A retaining wall having a plurality of courses of retaining wall blocks including a first upper course and a second lower course. Each retaining wall block has opposed front and rear faces, opposed first and second side surfaces, and opposed and substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces, and at least one weight bearing pad extends from one of the upper and lower surfaces. The at least one weight bearing pad extends substantially from the rear face to the front face of the block. The weight bearing pads are the only areas of contact between the blocks in the first upper course and the blocks in the second lower course.

A molding unit includes: a flask guide member guiding the upper flask and the lower flask; a first squeeze member and a second squeeze member disposed in such a manner as to sandwich upper and lower flasks as the upper flask and the lower flask connected with each other, the first squeeze member and the second squeeze guide member each capable of entering the upper and lower flasks; a squeeze cylinder including a rod having an end part fixed to the first squeeze member and a cylinder body extending and contracting the rod; and a squeeze guide member configured to fix relative positions of the second squeeze guide member and the cylinder body. The flask guide member is a hollow rod member, and the squeeze guide member is a rod member disposed in a movable manner inside the flask guide member.

The present invention relates to a powder dry-pressing molding device and method. The powder dry-pressing molding device includes a rack, the rack is provided with an first pressure mechanism, a workbench mechanism and a second pressure mechanism in sequence along an up-and-down direction, and one side of the workbench mechanism is provided with a scraping mechanism; the first pressure mechanism includes an upper slide block capable of moving up and down, and an upper punch is disposed at a bottom of the upper slide block; the workbench mechanism includes a middle mold seat, a workbench is fixed above the middle mold seat, a middle mold is disposed inside the middle mold seat, and a mandrel runs through the inside of the middle mold; the second pressure mechanism includes a lower slide block capable of moving up and down, a lower punch is fixed at the top end of the lower slide block, and the lower punch is capable of extending into a compacting space between the mandrel and the middle mold; and the scraping mechanism includes a pusher connected with a scraping driving mechanism and capable of moving along the workbench, the pusher is provided with a feeding channel capable of being communicated with the compacting space, and the feeding channel is capable of being communicated with a barrel disposed on the rack. The dry-pressing molding device of the present invention has a high degree of automation, can scrape the powder, and has a good processing effect.

Provided herein are various embodiments of molds, mold insert members, and methods, for mitigating malformation of interlocking retaining wall blocks, and retaining wall blocks produced thereby. In an embodiment, an insert member for a retaining wall block mold includes a convexly-arched front wall portion and a convexly-arched rear wall portion, for forming respective concavely-arched top side and bottom side portions of respective concrete retaining wall blocks. The concavely-arched portions resist malformation such as bulge and/or slump that may tend to occur between molding and curing of the concrete retaining wall blocks due to pressure within the block. The concavely-arched portions additionally provide respective concavities into which such malformationsshould they occur despite being resisted by the concavely-arched portionsmay be channeled, thereby to keep malformations within the intended envelope of the retaining wall block.

A manufacturing method is disclosed herein. The method includes arranging a preform over a surface of an inner mold line; folding the preform over sides of the inner mold line; pressing an end of the preform into a grip strip coupled to a side of the inner mold line; and applying pressure to the preform to force excess material of the preform into a forming bead of the inner mold line.

A casted block molding apparatus, including a mold, first and second filler boxes, and a pressing mechanism. The first filler box is displaceable along opposed directions between an overlapping position where a first bottom opening is located over the mold cavities and a retracted position away from the mold cavities. The first bottom opening is closed by a first cover in the retracted position and is open over the mold cavities. The second filler box is mounted to the first filler box and displaceable therewith along the opposed directions. The bottom opening of the second filler box is closed by a second cover when the filler boxes are displaced from the retracted position to the overlapping position. The second bottom opening is open after the first filler box reaches the overlapping position. A method for molding casted blocks is also discussed.

A mold for manufacturing interlocking, dry-cast concrete retaining wall blocks in an upright orientation comprises a mold box comprising two side walls joined to end walls to define a mold cavity, a top face, and a substantially open bottom face. Partitions configured to define a space between adjacent blocks or a space between a block and a side of the mold box extend parallel to the side walls of the mold box substantially from the top face into the mold cavity, to form first transverse portions of the profile of the top and bottom surfaces the blocks which do not include any undercut portion that would impede removal of the mold box in a substantially vertical direction. At least one removable insert comprises insert members which, when positioned in the mold box beneath the partitions, form remaining transverse portions of the profile of the top and bottom surfaces, the remaining transverse portions including at least one undercut portion. The insert members, when in position in the mold box for casting, are substantially in lateral alignment with respective bottom surfaces of at least some of the partitions and can be inserted and retracted through openings in an end wall of the mold box.

A system of retaining wall blocks, a method of assembling a retaining wall block assembly, and a mold for manufacturing retaining wall blocks having adjustable engagement configurations.

A deflection impedance device is provided for a stripper head plate of a concrete product machine mold assembly. The device may comprise a spacer having an axial thickness generally equal to a desired spacing between an upper surface of a stripper head plate of a mold assembly stripper head, and a lower surface of a mold head adapter plate of a concrete product machine. A magnetic element may be used to retain the spacer on the stripper head plate upper surface where it will brace the stripper head plate against the mold head adapter plate to limit or prevent upward bowing that might otherwise result from forces imparted by concrete product being formed within the mold assembly.

A block, block system and method of making a wall block. A block with multiple embodiments of a visually exposed surface having three dimensional shaped areas and three dimensional angular valleys or joints that can be used to construct a patio, wall, fence or the like; the multiple embodiments creating a more random and natural appearance. A mold box having a moveable liner and a stripper shoe that impart three dimensional shaped areas and three dimensional angular valleys or joints onto an exposed surface of a block. The moveable liner and stripper shoe also impart a parting line onto the exposed surface of the block.