SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COLORING TOP SURFACE OF CLADDINGS AND CONCRETE PAVING STONES

Abstract

An apparatus for spraying fluid phase color is integrated into a cladding manufacturing machine and synchronized with the manufacturing process. The apparatus is attached to the basket through which the concrete of the claddings is poured into a mould; color spraying initiates after completing the concrete filling phase of the manufacturing of the cladding and the basket retreats to its starting point. Color guns, attached to the basket, connect to color buckets and pump and condensed air pumps to deliver sprayed fluid color onto the top surface of the claddings. A control unit controls the color spraying via a sequential, parallel or pre-selected program or set of values of parameters that determine the final design or pattern on the claddings surface.

Claims

1. An integrated machine for manufacturing claddings and integrated coloring top surface of said claddings, said integrated machine comprising: a cladding manufacturing machine comprising: at least one basket, funnel and hopper for filling, delivering and pouring “dry” concrete, said at least one basket, funnel and hopper are movable along a selected path; a mould for receiving said concrete from said at least one basket; a vibrating table; a vibrator below said vibrating table and in mechanical contact with said vibrating table; a production board that carries said mould on it and that lays on said vibrating table and in friction contact with said vibrating table for vibrating said production board and mould and said concrete in said mould; and a tamper head for pressing defined cladding units of said concrete in said mould; and a color spraying apparatus comprising: color spraying guns attached to said at least one basket for spraying fluid phase color mass on top surface of an upper layer of said claddings; and means for containing, mixing and spraying said fluid phase color mass and delivering said fluid phase color mass to said color spraying guns.

2. The integrated machine according to claim 1, wherein said means for delivering said fluid phase color mass comprises at least one pump for pumping said mass from said means containing said mass, and at least one pipe for delivering said mass to said color spraying guns.

3. The integrated machine according to claim 1, wherein said means for spraying said fluid phase color mass comprises compressed air pump and pipe that connects to said color spraying guns for generating color spray, and air pressure controlled and regulated valves for spraying said color mass off of said color spraying guns.

4. The integrated machine according to claim 3, wherein said means for spraying said fluid phase color mass further comprises auxiliary compressed air pumps and pipes for further controlling intensity and color droplet size, which are shot from said color spraying guns.

5. The integrated machine according to claim 1, wherein said means for containing said fluid phase color mass comprises at least one bucket for containing color, wherein said means for mixing said fluid phase color mass comprises a mixer inside said at least one bucket.

6. The integrated machine according to claim 5, wherein said mixer is a mechanical mixer.

7. The integrated machine according to claim 5, wherein said mixer is a magnetic stirrer, electric mixer or pneumatic mixer.

8. The integrated machine according to claim 1, further comprising back pipes for returning color residues or over flown amount of said fluid phase color mass from said color spraying guns to containers and for creating a continuous homogenization of the color mix.

9. The integrated machine according to claim 1, further comprising a control operation unit for controlling and synchronizing speed of said at least one basket of said upper layer with color spraying by said color spraying guns, activating, initiating and terminating color spraying for every color spraying gun, and timing color spraying and coordinating with forward and backward movement of said at least one basket of said upper layer.

10. The integrated machine according to claim 9, wherein said control operation unit is a controller or a computer processing unit interfacing a machine control.

11. The integrated machine according to claim 9, wherein said control operation unit is configured to simultaneously, sequentially or according to any pre-determined or pre-selected program control and monitor the following actions: synchronize spraying of colors on top surface of said upper layer with travelling back of said at least one basket; selecting colors and color mix to be sprayed according to a selected pattern or design; control timing of spraying by said color spraying guns of each of the selected colors and color mixes; control pressure and number of air pumps active in formation of the color spray; control intensity and spread of said colors and color mixes on top surface of said upper layer of said claddings; stir a mixer in at least one bucket of said colors constantly or in any selected time intervals to maintain said fluid phase color mass homogeneous and color suspension stable without precipitates formed at bottom of said at least one bucket; and synchronize said color spraying with operation schedule of said cladding manufacturing machine.

12. The integrated machine according to claim 11, wherein said control operation unit is further configured to synchronize initiation and retreat times and speed of said at least one basket of said upper layer of said claddings with said color spaying.

13. The integrated machine according to claim 1, wherein said color spraying apparatus is configured to spray fluid phase color mass selected from suspensions, emulsions and solutions comprising color pigments, dyes or colorants, wherein particle size ratio between particles of said color pigments, dyes and colorants and particles of cement of said cladding is one order of magnitude in favor of said particles of cement.

14. The integrated machine according to claim 13, wherein said color pigments, dyes or colorants are selected from oxidants of natural minerals.

