Abstract:
A mold cleaning apparatus and method is provided for removing debris from an advancing masonry mold product. At least one rotatable tire is arranged at an acute angle to the masonry mold product and engages the mold product to provide a cleaning or scraping force to remove debris from the mold product. The cleaning force of the tire can be adjusted by changing the angle of the tire, the air pressure of the tire or the height of the tire relative to the mold surface. Multiple tires can be employed, while being rotated periodically to evenly distribute wear or replaced as needed.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention pertains to the art of molding and, more particularly, to a masonry mold cleaning apparatus and method. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In casting manufactured stone or brick, it is known to introduce a masonry product, such as pre-mixed concrete, into molds. Once the concrete is cured sufficiently, the manufactured stones are removed from the mold, leaving some hardened concrete residue behind. Before the mold can be utilized again, this hardened residue must be removed. Various manual methods have been utilized in the past to clean the molds, including chipping away at the concrete with a hammer and chisel. Such cleaning methods can be hazardous and time consuming. There is therefore seen to exist a need for a safer, more efficient and effective method of removing concrete residue from the molds. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention is directed to a mold cleaning apparatus and method utilizing tires. More specifically, a plurality of tires are supported in a freely rotating manner by axles extending from one or more supports. Masonry mold portions are advanced along guides past the mold cleaning apparatus. The tires are arranged at an acute angle to the direction of movement of the mold portions and engage the surfaces of the mold portions, thereby creating a cleaning force which scrapes masonry debris from the surfaces of the mold portions. 
         [0004]    In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the tires are connected to support structure through respective arms which can be adjusted to alter the angle of the tires with respect to the mold portions. Additionally, air supply hoses are connected to the tires and may be utilized to change the air pressure in the tires, thus changing the contact force between the tires and the mold portions. Further, adjustments can be made by raising or lowering the support structure with respect to the mold portions. The tires can be rotated periodically to evenly distribute wear on the tires and replaced with new tires when desired. 
         [0005]    In accordance with another embodiment of the invention wherein a corner mold having first and second relatively angled wall portions is produced, a first tire is adjusted for contacting and cleaning the first wall portion of the corner mold, while a second tire, arranged substantially perpendicular to the first tire, is adjusted for contacting and cleaning the second wall portion of the corner mold. In a corresponding manner, the present invention may be utilized with a number of mold configurations. 
         [0006]    Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective side view of the concrete mold cleaning apparatus of the present invention in a lowered, engaged position; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective front view of the concrete mold cleaning apparatus of  FIG. 1  in a raised, disengaged position; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the mold cleaning apparatus of the present invention in an engaged position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0010]    With initial reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a masonry mold cleaning apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention is generally indicated at  10 . Basically, the apparatus is intended to clean a masonry mold product such as a manufactured stone or brick wall strip made from pouring concrete into a mold. In general, apparatus  10  includes a main frame  14  having supports  18  and  19  which extend over a plurality of mold portions  20 A- 20 D. Mold portions  20 A- 20 D are movably mounted on guides, such as platforms indicated at  22 . At this point, it should be understood that guides  22  can take various forms, such that mold portions  20 A- 20 D could be moved upon flat plates, rollers, conveyor structure or the like without departing from the invention. More importantly, a plurality of tires  24 - 30  are mounted from supports  18  and  19  by respective arms  32 . More specifically, tires  24 - 30  are freely rotatably supported by axles  34  which extend substantially perpendicular from arms  32 , while each arm  32  is rotatably connected to a respective support  18 ,  19  through a rotatable mount  35 . In this manner, each tire  24 - 30  can be independently rotated about a substantially horizontal axis defined by a respective axle  34 , as well as independently adjusted about a substantially vertical axis by rotation of a respective arm  34  relative to supports  18  and  19 . In accordance with the invention, tires  24 - 30  may be any type of standard tire arrangement. Preferably, tires  24 - 30  constitute pneumatic, rubber tires mounted on rims, not labeled. In one embodiment, golf cart tires with standard rims are employed. 
         [0011]    In accordance with the invention as clearly shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , each tires  24 - 30  is positioned at an acute angle (preferably in the range of about 5-45 degrees) to the direction of travel of mold portions  20 A- 20 D. Since arms  32  are independently, rotatably mounted to respective supports  18  and  19 , the angle of tires  24 - 30  with respect to mold portions  20 A- 20 D can be selectively adjusted. As should be evident from the above, adjusting the angle of tires  24 - 30  with respect to mold portions  20 A- 20 D adjusts the amount of drag or friction created between the surface of a respective tire  24 - 30  and the surface of a respective mold portion  20 A- 20 D. With this configuration, a mold batch which results in particularly dirty mold portions  20 A- 20 D can be provided with the desired amount of cleaning force by adjusting the angle of tires  24 - 30 , thereby altering the effective scraping of the mold surfaces. 
