Modular retaining wall block system including wall blocks having replaceable dual purpose facing panels and removable spacing tabs

A wall block to be used for forming a retaining wall including a plurality of vertically superimposed courses, each course including a plurality of laterally juxtaposed wall blocks, said wall block comprising:

• a front member having front and rear surfaces and a top and a bottom, said front surface defining part of a face of a retaining wall incorporating said wall block, a bottom member having upper and lower surfaces and extending generally perpendicularly from the bottom of said rear surface of said front member, and a top member having upper and lower surfaces and extending generally perpendicularly from the top of said rear surface of said front member,
• at least one hook member extending toward said front member below said lower surface of said bottom member, each hook member including a post having a front surface, said post supporting a forwardly extending finger member, a recess defined between said finger member and said lower surface of said bottom member, trailing end portions of said top member being engageable in said recesses for securing the wall blocks in superimposed courses to each other, the distance between said front surface of said post and the front surface of a wall block in an underlying course being such that the front surfaces of superimposed wall blocks are adapted to be vertically aligned to form a generally continuous face on the retaining wall,
• at least one removably attached spacing member carried by said wall block, said at least one spacing member being engageable in a respective recess to shorten the depth of said recess whereby, with said spacing members in place, said front surfaces of overlying wall blocks are adapted to be offset rearwardly from said front surfaces of wall blocks therebelow to form a stepped-back face on the retaining wall.

A wall block system to be used for forming a retaining wall including a plurality of wall blocks, each wall block comprising:

• a wall block frame and separate universal panel elements;
• said wall block frame including a front member having front and rear surfaces and a top and a bottom, and a bottom member having upper and lower surfaces and extending generally perpendicularly from the bottom of said rear surface of said front member, at least one rib extending perpendicularly between said rear surface of said front member and said upper surface of said bottom member, said rib having an upper portion generally coplanar with said top of said front member,
• said panel elements each including a front member having front and rear surfaces and a top and a bottom, and a top member having upper and lower surfaces and extending generally perpendicularly from the top of said rear surface of said front member,
• said front surface of said front member of said panel element defining part of the front face of a retaining wall incorporating said wall block when said panel element is used as a facing panel for said wall block frame with said rear surface of said front member of said panel element juxtaposed to said front surface of said front member of said wall block frame, and said front surface of said front member of said panel element defining part of a top face for the wall blocks in the uppermost course of wall blocks in the retaining wall when said panel element is rotated by 90.degree. and used as a cap unit with said front member of said panel element overlying and resting on said upper portion of said rib and said top member of said panel element extending downwardly in spaced relation to said front member of said wall block frame,
• at least one groove extending from the top toward the bottom of said front member of said wall block frame;
• at least one tongue extending from the rear surface of said front member of said panel element dimensioned to be slidably received in said groove to selectively secure said panel element to said wall block frame with said front member of said panel element overlying the front surface of said front member of said wall block frame and said top member of said panel element overlying the top of said front member of said wall block frame and extending generally parallel to said bottom member of said wall block frame, whereby, when said panel element is used as a facing panel and secured to said wall block frame to form a wall block, said facing panel conceals said wall block frame in a retaining wall formed from a plurality of said wall blocks,
• and a slot defined in said top member of said panel element adapted to overly said rib of a wall block frame in an uppermost course of wall blocks of the retaining wall when said panel element is used as a cap unit.