Abstract:
A building block manufacturing system comprising a compression chamber capable of containing compressible block making material, said material comprised entirely or in part of waste material, preferably selected from the group consisting of fly ash, ground wood, waste vegetation matter, sea shells and sand; and a ram capable of exerting a desired pressure on the contents of said compression chamber; wherein, when said block making material being is placed in the compression chamber, the ram may exert a desired pressure on the material thereby compressing, and assisting in the curing or the material into a desired shape conforming to the interior surfaces of the compression chamber. The present invention also comprises the novel method of using the novel block manufacturing system.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part patent application which claims priority to the non-provisional patent application having Ser. No. 10/411,511, filed on Apr. 10, 2003, which claims priority upon the provisional patent application having Ser. No. 60/371,441 which was filed on Apr. 11, 2002. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a new machine and method for the manufacture of building blocks, and more particularly to a machine and method that rapidly and repeatedly manufactures building blocks constructed generally of waste material, such as fly ash and ground wood.  
           [0003]    There are numerous building blocks that are available in the art for use in the construction primarily of commercial and industrial type of buildings, and even for the construction of residential homes. Typically, most of these blocks are fabricated from concrete, poured into a form or mold, left to cure, removed from the form or mold, and allowed to dry. In some instances the blocks are fired in a kiln or other high-temperature oven to expedite the curing and drying process or to secure certain features on one or more faces of the block. Such blocks can be constructed to a variety of shapes.  
           [0004]    In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/411,511 to Sinclair et al., said application being incorporated by reference herein,;a building block was disclosed that was composed of a high percentage of waste materials such as fly ash and ground wood. Certain methods of manufacturing the waste material building blocks were also disclosed in Sinclair et al. One of the methods of block manufacture disclosed in Sinclair et al. was a continuous mix and extrusion process that would produce lengths of extruded material having a desired cross-sectional shape. The extruded material could then be cut into blocks of a desired length. This method does not produce individually compressed blocks.  
           [0005]    In a second method of block manufacture disclosed in Sinclair et al., the waste material block mixture is fed into a compression chamber by an auger and mixer/blender combination. A hydraulic ram then compresses the material into a block in the compression chamber, and the block is then removed from the compression chamber at a right angle to the alignment of the ram. While this second method and the equipment associated with the method provides certain processing advantages, it has been found that the single-chamber configuration and the right-angle output in the method lead to inconsistencies in the shape and size of the blocks produced by this method. Hence, a method improving on this method and equipment to facilitate such a new method is desirable.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention comprises a building block manufacturing system comprising a compression chamber capable of containing compressible block making material, said material comprised preferably or in part of waste material selected from the group consisting of fly ash, ground wood, waste vegetation matter, sea shells and sand; and a ram capable of exerting a desired pressure on the contents of said compression chamber; wherein, when said block making material being placed in the compression chamber, the ram may exert a desired pressure on the material thereby compressing, and assisting in the curing or the material into a desired shape conforming to the interior surfaces of the compression chamber. The present invention also comprises the novel method of using the novel block manufacturing system.  
