Block, block system and method of making a block

Abstract

A block, block system and method of making a wall block. A block with multiple embodiments of a visually exposed surface having three dimensional shaped areas and three dimensional angular valleys or joints that can be used to construct a patio, wall, fence or the like; the multiple embodiments creating a more random and natural appearance. A mold box having a moveable liner and a stripper shoe that impart three dimensional shaped areas and three dimensional angular valleys or joints onto an exposed surface of a block. The moveable liner and stripper shoe also impart a parting line onto the exposed surface of the block.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of producing blocks in a mold assembly which includes a production pallet, the method comprising:
 providing a mold box including opposed side walls and opposed front and rear walls which together form a perimeter of at least one mold cavity shaped to form a block during a block forming process, the front wall being moveable from a molding position to a retracted position, the at least one mold cavity having an open top and an open bottom, and a stripper shoe;   positioning the production pallet beneath the mold box to enclose the bottom of the at least one mold cavity;   depositing block forming material into the at least one mold cavity with the front wall in the molding position;   lowering the stripper shoe to enclose the open top of the at least one mold cavity and to compress the block forming material within the at least one mold cavity to form a block, the stripper shoe having a planar molding surface shaped for forming a top planar surface of the block and a first contoured molding surface shaped for forming a first portion of the front face of the block, the first contoured molding surface of the stripper shoe having an irregular front edge which is non-linear horizontally and vertically, the front wall having a contoured molding surface shaped to form a second portion of the front face of the block, the first and second portions of the front face of the block being separated by a parting line formed along the irregular front edge of the first contoured molding surface of the stripper shoe, at least a portion of the first contoured molding surface of the stripper shoe extending further into the at least one mold cavity than the planar surface of the stripper shoe to thereby provide an area of increased compression within the at least one mold cavity adjacent the contoured molding surface of the front wall, the contoured molding surface of the front wall having an irregular bottom edge, at least a portion of the irregular bottom edge being closer to the rear wall of the mold box than a vertically adjacent portion of the irregular front edge of the first contoured molding surface of the stripper shoe;   moving the front wall of the mold box from the molding position to the retracted position; and   removing the block forming material from the at least one mold cavity after moving the front wall to the retracted position.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein when in the molding position the front wall is adjacent the opposed side walls along first and second non-linear side edges, such that in a front view of a block formed in the at least one mold cavity a front face of the block has a shape that is not rectangular. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the planar molding surface and first contoured molding surface of the stripper shoe meet along an irregular top edge, at least a portion of the irregular bottom edge being closer to the rear wall of the mold box than a vertically adjacent portion of the irregular top edge. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first contoured molding surface of the stripper shoe includes a projecting ridge shaped to extend into the at least one mold cavity during a block forming process to impart a first section of a false joint into the first portion of the front face of the block and the contoured molding surface of the front wall includes a projecting ridge shaped to extend into the at least one mold cavity during a block forming process to impart a second section of the false joint into the second portion of the front face of the block. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the parting line extends from a first side surface of the block to a second side surface of the block. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the parting line intersects the plane of the top planar surface of the block at least once. 
     
     
         7 . A mold assembly for producing one or more blocks having a block body including opposed front and rear faces, opposed first and second side surfaces, and opposed and substantially parallel top and bottom planar surfaces, the front face having a first portion adjacent the top surface and a second portion adjacent the bottom surface, the mold assembly comprising:
 a production pallet;   a stripper shoe; and   a mold box including first and second opposed side walls and opposed front and rear walls which together form a perimeter of at least one mold cavity shaped to form a block during a block forming process, the at least one mold cavity having an open top and an open bottom, the production pallet enclosing the open bottom of the at least one mold cavity during a block forming process, the stripper shoe enclosing at least a portion of the open top of the at least one mold cavity during a block forming process, the stripper shoe having a planar surface shaped for forming the top planar surface of a block and a patterned non-planar molding surface shaped for forming the first portion of the front face of the block during a block forming process, at least a portion of the patterned non-planar molding surface of the stripper shoe extending further into the at least one mold cavity than the planar surface of the stripper shoe during a block forming process to thereby provide an area of increased compression within the at least one mold cavity adjacent the patterned non-planar molding surface of the front wall, the front wall having a patterned non-planar molding surface shaped to form the second portion of the front face of the block during a block forming process, the patterned non-planar molding surface of the stripper shoe including a projecting ridge shaped to extend into the at least one mold cavity during a block forming process to impart a first section of a false joint into the first portion of the front face of the block, the patterned non-planar molding surface of the front wall including a projecting ridge shaped to extend into the at least one mold cavity during a block forming process to impart a second section of the false joint into the second portion of the front face of the block.   
     
