Patent ID: 8628320

Claim:
A mold assembly for use in an automated concrete block machine for molding concrete blocks, the mold assembly comprising: a plurality of liner plates forming a mold cavity in which dry cast concrete is compressed to form a concrete block, wherein at least one of the liner plates is moveable between an extended position and a retracted position; an actuator having an actuator axis; and a force multiplier formed by a first drive element and a second drive element, the first drive element positioned off-axis from the actuator axis and in mechanical communication with the moveable liner plate, and the second drive element operatively coupled to the first drive element, wherein the actuator is configured to: provide a first force having a first magnitude in a first direction along the actuator axis to the second drive element which, in response, moves the first drive element and the at least one moveable liner plate in an extending direction, which is different from the first direction, toward the interior of the mold cavity to the extended position, wherein a magnitude of a force required to be applied to the at least one liner plate in a direction opposite the extending direction resulting from compression of dry cast concrete in the mold cavity to move the at least one moveable liner plate and first drive element in the direction opposite the extending direction is greater than the first magnitude of the first force provided by the actuator to the second drive element to move the first drive element and at least one moveable liner plate in the extending direction.