Patent ID: 8246892

Claim:
A process for producing a plurality of concrete blocks; the process comprising the steps of: providing a mold having a plurality of block-forming cavities; each block-forming cavity having an open top and an open bottom; positioning a single pallet under the plurality of block forming cavities to temporarily close the open bottoms of the plurality of block-forming cavities; introducing dry cast concrete into each block-forming cavity in the plurality of block-forming cavities, through the open top of each cavity; actuating a single compression head to lower a stripper shoe into each of the block-forming cavities in the plurality of block-forming cavities; the step of actuating including compacting the dry cast concrete in each block-forming cavity to mold a pre-cured concrete block therein; each pre-cured block having a front face, a rear face and opposite side faces; the rear face of each pre-cured concrete block resting on the pallet during molding of the pre-cured block and conforming to the surface of the pallet during molding; the front face of each pre-cured block being formed facing upwardly and being molded by an associated stripper shoe to have a three-dimensional pattern that is not parallel to the rear face of the block; the front faces of pre-cured concrete blocks molded in the plurality of the block-forming cavities including, in total, at least three measurement locations thereon each comprising a flat spot molded by an associated stripper shoe with at least two of the at least three flat spot measurement locations being positioned on different pre-cured blocks; each of the flat spots having a dimension of at least ⅛ inch wide and being substantially smaller in area than the front face of the corresponding block; each of the flat spots corresponding to a measurement location being bordered, at least partially, by a non-flat portion of the three-dimensional pattern on the front face of the corresponding block; discharging pre-cured concrete blocks from the bottoms of the plurality of block-forming cavities and onto the pallet; measuring at least: the respective distances between the at least three selected ones of the measurement locations and the rear face of the same block; and, evaluating the measurements to assess molding quality, without conducting measurements on molded blocks from every one of the cavities in the plurality of block-forming cavities; the step of evaluating including: comparing the measurements to target distances; and, adjusting the alignment of at least one of the compression head and the stripper shoe, relative to the mold, based on results obtained from the evaluating step, if necessary.