Blocks, block systems and methods of making blocks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834902-B2
Application number	US-201615051055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2016
Priority date	Feb 25, 2015
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A block, block system and method of making a wall block. Multiple block embodiments with multiple embodiments of a visually exposed surface having three dimensional shaped areas and three dimensional angular valleys or joints that can be used to construct a patio, wall, fence or the like; the multiple embodiments creating a more random and natural appearance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wall block comprising:
a block body having opposed front and rear faces, opposed parallel top and bottom surfaces, and opposed first and second side walls having a height, the first and second side walls each having a vertically planar first portion adjacent the top surface and a vertically planar second portion adjacent the bottom surface, the first portion of the first side wall and the first portion of the second side wall converging in a direction from the front face toward the rear face along the top surface of the block and the second portion of the first side wall and the second portion of the second side wall being parallel to each other along the bottom surface of the block, the first and second side walls each having a top facing horizontally planar surface extending from the first portion to the second portion of each side wall, each horizontally planar surface having a surface area that widens along the side wall in a direction from the front face toward the rear face, the horizontally planar surface of the first side wall being on the same horizontal plane as the horizontally planar surface of the second side wall,
wherein the top surface has a trapezoidal shape with boundaries formed by the opposed front and rear faces and the opposed and converging first portion of the first and second side walls and the bottom surface has a rectangular shape with boundaries formed by the front and rear faces and the opposed and parallel second portion of the first and second side walls and wherein the trapezoidal shaped top surface has a total surface area that is less than a total surface area of the rectangular shaped bottom surface, wherein the first and second side walls have a break-away groove that extends into the block body below the vertically planar first portion of the first and second side walls and is partially formed by the top facing horizontally planar surface of the first and second side walls.

2. The wall block of claim 1 , wherein the front face has a first undercut portion adjacent the top surface and a second undercut portion adjacent the bottom surface, the first and second undercut portions being separated by a molded surface having an irregular contour which is non-planar horizontally and vertically.

3. The block of claim 2 , wherein the first undercut portion is irregularly contoured along the top surface of the block, the irregular contour having first sections extending outward away from the rear face of the block and second sections extending inwardly towards the rear face of the block.

4. The block of claim 2 , wherein the second undercut portion is irregularly contoured along the bottom surface of the block, the irregular contour having first sections extending outward away from the rear face of the block and second sections extending inwardly towards the rear face of the block.

5. The wall block of claim 1 , wherein the first portions of the first and second side walls have a height, the height of the first portion being equal to or greater than half the height of the side wall and wherein the second portions of the first and second side walls have a height, the height of the second portions being equal to or less than half the height of the side wall.

6. The wall block of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first and second side walls has a third portion adjacent the front face that is vertically planar from the top surface to the bottom surface and is in the same vertical plane as the second portion of the side wall.

7. A wall block system comprising:
a plurality of blocks having a block body with opposed front and rear faces, opposed and parallel top and bottom surfaces, and opposed first and second side walls having a height, the first and second side walls each having a vertically planar first portion adjacent the top surface and a vertically planar second portion adjacent the bottom surface, the first portion of the first side wall and the first portion of the second side wall converging in a direction from the front face toward the rear face along the top surface of the block and the second portion of the first side wall and the second portion of the second side wall being parallel to each other along the bottom surface of the block, the first and second side walls each having a top facing horizontally planar surface extending from the first portion to the second portion of each side wall, each horizontally planar surface having a surface area that widens along the side wall in a direction from the front face toward the rear face, the horizontally planar surface of the first side wall being on the same horizontal plane as the horizontally planar surface of the second side wall, the top surface having a trapezoidal shape with boundaries formed by the opposed front and rear faces and the opposed and converging first portion of the first and second side walls and the bottom surface having a rectangular shape with boundaries formed by the opposed front and rear faces and the opposed and parallel second portion of the first and second side walls, the trapezoidal shaped top surface having a total surface area that is less than a total surface area of the rectangular shaped bottom surface, wherein the first and second side walls have a break-away groove that extends into the block body below the vertically planar first portion of the first and second side walls and is partially formed by the upper horizontally planar surface of the second portion of the first and second side walls.

8. The wall block system of claim 7 , wherein the second portion of the first and second side walls of the plurality of blocks has a lower horizontally planar surface that is located directly below the upper horizontally planar surface and is part of the bottom surface of the block.

9. The wall block system of claim 8 , wherein the upper horizontally planar surface, lower horizontally planar surface and second portion of the side wall form a break-away portion that is detached from at least one of the first and second side walls of at least one of the plurality of blocks.

10. The wall block system of claim 9 , wherein the break-away portion is detached from both of the first and second side walls of at least one of the plurality of blocks.

11. The wall block system of claim 9 , wherein when the blocks are stacked in at least a lower course and an upper course to form a wall, at least some of the blocks are positioned adjacent to a block having at least one detached break-away portion.

12. The wall block system of claim 11 , wherein the uppermost course of blocks that are stacked to form a structure are positioned with the bottom surface facing upward to create a gapless capping course.

13. The wall block system of claim 7 , wherein the first portions of the first and second side walls of the plurality of blocks have a height, the height of the first portion being equal to or greater than half the height of the side wall and wherein the second portions of the first and second side walls have a height, the height of the second portions being equal to or less than half the height of the side wall.

14. The wall block system of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first and second side walls of the plurality of blocks has a third portion adjacent the front face that is vertically planar from the top surface to the bottom surface and is in the same vertical plane as the second portion of the side wall.

15. The block system of claim 7 , wherein the front face of the plurality of blocks has a first undercut portion adjacent the top surface and a second undercut portion adjacent the bottom surface, the first and

Assignees

• Macdonald Robert A
• Riccobene Thomas S
• Keystone Retaining Wall Systems Llc

Inventors

• Macdonald Robert A
• Riccobene Thomas S

Classifications

• E04B2002/0265

  Building elements for making arcuate walls · CPC title

• B28B7/0097

  Press moulds; Press-mould and press-ram assemblies · CPC title

• B28B7/183

  for building blocks or similar block-shaped objects · CPC title

• E04B2/12

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

• E02D29/025 Primary

  made up of similar modular elements stacked without mortar · CPC title