           [0007]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the system further comprises a fill chamber attached to the compression chamber and capable of receiving the block making material such that the material may be transferred from the fill chamber into the compression chamber by the ram. The system also has a gate at the end of the compression chamber that is closed to keep the block making material in the compression chamber during compression, but which opens to release the newly formed block from the chamber. Ridges can be located on the inner surfaces of the compression chamber to impart desired impression into the blocks during processing. In this embodiment, the ramming device is preferably hydraulic, while the gate is actuated by pneumatics. An electronic control unit is used to control the operation of the system. Obviously, other than pneumatics or hydraulics could be employed in either instance. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The objects of the invention are achieved as set forth in the illustrative embodiments shown in the drawings that form a part of the specification.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a side view of one of the embodiments of the present invention with the ram shaft retracted into the ram cylinder;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a side view of one of the embodiments of the present invention with the ram shaft extended through the fill chamber;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a building block of a type that may be formed by an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a top view of a portion of one embodiment of the present invention, showing portions of the hydraulics in said embodiment;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of the present having two fill chambers and an alternating ram compression system;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of the present invention having an alternating ram compression system and two fill chambers at each end of the ram; 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]    The system for manufacturing building blocks of one embodiment of the present invention is indicated generally at  10  (FIG.1). The system  10  includes a hydraulic pump  11 , a motor  12 , a control panel  14 , a ram cylinder  16 , a ram can  18 , a fill chamber  20 , a fill hopper  22 , and a compression chamber  24 . The ram cylinder  16 , the ram can  18 , the fill hopper  22 , the fill chamber  20 , and the compression chamber  24  are all located on top of a moveable cart or trailer  26 , for portability. The ram cylinder  16  has a ram shaft  28  protruding from one end, a hydraulic inlet line  30  and a hydraulic return line  32  along the top of the ram cylinder  16 , and an adjustable hydraulic pressure gauge  33  along side the cylinder.  
         [0016]    The ram shaft  28  extends to a connector  34  at the rear end of the ram can  18 . The ram can  18  has a cross-sectional shape essentially equivalent to that of the shape defined by the interior walls of the fill chamber  20  and compression chamber  24  such that the ram can  18  may be pushed by the ram shaft  28  along the entire length of the fill chamber  20  and compression chamber  24  and through a gate  36  at the far end of the compression chamber  24  to discharge the new block formed by the system  10 . There is little clearance between the outer edges of the ram can  18  and the interior surfaces of the chambers  20  and  24 .  
         [0017]    An opening  38  is located on the top of the fill chamber  20 . The opening  38  is surrounded by four vertical walls forming the fill hopper  22  where block making material in input into the system  10 .  
         [0018]    The ram cylinder  16  is activated by hydraulic pressure produced by the motor-driven hydraulic pump  12  that also sits atop a cart or trailer  26 . Control panel  14  attached to the cart or trailer  26  supplies power to the motor  11  driving the hydraulic pump  12 . A switching module  40  (FIG. 4) regulates the flow of hydraulic pressure between the hydraulic pump  12  and the ram cylinder  16 . Hydraulic lines  42  and  44  carry hydraulic fluid from the pump  12  to the switching module  40  and hydraulic lines  46  and  48  carries fluid from the switching module  40  to the ram cylinder  16 . A pressure gauge  50  monitors hydraulic pressure in the lines  42  and  44  between the pump  12  and the switching module  40 .  
         [0019]    The hydraulic lines  43  and  45  allow for transmission of the hydraulic pressure, from its fluid, to pass to the front edge of the ram cylinder  16 , where it is desired to return the ram shaft  28  to the back end of the cylinder  16 , upon completion of a cycle in the forming of a block within the compression chamber  24 . Or, it is just as likely that some type of spring biasing could be used to return the shaft  28 , after completion of a cycle. One of the hydraulic lines transmits the pressure under fluid to this location for the cylinder  16 , while the other line allows the fluid to be returned, after a cycle. Obviously, all of these various cyclings of the hydraulic fluid, rather under pressure, or for return, are sequenced by the switching module  40 , during operations of the system.  
