Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ROUGHING SURFACES
OF CONCRETE CASTED BLOCKS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
(0001 The present invention relates to casted concrete
block manufacturing and, more particularly, to an apparatus
and method for roughing blocks to give them a worn or rough
appearance.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
~0002~ The concrete block casting industry is well
developed and is highly automated in its process operations
for manufacturing conventional rectangular concrete blocks
and the like. The casted blocks have a geometrically
uniform rectangular prism configuration in which the
surfaces thereof are substantially planar with adjacent
surfaces delimited by sharp edges.
~o003~ It has been known to treat the concrete blocks
in order to get a more natural rough look. As authentic
stone blocks are known to have rounded edges and irregular
shaped surfaces, systems have been provided in order to
produce such effect on casted concrete blocks. However, the
equipment used in order to treat these blocks has been
incompatible with the fully automated handling equipment
used in the other operations of the concrete block producing
process. Substantial amount of manual labor and high costs
are inherent with the presently used block roughing systems.
~00o4~ For instance, a known method consists in
disposing the casted blocks in large tumbling drums. These
tumbling drums are rotated about their longitudinal axis in
order for the concrete blocks to tumble therein and to
collide in order to get damaged. This method, although
producing a generally satisfying look, entails substantial
costs due to unrepairable damages to concrete blocks. Some
blocks are damaged to a point where they may no longer be
used and are thus thrown away or recycled. Also, some
concrete block patterns may contain blocks of different
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sizes and these must be sorted and assembled, which is very
time consuming. Also, if a particular one of the blocks in
pattern is destroyed more than other blocks, then often the
other blocks are no longer useful as a ratio of blocks must
be kept. By its nature, the tumbling drum requires frequent
repairs. Furthermore, the personnel used for these purposes
must deal with a noisy environment due to the tumbling
action, and injuries are frequent due to the hazardous
operations and handling required thereby. It is difficult
to maintain a stable labour force for this work.
~0005~ U.S. Patent No. 5, 133, 915, issued on July 28,
1992 to Metten et al., discloses a surface upon which a
plurality of concrete blocks are disposed in a spaced apart
relationship. A roller brush translates over the surface of
concrete blocks in a reciprocating manner, thereby stripping
and roughing the surface of the concrete blocks. Although
this method provides substantial advantages over the
tumbling drum method described above, it requires that the
concrete blocks are spaced apart in order for the sharp
edges thereof to be treated. Otherwise, only the top
surface would be abraded. Furthermore, the brush type
roller provides a relatively uniform abrasion of the
concrete blocks, which is not a desired result for use with
paving blocks. Finally, as the concrete blocks are spaced
apart, the brush can only strike them at a certain velocity
in order not to displace them. If they are displaced, they
may end up in abutment with one another, whereby only the
top surfaces will be abraded, leaving the sharp edges of the
block intact. These blocks are usually treated before the
concrete is cured. This patent could not provide the
desired result of producing an irregular roughened
appearance to concrete blocks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a feature of the present invention to
provide a concrete block roughing apparatus and method which
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substantially overcomes the disadvantages of the above
mentioned prior art.
According to the above features, from a broad
aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for
roughing at least one of surfaces and edges of concrete
casted blocks, comprising a block support surface having at
least two surface sections. A first of the surface sections
has at least a rear end thereof above an adjacent front end
of a second of the surface sections to create a ledge for
projecting a leading edge portion of concrete blocks
conveyed over the first surface section. A first roughing
device has a plurality of impacting elements thereon for
roughing concrete blocks. The first roughing device is
disposed generally above the rear end of the first surface
section for abrading a projecting leading edge portion of
each concrete block as they are conveyed over the rear end.
Conveying means displace the concrete blocks over the first
and second surface sections, the blocks being tilted when
reaching a predetermined position over the ledge to avoid
being abraded by the roughing device.
