Insert apparatus for a mold, method of manufacturing a concrete unit, method of installing a wall and method of retrofitting an existing mold

Abstract

Disclosed is an insert apparatus for a mold for manufacturing structural units. The insert apparatus includes a carrier for operatively engaging a portion of the mold, and a face having a design portion thereon. The face is in operative communication with the carrier, and the design portion extends into or out of an inner cavity of the mold. A method of manufacturing such a structural unit, a method of retrofitting an existing mold for manufacturing such a unit and a method of installing a wall using the structural units are also disclosed.

1 . An insert apparatus for a mold for manufacturing at least one structural unit, the insert apparatus comprising: 
 a carrier configured to operatively engage at least a portion of the mold; and    a face having at least one design portion and in at least one of operative communication and integral with the carrier;    wherein the at least one design portion extends into or out of an inner cavity of the mold.    
   
   
       2 . The insert apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the structural unit is at least one of a cinder block, a cement block, a brick, a concrete block, a clay-based unit, a paver and a segmental retaining wall unit.  
   
   
       3 . The insert apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier is in the form of a substantially T-shaped structure having a substantially horizontal wall and a substantially vertical wall with a first side surface, a second side surface, a first edge surface and a second edge surface.  
   
   
       4 . The insert apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein at least one face is removably attached to at least one of the first side surface and the second side surface.  
   
   
       5 . The insert apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein at least one face is removably attached to at least one of the first side surface and the second side surface by a removable attaching means.  
   
   
       6 . The insert apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the removable attaching means is at least one of an attachment device, an adhesive compound, interacting magnetic elements, a flange and groove arrangement, a male/female plug arrangement and an elongated member in operative communication with the carrier and the face.  
   
   
       7 . The insert apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier includes at least one of a projection and a groove positioned on a surface thereof and configured to mate with a complimentary groove and projection located on an inner surface of the mold.  
   
   
       8 . The insert apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the projection and groove of at least one of the carrier and the inner surface of the mold is in the form of an upside-down hemi-pyramid.  
   
   
       9 . The insert apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the groove of the carrier is in the form of an upside-down hemi-pyramidal groove, and the projection of the inner surface of the mold is in the form of a complimentary upside-down hemi-pyramidal projection.  
   
   
       10 . The insert apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier is manufactured from at least one of a thermoplastic material, a synthetic material, plastic, a polymer, wood and a rigid material.  
   
   
       11 . The insert apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the face is manufactured from at least one of a thermoplastic material, a synthetic material, plastic, a polymer, wood, a rigid material, a flexible material, a foam and a closed-cell foam.  
   
   
       12 . The insert apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier and the face are manufactured as an integral unit.  
   
   
       13 . The insert apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a different design portion is disposed upon the face surface of each of a plurality of faces, wherein each different design portion, when produced and aligned, create a desired master design.  
   
   
       14 . The insert apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the different design portion and the desired master design are disposed upon the faces by an automated process.  
   
   
       15 . The insert apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the automated process includes the steps of: 
 storing the desired master design on a computing device;    positioning a face substrate in operative communication with an etching device, which is in communication with the computing device; and    etching, by the etching device, the stored desired master design on the face substrate.    
   
   
       16 . The insert apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising the step of cutting the face substrate into a set of predetermined sized and shaped faces for use in connection with the carrier.  
   
   
       17 . A method of manufacturing a structural unit having a design disposed upon at least one side surface of the unit, the method including the steps of: 
 (a) engaging a carrier within at least a portion of a mold, the carrier in operative communication with a face having at least one design portion extending into or out of an inner cavity of the mold;    (b) placing material into the inner cavity of the mold, such that at least a portion of at least one side of the inner cavity comprises the face;    (c) at least one of compacting, consolidating and condensing the material, thereby forming the structural unit; and    (d) removing the structural unit from the mold.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the engaging step further comprises the steps of: 
 positioning the carrier and face underneath the inner cavity of the mold; and    moving the carrier up and into engagement with at least a portion of the inner cavity of the mold.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of: 
 placing the carrier and face on a pallet element;    placing the pallet element on a conveyor unit; and    conveying the pallet, and thereby the carrier and face, to a predetermined position underneath the inner cavity of the mold.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the removing step further comprises the steps of: 
 disengaging and moving the pallet element down from the inner cavity of the mold, thereby disengaging and moving the structural unit, carrier and face therewith; and    conveying the pallet element on the conveyor unit to a further predetermined location.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of separating at least one of the carrier and the face from the structural unit.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of curing the structural unit.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the material is at least one of concrete, cement and an aggregate.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the structural unit is at least one of a cinder block, a cement block, a brick, a concrete block, a clay-based unit, a paver and a segmental retaining wall unit  
   
   
       25 . A structural unit produced using the method of  claim 17 .  
   
   
       26 . A method of installing a plurality of structural units as a wall surface, the method including the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of structural units, at least a portion of the plurality of structural units having a design portion at least one of extending from and recessed within a face surface of the structural unit;    successively applying mortar to a surface of the structural unit and positioning a successive structural unit on the mortared surface, thereby forming a wall with a wall surface having a desired master design thereon; and    applying additional mortar to at least one mortar joint between at least two structural units, the additional mortar effectively joining the design portions between the at least two structural units, thereby providing a more complete desired master design on the wall surface.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein a different design portion is disposed upon the face surface of each of the plurality of structural units, wherein each different design portion, when arranged and aligned to a predetermined position, create the desired master design.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the material forming the structural unit is at least one of concrete, cement and an aggregate.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the structural unit is at least one of a cinder block, a cement block, a brick, a concrete block, a clay-based unit, a paver and a segmental retaining wall unit  
   
   
       30 . A wall formed by the method of  claim 26 .  
   
   
       31 . The wall of  claim 30 , wherein the wall is at least one of a retaining wall, a structure wall, a room wall, an architectural wall and an aesthetic wall.  
   
   
       32 . A method of retrofitting an existing mold for manufacturing a structural unit having a design applied on at least one side of the unit, the mold having an inner cavity and at least one side comprising a plate element removably attached thereto, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) detaching and removing the plate element from the side of the inner cavity of the mold;    (b) providing an insert apparatus including a carrier in operative communication with a face having at least one design portion disposed thereon; and    (c) engaging the carrier in place of the removed plate element, wherein the at least one design portion of the face extends into or out of the inner cavity of the mold.    
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the carrier includes at least one of a projection and a groove positioned on a surface thereof and configured to mate with a complimentary groove and projection located on an inner surface of the mold.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the projection and groove of at least one of the carrier and the inner surface of the mold is in the form of an upside-down hemi-pyramid.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the groove of the carrier is in the form of an upside-down hemi-pyramidal groove, and the projection of the inner surface of the mold is in the form of a complimentary upside-down hemi-pyramidal projection.  
   
   
       36 . In a mold for manufacturing a structural unit having a design applied on at least one side of the unit, the mold having an inner cavity, the improvement comprising an insert configured to operatively engage at least a portion of the mold, the insert comprising a carrier having a face portion with at least one design portion extending into or out of the inner cavity of the mold.  
   
   
       37 . An insert for a mold for manufacturing at least one structural unit, the insert comprising a carrier configured to operatively engage at least a portion of the mold and having a face portion with at least one design portion extending into or out of the inner cavity of the mold.