Bridging lintel with support hangers for an insert and block system for a structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11346559-B2
Application number	US-201916704222-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2019
Priority date	Dec 6, 2018
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

An outdoor structure and structural system including a plurality of structural blocks having opposed top and bottom surfaces, opposed front and rear surfaces and opposed first and second side surfaces, the bottom surfaces of the plurality of structural blocks having a receiving channel extending along the bottom surface from the first side surface towards the second side surface, the receiving channel sized and shaped to receive and retain a hanger. The outdoor structure and structural system also including at least one bridging lintel, the bridging lintel having an upper surface, front and rear sides and first and second sides, the bridging lintel having first and second hangers extending from the upper surface of the bridging lintel, the first hanger extending a distance along the upper surface and a distance outward from the upper surface beyond the first side of the bridging lintel, the second hanger extending a distance along the upper surface and a distance outward from the upper surface beyond the second side of the bridging lintel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An outdoor structural system comprising:
a plurality of structural blocks having opposed top and bottom surfaces, opposed front and rear surfaces and opposed first and second side surfaces, the bottom surfaces of the plurality of structural blocks having a receiving channel extending along the bottom surface from the first side surface towards the second side surface, the receiving channel sized and shaped to receive and retain a hanger, and
at least one bridging lintel, the bridging lintel having an upper surface, front and rear sides and first and second sides, the bridging lintel having first and second hangers extending from the upper surface of the bridging lintel, the first hanger extending a distance along the upper surface and a distance outward from the upper surface beyond the first side of the bridging lintel, the second hanger extending a distance along the upper surface and a distance outward from the upper surface beyond the second side of the bridging lintel.

2. The outdoor structural system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bridging lintel forms an uppermost portion of an insert, the insert being a vent, drain, access panel, door, gate, fireplace or appliance.

3. The outdoor structural system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bridging lintel has a supporting surface extending perpendicular to and upward from the upper surface of the bridging lintel along the rear side from the first side surface to the second side surface of the bridging lintel.

4. The outdoor structural system of claim 1 , wherein the structural blocks are positioned and stacked to form a structure having multiple courses of the structural blocks and wherein the structure includes more than one lower course of structural blocks and at least one upper course of structural blocks, each of the more than one lower courses of structural blocks having a first gap extending a length between first and second structural blocks of each of the more than one lower courses, each first gap of each of the more than one lower course being vertically aligned to form a first insert cavity, the first insert cavity having a height.

5. The outdoor structural system of claim 4 , further comprising a door insert, the door insert including top and bottom frame walls, first and second side frame walls, and a hinged door, the at least one bridging lintel forming the top frame wall of the door insert and wherein the door insert is positioned within the first insert cavity such that the first hanger of the at least one bridging lintel is positioned on the top surface of the first structural block of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses and the second hanger is positioned on the top surface of the second block of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses such that the upper surface of the bridging lintel spans the length of the at least first gap of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses and is substantially flush with the top surfaces of the first and second blocks of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses.

6. The outdoor structural system of claim 4 , further comprising a fireplace insert, the fireplace insert including top and bottom surfaces, first and second sides, and front and rear sides, the front side having an outward opening, the at least one bridging lintel forming a portion of the top surface along the front side of the fireplace insert extending from the first side to the second side of the fireplace insert, and wherein the fireplace insert is positioned within the first insert cavity such that the first hanger of the at least one bridging lintel is positioned on the top surface of the first structural block of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses and the second hanger is positioned on the top surface of the second block of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses such that the upper surface of the at least one bridging lintel spans the length of the gap of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses and is substantially flush with the top surfaces of the first and second blocks of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses.

7. The outdoor structural system of claim 4 , further comprising at least first and second bridging lintels and wherein each of the more than one lower courses of structural blocks has a second gap extending a length between third and fourth structural blocks of each of the more than one lower courses, each second gap of each of the more than one lower course being vertically aligned to form a second insert cavity, the second insert cavity having a height.

8. The outdoor structural system of claim 7 , further comprising a fireplace insert, the fireplace insert including top and bottom surfaces, first and second sides, and front and rear sides, the front and rear side each having an outward opening, the first bridging lintel forming a portion of the top surface along the front side of the fireplace insert extending from the first side to the second side of the fireplace insert, the second bridging lintel forming a portion of the top surface along the rear side of the fireplace insert extending from the first side to the second side of the fireplace insert and wherein the fireplace insert is positioned within the first and second insert cavities such that the first hanger of the first bridging lintel is positioned on the top surface of the first structural block of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses and the second hanger is positioned on the top surface of the second block of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses such that the upper surface of the bridging lintel spans the length of the first gap of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses and the first hanger of the second bridging lintel is positioned on the top surface of the third structural block of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses and the second hanger is positioned on the top surface of the fourth block of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses such that the upper surface of the second bridging lintel spans the length of the second gap of the uppermost course of the more than one lower courses.

9. The outdoor structural system of claim 7 , wherein the first bridging lintel forms an uppermost portion of a first insert, the first insert being a vent, drain, access panel, door, gate, fireplace or appliance, the insert being positioned in the first insert cavity and wherein the second bridging lintel forms an uppermost portion of a second insert, the second insert being a vent, drain, access panel, door, gate, fireplace or appliance, the insert being positioned in the second insert cavity.

10. An outdoor structure constructed with multiple courses of structural blocks, the outdoor structure comprising:
a plurality of structural blocks having opposed top and bottom surfaces, opposed front and rear surfaces and opposed first and second side surfaces, the bottom surfaces of the plurality of structural blocks having a receiving channel extending along the bottom surface from the first side surface towards the second side surface, the receiving channel sized and shaped to receive and retain a hanger, the plurality of structural blocks including at least one lower course of structural blocks and at least one upper course of structural blocks, the at least one lower course of structural blocks having at least a first gap extending a length between a first and second structural block of the at least one lower course,
at least one bridging lintel, the bridging lintel having an upper surface, front and rear sides and first and second sides, the bridging lintel havin

Assignees

• Keystone Retaining Wall Systems Llc

Inventors

• Karau William H
• Magnuson Richard Kenneth

Classifications

• F24B1/1806

  Mounting of closed stoves in a fireplace · CPC title

• E04B2/16

  using elements having specially-designed means for stabilising the position · CPC title

• F24B1/181 Primary

  Free-standing fireplaces, e.g. for mobile homes {; Fireplaces convertible into stoves} · CPC title

• F24B1/195

  Fireboxes; Frames; Hoods; Heat reflectors · CPC title

• F24B1/28

  Combined installations of stoves or ranges, e.g. back-to-back stoves with a common fire-box · CPC title