Patent Publication Number: US-2011059199-A1

Title: Mold for blocks wih movable cavity walls

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/272,270 filed on Sep. 4, 2009 and incorporated herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present description relates to blocks such as cementitious blocks including pavers having sloped sides. More specifically but not exclusively, the present description n relates to a mold for blocks with movable cavity walls. 
     BACKGROUND 
     There is known in the art of variety of molds for providing blocks which have sloped sides. Such blocks are usually made of cementitious materials and used as pavers or as wall retainers and alike and they have a generally rectangular shaped configuration with a larger generally flat face opposite a smaller generally flat face with the walls there between being generally sloped. The front and back ends are usually flat and straight. 
     A drawback of many of the blocks provided through conventional molds is that it is very difficult to provide an imprint on the larger face. 
     A drawback with the molds for providing blocks with sloped sides is that they use a variety of hydraulic or pneumatic systems that are expensive to install and to maintain and very easy to damage and costly to repair. 
     There remains a need for improved systems to provide molds with sloped sidewalls. 
     OBJECTS 
     It is an object of the present description to provide a mold for blocks having movable cavity walls. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mold for molding material into blocks comprising: 
     a main body comprising at least one pair of spaced apart lateral walls with at least one pair of spaced apart divider walls extending therebetween so as to define at least one cavity for receiving material therein, at least one of the walls being movable inwardly into the cavity; and 
     a movable actuator element for acting on the movable wall, the movable actuator element extending outwardly of the main body such that when moved inwardly it so acts on the movable wall as to move it inwardly into the cavity. 
     In an embodiment, the movable actuator element is positioned adjacently the movable wall. In an embodiment, the movable actuator element is outwardly biased. In an embodiment, the movable actuator element is connected to a spring for being outwardly biased thereby. In an embodiment, the movable actuator element comprises a push member that pushes the movable wall inwardly into the cavity as the movable actuator element is moved inwardly. In an embodiment, the push member along the length of the movable actuator element is adjustable so as to vary the degree that the movable wall is pushed into the cavity. In an embodiment, the outward position of the movable actuator element relative to the main body is selectively adjustable so as to provide for moving the movable wall to a corresponding position into the cavity. In an embodiment, the movable actuator element is adjustable between at least first and second positions, the movable actuator element extending outwardly of the main body to a greater degree in the second position than in the first second position, wherein when the movable actuator element is moved inwardly from the second position it moves the movable wall inwardly into the cavity to a greater degree than when moved inwardly from the first position. 
     In an embodiment, the main body comprises a top face and a bottom face, the movable actuator element extending outwardly from the bottom face, such that when moved upwardly it causes the movable wall to move inwardly into the cavity. 
     In an embodiment, the movable wall is pivotally mounted to the main body. In an embodiment, the movable wall comprises a movable portion thereof pivotally mounted to another immovable portion thereof. In an embodiment, the cavity comprises an open top face to receive a press so as to compact the material, the immovable wall portion comprising a recessed end adjacent the cavity top. In an embodiment, the movable and immovable wall portions are offset relative to one another so as to provide a recess therebetween. In an embodiment, the movable wall comprises a rear side comprising a lever that is pushed by the movable actuator element when moved inwardly in the main body. 
     In an embodiment, the mold further comprises at least two side by side the cavities separated by a wall section, the wall section comprising the movable wall and an adjacent second movable wall, the movable actuator element being interposed between the two adjacent movable walls, wherein when the movable actuator element is moved inwardly it so acts on the adjacent movable walls as to move each one into a respective the side by side cavity. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a mold comprising: 
     a plurality of spaced apart wall sections; 
     a plurality of lateral walls extending between each pair of adjacent wall sections thereby defining adjacent rows of cavities, each cavity providing for receiving material therein to be compacted, each wall section comprising adjacent movable walls for being moved into a respective one of two adjacent cavities; and 
     a plurality of movable actuation elements, each element interposed between a pair of adjacent movable walls and extending outwardly of the main body such that when moved inwardly it so acts on the adjacent movable walls as to move each one inwardly into a respective one of two the adjacent cavities. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mold for blocks comprising: 
     a main body comprising at least one pair of spaced apart lateral walls with at least one pair spaced apart divider walls extending therebetween so as to define at least one cavity having open top and bottom faces for receiving material therein, at least one of the walls being movable inwardly into the cavity; and 
     a vertically movable actuator element for acting on the movable wall, the actuator extending downwardly such that when it is moved upwardly it so acts on the movable wall as to move it inwardly into cavity. 
     Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of illustrative embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the appended drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the mold in accordance with a non-restrictive illustrative embodiment of the present description; 
         FIG. 2  is top plan view of the mold of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 3A ,  3 B and  3 C are side sectional views of the mold of  FIG. 1  taken along the width thereof; 
         FIG. 4  are a side sectional view of the mold of  FIG. 1  taken along the length thereof; and 
         FIG. 5  is front elevation view of a cementitious block. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Generally stated, in embodiment there is provided a mold for blocks comprising a body that includes at least one cavity with open top and bottom faces for receiving material therein to form a block. The cavity is formed between a pair of spaced apart lateral walls and a pair of spaced apart divider walls extending between the pair of spaced apart walls. At least one of these walls is movable into the cavity so as to provide a block with at least one sloped side. This lateral wall is movable by a mechanical actuator element that extends outwardly from the main body such that when it is moved inwardly it so acts on this movable wall as to move it inwardly into the cavity. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show a mold  10  in accordance with a non-restrictive illustrative embodiment. 
     The mold  10  includes a generally rectangular body  11  having four lateral sides  12 A,  12 B,  12 C and  12 D, and including an open top and bottom faces  14  and  16 , respectively. The mold  10  includes three rows  18  of cavities  20 . 
