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US 4,067,766 AGranted
Automatic building block laying panel-forming machine and method
OwnerGeorge K. Largerinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerGeorge K. Largerinventor
Estimating the term…
A machine for automatically laying building blocks and the like into a panel. It includes a supply conveyor for feeding a predetermined number of blocks into the machine in proper sequence to form a course, the blocks standing on end. An in-feed support conveyor receives the blocks while still in upright position. A feeder carriage reciprocates over the in-feed conveyor and carries flow-guns for applying adhesive to the exposed upper ends of the blocks and to the exposed edges of the blocks at different times. The carriage is provided with clamps which, as the carriage advances, successively clamp the blocks for pivotal movement about transverse axes. Beyond the in-feed conveyor, is a course-forming and supporting conveyor which is transversely arranged relative to the in-feed conveyor and, over which the carriage advances, which has pairs of parallel guides for receiving the clamped blocks on the feeder carriage. As the blocks are moved by the advancing carriage into a pair of the aligned guides, they are tilted into horizontal positions, by movement about the transverse clamp axes, and arranged in the guides as a horizontal row of spaced blocks, and are later released by the clamps. The released blocks are slidably pushed together in the guides and centered relative to the conveyor by ram units so that they will adhere as a horizontal course. The course-forming and supporting guide conveyor is advanced inwardly or rearwardly intermittently to advance the formed course successively into engagement with a transfer unit which reciprocates rearwardly and forwardly above the conveyor to successively grip the adhered courses, and at the same time to align other pairs of guides successively with the rows of blocks supplied by the feeder carriage. The transfer unit moves the formed courses successively over a panel-support elevator where they are released, the elevator being lowered gradually so that the courses are laid thereon, with the courses then adhering to form a panel. Automatic programming and timing controls are provided for bringing about all of the operations in proper sequence.
The method of automatically laying building blocks into a panel of superimposed courses which comprises positioning on a feeder conveyor successive rows of blocks with each block resting on end on the conveyor and with the successive rows consisting of a predetermined number and type of blocks to form a desired course, advancing the feeder conveyor towards a course-forming conveyor which moves at a right-angle thereto and which is provided with course-forming guides for receiving the advanced blocks, clamping the blocks of each row supported on the feeder conveyor while upright to suspend them for turning about a transverse axis and turning them 90.degree. about said axis while they are advanced toward and into the guides and arranging them in end-to-end spaced relationship in the guides, pushing the blocks of the row in the guides together in end-to-end contact to form a course, and clamping the formed course and moving it over an elevator onto which the formed course is released and positioned for support by the elevator.
A machine for automatically laying building blocks into a panel of superimposed courses comprising an in-feed conveyor upon which successive rows of blocks are positioned with each block resting on end on the conveyor and with the successive rows consisting of a predetermined number and type of blocks to form a desired course, means for advancing the in-feed conveyor, a course-forming conveyor which is provided with successive guide channels to align with the in-feed conveyor to receive from the in-feed conveyor blocks of a row, fed thereby, means for successively clamping the blocks of each row supported by the in-feed conveyor and advancing them towards and into the aligned guide channel of the course-forming conveyor where they will be arranged into end-to-end relationship to form a course, and transfer means for gripping the formed course and depositing it on a suitable support, said course-forming conveyor being provided with successive guides which form said successive guide channels movable by the conveyor to successively align with the course, said means for clamping the successive blocks of each row supported by the in-feed conveyor and advancing them towards the guides of the course-forming conveyor having means cooperating therewith to turn the successively-clamped blocks 90.degree. so that they will be arranged on the guides in end-to-end relationship, means for moving the blocks of each row on the guides together in end-to-end contact to form a course, said transfer means comprising a transfer unit for clamping the formed course in the guides, and said suitable support comprising an elevator over which the transfer unit moves to release and position the formed course thereon and which can be lowered to receive successive formed courses of blocks transferred thereto.
A machine for automatically laying building blocks into a panel of superimposed courses comprising an in-feed conveyor upon which successive rows of blocks are positioned with the successive rows consisting of a predetermined number and type of blocks to form a desired course, means for advancing the in-feed conveyor, a course-forming conveyor which is provided with successive guide channels to successively align with the in-feed conveyor to receive from the in-feed conveyor blocks of a row, fed thereby, means for successively clamping the blocks of each row supported by the in-feed conveyor and advancing them towards and into the aligned guide channel of the course-forming conveyor where they will be arranged into end-to-end relationship to form a course, and transfer means for gripping the formed course and depositing it on a suitable support, said course-forming conveyor being provided with successive guides which form said successive guide channels movable by the conveyor to successively align with the course, means for advancing said course-forming conveyor step-by-step in timed relationship to the advance of said clamping means, means for moving the blocks of each row on the guides together in end-to-end contact to form the course, said transfer means comprising a transfer unit for clamping the formed course in the guides, means for operating the transfer means in timed relationship to said course-forming conveyor course, said suitable support comprising an elevator over which the transfer unit moves to release and position the formed course thereon and which can be lowered to receive successive formed courses of blocks transferred thereto, and means for operating said elevator in timed relationship to said transfer means.
A machine according to claim 96 in which said circuit includes limit switches mounted on various units of the machine and a programmed timer connected in the circuit for controlling the solenoids of the various valves and the various drive motors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.