FORM-2
THE PATENT ACT,1970
(39 OF 1970)
AND
THE PATENT RULES, 2003
(As Amended)
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See section 10;rule 13)
"AUTOMATIC CONCRETE CUBE AND CYLINDER SPECIMEN MAKING MACHINE"
Ultratech Cement Limited, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of India of ‘B’ wing, 2nd Floor, Ahura Centre, Mahakali Caves Road, Andheri (East), Mumbai-400093, Maharashtra, India ; and
JANYU TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of India of 17, Rajprabha Landmark Industrial Estate : No-6, Sativali Road, Vasai East , Palghar - 401208, India.

TITLE: Automatic concrete cube and cylinder specimen making machine.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of automation of concrete technology in wet cement-based materials in construction. The present invention particularly relates to an automatic concrete specimen making machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Concrete is a mixture of hydraulic cement, aggregates, and water, with or without admixtures, fibers, or other cementitious materials. It is manufactured by using various types of concrete mixers. Most concrete used for construction is a combination of concrete and reinforcement that is called reinforced concrete. Reinforcement for concrete is provided by embedding deformed steel bars or welded wire fabric within freshly made concrete at the time of casting. The purpose of reinforcement is to provide additional strength for concrete where it is needed. The steel provides all the tensile strength where concrete is in tension, as in beams and slabs; it supplements the compressive strength of concrete in columns and walls, and it provides extra shear strength over and above that of concrete in beams.

Fit;. 1 SIZES OF THE CUBE
For cylinder test two types of specimens either cubes of 15cm X 30cm or 10cm X 20cm depending upon the size of aggregate are used as shown in fig 2.
Compressive strength is the ability to carry loads of material or structure on its surface without any cracking or deformation. Test for compressive strength is carried out either on a cube or cylinder specimens. Various standard codes recommend a concrete cylinder or concrete cube as the standard specimen for the test. For the cube test two types of specimens either cubes of 15cm X 15cm X 15cm or 10cm X 10cm x 10cm depending upon the size of aggregate are used. For most of the works cubical moulds of size 15cm x 15cm x 15cm are commonly used as shown in fig 1.


The test specimen is compressed between the platens of a compression-testing machine by a gradually applied load. The compressive strength of the concrete is the load applied at the point of failure to the cross-section area of the face on which the load was applied.
Strength test results from cast cube/cylinders may be used for quality control, acceptance of concrete, for estimating the strength in a structure, or for evaluating the adequacy of curing and protection afforded to the structure. Standard-cured cube/cylinders are tested for acceptance and quality control. Field-cured cube/cylinders are tested for estimating the in-place concrete strength.
A strength test result is the average of at least two/three (depending on size and shape) strength specimens made from the same concrete sample and tested at the same age. In most cases strength requirements for concrete are at an age of 28 days.
An average of three values shall be taken as the representative of the batch provided the individual variation is not more than ± 15 percent of the average. Otherwise, repeat test shall be made.
To assure the compliance of concrete to its specification, hardened concrete samples (cubes or cylinders) need to be tested at a prescribed frequency and methodology specified by the Bureau of Indian/International Standards. Normally, these samples are prepared by casting fresh concrete in moulds of recommended sizes manually at concrete plants and project sites.
Steps involved in the manual cube or cylinder specimen making process
1. Clean the standard cube or cylinder moulds thoroughly and tight all nuts-bolts properly.