         [0020]    As can be readily seen and understood from the present disclosure, in order to form a building block, the operator of this embodiment of the present invention activates a switch on the control panel  14  (FIG. 1) that starts the machine operation cycle by sending an electric signal to the switching module  40 , which in turn opens the hydraulic lines  30  and  32  to the hydraulic cylinder  16 . This causes the ram shaft  28  to push the ram can  18  forward, under sufficient pressure, thereby pushing block material from the ram fill chamber  20  forward into the compression chamber  24  where the material is compressed in the compression chamber by the ram can  18  to form a new block. (FIG. 2). These pressures vary in a range of between about 5 to 25 pounds depending upon the material being shaped. The block so produced will have the shape defined by the inner surface of the compression chamber  24  and the face of the ram can  18 . (See FIG. 3). The ram can  18  will maintain pressure on the material in the compression chamber  24  for a period of dwell time determined by the operator. As the ram can  18  pushes the block material from the ram fill chamber  20  into the compression chamber  24 , the top of the ram can closes the opening  38  in the bottom of the ram fill hopper  22 . When the dwell time is satisfied, a timer in the control panel  14  sends an electrical signal to ram switching module  40  neutralizing the module, and at the same time activating switching module  52  to cause the ram can  18  to retract slowly a distance of approximately one inch. This activates a limit switch that sends an electric signal to switching module  54  which sends fluid through hydraulic lines  56  and  58  to a gate cylinder, which in turn opens gate  36  and activates lock cylinders  62 .  
         [0021]    When the gate  36  is fully open, another limit switch sends an electric signal to activate switching module  40  and thereby cause the ram cylinder  16  to fully extend. The ram cylinder  16  thereby pushes the ram can  8  and a newly formed block forward and out of the compression chamber  24  onto a take off board  64  on a block conveyor  66 . When the block is pushed all the way forward and out of the compression chamber  24 , the block activates a limit switch that causes the block conveyor  66  to move the new block inches forward. This movement of the new block activates vibrators  68  attached to the fill hopper  22  and activates switch module  40  to fully retract ram can  18 .  
         [0022]    As ram can  18  retracts beneath fill hopper  22 , the opening  38  in the hopper  22  opens to allow new block formulated material to fall, with the assistance of gravity, into the fill chamber  20 . (FIG. 1). While so retracting, the ram can  18  triggers a limit switch that activates switching module  54  to activate lines  56  and  58  causing gate cylinder  60  to close compression chamber gate  36 . Attached to the gate  36  is a protruding platform that carries the bottom take off board  64  forward with the gate and drags the board to the front edge of the take off conveyor  66 . In this way, the board  64  is placed immediately in front of the closed compression chamber gate  36  awaiting the next block to be discharged. When the board  64  is in place, it activates a limit switch that causes lock cylinders  62  to protrude through the sidewalls of the take off conveyor  66  to lock the take off board  64  in place. When the ram can  18  is fully retracted, a limit switch is triggered which activates a variable timer in the control panel  14  to hold this position allowing time for the new block material to drop from the fill hopper  22  to fall and fill chamber  20 . When the timer releases, the sequence starts again.  
         [0023]    As can be readily understood, the application of the novel block making machine of the present invention is not limited to the exact configuration of the disclosed embodiment. Rather, other embodiments of the present invention are considered. For example, FIG. 5 discloses another embodiment of the present invention in which the ram cylinder  16  has two ram shafts  28 A and  28 B, where shaft  28 A extends from one end of the cylinder and shaft  28 B extends from the opposite end of the cylinder. Shaft  28 A is attached to a ram can  18 A that is slidably movable within a fill chamber  20 A through to a compression chamber (not shown). At the other end of the ram cylinder  16 , shaft  28 B is attached to a ram can  18 B that is slidably movable within a fill chamber  20 B through to a compression chamber (not shown). Each fill chamber  20 A,  20 B has its own fill hopper  22 A,  22 B, respectively. The ram cans  18 A,  18 B operate according to the disclosed invention, but in a reciprocating manner. That is, after block making material has filled the fill chamber  20 A from the fill hopper  22 A, the ram cylinder  16  is activated to push the ram can  18 A through the fill chamber  20 A away from the ram cylinder and toward the compression chamber (not shown) associated with the fill chamber  20 A. This action causes the ram shaft  28 B to retract from its extended position and pull the ram can  18 B toward the ram cylinder  16  to open the fill chamber  20 B for re-filling with block making material from the fill hopper  22 B. Once block making material has filled the fill chamber  20 B from the fill hopper  22 B, the ram cylinder  16  can be activated to push the ram can  18 B through the fill chamber  20 B away from the ram cylinder and toward the compression chamber (not shown) associated with the fill chamber  20 B. This action causes the ram shaft  28 A to retract from its extended position and pull the ram can  18 A toward the ram cylinder  16  to open the fill chamber  20 A for re-filling with block making material from the fill hopper  22 A. This process then can repeat itself.  
