An apparatus for moulding a plurality of bricks

Abstract

An apparatus (10) for moulding a plurality of bricks is provided The apparatus includes a hopper (20) to receive raw materials. The apparatus includes a driven pulley to rotate corresponding to the rotation of a driver pulley. The apparatus includes at least one screw conveyor (30) to dispense the one or more raw materials from the hopper. The apparatus includes a mould unit (40). The mould unit includes a wheel (50) including moulds (60) to receive the one or more raw materials dispensed by the at least one screw conveyor. The mould unit includes a plate (80) to move bidirectionally between a bottom dead center of the moulds and a top dead center of the moulds. The mould unit includes a corresponding vertical post (120) including a corresponding roller (130) to push the corresponding plate (80) to expel the plurality of bricks from the plurality of moulds.

Description

[0001] AN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING A PLURALITY OF BRICKS

[0002] EARLIEST PRIORITY DATE

[0003] This Application claims priority from a Complete patent application filed in India having Patent Application No. 202411008398 filed on 07th day of February 2024 and titled AN APPARATUS FOR MOULDING A PLURALITY OF BRICKS.

[0004] FIELD OF INVENTION

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of manufacturing shaped articles and more particularly to an apparatus for moulding a plurality of bricks.

[0006] BACKGROUND

[0007] A brick is a rectangular block of clay used for building purposes. The brick is made from clay and is fired in kilns to achieve required strength and durability. Manufacturing of the brick involves various steps, including mining the clay, preparing the clay, moulding the clay into the brick, drying the brick and firing the brick.

[0008] Currently, various types of moulding machines are used to mould the brick. Requirement of manual labour to feed the clay into the moulding machines makes the moulding process a laborious task. Also, the moulding machines fail to mould the clay into the brick having regular size and shape, thereby leading to improper moulding. Further, the moulding machines are incapable of maintaining spacing between the brick, thereby making the drying of the brick and the firing of the brick challenging. Also, the moulding machines are incapable of working in multiple terrains, thereby restricting application of the moulding machines to a specific terrain. Further, the process of unloading the bricks which are moulded from the moulding machines is labour intensive.

[0009] Hence, there is a need for an improved apparatus for moulding a plurality of bricks to address the aforementioned issue(s).

[0010] OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION An objective of the invention is to provide an apparatus for moulding a plurality of bricks along with a provision of modifying spacing between the plurality of bricks.

[0011] BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0012] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus for moulding a plurality of bricks is provided. The apparatus includes a hopper positioned on a chassis. The hopper is adapted to receive one or more raw materials. The apparatus also includes a driver pulley positioned adjacent to the hopper. The driver pulley is adapted to rotate corresponding to rotation of a drive shaft coupled to an engine. The apparatus further includes a driven pulley connected to the driver pulley. The driven pulley is adapted to rotate corresponding to the rotation of the driver pulley. The apparatus also includes at least one screw conveyor coupled to the driven pulley and positioned in the hopper. The at least one screw conveyor is adapted to dispense the one or more raw materials from the hopper by rotating corresponding to the rotation of the driven pulley. The apparatus also includes a mould unit positioned adjacent to the at least one screw conveyor. The mould unit includes a wheel comprising a plurality of moulds positioned on an outer periphery of the wheel. The plurality of moulds are adapted to receive the one or more raw materials dispensed by the at least one screw conveyor upon rotating the wheel about an axle of the wheel. The mould unit also includes a plate disposed in each of the plurality of moulds and connected to the wheel through a corresponding plurality of springs. The plate is adapted to move bidirectionally between a bottom dead center of the corresponding plurality of moulds and a top dead center of the corresponding plurality of moulds. The mould unit also includes a corresponding vertical post connected to a distal end of each of the plate. The corresponding vertical post includes a corresponding roller adapted to push the corresponding plate from the bottom dead center of the corresponding plurality of moulds to the top dead center of the corresponding plurality of moulds to expel the plurality of bricks from the plurality of moulds when the corresponding roller traverse towards a pointed edge of an at least one angle piece located inside the wheel through a first edge of the at least one angle piece, thereby moulding the plurality of bricks.

[0013] To further clarify the advantages and features of the present disclosure, a more explicit description of the disclosure will follow by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended figures. It is to be appreciated that these figures depict typical embodiments of the disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting in scope. The disclosure will be described and explained with additional details with the appended figures.