2. Before filling, the interior faces of the assembled mould shall be thinly coated with mould oil to prevent the adhesion of the concrete. Place the mould on a rigid horizontal surface.
3. Take the random sample from the mixing spot while concreting.
4. Place the concrete in the mould by means of a scoop in layers of approximately equal depth, each layer not more than 50 mm thick. In placing each scoopful of concrete, move the scoop around the top edge of the mould as the concrete slides from it, in order to ensure symmetrical distribution of the concrete within the mould. The thickness of the layers may be increased proportionately, if the minimum size of the specimen exceeds 150 mm.
5. Distribute the strokes of the tamping rod in a uniform manner over the cross-section of the mould. Ensure that the tamping rod does not penetrate significantly any previous layer nor forcibly strike the bottom of the mould while compacting the first layer. For cube specimens, having a size, 150mm X150mm X150mm, subject the concrete to a minimum of 35 strokes or tamps per layer.
6. After the top layer has been compacted, remove the concrete above the upper end of the mould using a trowel or a float and level the surface with the top of the mould. Cover the surface with suitable material to prevent evaporation of water.
7. Cover the mould with a damp hessian cloth immediately to prevent loss of water.
The manual process of casting concrete specimen requires skilled and trained technicians. Non availability of trained manpower leads to variations in test results based on the skill level of the technicians.
Thus, there is a need for an automatic concrete specimen making machine which is adept at preparing concrete specimen efficiently without major dependence on skilled manpower. The use of this machine should save time and manpower, apart from reducing test result variations.
Inventors of the present application have tried to automate the most critical part of the above

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of invention is to provide for automation of concrete technology in wet cement-based materials in construction.
Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic concrete specimen making machine which enables the process of preparing concrete specimen efficiently without major dependence on skilled manpower.
Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic concrete specimen making machine which saves time and manpower, apart from reducing test result variations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to obviate the limitations of the prior art the present invention provides an automatic concrete specimen making machine has been done to enable the process of preparing concrete specimen efficiently without major dependence on skilled manpower. The use of this machine saves time and manpower, apart from reducing test result variations.
In an aspect, the present invention provides a concrete making machine comprising:
a. An Outer frame (1);
b. A Control Panel (2);
c. A feeding hopper (3) connected to a feeder at one end and is placed above a mold
without physically connecting with the mould;
d. The feeder (4);
e. A mould platform (5) for keeping the mould connected to the outer frame of the
machine;
f. The mould (6) which is kept on the mould platform underneath the feeding hopper;
g. A vibratory unit (7) connected to the mould platform, a pump system, and the control
panel;
h. A Tamping rod assembly (8) placed above the mould and connected with the control
panel;
i. Rotary Indexing plate (9) with two mould holders to accommodate two moulds feeding
simultaneously.
In an embodiment the concrete sample making machine of present invention is designed to provide tamping of the layers of poured concrete mix in a manner such that the tamping rod assembly doesn’t penetrate the underlying layers, nor does it hit the bottom of mould while

tamping the layer of concrete poured first in the process. The use of a tamping component such as a plummer is known in art. However, the specific mechanism of tamping which is displayed by concrete sample making machine of present invention is hitherto unknown.
In another embodiment the concrete sample making machine of present invention is designed to provide tamping at a pre-determined value which can be same or different for each layer of poured concrete mix e.g., concrete sample making machine can be set to provide tamping as per the Indian Standard of 35 tamps per layer or it may be set as per chosen International/National Standard. The current state of art does not reveal such a feature wherein the tamping can be done at a pre-determined value for each of the layers of concrete.
In yet another embodiment the concrete sample making machine of present invention is designed with all electrical devices using single phase low volt AC current, particularly 230V AC, so that it is conveniently portable to any site location, without the need for compressed air. The currently known concrete blocking machines are bulky and are neither portable nor have they been designed such that all electrical devices in the machine work using low volt single phase AC current, particularly 230V AC.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The foregoing and further objects, features and advantages of the present subject matter will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals are used to represent like elements. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present subject matter, and are therefore, not to be considered for limiting of its scope, for the subject matter may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
Figure 1 illustrates Sketch diagram of the machine.
Figure 2 illustrates Actual Machine Image.
Figure 3 illustrates the top view of the machine.
Figure 4 illustrates the top and side view of the machine.
Figure 5 illustrates the front view of the machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following presents a detailed description of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This description is not an extensive overview of the present invention. It is not intended to identify the key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concept of the invention in a simplified form.
Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.
Features that are described and/or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same way or in a similar way in one or more other embodiments and/or in combination with or instead of the features of the other embodiments.
The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings but are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
By the term “substantially” it is meant that the recited characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations or variations, including for example, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those of skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide.
It should be emphasized that the terms “include/s”, “comprises”, “including” and/or “comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.
It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being “attached” or “connected” or “coupled” or “mounted” to another element, it can be directly attached or

connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations and arrangements of one or more of the associated listed items.
The present invention of an automatic concrete specimen making machine has been done to enable the process of preparing concrete specimen efficiently without major dependence on skilled manpower. The use of this machine saves time and manpower, apart from reducing test result variations.
In an aspect, the present invention provides a concrete making machine comprising:
a. An Outer frame (1);
b. A Control Panel (2);
c. A feeding hopper (3) connected to a feeder at one end and is placed above a mold
without physically connecting with the mould;
d. The feeder (4);
e. A mould platform (5) for keeping the mould connected to the outer frame of the
machine;
f. The mould (6) which is kept on the mould platform underneath the feeding hopper;
g. A vibratory unit (7) connected to the mould platform, a pump system, and the control
panel;
h. A Tamping rod assembly (8) placed above the mould and connected with the control
panel;
i. Rotary Indexing plate (9) with two mould holders to accommodate two moulds feeding
simultaneously.
In an embodiment the concrete sample making machine of present invention is designed to provide tamping of the layers of poured concrete mix in a manner such that the tamping rod assembly (8) doesn’t penetrate the underlying layers, nor does it hit the bottom of mould while tamping the layer of concrete poured first in the process. The use of a tamping component such as a plummer is known in art. However, the specific mechanism of tamping which is displayed by concrete sample making machine of present invention is hitherto unknown.
In another embodiment the concrete sample making machine of present invention is designed to provide tamping at a pre-determined value which can be same or different for each layer of poured concrete mix e.g., concrete sample making machine can be set to provide tamping as per the Indian Standard of 35 tamps per layer or it may be set as per chosen

International/National Standard. The current state of art art does not reveal such a feature wherein the tamping can be done at a pre-determined value for each of the layers of concrete.
In yet another embodiment the concrete sample making machine of present invention is designed with all electrical devices using single phase low volt AC current, particularly 230V AC, so that it is conveniently portable to any site location, without the need for compressed air. The currently known concrete blocking machines are bulky and are neither portable nor have they been designed such that all electrical devices in the machine work using low volt single phase AC current, particularly 230V AC.
Therefore, concrete sample making machine of present invention provides the advantage of:
a) producing accurate and repeatable test cube specimen and cylinder specimen.
b) converting an essentially manual process into an automated one thereby decreasing cost and time of testing.
c) producing the cubes according to the IS 516.
d) amenable to adjustment according to any chosen international/national standards.
e) providing a motorized tamping arrangement with adjustable vertical stroke to do the tamping as per the pre-set way.
f) providing a portable, detachable control panel with mini PLC and HMI controls the system and provides the operator with a user-friendly interface to operate the system.
g) providing the Control panel is detachable with connectors so that it can be carried separately and easily.
h) simple and requires few essential components in terms of construction of the
machine.
Further, by virtue of converting an essentially manual process into an automated one by the use of a portable machine which does not demand very high current inputs, the concrete sample making machine invention offers significant economic benefits to the concrete industry.
Overview of the machine
The concrete sample making machine has following sections:
a. Feeding hopper (3)– Holds fresh concrete for making the samples.
b. Feeder (4)– Feeds the fresh concrete from the feeding hopper into the mould.

