Abstract:
The present invention generally pertains to a locking pin system for installing a tamperhead into production machinery. The system may include at least one locking pin having a retaining groove which is mounted on the tamperhead. The system allows the tamperhead to move relative to the production machinery until the pin is locked with respect to the production machinery. The production machinery includes an opening which may be configured to receive the locking pin. During use, the pin may be inserted into the opening in the production machinery and the tamperhead may be moved into alignment. Once the tamperhead is aligned, the pin may be locked to prevent further movement of the tamperhead.

Description:
RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional Application No. 60/697,546, filed Jul. 11, 2005 and entitled “Apparatus and Method for a Self-Adjusting Tamperhead Locking System.” The foregoing application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.  
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention generally relates to concrete-based product making machinery. More particularly, the invention relates to systems and methods for attaching and aligning a tamperhead in concrete-based product making machinery.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Concrete masonry units are typically produced using a production machine and a mold assembly. Generally, the mold assembly includes a mold having mold cavities and a tamperhead, both of which must be installed and aligned in the production machinery. The production machinery may drive the tamperhead into the mold to strip formed and compacted concrete products from the mold cavities.  
         [0004]     The tamperhead may be composed of several sub-components which may include an upper head structure, a plunger and a stripper shoe. Multiple sets of stripper shoes and plungers may be connected to a single head structure and may be used to strip multiple masonry units from one or more molds or a set of concrete mold cavities. The plungers are commonly fabricated in structural shapes, depending on the shape and type of concrete units being formed. Plungers typically manufactured from a rigid material, such as steel, and are attached on one end to the head structure and on the other end to the stripper shoe. The plungers provide the structural load path to compress the concrete and strip the formed concrete product from the mold.  
         [0005]     Generally, a concrete production machine is used with different mold assemblies, each corresponding to a specific type of concrete product (for example, bricks, paving stones, etc.). During ordinary production conditions, the mold assemblies are changed out of production machinery two to four times per day. In order to maximize production time, it is desirable for the machine operators to minimize the amount of time spent changing the machinery.  
         [0006]     Some systems use a quick-change tamperhead to reduce the amount of time necessary for a change. These tamperheads utilize head locking pins which act to secure the tamperhead to the production machinery by interacting with locking ram forks of the production equipment. Typically, the forks are wedge-shaped and the pins are fabricated with a matching angle to accept the locking forks. When the forks are driven into the corresponding angle of the pins, usually using hydraulic means, the tamperhead is pulled tight against the machine compression beam.  
         [0007]     Unfortunately, this production machinery does not include alignment capabilities to adjust for any misalignments between the tamperhead and the mold when the tamperhead is changed. To insure proper alignment between the tamperhead and the mold, the bolts that fasten the locking pins are generally manually loosened during the installation process, allowing the tamperhead to shift about the locking pins while a machine operator aligns the tamperhead with the mold. Then, once the tamperhead and the mold are aligned, the bolts for the locking pins are retightened and the production machinery may then be operated.  
         [0008]     There are several drawbacks and disadvantages of this technique. For example, the operating conditions and workspace for accessing the locking pins and bolts may be unsafe. The mold assembly is installed in a severely space-constrained area in the vicinity of dangerously heavy moving parts. Thus, requiring an operator to access the pins and bolts may be a safety hazard to that operator.  
         [0009]     Additionally, despite the convenience offered by quick-locking pins, loosening and retightening the bolts for alignment is time consuming, thereby reducing the amount of time the machinery is available for the production of concrete products. As a result, some machine operators may use only the locking pins and forego the alignment process altogether which can result in damage to the equipment or substandard concrete products.  
         [0010]     However, unaligned mold assemblies may be subject to additional forces not seen during normal production. Therefore, when the alignment process is foregone, the mold and tamperhead may be subject to excessive wear and, in some cases, catastrophic failure. As such, the tamperhead and mold may need to be replaced and/or repaired more frequently than properly aligned machinery.  
