U.S. patent number 3,856,425 [Application Number 05/308,174] was granted by the patent office on 1974-12-24 for adjustable side for slip form.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Miller Formless Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to Allen R. Miller, Charles P. Miller, David J. Miller.
United States Patent |
3,856,425 |
Miller , et al. |
December 24, 1974 |
ADJUSTABLE SIDE FOR SLIP FORM
Abstract
Automatically adjustable side skirts for the working tool such
as a slip form or mule shoe of curb laying machines are disclosed
to mitigate or prevent edge slump as the tool traverses grade
deviations along the path of travel. One or a pair of vertically
adjustable support means control the elevation of the side skirt
through one or a pair of grade sensing shoes that contact the grade
as the machine progresses. Means responsive to the movement of the
grade sensing shoes cause the support means to extend or retract
and thus form a retaining sidewall passing through the grade
deviation which holds the concrete in place across the deviation.
In one embodiment a single skirt is controlled by a single
extensible member that is pivotally attached to the skirt at an
approximate point of balance. In another embodiment a single skirt
is controlled by a pair of longitudinaly spaced extensible members
that are pivotally attached at spaced points on the skirt.
Inventors: |
Miller; Charles P. (McHenry,
IL), Miller; Allen R. (McHenry, IL), Miller; David J.
(Ringwood, IL) |
Assignee: |
Miller Formless Co., Inc.
(McHenry, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
26800446 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/308,174 |
Filed: |
November 20, 1972 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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103423 |
Jan 4, 1971 |
|
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774014 |
Nov 7, 1968 |
3606827 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
404/84.2;
404/105 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01C
19/4893 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E01C
19/48 (20060101); E01C 19/00 (20060101); E01c
019/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;404/84,98,96,104,105 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Byers, Jr.; Nile G.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Harbaugh and Thomas
Parent Case Text
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.
103,423, filed on Jan. 4, 1971, which is a continuation-in-part of
application Ser. No. 774,014, filed Nov. 7, 1968, now U.S. Pat. No.
3,606,827, all by the instant inventors.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A slip form for transport by a machine over a grade to lay a
continuous layer of formable material therealong comprising:
an elongated form member adapted to be supported from said machine
with its longitudinal axis extending along the path of travel;
said form member having laterally spaced sidewalls depending from
an enclosing top wall;
said sidewalls having bottom edge portions defining the lateral
limits of said continuous layer;
a skirt member associated with and contiguous to the outside bottom
edge portion of one of said sidewalls;
vertically adjustable support means extending from said machine and
carrying said skirt member for vertical movement independent of
said one side wall of said form member;
power means provided by said machine for actuating said support
means; and
sensor means carried by said machine and operatively controlling
said power means to raise and lower said skirt member;
said sensor means being slideably engageable with said grade along
and contiguous to said skirt member;
said sensor means being responsive to the depressions in said grade
and operative to provide a control signal to actuate said power
means and move said skirt member along the contours of said
depressions.
2. A slip form in accordance with claim 1 in which,
said vertically adjustable support means includes means pivotally
supporting said skirt member on an axis transverse the longitudinal
axis of said slip form.
3. A slip form in accordance with claim 1 including,
a pair of said vertically adjustable support means each pivotally
supporting said skirt member on spaced axes transverse the
longitudinal axes of said slip form.
4. A slip form in accordance with claim 1 including,
guide means cooperating with said vertically adjustable support
means,
said guide means comprising a bracket member supporting a vertical
guide post parallel to and spaced from said bottom edge portion of
said one sidewall, and
said skirt member being positioned in sliding relationship between
said guide post and said bottom edge portion.
5. A slip form in accordance with claim 1 including:
a second skirt member associated with and contiguous to the outside
bottom edge portion of the other of said sidewalls;
vertically adjustable support means extending from said machine and
carrying said second skirt member for vertical movement independent
of said side wall;
power means provided by said machine for actuating said second
support member;
and sensor means carried by said machine and operatively
controlling said power means to raise and lower said second skirt
member;
said sensor means being slideably engageable with said grade along
and contiguous to said second skirt member and being repsonsive to
the depressions in the grade on said other side of said sidewall to
actuate said power means and move said second skirt member along
the contours of said depressions.