15. The integrated machine according to claim 14, wherein said natural minerals are selected from magnetite and hematite (iron oxides) for black and red colors, respectively.

16. The integrated machine according to claim 15, wherein said particle size of said magnetite and hematite is one order of magnitude less than cement particle size of said cladding.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a type of a cladding manufacturing machine into which an apparatus for coloring the top surface of the claddings upper layer may be integrated.

[0041] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a color spraying apparatus for coloring the top surface of claddings, which are manufactured in a cladding manufacturing machine.

[0042] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the color spraying apparatus for coloring the top surface of the claddings, which is integrated into the cladding manufacturing machine in pre-operation state and before overlaying the upper layer.

[0043] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the color spraying apparatus for coloring the top surface of the claddings in pre-operation position.

[0044] FIG. 5 schematically illustrates the color spraying apparatus for coloring the top surface of the claddings in operation.

[0045] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the color spraying apparatus for coloring the top surface of the claddings after completion of operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] As mentioned above, FIG. 1 illustrates a cladding manufacturing machine 200 that comprises bottom and top layer concrete containers 201, each comprising a hopper 205 a funnel 210 and a basket 235. The upper hoppers 205 are filled with the concrete for the corresponding upper and lower layers of the claddings. A gate between the basket and funnel 210 opens and discharges a prescribed quota to the basket 235 for filling the cladding mould (see element 220 in FIG. 3) with the base/bottom or upper layer concrete. The cladding mould 220 is placed on a production board 225, which is placed on a vibrating table (see element 230 in FIG. 3), and the concrete is discharged from the basket 235 into the mould. The basket 235 returns to its initial place for another cycle for refilling and discharging. Then the gate opens between the funnel 210 and basket 235 of the concrete for pouring the upper or top layer concrete for the upper layer. After the top layer concrete basket 235 is filled with a selected quota, it travels to a point above the mould 220 and discharges the concrete into the mould. It then travels back for the next cycle. A vibrator 230a in the vibrating table (see element 230 in FIG. 3), vibrates the work table to condense the concrete of the base and top layer after filling the mould with the concrete of any of these layers. A tamper head (see element 215 in FIG. 3) lowers down on the mould and closes it. The mould moves up and returns to the work table, leaving the concrete claddings on the board that is moved by a conveyor and handling system to the curing chambers. A color spraying apparatus 100 is introduced into the cladding manufacturing machine 200 and attached to the basket of the top layer of the claddings as schematically illustrated in FIG. 3. An example of a spray coloring apparatus is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2. Such apparatus 100 comprises color spraying guns 140 attached to the basket 235 that discharges the concrete of the upper layer of the claddings; color pumps 125 for pumping fluid phase color mass to the guns; a pipe 125a for channelling the fluid color to the guns; color buckets 110 for containing the fluid phase color masses; compressed air pump and pipe 130 that connects to the color guns for generating color spray; and air pressure controlled and regulated valves for spraying the color mass off of the color spraying guns. Auxiliary compressed air pumps and pipes 105 may be provided for further controlling the intensity and color droplet size, which are shot from the color spraying guns. A part of the coloring system is connected to the basket and moves with it, namely the spray guns, valves, intermediate pressure vessels for color and air, and electric connectors and cables. All the rest stays by the machine and connected with hoses and electric cables. The vibrator and vibrating table of the cladding manufacturing machine are further used to vibrate the concrete mass in the mould and embed the pigment particles of the color mass in the upper layer of the concrete. The size ratio of the pigment particles and particles of the cement is 1:10, so that upon vibration the pigment particles adhere to the cement particles inside the upper layer of the concrete and provide a lasting coloring of the top surface of the cladding.

[0047] The color spraying apparatus may further comprise a mixer 120 for mixing the color in the buckets 110 to maintain a homogeneous fluid phase color. Further, the color spraying apparatus may also comprise back pipes for returning color mass from the guns to the containers, for example color residues or over flown amount of mass and for creating a continuous homogenization of the color mix. The mixer 120 may be any type of mixer for mixing fluids, e.g. mechanical mixer, electric mixer, pneumatic mixer and magnetic mixer.

[0048] The spraying of color may wish to achieve a selected design or pattern on the top surface of the upper layer of the claddings. Therefore, the color spraying apparatus may further comprise a control system, i.e., control operating unit, that controls and synchronizes the speed of the basket for the upper layer, activation, initiation and termination of color spray for every color spraying gun, timing of color spraying and coordinating with forward and backward movement of the basket of the concrete of the upper layer and color droplet size, which is controlled by the air pumps. The control operation unit may be a controller or a computer processing unit interfacing a machine control.

