Modular concrete building block and methods

Abstract

A concrete block includes first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth planar faces. The first and second faces are generally parallel, and the distance between the first and second faces define a thickness of the first block; the third and fourth faces are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first and second faces; the fifth face is perpendicular to the first, second, third, and fourth faces; the sixth face: extends perpendicular to the third face; extends toward the fourth face and ends at a non-planar remainder section; is parallel to the fifth face; is contained in a plane that intersects a plane containing the third face; and a distance from the intersection to the remainder section is at as least as long as the thickness of the first block; and the remainder section extends between the sixth face and the fourth face and has a shape such that when a second block of the same construction as the first block has its remainder section engaged against the remainder section of first block, the remainder sections of the first and second blocks mate.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method of making a concrete mold to form a concrete construction block, as installed the block having a front-to-rear thickness, and comprising opposed front and rear faces having the same outline shape, opposed left and right end faces, and opposed lower and upper faces; the method comprising configuring the mold to comprise a plurality of generally vertically-oriented, generally planar, mold walls defining a mold cavity and being configured to form the left end, right end, upper and lower faces of the block so that:
 (a) the left end face and the right end face each extend from the lower face to the upper face, are each generally vertically-oriented, and are each generally planar and oriented generally parallel to each other;   (b) the lower face extends between the left and right end faces, is generally horizontally-oriented, and is generally planar; and   (c) the upper face extends between the left and right end faces, includes a first, generally horizontally-oriented, generally planar, section extending from the left end face for a distance equal to the front-to-rear thickness of the block, and an irregular section extending from the end of the first section to the right end face, where portions of the irregular section are above the plane of the first section, and portions of the irregular section are below the plane of the first section.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising configuring the mold to comprise a plurality of such mold cavities. 
     
     
         22 . A method of making a concrete construction block, as installed the block having a front-to-rear thickness, and comprising opposed front and rear faces having the same outline shape, opposed left and right end faces, and opposed lower and upper faces; the method comprising:
 (a) providing a mold that comprises a plurality of generally vertically-oriented mold walls defining a mold cavity and being configured to form corresponding faces of the finished construction block;   (b) providing a generally horizontally-oriented lower mold wall extending underneath the mold cavity, wherein said generally vertically-oriented lower mold wall is configured to form a corresponding face of the finished construction block;   (c) filling the mold cavity with moldable concrete material; and   (d) processing the moldable concrete material within the mold cavity until the concrete material is sufficiently self-supporting as to be capable of being removed as an article from the mold cavity for further processing,   wherein, as installed,   (i) the left end face and the right end face of the block as installed each extend from the lower face to the upper face, are each generally vertically-oriented, and are each generally planar and oriented generally parallel to each other;   (ii) the lower face of the block as installed extends between the left and right end faces, is generally horizontally-oriented, and is generally planar; and   (iii) the upper face of the block as installed extends between the left and right end faces, includes a first, generally horizontally-oriented, generally planar, section extending from the left end face for a distance equal to the front-to-rear thickness of the block, and an irregular section extending from the end of the first section to the right end face, where portions of the irregular section are above the plane of the first section, and portions of the irregular section are below the plane of the first section.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  further comprising the step of providing a patterned shoe to fit into the mold cavity and using said patterned shoe to form the as-installed front face of the block. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the generally horizontally-oriented lower mold wall comprises the upper surface of a moveable machine pallet. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the moldable concrete material comprises zero-slump or low-slump, uncured concrete material. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the processing of the moldable concrete material comprises vibration and compaction to densify the moldable concrete material, and wherein the further processing comprises subjecting the demolded article to suitable curing conditions to permit strength gain and hardening of the article.