Patent Grant
7204470
The instant invention relates, generally, to the masonry block industry, and, more specifically, to a device and a method for producing a masonry block having a portion or all of its outwardly facing exterior surface of a textured nature.
The concept of creating a masonry block surface having a texture different than the flat, molded surface common in masonry, or concrete, blocks, is well known. Various techniques have been used to enhance masonry product appearance by creating, in some fashion, a textured surface, for more than a century. There are two generally accepted methods of creating a textured masonry surface. The surface can be created after the unit has been cured, known as “hard-split” or, the surface may be textured before the unit has cured, in a process sometimes known within the industry as “green-texturing.”
The “hard-split” technique is well known, but has distinct disadvantages. The technique is costly, requiring the use of an expensive knife splitter, and an operator to constantly oversee the process. Such a technique also invariably slows down the production process and, inevitably, produces waste as the units are split. Because the units are cured, as of the split, the excess material is not re-utilized, and must be discarded. Further, the “hard-split” process is generally useful only in producing straight splits, and is difficult to utilize in a radial style split, without a great deal of modification effort and additional cost.
The process generally described a “green-texturing,” was developed in an attempt to answer the high costs of labor and equipment by definition entailed in the “hard-split” process. A number of processes have previously been developed to attempt to address these problems. “Green-splitting” can occur in a number of methods, but may generally be classified into two categories, to wit: either texturing after the unit is discharged, outside of the mold and still in a “green” or plastic state, and texturing which is done within the mold, or by the very process of discharging the unit from the mold. Several earlier patents suggest processes which create a textured block surface after the block has been removed or stripped from the mold but before the block has been cured. In this “green” or uncured state (sometimes referred to within the industry as a “plastic” state—that is capable of being molded or receiving form), great care must be utilized in removing the unit from the mold, so as not to disturb the unit, in its fragile, plastic state, prior to curing outside of the mold. Although limited textures may clearly be applied utilizing these techniques, they require significant maintenance, and are limited in the amount of texture which may be added. Regular attention and maintenance are additionally required, to attempt to minimize the number of units that need be discarded because of improper texturing, or disintegration of the unit itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,953, to Haines, discloses a process whereby texture is applied within the mold, but only to the top or horizontal surface. Applying texture to the top surface limits the use of such a texturing process where the masonry units involved have connective or other features on the top and/or bottom surface which contribute to the functionality of the unit. Further, rods which hold material within the mold may leave marks in the unit detracting from its overall aesthetic appearance. The processes involved in the '953 patent allow for adaptation to a vertical surface, but not without significant effort and, likely, production problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,940, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,630, both to Sayles, are directed to solutions to the problems referenced above as being associated with former methods, as they create a textural vertical surface within the mold cavity. However, because material is retained within the mold between molding cycles, a cleaning problem is created wherein material must be removed, or voided out, in a separate step, on a regular basis. With regard to the '630 patent, another disadvantage is that, as material breaks away, there in an inclination to create an angled feature of the vertical face from top to bottom. While this may not be a significant disadvantage in very short units, such as those used for retaining walls, the textured portion of the block creating an angled face can cause significant problems in units having a longer vertical face and will likely preclude use for exterior surfaces on architectural building projects. Such a process also produces waste on the production pallet which must be removed in a separate operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,815, to LaCroix, et al, addresses the issue of cleaning away excess material created in the texturing process, as it provides a self-cleaning function when the supporting pallet comes in conjunction with the mold and its operating means. The process involved in the '815 patent utilizes a metal grate suspended between two units within the mold. The grate is suspended between two areas of compacted materials, so that, with each cycle, two units are produced. However, either an even number of units must be produced or a large amount of waste is produced by each cycle if the optimum layout contains an odd number of units. There may also be waste extruded or dropped onto the production pallet. Further, streaks may develop in the finished product utilizing the process described in the '815 patent, as materials trapped within the open parts of the grates can smear against the upper face of the units.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,229, to Hutton, U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,603, to Sievert, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,848, to Bolles, et al, all disclose variations of what may be described as a “lip” system. As disclosed in the '229 and '848 patents, a single lip or striker at the bottom of the mold strips the material from the face of the unit as the unit is discharged. The '603 patent discloses a two lip system, one at the bottom of the mold and one at the top of the compacted unit. Both the device of the '848 patent and that of the '229 patent still tend to force materials to “smear” on the upper portion of the units, particularly units of greater height, as sufficient room is not allocated within the block itself to receive material which has been stripped or accordingly removed by the striker or “lip” as it pulls material away from the unit creating the textured surface below. The '603 patent retains material within the mold between the upper and lower lip similar to that of the process disclosed by the '603 patent, but, as is the case with the '229 and '848 patents, this process also may create a material smear on the upper portions of units of any significant height. All processes disclosed by the referenced prior art tend to leave material on the production pallet.
