Apparatus for producing shaped concrete products

Apparatus for producing shaped concrete products, comprising:

• a. a support frame having a vertically disposed tower portion and a horizontally extending portion;
• b. a concrete mold operatively associated with said frame having an inner form wall and an outer form wall spaced apart to define the vertical shape of a concrete product to be formed, said mold being open at the top and bottom thereof and also having withdrawable support means at the bottom of said mold for providing vertical support to a shaped product within said mold and for selectively withdrawing support from the shaped product to allow release thereof from the bottom of said mold;
• c. mold carrier means, supported for vertical movement by said vertically disposed tower portion of said support frame, for selectively engaging and grasping said mold and carrying said mold in vertical movement therewith, and for selectively releasing said mold;
• d. carriage means, supported for horizontal movement by said horizontally extending portion of said support frame, and including a forming table adapted to provide vertical support to said mold and to fluid concrete therein;
• and
• e. compaction means, supported by said tower portion of said frame for vertical movement above said mold and including a compaction member substantially conforming in shape to the spacing between said inner and outer form walls of said mold, said compaction means adapted to selectively insert said compaction member into said mold and into contact with fluid concrete therein to apply pressure to the concrete.

Apparatus for producing shaped concrete products, comprising:

• a. a support frame having a vertically extending tower portion and a horizontally extending portion, said horizontally extending portion including a pair of horizontally disposed side rails;
• b. a concrete mold operatively associated with said frame having an inner form wall and an outer form wall spaced apart to define the vertical shape of a concrete product to be formed, said mold being open at the top and bottom thereof and having a plurality of notches in said form walls at the top thereof with each said notch having a horizontally disposed slot portion, said mold also having withdrawable support means at the bottom thereof for providing vertical support to a shaped product within said mold and for selectively withdrawing support from the shaped product to allow release thereof from the bottom of said mold;
• c. a carriage having wheels in rolling engagement with said side rails, said wheels supporting said carriage for horizontal movement, said carriage including a forming table adapted to provide vertical support to said mold and to fluid concrete therein;
• d. a mold carrier having horizontally movable pick-up arm members with horizontally extending grasping finger members thereon, said grasping finger members being adapted to fit into said notches in said form walls of said mold and to hold said mold for vertical support thereof when said pick-up arm members are moved to their closed positions wherein said finger members are inserted into the slot portion of said notches in said form walls;
• e. a compaction member substantially conforming in shape to the spacing between said inner and outer form walls of said mold and adapted to be inserted into said mold to contact and apply pressure to fluid concrete therein;
• f. means operatively associated with said mold carrier for mounting said compaction member to said mold carrier such that said compaction member will be provided vertical support by said mold carrier when said compaction member is not in contact with fluid concrete in said mold and will move vertically with said mold carrier;
• g. carriage drive means operatively associated with said frame for driving said carriage between a forming position, wherein said forming table is located beneath said mold carrier, and a withdrawn position wherein the carriage does not interfere with the vertical movement of said mold and said mold carrier;
• and
• h. mold carrier drive means supported by said vertical tower portion of said frame and operatively associated with said mold carrier for providing vertical support to said mold carrier and for driving said mold carrier vertically between a top position, wherein said mold carrier does not interfere with horizontal movement of said carriage and said mold supported on said forming table, an intermediate forming position, wherein said mold carrier holds said mold in place during compaction of concrete in said mold by said compaction member, and a bottom unloading position, wherein the shaped concrete product may be released from the bottom of said mold without interference by said carriage and forming table.

A mold for forming shaped concrete products, comprising:

• a. an outer form wall having a selected vertical shape to thereby define the exterior vertical shape of a concrete product to be shaped within the mold;
• b. an inner form wall spaced inwardly from said outer form wall having a selected vertical shape to thereby define the interior vertical shape of a concrete product to be shaped within the mold;
• c. horizontally disposed substantially flat support plates which may be extended at least partially across the space between said inner and outer form walls at the bottom of said mold;
• d. means mounted to said inner form wall and operatively associated with said support plates for mounting said support plates to said inner form wall to allow inward and outward horizontal movement of said support plates while providing vertical support to said support plates;
• and
• e. means operatively associated with said inner form wall for selectively driving said support plates between an extended position, wherein they partially block the bottom of said mold to provide vertical support to a shaped concrete product within said mold, and a withdrawn position wherein the support plates do not obstruct the bottom of said mold.