US 11,970,853 B2Granted

Lightweight blocks with stone-like appearance and method of manufacture

AssigneeTuscan Stoneworx USA, LLC

InventorDavid L. Nicolson

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present disclosure describes modular blocks configured to give the appearance of natural or cut stone. An aesthetic coating composition may be applied to one or more surfaces of a block having a low-density, such as an insulating concrete form (ICF), to form an modular block having the appearance of cut stone. The aesthetic coating composition includes a binder component, such as a cementitious binder made from white Portland cement, or a polymer binder such as an acrylic binder, an aggregate component, such as a limestone aggregate component, and optionally an adhesive component. The aggregate component includes a fine sand portion and a coarse sand portion that effectively enable the appearance of cut stone after finishing of the aesthetic coating surface via sanding, polishing, sandblasting, acid etching, acid finishing, or exposed aggregate finishing.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a lightweight block adapted to give the appearance of natural or cut stone, comprising:

providing a lightweight block substrate having a density of less than 1680 kg/m3;
moving the lightweight block substrate on a conveyor under an applicator chute containing a aesthetic coating composition;
the applicator chute applying the aesthetic coating composition to a surface of the lightweight block substrate to form an aesthetic coating layer;
moving the lightweight block substrate with the aesthetic coating layer on the conveyor under a leveler which levels the aesthetic coating layer and removes excess aesthetic coating composition from an outer surface of the aesthetic coating layer;
and
allowing the aesthetic coating layer to harden to form a hardened aesthetic coating layer,
the aesthetic coating layer being formulated to resemble natural or cut stone when applied to the surface of the lightweight block substrate and allowed to harden and form the hardened aesthetic coating layer.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/198,642Filed 11 Mar 2021 · us provisional application
Priority: 18 Jun 2020
Published: US 2021/0396005 A123 Dec 2021
Granted: 30 Apr 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification26 codes

C04B 41/63
With organic materials: macromolecular compounds
E04B 2/02
Walls, e.g. partitions, for buildings; Wall construction with regard to insulation; Connections specially adapted to walls: built-up from layers…
B28B 19/0053
Machines or methods for applying the material to surfaces to form a permanent layer thereon: to tiles, bricks or the like
C04B 14/04
Granular materials , e.g. microballoons: silica-rich materials; Silicates