Apparatus for forming a concrete feed bunk

Claim 2

A concrete mold assembly comprising, in operative combination, an exterior wall assembly, a trough and frame assembly, and a mold clamp assembly: A. said exterior wall assembly comprising a rigid rear wall unit and a rigid front wall unit; 1. said rigid rear wall unit comprising, in operative combinstion, and all firmly joined together as a rigid unit, a. a rigid lngitudinally and vertically extending rear vertical interior panel having a smooth interior surface, and an exterior surface and a top edge and, firmly attached thereto, b. a plurality of vertically spaced apart longitudinally and horizontally extending rear rigid reinforcement members firmly attached to the exterior surface of said rear vertical interior panel, and firmly attached thereto, c. a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart rigid rear vertically extending reinforcement members firmly attached to said horizontally extending rear reinforcement members and extending above the top of said rear vertical interior panel, d. a plurality of forwardly extending rigid rear pistons, each firmly attached to each of said rear vertically extending reinforcement members above the top edge of said rear vertical interior panel; 2. said rigid front wall unit comprising, in operative combination, and all firmly joined together as a rigid unit, a. a rigid longitudinally and vertically extending front vertical interior panel having a smooth interior surface, and an exterior surface and a top edge, and, firmly attached thereto, b. a plurality of front vertically spaced apart longitudinally and horizontally extending rigid reinforcement members firmly attached to said front vertical interior panel at the exterior surface thereof, and, firmly attached thereto, c. a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart rigid front vertically extending reinforcement members and said front vertically extending rigid reinforcement members extending vertically above the top of said front vertical interior panel, d. a plurality of rearwardly extending rigid front pistons, each firmly attached to one of said front vertically extending rigid reinforcement members above the top edge of said front vertical interior panel; B. said trough and frame assembly comprising, in operative combination, a longitudinally extending rigid trough mold member and a plurality of horizontally extending rigid sleeves,

Claim 3

said longitudinally extending trough mold member having an exterior outline in transverse cross section which outline is downwardly convex and uniform along the entire length of such trough mold member; and said trough mold member having a bottom exterior surface which is smooth and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart rigid transversely extending members extending across and attached to the transversely spaced apart parts of the interior surface of said trough mold member, an upwardly open chamber in said trough mold member and a weight therein, 2. each of said plurality of horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves a. extending transverse to the length of said trough mold member and each of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves having a cylindrical and sturdy yet resilient sleeve wall, said wall having an interior surface, and a slot at each end thereof extending parallel to the central longitudinal axis of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeve, each of said slots at each sleeve end being of equal length and there being a resiliently deformable C-shaped sleeve wall portion adjacent thereto; each of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves being parallel to the other of said plurality of horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves, and each of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves being b. located above the trough mold member and firmly attached thereto; 3. said front and rear rigid wall units extending downward the same distance from said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves and said front and rear rigid wall units walls extending further downward from said transversely extending horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeve than the bottom of said trough mold member; C. said mold clamp assembly comprising 1. a rigid longitudinally extending rod with portions of uniform transverse diameter adjacent each of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves, rod support means supported on said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves, said rod rotatably supported on said rod support means; and drive means attached to said rod, 2. releasable locking means attached to said rod, said releasable locking means comprising a sprocket wheel and a pivotal lock arm having a tooth, said tooth operatively engaging said sprocket wheel; 3. a plurality of paris of flexible cables, each having two ends, one end of one of said cables of each pair thereof attached to said rod and another of the ends of each of said cables extending transversely to said rod and attached to a rigid member located above said trough and firmly attached to one of said vertically extending rigid reinforcement members,