6. A slip form for transport by a concrete laying machine over a
grade to lay a continuous layer of formed concrete therealong
comprising:
an elongated form member adapted to be supported from said machine
with its longitudinal axis extending along the path of travel;
said form member having laterally spaced vertical sidewalls
depending from an enclosing top wall;
said sidewalls having bottom edge portions defining the lateral
limits of said formed continuous layer;
a skirt member operably associated with the outside bottom edge of
one of said sidewalls;
vertically operable support means extending from said machine and
carrying said skirt member on a transverse pivotal axis;
power means provided by said machine for actuating said support
means;
a grade sensing shoe member carried by said skirt member and
controlling said power means to raise and lower said skirt
member;
said grade sensing shoe member being pivotally mounted on a
transverse axis from said skirt member in the plane of the
transverse axes of said support means; and
said grade sensing shoe member having a length substantially equal
to the length of said skirt member.
7. A slip form in accordance with claim 6 in which the pivotal axis
of said skirt member and the pivotal axis of said vertically
adjustable support means are coplanar.
8. A slip form in accordance with claim 6 in which,
said support means comprises a hydraulic ram and said power means
comprises a source of hydraulic pressure connected thereto,
a two-way valve controlling said source of hydraulic pressure
having a plunger member depending therefrom, and
said grade sensing shoe is pivotally attached to the lower end of
said plunger.
9. A slip form for transport by a concrete laying machine over a
grade to lay a continuous layer of formed concrete therealong
comprising:
an elongated form member adatped to be supported from said machine
with its longitudinal axis extending along the path of travel,
said form member having laterally spaced vertical sidewalls
depending from an enclosing top wall,
said sidewalls having bottom edges defining the lateral limits of
said formed continuous layer,
a skirt member operably associated with the outside bottom edge of
one of said sidewalls,
a pair of vertically adjustable support means carrying said skirt
member on longitudinally spaced transverse pivotal axes,
power means for individually actuating said support means, and
a grade sensing shoe controlling said power means to independently
actuate said respective support means,
said grade sensing shoes being pivotally mounted on transverse axes
in the plane of the respective transverse axes from said skirt
member of said support means,
the combined lengths of said grade sensing shoes being less than
the length of said skirt member.
10. A slip form in accordance with claim 9 in which,
guide means are included cooperating with each of said vertically
adjustable support means to maintain said skirt members in parallel
sliding relationship with said sidewalls.
11. A slip form for transport by a machine over a grade to lay a
continuous layer of formable material therealong comprising:
an elongated form member adapted to be supported from said machine
with its longitudinal axis extending along the path of travel;
said form member having laterally spaced sidewalls;
a skirt member associated with and contiguous to a bottom edge
portion of one of said sidewalls;
vertically adjustable support means extending from said machine and
carrying said skirt member for vertical movement independent of
said one sidewall of said form member;
power means provided by said machine for actuating said support
means; and
sensor means carried by said skirt member and controlling said
power means to raise and lower said skirt member;
said sensor means being operatively engageable with a grade
reference to provide a control signal to actuate said power
means.
12. A slip form in accordance with claim 11 in which,
said vertically adjustable support means includes means pivotally
supporting said skirt member on an axis transverse the longitudinal
axis of said slip form.
13. A slip form in accordance with claim 11 including,
a pair of said vertically adjustable support means each pivotally
supporting said skirt member on spaced axes transverse the
longitudinal axes of said slip form.
14. A slip form in accordance with claim 11 including,
a second skirt member associated with and contiguous to the outside
bottom edge portion of the other of said sidewalls,
vertically adjustable support means carrying said second skirt
member, and
power means for actuating said second support member.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing related patent application and U.S. patent described
a construction machine that travels on four crawler tractors.
Although the adjustable sided concrete extrusion tool of this
invention can be used with any mobile curb, gutter or sidewalk
laying machine, it will be described in relation to the curb
machines of said patent and patent application which are used on
rough grades.
