Molded concrete block having visually enhanced contrasting surface sections; methods, and use
AssigneeAnchor Wall Systems, Inc.
InventorsChristopher W. Becker, Glenn C. Bolles, Jay J. Johnson, Jonathan M. Schlueter, Robert B. Burnquist, Steven P. Bennett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to the present disclosure, methods and techniques for generating preferred concrete block products are provided. The methods and techniques involve providing addition of color to selected section within the blocks (1), as described herein, to generate enhancement effects. Typical applications involve spray applications for color pigment to visually distinct sections of the block (1) on one or more decorative surfaces.
Claims14
A method of enhancing the color appearance of a selected face portion of each of a plurality of articles of hardened concrete mass-produced on a production line for mass producing a plurality of hardened concrete articles, the production line comprising (i) a mixing station adapted to mix suitable ingredients with water to prepare a batch of unhardened concrete material suitable for dry casting, (ii) a molding station adapted to dry cast a body having top face portions and side face portions and comprising a densified quantity of the unhardened concrete material, (iii) a curing station adapted to stage the dry-cast body under conditions suitable to facilitate hardening of the concrete material, and (iv) a packaging station, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- a) providing a stencil comprising a solid portion and a first open portion;
- b) providing a first surface colorant in a liquid carrier;
- c) after dry casting the body, and before transporting the unhardened dry-cast body to the curing station, positioning the stencil above and spaced from the top face portions of the unhardened dry-cast body such that the first open portion of the stencil is aligned with a first selected face portion of the unhardened dry-cast body and the solid portion of the stencil is aligned with other face portions of the unhardened dry-cast body;
- d) after the stencil and the unhardened dry-cast body are positioned and aligned, spraying the first surface colorant in its liquid carrier from above the stencil and toward the unhardened dry-cast body in such a manner that some of the first surface colorant in its liquid carrier passes through the first open portion of the stencil and onto the first selected face portion of the unhardened dry-cast body and some of the first surface colorant in its liquid carrier is blocked by the solid portion of the stencil from reaching other face portions of the unhardened dry-cast body, and in such a manner that the color appearance of the first selected face portion of the unhardened dry-cast body is differentiated from the color appearances of other face portions of the unhardened dry-cast body by the amount of the first surface colorant in its liquid carrier sprayed through the first open portion of the stencil and onto the respective face portions;
- e) after the spraying step, transporting the surface color-differentiated unhardened dry-cast body to the curing station and staging it there until hardening of the concrete material comprising the dry-cast body has been obtained, so as to produce an article of hardened concrete having an enhanced surface color appearance;
- f) placing the hardened article on a shipping pallet;
- and
- g) wherein the stations of the production line are adapted to perform their respective functions cyclically in pre-selected cycle times, and steps c) and d) are performed in-line and rapidly enough to keep up with the pre-selected cycle time of the molding station's production of dry-cast bodies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.