[0014] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying figures in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an apparatus for moulding a plurality of bricks in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 1, depicting a corresponding plurality of springs, a vertical post, a corresponding roller, and an at least one angle piece in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 1, depicting front view of a wheel in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0019] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 1, depicting sideview of a conveyor belt in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the figures by conventional symbols, and the figures may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the figures with details that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] To promote an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the figures and specific language will be used to describe them. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the disclosure as would normally occur to those skilled in the art are to be construed as being within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0023] The terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such a process or method. Similarly, one or more devices or sub-systems or elements or structures or components preceded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices, sub-systems, elements, structures, components, additional devices, additional sub-systems, additional elements, additional structures, or additional components. Appearances of the phrase "in an embodiment", "in another embodiment" and similar language throughout this specification may, but not necessarily do, all refer to the same embodiment.

[0024] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting.

[0025] In the following specification and the claims, reference will be made to a number of terms, which shall be defined to have the following meanings. The singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0026] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus for moulding a plurality of bricks. The apparatus includes a hopper positioned on a chassis. The hopper is adapted to receive one or more raw materials. The apparatus also includes a driver pulley positioned adjacent to the hopper. The driver pulley is adapted to rotate corresponding to rotation of a drive shaft coupled to an engine. The apparatus further includes a driven pulley connected to the driver pulley. The driven pulley is adapted to rotate corresponding to the rotation of the driver pulley. The apparatus also includes at least one screw conveyor coupled to the driven pulley and positioned in the hopper. The at least one screw conveyor is adapted to dispense the one or more raw materials from the hopper by rotating corresponding to the rotation of the driven pulley. The apparatus also includes a mould unit positioned adjacent to the at least one screw conveyor. The mould unit includes a wheel comprising a plurality of moulds positioned on an outer periphery of the wheel. The plurality of moulds are adapted to receive the one or more raw materials dispensed by the at least one screw conveyor upon rotating the wheel about an axle of the wheel. The mould unit also includes a plate disposed in each of the plurality of moulds and connected to the wheel through a corresponding plurality of springs. The plate is adapted to move bidirectionally between a bottom dead center of the corresponding plurality of moulds and a top dead center of the corresponding plurality of moulds. The mould unit also includes a corresponding vertical post connected to a distal end of each of the plate. The corresponding vertical post includes a corresponding roller adapted to push the corresponding plate from the bottom dead center of the corresponding plurality of moulds to the top dead center of the corresponding plurality of moulds to expel the plurality of bricks from the plurality of moulds when the corresponding roller traverse towards a pointed edge of an at least one angle piece located inside the wheel through a first edge of the at least one angle piece, thereby moulding the plurality of bricks.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an apparatus (10) for moulding a plurality of bricks in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus (10) includes a hopper (20) positioned on a chassis (230). In one embodiment, the chassis may include a plurality of tires (200) adapted to move the chassis (230) from one place to another. In a specific embodiment, the chassis (230) may include an actuator (210) adapted to adjust a clearance between the chassis (230) and the plurality of tires (200) to maneuver the chassis (230) through one or more terrains. In such an embodiment, the actuator (210) may be controlled by a controller (250) positioned on the chassis (230). In one embodiment, the actuator (210) may include a pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic actuator, and the like. In one embodiment, the chassis (230) may be coupled to a tractor to move the chassis (230) from one place to another.

[0028] Further, the hopper (20) is adapted to receive one or more raw materials. In one embodiment, the one or more raw materials may include clay. The apparatus (10) also includes a driver pulley (not shown in FIG. 1) positioned adjacent to the hopper (20). The driver pulley is adapted to rotate corresponding to rotation of a drive shaft (not shown in FIG. 1) coupled to an engine (not shown in FIG. 1). In one embodiment, the engine may be connected to the driver pulley through a gear box (190) adapted to adjust speed of rotation of the driver pulley.

[0029] Furthermore, the apparatus (10) further includes a driven pulley (not shown in FIG. 1) connected to the driver pulley. In some embodiments, the driver pulley and the driven pulley may be positioned inside the hopper (20). In a specific embodiment, the driver pulley and the driven pulley may be positioned outside the hopper (20). The driven pulley is adapted to rotate corresponding to the rotation of the driver pulley. The apparatus (10) also includes at least one screw conveyor (30) coupled to the driven pulley and positioned in the hopper (20).

[0030] Moreover, the at least one screw conveyor (30) is adapted to dispense the one or more raw materials from the hopper (20) by rotating corresponding to the rotation of the driven pulley. The apparatus (10) also includes a mould unit (40) positioned adjacent to the at least one screw conveyor (30). The mould unit (40) includes a wheel (50) including a plurality of moulds (60) positioned on an outer periphery of the wheel (50). In one embodiment, the wheel (50) may be adapted to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction.

