| Multiple retaining wall block unit with off-center splitting grooves -> Monitor Keywords |
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Multiple retaining wall block unit with off-center splitting groovesRelated Patent Categories: Hydraulic And Earth Engineering, Earth Treatment Or Control, Shoring, Bracing, Or Cave-in Prevention, Retaining WallMultiple retaining wall block unit with off-center splitting grooves description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070166112, Multiple retaining wall block unit with off-center splitting grooves. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to an improved multiple retaining wall block unit provided with splitting grooves positioned in such manner as to permit splitting and separation of the blocks from the unit. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Multiple retaining wall block unit of the above-mentioned type are well known in the field to which the present invention belongs. In this connection by way of non restrictive examples, reference can be made to FIGS. 9 and 10 and to the corresponding part of the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,456 to Angelo RISI et al. Reference can also be made to FIGS. 2 to 4 and to the corresponding part of the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,505 to David C. BENDER. [0003] The existing multiple retaining wall block units usually comprises only two blocks having front surfaces facing each other in the same vertical plane. Said units are also devised in such manner that the blocks, when splitted, be of the same length. [0004] The blocks that are so splitted are usually provided with tongues projecting upwardly from their upper surface and grooves made in their bottom surface, in order to allow stacking of the blocks one on top of the other in order to form a retaining wall. As to this kind of blocks with tongues and grooves and the way they can be stacked onto each other, reference can be made to the numerous prior art references that exists in this field, including in particular the two above-mentioned patents. [0005] In practice, these tongues and grooves may be positioned in such manner as to allow the blocks to be stacked in such manner that the resulting wall be either battered or vertical. In this connection, and by way of non restriction example only, reference can be made to the content of Canadian patent no. 2,469,128 to Angelo RISI. [0006] As it may be appreciated upon reviewing the various patents discussed hereinabove, when use is made of blocks of a same size to build up a retaining wall, the front surfaces of the blocks extending in a same horizontal row of the wall all extend in a substantially the same vertical plane. The planes of the various rows all extend also in the same plane when the wall is vertical. When the wall is battered, these planes extend at different distances away from each other. However, in the latter case, the blocks of a same row have their front surfaces that extend all together in the same plane, as was disclosed hereinabove. [0007] It is apparently of common practice for some consumers to ask for retaining walls made of blocks that would not necessarily extend in a same plane in order to give more "originality" to the look of the retaining wall. In such a case, however, it is compulsory from the manufacturer to order and use different units containing blocks of different length or to use blocks having a plurality of tongues and grooves on their upper and lower surfaces. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] It has now been found that the above-mentioned requirement of some of the consumers to have blocks positioned and shaped in such manner as to give a different look to the front surface of a retaining wall made from said blocks can easily be achieved by using blocks which come from same units but not with a same length. [0009] It has also been found that blocks on different lengths compatible with each other and stackable one upon the other can be easy obtained from such same units provided that, contrary to what has been done so far, the sets of splitting grooves used on the unit in order to split the same in order to separate the blocks be not always positioned just in the middle of each unit or at places of the unit that make it splittable into blocks of a same size and form as it has always been done so far. [0010] Thus, the present invention is directed with an improved multiple retaining wall block unit provided with at least one set of splitting grooves positioned in such manner as to permit splitting and separation of the blocks of the unit, which improvement lies in that each of the splitting grooves is located along the unit in such manner that the adjacent blocks that are splitted, are not of a same length. [0011] As is of common practice, each block of the unit advantageously has an upper surface provided with at least one upwardly projecting tongues and a bottom surface with at least one groove sized to receive the tongues of the similar block extending below when the retaining wall is built up. As a result, inasmuch as the blocks are no more of a same length, different positioning of the front surface of each block may vary depending on the length of the block that is being used. As a result, the front surface area of the retaining wall made from the blocks may have a look which is not "uniform," as it was done so far. [0012] In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, each unit comprises only two blocks having front surfaces facing each other in the same vertical plane. The set of splitting grooves used to split the two blocks is of course positioned in this vertical plane. Once again, in order to achieve the result mentioned hereinabove, the vertical plane is off-center with respect to the unit. [0013] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following non restrictive description made with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a retaining wall made of blocks splitted from a multiple retaining wall block units according to the invention; [0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a double retaining wall block unit according to the invention; [0016] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the unit shown in FIG. 2; [0017] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a variant of the unit shown in FIGS. 2 and 3; [0018] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a battered retaining wall made of blocks splitted from units as shown in FIG. 4; and [0019] FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a vertical retaining wall made of blocks splitted from units as shown in FIG. 4, after having further splitted one part of the tongues projecting from their upper surfaces. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Continue reading about Multiple retaining wall block unit with off-center splitting grooves... 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