Abstract:
A machine for making building blocks from compactible materials such as earth, in a rapid and facile manner. A mold is provided in which the blocks of desired configuration, typically rectangular, are formed. A hydraulic ram, assisted by a pressure intensifier, is utilized to exert tremendously high pressures on the compactible material in the mold so that the particles of the materials are substantially bonded together to produce a solid block.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a machine for rapidly and efficiently forming building blocks from compactible material, and more particularly to such a machine which is provided with means for internally increasing the output pressure of the block forming hydraulic ram of the machine. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of earthen blocks as a building material has been known for centuries. Earth is available in unlimited supply at no expense, and it is available at the site of construction. Additionally, earth is non-toxic, non-allergenic, fireproof and soundproof. The high inherent insulating properties also enhance its desirability as a building material. 
     In somewhat recent years the earth at the building site has been fashioned into building blocks in a press and required compacting the earth material in a suitable machine having a hydraulic cylinder enclosing a ram piston. The ram exerts an output pressure against contained earth material to compact the earthen material into a block. In order to form the blocks at the construction site it is desirable to provide a machine which is portable and which is capable of providing sufficient pressure to form the earth into solid blocks. One such machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,649 issued to Robert Gross on Feb. 11, 1986. 
     It has been found that, although the machine identified above produces hydraulic pressures of 3,000 psi (210 kg./sq. cm) during the final stages of the block formation, such pressures do not compact the earth material sufficiently. One example, is the noticeable undesirable feature that the corners of the block tend to break away under slight pressure, thus leaving an incomplete ill formed block. 
     What is needed then is a machine which is relatively lightweight and portable and is transportable to the site and which should be capable of producing extremely high pressures which are capable of substantially “bonding” particles of the block forming material into a stable mass which will not “crumble” or otherwise fail under high external pressure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a machine for forming building blocks from compactible materials, such as earth and other materials, as discussed hereinbelow. The machine overcomes the above noted deficiencies of previous machines by providing means for dramatically increasing the output pressures at which the block forming hydraulic ram exerts against compactible material held in a block forming mold of the machine. 
     To accomplish this pressure increase, a pressure intensifier hydraulic actuator is coupled into the ram cylinder for coaction therewith to dramatically increase the output pressure of the ram cylinder and thus provide a very high degree of bonding pressure of the particles forming the block. 
     It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a machine for forming blocks from compactible material. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide such a machine with means for increasing the output pressure of the block forming hydraulic ram which compacts the compactible materials into blocks of predetermined configuration. 
     These and other objects and advantages are accomplished by the present invention of a machine for making blocks from compactible material, such as earth etc. The machine comprises a block forming mold and a ram head. The ram head is capable of moving between a retracted position in which the head is removed from the mold, and the compactible material can fall through a bottom opening of a hopper which is moveable into and out of registry with an upper opening of the mold, and an advance position in which the head is moved into the mold and the compactible material is highly compressed to form a block. A hydraulic actuator cooperates with the ram cylinder to increase the output pressure of the ram. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the block making machine of the present invention and illustrates a movable hopper for receiving the compactible materials therein. 
     FIG. 2 is an end elevational view partially broken away of the machine of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the machine as seen in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the machine illustrated in FIG.  1  and illustrates all cylinders to be in “home position” (non-actuated position). 
     FIG. 4 a  is a sectional view showing the pressure increasing assembly of assembly of FIG.  4 . FIG. 4 a  illustrates the piston rod of a first fluid actuator being displaced from “home position” and into an axial bore of an end closure assembly which is common to the two fluid actuators which make up the pressure increasing assembly of the machine of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with the hopper mounted on a shuttle and moved to a position for dumping the compactible material of the hopper into the block forming cavity of the machine. 
     FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 with the shuttle retracted halfway so the block forming cavity is covered and the bottom opening of the hopper is out of registry with the block forming cavity of the machine. 
     FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 with the ram moved upwardly to compact the material in the block forming cavity of the housing. 
     FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG.  7  and illustrates the piston rod of the super charger actuator moved into the vertical ram cylinder to displace fluid therein and further increase the pressure of the ram cylinder. 
     FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but shows the super charged cylinder and shuttle cylinder back to “home position”. 
     FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 but shows the ram up fully to a position for ejecting the block from the block forming cavity of the machine. 
     FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 but shows the shuttle extended fully outwardly to eject the block. 
     FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the hydraulic system of the present invention. 
