Ness Inventions, Inc.

Pacific Coast Building Products. Inc.

Jeffrey A Ness

John T Ness

A retaining wall block including a pair of curved engagement surfaces extending convexly from a rear side of the block and being symmetrical about a transverse axis are configured to engage a planar surface of a setback lip of similar overlying blocks when stacked in successive courses to form a wall structure, where the curved engagement surfaces maintain a desired setback distance successive courses for straight, convex, and concave wall structures.

Block with curved engagement surfaces for maintaining even setback

Landscape block

A masonry block includes a top surface and an opposing bottom surface, a front surface and an opposing rear surface, a first side surface and an opposing second side surface, an x-direction defined as extending parallel to the rear and bottom surfaces between the first and second side surfaces, and a y-direction defined as extending perpendicular to the x-direction between the front and rear surfaces, and a set of three leveling pads disposed on the rear surface. The set of three leveling pads being positioned on the rear surface such that the three leveling pads provide four regions of overlap with leveling pads of two similar blocks in both block courses above and below the given block when the blocks are arranged in a running bond pattern, such that the four regions of overlap form four load transfer lines through each block in the wall.

Masonry block with leveling pads

A retaining wall block generally comprises a block body having a front face with a plurality of support legs extending rearward therefrom, opposed first and second side surfaces, and opposed and substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces. A preferred leg spacing of side support legs allows the side legs of each successive course of blocks to rest on the side legs of the prior-laid rows, while allowing the center legs to float freely. The free-floating center leg may allow attachment of additional stabilization means to the center leg without preventing the blocks from resting directly on the course below.

Retaining wall block

A feedbox for use in an automated dry-cast concrete block machine, including an agitator grid having a plurality of parallel agitator elements disposed parallel to a bottom of the feedbox, a plurality of prongs extending downward toward the bottom of the feedbox from each of the parallel agitator elements, and one or more restrictor elements slideably coupled with a coupling mechanism to one or more of the plurality of prongs which can be slideably adjusted along a length of the one or more prongs.

Agitator grid with adjustable restrictor elements for concrete block machine

A method of operating a mold assembly having a plurality of liner plates forming a mold cavity. The method includes driving a master drive element back and forth in a continuous loop about at least a portion of exterior perimeter sides of the mold cavity to provide a first and second linear forces in first and second directions substantially in parallel with each perimeter side of the mold cavity about which the primary drive element is routed, and driving a secondary drive element, which engages the at least one moveable liner plate, with the first and second linear forces to drive at least one moveable liner plate toward and away from the interior of the mold cavity.

Block mold having moveable liner

A method of making a masonry block employing a mold assembly having a plurality liner plates each having a major surface that together form a mold cavity having an open top and an open bottom, wherein at least one liner plate is moveable between a retracted position and a desired extended position within the mold cavity. The method includes providing a negative of a desired texture on the major surface of the moveable liner plate, moving the moveable liner plate to a retracted position, closing the bottom of the mold cavity by positioning a pallet below the mold assembly, filling the mold cavity with dry cast concrete via the open top, vibrating the mold assembly and dry cast concrete therein, and moving the moveable liner plate to a desired extended position during the vibrating.

Method of making masonry blocks

A mold assembly having a mold cavity formed by liner plates, at least one being moveable, an actuator having an actuator axis, and a force multiplier formed by first and second drive elements, the first drive element positioned off-axis from the actuator axis and in mechanical communication with the moveable liner plate, the second drive element operatively coupled to the first drive element, and the actuator configured to provide a first force having a first magnitude in a first direction along the actuator axis to the second drive element which moves the first drive element and the moveable liner plate in an extending direction, wherein a magnitude of a force applied to the moveable liner plate resulting from compression of dry cast concrete in the mold cavity that is required to move the moveable liner plate in a direction opposite the extending direction is greater than the first magnitude.

Concrete block mold with moveable liner

Concrete planter box

A mold assembly for manufacturing concrete blocks in an automated dry-cast block machine. The mold assembly includes a plurality of liner plates which together form a mold cavity, wherein at least one of the liner plates includes an internal network of shafts which is configured to receive and provide a flow path for heated fluid to pass through to heat the at least one liner plate.

Mold assembly employing fluid heating

A mold assembly mold having a mold cavity formed by a plurality of liner plates, wherein at least one of the liner plates is moveable toward and away from an interior of the mold cavity, and a heater element contacting and heating the moveable liner plate.

An automated concrete block machine including a mold cavity, a feedbox driven between retracted and extended positions and depositing concrete in the mold cavity when at the extended position, a cutoff bar, and a drive system coupled to and driving the cutoff bar in a direction of movement of the feedbox such that a distance between at least a portion of the cutoff bar and a top of the mold varies so that the cutoff bar removes varying amounts of concrete deposited in the mold cavity so that a depth of concrete remaining in at least a portion of the mold cavity varies so as to be unevenly distributed in a desired fashion in the direction of movement of the feedbox.

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Oak Park Heights, MN, United States of America

Jeffrey A Ness