These machines, which vary in certain of their steering
capabilities, are capable of traversing a prepared grade, following
a single grade line, and depositing the concrete in the form of a
curbing, gutter, or sidewalk therealong with close control of the
grade and slope of the finished product. Because of the level and
grade control system, operating as it does through two independent
tractors controlling the grade and through another pair of tractors
carrying the frame central of a walking beam on the other side of
slope control, the finished product can be laid as fast as concrete
trucks can supply the concrete and with grade and slope tolerances
that exceed present road or curb-building specifications.
A particular advantage of the machine is its ability to negotiate
cul-de-sacs and large deviations in the grade without affecting the
accuracy of the poured product. This means that the grade over
which the machine travels need not be prepared to the exact
standards required by other curb or sidewalk laying machines. It
also means that little attention need be paid to the paths over
which the tractors will travel and only the grade upon which the
curb or sidewalk is laid needs any particular attention. However,
because of the extremely accurate leveling, slope control and
steering capabilities of the machine it is sometimes used on very
poorly prepared grades wherein the deviations are so large that
considerable amounts of concrete may be lost through edge slump or
incomplete compaction of the concrete therein. Some of the
advantages gained from the speed and extremely accurate grade and
slope control characteristics of the machines may be lost where
through intent, neglect, error or natural causes the prepared grade
presents undulations or washouts in the path of the working tool
which are large enough to cause slump of the concrete. The instant
invention increases the versatility of machines of this type,
prevents undue loss of concrete and eliminates the necessity of
additional labor or loss of time required to repair such deviations
in the grade before the work can continue or to repair the slumped
edges of the formed work product.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention one or more flat side skirt
elements are pivotally suspended adjacent to and substantially flat
against an outer sidewall of the slip form from one or a pair of
extensible members capable of raising and lowering the side skirt
elements in accordance with macro changes in the grade. The side
skirt elements operate within guide means to hold them in sliding
parallel relationship with the sidewall of the slip form during
oscillation as the machine progresses over the deviation. The side
skirt elements are allowed a degree of movement fore and aft within
the guide means. The pivot axis of the side skirt is preferably
above the center of gravity of the skirt. A grade sensing shoe is
pivotally attached at its midpoint to a control rod carried by the
side skirt for contact with the grade immediately adjacent and
substantially parallel to the bottom edge of the side skirt.
The control rod is moved up and down by the sensing shoe to operate
a power means controlling the extensible member. The axis of the
control rod and its pivotal attachment to the sensing shoe are in
line with the pivotal axis of the side skirt. Accordingly, the
bottom edge of the side skirt follows and is maintained
substantially coplanar with the transverse plane of the bottom of
the grade sensing shoe.
Where a single side skirt is suspended from a pair of extensible
members the foregoing arrangement is provided at spaced fore and
aft positions along the side skirt. By these means the bottom edge
of the side skirt can be oscillated on two axes and follows the
contour of the depression in the grade to retain the concrete long
enough so that slump is prevented after the machine passes the
depression. The length of the grade sensing shoe controls the
magnitude of correction and oscillation of the skirt.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is illustrated, without limitation, by the drawings
showing a curb-laying machine wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the front and outboard or curb
side of a curb and gutter machine including the adjustable-sided
slip form of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the machine illustrated in
FIG. 1 showing the outboard or curb side and showing some details
of the adjustable side skirt;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the mule shoe showing
one form of elevation adjustment for one or more adjustable side
skirts therealong therefor;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 10--10 of
FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 11--11 of
FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a detailed end view partially in section of a slip form
with an adjustable side skirt or plate on each of its sides.
THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Briefly, FIGS. 1 and 2 show the curb-forming machine 10 as
described in more detail in said copending application, having the
supply hopper 12 adapted to receive concrete 14 from the chute 16
of a concrete truck (not shown), convey the concrete upwardly
through the screw conveyor 18, operated by the hydraulic motor and
drive unit 20 and deposit the concrete from the opening 22 into the
feed hopper 24. Vibrators are positioned within the hopper 24 and
adjustably mounted so as to affect the required compaction of the
concrete, eliminate air bubbles and facilitate the flow through the
hopper. The consistency of the concrete is maintained so as to
prevent slump of the finished curb under normal conditions of
compaction.
The feed hopper 24 is shaped to facilitate compaction and has an
open bottom communicating with the slip form or mule shoe 30. A
continuous source of formable material is thus supplied to the mule
shoe 30.
