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 proc
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.
대표청구항▼
1. A method of making a concrete block having a three-dimensional patterned face; the method comprising the steps of:(a) providing a mold having a plurality of side walls defining a mold cavity; the mold including: an open mold top, an open mold bottom closed by a pallet; and a mold surface having a
1. A method of making a concrete block having a three-dimensional patterned face; the method comprising the steps of:(a) providing a mold having a plurality of side walls defining a mold cavity; the mold including: an open mold top, an open mold bottom closed by a pallet; and a mold surface having a three-dimensional pattern thereon, and a maximum relief, in the three-dimensional pattern, of at least about 0.5 inch; (i) the mold surface, of the mold provided, having a three-dimensional pattern resulting from: selection of a three-dimensional pattern of one or more existing objects; digital scanning of the selected three-dimensional pattern to create scanned data in XYZ coordinates that is representative of the selected three-dimensional pattern; creation, from the scanned data in the XYZ coordinates, of a digital data set that is representative of a desired three-dimensional patterned face based on the scanned data; and, use of the digital data set to create the mold surface as a mirror image of the desired block face;(b) introducing dry cast concrete into the mold cavity through the open top of the mold;(c) molding a pre-cured block by pressing a stripper shoe downwardly through the open top of the mold into the dry cast concrete; the stripper shoe comprising the mold surface having the three-dimensional pattern thereon with a mirror image of the three-dimensional patterned face to form the pre-cured concrete block with the mold surface having the mirror image of the desired block face forming the desired three-dimensional patterned face on the pre-cured block; (i) the pre-cured concrete block including a rear face opposite the three-dimensional patterned face, an upper face, a lower face opposite the upper face, opposite side faces with at least one side face converging toward the other in extension across the entire distance from adjacent the three-dimensional patterned face thereon to the rear face;(d) discharging the pre-cured block from the mold cavity onto the pallet; and(e) curing the pre-cured concrete block. 2. A method of making a concrete block according to claim 1 wherein: (a) the step of compacting comprises compacting the dry cast concrete, in the mold cavity, while the mold surface, having the mirror image of the desired block face forming the desired three-dimensional patterned face thereon, has a maximum relief of at least 1.0 inch. 3. A process according to claim 1 wherein: (a) the step of introducing dry cast concrete into the mold cavity includes putting dry cast concrete into a plurality of mold cavities, each of which comprises a plurality of side walls defining a mold cavity having an open mold top and an open mold bottom closed by a pallet, through the open mold top;(b) the step of molding includes in each mold cavity (i) 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 the entire distance of the mold cavity between two opposed side walls that are adjacent the second side wall; and(ii) 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 pattern 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. 4. A process according to claim 3 wherein: (a) the step of putting dry cast concrete into each one of a plurality of mold cavities comprises putting dry cast concrete into mold cavities wherein a side wall includes an undercut adjacent the open mold bottom; (i) the undercut of each of the mold cavities and a portion of the surface of the pallet defining a flange-forming subcavity;(b) the step of molding including molding the flange on each pre-cured dry cast concrete block in a flange-forming subcavity of the mold cavity in which the molding is conducted. 5. A process according to claim 4 wherein: (a) the step of putting dry cast concrete into each one of a plurality of mold cavities comprises putting dry cast concrete into mold cavities wherein the remainder of the side wall with the undercut is substantially planar and extends substantially vertically. 6. A process according to claim 3 wherein: (a) the step of putting dry cast concrete into each one of a plurality of mold cavities comprises putting dry cast concrete into mold cavities each of which has a second side wall, opposite the first of the side walls, that includes 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 of the side walls, 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. 7. A process according to claim 6 wherein: (a) each one of the converging side wall portions is capable of being biased between a second discharging position and a first molding position; and(b) prior to the step of putting dry cast concrete in the mold cavities, biasing the converging side walls to the first molding position. 8. A process of forming multiple pre-cured dry cast concrete blocks in one cycle of a block machine; the method comprising the steps of: (a) putting dry cast concrete into a plurality of mold cavities in the block machine, each of the mold cavities having an open top and an open bottom;(b) molding one pre-cured dry cast concrete block in each of the plurality of mold cavities while compacting the dry cast concrete with a stripper shoe pressing into the dry cast concrete through the open top of each of the cavities to form a set of pre-cured dry cast concrete blocks, each block having: (i) an upwardly facing, patterned, front face having a three-dimensional pattern therein having a relief, measured from the lowest point to the highest point, of at least 0.5 inches; (A) the front face being formed by a mold surface on the stripper shoe; the mold surface on the provided stripper shoe having a three-dimensional