System and method for coloring top surface of claddings and concrete paving stones
AssigneeAckerstein Industries Ltd.
InventorGideon Argaman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for spraying fluid phase color is integrated into a cladding manufacturing machine and synchronized with the manufacturing process. The apparatus is attached to the basket through which the concrete of the claddings is poured into a mould; color spraying initiates after completing the concrete filling phase of the manufacturing of the cladding and the basket retreats to its starting point. Color guns, attached to the basket, connect to color buckets and pump and condensed air pumps to deliver sprayed fluid color onto the top surface of the claddings. A control unit controls the color spraying via a sequential, parallel or pre-selected program or set of values of parameters that determine the final design or pattern on the claddings surface.
Claims19
An integrated machine for manufacturing claddings and integrated coloring top surface of said claddings, said integrated machine comprising:
- a cladding manufacturing machine comprising:
- at least one basket, funnel and hopper for filling, delivering and pouring dry concrete, said at least one basket is movable along a selected path;
- a mould for receiving said concrete from said at least one basket;
- a vibrating table;
- a vibrator below said vibrating table and in mechanical contact with said vibrating table;
- a production board that carries said mould on it and that lays on said vibrating table and in friction contact with said vibrating table for vibrating said production board and mould and said concrete in said mould;
- and
- a tamper head for pressing defined cladding units of said concrete in said mould;
- and
- a color spraying apparatus comprising:
- color spraying guns attached to said at least one basket for spraying fluid phase color mass on top surface of an upper layer of said claddings;
- a container for holding said fluid phase color mass;
- a mixer for mixing said fluid phase color mass;
- at least one pipe fluidly connecting said container with said color spraying guns;
- and
- a pump for moving said phase color mass through said at least one pipe,
- wherein said spraying guns are inclined at an angle greater than zero relative to an axis perpendicular to said top surface of said claddings,
- wherein air pressure is controlled and regulated by valves for spraying said color mass off of said spraying guns, said air pressure meeting the fluid phase color mass at the spraying guns to break the fluid phase mass into droplets,
- wherein said vibrator vibrates said vibrating table at an intensity to embed the droplets of said fluid phase color mass inside said top surface of said claddings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.