Claim 4

said longitudinally extending trough mold member having an exterior outline in transverse cross section which outline is downwardly convex and uniform along the entire length of such trough mold member; and said trough mold member having a bottom exterior surface which is smooth and a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart rigid transversely extending members extending across and attached to the transversely spaced apart parts of the interior surface of said trough mold member, an upwardly open chamber in said trough mold member and a weight therein, 2. each of said plurality of horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves a. extending transverse to the length of said trough mold member and each of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves having a cylindrical and sturdy yet resilient sleeve wall, said wall having an interior surface, and a slot at each end thereof extending parallel to the central longitudinal axis of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeve, each of said slots at each sleeve end being of equal length and there being a resiliently deformable C-shaped sleeve wall portion adjacent thereto; each of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves being parallel to the other of said plurality of horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves, and each of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves being b. located above the trough mold member and firmly attached thereto; 3. said front and rear rigid wall units extending downward the same distance from said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves and said front and rear rigid wall units walls extending further downward from said transversely extending horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeve than the bottom of said trough mold member; C. said mold clamp assembly comprising 1. a rigid longitudinally extending rod with portions of uniform transverse diameter adjacent each of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves, rod support means supported on said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves, said rod rotatably supported on said rod support means; and drive means attached to said rod, 2. releasable locking means attached to said rod, said releasable locking means comprising a sprocket wheel and a pivotal lock arm having a tooth, said tooth operatively engaging said sprocket wheel; 3. a plurality of paris of flexible cables, each having two ends, one end of one of said cables of each pair thereof attached to said rod and another of the ends of each of said cables extending transversely to said rod and attached to a rigid member located above said trough and firmly attached to one of said vertically extending rigid reinforcement members,

Claim 5

a pair of rigid pistons slidably located in each of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves; one, inner, end of each of said pistons extending within said cylindrical sleeve wall, and the other, outer, end of each of said pistons extending outwardly of said cylindrical sleeve wall, said front piston extending outwardly of the front end of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves and the said rear piston extending outwardly of the rear end of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeve, a portion of the length of each such of said cables being releasably wrapped around said rod, said portion of length of cable being less than the length of said rigid piston in said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeve; one of said pistons attached to one of the rigid front wall vertically extending reinforcement members and fitting within one, front, end of one of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves, and another like piston attached to one of said rear rigid vertically extending reinforcement members fitting within the other, rear end of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeve; one end of said pair of cables attached to said rigid fron vertically extending members and another end of said pair of cables attached to a rigid member attached to one of said rigid rear vertically extending reinforcement members;

Claim 6

a pair of rigid pistons slidably located in each of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves; one, inner, end of each of said pistons extending within said cylindrical sleeve wall, and the other, outer, end of each of said pistons extending outwardly of said cylindrical sleeve wall, said front piston extending outwardly of the front end of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves and the said rear piston extending outwardly of the rear end of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeve, a portion of the length of each such of said cables being releasably wrapped around said rod, said portion of length of cable being less than the length of said rigid piston in said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeve; one of said pistons attached to one of the rigid front wall vertically extending reinforcement members and fitting within one, front, end of one of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeves, and another like piston attached to one of said rear rigid vertically extending reinforcement members fitting within the other, rear end of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeve; one end of said pair of cables attached to said rigid fron vertically extending members and another end of said pair of cables attached to a rigid member attached to one of said rigid rear vertically extending reinforcement members;

Claim 7

a vertically extending space between level of the top and the bottom of each of said pair of rigid pistons and the interior surface of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeve, and 6. a compressed spring located between the inner ends of said front and rear pistons within each of said horizontally extending hollow rigid of said sleeves.

Claim 8

a vertically extending space between level of the top and the bottom of each of said pair of rigid pistons and the interior surface of said horizontally extending hollow rigid sleeve, and 6. a compressed spring located between the inner ends of said front and rear pistons within each of said horizontally extending hollow rigid of said sleeves.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said rearwardly extending front piston on each of said front vertically extending reinforcement members has a front piston central longitudinal axis and the forwardly extending rigid rear piston on each of the rear vertically extending reinforcement members has a rear piston central longitudinal axis and said front portion axis and said rear portion axis are co-axial.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein: a. the trough mold member is firmly attached to the sleeves by a plurality of rigid vertical members extending from said trough to said sleeves and other rigid members firmly attached to and extending between said trough and said sleeves at an angle to the vertical; b. said drive means attached to the rod comprises in operative connection a driven sprocket wheel and a chain, and c. the vertically extending space between the top and bottom of each of said pistons and the interior surface of said sleeve extends for between 1/2% and 1% of the length of said piston within said sleeve.