May 6, 1944. R. J.

WAN NEKERK 2,349,213

CENTRIFUGAL MOLDING OF CONCRETE PRODUCTS
Filed Aug. 20, 1942

/72ssez-772
1222.
Patented May 16, 1944
2,349,213

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

CENTRIFUGAL MOLDING OF CONCRETE
PRODUCTs
Russell Juan van Niekerk, Florida, Transvaal,
Union of South Africa
Application August 20, 1942, Serial No. 455,513
In the Union of South Africa October 7, 1941
4 Claims. (C1, 25-155)
This invention relates to the centrifugal mold wider end of the product consequently in excess
ing of concrete products, particularly concrete Of What is required for purposes of strength.
poles and pipes, and the lining of pipes with con Another object of the invention is to provide
crete, bitumen or like material. a simple and inexpensive machine for distribut
Hitherto, in the centrifugal molding of con s ing and Spinning the concrete or lining material.
Crete products and lining of pipes, the initial dis According to this invention, I provide a method
tribution of the concrete in the mold or the lining of Centrifugally molding concrete products or
material in the pipe has been a process occupy centrifugally linning pipes in which the mold or
ing considerable time or involving a considerable pipe, during the charging of the concrete or lin
expense of labor. The customary method of dis 10 ing material, is rotatably supported in an in
tribution has been to introduce the concrete' or clined position and is rotated in this position so
lining material in successive charges and to ro as to distribute the concrete or lining material
tate the mold Or pipe slowly, With or Without Wi along and within the pipe by a combined gravity
bration, until the charge has become distributed and rotational action.
along the length of the mold or pipe. It has also In accordance with a further feature of the
been proposed to mount the mold or pipe for invention, the method is such that the mold or
charging purposes in a stationary position on a pipe, when the concrete or material has been
beam or frame which can be tilted so as to bring properly distributed therein, is spun at any de
the mold or pipe to an inclined position with its Sired Speed, while lying at any desired inclina
charging end upwards, whereafter the concrete 20 tion, so as to consolidate the concrete or lining
or lining material is delivered into the open end material by centrifugal force, while still keeping
and descends down the mold or pipe by gravity. non-consolidated concrete or lining material un
This method, however, involves the subsequent der the combined control of the centrifugal force
process of bringing the beam or frame to the and gravity.
horizontal, then removing the mold or pipe there 25 According to another feature of the invention,
from and placing it in a separate machine for a machine for centrifugally molding concrete
spinning the mold or pipe, the machine being first products and lining pipes comprises means
rotated at a relatively slow speed so as to com Whereby the mold or pipe is rotatably supported
plete the distribution of the concrete or lining and whereby it is, while so supported, variable in
material. . . .. . 30 inclination, and means for rotating or spinning
One of the objects of the present invention is the mold or pipe at any given inclination at dif
to facilitate and expedite the distribution of the ferent speeds.
concrete or lining material in the mold or pipe. The invention will now be described, by way of
example, with reference to the annexed drawing,
A further object is to facilitate the spinning of in
the mold or pipe in a manner best calculated to 35 Fig. which
ensure the consolidation of the concrete or lin embodying 1 is a view in side elevation of a machine
ing material in a uniform manner throughout therein; the invention and showing a mold
the product or lining to be formed.
A still further object is to enable hollow poles, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in
pipes or like products to be spun with a wall of 40, Fig.1 without the mold;
substantially the same thickness throughout the theFig.machine
3 is a relatively enlarged view of part of
shown in Figs. I and 2.
length thereof, or with a wall varying in thick Referring to the drawing:
ness in a predetermined manner and degree.
In particular, it is an object of the invention to The machine comprises a beam (e. g. con
enable tapered hollow poles, pipes and like ta 45 sisting of a pair of plate girders suitably braced)
pered products to be spun with a wall of uniform Which is pivotally mounted on a trunnion bear
thickness throughout, i.e., with a tapered exter ing or fulcrum 2, which in the case illustrated
nal surface and an internal surface tapered sim is offset a distance from the middle of the beam
towards the right-hand end. The fulcrum 2 is
ilarly, thus avoiding wastage of material and ef 50 supported
fecting a saving in weight of the product, as com in a bearing block or blocks 3 which
pared with tapered hollow products manufac is or are mounted on a foundation or floor 4
tured hitherto, in which the bore or internal sur inthewhich a well 5 is formed in order to permit
beam to be tilted to any angle within a given
face is cylindrical or parallel, or at any rate not range. The beam is provided towards the end
tapered in agreement with the external taper of
