IP Library Granted Patent US 7,887,317
Granted Patent B1
US 7,887,317 · App. 11/608,063 · Granted Feb 15, 2011

System for separating a cast product from a mold

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,887,317
App. No.
11/608,063
Granted
Feb 15, 2011
Kind
B1
Abstract

A system and method of separating a cast concrete product from a mold is provided. The system includes a rotating drum arrangement, a catch arm attached to rotate with the drum arrangement, and a mold having at least one cavity to form the concrete product. The mold includes a lead end opposite a trail end relative to a sequence of engagement by the rotating drum arrangement. The mold further includes a grab bar inserted through the mold. The rotating catch arm is configured capture the grab bar in a manner so as to cause the mold to wrap around the drum arrangement and separate the concrete product from the mold.

Claims (22)

1. A mold for forming a cast concrete product, comprising:

a mold body formed of a flexible and resilient material and having at least one cavity to form the concrete product, the mold body having a leading end opposite a trailing end; and

an engagement member carried by the mold body, wherein the engagement member extends laterally outwardly relative to the mold body, wherein the engagement member comprises a bar that extends laterally through the mold and defining a pair of ends that extend laterally outwardly relative to side surfaces defined by the mold, and wherein the bar is secured to the mold via a laterally extending sleeve in the mold, wherein the sleeve defines a lateral passage through which the bar extends.

2. The mold of claim 1 , wherein the bar is configured to rotate independently of the mold body and the sleeve.

3. A system for demolding a cast concrete product, comprising:

a rotating drum arrangement;

a catch member that rotates with the drum arrangement;

a mold having at least one cavity to form the concrete product, wherein the mold has a leading end and a trailing end and includes an engagement member located toward the leading end,

wherein the rotating catch member is configured to engage the engagement member in a manner so as to restrain the mold against a cylindrical surface defined by the rotating drum arrangement so as to cause the concrete product to separate from the mold.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a separating member spaced from and fixed in position relative to the rotating drum arrangement, wherein the separating member is disposed between the mold and the surface of the rotating drum arrangement.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the separating member comprises an axially extending separating bar.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the separating bar is curvilinear along its length.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the mold is formed of a flexible and resilient material capable of deforming from a flat configuration to an arcuate configuration between the leading and trailing ends when the mold is engaged with the cylindrical surface of the drum arrangement.

8. The system of claim 3 , wherein the engagement member extends generally parallel to a rotational axis of the drum arrangement and includes opposed ends, each of which extends beyond a lateral extent of the mold.

9. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a sleeve extending through the leading end of the mold, wherein the sleeve defines a passage through which the engagement member extends.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the engagement member is configured to rotate within the sleeve passage independently of the mold and the sleeve.

11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a second sleeve and a second engagement member located toward the trailing end of the mold.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a second catch member configured to engage the second engagement member upon rotation of the drum arrangement.

13. The system of claim 3 , wherein the rotating drum arrangement is positioned such that the rotating drum arrangement moves the mold from a lower conveyor to an upper conveyor located above the lower conveyor, and wherein the cast concrete product separates from the mold and is deposited onto the lower conveyor.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein movement of the mold from the lower conveyor to the upper conveyor is operable to invert the mold from a downwardly facing orientation on the lower conveyor to an upwardly facing orientation on the upper conveyor.

15. The system of claim 3 , wherein an open face of the least one cavity is located on the mold opposite the cylindrical surface of the rotating drum arrangement.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein each end of the sleeve includes a collar configured to maintain the axial position of the engagement member within the sleeve passage.

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2026
From: PLY GEM INDUSTRIES, INC.
To: ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS, LLC
Reel/Frame 074125/0948 →
NOTICE OF SUCCESSION OF AGENCY Recorded May 20, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS SUCCESSOR COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067461/0646 →
TERM LOAN NOTICE AND CONFIRMATION OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jul 25, 2022
From: PLY GEM INDUSTRIES, INC.; MASTIC HOME EXTERIORS, INC,; KROY BUILDING PRODUCTS, INC.; SIMONTON BUILDING PRODUCTS LLC; VARIFORM, INC.; ATRIUM WINDOWS AND DOORS, INC.; NCI GROUP, INC.; TALUS SYSTEMS, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
Reel/Frame 060882/0422 →
SECURED NOTES NOTICE AND CONFIRMATION OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jul 25, 2022
From: PLY GEM INDUSTRIES, INC.; MASTIC HOME EXTERIORS, INC,; KROY BUILDING PRODUCTS, INC.; SIMONTON BUILDING PRODUCTS LLC; VARIFORM, INC.; ATRIUM WINDOWS AND DOORS, INC.; NCI GROUP, INC.; TALUS SYSTEMS, LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 060882/0459 →
CASH FLOW NOTICE AND CONFIRMATION OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Apr 12, 2018
From: MASTIC HOME EXTERIORS, INC.; GREAT LAKES WINDOW INC.; KROY BUILDING PRODUCTS, INC.; NAPCO, INC.; PLY GEM INDUSTRIES, INC.; PLY GEM PACIFIC WINDOWS CORPORATION; SIMONTON BUILDING PRODUCTS LLC; VARIFORM, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 045932/0272 →
ABL NOTICE AND CONFIRMATION OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Apr 12, 2018
From: MASTIC HOME EXTERIORS, INC.; GREAT LAKES WINDOW INC.; KROY BUILDING PRODUCTS, INC.; NAPCO, INC.; PLY GEM INDUSTRIES, INC.; PLY GEM PACIFIC WINDOWS CORPORATION; SIMONTON BUILDING PRODUCTS LLC; VARIFORM, INC.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
Reel/Frame 045932/0384 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2014
From: BARRETT, DAVID J.
To: PLY GEM INDUSTRIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 033732/0275 →