Method for producing concrete pipe

Claim 1

A method of forming a reinforced concrete pipe of any geometric cross-section comprising the steps of positioning a cored, geometrically shaped bottom pallet on a saddle with a first sealing ring to form a controlled pressure seal therebetween, placing a reinforcement cage on said bottom pallet, lowering a jacket into controlled pressure engagement with said bottom pallet and a second sealing ring therebetween, placing a cored, geometrically shaped top pallet onto a top pallet holding header, lowering a core through said top pallet, cage and bottom pallet into controlled pressure sealing engagement with said first sealing ring wherein said controlled pressure sealing engagement is formed by applying sufficient pressure to said respective sealing rings to deform each of said sealing rings into a liquid-tight seal between said jacket, said bottom pallet and said core while maintaining said pressure insufficient to compress said sealing ring into a vibration transmission state, pouring concrete into the thus sealed mold formed by said jacket, core and bottom pallet and sealing rings, vibrating said mold during said pouring of concrete, lowering said top pallet into the mold during the vibrating thereof to form the upper end of said pipe, stopping said vibration of said mold, releasing said top pallet from said top pallet holding header and sequentially stripping upwardly said core, said jacket and lastly said header leaving a finished reinforced concrete pipe on said bottom pallet and bearing said top pallet.

Claim 2

A method of forming a reinforced concrete pipe of any geometric cross-section comprising the steps of positioning a cored, geometrically shaped bottom pallet on a saddle with a first sealing ring to form a controlled pressure seal therebetween, placing a reinforcement cage on said bottom pallet, lowering a jacket into controlled pressure engagement with said bottom pallet and a second sealing ring therebetween, placing a cored, geometrically shaped top pallet onto a top pallet holding header, lowering a core through said top pallet, cage and bottom pallet into controlled pressure sealing engagement with said first sealing ring wherein said controlled pressure sealing engagement is formed by applying sufficient pressure to said respective sealing rings to deform each of said sealing rings into a liquid-tight seal between said jacket, said bottom pallet and said core while maintaining said pressure insufficient to compress said sealing ring into a vibration transmission state, pouring concrete into the thus sealed mold formed by said jacket, core and bottom pallet and sealing rings, vibrating said mold during said pouring of concrete, lowering said top pallet into the mold during the vibrating thereof to form the upper end of said pipe, stopping said vibration of said mold, releasing said top pallet from said top pallet holding header and sequentially stripping upwardly said core, said jacket and lastly said header leaving a finished reinforced concrete pipe on said bottom pallet and bearing said top pallet.

Claim 3

A method of forming a reinforced concrete pipe having a diametral cross-section of any hollow geometric shape from a mold having bottom and top forms each having the cross-section of said hollow geometric shape and inner and outer wall forms of said shape, a hollow support for said mold and a reinforcement for inclusion between said inner and outer walls prior to filling said mold with concrete, comprising the steps of positioning said bottom form on said support to form a controlled pressure sealing of the inner circumferential periphery of said bottom form and said support, positioning said outer form in centering engagement with the outer periphery of said bottom form to form a controlled pressure sealing of the outer circumferential periphery of said bottom form with the lower circumferential periphery of said outer form, positioning said top form coaxially above said outer form and concentrically above the lower end of said inner form as a guide for the movement of said inner form through said top form and bottom form to provide a controlled pressure sealing with said inner circumferential peripheries Of said bottom form and said support wherein said controlled pressure sealing comprises forming a liquid-tight seal which will resist transmission of vibration between individual forms of said mold, pouring no-slump concrete into the sealed mold formed by said inner, outer and bottom forms, applying vibration to said inner form at least during said pouring of concrete, successively applying vibration to the lower half of said outer form and to the upper half of said outer form at least during said pouring of concrete, positioning said top form on said sealed mold during the vibrating thereof to press-form the upper end of said pipe, applying an additional vibration to said top form, stopping the applications of said vibrations to said mold, and sequentially removing said inner form and said outer form upwardly from said molded pipe while leaving said top and bottom forms on said molded pipe.

Claim 4

A method of forming a reinforced concrete pipe having a diametral cross-section of any hollow geometric shape from a mold having bottom and top forms each having the cross-section of said hollow geometric shape and inner and outer wall forms of said shape, a hollow support for said mold and a reinforcement for inclusion between said inner and outer walls prior to filling said mold with concrete, comprising the steps of positioning said bottom form on said support to form a controlled pressure sealing of the inner circumferential periphery of said bottom form and said support, positioning said outer form in centering engagement with the outer periphery of said bottom form to form a controlled pressure sealing of the outer circumferential periphery of said bottom form with the lower circumferential periphery of said outer form, positioning said top form coaxially above said outer form and concentrically above the lower end of said inner form as a guide for the movement of said inner form through said top form and bottom form to provide a controlled pressure sealing with said inner circumferential peripheries Of said bottom form and said support wherein said controlled pressure sealing comprises forming a liquid-tight seal which will resist transmission of vibration between individual forms of said mold, pouring no-slump concrete into the sealed mold formed by said inner, outer and bottom forms, applying vibration to said inner form at least during said pouring of concrete, successively applying vibration to the lower half of said outer form and to the upper half of said outer form at least during said pouring of concrete, positioning said top form on said sealed mold during the vibrating thereof to press-form the upper end of said pipe, applying an additional vibration to said top form, stopping the applications of said vibrations to said mold, and sequentially removing said inner form and said outer form upwardly from said molded pipe while leaving said top and bottom forms on said molded pipe.

