Arrangement for casting concrete products

The invention relates to an arrangement for casting concrete products, which comprises at least one central transfer wagon movable on a path on a center process line for moving the molds/mold tables from one work station for a process stage to another work station on a main level of the production process line, which work stations are located along the path of the central transfer wagon on at least at one side of the path of the center process line. At least one of the central transfer wagons of the arrangement comprises a lifting mechanism by which the molds/mold tables are liftable to at least one upper level.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to casting of concrete products. More precisely the present invention relates to an arrangement for casting concrete products.

In casting production processes the casting is performed in different stages at work stations and different types of lines are used, for example circulating lines such as forced circulation lines and center conveyance lines.

In forced circulation lines mold tables and molds built on them are transferred by a roll trestle in a successive order from one work station, in which a casting production process stage is performed, to next work station, in which next process stage is performed, and thus the process stage taking the longest time defines the speed of the forced circulation line.

In circulating lines mold tables, on which casting molds are built, are mounted on tracks and circulate through the work stations for the stages of the production process.

The center conveyance line comprises a central transfer wagon for moving the mold tables with molds built on them from one work station for a process stage to another work station. The work stations for process stages can be located on either side of path of the carriage or at either end of the path. The path for the central transfer wagon is typically formed by rails or guides.

The casting lines thus comprise of a plurality work stations between which the casting mold table is transferred for the different stages of the production process. The stages of the production process can comprise for example cleaning of the mold table, furnishing the mold table with fixed and detachable mold sidewalls to form the casting mold and setting of other required equipment, such as reinforcements etc., on the mold, casting of the concrete mass to the mold, together with required vibrating actions during the casting, leveling the upper surface of the product to be cast, curing the fresh cast product, demolding, in which the cast product is removed from the mold generally together with tilting of the mold and the mold sidewalls are removed from the mold table. Depending on the type of the production process line the line may comprise one or more work stations for one type of process stage. The number of work stations for each type of process stage is limited by the floor space available on the main level of the production process.

The casting of concrete mass into the mold can also be carried out in different stages if for example different layers need to be added to the product to be cast such as insulation layers in cases of insulated wall elements.

In the furnishing stage the required reinforcements, such as one or more metal meshes and lattice structures are added and fixed in the mold after the mold is built with mold sidewall on the mold table. These required reinforcements are generally prefabricated in a separate reinforcement shop and taken to the reinforcement work station of the line.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to create an arrangement for casting concrete products providing new possibilities for layout structure and production control.

An object of the present invention is to create an arrangement in which the limitations due to the floor space of the main level for the number of work stations for each type process stage is at least minimized.

In order to achieve the above objects and those that will come apparent later the arrangement according to the invention is mainly characterized in the claims.

Dependent claims present advantageous features and embodiments of the invention.

According to the invention the arrangement for casting concrete products comprises at least one central transfer wagon movable on a path for moving the molds/mold tables from one work station for a process stage to another work station on a main level of the production process line, which work stations are located along the path of the central transfer wagon on at least at one side of the path, advantageously on both sides of the path. At least one of the central transfer wagons comprises a lifting mechanism by which the mold can be lifted to an upper level, for example to a work station located above the main level of the production process line on. The upper level is advantageously located one floor above the main level. The work station can be in addition to a station used for process stage be also a station for storage or exchange etc. By this the space above the main level is utilizable for the production process, for example for furnishing the mold or for demolding or for other wise handling the concrete product under a production process or related stage; for example lifting, coating, floating, insulating etc.

In casting concrete products the mold is typically built on the mold table by fastening the side walls to the mold table and the forming the actual mold by movable walls on the mold table. In this description and claims the terms mold/mold table are used in connection with different process stages and transfers between the stages even though in some stages actually only the mold table is transferred as the mold has yet not been formed or it has already been demolded or in some stages the mold table is transferred with the mold and with the casted concrete product. It should also be noted that longitudinal and cross transfers may relate to the direction of the sides of the mold table but they may also be perpendicular in relation to the sides of the mold table.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention the central transfer wagon comprises longitudinal transfer mechanism and/or cross transfer mechanism by which the mold table is moved onto and from the central transfer wagon. Advantageously the longitudinal transfer mechanism and/or cross transfer mechanism are located on the lifting mechanism thus providing transfers of the mold table onto and from the central transfer wagon in addition to the main level on the upper level.

According to an advantageous feature of the invention the arrangement further comprises at least two process levels: main process level and at least one upper level, which upper level comprises at least one opening for passing through the mold table by the lifting mechanism of the central transfer wagon and locking means by which the mold table is fastened on the upper level and thus releasing the central transfer wagon for other transportation needs of the production process line, for example transfers of other molds on the main level, and safety means by which the safety of personnel is ensured.

According to another advantageous feature the safety means comprise guard rails and safety limits by which safety of working personnel is ensured.