[0031] Additionally, in some embodiments, the wheel (50) may be adapted to rotate in a clockwise direction. The plurality of moulds (60) are adapted to receive the one or more raw materials dispensed by the at least one screw conveyor (30) upon rotating the wheel (50) about an axle (70) of the wheel (50). The mould unit (40) also includes a plate (80) disposed in each of the plurality of moulds (60) and connected to the wheel (50) through a corresponding plurality of springs (FIG. 2, (90)). In one embodiment, the corresponding plurality of springs (FIG. 2, (90)) may be connected to a distal end of the wheel (50). In a specific embodiment, the engine may be connected to the wheel (50) through the gear box (190) adapted to adjust speed of rotation of the wheel (50) to modify spacing between the plurality of bricks moulded.

[0032] Also, in one embodiment, the mould unit (40) may include a blade (170) located at a predefined clearance from the wheel (50) and mounted parallel to the axle of the wheel (50). In such an embodiment, the blade (170) is adapted to remove the one or more raw materials projecting outside from the plurality of moulds (60) during rotation of the wheel (50). In some embodiments, the mould unit (40) may include a conveyor belt (180) positioned below the blade (170). In such an embodiment, the mould unit (40) may be adapted to transport the one or more raw materials removed by the blade (170) to the hopper (20). Further, the plate (80) is adapted to move bidirectionally between a bottom dead center (100) of the corresponding plurality of moulds (60) and a top dead center (110) of the corresponding plurality of moulds (60).

[0033] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the apparatus (10) of FIG. 1, depicting the corresponding plurality of springs (90), a vertical post (120), a corresponding roller (130), and an at least one angle piece (150) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The mould unit (40) also includes a corresponding vertical post (120) connected to the distal end of each of the plate (80). The corresponding vertical post (120) includes a corresponding roller (130) adapted to push the corresponding plate (80) from the bottom dead center (100) of the corresponding plurality of moulds (60) to the top dead center (110) of the corresponding plurality of moulds (60) to expel the plurality of bricks from the plurality of moulds (60) when the corresponding roller (130) traverse towards a pointed edge (140) of an at least one angle piece (150) located inside the wheel (50) through a first edge (160) of the at least one angle piece (150), thereby moulding the plurality of bricks.

[0034] Further, in one embodiment, the plurality of springs (90) are adapted to move the corresponding plate (80) from the top dead center (110) of the corresponding plurality of moulds (60) to the bottom dead center (100) of the corresponding plurality of moulds (60) to receive the one or more raw materials when the corresponding roller (130) traverse away from the pointed edge (140) of the at least one angled piece through a second edge (220) of the angle piece (150).

[0035] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the apparatus of FIG. 1, depicting front view of the wheel (50) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Details of the wheel (50) is provided along with the FIG. 1 description.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of the apparatus (10) of FIG. 1, depicting sideview of the conveyor belt (180) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Details of the conveyor belt (180) is provided along with the FIG. 1 description. In one embodiment, a cover (240) may be used to protect the wheel (50) from weathering.

[0037] Various embodiments of the apparatus for moulding a plurality of bricks described above enable various advantages. Provision of the hopper, the driver pulley, the driven pulley and the at least one screw conveyor are capable of feeding the one or more raw materials into the plurality of moulds, thereby eliminating the requirement of manual labour. The plurality of moulds and the blade are capable of moulding the one or more raw materials into the plurality of bricks having regular shape and size, thereby assisting proper moulding. The blade is capable of removing the one or more raw materials projecting outside from the plurality of moulds, thereby providing superior finish to the plurality of bricks.

[0038] Further, the gearbox associated with the engine is capable of adjusting the speed of rotation of the wheel to modify spacing between the plurality of bricks moulded, thereby making the drying of the plurality of bricks and the firing of the plurality of bricks easy. The actuator is capable of adjusting the clearance between the chassis and a plurality of tires, thereby helping the chassis to maneuver through one or more terrains. The corresponding vertical post and the associated roller are capable of pushing the corresponding plate from the bottom dead center of the corresponding plurality of moulds to the top dead center of the corresponding plurality of moulds to expel the plurality of bricks from the plurality of moulds when the corresponding roller traverse towards the pointed edge of the at least one angle piece located inside the wheel through the first edge of the at least one angle piece, thereby helping unloading of the plurality of bricks with minimum human intervention.

