Molded concrete U-wall construction block employing a metal reinforcement cage having stem reinforcement portions with open apertures formed therein for multiple purposes

A molded concrete U-wall construction block manufactured during a block manufacturing process using a machine employing a support mechanism having first and second support members, said molded concrete U-wall construction block comprising:

• a block cage made from reinforcing material loaded within said machine, and encased in concrete material poured about said block cage to form a molded concrete U-wall construction block structure about said block cage when the poured concrete material has cured;
• wherein said molded concrete U-wall construction block structure includes
• (i) a front wall panel of solid prismatic construction having a front wall surface, a rear wall surface, side wall surfaces, and top and bottom wall surfaces, and
• (ii) a pair of stem portions of solid prismatic construction, arranged in a parallel manner, and protruding from the rear wall surface of said front wall panel in a substantially perpendicular manner;
• wherein each said stem portion has a back surface, an inner side surface, an outer side surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface, and a central aperture formed in each said stem portion of said molded concrete U-wall construction block structure;
• wherein said front wall panel has a central region disposed between said pair of stem portions, and a pair of end portions extending from said central region;
• wherein said block cage includes
• (i) a front wall reinforcing portion for reinforcing said front wall panel of said molded concrete U-wall construction block structure, and having a central reinforcing portion for reinforcing said central portion,
• (ii) a first stem reinforcing portion and a second stem reinforcing portion, said first and second stem reinforcing portions being connected to said front wall reinforcing portion about said central region, for reinforcing said pair of stem portions of said molded concrete U-wall construction block structure, and
• (iii) an open aperture formed centrally in each one of said first and second stem reinforcing portions, for receiving the first and second support members of said support mechanism during said block manufacturing process,
• wherein said open apertures centrally formed in said stem reinforcing portions of said block cage cooperate with said first and second support members of said support mechanism during said block manufacturing process and are configured to (i) support said block cage when said block cage is being loaded into said machine during block cage loading operations, (ii) define said central apertures molded in each stem portion of said molded concrete U-wall construction block structure during block molding operations, and (iii) support said molded concrete U-wall construction block structure when said molded concrete U-wall construction block is being unloaded from said machine during concrete block unloading operations.