Enhanced release compression shoe for use with concrete product forming machines
AssigneeColumbia Machine, Inc.
InventorLlewellyn L. Johnston
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A compression shoe for use on a concrete products forming machine comprises a main body and a plated layer overlaid on the main body. The main body is configured to be slidingly received within a mold cavity of a concrete products mold. The plated layer overlaid on the main body of the compression shoe comprises a uniform electroless nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nano dispersion coating to effect enhanced material release characteristics by preventing the build-up of material on the compression shoes and enhancing their wear characteristics.
Claims17
A method for forming a compression shoe for a concrete products machine comprising the steps of:
- providing a compression shoe having a main body configured to be slidingly received within a mold cavity of a concrete products mold;
- and
- utilizing a plated layer overlaid on the main body of the compression shoe comprising an electroless nickel (Ni), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nano dispersion coating.
A compression shoe for use on a concrete products forming machine, the compression shoe comprising:
- a main body configured to be slidingly received within a mold cavity of a concrete products mold;
- and
- a plated layer overlaid on the main body of the compression shoe comprising an electroless nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nano dispersion coating.
A method for making a molded concrete product within a mold box of a type having an array of cavities, the method comprising:
- lifting a pallet against an underside of the mold box so that it seals bottom openings of the mold box cavities;
- filling the array of cavities within a mold box with concrete material;
- inserting compression shoes into top openings of the mold box cavities so that bottom surfaces of the compression shoes rest against and compress the top surface of the concrete material within the array of cavities, the bottom surface having a plating layer in contact with the concrete product formed of electroless nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE);
- lowering the compression shoes and pallet together so that the concrete material is pressed in molded fashion out the bottom openings of the mold box cavities;
- and
- lifting the compression shoes back out through the top openings of the mold box cavities once the molded concrete products are completely moved out from the cavities and onto the pallet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.