         [0011]     Finally, even where the alignment process is used by an operator, human error may still result in the tamperhead being improperly installed. As the production machinery is operating, the tamperhead may release from the locking pin bolts and may crash down onto the mold cavities, damaging the mold assembly and the production machinery.  
         [0012]     Therefore, there exists a need for a tamperhead that may be quickly installed while still providing for the alignment of the tamperhead and the mold prior to use in the production of molded products.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     The invention generally relates to concrete-based product making machinery. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for a attaching and aligning a tamperhead in concrete-based product making machinery.  
         [0014]     In one embodiment, the present invention may include a system for aligning a tamperhead with a mold in production machinery. The system may comprise at least one pin movably held by the tamperhead and an opening in the production machinery associated with the at least one pin. The opening may be configured to receive the at least one pin and the tamperhead may be permitted to move relative to the at least one pin when the at least one pin is received by the opening, thereby allowing the tamperhead to be aligned with the mold.  
         [0015]     In another embodiment, the present invention may include a method for aligning a tamperhead with a mold in production machinery, the tamperhead having at least one movably held pin. The method may comprise the steps of inserting the at least one movably held pin into an opening in the production machinery and aligning the tamperhead with the mold by moving the tamperhead with respect to the at least one movably held pin. Additionally, the method may comprise the step of attaching the tamperhead to the production machinery after the tamperhead is aligned with the mold so that the tamperhead is prevented from further movement with respect to the at least one movably held pin.  
         [0016]     In another embodiment, the present invention may include a system for aligning a tamperhead with a mold in production machinery, the system comprising an upper head plate attached to a tamperhead, the upper head plate having a first side and a second side, an alignment pin located on the first side of said upper head plate and a screw attached to said alignment pin. Additionally, the system may include an alignment opening in the upper head plate configured to receive the screw, the alignment opening having a diameter larger than the screw such that the upper head plate is capable of moving relative to said screw and a machine head plate having an associated opening, the associated opening being configured to receive the alignment pin. Further, the upper head plate may be permitted to move relative to the screw and the machine head plate when the alignment pin is received by the alignment opening, thereby allowing alignment of the tamperhead with a mold.  
         [0017]     In another embodiment, the present invention may include a system for aligning a tamperhead with a mold in production machinery, the system comprising an upper head plate attached to a tamperhead, an alignment pin, an alignment plate attached to the alignment pin and a pair of opposing alignment shelves attached to the upper head plate. The alignment shelves may be configured to movably hold the alignment plate such that the upper head plate is capable of moving relative to the alignment plate. The system may also comprise a machine head plate having an associated opening, the associated opening being configured to receive the alignment pin wherein the upper head plate is permitted to move relative to the alignment plate and the machine head plate when the alignment pin is received by the alignment opening, thereby allowing alignment of the tamperhead with a mold.  
         [0018]     In another embodiment, the present invention may include a system for aligning a tamperhead with a mold in production machinery, the system comprising an upper head plate attached to a tamperhead, the upper head plate having an alignment position and a locking position, an alignment pin and an alignment plate attached to the alignment pin. The system may also comprise at least two lever arms pivotally attached to the upper head plate, each of the lever arms having a first end and a second end and a machine head plate having an associated opening, the associated opening being configured to receive the alignment pin, wherein when the upper head plate is in the alignment position, the first end of each of the lever arms protrudes through an opening in the upper head plate and the second end of each of said lever arms is configured to movably hold the alignment plate such that the upper head plate is capable of moving relative to the alignment plate and wherein when the upper head plate is in the locking position, the first end of each of the lever arms is engaged with the machine head plate and the second end of each of the lever arms forces the alignment plate to engage with the upper head plate such that the upper head plate is prevented from moving relative to the alignment plate.  
         [0019]     The present invention may include a self-adjusting tamperhead locking system comprising free-floating tamperhead locking pins. The free-floating pins may allow the tamperhead to shift relative to the locking pins and align with the mold cavities during installation, without the need to loosen and retighten the bolts of the locking pins. The system may be designed in such a way as to lock itself when the machine head locks are engaged.  