     FIG. 13 is a sectional view along section line  13 — 13  in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 14 is a side elevational view, partially broken away, of another embodiment of the present invention which utilizes a single cylinder and piston for reciprocating movement of the hopper utilized in the machine. The machine is shown mounted on a trailer. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As seen in FIG. 1 an apparatus  2  is provided for forming blocks from compactible materials. The apparatus includes a Machine  4 , which may be mounted on a support  6 , such as a pallet and the support  6  further supports (as seen in FIG. 1) an electric generator  8  which provides electrical power to a hydraulic pump  130  which directs hydraulic fluids to and from a plurality of fluid actuators  11 ,  13 , and  15  as described hereinbelow. The pump  130  is shown in FIGS. 12 and 14. 
     Fluid actuator  15  provides for horizontal movement of a hopper  10  to direct the material into a cavity  14  (FIG. 4) of a housing  19  which forms the upper portion of the machine and in which the blocks are formed on a movable platform which is moved into and out of registry with cavity  14  by a piston rod  88  of actuator  15 . 
     Actuator  13  is the ram cylinder which includes a piston  50  and piston rod  52  which has a pressure plate  61  mounted at its distal end and which serves as the “floor plate” of cavity  14  and is movable into cavity  14  to compress the ompactible materials therein, as will be discussed hereinbelow. 
     Actuator  11  (hereinafter referred to as the “supercharger” actuator) is provided in communication with actuator  13  for cooperation with actuator  13  to increase the output pressure thereof to provide for extremely high pressures of compaction of the material in cavity  14 . Cavity  14  is typically in the form of a rectangle, although other configurations such as octagonal, hexagonal, etc. may be utilized to form the shape of the blocks formed in the cavity. 
     Actuator  11  is shown in FIGS. 4 and 4 a  to include a first cylinder  12  enclosing a piston  21  and piston rod  16 , which is mounted in a bore  17  of cylinder  12 . Cylinder  12  is provided at one end  18  with, an end closure member  20  having a fluid passage  22  therein. At the second end  24  of cylinder  12  is an end closure assembly  26  including a rod supporting member  27  having a fluid passage  28  therein. Fluid passages  22  and  28  communicate into bore  17  on opposite sides of piston  21 . 
     Piston rod  16  includes an end portion  30  which extends out of cylinder  12  and into end closure assembly  26 . A piston rod support member  32  is provided in closure assembly  26  for support of end portion  30  of piston rod  16 . An axial bore  36  is provided in the end portion  30  of piston rod  16  and an annual passage  38  extends around rod support member  32 . A fluid passage  40  in rod support member  32  communicates into annular passage  38 . A plurality of radially extending ports  42  is provided in the peripheral surface of end port  30  of piston rod  16  and communicates into bore  36  of rod  16 . Piston rod  16  is reciprocally carried in cylinder  12  and moves the radially extending ports  42  into and out of registry with annular passage  38  and fluid passage  40 , for reasons explained hereinbelow. 
     A bore  44  is provided in a member  45  of end closure assembly  26  which is common to cylinder  12  and a second cylinder  48 . The first and second actuators  11  and  13  are shown to be substantially perpendicular to each other but may be parallel with each other or in any other angular positions. A piston  50  and piston rod  52  is reciprocally mounted in cylinder  48  of actuator  13 . A fluid passage  53  is provided in an end closure member  54  of cylinder  48  in communication with the bore  56  of cylinder  48  through an annular passage  58  provided in an inner surface of end cap  54 . 
     FIG. 4 a  is a partial view of the joined actuators  11  and  13  with the piston  21  and piston rod  16  of cylinder  12  of FIG. 1 displaced as a result of working fluid pressure being received through fluid passage  22  to the face of piston  21 . As can be seen in FIG. 4 a , fluid passages  40  no longer communicate into the radial passages  42  of piston rod  16  and the piston rod extends into bore  44  to displace fluid therein against the face of piston  50  which moves piston rod  52  to extend end  56  out of cylinder  48  under greatly increased pressure. 
     In operation, fluid at a predetermined working pressure (5200 PSI, for example) is directed into bore  44  of member  45  through fluid passage  40 , radial passages  42 , and bore  36  of rod  16 . Fluid at the same predetermined working pressure is also directed through fluid passage  22  against piston  21  to displace the piston  21  and the piston rod  16 . Rod  16  is moved into bore  44  of end cap member  46  as a result of this displacement. The rod displaces the fluid in bore  44  against the face of piston  50  in cylinder  48  to move the piston.  50  and rod  52 . 
