Abstract:
A composite masonry block and wall system for skirting elevated structures. The block is shaped to be stacked in vertically independent columns, held in place by specially shaped, lightweight beams placed between adjacent columns, and also by synthetic U-shaped lateral supports which open downwardly and are attached to the bottom of the elevated structure.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Mobile homes, trailer homes, and modular homes are residential structures that are not built on a foundation. As a result, in order to prevent shifting and sinking of these structures, and moreover to ensure the structure is level regardless of the ground&#39;s topography, they are placed on stilts or supports that protrude from the ground and elevate the structure thereabove. This causes a visible gap in some areas between the ground and the bottom of the structure. The present invention relates to a decorative and structural composite masonry block designed for the purpose of skirting these structures and covering any such gaps. 
     Mobile home skirting efforts, until now, have resulted in a variety of products which are either prohibitively expensive, or unattractive and unable to withstand sustained exposure to nature&#39;s elements. Attempts that fall into the latter category include such easily breakable products as wooden cross-hatching and plastic or foam panels that imitate a stone or brick wall. Solutions that tend to be prohibitively expensive or difficult to install include large, custom-made, cement slabs having a decorative face, and the use of standard cinder blocks and mortar to build a wall around the bottom of the structure. 
     There is a need for a sturdy, inexpensive alternative for skirting a mobile home which is easy to install. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a composite masonry block and wall system to be used to skirt elevated structures. The block is shaped to be stacked in vertically independent columns, held in place by specially shaped, lightweight, synthetic beams placed between adjacent columns, and also by synthetic U-shaped lateral supports which open downwardly and are attached to the bottom of the elevated structure. 
     The blocks comprise a split front face, a rear face, top and bottom surfaces, and side surfaces. The side surfaces comprise grooves for receiving supporting portions of the synthetic beams. The top and bottom surfaces are preferably shaped so that when an upper block is stacked on a lower block, the lower surface of the upper block sits on the upper surface of the lower block and the two blocks are relatively coplanar and vertical. This configuration is most easily accomplished using blocks having flat top surfaces and flat bottom surfaces that are relatively perpendicular to the front and rear faces. It would also be possible to accomplish this vertical block-to-block relationship using top and bottom surfaces comprised of complementary angles and/or curves. 
     The synthetic beams are preferably a weather resistant metal or plastic, nylon or other synthetic, durable, inexpensive material, such as poly-vinyl chloride (PVC). The purpose of the beams is to keep the independent vertical columns from buckling when subjected to a force normal to the plane of the wall. The rigidity of the blocks provides enough support to prevent failure in other directions. This purpose may be accomplished using relatively thin beams having lateral extensions for being received by the grooves in the sides of the blocks. 
     Preferably, these beams provide little to no support in a vertical direction. They merely maintain the blocks in independent vertical columns. The columns are considered independent because, unlike conventional brick or stone walls, one horizontal course of blocks is aligned with the adjacent upper and lower courses so that the blocks in each course are in line with the blocks above and below them, as opposed to being laterally offset. This results in the formation of vertical columns of blocks that can move up and down, due to forces exerted by the ever-shifting earth, without upsetting, or otherwise exerting forces on, adjacent columns of blocks. 
     The resulting wall of this system is surprisingly strong. It may even be used to provide support to the elevated structure. Once installed the elevated structure may be lowered onto the blocks. Alternatively, the blocks may merely serve as a skirt which improves the aesthetics of the structure and keeps unwanted birds and animals from nesting or otherwise residing under the structure. In this embodiment, it is not necessary that the blocks make actual contact with the structure. 
     The use of the lateral support beams also obviates the need for mortar between the blocks. This mortarless system is advantageous over traditional brick and mortar walls for obvious reasons. First, fewer materials are required to build a wall. Second, a wall can be easily constructed by one person at that person&#39;s leisure. There are no time constraints imposed by drying mortar. Third, the wall can be constructed regardless of weather conditions. Also, the loose block system can be constructed on any surface, including sand, gravel, dirt or concrete. It is not necessary to pour a foundation. 
     The lateral support beams also allow the use of relatively thin blocks. These thin, wafer-like blocks are relatively light-weight, resulting in ease of handling and shipping, and a reduction in material costs. The blocks are preferably between 1 and 4 inches thick, more preferably on the order of 2½ inches thick. As they are generally between 6 and 12 inches in height, it would be difficult to use such a tall thin block to create a brick wall using mortar. The tall, thin blocks would have to be held in place somehow to allow the mortar to dry. However, tall thin blocks provide certain advantageous and the present invention provides a way of incorporating the advantageous of such a block. These advantageous include an increased front face surface area, resulting in a more attractive wall. The design also provides increased lateral support, ideal for use with such a beam system. 