c. Mould platform (5)– Mould/Moulds (6) is/are kept on the platform.
d. Vibratory unit (7)– Vibrates the mould, feeder, and other parts as per programming.
e. Tamping rod assembly (8)– tamps various layers of concrete already poured into the
mould.
f. Control Panel (9) – Passes the operating instructions and houses the electronic parts.
The machine has following part as per figures 4 to 6:
1) Single-Stage Air Compressor: This component is essential for generating pneumatic pressure, facilitating the movement of the indexing plate and slider gates.
2) Feeding Mechanism: The feeding mechanism functions as a concrete volume measuring box, ensuring the precise quantity of concrete required to fill the mould.
3) Concrete Feeder: This hopper serves as a storage unit for fresh concrete, ready for use in the casting process.
4) Tamping Mechanism: The tamping mechanism is a mechanical device or tool engineered to compact freshly poured concrete, eliminating air voids. It comprises five rods, each with a diameter of 16 mm, attached to a steel plate, protruding into the concrete specimen while tamping.
5) Machine Enclosure: The machine enclosure is a protective cover, safeguarding the machine's components and ensuring compliance with safety standards.
6) Indexing Plate: This circular plate is equipped with two mould holders and rotates 180 degrees, enabling the simultaneous processing of two concrete cubes.
7) Welded Frame: The welded frame provides structural support to the entire machine assembly.
8) Mould Unloading from Tamping: This is the designated area for loading, unloading, and tamping the moulds,
9) Vibrating Motor: The vibrating motor is responsible for vibrating the moulds, compacting the fresh concrete.
10) Bearing Housing: The bearing housing is an assembly designed to accommodate the bearings of the indexing plate.
11) Pneumatic Actuator: The pneumatic actuator is employed to control the movement of the indexing plate..
12) Rack and Pinion: This component is connected to the pneumatic motor and the indexing plate.

Operation of the machine
Fresh concrete is poured manually by the operator of the machine into the feeding hopper (3) and mould (6) is placed on the mould platform(5). After this casting cycle is started by switching on the machine.
Automatically, fresh concrete is poured from the feeding hopper (3) into the mould through the feeder (4) in a requisite number of layers. After feeding each layer, the mould plate (5) and feeder (4) are automatically vibrated briefly as per programming. This avoids the spillage of concrete outside the mould (6). The tamping rod assembly (8) has been designed with a number of tamping rods to distribute the tamping evenly through the cross section of the specimen. The assembly (8) moves downwards predefined number of times to ensure exact number of tamping strokes specified by Indian standards. The process is accompanied by vibration to ensure proper compaction of the specimen. The downward movement of tamping assembly (8) is programmed in such a way that only the required layer is tamped and other layers are unaffected.
After three layers of concrete are compacted the cube mould is removed from the machine by the operator and the cycle is completed.
The design of the machine
Concrete Cube Making Machine is designed to manufacture accurate and repeatable test cube specimen and cylinder specimen with precisely engineered hardware coupled with intelligent software. It is flexible to make different sizes samples with different manufacturing recipes as per the requirement. The machine produces the cubes according to the IS-516 and is compatible with international standards.
A Motorized Tamping arrangement with adjustable vertical stroke is provided to do the tamping as per the pre-set way. A portable, detachable control panel with mini-PLC and HMI controls the system and provides the operator with a user-friendly interface to operate the system. The Control panel is detachable with connectors so that it can be carried separately and easily.
Prototype of the machine – The first two prototypes of the machine have been installed by the inventors at the laboratories of Ultratech Cement Ltd. Concrete cube samples of various grades of concrete have been cast using these prototypes and comparative testing with the

