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Building block

Building block description/claims

1. Field of the Invention

A building block includes end recesses, that support studs, and grooves for reception of mortar and overflow and can have a decorative front face.

2. Description of Related Art

The use of recesses for studs, H. Palmer, U.S. Pat. No. 674,874, issued 28 May 1901; and Hood et al, U.S. Pat. No. 828,818, issued 14 Aug. 1906; and D. Thorpe, U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,479, issued 10 May 2005; and end protrusions and recesses, B. Van Camp, U.S. Pat. No. 738,643, issued 8 Sep. 1903; and V. Rowland, U.S. Pat. No. 1,567,085, issued 29 Dec. 1925; J. Barnhardt, U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,002, issued 11 Jan. 1977; and G. Hanson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,326, issued 9 Oct. 1984; and D. Sherwood, U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,635, issued 10 Feb. 1998, per se is old. Placing a facade on a block face, per se, is old with R. Dula, U.S. Pat. No. 1,411,005, issued 28 Mar. 1922 and D. Forman, U.S. Pat. No. 1,751,272, issued 18 Mar. 1930, examples.

A building block has on each end recesses for reception of studs placed between two blocks placed end to end. The ends are also provided with vertical braces and vertical recesses and mortar overflow areas for strengthening the block ends using mortar in the recesses and overflow areas. A facade can be placed on the block front face and extend around the front face ends.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the block of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective front view of two blocks of the invention shown end to end.

FIG. 3 is a perspective rear view of two blocks of the invention shown end to end.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the blocks of the invention showing the blocks forming a wall with a stud in position.

The building block 1 of the invention, shown in FIG. 1, has an essentially standard rear wall 2 with rear face 6, front wall 8 with front face 7 and central rib 9 defining openings or passages 3 in the block. The end walls 4,5 are modified to accommodate studs and provide for vertical mortar grooves 12,14 in the front and back of the block end walls 4,5 parallel to the rear wall surface 6 and front wall surface 7.

The building block 1 is designed to be sturdy and capable of supporting a stud at its ends when a first block is laid end to end with a second block. The rear walls 2 of the blocks and end walls 4,5 are provided with stud recesses 11 at the upper rear areas perpendicular to the rear surface 6.

The end walls 4,5 both have a stud mortar recess 12 extending vertically parallel to the rear face 6 of the block, into which a seam of mortar can be placed during laying of the blocks. The stud mortar recesses 12 begin at the base surface 35 of the stud recesses 11 and extend vertically to the bottom surface 27 of the block. A similar vertical mortar recess 14 is provided adjacent the front face 7 in both end walls 4,5. These recesses extend from the top surface 26 of the block to the bottom surface 27 of the block. A seam of mortar is placed in the recesses 14 during block laying. As is standard practice during laying bricks and building blocks, an excess of mortar is placed on the base or bottom of the blocks along their front and back edges and along their end edges or at these locations on the previously laid blocks under these areas. To securely hold the ends together, the stud mortar recesses 12 and rear mortar recesses 14 are filled with excess mortar. The excess is necessary to provide for the gap, often deliberately formed between blocks, and to make up for the slightly varying size blocks. The excess mortar is squeezed out as the blocks are forced together and positioned to form a wall. The excess in the rear wall is removed as usual, except that the stud mortar recess 12 provides a column of mortar between the blocks that secure the blocks in place in addition to the standard thin seam of mortar that is usually provided between the block ends. This, in combination with the front bracers 15 and rear bracers 19, gives a firm hold to the blocks ends.

The front mortar recesses 14 provide the same function on the front ends of the blocks as the seam formed in the rear end mortar recesses 12. Mortar overflow areas 13 are provided inward to the rear of mortar recesses 14 by a mortar backing 16 that tapers back in an overflow taper 18 into the mortar overflow areas 13 to provide for additional mortar thickened areas. In this manner the blocks are firmly held together by the mortar and bracing provided on the building blocks to preclude the blocks from being slipped from each other. Each block end has four braces 15,16,17,19 and two mortar columns or recesses 12,14 in addition to the mortar overflow into taper areas 13 past the backings 16 and past the backings 17 also into the taper areas 13.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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