Patent ID: 6874494

Claim:
A splitting assembly for a block splitting machine, comprising: a block splitter defining a splitting line, the block splitter being configured to split a workpiece that is positioned in the block splitting machine aligned with the splitting line to form at least one block with an irregular front face; a multiplicity of peaks adjacent said splitting line on at least one side thereof, that engage a surface of the workpiece during a splitting operation, said multiplicity of peaks including a multiplicity of peaks extending over a distance parallel to said splitting line and a multiplicity of peaks extending over a distance away from said splitting line, the tips of the peaks that are further from said splitting line being further from the workpiece when the splitting assembly is in its rest position prior to a splitting operation, and said multiplicity of peaks chip and roughen the workpiece surface and round the edge of the block at the intersection of the workpiece surface and the front face of said at least one block during the splitting operation, said multiplicity of peaks being configured and positioned to engages the workpiece so that the majority of the length of the edge along the front face of the resulting block is chipped and roughened the length of the edge along the front face of the resulting block is chipped and roughened.