The problems generally associated with the existing art in “green-texturing” techniques, in the way of leaving “green” material on the pallet or supporting platform, the requirement of regular cleaning of the mold, textured face surfaces which are angled or substantially deviated from the vertical, particularly in taller units, and smudged or smeared material on units beyond those of minimum height, are all results of the reaction which takes place when material is torn away from the “green textured” unit surface when the material is forced out of the mold, or a scraper or striker unit or bar extends into or moves against a significant portion of the unit surface. An overlaying or smearing effect which is prevalent in many of the applications of the prior art, is produced when material moves only in a vertical direction, and compounds upon itself or is left within the mold when the masonry unit is discharged. The prior art does not disclose any satisfactory method for disposition of excess material without retaining it within the mold enclosure or upon the pallet or support plate below the mold. As is evident, the prior art provides only for continued movement of material vertically against the face of the masonry unit.
Accordingly, a need exists for a mold device and method which allows displacement and movement of excess material produced during the process, during each cycle of manufacture of units, and, in so doing, creates an opportunity for, and forces, lateral as well as vertical movement of such material. It is an intended feature of the instant device and method, to eliminate the problems associated with the prior art, as set forth above and, in so doing, to produce a random and rough texture on the masonry unit, without a smearing effect, and without leaving substantial excess material within the unit, or upon the supporting platform.
The present invention is further addressed to a need, as is evident from a review of the prior art, for a device and process which may be used on surfaces for retaining wall units, architectural masonry units, paving units and any number of other masonry products which are molded and for which an exterior textured surface is desirable.
The present invention is directed to the provision of a mold assembly, and process and method, to produce a masonry unit having a rough or textured surface on a portion of, or all of, its exterior vertical face. More specifically, the invention is directed to provision of a mold unit, which sits on a moveable, supporting sheet or pallet, wherein masonry material is poured or injected through the open top of the mold. The top of the mold is covered, with a rigid cover unit, the outward exterior dimension of which roughly approximates the interior dimensions of the mold unit. The top or cover is used to compact the masonry material once poured into the mold, and then forces the “green,” or uncured, masonry unit through the mold and out the bottom, forcing the unit on the supporting pallet downward. On a portion of the interior sidewalls, which, if the mold unit is polygonal, such portion will comprise one or more of the separate sides, a number of substantially vertical ribs are provided, beginning near the bottom of the sidewall and running substantially parallel to the top. Generally, there will be a number of such ribs, each of a dimension sufficient to create a substantial void within a portion of the masonry material as it is compressed. Substantially beneath the portion of the interior sidewall to which the protruding ribs are attached, along its bottom, and extending inward, is a projection, or “stripper” bar, which is proximate to and runs substantially parallel to the bottom of the interior sidewall.
As stated, the top of the mold unit, which fits within the interior cavity, is conformed to substantially correspond to the interior dimension of the mold wall. Accordingly, the top will have indentations along its outer edge substantially corresponding with the ribs which are provided on the interior wall. To the extent that the ribs, though substantially vertical, may not be absolutely vertical, or absolutely parallel, the corresponding opening for any rib in the inserted top of the unit may be somewhat larger than the actual rib protrusion to accommodate any reasonable deviation.
The substantial conformity of the exterior dimension of the top, with the interior dimension of the mold walls, also provides a cleaning function when the top of the mold is inserted and pushed downward, as it prevents any substantial amount of masonry material from being pushed around or over the cover unit as the masonry unit is pushed down and out of the mold.