         [0012]    The cleaning action of the apparatus of the invention can also be adjusted in additional ways. As indicated above, tires  24 - 30  are typically pneumatic. Along these lines, tires  24 - 30  are typically provided with respective air supply hoses  40  which are connected to a pneumatic source and controller (not shown). With this configuration, a user may adjust the air pressure in respective tires  24 - 30  as desired, thereby providing for additional control over the contact forces between the surfaces of tires  24 - 30  and mold portions  20 A- 20 D during a cleaning event. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an air pressure of at least about 15 psi is utilized for tires  24 - 30 . In addition, the preferred embodiment of the invention shown employs guides  22  including a brace  44  which fully supports mold portions  20 A- 20 D from below, thereby allowing the desired amount of pressure to be applied to the surface of mold portions  20 A- 20 D while preventing any bowing of mold portions  20 A- 20 D. In another embodiment the tire air pressure can be less than 15 psi. 
         [0013]    As a still further adjustment feature, apparatus  10  is vertically adjustable. More specifically, supports  18  and  19  of apparatus  10  can be selectively raised or lowered to reposition tires  24 - 30  vertically between an activated or engaged position with mold portions  20 A- 20 D as depicted in  FIG. 1  to a deactivated or disengaged position wherein tires  24 - 30  are spaced above mold portions  20 A- 20 D as shown in  FIG. 2 . To accomplish this shifting feature in accordance with an embodiment apparatus  10  includes a lifting device in the form of pneumatic cylinders  50  connected to a user control (not shown). Pneumatic cylinders  50  may also be utilize as a means for applying downward pressure to create a desired amount of cleaning contact between tires  24 - 30  and mold portions  20 A- 20 D. 
         [0014]    In use, a hydraulic pusher (not shown) is operated to advance mold portions  20 A- 20 D along guides  22  and past apparatus  10 . As the surfaces of tires  24 - 30  contact the surfaces of mold portions  20 A- 20 D, masonry residue, indicated at  60  in  FIG. 2 , is scraped from mold portions  20 A- 20 D, whereupon the residue  60  falls to a lower level  64 . Lower level  64  is preferably easily accessible in order to provide for easy clean-up. By the use of apparatus  10 , tires  24 - 30  will certainly show wear over time. Therefore, it is desirable to periodic rotate tires  24 - 30  in order to distribute the wear more evenly along the surface of the tires  24 - 30 . After tires  24 - 30  have obtained a certain amount of wear, or when otherwise desirable, tires  24 - 30  may be replaced with a new set of tires. 
         [0015]    Although shown in use with flat mold portions  20 A- 20 D in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the present invention can also be utilized with corner mold portions  100 A and  100 B as depicted in  FIG. 3 . As shown, each of corner mold portions  100 A and  100 B includes a first wall portion  10 ,  111  and a second wall portion  112 ,  113 . More specifically, supports  118 - 120  carry respective tires  124 - 127  above mold portions  100 A and  100 B, such that tires  124  and  125  engage respective first wall portions  110  and  111  and tires  126  and  127  engage respective second wall portions  112  and  113 . More specifically, each tire  124 - 127  is freely rotatably mounted on a respective axle  134  suspended from a support  118 - 120  through an arm  140 . Each arm  140  is defined by two telescoping tubes  141  and  142 , with tube  141  being fixed to a respective support  18  and  120  and telescopingly receiving tube  142 . In order to provide for angle and engagement force adjustments, tube  142  can be slid into and out of, as well as rotated within, tube  141 . Once a desired position is established for a given wheel  124 - 127 , tubes  141  and  142  are fixed relative to each other. This function can be performed in a number of ways however, in the embodiment shown, a plurality of threaded fasteners or bolts  143  are threadably engaged with tube  141  and can be selectively tightened against tube  142 . 
         [0016]    In addition, in a manner corresponding to that set forth above with respect to the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , supports  118 - 121  can be pneumatically or otherwise shifted relative to the mold portions  100 A and  100 B to further varying the engagement force between tires  124 - 127  and mold portions  100 A and  100 B. For instance, a manual adjusting arrangement, such as a crank arm system, could be employed for this purpose. As with the first embodiment, tires  124 - 127  and wheels  136  may be any type of standard wheel and tire arrangement. Tires  124 - 127  are mounted at an acute angle to the direction of travel of mold portions  100 A and  100 B, with the angling of tires  124 - 127  being adjustable, depending on the amount of cleaning force desired. In any case, during a cleaning operation, mold portions  100 A and  100 B are advanced in a direction indicated by the arrows in  FIG. 3  by pushers  144 , tires  124 - 127  engage the surface of mold portions  100 A and  100 B, and a shearing force which scrapes debris  60  from mold portions  100 A and  100 B is applied. 
         [0017]    Although described with reference to preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be readily understood that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For instance, although depicted with a specific number and relative size of tires, it should be understood that any desired number and size of tires can be utilized for cleaning any desired number of mold portions. In addition, additional cleaning structure could be further employed, such as a wiping system in the form of a rubber, steel or the like headed brush, and/or a spray washing system. In general, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.