         [0020]     The self-adjusting tamperhead locking system and method of the present invention may assure correct adjustment of various tamperhead and mold combinations. During installation, the tamperhead and the mold may be engaged such that the stripper shoes of the tamperhead are placed within the mold cavities and inherently aligned. The system of the present invention may assure alignment by allowing the tamperhead to free-float relative to the locking pins until the machine head locks engage. Once engaged, the self-adjusting locking pins and the machine head locks may secure the tamperhead in the engaged position, with the stripper shoes placed within the mold cavities.  
         [0021]     The system and method of the present invention may allow machine operators to install or change out mold assemblies without adjustment of tamperhead locking pins, as required by previous production equipment. This may remove the possibility of human error during the alignment portion of the installation process. Additionally, it removes the risk associated with skipping the alignment during installation.  
         [0022]     Further, the system and method of the present invention may allow for reduced machinery change-out time and, thus, increased production time. Furthermore, the system and method may be completely compatible with existing production machinery that is equipped to work with the previous quick-change tamperheads and traditional locking pins.  
         [0023]     These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]     While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the present invention, it is believed the same will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, in a non-limiting fashion, the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention, and in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the Figures, wherein:  
         [0025]      FIG. 1  shows a mold assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of a tamperhead locking system according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows another side view of a tamperhead locking system according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  shows another side view of a tamperhead locking system according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  shows another side view of a tamperhead locking system according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  shows another side view of a tamperhead locking system according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 7  shows a side view of another tamperhead locking system according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0032]      FIG. 8  shows another side view of a tamperhead locking system according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 9  shows another side view of a tamperhead locking system according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0034]      FIG. 10  shows another side view of a tamperhead locking system according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 11  shows another side view of a tamperhead locking system according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0036]      FIG. 12  shows a side view of another tamperhead locking system according to one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0037]      FIG. 13  shows another side view of a tamperhead locking system according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 13 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 14  shows another side view of a tamperhead locking system according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIG. 13 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0039]     The present disclosure will now be described more fully with reference to the Figures in which various embodiments of the present invention are shown. The subject matter of this disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein.  
         [0040]      FIG. 1  shows a mold assembly  1  according to one embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the mold assembly  1  may include a tamperhead  5  and a mold  15 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the tamperhead  5  may include an upper plate  6  and a lower plate  7 . Additionally, the tamperhead  5  may include supports  8  to provide structural integrity and rigidity to the tamperhead  5 . A plurality of plungers  10  having stripper shoes  111  may be attached to the lower plate  7 . The stripper shoes  11  may be adapted to substantially fill corresponding mold cavities (not shown) in the mold  15  to produce the concrete products, as discussed above.  
         [0041]     While a tamperhead  5  having an upper plate  6 , a lower plate  7 , supports  8  and a plurality of plungers  10  and stripper shoes  11  is shown in  FIG. 1 , it is contemplated that the present invention may be used with any tamperhead to be used in production machinery for producing molded products. This may include, but is not limited to, tamperheads having a single upper plate and tamperheads having any number of plungers and stripper shoes. Further, it should be noted that the mold  15  may include any number of mold cavities (not shown) of any shape and size, depending on the type of molded product which is to be produced.  
         [0042]     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , locking pins  9  may be attached to the tamperhead  5  and configured to interact with the compression beam (not shown) of the production machinery (not shown). These pins  9  may be used for attachment of the tamperhead  5  to the production machinery, as well as for alignment of the tamperhead  5  with a mold  15 , as discussed in detail below. While  FIG. 1  illustrates the use of two locking pins  9 , it should be understood that any number of locking pins  9  may be employed according to the present invention without deviating from the scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, some smaller tamperheads may require only one locking pin  9  while larger tamperheads may require many more. Additionally, a manufacturer or operator of the machinery may desire to use any number of locking pins  9 , depending on the desired strength and flexibility of the attachment of the tamperhead to the production machinery.  
