# US 9,932,737 B1 · Prefabricated masonry lintels > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,932,737 B1 - Document ID: US9932737B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/188,906 - Filed: 2016-06-21 - Granted: 2018-04-03 - Earliest claimed: 2010-10-15 - Assignees: Constructive, L.L.C. - Applicants: Constructive, L.L.C. - Inventors: Dave Muirhead; Jim Gendron - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9932737B1 ## CPC - E04C 3/22: built-up by elements jointed in line - E04B 2/20: by filling material with or without reinforcements in small channels in, or in grooves between, the elements - E04B 2/24: the walls being characterised by fillings in some of the cavities forming load-bearing pillars or beams - E04C 2/041: {composed of a number of smaller elements, e.g. bricks, also combined with a slab of hardenable material} - E04C 5/07: Reinforcing elements of material other than metal, e.g. of glass, of plastics, or not exclusively made of metal (metal elements with non-structural coatings E04C5/01) - E04G 21/147: {specific for prefabricated masonry wall elements} - E04G 21/1841: {Means for positioning building parts or elements (strutting means for wall parts E04G21/26)} - E04C 2002/002: {Panels with integrated lifting means, e.g. with hoisting lugs} - E04C 2003/023: {Lintels} - E04C: STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS (for bridges E01D; specially designed for insulation or other protection E04B; elements used as building aids E04G; for mining E21; for tunnels E21D; structural elements with broader range of application than for building engineering F16, particularly F16S) - E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001}) - E04G: SCAFFOLDING; FORMS; SHUTTERING; BUILDING IMPLEMENTS OR AIDS, OR THEIR USE; HANDLING BUILDING MATERIALS ON THE SITE; REPAIRING, BREAKING-UP OR OTHER WORK ON EXISTING BUILDINGS ## Abstract A hollow prefabricated masonry lintel made at a fabrication site and configured for transportation to a build site has a base row formed of U-shaped blocks laid end to end with adjacent ends adhered with mortar. A hollow horizontal cavity along a length of the base row is formed of each recess of the U-shaped blocks. A slit is formed in a top surface of each of the two side walls of the U-shaped blocks along the length of the base row, the slit having a width no larger than 20% of a width of the top surface. Provisional reinforcement is fully embedded within the slit with a bonding material, with a size of the slit and the provisional reinforcement providing tensile strength during transportation of the prefabricated masonry lintel from the fabrication site to the build site with the hollow horizontal cavity having no grout and no code-required reinforcement. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hollow prefabricated masonry lintel made at a fabrication site and configured for transportation to a build site comprising: a base row comprising: U-shaped blocks, each U-shaped block having a length extending between two ends, two side walls defining a width of each U-shaped block, and a U-shaped surface extending along the entire length between the two ends and symmetrically spanning a portion of the width, the U-shaped surface being a continuous solid surface, with no through-holes in the continuous solid surface, and having a bottommost point below a midpoint of a height of the sides wall to define a recess defined by the U-shaped surface, wherein the U-shaped blocks are laid end to end with adjacent ends adhered with mortar to form a continuous hollow horizontal cavity along a length of the base row formed of each recess of the U-shaped blocks; a slit formed in a top surface of each of the two side walls of the U-shaped blocks and extending continuously along at least a majority of the length of the base row, the slit having a width no larger than 20% of a width of the top surface; and provisional reinforcement fully embedded within the slit with a bonding material different from the mortar, such that the provisional reinforcement is flush with or below the top surface, a size of the slit and the provisional reinforcement configured to provide tensile strength during transportation of the hollow prefabricated masonry lintel from the fabrication site to the build site, the hollow prefabricated masonry lintel configured to be transported with the hollow horizontal cavity free of grout and reinforcement. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The prefabricated masonry lintel of claim 1, wherein the provisional reinforcement is fiber reinforced polymer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The prefabricated masonry lintel of claim 2, wherein the fiber reinforced polymer has the following properties: ffu=700,000 psi tensile strength; ϵfu=0.019 rupture strain; ϵf=0.016 design strain (85% of rupture); Ef=36,000,000 psi elastic modulus. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The prefabricated masonry lintel of claim 1, wherein the provisional reinforcement has a tensile strength of greater than 500,000 psi. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The prefabricated masonry lintel of claim 1, wherein each slit has a depth that is greater than the width. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The prefabricated masonry lintel of claim 5, wherein the depth of each slit is no greater than one-half inch. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The prefabricated masonry lintel of claim 1, wherein each side wall has a width of not less than 1¼ inches and each slit has the width of 3/16 inch. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The prefabricated masonry lintel of claim 1, wherein each slit is no larger than ¼ inch regardless of the width of each first top surface and each second top surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The prefabricated masonry lintel of claim 1, wherein the bonding material for the provisional reinforcement is an epoxy resin. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The prefabricated masonry lintel of claim 1, further comprising: additional provisional reinforcement laid along at least a portion of a length of the base row along a bottom of the hollow horizontal cavity and held in place with additional bonding material, an upper surface of the additional bonding material being at a height below the midpoint of the height of the side wall to provide sufficient hollow space to receive reinforcement in the continuous hollow horizontal cavity at the build site. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The prefabricated masonry lintel of claim 1, further comprising: additional slits formed along a length of the base row in a bottom surface of the hollow horizontal cavity; and additional provisional reinforcement embedded in each additional slit and held in place with additional bonding material, such that the provisional reinforcement is flush with or below the U-shaped surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method of installing the hollow prefabricated masonry lintel of claim 1 comprising: transporting the hollow prefabricated masonry lintel from the fabrication site to the build site with the hollow horizontal cavity having no grout; placing the hollow prefabricated masonry lintel over an opening in a wall structure; and incorporating the hollow prefabricated masonry lintel into the wall structure by adding reinforcement and grout into the hollow horizontal cavity. ### Claim 13 A method of making a prefabricated masonry lintel that is transported to a build site from a fabrication site, the method comprising: forming a base row from U-shaped blocks, each U-shaped block having a length extending between two ends, two side walls defining a width of each U-shaped block, and a U-shaped surface extending along the entire length between the two ends and symmetrically spanning a portion of the width, the U-shaped surface being a continuous solid surface, with no through-holes in the continuous solid surface, and having a bottommost point below a midpoint of a height of the side walls to define a recess defined by the U-shaped surface, wherein the U-shaped blocks are laid end to end with adjacent ends adhered with mortar to form a hollow horizontal cavity along a length of the base row; forming a continuous slit in a top surface of each of the two side walls of the U-shaped blocks of the base row along at least a majority of the length of the base row, each slit having a width no larger than 20% of a width of the top surface; and embedding provisional reinforcement within each slit with a bonding material different from the mortar, such that the provisional reinforcement is flush with or below the top surface, a size of each slit and the provisional reinforcement in the base row configured to provide tensile strength during transportation of the prefabricated masonry lintel from the fabrication site to the build site with the prefabricated masonry lintel transported with the hollow horizontal cavity having no grout and no reinforcement. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the provisional reinforcement in each slit is fiber reinforced polymer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the fiber reinforced polymer has the following properties: ffu=700,000 psi tensile strength; ϵfu=0.019 rupture strain; ϵf=0.016 design strain (85% of rupture); Ef=36,000,000 psi elastic modulus. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein each slit has a depth greater than the width. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the depth of each slit is one-half inch. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the width of each slit is 3/16 inch and a width of each side wall is at least 1¼ inches. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein each slit is formed along the entire length of the base row and the provisional reinforcement is placed along an entire length of each slit.