Apparatus and methods for making a masonry block with a roughened surface
AssigneeWestblock Systems, Inc.
InventorsJames Hammer, Llewellyn Lee Johnston
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for making masonry blocks with one or more surfaces having a roughened texture resembling that of a split block or natural stone. In one embodiment, a mold comprises a plurality of walls defining at least one mold cavity adapted to receive block-forming material. The mold defines an opening through which a formed, uncured block may be removed from the mold. At least one wall of the mold has a plurality of projections extending into the mold cavity so as to contact an adjacent surface of the uncured block in the mold cavity. The projections are positioned such that when the uncured block is removed from the mold, the projections texture the adjacent surface of the uncured block.
Claims51
An apparatus for molding a masonry block, comprising:
- a mold comprising a plurality of walls defining at least one mold cavity adapted to receive block-forming material, the walls configured to retain block-forming material in the mold cavity, the mold defining an opening through which a formed, uncured block may be removed from the mold cavity;
- and
- at least one said wall including a major surface having a plurality of tapered projections extending into the mold cavity so as to contact an adjacent surface of the uncured block in the mold cavity, whereby when the uncured block is removed from the mold cavity, the projections texture the adjacent surface of the uncured block.
An apparatus for molding a masonry block, comprising:
- a mold including an interior surface defining at least one mold cavity having opposite end limits and an end opening, the mold cavity being adapted to receive block-forming material to form an uncured block, and allow removal of such block from the mold cavity through the end opening, the interior surface being impervious to block-forming material;
- and
- the interior surface including rows of projections between the opposite end limits for contacting a block in the mold, the projections being positioned side-by-side in each row, whereby when the block is removed from the mold cavity, the projections create a roughened texture on the surface of the block.
An apparatus for molding masonry blocks, comprising:
- a mold comprising first and second mold cavities and a separating member separating the first and second mold cavities and being generally impervious to block-forming material, the mold having a top and a bottom, the first and second mold cavities being adapted to receive block-forming material for forming first and second blocks, respectively, and the separating member having first and second major surfaces, the first major surface forming an interior surface of the first mold cavity and the second major surface forming an interior surface of the second mold cavity;
- and
- a plurality of inwardly extending block-texturing members located along the first and second major surfaces of the separating member between the top and bottom of the mold, the block-texturing members being configured to produce a roughened texture on adjacent surfaces of the first and second blocks as they are removed from their respective mold cavities.
An apparatus for molding masonry blocks, comprising:
- a mold comprising a plurality of walls forming first and second mold cavities and said side walls including a separating member separating the first and second mold cavities, the first and second mold cavities being adapted to receive block-forming material for forming first and second blocks, respectively, and the separating member having first and second major surfaces, the first major surface forming an interior surface of the first mold cavity and the second major surface forming an interior surface of the second mold cavity;
- a plurality of projections disposed on at least one of said walls of the mold and extending into the first mold cavity;
- a plurality of projections disposed on at least one of said walls of the mold and extending into the second mold cavity;
- and
- a plurality of projections disposed on at least one of said first and second major surfaces of the separating member and extending into the adjacent mold;
- whereby when the first and second blocks are removed from the mold, the projections produce at least two roughened surfaces on one of said first and second blocks and at least one roughened surface on the other of said first and second blocks.
A wall for use in a mold for molding a masonry block, comprising:
- a body having first and second major surfaces, at least one of the first and second major surfaces having a plurality of projections extending outwardly therefrom, the projections tapering as they extend away from the body.
A wall for use in a mold for molding a masonry block, comprising:
- a body having first and second major surfaces;
- and
- a plurality of projections extending outwardly from the first and second major surfaces.
A method for making a masonry block having a roughened surface, the method comprising:
- introducing block-forming material into a mold cavity, the mold cavity formed by mold walls all of which are configured to retain block-forming material in the mold cavity, at least one mold wall having plural, tapered projections extending into the mold cavity and located between the top and bottom of the mold cavity;
- forming an uncured block in the mold cavity;
- and
- moving the mold cavity relative to the uncured block so that the projections produce a roughened texture on a surface of the uncured block.
A masonry block having at least one roughened surface, the roughened surface being formed by a method comprising:
- introducing block-forming material into a mold cavity to form an uncured block, the mold cavity formed from a plurality of mold walls configured to retain block-forming material in the mold cavity, at least one of said mold walls having plural inwardly extending, tapered projections located between the top and bottom of said wall;
- and
- moving the mold relative to the uncured block so that the projections produce a roughened surface on the block.
A masonry block having at least one roughened surface, the roughened surface being formed by a method comprising:
- introducing block-forming material into a mold to form an uncured block, the mold comprising a plurality of mold walls being generally impervious to block-forming material, at least one of said mold walls having plural projections extending into the mold cavity so as to contact an adjacent side surface of the uncured block in the mold cavity, the projections having respective bases at said mold wall, at least some of the projections being positioned with their respective bases in contacting relationship with each other;
- and
- stripping the uncured block from the mold cavity so that the projections create a roughened surface on the block.
A method of providing a roughened surface on a retaining wall block comprising:
- providing a mold having walls defining a mold cavity and opposite end openings;
- providing at least one of the walls with tapered projections extending into the cavity and distributed throughout at least a major surface area of the at least one wall;
- filling the mold cavity with block-forming material to form an uncured block in the cavity;
- and
- stripping the uncured block from the mold by moving the block relative to the walls through one of the opposite end openings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.