Patent ID: 7887738

Claim:
A method for making at least one concrete brick having a matrix of a first color with flashings of a second color within the matrix, comprising: providing a brick machine including a funnel shaped hopper in operable communication with a vibrating mechanism for vibrating the hopper, the hopper releasing to a feeder drawer of a mold; mixing a first batch of concrete of a first color in a mixer; after the mixing of the first batch of concrete, transferring the first batch of concrete of the first color from the mixer to the hopper by a conveyor between the mixer and the hopper, and the hopper receiving the first batch of concrete from the mixer; after the transferring of the first batch of concrete to the hopper, mixing a second batch of concrete of a second color in the mixer, wherein the first color is different than the second color; transferring the second batch of concrete of the second color from the mixer to the hopper by the conveyor between the mixer and the hopper, and the hopper receiving the second batch of concrete from the mixer after the receiving of the first batch of concrete from the mixer into the hopper, wherein the second batch of concrete is transferred into the hopper and placed in contact with the first batch of concrete in the hopper; continuously vibrating the hopper with the vibrating mechanism and causing the first batch and the second batch to collapse inwardly into a central void with a downwardly moving vortex as the first and second batches flow through the hopper by gravity and mixing the first and second batches via the continuous vibration to form a mixture having the matrix of the first color with the flashings of the second color interspersed throughout the mixture, and where the concretes of the first and second batches remain physically and chemically distinct; directing at least a portion of the mixture from the hopper to the feeder drawer and then to the mold while continuously vibrating the hopper; and molding the portion of the mixture from the hopper into at least one concrete brick with the flashings throughout the entire brick.