Concrete pipe molding machine

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR MOLDING CONCRETE PIPE, THE COMBINATION OF A SUPPORTING BASE, A STEEL COLUMN RIGIDLY SUPPORTED ON SAID BASE AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY IN THE NORMAL OPERATION POSITION OF THE MACHINE, LOWER INNER CYLINDER SUPPORTED MEANS SECURED TO SAID COLUMN EXTENDING LATERALLY THEREFROM AND TERMINATING IN AN ANNULAR SUPORT AREA, SAID SUPORT MEANS INCLUDING TWO CONCENTRIC COOPERATING PORTIONS HAVING OPPOSED TAPERED SURFACES, ONE SUCH PORTION CARRYING THE ANNULAR SUPPORT AREA, THE OTHER PORTION BEING WITHIN THE ONE PORTION AND BEING REIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID COLUMN, THE TAPERED SURFACES PERMITTING THE ONE PORTION TO BE MOVED UPWARDLY ONLY WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER PORTION, A STEEL INNER MOLDING CYLINDER HAVING ITS BOTTOM EDGE ON SAID ANNULAR SUPPORT AREA WITH SAID INNER MOLDING CYLINDER EXTENDING VERTICALLY AND DISPOSED ABOUT SAID COLUMN, UPPER INNER CYLINDER SUPPORT MEANS FOR RIGIDLY SECURING SAID COLUMN TO THE INSIDE OF THE INNER MOLDING CYLINDER, SAID UPPER CYLINDER END SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING TWO CONCENTRIC COOPERATING PORTIONS HAVING OPPOSED TAPERED SURFACES SIMILAR TO THE TAPERED PORTIONS OF THE LOWER CYLINDER SUPPORT MEANS, A BOTTOM PALLET RING REMOVABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID ANNULAR SUPPORT AREA AND PROVIDING AN ANNULAR OUTER CYLINDER SUPPORT AREA CONCENTRIC WITH SAID INNER CYLINDER, A STEEL OUTER MOLDING CYLINDER HAVING ITS BOTTOM EDGE SUPPORTED ON SAID LAST NAMED AREA, SAID TWO CYLINDERS BEING CONCENTRIC, MANUALLY CONTROLLED MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID OUTER CYLINDER AND BOTTOM PALLET RING TO BE MOVABLY UPWARDLY TOGETHER, AND MEANS FOR EXERTING FORCE ON TOP OF THE CONCRETE MIX IN THE SPACE BETWEEN MOLDING CYLINDERS, SAID FORCE EXERTING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF AIR CYLINDERS, EACH AIR CYLINDER INCLUDING A MEMBER RELATIVELY MOVABLE THERETO IN RESPONSE TO AIR PRESSURE, EACH CYLINDER HAVING A TENSION MEMBER HAVING ONE END CONNECTED TO THE TOP PART OF SAID OUTER MOLDING CYLINDER AND HAVINIG THE OTHER END CONNECTED TO A RELATIVELY STATIONARY PART OF THE AIR CYLINDER, MEANS FOR APPLYING THE RELATIVELY MOVABLE PART OF SAID CYLINDER TO EXERT FORCE ON THE MIX NEAR THE TOP OF THE REGION BETWEEN THE MOLDING CYLINDERS, AND MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SUPPORTING THE TOP END OF EACH TENSION MEMBER, SAID TENSION MEMBERS AND CYLINDERS BEING ADJUSTABLE AS UNITS FOR USE WITH DIFFERENT CYLINDER DIAMETERS, SAID INNER CYLINDER BEING FREE OF THE FORCE EXERTING MEANS WHEREBY THE INNER CYLINDER ALWAYS REMAINS IN THE SAME POSITION FOR EACH PIPE MAKING OPERATION AND IS READILY CHANGED WHEN THE CONCRETE PIPE DIAMETER IS TO BE CHANGED BY ELEVATING THE INNER CYLINDER.