US 4,565,043 AGranted

Building block with reinforcement and/or positioning lugs and recesses

OwnerJoseph A. Mazzareseinventor

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Abstract

A building block, of generally the same overall shape as a concrete or cinder block, is provided and includes upper and lower recesses and projections which interlock the blocks in tiers of blocks for compact storage and shipment and which enable the blocks of adjacent courses of blocks to be interlocked with each other during construction of a wall. In addition, the blocks include reinforcing members embedded therein for transferring vertical loads through vertically stacked courses of blocks and some forms of reinforcing enable cementitious material poured into the cavities of the block to be reinforced. One form of reinforcing is tubular and includes bell and spigot ends which may be sealingly engaged with each other and used to allow heating or cooling fluids to flow through the blocks.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A plurality of building blocks for compact interfitted stacking in vertically aligned relation during storage and transport and also for interfitted engagement between adjacent courses of blocks when forming a wall incorporating lengthwise staggered adjacent courses of blocks, each of said blocks including rectangular top and bottom parallel faces, parallel front and rear side surfaces and opposite end surfaces, said bottom and top faces including coacting outwardly projecting and opening projections and recesses, respectively, said top face recesses in each of said blocks including a single central recess opening upwardly through the longitudinal mid-portion of the longitudinal edge of the block top face adjoining one side surface of said block and also opening horizontally outwardly of the longitudinally mid-portion of the upper marginal edge of said one side surface and a single pair of end recesses opening upwardly through the terminal end portions of the longitudinal edge of said top face adjoining the other side surface of said block and also opening horizontally outwardly of the adjacent terminal ends of the upper edges of the corresponding side and end surfaces of said blocks, said bottom face projections, on each block, including a single central projection projecting downwardly from the longitudinal mid-portion of the longitudinal edge of the bottom face adjoining said one side surface of said block and a single pair of end projections projecting downwardly from the terminal end portions of the longitudinal edge of said bottom face adjoining the other side surface of said block, said recesses and projections of said blocks being positioned for interfitting engagement with the projections and recesses of vertical adjacent blocks when said blocks are vertically stacked in substantially full vertically registered positions and said front surfaces of said blocks face in the same direction and also for interfitting engagement with the projections and recesses of adjacent blocks when said blocks are disposed in a horizontal course of blocks vertically sandwiched between stacked courses of similar end aligned blocks and adjacent courses of blocks are lengthwise staggered relative to each other and the front surfaces of the blocks of adjacent courses face in opposite directions.

A plurality of building blocks for compact interfitted stacking during storage and transport and also for interfitted engagement when erected in a wall construction with the blocks of vertically adjacent courses of blocks staggered lengthwise relative to each other, said blocks being substantially parallelopiped in shape and including generally horizontal top and bottom faces, parallel opposite side surfaces and end surfaces extending between corresponding ends of said faces and side surfaces, said blocks each including a single pair, only, of opposite end first corner recesses formed therein opening outwardly through one of said faces at the corner junctures thereof with the corresponding end surfaces and one of said side surfaces and also opening outwardly through said one side and end surfaces, said blocks each also including a single pair, only, of first corner projections projecting outwardly from the corner portions of said other face corresponding to said corner portions of said one face and snugly receivable in recesses corresponding to the first mentioned recesses formed in an adjacent block with which the first mentioned block is vertically superposed, the longitudinal midportion of one longitudinal margin of each of said one faces including a single second recess formed therein opening outwardly through said one face and the other of said side surfaces, the longitudinal midportion of said other face of each block including a single projection projecting outwardly therefrom adjacent said other side surfaces, said second projections being receivable in said second recess formed in an adjacent superposed block, said second recess and projection extending longitudinally of each block an extent equal to at least twice the longitudinal extent of said first projections and recesses longitudinally of said blocks, whereby opposing first projections at adjacent ends of a pair of aligned blocks staggered relative to a lower block disposed therebeneath may be received in the second recess of said lower block and said second projection of each upper block may be received in opposing corner recesses of a pair of end aligned lower blocks.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.