[Object] To provide a building material manufacturing apparatus that is suitable for suppressing clogging of a screen that screens a building raw material. [Solution] A building material manufacturing apparatus X1 includes at least a screen part 10 and a cleaning mechanism part 40. The screen part 10 includes at least one screen sheet 12 that has an inclination and that has a screen mesh. The cleaning mechanism part 40 includes a scraping part 40a. When the apparatus operates in a building material manufacturing mode in which a building raw material M is supplied to the screen sheet 12 and the screen sheet 12 is performing a wave motion, the scraping part 40a is separated from the screen sheet 12, and, when the apparatus operates in a cleaning mode in which the building raw material M is not supplied to the screen sheet 12 and the screen sheet 12 is not performing a wave motion, the scraping part 40a rotates in contact with the screen sheet 12.

Means for dispensing a powdery coloring substance onto the surface of a mix comprising stone, stone-like, glass or ceramic material. The means comprise at least one dispensing device for containing and dispensing a powdery coloring substance and at least one spreading device. The spreading device comprises at least one moving perforated plate which receives a metered amount of said coloring substance from the dispensing device and distributes it over the surface of the mix.

A method for realising a ceramic slab, comprising the following steps: arranging on a first deposition plane (50) a decorated layer (L2) provided with a decoration (200), gradually depositing the decorated soft layer (L2) from a head (H) to a tail (T); gradually transferring the soft layer (L2) by deposition from the first deposition plane (50) to a second deposition plane (83), placed at a lower height than the first deposition plane (50), starting from the tail (T) of the second soft layer (L2), gradually realising a second layer (L3) on the second deposition plane (83).

System for manufacturing ceramic articles, in particular ceramic slabs or tiles, comprising: a compaction device; a conveyor assembly to transport powder material along a given path from an input station to an output station; a digital feeding assembly to feed powder material to the conveyor assembly at the input station so as to generate a layer of powder material, with feeding devices each comprising a plurality of distribution elements along its transverse output mouth, as well as corresponding actuators; a detection unit to detect the height or thickness of the powder material; and a height correction unit, located upstream of the detection unit and of the compaction device, operable to modify the height or thickness of the layer of powder material crosswise to said moving direction, depending on the data detected by said detection unit, so as to make it more uniform.

A machine (1) for depositing ceramic powders comprises a supply device (2) and a distributor device (3) of the ceramic powders. The supply device (2) is configured to convey the ceramic powders receiving them from a process situated upstream of the machine. The distributor (3) is movable along a processing direction (X) which extends in a support plane and is configured to receive the ceramic powders from the supply device (2) depositing at least one layer thereof on the support plane during an advancement and/or reverse movement thereof along the processing direction (X). A system for making ceramic tiles or slabs is also claimed, comprising (i) the machine (1) for depositing ceramic powders. (ii) a conveyor belt (11) defining the support plane and (iii) a pressing device arranged along the support plane downstream of the machine (1) and configured to press at least one layer of ceramic powders deposited by the machine (1).

A machine (1) for depositing ceramic powders comprises a supply device (2) and a distributor device (3) of the ceramic powders. The supply device (2) is configured to convey the ceramic powders receiving them from a process situated upstream of the machine. The distributor (3) is movable along a processing direction (X) which extends in a support plane and is configured to receive the ceramic powders from the supply device (2) depositing at least one layer thereof on the support plane during an advancement and/or reverse movement thereof along the processing direction (X). A system for making ceramic tiles or slabs is also claimed, comprising (i) the machine (1) for depositing ceramic powders. (ii) a conveyor belt (11) defining the support plane and (iii) a pressing device arranged along the support plane downstream of the machine (1) and configured to press at least one layer of ceramic powders deposited by the machine (1).

A dispensing device for dispensing a granular material, comprising a dispensing channel (20) provided with an inlet opening (21) and an outlet opening (22). The dispensing channel (20) comprises an intermediate portion (23), which connects the inlet (21) and outlet (22) openings and is provided with a longitudinal axis (Y); the intermediate portion (23) has a length (L) and a height (H), measured on a vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis (Y), wherein the height (H) is measured perpendicular to the length (L). The intermediate portion (23) is configured to enable the deposit and accumulation of a predetermined quantity of granular material coming from the inlet opening (21); Motor means are provided which can be activated on command to cause the granular material to flow in advancement from the intermediate portion (23) towards the outlet opening (22).

A smoother includes a conveying device for a molded body; a pair of arms that are respectively disposed to face both widthwise ends of the conveying device, and in which longitudinal ends of the arms are swingable in upward and downward directions with respect to a conveying surface of the conveying device; a smoother plate fixed to a pair of facing ends of the longitudinal ends of the pair of arms; weights that are respectively attached to the pair of arms and are movable along a longitudinal direction of the arms; a weight position changing device configured to change positions of the weights on the arms; and a first control device configured to control the positions of the weights on the arms via the weight position changing device.

A plant for manufacturing ceramic articles comprising two feeding devices, each of which is configured to contain a powder material of a respective type and feed this powder material to a conveyor assembly. The plant further comprises an operating device, which is configured to allow the powder material to exit selectively from zones of the feeding devices arranged in succession crosswise to the movement direction, moving vertically and independently from one another a plurality of transfer moving parts, each provided with a transit channel through which the powder material moves to reach the conveyor assembly.

An apparatus for continuously casting a solid member is disclosed. The apparatus may include a mould forming support configured to form an open channel, a flexible conveyor having a feed end and a peel off end extending across the mould forming support along its length. The conveyor conforms to the configuration of the mould forming support along its length to form an open channel mould which receives a settable material that is displaced along the conveyor belt and forms a solid member. A method of continuously casting a solid member is also disclosed.