Patent Application
20120001360
The present invention generally relates to concrete blocks, and specifically to a block mold that creates a rough surface finish on the block
Concrete blocks are typically molded using a mold having sidewalls that are movable relative to a bottom wall of the mold. Liquid concrete is poured into the top of the mold such that it fills the mold cavity formed by the sidewalls and bottom wall. After the concrete is at least partially set, the bottom all can be moved downward relative to the sidewalls so that the block can be removed from the mold. Multiple blocks can be formed simultaneously by using a mold having multiple cavities.
It is often desired to have blocks with a rough texture on at least one side surface of the block. To accomplish this, it is known to form pairs of blocks as a single part with a defined parting line (e.g., with breakaway notches). The parts are then separated by splitting them at the parting line to create a split-face textured surface.
A textured surface can also be formed on a face of a block by providing a lip or other discontinuity on the sidewalls of the mold. For example, the lower edge of the sidewall of the mold can be provided with a rough lip (e.g., a weld bead) such that, when the sidewalls are raised relative to the bottom wall and the block, the rough lip will drag across the face of the block to create a roughened surface.
The present invention provides a block mold for forming a block, comprising a bottom wall adapted to form a bottom of the block, a side wall adapted to form a side of the block and movable relative to the bottom wall, and a textured material on the side wall (e.g., near a bottom portion of the side wall) and adapted to create a textured surface on the block when the side wall is moved relative to the bottom wall. The textured material comprises abrasive particles (e.g., ten to sixty micron diamond grain) in a matrix (e.g., nickel alloy). In one embodiment, opposing first and second side surfaces of the side wall form two adjacent mold cavities, and the first and second side surfaces each include textured material (e.g., on a lower portion of the respective side surface).
Preferably, the side wall includes a side surface defining a plane, and the textured material is applied to the side surface to create the textured surface that protrudes from the plane. For example, the textured material can be 0.005 to 0.10 inches thick, and is preferably 0.01 to 0.03 inches thick, and more preferably about 0.02 inches thick.
The present invention also provides a method of forming a block using a block mold having a bottom wall adapted to form a bottom of the block, and a side wall adapted to form a side of the block. The method includes applying (e.g., electroplating, nickel bonding or vacuum brazing) a textured material to the side wall, wherein the textured material includes abrasive particles in a matrix, positioning the bottom wall adjacent to the side wall to form a mold cavity, filling the cavity with a block material, moving the bottom wall and block material relative to the side wall, and scraping the textured material onto a surface of the block material to create a textured surface on the block material.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings, unless specifically noted. Also, the use of the term “block” should not be limited to building materials of a particular shape or size, and should be construed to also cover bricks.
The block mold 10 is designed such that each cavity 16 can be filled with a concrete mixture 18 (e.g., wetted cement with suspended aggregate). After the concrete mixture 18 has solidified to a sufficient degree, the bottom wall 12 (commonly a steel pallet) can be moved downward relative to the side walls 14. During this process, the concrete mixture 18 (e.g., a partially-solidified concrete block) moves downward with the bottom wall 12 and relative to the side walls 14. To facilitate this downward movement, a force can be applied to the concrete mixture 18 on the surface opposite from the bottom wall 12 (e.g., the top surface 20 of the concrete mixture 18), as is known in the art. Alternatively, the mold side walls 14 can be moved upward while holding the concrete mixture 18 and bottom wall 12 stationary.
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Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
