Magnetic Stripper Head Support for Protected Mold Box Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The stripper head in a concrete product manufacturing machine mold assembly often drops into a position within the mold box when unsupported, making it difficult to lift, transport, and store safely due to exposed plunger portions extending below the base plane, which are susceptible to damage.
Innovation Solution
A stripper head support device comprising stand-off legs with magnetic attachments that connect to the stripper head plate, allowing the legs to engage the mold box surface and lift the stripper head into a protected position, with magnets providing secure yet removable engagement to prevent damage during transport and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the stripper head is left unsupported when head clamp bars are disconnected, then the stripper head drops into a position where plunger portions extend below the base plane of the mold box, but this makes it difficult to lift the stripper head out of the mold box and increases susceptibility to damage during transport and storage
Solution Approach 1:
The stand-off legs are pre-installed on the stripper head plate before the head clamp bars are disconnected. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the stripper head becomes unsupported, the stand-off legs immediately engage with the mold box upper surface to maintain the stripper head in a raised position, preventing the plungers from extending below the base plane and eliminating the damage susceptibility and lifting difficulty
Solution Approach 2:
The stand-off legs act as intermediary elements between the stripper head and the mold box. These legs transfer the weight of the stripper head to the mold box upper surface, providing mechanical support that prevents the stripper head from dropping into the harmful position where plungers would be exposed and vulnerable to damage
2Ease of operation
If stand-off legs are removably attached to the stripper head plate using bolts, then the stripper head can be supported in a protected position, but the attachment process becomes more complex requiring multiple fasteners to be removed and reinstalled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical fastening system (bolts and threaded bores) with a magnetic attachment system. Magnets are embedded in the stand-off legs and magnetically engage with ferrous metal portions on the stripper head plate, providing secure yet easily removable attachment. This substitution eliminates the need for multiple fasteners and complex threading operations, significantly simplifying the attachment and detachment process while maintaining secure support
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates safe removal, transport, and storage of the mold assembly by maintaining the stripper head in a raised position with plungers protected within receptacles, reducing the risk of damage and simplifying handling processes.
Implementation Method 1
a magnet fixed to either the fastener in a position to releasably magnetically engage a ferrous metal or magnetic portion of the stand-off leg, or the stand-off leg in a position to releasably magnetically engage a ferrous metal or magnetic portion of the fastener
Data Source
AI summary
A device for supporting stripper head on a mold box of a concrete product machine mold assembly. The device includes a set of attachment hardware that connects a stand-off leg to a stripper head plate to support the stripper head with the stripper head plungers disposed in respective protected positions within respective plunger receptacles of the mold box. The hardware set comprises a ferrous metal portion configured to be carried by the stripper head plate and a magnetic portion carried by the stand-off leg in a position to magnetically engage the ferrous metal portion and allow for removable attachment of the stand-off leg to the stripper head plate when the ferrous metal portion is carried by the stripper head plate.