         [0043]      FIGS. 2-6  show a side view of a tamperhead locking system  100  according to one embodiment of the present invention. The figures illustrate a locking system  100  which may be used with each locking pin  9  illustrated in, and discussed with reference to,  FIG. 1 . The locking pin  9  may include a retaining groove  121  and, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , may be used for attaching a tamperhead to production machinery. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 2-6 , the pin  9  may be connected to the upper plate  110  of a tamperhead. In alternative embodiments, the pin  9  may be attached to any portion of the tamperhead, depending on the type and structure of the tamperhead being used and the location of the attachment between the tamperhead and the production machinery.  
         [0044]     The locking pin  9  discussed above may be used in conjunction with a machine head plate  140  having an opening  141 . The machine head plate  140  may be a part of the production machinery (not shown) to which a tamperhead is to be attached. The production machinery may also include a ram fork  130  (as discussed above) which may move horizontally to engage with groove  121  of pin  9  to secure the tamperhead. As an alternative to the use of a ram fork  130 , the production machinery may employ any known means for attaching to the pin  9  including, but not limited to, hooks, suction, bolts, pins and other means for connecting two machine pieces known to those of skill in the art.  
         [0045]     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 2-6 , pin  9  may be attached to the upper plate  110  of a tamperhead using screws  124 , nuts  123  and a washer  122 . However, it is contemplated that any type of connection may be employed to connect pin  9  to the tamperhead as long as the functionality of this embodiment of the present invention is retained. It should be noted that screws  124  may be received by holes in the upper plate  110  which may be slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the screws  124 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . This may permit pin  9  to move horizontally with respect to the upper plate  110  during attachment and alignment of a tamperhead in the production machinery.  
         [0046]     During attachment and alignment of a tamperhead according to this embodiment of the present invention, pin  9  may be initially inserted into the machine head opening  141 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . When pin  9  is inserted, the upper plate  110  may engage the machine head plate  140  so that the two are substantially abutted. Once pin  9  is fully inserted into the machine head plate  140 , the retaining groove  121  may be in a position to receive the ram fork  130 .  
         [0047]     The initial engagement between the upper plate  110  and the machine head plate  140  is illustrated as detail X 1  in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 4  shows a close-up view of detail X 1  to illustrate the engagement between the plates  110  and  140  before ram fork  130  is moved into the locking position. It should be noted that the bottom of pin  9  may rest on the top surface of the upper plate  100 . Additionally, because ram fork  130  is not yet engaged with groove  121 , and plates  110  and  140  are not forced together using any vertical force, plate  110  may be allowed to move freely in the horizontal directions due to the larger diameter of the hole which receives screw  124 . Further, it should be noted that, due to the fact that plates  110  and  140  are not fully engaged, a gap  150  may be present between the washer  122  and the bottom side of plate  110 .  
         [0048]     Permitting the insertion of pin  9  into opening  141  while still allowing for horizontal movement of upper plate  110  with respect to machine head plate  140  may permit the tamperhead to automatically align itself with a mold cavity during installation of the tamperhead into production machinery. After pin  9  is inserted into opening  141  and before ram fork  130  is engaged with groove  121 , the plungers of the tamperhead may be placed in corresponding mold cavities located below the tamperhead (not shown) in the production machinery. If the initial insertion of pin  9  into opening  141  does not align the plungers with the cavities, the upper plate  110  of the tamperhead may be shifted horizontally about the screws  124  until the plungers are aligned with the mold cavities. This shifting may be done manually by an operator or may occur automatically when the mold cavities force the plungers to move horizontally. Alternatively, the plungers may initially be placed in the mold cavities and the production machinery may be lowered onto the pins. These alignment processes permit the tamperhead to move into alignment with the mold cavities until the ram fork  130  is engaged with groove  121 , as discussed below.  
