1. A concrete product extrusion machine comprising:
a consolidation chamber that receives a concrete feed mixture and an extrusion chamber;
an extrusion chamber filler door having a closed position where the door is disposed between the consolidation chamber and the extrusion chamber, and an open position disposed from the closed position where the consolidation chamber is in communication with the extrusion chamber;
a compaction drive that applies force in one direction against the concrete feed mixture when compacting the concrete feed mixture into a consolidated concrete mixture having increased density that is delivered into the extrusion chamber when the filler door is disposed in an open position; and
an extrusion drive that applies force in another direction against the consolidated concrete mixture when extruding the consolidated concrete mixture through an extrusion die; and
wherein the consolidation chamber extends vertically upwardly overlying the extrusion chamber with the consolidation chamber oriented generally perpendicular to the extrusion chamber, and wherein the consolidation chamber has a transverse cross-sectional area substantially the same as a longitudinal generally horizontally extending cross-sectional area of the extrusion chamber enabling concrete feed mixture to be compacted into consolidated concrete feed mixture having a substantially uniform density throughout the extrusion chamber when consolidated concrete mixture is received in the extrusion chamber.
2. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 1 further comprising a vacuum system in gas flow communication with the consolidation chamber applying a vacuum to the consolidation chamber during compaction of the concrete feed mixture into the consolidated concrete mixture.
3. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 1 further comprising: (a) a feed drawer in communication with the consolidation chamber that receives the concrete feed mixture, (b) a feed drive that conveys the concrete feed mixture from the feed drawer into the consolidation chamber, and (c) a feed drawer door movable between (i) a closed position where the feed drawer door is disposed between the consolidation chamber and the feed drawer, and (ii) an open position disposed from the closed position enabling the feed drive to convey the concrete feed mixture from the feed drawer into the consolidation chamber.
4. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 1 further comprising (a) a surface upon which a concrete slug is extruded from the extrusion chamber through the extrusion die, and (b) a rotary cutting arrangement having a plurality of spaced apart rotary cutters that cut the concrete slug into a plurality of concrete articles with each cutter comprised of one of (i) a cutting blade having a tooth outwardly offset at an oblique angle relative thereto, and (ii) at least one cutting arm having a leading concrete slug contacting edge that is three dimensionally offset therefrom.
5. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 1, wherein the consolidation chamber is elongate and overlies the extrusion chamber, and wherein the consolidation chamber has a generally rectangular or generally square transverse cross section and where the extrusion chamber has a generally rectangular or generally square cross section.
6. A concrete product extrusion machine comprising:
a consolidation chamber that receives a concrete feed mixture and an extrusion chamber;
an extrusion chamber filler door having a closed position where the door is disposed between the consolidation chamber and the extrusion chamber, and an open position disposed from the closed position where the consolidation chamber is in communication with the extrusion chamber;
a compaction drive that applies force in one direction against the concrete feed mixture when compacting the concrete feed mixture into a consolidated concrete mixture having increased density that is delivered into the extrusion chamber when the filler door is disposed in an open position; and
an extrusion drive that applies force in another direction against the consolidated concrete mixture when extruding the consolidated concrete mixture through an extrusion die; and
wherein the extrusion drive comprises a reciprocable extrusion head defining an endwall of the extrusion chamber opposite the extrusion die, a longitudinally extending sidewall disposed therebetween; and
wherein the consolidation drive comprises a reciprocable compaction head opposite the extrusion chamber sidewall having a width substantially the same as a length of the extrusion chamber sidewall.
7. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 6 wherein the compaction drive comprises a hydraulic cylinder reciprocating the compaction head in the one direction and the extrusion drive comprises a hydraulic cylinder reciprocating the extrusion head in the another direction.
8. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 7 wherein the one direction is generally transverse to the another direction.
9. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 6 wherein the consolidation chamber is elongate and overlies the extrusion chamber, and wherein the consolidation chamber has a generally rectangular or generally square transverse cross section and where the extrusion chamber has a generally rectangular or generally square cross section.
10. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 9 wherein consolidation chamber extends generally vertically upwardly and the extrusion chamber extends generally horizontally.
11. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 10 wherein the extrusion chamber comprises part of the consolidation chamber when the filler door is disposed in an open position.
12. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 6 wherein the filler door provides a substantially gas tight seal with the consolidation chamber when the filler door is closed and further comprising a vacuum system applying a vacuum to the consolidation chamber when the filler door is closed during compaction of the concrete feed mixture in the consolidation chamber into the consolidated concrete mixture by the compaction drive.
13. A concrete product extrusion machine comprising:
a consolidation chamber that receives a concrete feed mixture and an extrusion chamber;
an extrusion chamber filler door having a closed position where the door is disposed between the consolidation chamber and the extrusion chamber, and an open position disposed from the closed position where the consolidation chamber is in communication with the extrusion chamber;
a compaction drive that applies force in one direction against the concrete feed mixture when compacting the concrete feed mixture into a consolidated concrete mixture having increased density that is delivered into the extrusion chamber when the filler door is disposed in an open position;
an extrusion drive that applies force in another direction against the consolidated concrete mixture when extruding the consolidated concrete mixture through an extrusion die;
a feed drawer disposed alongside the consolidation chamber that receives the concrete feed mixture;
a feed drive that conveys the concrete feed mixture from the feed drawer into the consolidation chamber; and
a feed drawer door that is disposed (i) in a closed position during compaction of the concrete feed mixture, and (ii) in an open position disposed from the closed position when the feed drive is conveying the concrete feed mixture from the feed drawer into the consolidation chamber.
14. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 13 wherein the filler door provides a substantially gas tight seal with the consolidation chamber when the filler door is closed and further comprising a vacuum system in gas flow communication with the consolidation chamber applying a vacuum to the consolidation chamber when the filler door is closed facilitating compaction of the concrete feed mixture in the consolidation chamber.
15. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 13 wherein the feed drawer door provides a substantially gas-tight seal with the consolidation chamber when closed and further comprising a vacuum system applying a vacuum to the consolidation chamber when the feed drawer door is closed facilitating compaction of the concrete feed mixture in the consolidation chamber.
16. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 13 further comprising (a) a plurality of consolidation chamber fill level sensors spaced apart along the consolidation chamber, and (b) a controller linked to the plurality of fill level sensors and the feeder drive that is configured to control operation of the feeder drive by conveying concrete feed mixture into the consolidation chamber until the consolidation chamber is substantially filled with concrete feed mixture.
17. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 13, wherein the consolidation chamber is elongate and overlies the extrusion chamber, and wherein the consolidation chamber has a generally rectangular or generally square transverse cross section and where the extrusion chamber has a generally rectangular or square cross section.
18. A concrete product extrusion machine comprising:
a consolidation chamber that receives a concrete feed mixture and that is inline with an extrusion chamber;
an extrusion chamber filler door that is reciprocable between (a) a closed position where the filler door is located between the consolidation chamber and the extrusion chamber, and (b) an open position located away from the closed position where the extrusion chamber forms part of the consolidation chamber;
a compaction drive that applies force in one direction against the concrete feed mixture when compacting the concrete feed mixture into a consolidated concrete mixture having increased density; and
an extrusion drive that applies force in another direction against the consolidated concrete mixture when extruding the consolidated concrete mixture through an extrusion die that is generally transverse to the one direction; and
wherein the extrusion drive comprises a reciprocable extrusion head defining an endwall of the extrusion chamber opposite the extrusion die, the extrusion chamber having a longitudinally extending sidewall disposed therebetween, and wherein the consolidation drive comprises a reciprocable compaction head opposite the extrusion chamber sidewall having a width substantially the same as a length of the extrusion chamber sidewall.
19. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 18 wherein the compaction drive comprises a hydraulic compaction drive having an extensible compaction head disposed in the consolidation chamber that applies force in the one direction, the consolidation chamber has a cross-sectional area transverse to the direction of compaction head applied force, the extrusion drive comprises a hydraulic extrusion drive having an extensible extrusion head disposed in the extrusion chamber that applies force transverse to the compaction head force, and wherein the extrusion chamber has a cross-sectional area generally parallel to the direction of extrusion head applied force that is substantially the same as the consolidation chamber cross-sectional area.
20. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 18 further comprising a vacuum system applying a vacuum to the consolidation chamber during compaction of the concrete feed mixture into the consolidated concrete mixture.
21. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 20 wherein (a) the filler door is closed during application of vacuum by the vacuum system to the consolidation chamber, and (b) the filler door provides a substantially gas-tight seal with the consolidation chamber when the filler door is closed.
22. A concrete product extrusion machine comprising:
a vertically extending consolidation chamber that receives a concrete feed mixture and that is inline with and overlies a generally horizontally extending extrusion chamber;
a compaction drive comprising a first hydraulic cylinder carrying a compaction head that applies a compaction force against the concrete feed mixture when compacting the concrete feed mixture into a consolidated concrete mixture having increased density; and
an extrusion drive comprising a second hydraulic cylinder generally transverse to the first hydraulic cylinder, the second hydraulic cylinder carrying an extrusion head that applies force against the consolidated concrete mixture when extruding the consolidated concrete mixture through an extrusion die that is generally transverse to the one direction;
an extrusion chamber filler door that is movable between (a) a closed position preventing the extrusion chamber from receiving consolidated concrete mixture from the consolidation chamber, and (b) an open position disposed from the closed position enabling the extrusion chamber to receive consolidated concrete mixture from the consolidation chamber; and
a vacuum system in gas flow communication with the consolidation chamber that applies a vacuum to the consolidation chamber facilitating compaction of the concrete feed mixture into the consolidated concrete mixture; and
wherein the compaction force is applied against consolidated concrete mixture in the consolidation chamber during extrusion of consolidated concrete mixture in the extrusion chamber out the die.
23. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 22 wherein the filler door provides a substantially fluid-tight seal or a substantially gas-tight seal with the consolidation chamber when the filler door is closed.
