Ness Inventions, Inc.

Haberman Machine

John T Ness

Jeffrey A Ness

Paver block

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.

Concrete block machine having a controllable cutoff bar

A block having a top surface, a bottom surface opposing the top surface, a front surface, a rear surface opposing the front surface, the front and rear surfaces extending between the top and bottom surfaces, a first side surface, a second side surface opposing the first side surface, the first and second side surfaces extending between the front and rear surfaces, and a set of at least three leveling pads extending from the rear surface.

Masonry block with leveling pads

A mold assembly for use with an automated dry cast concrete machine including a plurality of mold cavities, each mold cavity formed by a plurality of liner plates, wherein at least one liner plate of each mold cavity is moveable between an extended position and a retracted position relative to an interior of the mold cavity. The mold assembly further includes a master bar in mechanical communication with the at least one moveable liner plate of each of the mold cavities, and an actuator configured to drive the master bar in a first direction and a second direction, which is opposite the first direction, to respectively direct movement of the at least one moveable liner plate of each of the mold cavities between the extended and retracted positions.

Growing community of inventors

Stillwater, MN, United States of America

John T Ness