the wall, and the thickness of the wall at the 65 thereof remote from the fulcrum 2 with a trans
 2 2,349,213
verse bar 6, over the ends of which are adapted to
be fitted rings provided on the ends of chains 8
which are connected to an electric crane, hydraul
ic jack or other suitable means (not shown) for
the purpose of raising and lowering the beam to 5 Fig. 1) positioned therein by the positioning
the particular inclination desired, e. g., the posi
tion shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.
At intervals along the beam , pairs of sup
porting rollers 9, 0 are mounted on bearing
brackets f. The drive of an electric motor 2 10 on top of the spinning rings 9 the jockey-roll
mounted on the beam f is transmitted by means
of belt or other gearing 3 to one of the pair
of supporting rollers, vig. the pair of rollers 9,
it) above the fulcrum 2.
In Fig. 1, a tapered mold 4 made in two halves
is shown mounted in the machine. This par
ticular mold is one adapted for the centrifugal
molding of a tapered reinforced concrete pole.
It is fitted with a reinforcement positioning de
vice comprising a clamp or holder 5 at one end
of the mold, and a positioning plate or element
6, a second clamp. or holder 7, and a screw
tensioning means 8 at the other end of the
mold, all as specified in my co-pending appli
cation No. 455,514.
On the mold 4, Spinning rings 9 are pro
Wided at the Sane intervals apart as the pairs of
supporting rollers 9, fo. These rings are fixed
rigily and coaxially upon the mold 4 and rest,
and are adapted to roll, upon the rollers 9, 0.
Thus, on the electric motor 2 being set in opera
tion, the rollers 9, O driven by the belt or other
gealing 3 cause rotation of the mold 4 about
its axis, the speed of this rotation being varied
by variation of the speed of the motor. 35
As indicated in Fig. 3, a displaceable jockey
roller 20 carried by a bent-arm lever 2 is as
sociated with each pair of supporting rollers 9,
f). This jocket-roller 20 is adapted to be
brought into rolling contact with the top of the 40
corresponding Spinning ring 9 and to be held
in Such contact with a greater or smaller de
gree of pressure by an adjustment nut or handle
22 which is turnable on the screw-threaded end
23 of a retaining lever 24. In this manner, the
mold 4 is retained on the rollers 9, 10 during
Spinning, and chattering or undue vibration of
the mold is avoided.
In order to prevent lengthwise movement of
the mold 4, the end spinning rings 9 are formed 50
with double flanges 25, 26 and the intermediate
Spinning rings 9 are formed with single flanges
27, the side surfaces of the flanges 25, 26 and
27 being adapted to take up end-thrust by con
tact With the corresponding side surfaces of the
respective supporting rollers 9, 0.
The end of the beam fi remote from the full
Crum 2 may be termed the charging end of the
machine, and is fitted with a charging hopper
28, the mouth or forward part 28a of which 60
is tapered and adapted to project a short dis
tance into the adjacent end of the mold 4. The
mold 4 (or the pipe, as the case may be) is
placed in the machine so that its larger end is
the end into which the concrete (or lining ma 65
terial) is charged. This end is the end which
is elevated when the beam f is tilted. For the
purpose of charging the concrete into the mold
from the hopper 28, the reinforcement clamp or
holder 5 is made of annular shape so as to pro 70
vide the necessary opening through which the ied at will in the course of the distributing and/or
Concrete may enter the mold. centrifuging: operations, without the necessity of
The method of molding (or lining) with the stopping,
machine described is as follows: Work.
The beam is set in a horizontal position in is pipe being centrifugally
order to receive the mold 4, this latter, in the
particular case described, having previously had
the reinforcing Wires (parts of which are indi
cated diagrammatically by dotted lines 29 in
devices 5 to f8 already referred to.
The mold 4 is placed so that the spinning
rings 9 rest upon the supporting roller's 9, to
and is retained in this position by bringing over
ers 20, and securing them in place by the handles
22 and screw-threaded levers 24.
The hopper 28 is charged with the quantity of
concrete required, and the electric crane or other
hoisting means (not shown) connected by the
chains 8 and rings 7 to the transverse bar 6 is
Operated so aS to tilt the beam and mold 4
thereon to a fairly substantial inclination, such
as the position shown in Fig. 1 in dotted lines.
In this position, the electric motor f2 is switched
on so as to set the mold 4 rotating slowly, and
the concrete in the hopper 28 is charged into
the large end of the mold. By virtue of the rota
tion, and inclination of the mold, the concrete
is distributed around its interior.
When this preliminary distribution is com
plete, the beam is lowered from the dotted po
Sition (Fig. 1) to the level or to an inclination
suitable for high-speed spinning, i.e. for con
Solidating the pole or other product by centrifug
ing. In the case of a cylindrical or parallel
Sided product, this level Will be the horizontal
position as shown in full lines in Fig. 1. In the
case of a tapered product (such as the tapered
reinforced-concrete pole particularly described
above), the inclination will be at an angle ap
proximating to the horizontal, but considerably