         [0024]    Obviously, various hydraulic lines, similar to those as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and which are rendered operative through the usage of a related type of switching module, regulated from the control panel, will be used to regulate the pressured shifting of the various ram shafts within and through the ram cylinder  16 , as can be readily understood.  
         [0025]    In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the embodiment encompassing a reciprocating ram cylinder may be expanded such that two or more fill hoppers  22 A 1 ,  22 A 2  and  22 B 1 ,  22 B 2  may be located on each side of the reciprocating cylinder  16 . (FIG. 6).  
         [0026]    In addition, there may be multiple fill chambers  10  or compression chambers  24 . The ram  16  may be activated by numerous devices, such as mechanical operation, electrical operation or by pneumatic pressure. Likewise, the gate  36  may be operated by numerous devices, such as by mechanical operation, electrical operation, by hydraulic pressure, or manually operated. The gate  36  may be located on different sides of the compression chamber  24 , and an exit gate may be added. Further, the present invention will also operate without a gate  36 , since the newly formed blocks may be removed from the compression chamber  24  in a constant flow process, or a similar opening may be located in the fill chamber  20 .  
         [0027]    Moreover, the switching modules  40 ,  52 ,  54  may be comprised of a single switching component, or a grouping of two or more independent switches. The system  10  is not limited to a specific size or shape. The ram can  18  may be formed of a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as the inner shape of the fill chamber  20  and the compression chamber  24 , so long as the ram can  18  is capable of forcing the block making material through the chambers. For example, the cross-section of the fill chamber  20  may be square, oval, or some other shape. If the cross-section of the fill chamber  20  is square, the plunger would need to likewise be essentially square, but with a perimeter slightly smaller than the perimeter of the inner surface of the chamber.  
         [0028]    The actual cross section of the various fill chambers, in addition to the compression chambers, are what dictate the shape that is given to the formed block. For example, FIG. 3 shows such a block  70 , and which may be formed having the shown longitudinal groove  71 , along a bottom wall, while the projecting rib  72  are formed along the top wall. Thus, these types of shaped grooves and ribs are complimentary of each other, and can be matingly fitted together, when assembled into a building wall. Any type of mortar or other material may, or even may not, be used, to cement the blocks together, or they may simply interfit together, can be held in that position by means of the complimentary grooves and the ribs. In addition, the block is formed within the compression chamber, obviously, it may be desirable that such grooves and ribs are formed laterally along the sides of the chambers, so as not in interfere with the deposit of the material from the fill hopper  22 , as the blocks are being formed and compressed into their final configuration. Then, as stated, the ram can, and perhaps part of the fill chamber, in addition to the compression chamber, will have a similar cross section, so as to form the shape of the block as it is being compressed, within said compression chamber. In addition, as can be noted, the groove and rib formed in the block may contain shallow cavities, as at  73  and  74 , so that utility lines, reinforcing bars, electrical conduits, for other type of accessories that may be necessary for completing the construction of the building, in which the blocks of this invention are formed into a wall, can be located, for the convenience of the contractor.  
         [0029]    No cart  26  is required to operate the present invention, and no control panel  14  is required since the actuation switches in the switching module may be activated locally. In addition, other configurations incorporating the novel block making machine and method may be readily discerned by one of ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0030]    Variations or modifications to the subject matter of this invention may occur to those skilled in the art upon the review of the disclosure as provided herein. Such variations, if within the spirit of this invention, are intended to be encompassed within the scope of any claims to patent protection that are obtained herein. The description of the preferred embodiment, and the analysis of the invention as shown in the drawings, are set forth for illustrative purposes only.