Agitator Grid With Adjustable Restrictor Plates

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional agitator grids in concrete block machines fail to evenly distribute dry-cast concrete mixture within mold cavities, leading to uneven compaction, defects such as cracks, and unstable structures due to air pockets and trapped air being forced out during the compression/vibration process.

Innovation Solution

An agitator grid with adjustable restrictor plates that can be vertically positioned to control the flow of concrete into mold cavities, ensuring even distribution and preventing concrete ejection during agitation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional agitator grids are used to mix and disperse dry-cast concrete material, then the concrete is agitated to improve distribution, but concrete is ejected from the feedbox onto other parts of the machine due to gaps between deflector plates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconcrete distributionVSAvoidconcrete ejection

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The feedbox is divided into multiple compartments by vertical partition walls, with each compartment containing its own agitator grid. This segmentation prevents concrete ejection by containing the agitation within individual compartments while still achieving overall concrete distribution through the partitioned structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Vertical partition walls act as intermediary structures between the agitation process and the feedbox boundaries. These partitions mediate the concrete flow by directing it downward through openings in the agitator grid while preventing lateral ejection, thus resolving the conflict between effective agitation and concrete containment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-generated harmful factors

If deflector plates are attached to the top of the feedbox to prevent concrete ejection, then some concrete containment is achieved, but concrete still escapes through gaps between the plates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconcrete containmentVSAvoidconcrete containment effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using continuous deflector plates with gaps, the feedbox is segmented into compartments with solid vertical partition walls. This segmentation eliminates the gaps between deflector plates while maintaining effective concrete containment through the partitioned structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than placing deflector plates at the top of the feedbox to prevent ejection, the invention inverts the approach by using vertical partition walls that extend downward to compartmentalize the feedbox. This inverted structure prevents ejection at the source by containing the concrete within defined compartments during agitation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS9492944B2Agitator grid with adjustable restrictor elements for concrete block machine

Publication Date: 2016.11.15 NESS INVENTIONS INC

AI summary

A feedbox for use in an automated dry-cast concrete block machine, including an agitator grid having a plurality of parallel agitator elements disposed parallel to a bottom of the feedbox, a plurality of prongs extending downward toward the bottom of the feedbox from each of the parallel agitator elements, and one or more restrictor elements slideably coupled with a coupling mechanism to one or more of the plurality of prongs which can be slideably adjusted along a length of the one or more prongs.