less than the angle, of the beam shown in dotted
lines in Fig. i. More specifically, the inclination
is necessarily such that the effect, during cen
trifuging, of the taper of the mold (viz. to cause
Creeping of the centrifuged concrete from the
smaller to the larger end of the mold) will; be
counteracted by the gravitational effect on the
concrete produced by the inclination of the mold.
These two opposing effects being balanced, the
concrete, during centrifuging, will be: subjected
purely to a centrifugal or radical consolidation,
and the original uniformity of distribution of the
concrete in the mold will not be disturbed, and
a product with a uniformly thick wall, with its
internal and external surfaces tapered alike, will
be obtainable. -
Thus during centrifuging, the whole of the
concrete, including. concrete not yet consolidated,
is lunder the combined control of centrifugal force
and gravity, in Such a manner. as: to make-pos
sible whatever distribution. and consolidation of
COncrete is desired. .
When molding. or consolidation of the product
is complete, rotation of the mold. 4 is stopped
by switching off the motor 2. Thereafter, the
mold and beam f. are lowered to the horizontal
position, the handles. 22 are unscrewed, the levers
2 carrying the jockey-rollers 20 swung back,
and the mold removed from the machine, for
eventual withdrawal therefrom.. of the molded
product. -- -
As will be appreciated the inclination of the
mold, and its speed of rotation, may both be war
or in any way interfering with, the
The mold (or the pipe in the case of a
lined) is always under
 2,349,213
complete control, so that any tendency towards
lengthwise creeping of the concrete (or lining
material), or incorrect rate or degree of Consol
idation at one end or another of the mold (or
pipe), can immediately be rectified.
While the method of operation has been par
ticularly described With reference to the molding
of a tapered reinforced-concrete pole, it Will be
obvious from the indications already given that
the machine may also be used for molding par
allel or cylindrical poles and tapered or parallel
hollow bodies or pipes, and for the centrifugal
lining of hollow bodies or pipes.
Warious modifications may be made in the ma
chine described, without departing from the scope
Of the invention. For example, instead of re
taining the spun body on the supporting rollers
9, 10 by means of jockey-rollers 20, I may em
ploy for this purpose endless belts or equivalent
e3S
In the appended claims, the term "centrifug
ing' is intended to include centrifugally mold
ing concrete products and centrifugally lining
pipes, the term "hollow body' is intended to in
clude a mold to be charged with concrete and
a pipe to be charged. With lining material, and
the term “material' is intended to include the
concrete or lining material.
claim:
1. A method of molding a hollow tapering con 30 thickness, consisting in inclining the mold for
Crete product, Consisting in inclining and slowly
rotating an appropriate mold. With its larger end
uppermost While charging the same With nate
rial, and then subjecting the mold and material
to a rapid rotation. While maintaining the incli
nation of the mold at a degree to cause an inci
dent gravital influence on the material sufficient
to overcome the tendency of the material to creep
toward the larger end of the mold under the
centrifugal operation.
2. A method of molding a tapering concrete
product to produce an article having substan
3
tially even wall thickness throughout, consisting
in slowly rotating a tapered mold while steeply
inclined downwardly from its larger end, feeding
the material into the larger end and distributing
Such material throughout the mold through such
rotation and initial inclination, then materially
increasing the rotation while varying the incli
nation to a degree to develop a gravital influence
on the material to Overcome the tendency of the
10. material to Creep under the centrifugal influ
ence, whereby to insure a wall of substantially
uniform thickness throughout.
3. A method of molding hollow concrete prod
ucts of tapered form with substantially uniform
wall thickness throughout, consisting in mount
ing an appropriate mold for pivotal and rotative
movement, inclining the mold with the larger
end uppermost and slowly rotating to insure
gravital feed and rotative spread of the material,
20 feeding the material onto the mold, and then ro
tating the mold to develop centrifugal action for
increasing the rapidity of Setting of the material
While at the Same time arranging the inclina
tion of the mold at a degree to influence the ma
25
terial by . gravity to overcome the tendency of
the material to Creep toward the larger end of
the mold incident to the Cetrifugal influence.
4. A method of molding hollow tapered con
crete products With substantially uniform Wall
gravital feed of the material lengthWith the same,
placing the material in the mold, and rotating
the mold at a relatively slow speed for distrib
uting the material, and then rotating the mold
at a relatively high speed for centrifugal place
ment and to increase the rapidity of Setting of
the material While maintaining the mold at a
predetermined inclination to develop a gravital
influence to Counteract creeping influence of
40 the material under centrifugal action.
RUSSELL JUAN WAN NIEKERK.