~00o8~ According to a further broad aspect of the
present invention, there is provided a method for roughing
portions of concrete casted blocks comprising the steps of
(i) providing a block support surface having at least a
section thereof inclined to create a ledge for projecting a
leading edge portion of concrete blocks conveyed over the
ledge by conveying means; (ii) providing at least a roughing
device having a plurality of impacting elements thereon and
disposed at a predetermined position above the ledge; and
(iii) impacting the leading edge portions of the concrete
blocks by the roughing device as they are projected over the
ledge by the conveying means, the blocks being tilted when
reaching a predetermined position over the ledge to avoid
being abraded by the roughing device.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(0009 A preferred embodiment of the present invention
as illustrated by examples thereof will now be described
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
(00o10~ Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for
roughing concrete blocks in accordance with the present
invention;
(00011 Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of
slanted support panels and a roughing tool in accordance
with the present invention;
(00012 Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of an
embodiment of the roughing tool; and
(00013 Fig. 4 is a simplified schematic top plan view
of a series of apparatuses for roughing concrete blocks.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
(00014 According to the drawings and, more particularly
to Fig. 1, an apparatus for roughing concrete blocks (i.e
bricks, paving stones, wall retaining blocks, masonry
stones) is generally shown at 10. The apparatus 10
comprises a table 11 having a top surface 12, a front end
13, a rear end 14 and lateral sides 15 and 16. The top
surface 12 is defined by rectangular panels 17, 18, 19 and
20. It is observed that the rectangular panel 17 is at the
front end 13 of the table 11, whereas the rectangular panel
20 is at the rear end 14 thereof.
(00015 The rectangular panels 17 and 18 are each
secured to the table 11 in a slanted or inclined position
with respect to the horizontal, such that each of the
rectangular panels 17 and 18 has its front side edge lower
than its rear side edge. Rectangular panel 19 is flat on
the table for reasons which will be described later.
Consequently, as seen in Fig. 1, a rear side edge 17R of the
rectangular panel 17 is vertically offset with respect to
adjacent front side edge 18F of the rectangular panel 18,
such as to be above it to create a ledge L. It is pointed
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out that there is a similar relation between the front side
and rear side edges of the rectangular panels 18 and 19. It
is also pointed out that the rectangular panel 20 is
substantially horizontal and in the plane with panel 19.
Its rear side edge 20R represents the rear end 14 of the
table 11. Also, the present invention is not restricted to
four rectangular panels as fewer or more rectangular panels
could form the table 11. Furthermore, the successive
rectangular panels being cascaded could each have been in a
horizontal position rather than in a slanted position, with
a decrease in vertical positioning from the front end 14 of
the table 11 to the rear end 15 thereof, such as to, again,
have a cascading relation between the rectangular panels.
~00016~ Support posts 25A and 25B project upwardly from
the lateral sides 15 and 16, respectively, of the table 11
on opposed sides of the junction of the rectangular panels
17 and 18. Similar support posts 26A and 26B, and 27A and
27B are upwardly extending at opposed sides of the junctions
of the rectangular panels 18 and 19, and of the rectangular
panels 19 and 20, respectively.
~oooi~~ Each of the support posts has at a top end
thereof a throughbore having a journal bearing therein (not
shown). The support posts 25A and 25B support a roughing
tool 30 through their journal bearings. The roughing tool
30 is comprised of a pair of disks 31A and 31B removably
linked by support bars 32. A drive shaft 33A is secured to
the disk 31A, whereas the other disk 31B is connected to an
idle and free to rotate shaft (not shown) journaled at the
top end of the support post 25A. A plurality of chain link
sections 34 are secured to the support bars 32, and are
comprised of at least two interconnected loop chain links.
The support bars 32 extend through an end loop of each chain
link section 34. By rotating the roughing tool 30 on its
longitudinal axis, the chain link sections 34 will impact
predetermined areas of concrete blocks C disposed on the
table 11, as will be described later. The roughing tool 30
is rotated by a motor Ml connected to the drive shaft 33A by
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a belt B1 and pulley P1 assembly. The motor M1 may consist
a variable speed electric motor.
~00018~ Generally identical roughing tools 40 and 50 are
journaled between the support posts 26A and 26B, and 27A and
27B, respectively. The roughing tools 40 and 50 comprise
the same elements as the roughing tool 30. Therefore, the
roughing tools 40 and 50 will not be described. However,
when referring to Fig. 1, like elements will be related by
having like last digits. For instance, the disks 31A and
31B for the roughing tool 30 are generally identical to the
disks 41A and 41B of the roughing tool 40. Similarly, the
disks 51A and 51B of the roughing tool 50 are generally
identical to the disks 31A of the 31B of the roughing tool
30. However, for clarity purposes, the motors and
belt/pulley assemblies driving the roughing tools 40 and 50
are not shown.
(00019 The slanted or inclined positioning of the
rectangular panels 17 and 18, whereby they are cascaded,
allows for given portions of the concrete blocks C disposed
on the top surface 12 of the table 11 to be exposed to the
chain link sections 34, 44 and 54 of the roughing tools 30
and 40, respectively, during their travel over the panels
and specifically over the ledges.
