EP0097213A1 - Method of making composite construction elements, plant for carrying out this method - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Method of making composite building elements forming for instant parallellepipedic blocks or parpens and of the type consisting in filling at least one mould (2) with at least two materials of differing compositions introduced successively into this mould so as to obtain after stripping a block with two layers or stratums of different materials, characterized in that before inserting a first material into the mould, one disposes across and inside of the moulding space a plate or the like (4) onto which this material falls so as to carry out the moulding of a layer of the block between this plate (4) and the open top portion (3) of the mould (2) and then the said plate is retracted from the inner moulding space to cause the said layer to move down through gravity to the bottom (2b) of the mould, whereupon another material is inserted into the remaining space (2a) of the mould to form another moulded layer between the upper portion of the first layer and the mould.

Description

The main subject of the present invention is a method for manufacturing composite building elements, as well as an installation for implementing this method.

It also relates to composite construction elements, for example in the form of parallelepipedic blocks or concrete blocks, obtained by this process and / or this installation.

Building blocks or concrete blocks made up of two layers or strata made of different materials have already been proposed in building, and which are produced with a mold into which two materials of different compositions are successively introduced so as to obtain after demoulding, a block with two layers of different materials.

However, the installations and processes proposed until now for manufacturing such building blocks remained artisanal, complicated and costly. In addition, due in particular to the artisanal nature of the manufacturing, the qualities of these building blocks were often variable from one block to the other, which, as we understand, is obviously detrimental to the quality of the construction that is carried out with such blocks.

The object of the present invention is to remedy the above drawbacks by proposing a method and an installation which allow a rational, rapid and inexpensive manufacture of composite blocks with several layers, which can be used for the construction of buildings or, more generally of any works.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a process for manufacturing composite building elements, having for example the form of parallelepipedic blocks or breeze blocks, and of the type consisting in filling at least one mold with at least two materials of compositions different successively introduced into this mold so as to obtain, after demolding, a block with at least two layers or strata of different materials, this process being characterized in that before introducing a first material into the mold, there is arranged across the '' molding space a plate or the like onto which this material falls so as to carry out the molding of a layer of the block between this plate and the open upper part of the mold, then said plate is retracted to lower said layer by gravity into the bottom of the mold, after which another material is introduced into the remaining space of the mold to form another molded layer between the upper part of the first layer and of the mold.

It is therefore already understood that the process of the invention makes it possible to perfectly master the manufacture of the block by separate molding, in a way, of the various layers of the block in the same mold, so that in total, the finished block, will always present excellent and invariable qualities from one block to another, which was not not the case with the artisanal processes of the prior art.

According to another characteristic of the process of the invention, the various layers to form the block are each leveled off at the open upper part of the mold under the effect of the displacement at this level of the containers containing the aforementioned materials.

In other words, the containers will not only play a role in filling the molds, but also a role in preparing and leveling the strata of the composite block.

It will also be added here that the demolding of the block will advantageously be carried out by lifting the mold and / or by lowering a support forming a removable bottom wall of the mold.

And, after demolding, this support will advantageously make it possible to transport a series of blocks to a suitable storage or subsequent treatment place, such as for example steaming.

The method of the invention is further characterized by the fact that each stratum is packed separately in the mold by vibrations imparted to the latter, and the molded block is pressed before demolding, to give it all the qualities of compactness desirable.

The invention also relates to an installation for carrying out the method meeting the above characteristics, this installation being of the type comprising at least one mold secured to a table as well as means for filling this mold with different materials, and being essentially characterized by a removable plate or the like arranged transversely in the interior space of the mold.

According to another characteristic of this installation, on the aforementioned table and on each side of the mold is arranged a container with a perforated bottom capable of sliding or sliding on said table.

It will also be added here that the aforementioned plate and containers are each actuable by a double-acting cylinder.

The installation of the invention is further characterized by the fact that the bottom of each mold is constituted by a removable support.

The table carrying the molds and / or the support forming the bottom of the molds are vertically movable by means of suitable systems such as jacks for example, this in order to allow the blocks to be removed from the mold and their subsequent transport on the aforementioned support.

The installation of the invention also comprises at least one device generating vibrations and associated with each mold, while a press is provided above the table and in line with the opening for filling the molds.

Of course, the invention also relates to composite construction elements with several layers, manufactured using the method or the installation defined above.