In the preferred embodiment, the projection, or stripper bar, at the base of the mold projects inwardly in a dimension determined to scrape or move an amount of uncured masonry material roughly corresponding to the volume of the substantially vertical ribs.
The mold, and process provided by the instant invention may be utilized separately, with any manner or means of force utilized to insert the cover into the mold, to compact the masonry material, and to, thereafter, force the masonry material and unit out of the mold, and, in doing so, over the striker bar. The device and process is susceptible to singular manual use or utilization in conjunction with a conventional masonry products machine.
According to a preferred feature of the invention and process, the mold unit sits on a pallet or flat support plate. The cover is raised, or otherwise removed. A masonry mix, typically comprised of masonry cement, aggregate and water, is placed, by pouring or other injection, into the mold to a desired height. The mold may have one or a number of cavities. The mold cavities will also have a unitary inner surface, which may be in any unitary shape, but typically will be polygonal, with a specific number of sidewalls. They may, however, be circular or oblong.
The cover is inserted on and into the mold cavity, and pushed downward to a desired point, compressing the material to the desired consistency for further production.
At this point, the cover is pushed further downward, pushing the compacted masonry unit through, and eventually out of, the mold structure. The supporting pallet or plate moves downward as the masonry unit is pushed or discharged from the mold cavity.
According to a further feature of the invention and process, and key to its success, the substantially vertical ribs create voids in the compressed masonry material as the block is lowered. Further, the top plate, conformed to substantially correspond with the inner diameter of the mold, including indentations to accommodate the ribs, holds the upper portions of the masonry and material in place, simultaneously forcing it downward, and keeping the interior of the mold clean in the process. The striker bar at the base of the mold forces masonry material initially upward. However, although some material directly below the voids created by the ribs may go directly upward, other material, because of the resistence above it, is forced laterally and diagonally into the voids left by the ribs, creating the textured surface desired, but not requiring that excess material be left within the mold, or upon the supporting pallet or plate.
A further preferred feature of the invention is the ability to allow the contour of the striker bar, and the underside of the portion of the cover plate which fits between the projected ribs, to correspond in a manner which allows the cover plate to be fully inserted through the depth of the mold.
It is a further feature of the invention that, in the preferred embodiment, the horizontal ribs create voids of total volume, at least equal to or greater than, the volume of material to be displaced or moved by the downward movement of the masonry unit against the striker bar. That is, the intrusive dimension of the striker bar is determined correspondingly with the depth, and width, which creates the total volume of the ribs.
It is a further feature of the invention that, in placement of the ribs, which, in the preferred embodiment, are parallel and substantially vertical, some deviation from parallel conformity, and vertical conformity, may be tolerated and, in such case, the corresponding indentations on the cover plate for each of the respective ribs is of sufficient width to accommodate whatever deviation from the vertical the individual rib to which it conforms may have.
It is a further feature of the invention and process that, although the protrusion of the ribs, in the preferred embodiment, is rectangular, it may be triangular, semi-circular, or otherwise shaped, as may be desired to provide a different or desired texture.
It is a further feature of the invention and process that individual ribs may, themselves, be sectioned, and segmented, with spaces between the sections, to provide some movement of the masonry material, in advance of the striker bar, which may be desirable for a particular texture.
It is a further feature of the invention and process that the striker bar itself may be of different shapes and protections, and may or may not be uniform across its length, and may, if desired, not project in certain areas.
It is a further feature of the instant design and process that the texturing process may be applied, uniformly, to the entire side surfaces of the masonry unit, by ribs and striker bar, around the interior base of the mold, or to any particular side or sides, or portion thereof, of the side surfaces of the mold. The device and technique is equally susceptible to flat surfaces, as well as circular or radial surfaces.
As stated, the instant invention allows displacement and movement of excess masonry material, vertically, as well as simultaneously diagonally laterally, providing optimum use of all material, to produce a random and rough textured exterior masonry unit surface, utilizing substantially all of the masonry material displaced in the process.
The above and additional features of the invention may be considered and will become apparent in conjunction with the drawings in particular, and the detailed description which follow.
