Masonry Magazine October 1979 Page. 19
the doors of the mixer have been opened, the mixer stops automatically.
The material hoist conveys the aggregate from the bin discharge into the mixer. At the present time, 30 batches per hour or approximately 240 batches are made during an eight-hour shift. (See photo No. 2.)
The basic element of this plant, around which all activity is centered, is the MASA 9001-V block manufacturing machine. Currently the machine is on a 14-second cyle producing 12 block (8"x8" x 16") per cycle. It utilizes a single, all-steel vibration table, resulting in block which are more dense due to this new concept of vibration. (See photo No. 3.)
After the 12 block have been formed by the machine, they are then conveyed under an adjustable rotating brush which removes any burrs from the green block. (See photo No. 4.) At this point the block are gently positioned onto the holding elevator by hydraulic cylinder. The holding elevator has 10 shelves, each holding two pallets. When completely full, the unit holds 240 green block. (See photo No. 5.)
One of the unique features of the MASA operation is the method of conveying the green block into the kilns and their ultimate removal after curing.
Before going further, let us take a moment to define the transfer car. It is composed of a base or lower unit, which travels in a given direction on a straight course (such as north and south), and an upper or transporting unit (which travels at a 90-degree angle to the base car's direction, or east and west).
Once the holding elevator is full of green block, the
Photo No. 4-Adjustable rotating brush. See details 7 and 8 on flow chart.
Photo No. 6-Upper or transporting unit picking up the 10 shelves of green block. See detail 9 on flow chart.
Photo No. 5-On the right is the holding elevator (detail 9 on flow chart). At left is the lowerator (detail 13 on flow chart).
Photo No. 7-Having reached the proper kiln, the transfer car discharges the upper or transporting unit. See details 10. 11 and 12 on flow chart.
transfer car is activated to position itself on the side rails servicing this holding elevator. The transfer car, after locking itself into the perpendicular walls of its track, activates its upper unit to travel forward to pick up the full 10 shelves, or 240 green block. (See photo No. 6.)
With the proper electronic impulse, the upper unit picks up the entire load of green block and returns to the base unit. When the units are in place, the transfer car travels to the kiln area, stops at the kiln so programmed, and again positions itself. The upper unit then travels into
MASONRY/OCTOBER, 1979 19