• La figure 1 est une vue schématique en élévation d'une installation de fabrication d'éléments de construction composites, conforme à l'invention.
• La figure 2 est une vue schématique et de dessus de l'installation montrée sur la figure 1 ; et
• La figure 3 illustre en perspective un bloc de construction composite fabriqué à l'aide de cette installation_o

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear better in the detailed description which follows and which refers to the appended drawings, given solely by way of example, and in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic elevational view of an installation for manufacturing composite building elements, according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a schematic top view of the installation shown in Figure 1; and
• Figure 3 illustrates in perspective a composite building block manufactured using this installation _o

According to an exemplary embodiment, and with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an installation according to the invention, for manufacturing composite building blocks, essentially comprises a tray or table 1 equipped with a plurality of molds such as 2, whose open upper part 3 is flush with the table 1. The molds 2 can be an integral part of the table 1 or else constitute removable elements embedded in the openings provided in said table 1. The molds 2 have a generally substantially parallelepiped shape, but could very well have any other form without departing from the scope of the invention.

Each mold 2 is equipped with a plate or the like 4 arranged transversely in the interior space of the mold 2, as can be seen in FIG. 1. The plate 4 can be actuated by any suitable means, such as for example a cylinder with double effect 5 of which the body has been shown in 6 and in 7 the rod connected in 8 to the plate 4, so that the latter can operate somewhat in the manner of a drawer capable of making or not a partition transverse to the inside the mold 2. For this purpose, there is obviously provided in at least one of the side walls of the mold 2 a light 9 allowing the guide and the sliding of the plate 4.

According to the example shown, the mold 2 has a removable bottom constituted by a support 10 allowing the evacuation of the building blocks after molding, as will be explained later.

On the table 1, and on either side of the opening 3 of the mold 2, a container or container 11, 12 is provided. The containers 11, 12 each contain a different material based on concrete and can slide by their bottoms 11a, 12a on table 1, as can be understood with reference to FIG. 1. These bottom walls 11a and 12a respectively comprise, and as best seen in FIG. 2, an opening 13, 14 whose dimensions correspond substantially to the open upper part 3 of the mold 2.

Each container 11, 12 can be actuated by a double-acting cylinder 15 which thus makes it possible either to push the containers above the open upper part 3 of the mold 2, or to move them away from part 3 of the mold, and this by sliding on the table 1, as will be explained later in detail about the operation.

There is shown schematically at 16 a device of the type known per se and which is associated with the mold 2 to make it undergo vibrations capable of packing the materials contained in said mold.

Under the table 1 are provided double-acting cylinders 17 whose rod 18 is fixed at 18a by any suitable means, on the underside of said table 1. These cylinders 17 allow the lifting of the table 1 and therefore of the molds 2 to produce demolding the blocks which thus rest on the support 10, which can also be fitted with jacks 19: the rod 20 of which is fixed at 21 on the underside of the support 10. Thus, to carry out the demolding, the table 1 can either be lifted using the jacks 17, either lower the support 10 using the jacks 19, or else act simultaneously on the two groups of jacks 17 and 19.

There is shown schematically at 22 a press arranged above the table 1 and in line with the filling opening 3 of the molds 2, said press making it possible to press the materials contained in the mold 2 at the end of the molding operation .

We will now explain the operation of the installation described above and which makes it possible to obtain composite building blocks with two or more strata, as identified at 31 and 32 in FIG. 3.

It will first be said that the tanks 11 and 12 are supplied by suitable means and not shown (hopper for example) with different construction materials. Thus one of the tanks, for example tank 11, may contain traditional concrete, and that the other tank 12 may contain a specific concrete, for example concrete lightened by suitable loads and such as for example expanded clay, glass beads or the like. The various operations leading to the manufacture of the composite block 30 with two layers 31 and 32, visible in FIG. 3, are then as follows.

The drawer or the plate 4 of the mold 2 is placed across the said mold using the jack 5, as can be seen in FIG. 1.

The tank 11 is pushed by the jack 15 above the opening 3 of the mold, so that its content pours through the opening 13 to fall on the plate or drawer 4 which, in this case, constitutes a bottom . Thus, the filling of the part 2a of the mold 2 can be carried out up to the level of its upper part 3, and, in doing so, the tray 11 is made to move back and forth using the jack 15 so as to level the concrete flush with the surface of the table 1. It will also be added here that the concrete in the compartment 2a of the mold can be, at this stage, compacted using the vibrating device 16.