traditional method has been done. The comparative testing has revealed that the concrete samples cast using the invented machine display more uniform results compared to the traditional method in equivalent or lesser time without using any trained technicians.
As per an embodiment of the present invention, to ensure a controlled concrete discharge rate and prevent sticking onto the hopper's surface, the concrete hopper is equipped with a rotary spiral blade arrangement. Below the concrete hopper, there is a Feeding mechanism box, which in turn is positioned above a cube mould.
As per another embodiment of the present invention, instead of employing a concrete screw conveyor, an alternative approach has been adopted. Concrete is measured by volume and then discharged from the Feeding mechanism box directly into the cube mould.
As per another embodiment of the present invention, the feeding mechanism box's (4) capacity corresponds to that of a single layer of the concrete cube as shown in figure 5. It features four fixed sides and is equipped with two slider gates located at the top and bottom.
As per another embodiment of the present invention, both slider gates are closed. Once the machine is activated, the spiral blade rotates and the top slider gate opens, allowing concrete to fill the Feeding mechanism box(4). After the box is filled, the top slider gate closes, and subsequently, the bottom slider gate opens. This sequence ensures that the measured concrete is released into the cube positioned beneath the Feeding mechanism box (4).
Air Compressor is used for the movement of slider gates as shown in Figure 5.
As per another embodiment of the present invention, placed upon a rotating circular indexing plate (9) as shown in figure 4, cube moulds are subjected to a 180-degree reverse and forward rotation. Below the circular indexing plate (9), a bearing housing is provided for smooth rotary movement. This bearing is connected to the rack and pinion assembly, as shown in Figure 5, for the movement actuated by a pneumatic actuator, also shown in Figure 5, which is connected to the air compressor mounted as shown in Figure 5.
The empty mould is loaded direction as shown in Figure 4 into the machine. Once the mold is in position, the user will start the machine, and the plate will move to 180 degrees, positioning the mould (5) under the feeding mechanism. At this point, measured concrete will drop into the mould (5). Simultaneously, the user will load another mould on the opposite side of the rotary indexing plate (9), as illustrated in Figure 4.

Following this, the plate (9) will rotate 180 degrees once more, and the newly positioned molud (5) will be filled under the feeding mechanism. At the same time, the previously filled molud (5) will be tamped with the tamping mechanism, as shown in Figure 4, and vibrated on the opposite side using vibrating motor (7) as shown in figure 5. This cycle will be repeated three times, and the machine will automatically stop upon completing the programmed cycle."
This setup accommodates two cubes simultaneously. The arrangement is designed so that while one mould (5) is being filled, the other undergoes tamping. Once tamping is completed, the rotary plate rotates (9), initiating tamping in the filled mould. This programmed process ensures the filling of three uniform layers in each cube, achieving the desired compaction. This dual mould arrangement significantly enhances the speed of cube casting.
Process of making concrete cubes;
Place the machine on a stable surface for optimal performance. Verify that the detachable control panel is securely connected and accessible.
To initiate the process, load the first cube mould into the mould holder. Start the machine, and the indexing plate will rotate 180 degrees, moving the first mould beneath the measuring box. Simultaneously, an empty mould holder will come into the place of the first mould. Load the second mould into this newly positioned mould holder. This process allows for seamless dual casting, optimizing efficiency and productivity. Ensure that both moulds are securely positioned and ready for the casting process as the machine progresses through its cycle.
The concrete hopper, equipped with a rotary spiral blade arrangement to control the discharge rate and prevent sticking, was prepared. Below the hopper, there was a Feeding Mechanism Box, designed to accommodate one layer of concrete cube. Both slider gates on the box were ensured to be closed.
The machine was activated, causing the spiral blade in the hopper to rotate. Subsequently, the top slider gate on the Feeding Mechanism Box opened, allowing concrete to fill the box accurately. Once the box was filled, the top slider gate closed, followed by the opening of the bottom slider gate. This sequence ensured the precise discharge of the measured concrete into the cube mould positioned beneath the Feeding Mechanism Box.
While one mould was being filled, the other underwent tamping using the motorized tamping arrangement, as illustrated in Figure 4. Simultaneously, the filled mould was vibrated using

a vibrating motor, ensuring proper compaction of the concrete sample. This process contributed to achieving uniform results.
This cycle repeated three (or programmed) times, filling and compacting the concrete in each mould in a controlled and uniform manner. The machine automatically stopped upon completing the programmed cycle, ensuring consistent and repeatable test specimens. After the process was complete, the cast concrete cube specimens were carefully removed from the moulds, with great attention to handling to prevent any damage. These specimens kept at levelled surface and traditional initial curing started.
Results of Experimental Data
Parallel samples were cast using machine and manual methods. It has been observed that the average compressive strength found by machine casted and manually casted samples are equivalent. The maximum percent variation in the machine cast cubes was found less in machine casted cubes. Results are mentioned in the below table:

Date of Casting
D Age in days
D Grade of Concrete
D Slump/ Flow
(mm)
■ Casting by Machine Manual Casting

Individual cube results MPa _
B Max % Variation MPa Individual cube results _
D Max % Variation erage
01.03.2022 7 M30 660mm 25.8 26.5 24.9 3.4 25.7 25.2 24.7 25.5 1.8 25.1
01.03.2022 28 M30 660mm 41.0 40.3 41.3 1.3 40.9 39.8 41.8 40.2 3.0 40.6
01.03.2022 7 M40 170mm 33.2 31.6 33.3 3.3 32.7 32.4 33.7 31.1 4.0 32.4
01.03.2022 28 M40 170mm 48.2 47.8 48.3 0.7 48.1 49.4 48.7 49.0 0.7 49.0
01.03.2022 7 M30 580mm 27.2 26.2 27.1 2.2 26.8 27.0 26.8 25.8 2.7 26.5
01.03.2022 28 M30 580mm 37.4 37.0 38.4 2.2 37.6 38.3 37.4 37.9 1.3 37.9
01.03.2022 7 M15 160mm 12.2 11.3 12.1 4.7 11.9 10.7 11.5 12.1 6.2 11.4
01.03.2022 28 M15 160mm 22.1 21.0 22.7 4.1 22.0 22.6 23.0 21.0 5.4 22.2
02.03.2022 7 M30 220mm 23.5 24.0 24.4 1.9 24.0 24.6 23.4 22.2 5.1 23.4
02.03.2022 28 M30 220mm 39.4 38.8 40.2 1.9 39.5 40.0 40.6 39.0 2.3 39.9
02.03.2022 7 M30 220mm 24.3 25.0 24.8 1.5 24.7 25.6 25.8 25.2 1.4 25.5
02.03.2022 28 M30 220mm 38.7 38.0 39.0 1.5 38.6 41.3 40.7 39.0 3.3 40.3
02.03.2022 7 M35 640mm 30.3 29.8 30.2 1.0 30.1 30.7 30.5 31.6 2.0 30.9
02.03.2022 28 M35 640mm 43.9 44.6 44.8 1.2 44.4 45.1 46.1 47.0 2.1 46.0
02.03.2022 7 M30 140mm 23.9 22.8 23.4 2.3 23.4 25.5 24.1 23.3 4.9 24.3
02.03.2022 28 M30 140mm 40.8 41.6 41.2 1.0 41.2 41.5 42.9 43.6 2.8 42.7
02.03.2022 7 M35 200mm 28.9 27.9 28.5 1.9 28.4 27.7 29.0 28.5 2.5 28.4
02.03.2022 28 M35 200mm 41.0 40.4 41.2 1.1 40.9 42.6 42.0 42.9 1.1 42.5
03.03.2022 7 M30 180mm 25.4 26.3 25.0 2.9 25.6 23.1 24.0 23.0 2.8 23.4
03.03.2022 28 M30 180mm 42.7 42.8 42.0 1.2 42.5 43.6 42.2 42.0 2.3 42.6
03.03.2022 7 M25 140mm 22.2 21.0 21.5 2.9 21.6 21.2 21.4 20.8 1.7 21.1
03.03.2022 28 M25 140mm 34.9 34.5 35.1 1.0 34.8 34.6 35.0 36.6 3.4 35.4
03.03.2022 7 M35 170mm 29.4 29.3 28.7 1.4 29.1 29.1 29.6 28.5 1.9 29.1
03.03.2022 28 M35 170mm 45.5 46.5 47.0 1.8 46.3 46.8 45.7 45.2 1.9 45.9
03.03.2022 7 M25 200mm 21.1 20.5 21.0 1.9 20.9 19.7 20.5 19.3 3.4 19.9
03.03.2022 28 M25 200mm 35.6 34.0 35.1 2.6 34.9 35.6 34.2 34.1 2.8 34.6
03.03.2022 7 M25 190mm 20.6 19.7 21.0 3.6 20.4 20.4 20.0 21.3 3.5 20.6
03.03.2022 28 M25 190mm 35.5 34.2 33.6 3.1 34.4 35.8 33.6 35.8 4.2 35.0
07.03.2022 7 M40 620mm 41.7 40.0 41.5 2.6 41.1 40.0 38.8 38.4 2.4 39.1
07.03.2022 28 M40 620mm 46.6 47.6 48.5 2.1 47.5 49.0 47.9 46.9 2.3 47.9
07.03.2022 7 M40 600mm 42.8 40.3 41.2 3.2 41.4 40.4 41.2 39.5 2.0 40.4
07.03.2022 28 M40 600mm 47.4 48.1 46.5 1.7 47.3 48.7 49.2 48.0 1.4 48.6
11.03.2022 7 M50 160mm 40.3 41.4 41.0 1.5 40.9 39.6 39.8 38.8 1.4 39.4
11.03.2022 28 M50 160mm 59.9 60.7 59.2 1.3 59.9 59.6 58.9 59.2 0.7 59.2
11.03.2022 7 M35 150mm 40.2 42.1 41.1 2.4 41.1 40.1 39.0 42.3 4.4 40.5
11.03.2022 28 M35 150mm 44.8 45.0 44.7 0.4 44.8 44.6 44.4 44.7 0.4 44.6
11.03.2022 7 M40 190mm 43.2 42.7 44.0 1.6 43.3 38.8 42.8 43.7 7.1 41.8
11.03.2022 28 M40 190mm 51.0 53.0 51.6 2.2 51.9 52.4 51.2 50.9 1.7 51.5
11.03.2022 7 M30 180mm 29.0 29.3 28.0 2.6 28.8 28.8 26.6 26.2 6.0 27.2
11.03.2022 28 M30 180mm 40.3 39.0 39.5 1.8 39.6 39.0 38.5 39.7 1.6 39.1
Following the completion of each layer's filling, automatic vibration and tamping of the cube take place.