     The loose block system also allows the wall to be disassembled and reassembled. This not only gives flexibility during initial construction, but allows later renovations to be made easily and inexpensively. For instance, often it is desirable to vent skirting walls to prevent the buildup of moisture or condensation between the ground and the elevated structure. These vents can be easily installed into an existing wall, especially if they are of similar dimensions and configurations as the blocks. The blocks of a given column are simply removed and reinstalled, replacing one of the blocks with the vent. Other auxiliary items, such as an access door or lights, could be installed in a similar manner. 
     Finally, the wall design of the present invention allows a wall corner to be constructed without supporting beams or mortar. Two walls are simply aligned to form a butt joint and fasteners such as appropriate plastic pegs or screws and plastic inserts are used to fasten one wall to the other. Alternatively, construction mastic, a type of adhesive, may be applied instead of or in combination with the screws. Again, ease of installation is greatly improved by the loose block, mortarless system of the present invention. 
     These and other objectives and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description, made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views. And, although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an elevated structure skirted with the wall system of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a block of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a support beam of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a column of the present invention taken generally along lines  4 — 4  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view, taken generally along lines  5 — 5  of FIG. 1, of two adjacent blocks of the present invention abutted and held by a support beam; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of two blocks abutted with a support beam installed using an alternative configuration; 
     FIG. 7 is a plan view of two blocks being pressed together and resiliently deforming a support beam; 
     FIG. 8 is a plan view of two blocks abutted with an alternative embodiment of a support beam; 
     FIG. 9 is a plan view of two blocks abutted with another alternative embodiment of a support beam; and, 
     FIG. 10 is a plan view of a corner of the skirting wall system of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the drawings and first to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown a skirting wall  10  comprised of a plurality of blocks  12  forming columns  14  partially spaced apart and held in place by vertically oriented, lateral support beams  16 . Downward opening brackets  18  attached to the bottom of the structure being skirted, are placed over the top block  12  of selected columns  14  to help prevent wall  10  from tipping rearwardly or forwardly. As used herein, the term “forward” means away from the center of the elevated structure and the term “rearward” means toward the center of the elevated structure. 
     Attention is now directed to the individual components of wall system  10 . FIG. 2 depicts a preferred embodiment of block  12 . It can be seen that block  12  generally comprises a front face  20 , a rear face  22 , a top surface  24 , a bottom surface  26  and side surfaces  28   a  and  28   b . Block  12  is preferably made of a dry composite masonry material which hardens quickly when compressed in a mold. It is envisioned that other materials could be used, such as concrete, fiberglass, ceramics, hard plastics, or dense foam. The present invention would also be achieved if blocks  12  were formed of wood, preferably treated wood. Though the general shape of the blocks is more important to achieve the present invention than the material used, it has been found that the aforementioned preferred dry composite masonry material provides the most desirable combination of strength, appearance, economy, and ease of manufacturing. 
     Front face  20  is forwardly spaced from rear face  22  by a predetermined distance herein defining the depth  30  of block  12 . As shown in FIG. 2, it is envisioned that front face  20  is formed using a splitting process, thereby forming an attractive, roughened face. This, however, is not necessary to carry out the spirit of the invention. Front face  20  could alternatively be molded, pressed, carved, etched, painted, or otherwise formed in any manner. Preferably, depth  30  is relatively constant throughout the extents of block  12 , excepting the variations caused by the splitting process and also excepting splitting recesses or other interruptions in the split look of front face  20 . Splitting recesses  21  are preferably formed in front face  20  to provide an area for splitting block  10  along a straight line. 
     Top surface  24  is separated from bottom surface  26  by a distance defining the height  32  of block  12 . When blocks  12  are arranged vertically to form a column  14 , bottom surface  26  of any block  12  other than the bottom block of a column, rests on the top surface  24  of the block below. It is therefore preferred that top surface  24  and bottom surface  26  are so shaped to facilitate a stacking relationship between two blocks  12  that results in an upper block  12  resting vertically on a vertically oriented lower block  12 . This relationship is most easily achieved by making top surface  24  and bottom surface  26  flat and relatively perpendicular to rear face  22  and/or front face  26 , as shown in the Figures. Alternatively, it is envisioned that top and bottom surfaces  24  and  26  be comprised of complementary angles which are not perpendicular to rear face  22  and/or front face  26 , but result in the vertical relationship between upper and lower blocks  12 , described above. It is also envisioned that this relationship be achieved through the use of concave and convex surfaces or using tongue and groove configurations. 
     Side surfaces  28   a  and  28   b , as shown in FIG. 2, are preferably somewhat perpendicular to rear face  22  and/or front face  20  and preferably comprise a groove  34  for receiving a portion of beam  16 , shown in FIG.  3 . Alternatively, it is envisioned that one side surface  28   a  or  28   b  have a groove and the other side surface have a tongue configured to mate with the groove, thereby obviating the need for beams  16 . However, in order to maintain the vertically independent characteristics of columns  14 , the use of beams  16  is preferred. 
