Modular concrete building block and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11326343-B2
Application number	US-202016919732-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2020
Priority date	Jul 2, 2020
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A concrete block includes first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth planar faces. The first and second faces are generally parallel, and the distance between the first and second faces define a thickness of the first block; the third and fourth faces are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first and second faces; the fifth face is perpendicular to the first, second, third, and fourth faces; the sixth face: extends perpendicular to the third face; extends toward the fourth face and ends at a non-planar remainder section; is parallel to the fifth face; is contained in a plane that intersects a plane containing the third face; and a distance from the intersection to the remainder section is at least as long as the thickness of the first block; and the remainder section extends between the sixth face and the fourth face and has a shape such that when a second block of the same construction as the first block has its remainder section engaged against the remainder section of first block, the remainder sections of the first and second blocks mate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A first block comprising first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth planar faces, wherein;
(a) the first and second faces are generally parallel, and the distance between the first and second faces defines the thickness of the first block;
(b) the third and fourth faces are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first and second faces;
(c) the fifth face is perpendicular to the first, second, third, and fourth faces;
(d) the sixth face:
(i) extends perpendicular to the third face;
(ii) extends toward the fourth face and ends at a non-planar remainder section;
(iii) is parallel to the fifth face; and
(iv) is contained in a plane that intersects a plane containing the third face; a distance from the intersection to the remainder section being at least as long as the thickness of the first block; and

(e) the remainder section extends between the sixth face and the fourth face and has a shape such that when a second block of the same construction as the first block has its remainder section engaged against the remainder section of first block, the remainder sections of the first and second blocks mate.

2. The first block of claim 1 wherein the remainder section includes a plurality of planar faces angled relative to each other at non-straight and non-zero angles.

3. The first block of claim 2 wherein the plurality of planar faces of the remainder section includes at least three planar faces.

4. The first block of claim 2 wherein the plurality of planar faces of the remainder section includes at least five planar faces.

5. The first block of claim 1 wherein the remainder section includes a curved surface.

6. The first block of claim 5 wherein the curved surface includes at least one convexly curved surface and at least one concavely curved surface.

7. The first block of claim 1 wherein at least the first face has false joint lines thereon.

8. The first block of claim 7 wherein the third and fourth faces have false joint lines thereon.

9. The first block of claim 1 wherein the length from the third face to the remainder section is equal to the thickness of the first block.

10. The first block of claim 1 wherein the length from the third face to the remainder section is greater than the thickness of the first block.

11. A free-standing wall comprising a plurality of the first blocks according to claim 1 ; the wall comprising:
a first wall section including a base layer of the first blocks arranged side by side such that the first faces of the blocks are generally co-planar, the fifth face is against a base surface, and the sixth face and remainder section are facing up; and
a first layer of second blocks, having the same construction as the first blocks, stacked on the base layer so that the sixth face of most of the second blocks is engaged against the sixth face of the first blocks in the base layer, and the remainder section of most of the second blocks is in mating engagement with the remainder section of the first blocks in the base layer.

12. The free-standing wall of claim 11 further including:
a second wall section perpendicular to the first wall section; the second wall section having a base layer of the first blocks arranged side by side such that the first faces of the blocks in the second wall section are generally co-planar with each other and perpendicular to a plane containing the first faces of the first wall section;
the second wall section having a first layer of the second blocks stacked on the second wall section base layer so that the sixth face of most of the second blocks in the second wall section is engaged against the sixth face of the first blocks in the base layer of the second wall section, and the remainder section of most of the second blocks in the second wall section is in mating engagement with the remainder section of the first blocks in the base layer in the second wall section; and
wherein the sixth face of one of the second blocks at a first end of the second wall section first layer is engaged against the sixth face of one of the first blocks at a first end of the first wall section base layer.

13. The free-standing wall of claim 12 further including:
a third wall section perpendicular to the first wall section; the third wall section having a base layer of the blocks arranged side by side such that the first faces of the blocks in the third wall section are generally co-planar with each other and perpendicular to a plane containing the first faces of the first wall section;
the third wall section having a first layer of the blocks stacked on the third wall section base layer so that the sixth face of each of the blocks in the third wall section first layer is engaged against the sixth face of the blocks in the third wall section base layer, and the remainder section of the third wall section first layer of blocks is in mating engagement with the remainder section of the third wall section base layer of blocks; and
wherein the sixth face of one of the first blocks at a first end of the third wall section base layer is engaged against the sixth face of one of the second blocks at a second end of the first wall section first layer.

14. A first body piece comprising:
(a) planar first and second faces that are parallel, the distance between those faces defining the thickness of the first body piece;
(b) third and fourth planar side faces that are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first and second faces;
(c) opposite fifth and sixth surfaces, with the first and second faces and third and fourth faces extending between the fifth and sixth surfaces; each of the fifth and sixth surfaces having an identical profile shape including: a planar section and a non-planar remainder section;
(i) the planar section extending from one of the third and fourth side faces and extending perpendicular to that side face toward the other side face ending at the remainder section;
(ii) the planar section having a length at least as long as the thickness of the first body piece;
(iii) the remainder section extending between the planar section and the other side face; the remainder section being formed such that when a second body piece of the same construction has its remainder section engaged against the remainder section of the first body piece, the remainder sections of the first and second body pieces mate.

15. The body piece of claim 14 wherein the remainder section includes a plurality of planar faces angled relative to each other at non-straight and non-zero angles.

16. The body piece of claim 15 wherein the plurality of planar faces of the remainder section includes at least three planar faces.

17. The body piece of claim 14 wherein at least the first and second faces have false joint lines thereon.

18. The body piece of claim 14 wherein the planar section length is equal to the thickness of the first body piece.

19. A free-standing wall comprising:
a first wall section including a base layer of first blocks according to claim 1 , arranged side by side such that the first faces of the first blocks are generally co-planar;
a first layer of body pieces, wherein each body piece comprises,
(a) planar first and second faces that are parallel, the distance between those faces defining the thickness of the first body piece;
(b) third and fourth planar side faces that are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first and second faces;
(c) opposite fifth and sixth surfaces, with the first and second faces and third and fourth fac

Assignees

• Anchor Wall Syst

Inventors

• Burnquist Robert Brian
• Schlueter Jonathan M

Classifications

• E04B2103/02

  of ceramics, concrete or other stone-like material · CPC title

• E04B2/08 Primary

  by interlocking of projections or inserts with indentations, e.g. of tongues, grooves, dovetails · CPC title

• E04B2002/023

  with rabbets, e.g. stepped · CPC title

• E04B2002/0271

  Building elements with the appearance of rock layers · CPC title

• E04B2/36 Primary

  using elements having a general shape differing from that of a parallelepiped · CPC title