The following detailed description is best understood by reference to the following drawings, in which:
Throughout the following detailed description, like numerals are used to reference the same element of the present invention, although the same may be shown in multiple figures thereof.
The invention textured masonry block mold and method, broadly considered, includes and incorporates a mold device 10, which includes a unitary wall structure member 20, a rigid cover structure 30 and a rigid base support surface 40.
The structure member 20 defines, by the enclosure of its unitary wall 21, a cavity 22, having a unitary inner surface 23. The defined cavity 22 may be polygonal, as shown in
A plurality of rib members 26 of a defined length A and defined width B extend inwardly a designated distance C over a portion E of the inner surface 23. This portion E is shown in
A planar cover structure 30 is provided with an exterior dimension 31 configured to fit conformably with the cavity 22 and to traverse within cavity 22 from its open top 24 until proximate to its open base 25. The exterior dimension 31 configuration includes a number of indentations 32 corresponding to each of the ribs 26, such indentations 32 creating apparent corresponding projections 33 on the exterior dimension 31 of cover 30 to allow extension between the ribs 26 until such projections 33 are proximate the inner surface 23 between the ribs 26.
While, in the preferred embodiment, ribs 26 are substantially vertical and parallel with each other, as shown in
When there is deviation of one or more ribs 26 from the vertical, however, the indentation 32 corresponding to a particular rib 26 must be of sufficient dimension to allow insertion of cover structure 30 and traverse from open top 24 to proximate open base 25. The relationship between a projection 33, a rib 26 and inner surface 23 is demonstrated in
As may be noted from
Affixed to the inner surface 23 of the structure member 20, around and projecting inward around the open base 25, is an edge member 27. The edge member 27 is configured along the open base 25 corresponding to portion E which contains the plurality of ribs 26. As shown in
The device 10 also includes a support plate 40, generally rigid and with a planar surface 41 in a substantially parallel plane with the base opening 25 and the cover 30, when the cover 30 is inserted into structure member 20. The support plate remains in contact with structure 20 while the masonry material 60 is injected and compacted as shown in
The mold device 10 as depicted above may be utilized with manual force or, alternatively, in conjunction with mechanical means, including, but not limited to, to a conventional masonry products machine.
In practice, the structure member 20 and support plate 40 are in contact with each other as described and shown in
The cover unit 30 is then inserted into the cavity 22 of structure 20 and moved downwardly as shown in
The cover 30 is then moved downward by force 70 in parallel with base opening 25 and support plate 40, and support plate 40 is concurrently lowered, until the base surface 34 of cover 30 is approximately even with base opening 25, thus ejecting a rough textured masonry unit 50 from the structure 20. The unit 50 remains on support plate 40 until it is moved thereon laterally by force 80.
During the process whereby the compressed masonry mixture 60 is forced downward through structure 20, voids are left in the mixture 60, as the mixture is pushed below the projections of the ribs 26. The edge member 27 projects into the cavity 22 and forces the material above it to remain above the edge member 27 as the unit 50 is pushed through the structure. This portion of the material is pushed vertically, diagonally and laterally over the unit surface 52, filling at least in part the voids left by the ribs 26.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the displacement of the ribs 26 within the volume 29a of the compacted material 60 is approximately equal to the amount of compacted material 60, above the edge member 27 and below cover 30, along the portion E of the inner surface 23.
The ejected unit 50 may be cured before or after movement away from the structure member.
This application claims benefit of provisional application 60/328,368 filed Oct. 9, 2001.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3940229 | Hutton | Feb 1976 | A |
| 3981953 | Haines | Sep 1976 | A |
| 4568260 | Paul et al. | Feb 1986 | A |
| 4627764 | Scheiwiller | Dec 1986 | A |
| 5078940 | Sayles | Jan 1992 | A |
| 5217630 | Sayles | Jun 1993 | A |
| 5249950 | Woolford | Oct 1993 | A |
| 5858486 | Metter et al. | Jan 1999 | A |
| 5879603 | Sievert | Mar 1999 | A |
| 6183168 | Woolford et al. | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6209848 | Bolles et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6224815 | LaCroix et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
| 6349522 | Stevens | Feb 2002 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20030067096 A1 | Apr 2003 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60328368 | Oct 2001 | US |
