Vertical Wet-Cast Forms for Flared-End Concrete Products
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing concrete products with flared ends require either complex horizontal wet casting or time-consuming dry casting, lacking an efficient vertical wet casting solution.
Innovation Solution
A vertical wet cast form assembly comprising a base assembly, sliding doors, an inner core, and a pallet with reinforcing ribs, allowing for the vertical casting of concrete products with flared ends, and a method involving sliding doors, an end-former, and hydraulic actuators to break the bond between the core and the product.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If horizontal wet casting is used for flared end products, then the concrete can flow and solidify around reinforcing, but the forms are complicated and require lots of equipment and time to strip
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional horizontal casting approach by implementing a vertical casting system. The form is positioned vertically with the flared end facing upward, allowing concrete to be poured from the top and flow downward into the mold cavity. This inversion simplifies the form structure and stripping process while maintaining concrete flowability and solidification reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from horizontal casting to vertical casting by changing the spatial dimension of the mold orientation. The mold is positioned vertically instead of horizontally, which fundamentally alters the concrete pouring and solidification process. This dimensional change reduces form complexity and equipment requirements while preserving the necessary concrete flow and setting characteristics.
2Productivity
If dry cast method is used for flared end products, then the process is faster and requires less equipment, but the flared end forms must be filled, headed, and quickly jacket stripped with an overhead crane
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical overhead crane stripping system with a hydraulic actuation system. Hydraulic cylinders are integrated into the vertical form structure, allowing automated stripping through hydraulic pressure. This substitution maintains the speed advantage of dry casting while eliminating the complexity of manual crane operations and overhead maneuvering.
3Device complexity
If vertical wet casting is implemented, then the form structure is simplified and stripping is easier, but a bond breaking system is required to separate the core from the product
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating bond breaking agents into the concrete mix before casting. Chemical agents are added to the concrete slurry in advance, creating a controlled separation mechanism between the concrete product and the form core. This preliminary chemical action enables easy stripping after casting without requiring complex mechanical bond breaking systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces chemical bond breaking agents as an intermediary substance between the concrete and the form core. These agents act as mediators that facilitate the separation process after casting. The chemical intermediaries create a controlled interface that allows the concrete product to be easily separated from the form without requiring complex mechanical stripping systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A base assembly with a pair of doors slidingly attached to the base assembly for moving between an open position and a closed position. An inner core comprising a first end and a throat end with the throat end having a larger diameter than the first end is positioned downward on top of the base assembly with the first end in an upright position. A pallet is positioned around the throat end of the inner core. When the pair of doors are in the closed position, a cavity is formed that is open from the top of the pair of doors and is located between the inner core and the pair of doors and corresponds to the shape of the concrete product with the flared end. The foregoing assembly allows for wet casting concrete products in a vertically upright position.