     
         8 . The mold assembly of  claim 7  wherein the first and second portions of the front face of the block are separated by a parting line having an irregular contour which is non-planar horizontally and vertically and wherein the patterned non-planar molding surface of the stripper shoe has a first edge and the patterned non-planar molding surface of the front wall has a second edge, the first and second edges being aligned during a block forming process such that the parting line of the block is formed adjacent the aligned first and second edges. 
     
     
         9 . The mold assembly of  claim 8  wherein the parting line extends from the first side surface of the block to the second side surface of the block. 
     
     
         10 . The mold assembly of  claim 7  wherein at least a portion of the projecting ridge of the front wall is positioned at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the production pallet such that during a block forming process block forming material is deposited within the at least one mold cavity vertically between the at least a portion of the projecting ridge and the patterned non-planar molding surface of the stripper shoe. 
     
     
         11 . The mold assembly of  claim 8  wherein the parting line intersects the plane of the top planar surface of the block at least once. 
     
     
         12 . The mold assembly of  claim 7  wherein when in the molding position the front wall is adjacent the opposed side walls along first and second non-linear side edges, such that in a front view of a block formed in the at least one mold cavity a front face of the block has a shape that is not rectangular. 
     
     
         13 . The mold assembly of  claim 7  wherein the planar surface and patterned non-planar molding surface of the stripper shoe meet along an irregular top edge and the patterned non-planar molding surface of the front wall has an irregular bottom edge, at least a portion of the irregular bottom edge being closer to the rear wall of the mold box than a vertically adjacent portion of the irregular top edge. 
     
     
         14 . A mold assembly for producing wall blocks having a block body including opposed front and rear faces, opposed first and second side surfaces, and opposed and substantially parallel top and bottom planar surfaces, the front face having a first portion adjacent the top surface and a second portion adjacent the bottom surface, the first and second portions being separated by a parting line having an irregular non-planar contour, the mold assembly comprising:
 a production pallet;   a stripper shoe; and   a mold box including first and second opposed side walls and opposed front and rear walls which together form a perimeter of at least one mold cavity shaped to form a block during a block forming process, the at least one mold cavity having an open top and an open bottom, the production pallet enclosing the open bottom of the at least one mold cavity during a block forming process, the stripper shoe enclosing at least a portion of the open top of the at least one mold cavity during a block forming process, the stripper shoe having a contoured molding surface shaped for forming the first portion of the front face of the block during a block forming process, the front wall having a contoured molding surface shaped to form the second portion of the front face of the block during a block forming process, the front wall being moveable during a block forming process from a molding position to a retracted position, the molding surface of the front wall being configured such that in a cross-sectional view of the front wall along a vertical plane substantially perpendicular to the front wall, the intersection of the vertical plane with the molding surface of the front wall defines a convex path having a first end at a top of the front wall and a second end at a bottom of the front wall, a first vertical line passing through the first end being positioned farther from the rear wall than a second vertical line passing through the second end, a majority of the convex path being positioned farther from the rear wall than the first vertical line.   
     
     
         15 . The mold assembly of  claim 14  wherein the contoured molding surface of the stripper shoe has a first edge and the contoured molding surface of the front wall has a second edge, the first and second edges being aligned during a block forming process such that the parting line of the block is formed adjacent the aligned first and second edges. 
     
     
         16 . The mold assembly of  claim 15  wherein the first and second edges are shaped such that the parting line extends from the first side surface of the block to the second side surface of the block. 
     
     
         17 . The mold assembly of  claim 14  wherein the stripper shoe includes a planar molding surface and wherein at least a portion of the contoured molding surface of the stripper shoe extends further into the at least one mold cavity than the planar surface of the stripper shoe during a block forming process to thereby provide an area of increased compression within the at least one mold cavity adjacent the contoured molding surface of the front wall. 
     
     
         18 . The mold assembly of  claim 15  wherein the first and second edges are shaped such that parting line intersects the plane of the top planar surface of the block at least once. 
     
     
         19 . The mold assembly of  claim 14  wherein the contoured molding surface of the stripper shoe includes a projecting ridge configured to extend into the at least one mold cavity during a block forming process to impart a first section of a false joint into the first portion of the front face of the block and the contoured molding surface of the front wall includes a projecting ridge configured to extend into the at least one mold cavity during a block forming process to impart a second section of the false joint into the second portion of the front face of the block, the second section of the false joint being non-perpendicular to a bottom planar surface of the block. 
     
     
         20 . The mold assembly of  claim 14  wherein the stripper shoe includes a planar molding surface, the planar molding surface and first contoured molding surface of the stripper shoe meeting along an irregular top edge, a third vertical line passing through the intersection of the irregular top edge and the vertical plane being positioned farther from the rear wall than the second vertical line.