Composite masonry block

A composite masonry block suitable for use in the construction of substantially vertical mortarless retaining walls comprising:

• (a) a block body having generally planar, generally parallel, spaced top and bottom surfaces, a pair of spaced side surfaces, each side surface intersecting the top and bottom surfaces, and front and rear surfaces at opposite ends of the block body;
• and
• (b) means for interlocking and automatically setting back successive courses of said block comprising a rearwardly-facing bevelled surface extending the width of the block and intersecting the top and rear surfaces of the block body at angles of less than 90 degrees and a flange extending the width of the block body and also extending downwardly from the rear and bottom surfaces of the block body and including a forwardly-facing locking surface extending the width of the block body and intersecting the bottom surface of the block body, said locking surface being substantially parallel to said bevelled surface, wherein the horizontally-measured thickness of the flange in the plane of the bottom surface is greater than the predetermined set back distance, thus providing for minimal setbacks, and resulting substantially vertical walls, while at the same time providing strength in the flange so that it may withstand the loading on the wall, as well as resist damage during packing, shipping, handling and installation;
• and wherein
• (c) the line of intersection of the bevelled surface with the top surface of the block body is displaced rearwardly on the block body with respect to the line of intersection of the locking surface with the bottom surface of the block body,
• whereby a second course of blocks made according to this invention, when placed upon a first course of such blocks so that the locking surfaces of the blocks of the second course seat upon the bevelled surfaces of the blocks of the first course, will be automatically set back from the first course by a predetermined distance, and will be interlocked with the first course of blocks so as to resist the loading on the rear surfaces of the wall caused by earth and water retained therebehind.