Mould container with exchangeable mould container part

Abstract: The invention relates to a mould container (3) for an apparatus (1) for manufacturing green bricks from clay for the brick manufacturing industry, wherein mould containers (3) are arranged on a circulating conveyor (2), which mould containers (3) comprise a number of mould cavities (14) open to the top, wherein the mould container (3) comprises a fixed mould container part (15) with mould cavities (14) and an exchangeable mould container part (16,18) such that green bricks of differing dimensions can be made simultaneously.

Description: The invention relates to a mould container for an apparatus for manufacturing green bricks from clay for the brick manufacturing industry, wherein mould containers are arranged on a circulating conveyor, which mould containers comprise a number of mould cavities open to the top. Such mould containers are known for instance from NL-C-1000186. The mould containers are especially manufactured for one shape of green brick. Large quantities of green bricks of the same shape can thus be produced. In particular cases it is desired to be able to make a small batch of green bricks, wherein the shape of the green bricks differs from the shape defined by the mould containers. In order to enable manufacture of such a small batch, new mould containers have to be manufactured which are then mounted in the apparatus. In addition to the high cost of manufacturing the mould containers, loss also occurs in converting the apparatus from the one type of mould container to the other type of mould container. The non-prepublished document EP-A-1 112 827, which document is state of the art in accordance with Art.54(3) EPC, discloses a mould container comprising a first portion and a second portion, removably connected to each other. The first portion is connected to a conveyor and comprises movable bottoms that are connected to the conveyor itself. The second portion comprises different segments, each segment comprising only the lateral walls of a number of mould cavities. The corresponding movable bottoms are attached to the conveyor. This implies in case of replacement of a segment, after detachment of the "old" segment, the moveable bottoms belonging to the "old" segment have to be uncoupled one by one from the first portion, whereafter the new bottom plates should be coupled one by one to the first portion. After attachment of the bottoms the new segment can be placed on the first portion 30. One of the drawbacks of the known mould container is that replacement of mould segments is a time consuming process. It is an object of the invention to obviate the above stated drawbacks, this object is achieved in a mould container as claimed in claim 1. The mould container comprises a fixed mould container part with mould cavities and an exchangeable mould container part. Such a fixed mould container part remains mounted on the conveyer, while the exchangeable mould container part, which is provided with at least one moveable bottom, can simply be replaced. It becomes possible to provide a number of mould cavities of different dimensions in the mould container. Green bricks of a standard size are thus formed during production by the fixed mould container part, while the exchangeable mould container part can manufacture bricks of any desired shape. The exchangeable mould container part preferably comprises at least one mould cavity open to the top. This mould cavity defines the shape of the desired green bricks for the small batch. The exchangeable mould container part comprises a bottom movable in the mould cavity. The bottom is adapted to the form of the mould cavity and can thus push out the green brick formed in the mould cavity. In yet another embodiment according to the invention the exchangeable mould container part comprises a closed upper surface. In particular cases it is desired not to provide all mould containers with an exchangeable mould container part of different shape, because the desired batch is for instance very small or because the production speed of this differing batch is otherwise too high. By now providing some mould containers with an exchangeable mould container part with closed upper surface, no green bricks of different shape will be formed in these mould containers. The invention further comprises an apparatus for manufacturing green bricks from clay for the brick manufacturing industry, which apparatus comprises: a circulating conveyor carrying mould containers, wherein the mould containers each comprise a number of mould cavities open to the top; a filling device placed above the chain for filling the mould cavities with clay; and a grid plate placed between the filling device and the chain for guiding the clay into the mould cavities, which is characterized in that the mould containers comprise at least one mould container according to the invention. In such an apparatus the grid plate ensures that the flow of clay is such that the mould cavity is wholly filled. When the mould container parts are now exchanged, the grid plate then also has to be modified, so that the flow of clay is also properly guided into the mould cavities of modified shape. In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention the grid plate comprises an exchangeable grid part. The whole grid plate does not hereby need to be exchanged when the mould container parts are exchanged, but only a part of the grid plate need be exchanged. These and other features of the invention are further elucidated with reference to the annexed drawings. Figure 1 shows in perspective view an apparatus according to the invention; figure 2 shows a perspective view with cut-away parts of the apparatus according to figure 1; figure 3 shows a perspective view of a number of mould containers according to the invention arranged on a conveyor; figure 4 once again shows a perspective view of a mould container according to the invention and an exchangeable mould container part; figure 5 shows the mould container of figure 4 in perspective view with exploded parts. Figure 1 describes in perspective view an apparatus 1 for manufacturing green bricks from clay for the brick manufacturing industry. This apparatus comprises a conveyor 2 on which mould containers 3 are arranged. A reservoir 4 for clay 12 is arranged above mould containers. Reservoir 4 has an outlet opening 5 along which the mould containers 3 are filled. When mould containers 3 are filled with clay, planks 6 are then placed on mould containers 3, whereafter mould container with plank is turned over in device 7. The clay is then pushed out of mould containers 3 and the planks 6 having the formed green bricks thereon are transported further. The mould containers are then cleaned by a washing device 8, dried by a drying device 9 and once again provided with a layer of sand by means of a sand-covering device 10, whereafter mould containers 3 can again be filled with clay. Figure 2 shows outlet opening 5 of reservoir 4 in perspective view and with cut-away parts. As soon as a mould container 3 has been transported under outlet opening 5, the flap 11 is then opened whereby clay 12 can flow via grid plate 13 into mould cavities 14. Figure 3 shows a number of mutually adjacent mould containers 3 which are arranged on conveyor 2. Each mould container 3 comprises a fixed part 15 with mould cavities 14 and an exchangeable part 16, which in this embodiment also has mould cavities 14. Grid plate 13 has openings 17 corresponding with mould cavities 14 in mould containers 3. Further shown in figure 3 is a second exchangeable part 18 which has two different mould cavities 19. Also shown is a second grid plate 20, the openings of which correspond with the mould cavities of the second exchangeable part 18. The exchangeable part 18 has movable bottoms 21 which can be operated by means of an ejector 22. Figure 4 shows from another viewpoint the mould container 3 with fixed part 15 and exchangeable part 16, in addition to a second exchangeable part 18. Figure 5 shows a perspective view with exploded parts of a mould container 3 according to the invention. This mould container 3 consists of the fixed part 15 in which mould cavities 14 are defined and exchangeable parts 16 respectively 18. The fixed part 15 of mould container 3 is mounted fixedly on conveyor 2. Within the fixed part 15, the movable bottoms 21, which can be operated by ejectors 22, are arranged fixedly in conveyor 2 whereas in the exchangeable part 16, 18, the ejectors are installed in the respective exchangeable part 16, 18. Two strips 23 which are slidable in the length are arranged on the conveyor. Studs 24 of differing height are arranged on these strips. Further arranged on the underside of movable bottoms 21 are legs 25 which limit the stroke of the movable bottom and thus define the depth of mould cavity 14. By now sliding the movable strips 23 the legs 25 will be able to lie on the different studs 24, whereby the depth of mould cavities 14, and therefore the height of the green bricks, can be adjusted. Although not shown in the drawings, it is possible to place a closed exchangeable part in the fixed part 15 of mould container 3, so that no green bricks are formed at the position of this closed exchangeable part. The production speed of the differing batch can hereby be modified. It hereby becomes possible to make the production time for the differing batch the same as the production time for the standard batch.