Claim 10

A method of forming a reinforced concrete pipe of a diametral cross-section of any desired hollow geometric shape from a mold having bottom and top pallets having the cross-section of said hollow geometric shape and inner and outer wall forms of said shape comprising a mold jacket and a mold core, a cored support saddle having an inner periphery substantially identical to the inner periphery of said bottom pallet and a reinforcing cage of said cross-section for positioning between the inner and outer wall forms, comprising the steps of positioning said bottom pallet to form the lower end of said pipe on said saddle, forming a controlled pressure seal between the inner circumferential peripheries of said bottom pallet and said saddle, lowering said mold jacket into centering engagement with the outer periphery of said bottom pallet, forming a controlled pressure seal between the outer circumferential periphery of said bottom pallet and the lower circumferential periphery of said jacket, positioning said top pallet coaxially above said lowered jacket, engaging said top pallet coaxially with a top pallet holding header having said cross-section and being positioned coaxially above said lowered jacket, positioning said header with the engaged pallet concentrically above the lower end of said mold core as a guide for the movement of said core, lowering said core through said top pallet on said header and through said bottom pallet into controlled pressure sealing engagement with said sealed inner circumferential peripheries of said bottom pallet and said saddle, pouring no-slump concrete into two diametrically spaced zones of the thus sealed mold formed by said jacket, core and bottom pallet and sealing rings, applying vibration to said core at least during said pouring of concrete, successively applying vibration to the lower half of said jacket and the upper half of said jacket at least during said pouring of concrete, Lowering said top pallet onto the sealed mold during the vibrating thereof to press-form the upper end of said pipe, applying an additional vibration to said top pallet, stopping the applications of said vibrations to said mold, disengaging said top pallet from said top pallet holding header and sequentially lifting said core, said jacket and lastly said header from said molded pipe while leaving said top pallet on said molded pipe, said molded pipe resting on said bottom pallet, said controlled pressure sealing being established by applying sufficient pressure to said respective sealing rings to deform each of said sealing rings into a liquid-tight seal while maintaining said pressure insufficient to compress said sealing ring into a vibration transmission state whereby said forms are spaced from each other in non-vibration transmission relationship.

Claim 11

A method of forming a reinforced concrete pipe of a diametral cross-section of any desired hollow geometric shape from a mold having bottom and top pallets having the cross-section of said hollow geometric shape and inner and outer wall forms of said shape comprising a mold jacket and a mold core, a cored support saddle having an inner periphery substantially identical to the inner periphery of said bottom pallet and a reinforcing cage of said cross-section for positioning between the inner and outer wall forms, comprising the steps of positioning said bottom pallet to form the lower end of said pipe on said saddle, forming a controlled pressure seal between the inner circumferential peripheries of said bottom pallet and said saddle, lowering said mold jacket into centering engagement with the outer periphery of said bottom pallet, forming a controlled pressure seal between the outer circumferential periphery of said bottom pallet and the lower circumferential periphery of said jacket, positioning said top pallet coaxially above said lowered jacket, engaging said top pallet coaxially with a top pallet holding header having said cross-section and being positioned coaxially above said lowered jacket, positioning said header with the engaged pallet concentrically above the lower end of said mold core as a guide for the movement of said core, lowering said core through said top pallet on said header and through said bottom pallet into controlled pressure sealing engagement with said sealed inner circumferential peripheries of said bottom pallet and said saddle, pouring no-slump concrete into two diametrically spaced zones of the thus sealed mold formed by said jacket, core and bottom pallet and sealing rings, applying vibration to said core at least during said pouring of concrete, successively applying vibration to the lower half of said jacket and the upper half of said jacket at least during said pouring of concrete, Lowering said top pallet onto the sealed mold during the vibrating thereof to press-form the upper end of said pipe, applying an additional vibration to said top pallet, stopping the applications of said vibrations to said mold, disengaging said top pallet from said top pallet holding header and sequentially lifting said core, said jacket and lastly said header from said molded pipe while leaving said top pallet on said molded pipe, said molded pipe resting on said bottom pallet, said controlled pressure sealing being established by applying sufficient pressure to said respective sealing rings to deform each of said sealing rings into a liquid-tight seal while maintaining said pressure insufficient to compress said sealing ring into a vibration transmission state whereby said forms are spaced from each other in non-vibration transmission relationship.