Equipment for concreting and moulding gutters

Abstract

A device for concreting and molding gutters includes runners configured to slide over ground. A mold forms the concavity of a gutter and a hopper, with a closure for pouring of concrete into a trench previously excavated in a form of the gutter. The runners have an extendable, rear extension configured to be raised and lowered by a hydraulic cylinder, with the runners further including sides. The sides forming lateral parts of a concreting hopper and a means of attachment for vibrators for vibrating the concrete. The mold includes a structure for attachment to the sides of the runners and to an arm of a backhoe or tow machine, with the mold structure complemented by plates, attached using hinges to the structure of the mold and using pipe turnbuckles, enabling variation of inclination of the mold.

Claims

1. A device for concreting and moulding gutters, the device comprising: a first runner coupled to a first rotatable extension, a first raised front portion, and a first side portion, and the first rotatable extension is coupled to a first hydraulic cylinder that is configured to rotate the first extension with respect to the first runner; a second runner coupled to a second rotatable extension, a second raised front portion, and a second side portion, and the second rotatable extension is coupled to a second hydraulic cylinder that is configured to rotate the second extension with respect to the second runner, wherein the first runner and the second runner are each slidable over ground; and a mould coupled to the first runner and the second runner, the mould comprising: a gutter mould including a fixed plate and a moveable plate, the fixed plate coupled to the first side portion and the second side portion, and the moveable plate is coupled to a third hydraulic cylinder, wherein the movable plate is coupled with elastic skirting on a lower edge, and the elastic skirting is configured to adapt to irregularities of an excavated trench through which the device slides; and a hopper including a closure for pouring of concrete into an excavated trench in a form of the gutter mould, wherein the closure is formed by the fixed plate and the movable plate, and the third hydraulic cylinder raises and lowers the movable plate; wherein the mould is configured to couple to arms of a backhoe or tow machine.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first side portion is configured to vary inclination with respect to the first runner, the second side portion is configured to vary inclination with respect to the second runner, and the first side portion and the second side portion are each configured to attach to hydraulic vibrators.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) To complement the description to be given below and to aid better understanding of the features of the invention, in accordance with a preferred practical embodiment, and as an integral part of said description, a set of illustrative, non-limiting drawings is provided:

(2) FIG. 1Shows an top plan view of the equipment for concreting and moulding gutters in situ, embodied in accordance with the purpose of the invention.

(3) FIG. 2Shows a bottom plan view of the same equipment as represented in the previous figure.

(4) FIG. 3Shows a side elevation view of said equipment.

(5) FIGS. 4 and 5Show front and rear views of the equipment represented in the previous figures.

(6) FIG. 6Shows a side view of a runner with the rear extension in the raised position.

(7) FIG. 7Shows a side view of the hopper closure that constitutes a part of the equipment for concreting and moulding gutters which is the subject matter of this invention.

(8) FIGS. 8 and 9Finally, show side and front elevation views of the equipment in towing operation, forming a gutter.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(9) As shown in the aforementioned figures, the equipment of this invention comprises three differentiated, removable parts, with one of the parts being the lateral runners (1) for sliding the equipment over the ground; the second part being the mould (2) to form the gutter itself; and the third part being the concreting hopper (3), equipped with a closure (4), the characteristics of which are explained below.

(10) Each runner (1) is manufactured in steel with the raised front or attack part (5) enabling perfect sliding, while the rear part includes a longitudinal extension (l) driven by a hydraulic cylinder (6) in order to increase or decrease the length of the runner (1) itself FIG. 6 shows the extension (l) in the raised position, by revolving around a rotary shaft (7) between the runner (1) and said extension (l).

(11) Furthermore, each runner (1) is equipped with a side (8) to facilitate attachment of the corresponding mould (2), at the same time as forming the side of the concreting hopper (3), serving also as an attachment for a vibrating element (9).

(12) The side (8) is connected to the runner (1) using hinges and a set of hydraulic cylinders enabling variation of the inclination of the former. FIGS. 4 and 5 show the hydraulic cylinders (10) and hinges (11) between the runner (1) and its side (8).

(13) The mould (2) is constituted of a steel plate with the shape and dimensions of the gutter to be moulded, comprising a structure (12) for attachment to the corresponding runners (1) and to the arm of the backhoe (detailed in a later section), the structure (12) of which also forms the rear wall of the hopper (3) through which concrete is poured.

(14) In addition to this structure (12), the mould comprises a set of steel plates with the exact shape of the gutter, welded to said structure (12), with thinner plate extensions (13) also attached to said structure (12) of the mould using pipe turnbuckles (14), enabling variation of the final inclination of the plane.

(15) FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 clearly show the structure of the mould to form the gutter.

(16) Said structure comprises a set of steel plates; one fixed (15), screwed to the respective side (8) of the runners (1) as a hopper closure and another movable plate (16) which is able to raise and lower driven by a hydraulic cylinder (17), as shown in FIG. 7. This cylinder (17) is double acting to enable it to raise and lower the movable plate (16), so opening and closing the hopper to allow the passage of concrete into the gutter trench.

(17) The movable plate (16), with the shape of the gutter on its bottom part, is equipped with a type of elastic skirting (18), approximately 5 cm in height, designed to adapt to the irregularities of the trench during sliding of the equipment through said trench while forming the gutter.

(18) FIGS. 8 and 9 show the equipment in towing operation using chains, rigid steel struts (19) or any specific mechanical coupling device. As shown, the concrete (20) is poured into the excavated trench, referenced by (21). This progressively forms the gutter profile (22) through the forward movement of the mould (2), which is logically carried out via the aforementioned towing of the equipment assembly.