According to another advantageous feature the arrangement comprises an intermediate level between the main level and the upper level for work stations.

By the invention several advantages are achieved. The central transfer wagon with the lifting mechanism decreases investment as local lifting devices and transfer devices are not needed. Furthermore flexibility of production control is increased, since the central transfer wagon with the lifting mechanism provides transfers of molds with the possibility of optionally select work stations. For example when compared to traditional center conveyance line with a carriage according to prior art space usage is more effective as the space above the main level can be utilized for production process work stations and stages of the production process for example number of work stations can be increased from ten to twenty as the extra ten stations can be located on the above level and only same floor space area is required on the main level.

The arrangement for casting concrete products according to the invention is utilizable in various ways.

For example when producing twin-shell slabs the central transfer wagon with the lifting mechanism lifts the mold table to a separate turning/tilting device and thus separate lifting means such as a crane is not needed and instead of prior art type of tilting devices with lifting and turning functions only a simple tilting means with turning function are needed as the central transfer wagon with the lifting mechanism delivers the mold stations to the turning/tilting station and takes care of lifts at the stations and further the transfers from the station to further processing. Advantageously the turning/tilting station is located at one of the ends of the center process line i.e. the path of the central transfer wagon.

For example in an arrangement for casting concrete products comprising more than one central transfer wagons the central transfer wagon with the lifting mechanism can be used to free one work station along the center process line when the mold table needs to be moved from one carriage to another. In this case the carriage lifts the mold table to an exchange station where the mold table is locked at its place and the carriage moves to next need and another carriage picks up the mold table. The exchange station is located at upper level, which might be an intermediate upper level between main level and the upper level with work stations, thus also upper level work stations are available for process stages. The intermediate upper level stations can also be used as curing stations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the example ofFIGS. 1A-1Cthe production process line is a center conveyance line with work stations24located on both longitudinal sides of the path of the central transfer wagon20in the center process line12. InFIG. 1Ais shown the part of the production process line located at the main level10seen from above and inFIG. 1Bis shown the production process line seen from side and inFIG. 1Cis shown the part of the production process line located at the upper level20. In this example the production process line comprises two levels but it can also comprise more levels.

The central transfer wagon20is movable on longitudinal path on the center process line12located centrally between on both sides of the path located work stations24. The work stations24are located on each side on a row with several work stations24next to each other. On either or on both sides of the center process line12there may be more than one row of work stations24. At either or at both ends of the center process line12a turning station26may be located. The central transfer wagon20is depending on the process stage provided with the mold table/the mold25. The central transfer wagon20comprises longitudinal transfer mechanism23, cross transfer mechanism22and lifting mechanism21. By the longitudinal transfer mechanism23the mold tables25are moved in and from the central transfer wagon20in longitudinal direction. By the cross transfer mechanism22the mold table (with or without the mold depending on the process stage)25is moved to a work station24or fetched from a work station24on either side of the center process line12as required by the process stage to be performed. By the lifting mechanism21the mold table25is lifted from the main process level10to an upper process level11or fetched from the upper process level11and returned to the main process level10.

As can be seen fromFIGS. 1B-1Cthe upper process level11comprises openings15through which the mold table25is moved to the upper level11. The mold table25may be attached at the opening15by a locking mechanism17for the process stage to be performed at this upper level work station24. Or it may be moved in cross direction by an upper level cross transfer mechanism27to a work station24on the upper level11located next to the opening15. At the opening15is located safety means, for example guard rails16by which the safety of personnel is ensured.

In the example ofFIG. 2the central transfer wagon20comprises a lifting mechanism21with an actuator29for lifting the mold table25to an upper level11from the main level10and for lowering the mold table25from the upper level11to the main level10onto the central transfer wagon20. In the central transfer wagon20the cross transfer mechanism22can be arranged on the top of the lifting mechanism21and thus no separate upper level lifting mechanism27is needed. The longitudinal transfer mechanism23can also be provided on the lifting mechanism21.

As shown in the example of the figures the arrangement for casting concrete products comprises a central transfer wagon20movable on a path of the center process line12for moving the molds/mold tables25from one work station24for a process stage to another work station24on a main level of the production process line, which work stations24are located along the path of the central transfer wagon20on at least at one side of the center process line12, advantageously on both sides. The central transfer wagon20comprises the lifting mechanism21with on actuator29by which the mold table25can be lifted to a work station24located in the upper level11above the main level10of the production process line, advantageously located one floor above the main level10.

The arrangement thus comprises at least two process levels: main process level10and at least one upper level11, which upper level11comprises at least one opening15for passing through the mold table25by the lifting mechanism21of the central transfer wagon20and locking means17by which the mold table25is fastened on the upper level11and thus releasing the central transfer wagon20for other transportation needs of the production process line, for example transfers of other mold tables25on the main level10, and safety means16by which the safety of personnel is ensured.

REFERENCE SIGNS USED IN THE DRAWING