     Each cavity  20  provides for molding material therein into a block structure  21  (see  FIG. 5 ) when compacted. 
     With respect to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 A- 3 C, the cavities  20  are formed between spaced apart adjacent lateral walls  22  and spaced apart divider walls  24  extending between adjacent lateral walls  22 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 5 , the divider walls  24  define the front and rear faces  23  of the blocks  21 , the lateral sloped sides  25  are provided by the lateral walls  22 . The top and bottom faces,  27  and  29  of the molded block  21  are respectively defined between the top and bottom open faces  14  and  16 . The Top face  14  is engaged by a press P while the bottom face sits on a pallet (not shown) (not shown) thereby molding material into a block structure  21 . 
     The Figures show that the mold  10  includes longitudinal actuator assembly  26  mounted at each lateral side of the divider walls  24  for actuating the side walls  22 . The longitudinal actuator assemblies  26  are fixedly mounted between adjacent rows  18  and at the lateral sides  12 B and  12 D. 
     With respect to  FIGS. 3A-3C , the lateral walls  22  include top immovable portions  28  which are recessed relative to bottom longer movable walls portions  30 . 
     A row of lateral longitudinal actuator assemblies  26  and lateral walls  22  define wall sections, each adjacent pair of wall sections includes plurality of divider walls  24  extending therebetween. 
     Turning to  FIGS. 3A-3C  and  4 , the actuator assemblies  26  include respective longitudinal brackets  32  mounted between the top portions  28  of the lateral walls  22 . The movable wall portions  30  of two adjacent side walls  22 , are pivotally mounted to the bracket  32  via pivot members  34 . A plurality of mechanical actuator devices  36  extend from each bracket  32 . Each device  36  is positioned between a pair of movable wall portions  30  of two adjacent cavities  20 . 
     The mechanical actuator assembly  36  includes an actuator element in the form of pin member  38 , which can include a threaded body, being movably mounted to a longitudinal rod  40  within the bracket  32  and including an opposite free end portion  41 . The pin member  38  also includes a top shaft element  42  carrying a spring member  44 . The spring  44  is sandwiched between shoulders  46  and  48  formed by the pin member  30  and rod  40  respectively. As such, the pin member  38  is biased downwardly so as to protrude outwardly from the bottom open face as shown in  FIG. 7 . The pin member  38  carries a cylindrical push member  50  for acting on the adjacent movable wall portions  30 . A tubular guide  39  is provided for guiding the pin  38  as it moves relative to the 
     In this respect, the movable wall portions  30  include respective levers  52  on their rear sides  54 . The levers  54  have longitudinal body  56  with the top end  58  that is pivotally mounted to the rod  40  and lower recessed end  60 . 
     When the pin member  38  is in the downward position between two movable wall portions  30 , the cylindrical push member  50  is positioned between the recessed ends  60  of adjacent levers  54  which provide an inverted v-space therebetween. When the pin bottom free end portion  41  protruding through the tubular guide  39  from the bottom open face  16  of the mold  10  engages a surface the pin member  38  is moved upwards. The foregoing causes the cylindrical push member  50  to move upwardly between the levers  54  thereby pushing the levers  54  away from each other.  FIG. 3C  shows that the cylindrical push member  50  engages a sleeve stopper  51  which defines the maximum upward movement of the pin member  38 . This of course, moves the wall portions  30  into the cavity  20  thereby defining sloped lateral walls  22 . 
     When the mold  10  above is in the above described configuration placed on a surface with its pins  38  upwardly moved and its lateral walls  22  being sloped, cavities  20  are filled with material to be molded therein. A top press will push onto the material in the cavities  20  via the top open face  14 . 
     A top press P engages the open top face  14  in order to pressurize the material within the cavities  20  as well as to provide an imprint on the block top face  27 . As is shown in  FIG. 5 , the portions  28  of the walls  22  provide for a top section  31  of the block  21  with a generally rectangular configuration. 
     When the mold  10  is lifted after the material has been provided with enough time for curing in order to provide solidified blocks  21 , the pins  38  drop downwardly hence moving the cylindrical push members downwardly as well and allowing the wall portions  30  to move back into the generally straight position as the cylindrical push member is positioned between the recessed ends  60  of the two adjacent levers of the adjacent walls  30 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , there is a small recess  62  between portion  28  and portion  30  of a wall side  22 . This recess allows for easier removal of the mold  10  from the solidified blocks  21  which remain on the surface. 
     The position of the push member  50  can be adjusted along the pin member  38  so as to provide moving the walls more or less into the cavities, thereby defining greater or lesser slope angles on the block  21 . For example, the push member  50  in  FIG. 3C  is positioned higher along the pin member  38  than the push member  50  in  FIG. 3B  thereby pivoting the movable wall portion  30  into the cavity  20  at a greater angle. The foregoing can also be provided by adjusting the position of the pin member  38  relative to the main body  11  of the mold. Therefore, when the pin member  38  is positioned outwardly of the main body  11  to a greater degree it will consequently push the wall portions  30  inwardly to a corresponding degree. 
     Of course, a variety of mold structures including the movable walls of described herein can be provided. In one non-illustrated embodiment a mold with a plurality of cavities including movable walls which are moved by an actuator that so acts to move the wall when the mold is positioned on a surface can be provided. These non-illustrated embodiments include a plurality of cavities in which only some of the walls are movable. As shown herein a cavity is bounded by open top and bottom faces as well as four side walls. It is within the scope of the description to provide any one of those side walls to be movable or any two of the side walls or any three of the side walls or even all four of the side walls. 
     The various features described above can be combined in a variety of ways to provide other non-illustrated embodiments within the scope of the present description. Although the present description hereinabove has been provided by way of non-restrictive illustrative embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the scope, spirit and nature of the appended claims.