~00020~ As best seen in Fig. 2, the configuration of the
rectangular panel 17 with respect to panel 18 allows for
only an edge C' of a concrete block C to be exposed for
being impacted by the chain link sections 34 as they are
conveyed by the conveyor bars 65 over the ledge L. As a
bottom face of the concrete block C is projected over the
ledge L, the block will tilt down and fall on the
rectangular panel 18, and its top surface C" will avoid the
chain link sections 34. As the concrete block C further
advances on the table 11, contact with the chain link
sections 34 is still avoided until it is projected again on
the next ledge. The roughing tools 30, 40 and 50 may be
positioned strategically with respect to the table 11 in
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order for predetermined portions of the concrete blocks C to
be abraded.
(00021 Consequently, the slanted configuration of the
rectangular panels 17 and 18 allows for only the exposed
edge portions of the concrete blocks C to be roughened. In
the embodiment shown, three roughing tools are provided in
order to treat the concrete blocks C disposed thereon for
various effects. The roughing tool 30 is positioned to
strike the exposed edges C' of the concrete blocks C such as
to do a rough treating thereof and remove bigger chunks of
material. The roughing tool 40 is positioned such as to
treat the edges of the blocks C to a smoother finishing,
whereas the roughing tool 50 treats the top surface only of
the blocks C. As can be seen, plate 19 is flat and the
roughing tool 50 is positioned to abrade the top surface C"
of the blocks C.
~00022~ The roughing tools 30, 40 and 50 are driven by a
variable speed motor (not shown) and may thus be rotated to
various speeds in order to impact the concrete blocks C at
various forces. They can also be independently driven. As
seen in Fig. 3, a bolt B and nuts N have been added to an
end chain link of a chain link section 34 such as to provide
a random pattern on the concrete blocks C upon same being
struck.
(00023 Returning now to Fig. 1, the apparatus 10 is
provided with a conveyor 60 to displace the concrete blocks
C over the panels 17, 18, 19 and 20. The conveyor 60
comprises a pair of chain loops 61A and 61B adjacent the
lateral sides 15 and 16, respectively, of the table 11. The
chain loop 61A is operatingly held about a pair of sprockets
62F and 62R, with the sprocket 62R being driven by a motor
M2 and a belt B2 and pulley P2 assembly. The chain loop
61B, disposed about a sprocket 63F and the driven sprocket
63R is connected to an opposed end of an axle 64 upon which
is secured the sprocket 62R. The chain loops 61A and 61B
are linked by a plurality of bars 65 which are equidistantly
spaced. The bars 65 come in contact with the concrete
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blocks C disposed on the top surface 12 of the table 11 such
as to displace the concrete blocks C from the front end 13
to the rear end 14 thereof . It is noted that the motor M2
may be of various speeds in order to provide various
velocities to the blocks moving forward.
~00024~ As shown in the schematic representation of Fig.
4, a plurality of apparatuses or tables for roughing
concrete blocks in accordance with the present invention may
be provided in series in order to treat the various edge
surfaces and top surfaces of the concrete blocks C.
Concrete blocks C are initially loaded onto apparatus 10A
such as to have first lateral side edges thereof treated by
roughing tools 30A (rougher edge finish) and 40A (smoother
edge finish). For clarity purposes, elements of an
apparatus have been affixed a like letter (for instance,
roughing tool 30A of apparatus 10A). The concrete blocks C
are then transferred to a transfer table 100A, where a push
bar lOlA will load the concrete blocks C to apparatus 108.
It is pointed out that the front side edges of the concrete
blocks C will now be treated as a consequence of the
apparatus lOB being perpendicular to the apparatus 10A.
(00o25~ The concrete blocks C will then move onward to
the apparatuses lOC and 10D through the transfer tables 100B
and 100C, respectively, so as to be treated on all side
edges. A third roughing tool 50D is provided on the
apparatus lOD to treat the top surface of the concrete
blocks C. This operation only requires to be achieved once
as all side edges of the concrete blocks C share the same
top surface. The concrete blocks can be loaded on to a
stack of concrete blocks (not shown) by transfer table 100D
at an end of the series of apparatuses. It is observed that
a plurality of concrete blocks C are treated at a same time
on the series of apparatuses, whereby this configuration
advantageously allows for a continuous output of treated
concrete blocks.
(ooo2s~ The panels forming the block support surface of
the apparatuses may be solid. It has also been thought to
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provide a grid surface, as shown at G for one of the panels
of apparatus lOB in Fig. 4, so that concrete particles
resulting from the concrete blocks being treated fall
through the grid surface G to the floor, thereby not
accumulating on the top surface of the panels.
(00020 It is within the ambit of the present invention
to cover any obvious modifications of the embodiments
described herein, provided such modifications fall within
the scope of the appended claims.