     Rod  52  includes a distal end  56  having a ram element  60  mounted thereon and a pressure plate  61  is secured to ram element  60 . Plate  61  extends into cavity  14  of housing  19 . The ram plate  61  is provided with the same rectangular, hexagonal, etc. configuration as cavity  14 . In the embodiment  20  shown, the cavity  14  is rectangular and is formed by four side panels  64  which extend upwardly and terminate at a distal end  65  (FIG.  4 ). Mounted atop end  65  of housing  19  is a shuttle assembly  66  which is horizontally slidably movable responsive to actuation of actuator  15 . 
     The shuttle assembly includes a base plate  70  having an opening  72 . The base plate  70  slides across a support member  74  which is secured to and extends from a side of housing  19 . Hopper  10  is mounted to the base plate support  70  and the base plate  70  is secured to actuator  15  for slidable movement of the base plate and hopper responsive to actuation of actuator  15 . Hopper  10  is provided with the opening  72  so that the block forming material may enter cavity when base place  70  is moved sufficiently for opening  72  to be in alignment with cavity  14 . In this manner, the material in the hopper can be directed into the cavity  14  for compression by upward movement of piston  52  and pressure plate  61 . 
     A shuttle tie down assembly (FIGS. 2,  4  and  13 ) is provided to slidably secure the shuttle assembly to the upper end  65  of housing  19 . The tie down assembly includes a plate  77  secured over an extending portion of floor plate  70  and secured to a pair of upstanding stanchions  93  of the machine (FIGS. 2,  3  and  13 ). 
     To provide for movement of hopper  10  into and out of registry with cavity  14  of housing  19 , fluid actuator  15  includes a pair of double acting pistons  85  and  86  slidably mounted in a pair of cylinders  78  and  84 , respectively. An end plate  90  having fluid inlet and outlet ports  93  and  94  sealing secures cylinders  78  and  84  together. An end plate  92  seals the inner end of cylinder  78  and is provided with a fluid inlet/outlet passage  96 . A second end plate  97  secures the outer end of cylinder  84  and is provided with a fluid inlet/outlet passage  95 . The actuator  15  includes a pair of extending piston rods  88  and  89 . Piston rod  89  has its extending end mounted to housing  19  by a support mechanism  91 . Rod  88  has its free end secured to a rod link assembly  80  which includes a downwardly extending plate secured to movable base plate  91  support member. 
     A block shelf assembly  98  is mounted to the side of housing  19  opposite the side that actuator  15  is mounted. The assembly includes an inverted L-shaped plate having one side secured to housing  19  and the other side extending outwardly for support of a pair of valves  100  and  102 . Valve  100  controls hydraulic fluid flow to cylinder  15  for control of shuttle assembly movement and valve  102  controls hydraulic fluid flow to actuator  11  and  13  for control of ram movement to force piston  52  up and down in cavity  14 . A control lever  104  controls valve  100  and a second control lever  106  controls valve  102 . 
     FIGS. 5-11 are elevational side views of the block forming machine of the present invention illustrating various positions of elements of the machine during operation thereof. FIG. 5 illustrates the hopper  10  moved to a position for dumping the compactible material into the block forming cavity of the machine. FIG. 6 illustrates the hopper halfway retracted and the opening in the bottom of the hopper being covered by cover plate  74 . FIG. 7 illustrates the ram moved upward in cavity  14  during the compacting stroke of the ram. FIG. 8 illustrates the piston rod of the supercharger actuator  11  moved into the vertical ram lower housing member  45  of the ram cylinder  13  to increase the fluid pressure against the face of piston  50 . FIG. 9 illustrates the supercharger cylinder  11  and the shuttle assembly control actuator  15  back in “home position”. FIG. 10 illustrates the ram up fully to the position for ejecting the block from cavity  14 . FIG. 11 illustrates the shuttle assembly extended fully to eject the formed block. 
     FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the hydraulic system of the present invention. As seen in FIG. 12 a pair of hydraulic valves  100  and  102  control fluid flow to cylinder  15  for displacing the hopper. A hydraulic line  110  connects with valve  100  in fluid communication with inlet/outlet passages of pistons  85  and  86  of actuator  15 . Lines  109  and  112  connect the valve  100  with inlet/outlet passages  92  and  95  of cylinders  78  and  84 . 
