TEK- Block Press

Manual presses produced in Africa 1

Manufacturer
Mechanical Engineering Dept.
Faculty of Engineering
University of Science and Technology
Kumasi
Ghana
Tel. 43 61, 53 51
Cables: Housing Kumasitech

Description

The TEK-Block Press was developed in 1970 by the Department of Housing and Planning Research, Faculty of Architecture, U.S.T. Kumasi, with the aim of modifying the CINVA-Ram to suit the local requirements. While the main components of the TEK-Block Press, with its mould box, moveable cover, lever and piston, are principally the same as those of the CINVA-Ram, some of the details are different.

One important difference is that the lever is connected to the mould cover, which moves back with the lever arm and connecting links, when opening the mould and ejecting the block. This reduces the number of manual operations and provides unobstructed access to the mould.

An automatic locking device is fitted to the connecting link and the handle socket. This

locks the handle to the side links, so that they move as a unit when ejecting the pressed blocks. The blocks are demoulded by pivoting the locked assembly on the rear pulleys. This device eliminates the need to manipulate a locking device during the blockmaking cycle.

Instead of the three-piece metal arm used for the CINVA-Ram, the lever arm is a wooden handle inserted in the metal socket. In order to save the costs and effort of transportation, the handle and wooden rails, onto which the machine has to be mounted for stability, are not supplied with the machine, as these are usually available locally. Another reason for using a wooden handle is that it will break before jamming the piston, in case of overfilling the mould.

Operating the TEK-Block Press

The connection of the mould cover to the lever arm and the automatic locking device serve to reduce the number of manual operations to an absolute minimum.

Pulling back the lever arm moves the piston into the filling position and opens the mould in one operation. When the mould is filled, the lever arm is swung over the mould and down to about the horizontal position on the other side, closing the mould and compressing the block in the process.

The same operation in the reverse direction opens the mould and ejects the block. The simplicity of these operations makes the machine especially suited for unskilled labour, although some care is needed to ensure proper filling of the mould.

FIGURE

Technical Details