74) and sixth (76) mentioned vanes to the third mentioned channel comprises:

R. (1) a shaft (72) carried by the fifth (60) and sixth (62) mentioned end walls; and further characterized in that the last mentioned vanes are pivotally carried by the latter shaft.

7. A hollow mold as defined in claim 6, characterized in that the means for urging the vanes are springs.

8. A hollow mold as defined in claim 5, characterized in that the means for urging the vanes are springs.