Patent ID: 7311865
Filing Date: 2007-12-25
Classification: B28B,B30B

Abstract:
1. A method for producing a compressed earth block, the method comprising: (a) providing a compression chamber with an elongated bore having an open outlet end; (b) introducing into the bore of the compression chamber an amount of uncompressed earth; then (c) forcing the uncompressed earth toward the outlet end, which is blocked by previously compressed lifts of earth, against which the uncompressed earth is compressed into a new lift within the compression chamber; and (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) to provide a plurality of lifts compressed together within the compression chamber into a continuous length of compressed earth; (e) separating an outer end portion from the continuous length to define a compressed block; and wherein step (e) comprises mounting a shearing station in alignment with the outlet end of the compression chamber and pushing the outer end portion of the continuous length from the compression chamber into the shearing station; and when the outer end portion of the continuous length protrudes out the open outlet end of the compression chamber by an amount equal to desired length of the block and into the shearing station, moving the shearing station transverse to the bore of the compression chamber then back again into alignment with the compression chamber while the outer end portion is in the shearing station to fracture the outer end portion from the continuous length.