The forces acting on the machine are constantly changing as the
machine progresses along the sub-grade 34 in the direction of the
arrow 26. The suspension and controls of the invention described in
said relation application and patent are adapted to maintain the
mule shoe 30 at the desired slope, grade and path of curvature
irrespective of these additional forces acting on the machine,
without impairment of the compaction (density) of the finished
curbing, illustrated at 38, and regardless of most macro deviations
in the sub-grade. There is an upward pressure of the mule shoe upon
its mounting with frame due to the compacting forces upon the
curbing being laid. This compacting pressure at times causes side
slump and loss of concrete under the bottom edge 38 of the mule
shoe 30 where the length of the mule shoe is longer than the width
or depression in the grade along the path of travel or the
depression has an irregular or a V-bottom.
The slip form or mule shoe 30 is open at the bottom and rear and is
closed at the front end by the transverse wall member 40 through
which extend the guide tubes 42 having open flared ends to easily
receive the reinforcing rods (not shown). The slip form or mule
shoe 30 is elongated and has an inner shaped contour 46 (see FIG.
4) throughout its length to lay any desired curb or gutter design
to specifications including the so-called battered form illustrated
and such other contours such as drive over, roll and vertical
curbs. The slip form 30 can be any desired length and can be
widened so that sidewalks can be laid.
The hopper 24 is attached to and in communication with the mule
shoe 30 at the forward end, just behind the plate 40. The
reinforcing girder plates 48 are provided at spaced points along
the length of the mule shoe, same being contoured to fit over the
outer contoured surfaces of the mule shoe and affixed thereto by
welding. The longitudinal reinforcing channels 50 are affixed at or
near the lower outer edge of the mule shoe at selected locations.
The mule shoe has the spaced uprights on each side such as
illustrated at 52 attached to the rectilinear personnel platform 54
carried at the outboard side of the main frame 56.
The machine is self-contained with the prime mover 60 supplying the
power necessary to drive the hydraulic pumps, hydraulic motors and
generators that are required. All functions of the machine can be
controlled by one man from the control console 62. The top part of
the panel of the console contains the controls and instruments for
the prime mover and elevation and slope control system, while the
lower part of the panel contains the controls for the travel
system.
For this latter purpose the main frame 56 carries the forward
outboard support cylinder housing 66 in a vertical position at one
corner and the rearward outboard support cylinder 68 in a vertical
position at the other corner, as two spaced adjustable suspension
points for grade control of the main frame and slip form. Affixed
to an intermediate position on the inboard side of the main frame
56 is a pair of support cylinder housings 70 and 72 for slope
control. These cylinders are oriented fore and aft of the main
frame at these suspension points. The cylinder supports 66, 68, 70
and 72 each house double-acting rams which are connected by means
of the pairs of hydraulic hoses 74, 76 and 78 to a source of
hydraulic power. The flow of hydraulic fluid therein is reversible
and controlled by the sensor-actuated valve system described in
related U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,827.
These dual-acting rams are telescopically housed in the support
cylinders and are journalled at the top and bottom by clevis pins
to provide slight axial resilience and alignment for the working
cylinders during reciprocation and leveling at each suspension
point. Each of the rams is attached through a bottom clevis pin to
a base plate seated in the bottom of its inner guide cylinders such
as the cylinder 80.
On the outboard side of the machine each adjustable suspension
means has a saddle mount that is pivoted to a self-propelled
crawler type tractor unit 82. Each of these crawler tractor units
82 is pivotally mounted on a vertical axis from the cylinder
supports and also adapted to extend and retract independently on a
vertical guided axis by means of the rams to raise and lower that
corner of the frame. The tractors are pivotally attached on a
horizontal axis to the saddles by means of saddle pins located
substantially in the center of their frame supports.
On the inboard side (see FIG. 2) the pair of inner guide cylinders
80 is rigidly mounted to a saddle 84 which is pivotally attached on
a horizontal axis intermediate the ends of the walking beam 86 by
means of the saddle pin 88 which extends through the saddle mount
and the beam forming a central pivot for the walking beam. At each
end of the walking beam, the inboard tractor units 82 are carried
on their respective saddles through saddle pins. The vertical
steering axes of this assembly are coincident with the rams on the
inboard side and located at each end of the walking beam 86 on the
outboard side.