         [0049]     Once alignment of the tamperhead with the mold is complete, the ram fork  130  may engage with groove  121 . Because groove  121  and ram fork  130  include angled edges, the movement of the ram fork  130  horizontally may cause pin  9  to lift, as shown in  FIG. 5 . When pin  9  is lifted in this manner, a vertical force may be exerted on washer  122 , thereby causing washer  122  to exert a force against the bottom surface of plate  110 . The friction between washer  122  and plate  110  caused by the force may effectively lock plate  110  against machine head  140 , preventing further horizontal movement of the tamperhead.  
         [0050]     The locking is illustrated as detail Y 1  in  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 6  shows a close-up view of detail Y 1  to better illustrate the engagement between plates  110  and  140  after movement of the ram fork  130  into the locking position. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , gap  150  may no longer exist and, instead, a gap  160  may be formed between the top surface of plate  110  and the bottom of pin  9  due to the upward forces exerted on pin  9  by ram fork  130 .  
         [0051]      FIGS. 7-11  show a side view of a tamperhead locking system  200  according to another embodiment of the present invention. As with the above embodiments, the system  200  may be used with each locking pin of a tamperhead. As shown in  FIGS. 7-11 , a locking pin  220  may include a retaining groove  223  and may be connected to the upper plate  210  of a tamperhead.  
         [0052]     As with previously discussed embodiments, the embodiment of the present invention shown in  FIGS. 7-11  may be used in conjunction with a machine head plate  240  having an opening  241  which may be a part of the production machinery (not shown) to which the tamperhead is to be attached. The production machinery may also include a ram fork  230  which may move horizontally to engage with groove  223  of pin  220  to secure the tamperhead, as discussed above.  
         [0053]     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 7-11 , pin  9  may be attached to a pin plate assembly  221  using any conventional means for secured including, but not limited to, screws, bolts, adhesive and welding. The pin plate assembly  221  may be attached to the upper plate  210  of a tamperhead using retaining shelves  211  which may movably hold the pin plate assembly  221  without detaching from shelves  211 , as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . As such, pin plate assembly  221  and pin  220  may be permitted to move within the shelves  211  due to the clearance between plate assembly  221  and shelves  211 . Pin plate assembly  221  may include rubber pads  222  attached between the upper surface of the pin plate assembly  221  and the lower surface of the upper head plate  210 . While rubber pads are illustrated in  FIGS. 7-11 , it is contemplated that any material with a sufficient coefficient of friction may be used, as long as the functionality of the present invention is retained.  
         [0054]     During attachment and alignment of a tamperhead according to the present invention, pin  220  may initially be inserted into the machine head opening  241 , as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . After insertion of pin  220 , plate  240  may engage plate  210  so that the two are substantially abutted. Once pin  220  is fully inserted into plate  240 , retaining groove  223  may be in a position to receive ram fork  230 .  
         [0055]     The initial engagement between plate  210  and plate  240  is illustrated as detail X 2  in  FIG. 8 .  FIG. 9  shows a close-up view of detail X 2  to illustrate the engagement between plates  210  and  240  before ram fork  230  is moved into the locking position. It should be noted that the bottom of pin plate assembly  221  may rest on top of the retaining shelves  211 . Because ram fork  230  is not yet engaged with groove  223 , and plates  210  and  240  are not forced together using any substantial vertical force, plate  210  may be allowed to move freely in the horizontal direction. Because of this attachment, the tamperhead may be permitted to “float,” permitting alignment of the tamperhead with a mold. Further, it should be noted that, due to the fact that pin plate assembly  221  is resting on retaining shelves  211 , a gap  250  may be present between rubber pads  222  and the bottom side of plate  210 .  
         [0056]     By permitting the insertion of pin  220  into opening  241  while still allowing for horizontal movement of plate  210  with respect to plate  240 , the tamperhead may automatically align itself with a mold cavity during installation of a tamperhead into production equipment. The alignment process used may be a similar process to those discussed above with respect to  FIGS. 2-6 .  
