Process and apparatus for the splitting of cast concrete dual blocks

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a process for manufacturing concrete dual blocks where the concrete block is separated into two individual blocks during the manufacturing process without an additional separating step after curing. The process comprises the steps of creating a mould cavity with a pull plate forming a bottom surface where the pull plate has an upper concave surface sloping outwardly and upwardly along its length from a separation line at the center of the upper surface of the pull plate, the separation line extending along the width of the plate, filling the mould cavity with wet concrete, compressing the concrete in the mould cavity with a tamper head having a lower convex surface corresponding to the upper surface of the pull plate, removing the pull plate, removing the mould and then the tamper head, wherein the block has an upper and lower surface sloping outwardly and upwardly from the separation line at the center of each of the upper and lower surfaces towards its outer edge along its length, and having v-shaped separation grooves at the separation lines; and allowing the block to settle on a flat pallet where it will split at the separation grooves into two individual blocks without the need for a separate manufacturing step after curing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.