Method for texturizing the face of concrete products

In a method of molding and texturizing upper surfaces of concrete products having upper and lower faces bounded by a perimetral edge surface, the steps of:

• a. densifying and molding said concrete products of coarse aggregate and fines including cement, and individually releasing said concrete products with said upper surfaces uppermost to generally horizontally disposed pallets to travel in a green state in generally horizontal disposition on a generally horizontally traveling, longitudinally extending conveyor;
• b. passing said concrete products in a continuously moving stream with said upper surfaces disposed generally horizontally on said conveyor under an overhead force spraying station at a predesignated speed;
• c. at said force spraying station directing a predetermined volumetric, overhead force spray of liquid at a predetermined substantially vertical spray angle and pressure with sufficient force to progressively loosen a predetermined amount of said fines on said upper surfaces as said products move past said force spraying station;
• d. while said products are continuing to travel on said conveyor at said predesignated speed in said generally horizontal disposition in said continuously moving stream, directing a high pressure flow of gas generally vertically at said upper surfaces of said products at a pressure to blow off much of said liquid and said loosened amount of fines from said upper surfaces of said products at a first blow-off station spaced a predetermined longitudinal distance downstream from said force spraying station;
• e. moving said products in said generally horizontal disposition in said continuously moving stream on said conveyor to a washing station spaced a predetermined longitudinal distance downstream from said first blow-off station and flooding said product upper surfaces with low pressure liquid in a volume sufficient only substantially to entrain remaining loosened fines;
• and
• f. then moving said products in said generally horizontal disposition in said continuously moving stream on said conveyor to a second blow-off station spaced a predetermined longitudinal distance downstream from said washing station at a speed such that said products do not absorb enough liquid to affect their strength adversely, and creating an air flow at said upper surfaces to blow off said flooding liquid and said entrained fines to leave a textured surface substantially without loose fines on said upper surfaces of said products.