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US 5,699,640 AGranted
Foam building block
AssigneeSoutheast Walls, Inc.
InventorsKenneth W. Bourgeois, Thomas R. Morris, Joseph R. Morris, John F. Morris
Life of this patent
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AssigneeSoutheast Walls, Inc.
InventorsKenneth W. Bourgeois, Thomas R. Morris, Joseph R. Morris, John F. Morris
Estimating the term…
Stackable and connectable foam building blocks include pairs of parallel side walls and opposite end walls extending between ends of side walls and multiple transverse members extending between the side walls at regular intervals. Each end wall has a U-shaped cutout section at its top to allow concrete flow between cavities of adjacent blocks and for supporting rebars. The upper edge of the end wall defining the lower part of the U-shaped section gradually increases from the outer surface to the inner surface of the end wall to form a downward and inward sloping surface for the lower part of the U-shaped section. Each transverse member includes a pair of structures substantially identical to the end walls. The two structures are positioned back-to-back, such that each cutout surface slopes inward and downward from the middle of the transverse member towards the adjacent cavity and a ridge is formed where the two sloping surfaces meet. The inner surfaces of the side walls, transverse members and end walls defining the cavities have a substantially vertical upper portion, an inward and downward sloping intermediate portion and an outward and downward sloping bottom portion. The inner surfaces of the side walls are curved where the side walls meet the transverse members and the end walls, giving the cavities a generally octagonal shape. Stacking members on upper and lower edges of the side walls, and connectors on outer surfaces of end walls connect blocks in a horizontal rows.
A building block apparatus comprising a pair of generally parallel side walls, the side walls having upper edges, lower edges, outer surfaces and inner surfaces, a pair of end walls extending between ends of the side walls, the end walls having top edges, bottom edges, interior surfaces and exterior surfaces, multiple transverse members connected to and extending between the inner surfaces of the side walls, wherein the transverse members have tops, bottoms and a pair of cavity-defining sides, stacking elements positioned along the upper edges and the lower edges of the side walls and along the top edges and the bottom edges of the end walls, and connectors positioned on the end walls, wherein the transverse members are spaced between the side walls, thereby dividing the block into multiple cavities, wherein the transverse members are generally parallel to the end walls and are generally perpendicular to the side walls, wherein the transverse members further comprise main body portions, pairs of arms extending from the main body portions and U-shaped cutout portions defined by the arms, with outer edges of the main body portions and the arms joining the inner surfaces of the side walls of the block, and wherein the end walls further comprise main parts, pairs of standing members extending from the main parts and generally U-shaped open regions defined by the standing members, wherein the pairs of arms are generally vertical and wherein the side surfaces of the main body portions have inwardly sloping upper regions and outwardly sloping lower regions.
A building block apparatus comprising a pair of generally parallel side walls, the side walls having upper edges, lower edges, outer surfaces and inner surfaces, a pair of end walls extending between ends of the side walls, the end walls having top edges, bottom edges, interior surfaces and exterior surfaces, multiple transverse members connected to and extending between the inner surfaces of the side walls, wherein the transverse members have tops, bottoms and a pair of cavity-defining sides, stacking elements positioned along the upper edges and the lower edges of the side walls and along the top edges and the bottom edges of the end walls, and connectors positioned on the end walls, wherein the transverse members are spaced between the side walls, thereby dividing the block into multiple cavities, wherein the transverse members are generally parallel to the end walls and are generally perpendicular to the side walls, wherein the transverse members further comprise main body portions, pairs of arms extending from the main body portions and U-shaped cutout portions defined by the arms, with outer edges of the main body portions and the arms joining the inner surfaces of the side walls of the block, and wherein the end walls further comprise main parts, pairs of standing members extending from the main parts and generally U-shaped open regions defined by the standing members, wherein the transverse members further comprise central longitudinal slits extending through the arm portions of the transverse members, wherein the slits are aligned opposite adjacent vertical grooves in the outer surfaces of the side walls.
A building block apparatus comprising a pair of generally parallel side walls, the side walls having upper edges, lower edges, outer surfaces and inner surfaces, a pair of end walls extending between ends of the side walls, the end walls having top edges, bottom edges, interior surfaces and exterior surfaces, multiple transverse members connected to and extending between the inner surfaces of the side walls, wherein the transverse members have tops, bottoms and a pair of cavity-defining sides, stacking elements positioned along the upper edges and the lower edges of the side walls and along the top edges and the bottom edges of the end walls, and connectors positioned on the end walls, wherein the transverse members are spaced between the side walls, thereby dividing the block into multiple cavities, wherein the transverse members are generally parallel to the end walls and are generally perpendicular to the side walls, wherein the transverse members further comprise main body portions, pairs of arms extending from the main body portions and U-shaped cutout portions defined by the arms, with outer edges of the main body portions and the arms joining the inner surfaces of the side walls of the block, and wherein the end walls further comprise main parts, pairs of standing members extending from the main parts and generally U-shaped open regions defined by the standing members, wherein the inner surfaces of the side walls have generally vertical upper regions, inwardly sloping intermediate regions and outwardly sloping lower regions.
A building block apparatus comprising a first side wall having first and second ends, a second side wall having first and second ends, spaced from the first side wall and positioned generally parallel to the first side wall, a first end wall positioned between and integral with the first ends of the side walls, a second end wall positioned between and integral with the second ends of the side walls, wherein the end walls are generally perpendicular to the side walls and generally parallel to each other, multiple transverse members extending between and connected to the side walls, wherein the transverse members are generally perpendicular to the side walls and generally parallel to the end walls and spaced from each other and from the end walls, thereby defining cavities, connectors positioned on outer sides of the end walls for connecting the block to adjacent blocks in a horizontal row, stackable elements positioned on upper and lower surfaces of at least the side walls for securely stacking adjacent blocks, wherein inner surfaces of the side walls, end walls and transverse members defining each cavity further comprise substantially vertical upper regions, inward and downward sloping intermediate regions and outward and downward sloping lower regions, and wherein the transverse members and end walls have generally U-shaped cutout regions.
A building barrier structure comprising laterally and vertically locking hollow foam blocks, the blocks further comprising plural vertical, generally octagonal cavities having downward and inward then downward and outward sloping walls and inward and downward then outward and downward sloping transitional corner sections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.