The tank 11 is removed and takes the position visible in FIG. 1 so as to be filled again, and, by means of the jack 5, the drawer is opened by removing the plate 4, which lowers by gravity in the bottom part 2b of the mold, the molded concrete which was originally in the part 2a, and which will form the lower layer 32 of the block 30. It may still be useful at this stage to vibrate the mold 2 again to favor the compaction at the bottom of the mold. Then, the other tray 12 is brought above the mold and the same operations as those described above with respect to the tray 11, are carried out. In short, the material contained in the container 12 pours into the remaining molding space 2a, and this material is leveled back and forth from the container 12 on the table 1, so as to produce the upper layer 31 of the block 30.

The tank 12 being brought back to its starting point, the press 22 is then actuated to compact the two layers filling the mold 2, and this possibly using the vibrating device 16.

The press 22 is then raised and, for demolding, the table 1 is raised using the jacks 17, or the support 10 is lowered using the jacks 19, or else the lifting movements and d aforementioned lowering. This being done, the composite blocks 30 with two layers according to the example considered are placed on the support 10 which constitutes a sort of removable base for the mold 2, and the blocks 30 are evacuated to a storage place or directly to steaming. Then, a new support 10 is placed under the row of molds 2 so as to manufacture, as explained above, a new series of blocks.

Of course, the method of the invention makes it possible to produce blocks with more than two layers, without departing from the scope of the invention. Also, the control of the jacks 15, of the jacks 17 and 19, and even of the jack 6 can be automatic, all of these jacks being able to be synchronized so that the installation according to the invention can operate automatically. One could also imagine for certain elements of the installation. actuation systems other than double-acting cylinders. Finally, the press 22 can be controlled by any suitable means and the design, shape and dimensions of the tanks 11 and 12 and of the mold 2 can be any without departing from the scope of the invention.

It is therefore possible to manufacture, by the process and the installation of the invention, composite building blocks with several layers, at a high rate, a low production cost and a constant quality of the finished products.

Claims (11)

1. A method of manufacturing composite building elements forming, for example parallelepipedic blocks or breeze blocks and of the type consisting in filling at least one mold with at least two materials of different compositions introduced successively into this mold so as to obtain, after demolding, a block with two layers or strata of different materials, characterized in that before introducing a first material into the mold, a plate or the like (4) is placed across the molding space onto which this material falls so as to produce the molding of a layer of the block between this plate (4) and the open upper part (3) of the mold (2), then said plate is retracted to lower said layer by gravity into the bottom (2b) of the mold, this after whereby another material is introduced into the remaining space (2a) of the mold to form another molded layer between the upper part of the first layer and of the mold. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the aforementioned strata are respectively leveled at the open upper part (3) of the mold under the effect of the displacement at this level of the containers (11, 12) containing the aforementioned materials . 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the demolding of the block with several layers is carried out by lifting the mold (2) and / or by lowering a support (10) forming a removable bottom wall of the mold. 4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each stratum is packed separately in the mold by vibrations imparted to the mold, and the molded block is pressed before demolding. 5. Installation for implementing the method, according to one of claims 1 to 4 and of the type comprising at least one mold secured to a table as well as means for filling this mold with different materials, characterized by a removable plate or the like (4) arranged transversely in the interior space of the mold (2). 6. Installation according to claim 5, characterized in that on the aforementioned table and on each side of the mold (2) is disposed a container (11, 12) with a bottom (11a, 12a) perforated capable of sliding or sliding on said table. 7. Installation according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the plate (4) and the aforementioned containers (11, 12) are each actuable by a double-acting cylinder (6, 15). 8. Installation according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the bottom of each mold is constituted by a removable support (10). 9. Installation according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the table (1) and / or the support (10) forming the bottom of the molds (2) are vertically movable by means of suitable systems such as jacks for example (17, 19). 10. Installation according to one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that a device (16) generating vibrations is associated with each mold (2), while a press (22) is provided above the table (1) and to the right of the filling opening (3) of the molds (2). 11. Composite building elements, such as for example parallelepipedic blocks or concrete blocks, obtained using the method or the installation according to one of the preceding claims.

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