Method of making a concrete block
AssigneeAnchor Wall Systems, Inc.
InventorRonald J. Scherer
Life of this patent
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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. A mirror image of the desired pattern can be created on a stripper shoe by selecting a desired three-dimensional surface from a naturally occurring or man made object and digitally scanning the selected three-dimensional pattern to create scanned data. The scanned data can then be used to machine a face of the stripper shoe that is the mirror image of the selected pattern.
Claims22
A mold assembly for use in a machine adapted to form at least one pre-cured dry cast concrete block on a supporting surface during each cycle of the machine, each block having upper and lower faces, a front face, a rear face and opposed side faces, the mold assembly comprising:
- at least one mold cavity having a plurality of side walls defining a mold cavity with an open mold top and an open mold bottom, a first of the side walls including a first moveable side wall portion that is moveably mounted so that it is movable between a first molding position in which 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 moveable side wall portion extends across an entire distance of the mold cavity between two opposed side walls that are adjacent a second side wall when dry cast concrete is introduced into the mold cavity;
- and at least one 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 machine adapted to form multiple pre-cured dry cast concrete blocks on a supporting surface during each cycle of the 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 moveable side wall portion that is moveably mounted so that it is movable between a first molding position in which 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 moveable side wall portion extends across an entire distance of the mold cavity between two opposed side walls that are adjacent the second side wall when dry cast concrete is introduced into the mold cavity;
- a third of the side walls, which is opposite the second side wall, including a second moveable side wall portion which is opposite the first moveable 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 when dry cast concrete is introduced into the mold cavity, and wherein the second moveable side wall portion is moveably mounted so that it is movable between a first molding position in which 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.