Machine for manufacturing concrete uwall type construction blocks by molding each concrete u-wall construction block from concrete poured about a block cage made from reinforcing material while said block cage is loaded within said machine

The machine of claim 4, wherein when said machine is arranged in said closed block molding configuration,

• said molding surfaces provided by said first and second side panels are arranged to form the top and bottom wall surfaces of the front wall panel of said concrete U-wall construction block during said set of concrete block molding operations;
• said molding surfaces provided by said third and fourth side panels are arranged to form the side wall surfaces of the front wall panel of said concrete U-wall construction block during said set of concrete block molding operations;
• said molding surfaces provided by said first and second side stem jacket panels are arranged to form the upper and lower surfaces of the stem portions of said concrete U-wall construction during said set of concrete block molding operations;
• said molding surfaces of said first and second outer stem jacket panels are arranged to form the outer side surfaces of the stem portions of the concrete U-wall construction block during said set of concrete block molding operations;
• and
• said core molding assembly is arranged in said protracted configuration, and said first and second support members are inserted within said central apertures formed in the stem reinforcing portions of the block cage, and said molding surfaces provided by said first and second inner stem jacket panels are arranged to form the inner side surfaces of said stem portions of the concrete U-wall construction block during said set of concrete block molding operations;
• and
• wherein, during said set of block molding operations, wet concrete is first poured or injected into said machine to form the front wall panel of the concrete U-wall construction block;
• and
• thereafter, without waiting for time to lapse for the poured concrete to cure,
• said molding surfaces provided by said first and second outer pour cover panels are arranged to form the rear wall surface of the end portions of the front wall panel of the concrete U-wall construction block during said set of concrete block molding operations;
• said molding surfaces provided by said first and second inner pour covers are arranged to form the rear wall surface of the central portion of the front wall panel of the concrete U-wall construction block during said set of concrete block molding operations;
• and
• said molding surfaces provided by said center pour cover panel are arranged to over the central region disposed between said first and second inner pour cover panels, and form the rear wall surface of the front wall panel of the concrete U-wall construction block, between said first and second inner pour cover panels, during said set of concrete block molding operations;
• and
• then all said pour cover panels are locked, and wet concrete is then poured or injected into a pair of pour openings formed by the configured stem jacket panels, wherein the molding surfaces provided by the configured stem jacket panels form the pair of stem portions of the concrete U-wall construction block being manufactured during said set of concrete block molding operations.

In a machine for molding a concrete U-wall construction block from concrete poured about a block cage made from reinforcing material while said block cage is loaded within said machine,

• wherein each said concrete U-wall construction block molded by said machine has (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 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 stem portion of the concrete U-wall construction block being manufactured during a set of concrete block molding operations,
• wherein the front wall panel has a central portion disposed between said pair of stem portions, and a pair of end portions extending from said central portion;
• wherein the block cage has (i) a front wall reinforcing portion for reinforcing the front wall panel of the concrete U-wall construction block and having a central region, and (ii) a pair of stem reinforcing portions connected to said front wall reinforcing portion about said central region, for reinforcing the pair of stem portions of the concrete U-wall construction block being manufactured during said set of concrete block molding operations, wherein a central aperture is formed in each one of said pair of stem reinforcing portions, and
• wherein said machine has several states of configuration including an open block cage loading configuration, a closed concrete block molding configuration, and an open concrete block unloading configuration, a core molding assembly moved into position within said machine using a lift system, and having a retracted configuration and a protracted configuration, said machine comprising:
• a core molding assembly including
• (i) first and second inner stem jacket panels providing molding surfaces for forming the inner side surfaces of said stem portions of the concrete U-wall construction block being manufactured, and wherein said first and second inner stem jacket panels each have a lower portion,
• (ii) a support mechanism supportable by a cable associated with said lift system and supporting said first and second inner stem jacket panels in a parallel manner, and adapted to (i) engage with the stem sections of the block cage when said support mechanism is configured in said protracted configuration, and (ii) disengage from and moved away from the stem section of the concrete U-wall construction block when said support mechanism is configured in said retracted configuration, and
• (iii) first and second support members mounted on the molding surfaces provided by said first and second inner stem jacket panels, respectively, and
• (iv) first and second inner pour cover panels rotatably connected to the lower portions of said first and second inner stem jacket panels, providing molding surfaces for forming the rear wall surfaces of the central portion of the front wall panel of the concrete U-wall construction block being manufactured during said set of concrete block molding operations.