Method and apparatus for casting concrete products

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for casting concrete products by mold casting, where concrete mix is fed in a casting mold from a casting apparatus moved above the mold, and the concrete mix is vibrated with a vibrator assembly located at least partially in the area inside a nozzle of the casting apparatus, wherein the concrete mix is vibrated in the area inside the nozzle with the vibrator assembly performing only vertical vibrating motion.

Claims

1. A method for casting concrete products by mold casting, comprising: feeding concrete mix in a casting mold from a casting apparatus moved above the mold wherein the casting apparatus comprises a concrete mix container and a nozzle connected to a bottom of the concrete mix container, wherein an area inside the nozzle defines a casting duct, and vibrating the concrete mix with a vibrator assembly located at least partially in the area inside the nozzle of the casting apparatus, wherein the concrete mix is vibrated in the area inside the nozzle with the vibrator assembly performing only a vertical vibrating motion and vertical movement of concrete mix inside the nozzle is enhanced with protrusions located on an outer surface of the vibrator assembly in the area located inside the nozzle, or a surface of the vibrator assembly located inside the nozzle is formed serrated for enhancing downwards movement of concrete mix inside the nozzle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vertical vibrating motion has amplitude of 1-2 Hz, and stroke of 3-10 mm.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vertical vibrating motion has amplitude of 50-60 Hz, and stroke of 0.1-2 mm.

4. An apparatus for casting concrete products by mold casting, which apparatus is movable above a casting mold for feeding concrete mix in the casting mold, the apparatus comprising: a concrete mix container, a nozzle connected to a bottom of the concrete mix container, wherein an area inside the nozzle defines a casting duct, and a vibrator assembly located at least partially in the area inside the nozzle, wherein the vibrator assembly is adapted to perform only vertical vibrating motion and an outer surface of the vibrator assembly is equipped with protrusions in the area located inside the nozzle, or a surface of the vibrator assembly located inside the nozzle is formed serrated for enhancing downwards movement of concrete mix inside the nozzle.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the protrusions are located on the outer surface of the vibrator assembly asymmetrically around a horizontal cross-section of the vibrator assembly.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the vibrator assembly extends into an area of the concrete mix container, and has a widening cross-section at least in part of a length of the vibrator assembly located in the area of the concrete mix container.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the vibrating motion has amplitude of 1-2 Hz, and stroke of 3-10 mm.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the vibrating motion has amplitude of 50-60 Hz, and stroke of 0.1-2 mm.

9. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the vibrator assembly comprises a plurality of rotatable eccentrics, either separate or rotatably connected to each other, for obtaining the only vertical vibrating motion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) The invention, in its embodiments, is discussed in greater detail in the sense of example below and with reference to accompanying drawings, where

(2) FIG. 1 shows schematically an embodiment of a casting apparatus of the invention,

(3) FIGS. 2A and 2B show schematically an alternative embodiment of a casting apparatus of the invention,

(4) FIG. 3 shows schematically another alternative embodiment of a casting apparatus of the invention, and

(5) FIG. 4 shows schematically another alternative embodiment of a casting apparatus of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

(6) In the figures, concrete mix containers and related nozzles and other to these fixedly connected parts are shown in vertical cross-section in order to show the construction of the vibrator assemblies located partially inside the concrete mix containers and the nozzles.

(7) The casting apparatus 1 of the invention shown schematically in FIG. 1 comprises a concrete mix container 2, a nozzle 3 connected to the bottom of the concrete mix container and defining a casting duct of the casting apparatus, and a vibrator assembly 4. At the bottom area of the inner surface of the nozzle 3 is formed a protrusion 5 circling the nozzle and defining casting opening of the casting apparatus 1, against which protrusion the vibrator assembly 4 is lowered for preventing concrete mix to exit the nozzle when ending the casting process. At the bottom of the nozzle 3, circling the nozzle or the casting opening is connected a leveling plate 6, which is used to level the upper surface of the concrete product to be cast during casting process.

(8) The vibrator assembly 4 comprises vibrator shaft 7 extending vertically through the concrete mix container 2 and in the area inside the nozzle 3 for conveying vibration effect to the area inside the nozzle, and two vibrators 8, 8 for creating the vibration effect for the vibrator assembly. The two vibrators 8, 8 rotate their eccentrics in opposite rotation directions synchronously in order to provide only vertical vibrational effect. The vibrator shaft 7 have widened cross-section in the area inside the nozzle 3 in order to enhance the vibratory effect in the area inside the nozzle.

(9) FIGS. 2A and 2B show schematically an alternatively embodiment of a casting apparatus 1 of the invention, which is otherwise similar than the one disclosed in FIG. 1 with the exception of the construction of the vibrator shaft 7. FIG. 2A shows a similar side view of the casting apparatus 1 as FIG. 1, and FIG. 2 shows the vibrator shaft 7 from below inside the nozzle 3 without the protrusion 5 and the leveling plate 6.

(10) In the embodiment of FIGS. 2A and 2B, the vibrator shaft 7 is equipped with protrusions 9, 9, which are connected to the outer surface of the vibrator shaft 7 asymmetrically. These protrusions 9, 9 prevent concrete mix from forming a continuous compacted sleeve-like block against the inner surface of the nozzle 3. This prevention effect is further enhanced with the asymmetric placement of the protrusions 9, 9.

(11) FIG. 3 shows schematically another alternative embodiment of a casting apparatus 1 of the invention, which is otherwise similar than the ones disclosed in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2A and 2B with the exception of the construction of the vibrator shaft 7.

(12) In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the vibrator shaft 7 comprises a widened portion 10 located in the area inside the concrete mix container 2. This widened portion 10 enhances the feed of concrete mix to and through the nozzle 3 and the casting opening of the casting apparatus 1.

(13) FIG. 4 shows schematically yet another alternative embodiment of a casting apparatus 1 of the invention, which is otherwise similar than the one previously discussed with the exception of the construction of the vibrator shaft 7.

(14) In this embodiment, the surface of the vibrator shaft 7 located inside the nozzle 3 area is formed serrated. The serrated surface enhances the downwards movement of concrete mix inside the nozzle 3 due to the vertical vibrating movement of the vibrator shaft 7 and thus forces the concrete mix from the nozzle though casting opening to the casting mold.

(15) In relation to the features of vibrator shafts of the above discussed embodiments, it is to be noted that two or more of the disclosed features may be combined with each other. For example, a vibrator shaft can include the protrusions 9, 9 and the widened portion 10 with or without serrated sections.

(16) The specific exemplifying embodiments of the invention shown in the figures and discussed above should not be construed as limiting. A person skilled in the art can amend and modify the embodiments in many evident ways within the scope of the attached claims. Thus the invention is not limited merely to the embodiments described above.