24. The concrete product extrusion machine of claim 23 wherein the filler door is closed (a) during application of vacuum to the consolidation chamber by the vacuum system during compaction of the concrete feed mixture into the consolidated concrete mixture, and (b) during extrusion of consolidated concrete mixture from the extrusion chamber.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
a feeding device which feeds a recording medium along a feed path passing through a removing area and extending along an opposingly-feeding surface facing upward, the removing area being located under the opposingly-feeding surface and within the opposingly-feeding surface as seen in a vertical direction;
a remover which removes foreign matter from a surface of the recording medium during the recording medium is fed through the removing area by the feeding device; and
an inkjet head disposed downstream of the remover with respect to a feeding direction in which the recording medium is fed, the inkjet head having an ink ejection surface in which a nozzle is open, an ink droplet being ejected from the nozzle toward a recording surface of the recording medium while the recording medium is fed along at least a part of the opposingly-feeding surface which part is opposed to the ink ejection surface.
2. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opposingly-feeding surface is a planar surface which has a greatest area among all the planar surfaces extending along the feed path.
3. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the whole remover is located within the opposingly-feeding surface as seen in the vertical direction.
4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opposingly-feeding surface is horizontal, and the recording surface of the recording medium does not once face vertically upward at a segment of the feed path between the removing area and the opposingly-feeding surface.
5. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recording-area cover which covers at least the inkjet heads and a portion of the opposingly-feeding surface which portion is opposed to the ink ejection surface of the inkjet head.
6. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a positive-pressure keeper which holds positive an internal pressure of the recording-area cover.
7. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a removing-area cover which covers at least the remover and the removing area.
8. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feeding device includes at least one feeder belt which feeds the recording medium with the recording medium held on an outer circumferential surface of the feeder belt which functions as a feeding surface.
9. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein each of the at least one feeder belt is wound around two belt rollers that are rotatable around respective rotation axes that are parallel to each other.
10. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the feeding surface of each of the at least one feeder belt has a tackiness which enables the holding of the recording medium on the feeding surface.
11. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the remover includes a remover roller an outer circumferential surface of which has a tackiness and contacts a downwardly-facing portion of the feeding surface of one of the at least one feeder belt such that the remover roller rotates with circulation of the feeder belt.
12. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a pair of nip rollers that nip therebetween the recording medium and the feeder belt from opposite sides in order that the recording medium pressure-sensitively adheres to the feeding surface of the feeder belt.
13. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 12, wherein one of the nip rollers is one of the belt rollers around which the feeder belt is wound.
14. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a medium supply device which sequentially supplies a stack of the recording media from a topmost one, and wherein the feeding device includes:
a primary feeder belt which feeds the recording medium to a recording area with the recording medium held on an outer circumferential surface of the primary feeder belt which functions as a feeding surface, the recording medium being opposed to the ink ejection surface of the inkjet head at the recording area; and
an intermediate feeder belt which receives the recording medium from the medium supply device onto an outer circumferential surface thereof which functions as a feeding surface, and feeds the recording medium with the recording medium held on the feeding surface of the intermediate feeder belt, the intermediate feeder belt then giving the recording medium to the primary feeder belt.
15. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the remover removes the foreign matter on the surface of the recording medium while the recording medium is fed by the intermediate feeder belt.
16. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the medium supply device supplies in a substantially horizontal direction the stack of the recording media placed on a supporting surface which is substantially horizontal, the opposingly-feeding surface is substantially horizontal, and the feed path is curved in an S-like shape.
17. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a turnover guide disposed between the medium supply device and the intermediate feeder belt and guides the recording medium supplied from the medium supply device, to the intermediate feeder belt, in a U-turn manner to turn over the recording medium, and wherein the remover is disposed between the medium supply device and the intermediate feeder belt in the vertical direction.
18. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the intermediate feeder belt is disposed between the primary feeder belt and the medium supply device in the vertical direction, and inclined such that a portion of the intermediate feeder belt adjacent to the turnover guide is near the medium supply device and another portion of the intermediate feeder belt apart from the turnover guide is near the primary feeder belt.
19. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a second turnover guide which is another turnover guide than said turnover guide as a first turnover guide, and disposed between the intermediate feeder belt and the primary feeder belt, the second turnover guide guiding the recording medium as having been fed by the intermediate feeder belt, to the primary feeder belt in a U-turn manner to turn over the recording medium.
20. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the medium supply device includes a medium holder which accommodates a stack of the recording media, and an upper surface of each of the stack of the recording media is the recording surface from which the foreign matter is removed by the remover.
21. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the medium supply device includes:
a medium holder which accommodates a stack of the recording media; and
a pickup roller which rotates in contact with a surface of a topmost one of the stack of the recording media in the medium holder in order to supply the topmost recording medium, the surface of the topmost recording medium in contact with the pickup roller is the recording surface from which the foreign matter is removed by the remover.
22. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the medium supply device includes:
a medium holder which accommodates a stack of the recording media; and
a pickup roller which rotates in contact with a topmost one of the stack of the recording media in the medium holder in order to supply the topmost recording medium,
the inkjet recording apparatus further comprising a dust tray which is disposed apart from an upper surface of a topmost one of the stack of the recording media in the medium holder in order to cover the upper surface of the topmost recording medium.