US 5,899,040 A · Flexible interlocking wall system

Abstract

A masonry wall system is disclosed incorporating a plurality of courses of masonry blocks, each block consisting of interlocking dovetails along with vertical and horizontal mating surfaces. The main block, has two stabilizing holes running at a vertical axis through the center. Steel reinforcement rods or square tubes are loosely inserted into these stabilizing holes at predetermined intervals. Comer blocks are employed to connect the walls at right angles and are a! so used in conjunction with short blocks to staggered the vertical joints from course to course. The predetermined tolerances between the masonry components and the loosely placed rods or tubes permit the wall to have a fluid property. Forces such as settling, hydrostatic pressure and seismic disturbances are then automatically absorbed and systematically distributed across the entire wall. When all of the masonry components reach the end of their tolerance, the wall locks up as a solid interconnected mass. The force is then passed on to the stabilizing rods or tubes which now act to stabilize the wall against further movement.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An interlocking, mortarless wall system having at least one major surface, each forming a wall face, said system, comprising:

(a) a plurality of main blocks, each main block comprising
(i) at least one stabilizing hole, said stabilizing hole positioned to be vertically collinear with stabilizing holes in other blocks when positioned with respect to each other in an interlocking configuration to form a wall face,
(ii) dovetail structure on an upper surface of said main block,
(iii) a slot in a bottom surface of said main block configured fit said dovetail structure, and permitting said dovetail structure to slide in a direction perpendicular to said wall face within said slot to a predetermined extent when said main block is in an interlocked configuration with vertically adjacent main blocks;
and,
(b) a plurality of reinforcing structures placed in said stabilization holes through a plurality of said main blocks, each said reinforcing structure is being sized to permit movement of said main blocks in a horizontal plane for said predetermined extent, whereby horizontal movement to said predetermined extent transfers stress to adjacent blocks causing block movement of adjacent blocks.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Flexible interlocking wall system

Life of this patent

Flexible interlocking wall system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14