The tractors each have individual hydraulic drive motors same being
two-way or reversible hydraulic motors such as Charlyn Orbit
motors. The motors on each side are connected in series to each
other by means of suitable hydraulic lines so that they can be
operated in unison.
In order to steer universally the front pair of tractor units is
tied together, fore and aft of the saddle pins, by means of the
paired steering linkages 87 and the rear pair of crawlers is tied
together by similar steering linkages. By this arrangement the two
fore tractors are turned in unison and the two aft tractors turned
in unison. Steering of the front pair of tractors is controlled by
a double-acting hydraulic steering ram 88 cross-connected between
the steering linkages 87. The steering of the rear tractors is
controlled by a separate ram cross-connected between the rear
steering linkages.
In accordance with said copending application the respective pairs
of steering linkages are simultaneously extended or retracted by
the same amount as the tractor suspension negotiates uneven grades
or the level of the grade on which the two tractors on one side of
the machine navigates is lower than or higher than the level of the
grade on which the other pair of fore and aft tractors navigates.
This is accomplished by including a pair of cross-connected rams in
these linkages which extend and retract in unison to accommodate
the changing geometry transverse the machine and forms no part of
this invention.
From the description thus far, it is seen that five saddle mounts
are included in the suspension, with means to control the level
(slope and grade), direction and horizontal attitude of the machine
as it negotiates changes in the grade. The machine travels on the
established and prepared grade 34 under the guidance of the grade
reference or string line 90 which is supported from the horizontal
arms of suitably spaced posts. The string line 90 is placed outside
of the edge of the grade 34 at any desired predetermined elevation
in relation to the grade and held therealong in a manner known in
the art to define the path of the working tool.
The machine is accurately guided along the string line 90 by means
to detect the direction of the line and by means to detect the
elevation of the line. The former variable is detected by the
steering sensor 92, for the forward tractors, and the steering
sensor 94 for the rear tractors. The latter variable is detected by
the elevation sensors 96 and 98 which are mounted for passage along
the string line directly ahead of the respective steering sensors.
The steering sensors each have a gimbal-mounted sensing arm 100
which contacts the string line 90 on the machine side thereof,
while the elevation sensors have the sensor shoes 102 which contact
the underside of the string line 90.
As described in detail in said copending application means are
provided to move the front steering sensor arm 100 as it calls for
a correction in the steering, a distance proportional to the amount
of steer and in the direction of steer. This movement is a linear
distance which is equal to or an increment of the steering
correction. This action reduces each steering correction by a
fraction so that the total amount of steer is approached in
increments and over steering is reduced.
The rear steering sensor 94 functions in the same manner to retract
or extend with respect to the string line as it controls the rear
tractors 82. The machine 10, with which the features of this
invention are incorporated, is self-powered, self-steering and
self-leveling for fully automatic operation.
In accordance with this invention the slip form 30 has been
modified to provide the vertically slidably apron plate or skirt
110 mounted on a sidewall 112 of the slip form. The lower edge 114
of the skirt 110 extends longitudinally of the side of the slip
form 30. This plate is slidably mounted on a vertical axis by means
of the support 116 which is carried by the frame of the slip form
or may be affixed to the top wall thereof and also carries the
double-acting ram 118, the operating piston thereof being
illustrated at 120 by broken lines. The connecting rod 122 has the
journal 124 at the lower end that is pivotally attached to the pin
126 carried by the guide plate 128. The guide plate is attached to
the pair of U-shaped brackets 130 as at the weldments 132 and the
ends of the brackets are welded to the apron plate or skirt 110 as
at 134. This provides a space 136 between the guide plate 128 and
the sidewall 112 to receive the vertical T-beam 138 supported at
the end of the horizontal support 140 carried by the frame or the
top of the slip form 30. The juncture of the bottom bracket 130 and
the plate 128 has the brace member 142 welded therein to which is
attached the journal 144. The actuating rod 146 is carried in
reciprocating relationship within the journal 144. The journal has
a pair of bearing gland members 148 and 149 which slidably receive
the rod 146 in sealed relationship.
