Process for producing masonry block with roughened surface

Abstract

A mold box for producing a plurality of masonry units with a roughened texture side face, the mold box including a plurality of side walls defining a mold cavity open at its top and bottom, adapted to receive masonry fill material by way of its open top, and to discharge molded fill material in the form of a molded masonry unit of predetermined height by way of its open bottom; and a division member spanning between two of the side walls to define two subcavities in the mold box, the division member comprising a grate.

The claimed invention is:  
     
         1 . A mold box for producing a masonry unit with a roughened texture side surface comprising: 
 a) a plurality of side walls defining a mold cavity open at its top and bottom, adapted to receive masonry fill material by way of its open top, and to discharge molded fill material in the form of a molded masonry unit of predetermined height by way of its open bottom; and    b) a division member located between two of said side walls to define two subcavities in the mold box;    c) said division member comprising, at least in part, a grate.    
     
     
         2 . The mold box of  claim 1  wherein said division member is oriented substantially vertically.  
     
     
         3 . The mold box of  claim 2  wherein said grate extends substantially from side wall to side wall, and from the top to the bottom of the mold cavity.  
     
     
         4 . The mold box of  claim 3 , wherein said grate is affixed directly to said side walls.  
     
     
         5 . The mold box of  claim 3 , wherein said grate is affixed to first and second end supports, which, in turn, are affixed to the side walls.  
     
     
         6 . The mold of  claim 5 , wherein said first and second supports are bolted to said side walls.  
     
     
         7 . The mold box of  claim 1  wherein the grate comprises a panel of expanded metal.  
     
     
         8 . The mold box of  claim 7  wherein the panel comprises raised expanded metal.  
     
     
         9 . The mold box of  claim 8  wherein the panel comprises raised expanded metal grating.  
     
     
         10 . The mold box of  claim 9  wherein the openings in the expanded metal grating have a dimension in the SW direction in the range of about 0.813 inch to about 1.625 inches, and in the LW direction in the range of about 2.88 inches to about 4.88 inches.  
     
     
         11 . The mold box of  claim 1  wherein the grate comprises two panels of raised expanded metal.  
     
     
         12 . The mold box of  claim 1  wherein there is communication between the subcavities of the mold box via openings in the grate.  
     
     
         13 . The mold box of  claim 1 , wherein said subcavities are of substantially equal shape and size.  
     
     
         14 . The mold box of  claim 1 , wherein the side walls comprise a plurality of wear parts.  
     
     
         15 . The mold box of  claim 1 , wherein the grate comprises a panel of sheet metal with holes punched therein.  
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing masonry units with a roughened texture side surface, said method comprising the steps of: 
 a) filling a mold box with composite masonry fill to a first level, said mold box comprising a plurality of side walls defining a mold cavity open at its top and bottom, adapted to receive composite masonry fill material by way of its open top, and to discharge molded fill material in the form of a plurality of molded masonry units of predetermined height by way of its open bottom, and division member spanning between two of said side walls to define two subcavities, said division member comprising a grate;    b) compacting the masonry fill within the mold box to a second level corresponding with the predetermined height of the molded masonry unit;    c) discharging the molded masonry units from the mold box, at least partially through the action of stripper shoe plates associated with each subcavity of the mold box; and    c) curing at least some of the discharged masonry units.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the grate comprises a panel of raised expanded metal grating.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the subcavities are substantially equal in shape and size.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the side walls includes a lower lip adapted to texture the corresponding face of a molded masonry unit.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein at least some of the discharged masonry units are recycled as fill material, rather than being cured.  
     
     
         21 . A masonry unit with a roughened surface resulting from the method of  claim 16 .  
     
     
         22 . A mold assembly for producing a plurality of masonry units, each with a roughened texture side surface, comprising: 
 a) a mold box comprising a plurality of side walls defining a mold cavity open at its top and bottom, said mold box being adapted to rest on a pallet, and adapted to receive masonry fill material by way of its open top, and to discharge molded fill material in the form of a plurality of molded masonry units of predetermined height by way of its open bottom;    b) a division member spanning between at two of said side walls to define two subcavities of the mold box, and comprising a grate; and    c) a stripper shoe plate associated with each of the subcavities.    
     
     
         23 . The mold assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the subcavities are substantially the same size and shape.  
     
     
         24 . The mold assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the grate comprises a panel of raised expanded metal grating.  
     
     
         25 . The mold assembly of  claim 24 , wherein each stripper shoe plate is sized to move through its associated subcavity without producing substantial feathering of the top edges of the resulting molded masonry unit.  
     
     
         26 . The mold assembly of  claim 25 , wherein the clearance between each stripper shoe plate and the side walls and the division member of its associated subcavity is about {fraction (1/16)} inch.  
     
     
         27 . A mold box for producing a plurality of molded masonry units, each having a roughened texture side face, comprising: 
 a) a plurality of side walls defining a cavity open at its top and bottom;    b) a generally vertically oriented division member spanning between two opposed side walls to define two subcavities, said division member comprising a panel of raised expanded metal grating.