Patent ID: 8568129
Filing Date: 2013-10-29
Classification: B28B,B30B

Abstract:
1. A mold assembly for producing wall blocks comprising: a production pallet; a stripper shoe; a mold box having opposed side walls and opposed end walls which together form a perimeter of the mold box, the mold box having an open top and an open bottom, the production pallet enclosing the open bottom of the mold box during a block forming process, the mold box including a spill pan having first and second side walls and an end wall, the first and second side walls of the spill pan having a non-linear top surface; a control member including first and second cap elements and first and second protruding elements, the first and second cap elements each having a non-linear upper surface, the first and second cap elements being positioned over the top surfaces of the first and second side walls of the spill pan, respectively, the first and second protruding elements extending inwardly from the first and second side walls of the spill pan, respectively, and having a non-linear lower surface; a feed drawer configured to move during the block forming process from a first position vertically offset from the mold box to a second position above the mold box and back to the first position and to discharge block forming material into the mold box during the block forming process; a material distribution element moveably connected to the feed drawer and configured to remove excess block forming material from the mold box or redistribute block forming material in the mold box as the feed drawer moves from the second position to the first position during the block forming process; a first pair of riding elements including a top riding element and a bottom riding element extending from a first side of the material distribution element and a second pair of riding elements including a top riding element and a bottom riding element extending from a second side of the material distribution element, the top riding elements extending from the material distribution element a greater distance than the bottom riding elements, the top riding element of the first pair and the top riding element of the second pair being positioned and shaped to ride over the upper surface of the first and second cap elements, respectively, as the feed drawer moves between the first and second positions during the block forming process and the bottom riding element of the first pair and the bottom riding element of the second pair being positioned and shaped to ride under the lower surface of the first and second protruding elements, respectively, as the feed drawer moves between the first and second positions during the block forming process; and wherein the control member is configured to control a path of travel of the material distribution element over the mold box as the feed drawer moves from the second position to the first position during the block forming process, the path of travel being defined by the non-linear surfaces of the cap elements and protruding elements, a height of the material distribution element above the production pallet changing as the material distribution element moves along the path of travel during the block forming process.