     Valve  102  is fluid connected to ram actuator  13  by hydraulic lines  114  and  116  and to “supercharger” actuator  11  by hydraulic lines  118  and  122 . 
     A pair of check valves  108  and  107  are mounted in a hydraulic line  111  which communicates between valve  100  and  102 . Valve  102  includes a pressure adjuster  119 , shown separately but which may be included in the valve  102 . 
     A hydraulic pump  130  is connected into valves  100  and  102  through a hydraulic line  103 . The pump is shown in FIG. 14 to be physically mounted adjacent generator  8 . The pump hydraulically communicates into a tank  114  which is mounted on the support pallet and not shown except in FIG.  12  and in FIG.  14 . 
     A hydraulic line  111  connects between valves  100 ,  102  and through a filter  120  and into tank  114 . A check valve  121  is connected in line  117  between the inlet and outlet of filter  120 . 
     A check valve  125  is provided in line  118  between valve  102  and cylinder  13  which provides for diverting pressure into supercharger cylinder  11  at a predetermined pressure. At a second predetermined (designed) pressure a check valve  123  in line  115  will open, neutralizing cylinders  11  and  13 . 
     Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 14, wherein like numerals refer to like parts. The machine of FIG. 14 is similar to that described above, except that a single fluid actuator  140  is shown to be mounted to the side of the machine for moving the hopper  10  horizontally in the manner discussed above. Fluid actuator  140  includes a cylinder  142  enclosing a piston  144  and piston rod  146 . Piston rod  146  is connected at its free end to plate  91  which is secured to moveable floor plate  70 . The cylinder includes end plates  150  and  152  having inlet/outlet ports  154  and  156 . The actuator is connected to hydraulic pump  130  as referred to in FIG.  13  and upon actuation of the actuator and resultant displacement of piston  144  and rod  146 , floor plate  70  and hopper  10  is horizontally displaced. A trailer  150  is used to transport the apparatus. 
     It is to be understood that the ratios between the piston and rod diameters of the ram cylinder and cylinder of actuator  11  control the output pressure of the ram as disclosed herein and as substantially disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,287 issued to James O. Sims on Jan. 11, 2000. 
     Assume that piston  21  has a 3.25″ diameter which provides a piston area of 8.296 sq. in. Now assume that the piston rod  16  has a 1.375 diameter which provides a rod area of 1.485 sq. in. . Therefore, a 5.587 to 1 ratio exists between piston  21  and rod  16 . Now assume that fluid at a 5200 PSI working pressure is directed in cylinder  12  through passage  22  to move the piston  21  and rod  16  to the left as shown in FIG.  2 . Piston rod  16  is inserted into bore  44  which has been filled with fluid through passage  40  at 5200 PSI working pressure. Therefore it can be seen that 5200 PSI×5.587=29,052 PSI output pressure being applied against the face of piston  50  of cylinder  48 . This increased input pressure against the face of piston  50  also greatly increases the output pressure of piston  50  in accordance with the ratio between the areas of rod  52  and piston  50  in the manner described above in conjunction with piston  21  and rod  16 . For example, if the second piston  50  and rod  52  is provided with a 12.566 to 1 ratio then the output force on rod  52  is 12.566×29,052 which yields 365,067 pounds. Now to obtain the output in lbs/ft of a 12″×4″ pressure plate  61 , we must multiply 4″×3 and 365,067 lbs.×3 to get 1,095,252 lbs/ft 
     In operation, the hopper is loaded with the compactible material and with the generator  8  operating the hydraulic pump  130 , control knob  106  is moved to operate valve  110  to deliver hydraulic fluid from the pump to actuator  15  for movement of piston rods  88  and  89  (or rod  146  as shown in FIG. 14) to move platform  70  and hopper  10  over block forming cavity  14  to direct the compactible material therein. Control knob  106  is then moved back to reverse the direction of the actuator  15  to withdraw the hopper. 
     Control knob  104  is then moved to operate valve  102  to deliver hydraulic fluid from the pump to actuators  11  and  13  to operate actuators  11  and  13  as discussed, supra. 
     It is to be understood that although earth materials (including sludge) has been discussed as a compactible material, other materials (even man-made materials) may be used. 
     While the invention as been shown and described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, this is for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, and other variations and modifications of the specific embodiment herein shown and described will be apparent to those skilled in the art within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the patent is not to be limited in scope and effect to the specific embodiment herein shown and described nor in any other way that is inconsistent with the extent to which the progress in the art has been advanced by the invention.