Claims: Mould container (3) for an apparatus for manufacturing green bricks from clay for the brick manufacturing industry, wherein mould containers are arranged on a circulating conveyor (2), which mould containers comprise a number of mould cavities (14) open to the top, wherein the mould container comprises a fixed mould container part (15) and an exchangeable mould container part (16,18), the exchangeable mould container part being provided with at least a bottom (21) that is movable in the mould cavity, wherein said movable bottom (21) (16,18) is installed in the cavity (14) such that the moveable bottom (21) and the cavity of the exchangeable mould container part (16,18) are exchangeable as a single unit. Mould container according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a moveable bottom (21) that is arranged in the conveyor (2) and that is moveable in the cavity of the fixed mould container part (15). Mould container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the exchangeable mould container part (16,18) comprises an ejector (22) for operating the moveable bottom (21) provided in the cavity. Mould container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the ejector (22) of the exchangeable mould container part (16,18) is installed in the cavity of the exchangeable mould container part. Mould container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the exchangeable mould container part (16,18) comprises a closed upper surface. Apparatus (1) for manufacturing green bricks from clay for the brick manufacturing industry, which apparatus comprises: a circulating conveyor (2) carrying mould containers (3), wherein the mould containers each comprise a number of mould cavities (14,19) open to the top; a filling device placed above the chain for filling the mould cavities (14,19) with clay; and a grid plate (13,20) placed between the filling device and the chain for guiding the clay into the mould cavities, wherein the mould containers (3) comprise at least one mould container as claimed in any of the foregoing claims. Apparatus as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein the grid plate (13,20) comprises an exchangeable grid part (20).

Inventors: KOSMAN WILHELMUS JACOBUS MARIA, KOSMAN, WILHELMUS JACOBUS MARIA
Applicants: BEHEERMIJ DE BOER NIJMEGEN B V, BEHEERMAATSCHAPPIJ DE BOER NIJMEGEN B.V.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B28B7
IPC codes: B28B5, B28B7