     Beams  16 , shown in FIG. 3, preferably comprise a spine or web  36  and at least one rib  38 . Preferably there are two pairs of ribs  38   a  and  38   b . This configuration of two pairs of ribs  38   a  and  38   b  attached to each other by web  36  forms somewhat of an I beam configuration. It is preferred that one set of ribs  38   a  are resiliently deformable and even more preferred that they comprise flanges  40  to assist in guiding them into grooves  34 . A biased, resiliently deformable rib  38   a  places an even force on groove  34  and prevents movement and misalignment between blocks  12  of a given column  14 . 
     The distance between rib  38   a  and  38   b  is herein defined as the span  42  of the rib. The span  42  should either be as great as the distance between the groove  34  and the rear face  22 , or, in the case of the resiliently deformable rib  38 , should be able to achieve this distance through deformation when installed into the groove  34  of a block  12 . 
     Beams  16  may or may not be attached at their upper ends to the structure being skirted, at or near its bottom. Attaching beams  16  thusly provides support to the independent columns  14 , preventing them from leaning or falling forwardly or rearwardly. Beams  16  also act to align the blocks  12  of a given column  14 , ensuring that the blocks maintain a somewhat coplanar relationship. 
     FIGS. 6-9 show a variety of envisioned beam constructions and arrangements. FIG. 6 shows a preferred arrangement of the preferred beam construction shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. It can be seen that preferably, beam  16  is placed in the opposing grooves  34  of adjacent blocks  12  so that resiliently deformable ribs  38   a  having flanges  40  are rearward of ribs  38   b . Doing so utilizes the forces exerted by the bias of ribs  38   a  to press the forward edges of opposing sides  28   a  and  28   b  together so that no gap is seen from the front of the wall. These forces are represented by arrows  41 . FIG. 7 shows how flanges  40  act to guide block  12  into beam  16  and also to assist in increasing span  42 . 
     FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of beam  16  having two ribs  38   b but only one resiliently deformable rib  38   a . FIG. 9 shows yet another embodiment of a beam  16  comprising one pair of opposed ribs  38   b  such that web  16 , joining ribs  38   b , does not need to extend past the surface of ribs  38   b , thereby leaving web  16  invisible. 
     It is envisioned that brackets  18  be used in conjunction with beams  16  to provide stability to wall  10 . Referring now to FIG. 4, it can be seen that brackets  18  comprise a front wall  44  having a top edge  45  and a bottom edge  47 , a rear wall  46  rearwardly spaced apart from front wall  44 , and a top wall  48  joining top edge  45  of front wall  44  and rear wall  46 . Front wall  44  and rear wall  46  define a downward opening  50  into which the top surface  24  of the top block  12  of a column  14  may be inserted. In operation, bracket  18  is attached to the underside of a structure to be skirted and positioned so that the top block  12  of a column  14  is inserted into opening  50  and so that the bracket is located near the middle of the block  12 . It may be desired to make rear wall  46  of a greater vertical dimension that front wall  44  to provide additional support. It may also be desired to provide a bracket  18  with a rear wall  46  which extends in a lateral direction further than front wall  44 . Furthermore, it is envisioned that brackets  50  could be a variety of lengths. For instance brackets  50  could be as short as one inch or as long as the entire wall. 
     Brackets  18  prevent rearward or forward movement of column  14  and also work in conjunction with beams  16  to prevent those columns  14  without brackets  18  from tipping over rearwardly or forwardly. As it is envisioned that beams  16  may or may not be attached to the structure, brackets  18  may be solely responsible for preventing wall  10  from tipping over. Brackets  18  can be of any suitable material, preferably synthetic, more preferably poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) or other durable plastic. It may be advantageous to make brackets  18  and beams  16  out of similar material. 
     FIG. 10 shows a preferred corner configuration using the blocks  12  of the present invention. Block  12  lends itself cornering without the need for mortar, corner braces or other supports. Two blocks  12   a  and  12   b  are simply aligned to form a corner butt joint  51 . Preferably block  12   b  is broken along its splitting recess  21  to form a new split face  52  which roughly matches split front face  20  of block  12   a . Holes  54  are drilled through blocks  12   a  and  12   b  so that fastener  56  may be inserted. Fastener  56  may be any suitable fastener, preferably a screw or peg. Preferably such as appropriate plastic pegs or screws and plastic inserts are used to fasten one wall to the other. Alternatively, glue, preferably construction mastic  58 , may be applied instead of or, more preferably, in combination with fasteners  56 . 
     The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Furthermore, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. While the preferred embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined by the claims.