         [0057]     Once alignment of the tamperhead with the mold is complete, ram fork  230  may engage with groove  223 , lifting pin  220  as shown in  FIG. 10 . When pin  220  is lifted in this manner, a vertical force may be exerted on pin plate assembly  221 , thereby pulling pin plate assembly  221  toward plate  240  and causing rubber pads  222  to exert a force against the bottom of plate  210 . The upwards force on pin plate assembly  221  and the friction between rubber pads  222  and plate  210  caused by this force may serve to effectively lock plate  210  with respect to pin  220 , preventing further horizontal movement of the tamperhead with respect to plate  240 . As such, the weight of the tamperhead is effectively rested on rubber pads  222 . This is illustrated as detail Y 2 .  FIG. 11  shows a close-up view of detail Y 2  to better illustrate the engagement between plates  210  and  240  after movement of ram fork  230  into the locking position. As illustrated in  FIG. 11 , gap  250  may no longer exist and, instead, gaps  260  and  270  may be formed due to the upward forces exerted on pin  220  by ram fork  230 .  
         [0058]      FIGS. 12-14  show a side view of a tamperhead locking system  300  according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. The system  300  may include a locking pin  320  having a retaining groove  321  attached to a floating plate  322 . Similar to the embodiments of the present invention discussed above, pin  320  may be used in conjunction with a machine head plate  340  of a production machine may include an opening  341  for receiving locking pin  320 . Additionally, the production machine may include a ram fork  330  for engaging with groove  321 .  
         [0059]     The floating plate  322  may rest on adjustment bolts  353  which may be held in place by locking nuts  352 . The bolts  353  may be attached to, and be movable by, locking arms  351  which may also be attached to an upper head plate  310 . As illustrated in the figures, locking arms  351  may rotate about fulcrums  350 . Fulcrums  350  may include springs or a similar device which bias arms  351  so that, as shown in  FIG. 12 , the upper portion of arms  351  appear through holes in plate  310  prior to attachment of the tamperhead to the production machinery. It should be understood that the number and position of the bolts  353 , locking arms  351  and fulcrums  350  are not intended to be limiting and the number and position of the bolts  353 , arms  351  and fulcrums  350  may be changed without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.  
         [0060]     It should be noted that the diameter of the hole in upper head plate  310  may be slightly larger than the diameter of pin  320  and arms  351  may movably hold plate  322 , thus allowing pin  320  and plate  322  to move with respect to plate  310 . Thus, the tamperhead may be aligned by aligning the top of pin  320  with opening  341  while plate  310  is permitted to move relative to pin  320  and plate  322 . As illustrated in  FIG. 12 , this alignment may occur prior to the engagement of locking arms  351  with plate  340 . By permitting the insertion of pin  320  into opening  341  while still allowing for movement of plate  310  with respect to plate  340 , the tamperhead may automatically align itself with a mold cavity during installation of a tamperhead into production equipment, as discussed above with respect to  FIGS. 2-6 .  
         [0061]     Floating plate  322 , and thus pin  320  and plate  322 , may be free to move relative to plate  310  until plates  310  and  340  begin to engage. As shown in  FIG. 13 , as the plates are moved closer to one another arms  351  may begin to engage with the bottom of plate  340 , forcing them to rotate about fulcrums  350 . By rotating arms  351  about fulcrums  350 , arms  351  may move plate  322  towards plate  310 . To ensure that plate  322  engages with plate  310 , bolts  353  and nuts  352  may be used to adjust the height of plate  322  as it is moved upwards by arms  351 .  
         [0062]     Thus, once alignment of the tamperhead with the mold is complete and plates  310  and  340  are substantially abutted, the tamperhead may no longer be capable of moving horizontally because plate  322  is engaged with plate  310  due to the exertion of vertical forces by arms  351 . At this point, ram fork  330  may engage with groove  321  to secure the tamperhead to the production machinery, as shown in  FIG. 14 .  
         [0063]     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. While the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention, various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use are also possible. The scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto, and by their equivalents.