The hydraulic line 150, from a source of hydraulic pressure
supplied by the machine 10, leads to the pilot valve member 152
carried at the top of the support sleeve 154 through which the rod
146 extends in operative reciprocating relationship with the valve
152. The hydraulic line 156 is a return line for the valve 152.
The support sleeve 154 extends from the adjusting nut 158 which
engages internal threads in the lower gland member 149 and also
encompasses the rod 146 in slidable relationship. The pair of
hydraulic lines indicated at 160 and 162 lead from the valve 152 to
respective sides of the piston 120 in the ram 118. The rod 146 is
pivotally mounted from the pin 164 at its bottom end carried by
suitable spaced cleats 166 extending from the sensing ski or shoe
168 having the upturned front end 170.
The shoe 168 is adapted to slide along the grade surface and detect
macro deviations of the grade along the side of the mule shoe into
which concrete may spill and be wasted. When the shoe detects such
a depression, for example, it lowers following the contour of the
depression and actuates the valve 152 to open same to introduce
pressure fluid in line 160 and move the piston 120 downwardly. This
moves the skirt or apron plate 110 downward along the T-beam 138,
guided by the plate 128. Only the top end of the T-beam 138 is
supported and the lower end 172 of the T-beam is unsupported for
easy detachment of the assembly and to allow the apron plate 110 to
extend therebelow. The inside of the plate 128 rides against the
outer part of the T-beam 138 at the sliding juncture 174 and the
back flat side 176 of the T-beam rides against the outside of the
apron plate 110. The apron plate 110 in turn is held in sliding or
spaced relationship with the mule shoe 30 as indicated at 180,
depending on the spacing provided by the side 176 from the sidewall
112. Since the apron plate 110 is pivotally mounted on the pin 126,
it can also swing to either side within the limits of the space 136
about the T-beam 138.
This arrangement of the apron plate 110 and its oscillatable
support shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 can be applied to either or both
sides of slip form or mule shoe 30. The use of aprom plates 110 in
single or multiple units in tandem along a side of the mule shoe
provides the means for extending the effective edge of the slip
form along the profile of the depression in the grade. In practice
this arrangement of one or more apron plates is only necessary
along the areas of where the greatest compression and vibration
forces are acting on the concrete and the tendency to squeeze into
depressions in the grade is greatest. This would place the apron
plates or skirts under and to the rear of the hopper 24 with the
type of concrete feed unit disclosed.
The lower edge 114 of the apron plate is thus maintained in a
position along the compaction zone to prevent concrete from
spilling out into any depressions that may be encountered along the
grade without disturbing the attitude of the mule shoe. The apron
plate 110 and associated sensing ski or shoe for a single unit as
shown in FIG. 3 are about the same length and both of these members
can be as long as is necessary to accomplish this purpose. If
desired the leading corner of the apron plate 110 can be rounded,
as indicated by the broken lines 182 in FIG. 3.
Referring to FIG. 6 there is shown a slip form 30 with a pair of
apron plates 110, one on each of the outsides of the sides thereof
and having their respective vertically adjustable support means
represented by the double-acting rams 118 and associated connecting
rods 122 and pivot pins 126. The support member 116 for the rams
118 as well as the support member 116 for the rams 118 as well as
the support member 140 can be suitably attached to the outer and
inner uprights 184 which carry the slip form from the main frame
56. Here also the T-bars 138 function to maintain the apron plate
110 in a parallel sliding or oscillating position with the
respective outside wall 112 and inside wall 186 of the slip form
through the guide plates 128.
Each of the apron plates or skirt members 110 has its sensor means
represented by the shoes 168 and the associated connecting rods 146
and means responsive to the vertical undulations of the sensor
represented by the hydraulic or mechanical servo valves 152. One
form of this type of valve found to be suitable is manufactured by
Fairey Hydraulics, Ltd.