pattern resulting from: a digital creation of the mold surface of a desired block face;(ii) a generally planar rear face opposite the front face;(iii) a generally planar upper face free of cores;(iv) a generally planar lower face opposite and generally parallel to the upper face, the rear face being generally perpendicular to the upper face and the lower face;(v) opposite generally planar side faces; at least one of the opposite side faces converging toward the other in extension across the entire distance from adjacent the front face having the three-dimensional pattern thereon to adjacent the rear face, the at least one converging side face extending from adjacent the front face at a non-perpendicular angle thereto;(vi) a flange extending across, and projecting from, the lower face adjacent the rear face; and(c) discharging one of the plurality of molded pre-cured dry cast concrete blocks from the block machine through the bottom of each of the plurality of mold cavities with the patterned front faces directed upwardly. 9. A process according to claim 8 wherein (a) the step of molding comprises molding a set of pre-cured dry cast concrete blocks each having each one of the opposite side faces converging toward the other one of the opposite side faces in extension across the entire distance from adjacent the front face having the three-dimensional pattern thereon to adjacent the rear face, each of the converging side faces extending from adjacent the front face at a non-perpendicular angle thereto. 10. A process according to claim 9 wherein: (a) the step of molding one pre-cured dry cast concrete block includes the mold surface on the provided stripper shoe having a three-dimensional pattern resulting from a digital data set that is representative of a desired three-dimensional patterned face created by digitally scanning a selected three-dimensional pattern to create scanned data in XYZ coordinates that is representative of the selected three-dimensional pattern. 11. A process according to claim 9 wherein: (a) the step of putting dry cast concrete into each one of a plurality of mold cavities comprises putting dry cast concrete into mold cavities wherein a side wall includes an undercut adjacent the open mold bottom; and(b) wherein the mold assembly includes a pallet having a surface that temporarily closes the entire open bottom of each of the mold cavities; (i) the undercut of each of the mold cavities and a portion of the surface of the pallet defining a flange-forming subcavity;(c) the step of molding including molding the flange on each pre-cured dry cast concrete block in a flange-forming subcavity of the mold cavity in which the molding is conducted; and(d) the step of discharging comprises discharging the pre-cured blocks onto the pallet. 12. A process according to claim 11 wherein: (a) the step of putting dry cast concrete into each one of a plurality of mold cavities comprises putting dry cast concrete into mold cavities wherein the remainder of the side wall with the undercut is substantially planar and extends substantially vertically. 13. A process according to claim 11 wherein (a) the step of putting dry cast concrete into each one of a plurality of mold cavities comprises putting dry cast concrete into mold cavities each of which has first and second opposed side walls, each of the opposed side walls includes a converging side wall portion which extends the entire distance across the mold cavity, and wherein the first and second converging side wall portions are moveably mounted so that they are 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. 14. A process according to claim 13 wherein: (a) each one of the converging side wall portions is capable of being biased between a second discharging position and a first molding position; and(b) prior to the step of putting dry cast concrete in the mold cavities, biasing the converging side walls to the first molding position. 15. A process according to claim 14 wherein (a) an air bag is connected to each converging side wall portion; andthe step of biasing the converging side walls to the first molding position comprises inflating an air bag connected to each converging side wall portion. 16. A process according to claim 11 wherein in each of the plurality of mold cavities, first and second converging side wall portions are each pivotally mounted adjacent an open mold top; and,the step of discharging comprises pivoting the first and second converging side wall portions to discharging positions. 17. A process according to claim 8 wherein: (a) the step of putting the dry cast concrete into mold cavities comprises: (i) putting the dry cast concrete into mold cavities, each of which have a side wall that includes an undercut adjacent an open mold bottom; and(ii) putting the dry cast concrete into a block machine including a pallet having a surface that temporarily closes the entire bottom of each of mold cavities; the undercut of each of the mold cavities and a portion of the pallet defining a flange-forming subcavity; the flange-forming subcavity being configured to form the flange on a pre-cured dry cast block formed in that mold cavity. 18. A process according to claim 8 wherein: (a) the step of putting dry cast concrete comprises putting dry cast concrete into mold cavities each of which has an open bottom closed by a surface of a pallet; and(b) the step of discharging comprises discharging onto the pallet. 19. A process according to claim 8 wherein: (a) the step of molding includes forming at least one upwardly facing patterned face with a pattern that simulates one of: multiple rocks; a single piece of stone; andmultiple pieces of stone stacked in layers. 20. A process according to claim 8 wherein: (a) the step of molding includes forming at least one upwardly facing patterned face with a pattern having a relief, measured from the lowest point to the highest point, of at least 1.0 inches.
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