US 5,688,096 A · Tray for carrying concrete blocks and system for handling and curing concrete blocks adapted thereto

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tray for carrying a plurality of pallets loaded with several concrete blocks. The tray is a rectangular frame defining an upper surface, front and rear ends and upwardly-projecting flanges at both front and rear ends. The tray is adapted to receive the loaded pallets on its upper surface between the flanges. The invention further relates to a system adapted to carry the loaded tray through a block curing kiln. The kiln is composed of a plurality of longitudinal cells, as is already known, and the pallet-loaded trays are inserted in a consecutive linear abutment fashion in the cells. The relatively high flanges of each tray thus abut on one another, which prevents the overlapping of the trays, and thus prevents the damaging in this way of the concrete blocks. The system for carrying the concrete blocks includes a kiln, a tray loader for loading the pallets on the trays and a tray stripper for unloading them, an elevator-pusher for loading the trays in the kiln and an elevator-puller for unloading them, and a pallet stripper. The system further includes a pallet conveyor for conveying the pallets sequentially from the tray stripper to the pallet stripper, to a molding machine and to the tray loader. The system also includes a tray conveyor for conveying the trays sequentially from the elevator-puller to the tray stripper, to the tray loader and to the elevator-pusher.

Claims15

Dependent claims

In combination, a plurality of rectangular article-carrying pallets of equal size and at least a first and a second tray for carrying said article-carrying pallets, each said tray comprising a rectangular frame having a longitudinal axis and defining a bottom load-bearing wall having a flat lower surface and an upper surface, two sides and two ends, end flanges upstanding from said upper surface along said ends with said upper surface defining a flat plane between said end flanges, said end flanges normal to said longitudinal axis and to said load-bearing wall, said tray dimensioned to receive on said upper surface up to a set number of said article-carrying pallets in side by side and contiguous positions, said end flanges defining flat, complementary outer surfaces extending upwardly from said load-bearing wall flat lower surface and being in direct, orthogonal relationship therewith for flat and stable abutment of the outer surface of one end flange of said first tray against the outer surface of one end flange of said second tray to prevent accidental overlapping of said first and second trays when said first tray pushes said second tray in the direction of their longitudinal axes.

In combination, a concrete blocks handling and curing system, a plurality of rectangular article-carrying pallets of equal size adapted to be loaded with concrete blocks and a plurality of trays for carrying said rectangular pallets, each said tray comprising a rectangular frame having a longitudinal axis and defining a bottom load-bearing wall having a flat lower surface and an upper surface, two sides and two ends, end flanges upstanding from said upper surface along said ends with said upper surface being flat between said end flanges, said end flanges defining flat, complementary outer surfaces normal to said longitudinal axis, extending upwardly from said load-bearing wall flat lower surface and being in direct, orthogonal relationship therewith for flat and stable abutment of the outer surface of one end flange of a first said tray against the outer surface of one end flange of a second said tray to prevent accidental overlapping of said first and second trays when said first tray pushes said second tray in the direction of their longitudinal axes, said tray dimensioned to receive on said upper surface a set number of pallets in side by side and contiguous positions, said system comprising:

a) a tray loader, for loading said set number of pallets on each of said trays;
b) a kiln, for curing said concrete blocks;
c) kiln loading means, for loading said trays into said kiln;
d) kiln unloading means, for unloading said trays from said kiln;
e) a tray stripper, for unloading said pallets from said tray;
and
f) conveying means, for carrying said trays sequentially from said kiln unloading means to said tray stripper, to said tray loader and to said kiln loading means.

4 more elements

In combination, a concrete blocks handling and curing system and a plurality of trays for carrying rectangular pallets loaded with concrete blocks, each said tray comprising a rectangular frame having a longitudinal axis and defining an upper surface, two sides and two ends, end flanges upstanding from said upper surface along said ends with said upper surface being flat between said end flanges, said end flanges defining complementary outer surfaces normal to said longitudinal axis and to said frame, said tray dimensioned to receive on said upper surface a set number of pallets in side by side and contiguous positions, said frame having a number of throughways for partly underlying the pallets carried by said tray, said system comprising:

a) a tray loader, for loading a set number of the pallets on each of said trays;
b) a kiln, for curing said concrete blocks;
c) kiln loading means, for loading said trays into said kiln;
d) kiln unloading means, for unloading said trays from said kiln;
e) a tray stripper, for unloading the pallets from said tray;
and
f) conveying means, for carrying said trays sequentially from said kiln unloading means to said tray stripper, to said tray loader and to said kiln loading means;
said tray loader comprising:
g) first accumulating means for accumulating said set number of pallets in contiguous fashion;
h) first elevating means vertically moveable between a first position and a second position, adapted to spacedly carry said pallets and deposit the pallets in the trays;
i) first loading means, for loading said set number of pallets from said first accumulating means onto said first elevating means;
and
j) first transfer means, for transferring said tray full of pallets from said first elevating means to said first conveying means.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Tray for carrying concrete blocks and system for handling and curing concrete blocks adapted thereto

Life of this patent

Tray for carrying concrete blocks and system for handling and curing concrete blocks adapted thereto

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15