CMU Mold Gussets and Filler Plugs for Mortar Buffer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Masonry units, particularly concrete masonry units, face challenges in achieving attractive finishes due to unimproved mortar joints, which often result in chipped edges and smeared mortar, requiring additional labor to clean and meet aesthetic expectations.
Innovation Solution
A method for forming masonry units with a mortar buffer, involving a mold configuration with gussets for side surfaces, a shoe assembly for top surfaces, and a retractable filler plug to create beveled surfaces that act as a buffer for mortar, reducing smears and enabling straight joint lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional CMU manufacturing methods are used, then structural strength requirements are met, but mortar joints result in chipped edges and smeared mortar requiring additional cleaning labor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming beveled surfaces (mortar buffers) on the CMUs during the manufacturing process. These beveled surfaces are created before installation using mold configurations with gussets and filler plugs, which prepare the surfaces to receive and manage mortar in a controlled manner, thereby preventing mortar smears and eliminating the need for post-installation cleaning.
2Productivity
If conventional CMU manufacturing methods are used, then production efficiency is maintained, but mortar joints fail to meet aesthetic expectations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by modifying only specific localized areas of the CMU - the edges and corners - by forming beveled surfaces (mortar buffers) at these critical locations. This localized modification does not require changing the entire manufacturing process or reducing overall production efficiency, yet it significantly improves the aesthetic appearance of mortar joints at the precise locations where mortar is applied.
3Manufacturing precision
If beveled surfaces with mortar buffer are added to CMUs, then mortar smears are reduced and joint lines become straight, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the mold into distinct functional components: gussets that form side beveled surfaces, filler plugs that create bottom beveled surfaces, and a shoe assembly for top surfaces. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, making the complex process of forming beveled surfaces manageable and controllable without requiring an entirely new manufacturing system.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for forming a masonry unit that includes joining a pallet to a bottom surface of a mold, inserting a filler plug into the side of the mold between a partition plate and a pallet, dispensing mix into the mold, and compressing the mix with a shoe to form a masonry unit with a filler plug effect.