[0039] Furthermore, the conveyor belt is capable of transporting the one or more raw materials removed by the blade to the hopper, thereby reducing wastage of the one or more raw materials. The plurality of springs are capable of moving the corresponding plate from the top dead center of the corresponding plurality of moulds to the bottom dead center of the corresponding plurality of moulds to receive the one or more raw materials when the corresponding roller traverse away from the pointed edge of the at least one angled piece through the second edge of the angle piece, thereby assisting the back and forth movement of the plate in the corresponding plurality of moulds to assist the reception of the one or more raw materials and the expulsion of the plurality of bricks from the corresponding plurality of moulds

[0040] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the disclosure and are not intended to be restrictive thereof. While specific language has been used to describe the disclosure, any limitations arising on account of the same are not intended.

[0041] The figures and the forgoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, the order of processes described herein may be changed and is not limited to the manner described herein. Moreover, the actions of any flow diagram need not be implemented in the order shown; nor do all the acts need to be necessarily performed. Also, those acts that are not dependent on other acts may be performed in parallel with the other acts. The scope of embodiments is by no means limited by these specific examples.

Claims

CLAIM:

1. An apparatus (10) for moulding a plurality of bricks comprising: characterized in that: a hopper (20) positioned on a chassis, wherein the hopper (20) is adapted to receive one or more raw materials; a driver pulley positioned adjacent to the hopper (20), wherein the driver pulley is adapted to rotate corresponding to rotation of a drive shaft coupled to an engine; a driven pulley connected to the driver pulley, wherein the driven pulley is adapted to rotate corresponding to the rotation of the driver pulley; at least one screw conveyor (30) coupled to the driven pulley and positioned in the hopper (20), wherein the at least one screw conveyor (30) is adapted to dispense the one or more raw materials from the hopper (20) by rotating corresponding to the rotation of the driven pulley; a mould unit (40) positioned adjacent to the at least one screw conveyor (30), wherein the mould unit (40) comprises: a wheel (50) comprising a plurality of moulds (60) positioned on an outer periphery of the wheel (50), wherein the plurality of moulds (60) are adapted to receive the one or more raw materials dispensed by the at least one screw conveyor (30) upon rotating the wheel (50) about an axle (70) of the wheel (50); a plate (80) disposed in each of the plurality of moulds (60) and connected to the wheel (50) through a corresponding plurality of springs (90), wherein the plate (80) is adapted to move bidirectionally between a bottom dead center (100) of the corresponding plurality of moulds (60) and a top dead center (110) of the corresponding plurality of moulds (60); a corresponding vertical post (120) connected to a distal end of each of the plate (80),wherein the corresponding vertical post (120) comprises a corresponding roller (130) adapted to push the corresponding plate (80) from the bottom dead center (100) of the corresponding plurality of moulds (60) to the top dead center (110) of the corresponding plurality of moulds (60) to expel the plurality of bricks from the plurality of moulds (60) when the corresponding roller (130) traverse towards a pointed edge (140) of an at least one angle piece (150) located inside the wheel (50) through a first edge (160) of the at least one angle piece (150), thereby moulding the plurality of bricks.

2. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more raw materials comprises clay.

3. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mould unit (40) comprises a blade (170) located at a predefined clearance from the wheel (50) and mounted parallel to the axle (70) of the wheel (50) , wherein the blade (170) is adapted to remove the one or more raw materials projecting outside from the plurality of moulds (60) during rotation of the wheel (50).

4. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mould unit (40) comprises a conveyor belt (180) positioned below the blade (170), wherein the conveyor belt (180) is adapted to transport the one or more raw materials removed by a blade (170) to the hopper (20).

5. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claiml, wherein the engine is connected to the driver pulley through a gear box (190) adapted to adjust speed of rotation of the driver pulley.

6. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engine is connected to the wheel (50) through a gear box (190) adapted to adjust speed of rotation of the wheel (50) to modify spacing between the plurality of bricks moulded.

7. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claiml, wherein the chassis comprises a plurality of tires (200) adapted to move the chassis from one place to another.

8. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chassis comprises an actuator (210) adapted to adjust a clearance between the chassis and a plurality of tires (200) to maneuver the chassis through one or more terrains.

9. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claiml, wherein the plurality of springs (90) are adapted to move the corresponding plate (80) from the top dead center (110) of the corresponding plurality of moulds (60) to the bottom dead center (100) of the corresponding plurality of moulds (60) to receive the one or more raw materials when the corresponding roller (130) traverse away from the pointed edge (140) of the at least one angled piece through a second edge (220) of the angle piece (150).

10. The apparatus (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel (50) is adapted to rotate in an anticlockwise direction.

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