Mold assembly for manufacturing a masonry block
AssigneeAnchor Wall Systems, Inc.
InventorsRonald J. Scherer, David M. LaCroix, Paul W. Bailey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Molds and processes that permit high-speed, mass production of retaining wall blocks having patterned or other processed front faces, as well as retaining wall blocks formed by such processes. The invention permits the front face of the block to be impressed with a pattern or otherwise directly processed, to allow the formation of pre-determined block front faces, while at the same time facilitating high-speed, high-volume production of blocks. Pre-determined front faces can include front faces having pre-determined patterns and textures, front faces having pre-determined shapes, front faces made from different material(s) than the remainder of the block, and combinations thereof.
Claims19
A mold assembly for use in a block machine to form multiple pre-cured dry cast concrete blocks on each cycle of the block machine, each block having upper and lower faces, a front face, a rear face and opposed side faces, the mold assembly comprising:
- a plurality of mold cavities, each comprising:
- a plurality of side walls defining a mold cavity having an open mold top and an open mold bottom,
- a first of the side walls including a first converging side wall portion that is moveably mounted so that it is movable between a first molding position at an angle with respect to vertical so that the mold cavity is wider at its top than it is at its bottom when dry cast concrete is introduced into the mold cavity, and a second discharging position in which the bottom of the mold cavity is at least wide enough to allow a pre-cured concrete block to be discharged through the bottom of the mold cavity, wherein the first converging side wall portion extends across an entire distance of the mold cavity between two opposed side walls that are adjacent a second side wall;
- and
- a stripper shoe having a face that comprises a three-dimensional pattern for introduction into the mold cavity through the open top of the mold cavity to press the patterned face of the stripper shoe on dry cast concrete contained in the mold cavity, to impart a pattern to the front face of a pre-cured concrete block.
A mold assembly for use in a block machine to from multiple pre-cured dry cast concrete blocks on each cycle of the block machine, each block having upper and lower faces, a front face, a rear face, opposed side faces, the mold assembly comprising:
- a plurality of mold cavities, each comprising:
- a plurality of side walls defining a mold cavity having an open mold top and an open mold bottom,
- a first of the side walls including an undercut adjacent the open mold bottom;
- a second of the side walls, which is generally perpendicular to the first side wall, including a first converging side wall portion that is moveably mounted so that it is movable between a first molding position at an angle with respect to vertical so that the mold cavity is wider at its top than it is at its bottom when dry cast concrete is introduced into the mold cavity, and a second discharging position in which the bottom of the mold cavity is at least wide enough to allow a pre-cured concrete block to be discharged through the bottom of the mold cavity, wherein the first converging side wall portion extends across an entire distance of the mold cavity between two opposed side walls that are adjacent the second side wall;
- a third of the side walls, which is opposite the second side wall, including a second converging side wall portion which is opposite the first converging side wall portion and extends the entire distance across the mold cavity between the two opposed side walls that are adjacent the second side wall, and wherein the second converging side wall portion is moveably mounted so that it is movable between a first molding position at an angle with respect to vertical so that the mold cavity is wider at its top than it is at its bottom when dry cast concrete is introduced into the mold cavity, and a second discharging position in which the bottom of the mold cavity is at least wide enough to allow the pre-cured concrete block to be discharged through the bottom of the mold cavity;
- and
- a stripper shoe having a face that comprises a three-dimensional pattern for introduction into the mold cavity through the open top of the mold cavity to press the patterned face of the stripper shoe on dry cast concrete contained in the mold cavity, to impart a pattern to the front face of a pre-cured concrete block.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.