Automating bricklaying

In machinery for laying bricks, means for placing mortar on an upper exposed surface of brick masonry, comprising:

• a mortar-dispensing mechanism comprising:
• (a) a form for receiving and shaping a charge of the mortar, the form comprising an opening for discharging the shaped charge,
• (b) a gate mechanism having a closed orientation in which the gate mechanism closes the discharge opening and an open orientation in which the gate mechanism releases the shaped mortar charge through the discharge opening, and
• (c) controllable means for displacing the gate mechanism between its open and closed orientations;
• and,
• means for positioning the mortar-dispensing mechanism over the brick masonry.

A mechanism for use in placing bricks on brick masonry, the mechanism comprising a frame, a support, means for displacing the support relative to the frame, a tool assembly comprising at least a controllable brick-gripping mechanism, and an arm assembly, the arm assembly comprising:

• a first arm member with first and second end portions;
• a second arm member with first and second end portions;
• means defining a first pivot joint between the first end portion of the first arm member and the support, the first pivot joint permitting the first arm member to pivot relative to the support about a first generally horizontal pivot axis;
• motor means for pivoting the first arm member about the first pivot axis relative to the support;
• means defining a second pivot joint between the first end portion of the second arm member and the second end portion of the first arm member, the second pivot joint permitting the second arm member to pivot about a second generally horizontal pivot axis relative to the first arm member, the second pivot axis being substantially parallel to the first pivot axis;
• and,
• means defining a third pivot joint between the tool assembly and the second end portion of the second arm member, the third pivot joint permitting the tool assembly to pivot about a third generally horizontal pivot axis relative to the second arm member, the third pivot axis being substantially parallel to the first and second pivot axes;
• linkage means constraining pivoting movement of the arm members such that the third pivot joint displaces substantially along an axis extending perpendicularly through the first pivot axis in response to pivoting of the first arm member about the first pivot axis.

Apparatus for use in placing a brick on brick masonry and responsive to a horizontally-extending datum above the brick masonry, comprising:

• a guideway;
• a carriage displaceable horizontally along the guideway;
• a controllable brick-gripping mechanism for receiving and releasably gripping the brick;
• displacing means mounted to the carriage for displacing the brick-gripping mechanism relative to the carriage;
• first sensing means responsive to operation of the displacing means for sensing the horizontal distance between the brick-gripping mechanism and the carriage;
• second sensing means mounted to the carriage for sensing the horizontal distance between the carriage and the datum;
• and,
• control means for operating the displacing means in response to the first and second sensing means to position the gripped brick on the brick masonry.

Apparatus for use in placing bricks on brick masonry, comprising:

• a guideway;
• a brick carrier comprising a first carriage, a brick retaining structure mounted on the first carriage for retaining bricks in a predetermined orientation, means mounting the first carriage to the guideway for displacement horizontally along the guideway, and first carriage-displacing means for displacing the first carriage horizontally along the guideway;
• a bricklaying assembly comprising a second carriage, means mounting the second carriage to the guideway for displacement horizontally along the guideway, second carriage-displacing means for displacing the second carriage along the guideway, and a robotic mechanism mounted on the second carriage, the robotic mechanism including a tool assembly comprising a at least a controllable brick-gripping mechanism and tool-displacing means for displacing the tool assembly, when the first carriage is in a predetermined brick-transferring position relative to the second carriage, between the brick-retaining structure to receive a brick retained by the brick-retaining structure and the brick masonry to place the received brick on the brick masonry;
• sensing means for sensing the position of each of the first and second carriages on the guideway;
• and,
• control means for operating the first carriage-displacing means responsive to the sensing means to displace the first carriage to and from the brick-transferring position.