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US 2010/0303555 A1Published application
Concrete block for wall, walls having such blocks, and methods
OwnerAllan John Herse, Joseph P. Powersinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A concrete retaining wall block includes insets along the sides and in the rear and a locator protrusion on one of the top or bottom surfaces. The block has a depth that is less than the height and less than one-half of the width of the front surface. A volume is defined behind the front surface of the block. The volume is shaped to receive pourable concrete when a plurality of the blocks are stacked to form a wall in a manner that locks the blocks to concrete behind the blocks when the concrete cures. In preferred embodiments, the concrete is no-fines concrete. Retaining walls may be constructed from these blocks.
Claims20
A block comprising:
- a front surface, a back surface, a top surface and bottom surface, and first and second sides;
- the first side having a first inset, the first inset extending from the block top surface to the block bottom surface;
- the second side having a second inset, the second inset extending from the block top surface to said block bottom surface;
- a locator protrusion on one of the top or bottom surfaces, the locator protrusion being configured to mate with an inset of one or more adjacently positioned blocks;
- the locator protrusion and the first and second insets having relative sizes and shapes adapted to permit relative rotation of the locator protrusion and the respective inset with which the locator protrusion is mated to enable a construction of serpentine walls from a plurality of the blocks;
- a height between the top surface and bottom surface;
- a depth between the front surface and back surface;
- the depth being less than the height and less than one-half of the width of the front surface;
- a volume defined behind the front surface;
- the volume being shaped to receive pourable concrete when a plurality of the blocks are stacked to form a wall in a manner that locks the blocks to concrete behind the blocks when the concrete cures.
7 more elements
A retaining wall block comprising:
- a front surface;
- a back surface;
- a top surface having at least a contact portion thereof that is generally horizontal and generally planar, when the block is oriented in a position with the top surface facing up;
- a bottom surface having at least a contact portion thereof that is generally horizontal and generally planar and that is configured and adapted to rest upon the contact portion of the top surface of a like block when a plurality of like blocks are stacked in ascending courses;
- a first side;
- a second side;
- the block having a first inset in the first side and a second inset in the second side, each of the first and second insets having inset walls, the inset walls including a front wall, a back wall, and an interconnecting wall connecting the front and back walls, the front wall and back wall each extending inwardly towards the opposite side;
- a height between the top surface and bottom surface;
- a depth between the front surface and back surface;
- the depth being less than the height and less than one-half of the width of the front surface;
- one or more locator protrusions integrally formed on one of the top or bottom surface;
- said front, back, and interconnecting walls each extending from the generally horizontal and generally planar contact portion of the surface opposite the surface on which the one or more locator protrusions are formed,
- wherein each locator protrusion is constructed and arranged to interact with at least one of the inset walls of an inset on a block in an adjacent course of blocks when a plurality of like blocks are stacked in ascending courses to form a retaining wall so that the insets and locator protrusions of adjacent blocks in adjacent courses contact each other in a shear-resisting position in which interference between the locator protrusions and inset walls resist a tendency of a block in the upper course to slide forward in response to anticipated forces exerted on the block by retained earth;
- the locator protrusions and insets are sized and shaped to permit relative rotation of the insets and locator protrusions to facilitate construction of serpentine walls while maintaining the shear-resisting position,
- a volume defined behind the front surface;
- the volume being shaped to receive pourable concrete when a plurality of the blocks are stacked to form a wall in a manner that locks the blocks to concrete behind the blocks when the concrete cures.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.