ling DATE : 18/05/2023
Concrete cube-making machine cube-fil observations after modifications
FRL
PRESSURE -
3 BAR
SR. NO.
1 2 3 4
5
6 7 8 9 10 GRA DE
M40 M40 M40 M40
M40
M40 M40 M40 M40 M40 SLU MP
170 170 170 170
170
170 170 170 170 170 1st L
Filling ayer 2nd
Fillin g Layer 3rd
Fillin g Layer INITIAL PRESSURE (P) IN BAR FINAL PRESSURE (P) IN BAR REMARK

Tampi ng
Tampi ng
Tampi ng

OK OK OK OK
OK
OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK
OK
OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK 95% FILL OK OK OK OK OK OK 7 7 OK

OK
OK
OK 7 7 OK

OK
OK
OK 7 7 OK

OK
OK
OK 7 7 OK

OK
OK
95% FILL 7 7 OK

OK
OK
OK 7 7 OK

OK
OK
OK 7 7 OK

OK
OK
OK 7 7 OK

OK
OK
OK 7 7 OK

OK
OK
OK 7 7 OK
Benefits of the concrete sample making machine
a) Reducing the requirement of skilled technicians for concrete sampling without compromising testing accuracy.
b) During manual sample casting, it is practically impossible to ensure an equal volume of material gets poured into each layer. The number of tamping strokes in each layer are dependent on the manual count of the technician. All such errors are eliminated by using this machine because of the precise number of strokes and degree of vibration.
c) Variation within the samples is minimized.
d) Improved uniformity in the compression and other hardened concrete test results.
e) Faster casting of samples.
f) Ease of making samples.