[0049] FIGS. 3 through 6 schematically illustrate the major steps of spraying color on the top surface of claddings in an integrated machine that comprises the cladding manufacturing machine and color spraying apparatus. In FIG. 3, the hopper 205 of the upper layer of the claddings pours a prescribed quota of concrete into the basket 235 through the funnel 210. The basket then travels until positioned over the mould 220 and pours the concrete as FIG. 4 shows. In this step, the color spraying apparatus including the color guns are inactive. Upon retreating of the basket 235 to its initial, starting position, the color spraying apparatus initiates a color spraying session on the top surface of the upper layer of the claddings. In both steps, the tamper head 215 that presses the concrete in the mould into defined claddings is lifted off of the mould to enable the pouring of the concrete and the spraying of color. FIG. 5 schematically illustrates the color spraying over the concrete in the mould 220 with the color spraying guns 140 as the basket 235 travels back and exposes the top surface of the concrete in the mould. In this step, the color pumps 125 pump a quota of fluid phase mass of color from the color bucket 110 and stream it through color channels 125a. Simultaneously with the pumping of color to the color spraying guns, compressed air is driven with an air pump through pipe 130. The fluid phase color and condensed air meet at the outlet of the color spraying guns, where the exits ends of their corresponding pipes, 125a and 130, coincide. As a result, the condensed air introduces into the fluid phase color at high velocity and breaks the continuous fluid phase into small droplets. Air pressure controlled and regulated valves for spraying the color mass off of the color spraying guns enable shooting the droplets down on the top surface of the claddings. Thus the simultaneous release of fluid phase color and air in high velocity breaks the color fluid mass and generates a spraying effect of the color.

[0050] To further control the spraying of the color, particularly the size of the color droplets and intensity of spraying, auxiliary compressed air pumps and pipes 105 attach to color spraying guns and stream supplemental condensed air to the guns outlet. This further reduces the size of the fluid color droplets and increases the velocity of color spraying. The additional supplemental condensed air provides further control on the spraying process and droplet size, thus drawing finer patterns and designs on the top surface of the claddings.

[0051] After the color spraying is completed, the tamper head moves down on the mould and the vibrator 230a vibrates the vibrating table 230 that vibrates the production table 225 of the cladding manufacturing machine to condense the concrete in the mould 220. Such vibration causes the solid particles of the sprayed color to penetrate into the top layer of the claddings. The penetration of the color particles depends on different parameters such as the intensity of vibration and density of the concrete of the top layer, but usually shallow level penetration of about a few millimetres is sufficient for strong adherence of the color particles to the particles of the cement. Such improved adherence makes the colors and patterns on the top surface of the claddings more resistant to destructive processes such as abrasion, wear, erosion, UV radiation and washing with aqueous and non-aqueous fluids. At the same time, the colors and patterns remain visible with lively long term appearance and a complete pattern.

[0052] The manufacturing of the colored claddings is completed with the tamper head 215 lowered down on the mould 220, pressing the claddings in the mould. FIG. 6 illustrates this last step as the tamper head 215 is down and the basket 235 of the top layer retreats to its starting position together with the color spraying guns 140. In this step the guns 140 are shut and remain inactive until the hopper of the top layer completes starts retreating to its starting point after pouring the concrete it contains into the mould.

[0053] The color spraying cycle may be controlled and monitored by a control operation unit, which may be a controller or a computer processing unit. Such control unit may be configured to control and monitor any one of the following operations simultaneously, sequentially or according to any pre-determined or pre-selected program: synchronize the spraying of colors with the travelling back of the basket 235 of the top layer; select the colors and color mix to be sprayed according to a selected pattern or design; control the timing of spraying by the color spraying guns of each of the selected colors and color mixes; control the pressure and number of air pumps active in the formation of the color spray, thus control the intensity and spread of the color on the top surface of the upper layer of the claddings; stir the mixer in the color bucket constantly or in any selected time intervals to maintain the fluid phase color mass homogeneous and the suspension stable without precipitates formed at the bottom of the bucket; and synchronize the color spraying with the operation schedule of the cladding manufacturing machine, particularly the initiation and retreat times of the basket of the upper layer of the claddings and its speed.

[0054] Accordingly, a user may program the control operation unit to select any particular preset program for color spraying the top surface of the claddings to obtain any design or pattern. Alternatively, the user may set the values of any one of the parameters that determine the operation of the color spraying apparatus, which is integrated in the cladding manufacturing machine to obtain any desired pattern or design on the top surface of the upper layer. These parameters may be defined according to the functions that the color spraying apparatus is configured to do and the control operation unit is configured to control.

[0055] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details set forth in the description contained herein or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and changes can be applied to the embodiments of the invention as hereinbefore described without departing from its scope, defined in and by the appended claims.