It is apparent from FIG. 6 that the right hand shoe 168 is lowered
into the depression 34a of the grade 34 and has caused a
corresponding lowering of the apron plate 110 on that side of the
slip form. The compressed and suitably de-aerated concrete in the
area 188 is prevented from spilling into the depression and is held
there long enough as the machine progresses to retain a rigid
sidewall that will set without further attention.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 the invention is further illustrated by
the longer apron plate 110a which is positioned along the sidewall
of the slip form 30 from the front wall 40 to a point rearward of
the discharbge area of the compaction hopper 24. This apron plate
110a is suspended by a pair of vertical adjustment support means
represented by the pair of rams and associated parts whose
reference numbers correspond to those described in FIG. 3. The
action of the skirt 110a as it oscillates on two suspension points
is a combination of averaging and profiling of the contour of any
depression encountered along that side of the slip form. The
arrangement shown in FIG. 2 can be duplicated on the inside wall of
the slip form in which event FIG. 6 would represent an end view
thereof.
The distance between the pair of pivot points 121 can be different
from that shown in FIG. 2 and their arrangement does not have to be
symmetrical of the ends or center of the apron plate. Under some
circumstances a longer apron plate would be used than that shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2. Also depending on the condition of the grade 34, the
slump characteristics of the concrete as well as the speed of
pouring it may be desirable to have a second apron plate on one or
the other or both sides of the slip form to the rear of the one
shown.
To accommodate these different conditions including the tendency to
slump stemming from the shape or height of the slip form contour
46, the cylinders 118 can be made detachable at the juncture 190
with the support 116 and the juncture 192 of the T-bar 138 with the
support 140 can also be both detachable and adjustable in
elevation. These members can be suitably flanged and bolts
registering with one or more bore holes in the parts can be used
for this purpose. More than one T-bar can be used within the space
136 for added stability where desired. The T-bars can be reversed
from the positions shown so that their wider flanges are on the
outside. An I-beam piece can be used for these members or any other
shape of vertical guide can be used. Since the entire slip form can
be readily raised by the machine 10 to a vertical position well
above the grade, removal or replacement of an apron plate is
simplified. The inclusion of apron plates on both sides of the slip
form as shown in FIG. 6 that extend in closely spaced tandem
relationship increases the versatility of the machine in that
larger differences in the elevation of the grade on which the
tractors traverse from the elevation of the grade on which the
curbing or other continuous structure is to be laid can now be
accommodated, provided any lack of planar continuity in the
sidewalls of the formed product can be tolerated. The machine can
thus be used to lay footings along deeply offset grades.
The curb laying machine of this invention with the adjustable side
skirts one or both sidewalls of the slip form can use most standard
mixes of concrete. The unavoidable slump of the finished curb along
its length, depending on the curb design, should not exceed 2.5
inches and not less than 0.75 inch. The air in the concrete should
not exceed 10 percent for good curb laying. The sub-grade 34 on
which the curb is laid can be graded to one-fourth to one-half inch
below the grade on which the machine travels to assure that the
mule shoe will not strike on high material and cause inaccurate
final grade of the finished product. The foregoing limitations do
not apply to the same extent for larger material handling
machines.
It is also apparent that the apron or skirt members need not be
under the control of a sensor means and that mechanically
manipulated means or valves can be used by the operator or his
assistant to control the adjustable vertical support members while
visual observation is used to detect the undulations in the grade
being traversed. Preferably the apron structure shown in FIGS. 1
and 2 will extend as a unit or as multiple units along the entire
length of the slip form. Each of the rams 118 shown need not be
actuated to make a correction, that is one of the pivot points 126,
preferably the rear one can be fixed in relation to the frame of
the machine and not be vertically adjustable, while the other pivot
point 126 (forward) and its adjustable support 118 can be under the
control of a sensor or manipulated manually. This relationship can
be reversed with the front pivot point being fixed in relation to
the frame or slip form while the rear one is raised up and
down.
In another embodiment the movable skirt can be a portion of the
sidewall 112 of the slip form, that is, the slip form can be split
longitudinally along the top wall to form two separate elongated
wall members defining the contour 46 and having adjoining surfaces
that define a sliding juncture with guide means such as lugs riding
in vertical parallel slots therebetween to maintain the sliding
relationship of one wall member to the other. This split wall
arrangement can include the walls of the hopper 24. The same
arrangement of adjustable vertical support means disclosed
heretofore would be used with this embodiment with or without the
sensing shoes.
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