We claim:
1. A concrete sample making machine comprising:
- an outer frame;
- a control panel;
- a feeding hopper connected to a feeder at one end and placed above a mold without physically connecting with the mould;
- a feeder;
- a mould platform for keeping the mould connected to the outer frame of the machine;
- the mould kept on the mould platform underneath the feeding hopper;
- a vibratory unit connected to the mould platform, a pump system, and the control panel;
- a tamping rod assembly placed above the mould and connected with the control panel; and
- a rotary indexing plate to accommodate two moulds feeding simultaneously;
- wherein the Motorized Tamping arrangement with adjustable vertical stroke is provided to do the tamping as per the pre-set way;
- wherein the control panel is portable and detachable with connectors so that it can be carried separately and easily;
- wherein the said portable and detachable control panel has mini-PLC and HMI controls the system and provides the operator with a user-friendly interface to operate the system.

2. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein to avoid spillage of concrete, the mould plate and feeder automatically vibrates briefly at pre-determined rate.
3. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assembly moves downwards at predefined number of times to ensure exact number of tamping strokes specified by Indian standards.
4. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein to ensure a controlled concrete discharge rate and prevent sticking onto the hopper's surface, the concrete hopper is equipped with a rotary spiral blade arrangement.

5. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feeding mechanism box is provided below the concrete hopper and above the cube mould.
6. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein tamping rod assembly is provided with a number of tamping rods to distribute the tamping evenly through the cross section of the specimen.
7. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein tamping rod assembly doesn’t penetrate the underlying layers, or hit the bottom of mould while tamping the layer of concrete poured first in the process.
8. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tamping is done at a pre-determined value which can be same or different for each layer of poured concrete mix.
9. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said machine works using single phase low volt AC current, particularly 230V AC.
10. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process is accompanied by vibration to ensure proper compaction of the specimen.
11. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the downward movement of tamping assembly is programmed so that the required layer is tamped and other layers are unaffected.
12. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein once three layers of concrete are compacted, the cube mould is removed from the machine by the operator and the cycle is completed.
13. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein concrete is measured by volume and discharged from the feeding mechanism box directly into the cube mould.
14. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feeding mechanism box's capacity corresponds to that of a single layer of the concrete cube.

15. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feeding mechanism box has four fixed sides and is equipped with two slider gates located at the top and bottom.
16. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein both slider gates are closed.
17. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air compressor is used for the movement of slider gates.
18. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein placed upon a rotating circular indexing plate, cube moulds are subjected to a 180-degree reverse and forward rotation.
19. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein below the circular indexing plate, a bearing housing is provided for smooth rotary movement.
20. The concrete sample making machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein bearing is connected to the rack and pinion assembly for the movement actuated by a pneumatic actuator, which is connected to the air compressor mounted.
21. The process of making concrete sample cubes from concrete sample making machine as claimed in claims 1 to 17, comprising the steps of

- loading the first cube mould into the mould holder;
- starting the machine, and causing the indexing plate to rotate 180 degrees, moving the first mould beneath the measuring box;
- simultaneously, an empty mould holder takes place of the first mould;
- loading the second mould into newly positioned mould holder;
- preparing the concrete hopper, equipped with a rotary spiral blade arrangement to control the discharge rate and prevent sticking;
- ensuring that both slider gates on Feeding Mechanism Box are closed;
- on activating the machine, spiral blade in the hopper rotates, subsequently, the top slider gate on the Feeding Mechanism Box open, allowing concrete to fill the box accurately;
- once the box is filled, the top slider gate close, followed by the opening of the bottom slider gate, to ensure the precise discharge of the measured concrete into the cube mould positioned beneath the Feeding Mechanism Box.while one mould is

being filled, the other underwent tamping using the motorized tamping arrangement;
- simultaneously, the filled mould is vibrated using a vibrating motor, ensuring proper compaction of the concrete sample to achieve uniform results;
- repeating the cycle three (or programmed) times, filling and compacting the concrete in each mould in a controlled and uniform manner;
- stopping the machine automatically upon completing the programmed cycle, ensuring consistent and repeatable test specimens;
- on completing the process, the cast concrete cube specimens are carefully removed from the moulds, with great attention to handling to prevent any damage.