Concrete building blocks with looped securing rods for mortarless wall construction

A generally rectangular concrete building block of partially hollow construction with at least one large rectangular vertical opening extending therethrough and provided with a generally zig-zag shaped rod embedded in the interior walls and extending transversely of and formed with a transverse loop in the center of each hollow interior. In erecting a wall, a concrete footing is first poured and a plastic sheet having a row of prepunched openings is flatly arranged thereon with the openings so spaced to indicate the positions to be assumed by a series of reinforcing bars when inserted therethrough and embedded within the footing to project vertically therethrough in a row alignable with the hollow blocks. After setting of the concrete the bars are securely anchored in the footing and enable the first course of blocks to be laid thereon with the openings therein and the centrally arranged loops embedded in each block sleeved over the bars so that the block and walls abut and their front surfaces are in alignment. Each successive course of blocks is correspondingly but staggerably arranged on and relative to those in the course below with their rod loops also sleeved over the bars until a mortarless wall of the required height is reached.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to generally rectangular building blocks of 
partially hollow construction having generally zig-zag shaped securing 
rods embedded in the interior walls and extending transversely of and 
formed with transverse loops in the centers of each hollow interior for 
locating and mounting the blocks over vertical reinforcing bars anchored 
in a footing for erecting a wall construction wherein the hollow blocks 
may or may not be filled with concrete. 
CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR ART 
While it has, of course, been common to use hollow building blocks with 
associated reinforcing rods in wall construction, such as those 
represented in U.S. Patents to Willis No. 2,320,690, Preininger No. 
2,881,614, Nielson No. 3,783,566, and LeGrady No. 4,107,895, such blocks 
usually require handling by skilled masons as the use of mortar between 
the block joints and courses is required. In addition, such blocks lack 
fixed locating and retaining means for precisely and uniformly mounting 
the blocks on a series of vertical reinforcing rods. Thus, the use of such 
blocks is more complicated and time consuming than use of the herein 
building block system about to be described. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The principal object of the present invention is to provide generally 
rectangular building blocks of partially hollow construction having 
generally zig-zag shaped securing rods embedded in the interior walls and 
extending transversely of and formed with transverse loops in the centers 
of each hollow interior for precisely and uniformly locating and mounting 
the blocks in abutting mortarless courses over vertical reinforcing bars 
anchored in a concrete footing for erecting a mortarless wall construction 
wherein the hollow interiors of the blocks may or may not be filled with 
concrete. 
Another object is the provision of generally hollow building blocks having 
zig-zag shaped rods embedded in the interior walls and bent and looped so 
that transversely arranged loops are disposed in the centers of each 
hollow interior and are adapted to sleevably receive vertical reinforcing 
bars therethrough and thereby insure that adjoining blocks and courses are 
precisely and uniformly located and retained in mortarless abutting 
relation. 
A further object is to provide a poured concrete footing upon which a 
plastic sheet with a row of pre-punched openings therein is flatly 
arranged, and a row of spaced reinforcing bars are inserted through the 
sheet openings and embedded within the footing so as to project vertically 
therefrom in uniformly spaced relation whereby the looped zig-zag shaped 
locating and securing rods embedded in the hollow building blocks may be 
sleeved thereover in courses to erect a mortarless wall construction. 
Still another object is the provision of a system of hollow building blocks 
with fixed looped locating and securing rods embedded in the hollow 
interiors and sleevably mounted on a series of vertical reinforcing bars 
anchored in a poured concrete footing to erect a very strong and yet 
mortarless concrete block construction for use in the heavy construction 
field wherein concrete may be poured into the interior voids thereof to 
effect a solid concrete structure, with the blocks acting as forms which 
become a part thereof. 
A still further object is to provide hollow building blocks with fixed 
looped locating and securing rods embedded therein and sleevably mounted 
in abutting courses on a series of vertical reinforcing bars anchored in a 
poured concrete footing which are adapted to be handled and laid in 
courses by inexperienced personnel to produce a uniformly plumb wall 
construction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar reference 
characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and as best 
shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, numeral 1 identifies a corner section of concrete 
footing for a wall construction which may be formed in the usual manner by 
first forming trenches 2 of a suitable depth and pouring concrete between 
the usual forms 3 therein so as to provide a generally flat horizontally 
disposed upper face 4. Flatly arranged on and extending longitudinally on 
the upper face 4 and spaced inwardly of the side edges thereof is a length 
of suitable relatively thin vinyl plastic sheeting 5 formed with a central 
row of spaced pre-punched openings 6 therein. Plastic sheet 5 may be in 
the form of a roll 7 of a width narrower than that of the footing 1 so 
that a roll 7 may be positioned at one end of the footing while still 
unset and unrolled so that the sheeting extends throughout that section of 
footing at which time the sheeting may be detached from the roll. 
The pre-punched openings 6 may be uniformly spaced so as to be located in 
alignment with the centers of the hollow interiors of concrete building 
blocks, presently to be described and which are laid in courses in 
abutting relation on footing 1. With the sheeting 5 arranged thereon, the 
openings 6 thereof serve to locate the positions where a series of 
elongated metal reinforcing bars 8 are inserted therethrough and embedded 
in the unset footing. Thus, when the concrete footing sets, the bars 8 
will be firmly anchored therein and will project upwardly therefrom in a 
uniformly spaced row throughout the length of the footing. 
As best shown in FIGS. 1-4, a wall is constructed of a plurality of 
generally rectangular shaped concrete building blocks 9 each having top 
and bottom surfaces 10-11 joined by two end walls 12 and front and rear 
walls 13-14. Each block 9 is preferably partially hollow, in the usual 
manner, to provide large rectangular vertical openings 15 defining the 
interior surfaces of end walls 12 and the front and rear walls 13-14, 
respectively, and a central rib 16. It is usually desirable to also use 
half blocks 9.sup.1 in the customary manner, as in FIG. 4, formed with a 
single rectangular vertical opening 15.sup.1. 
Arranged in the vertical openings 15--15.sup.1 of both forms of blocks is a 
securing and locating rod for the reinforcing bars 8 which is of generally 
zig-zag shape. These securing rods may be suitably arranged in the block 
forming molds in a conventional block forming machine, not shown, so that 
they constitute an integral part of each block. First referring to the 
block of FIGS. 1-3, rod 17 includes an elongated main section 18 extending 
longitudinally and horizontally through center rib 16 and terminating at 
either end generally in the center of vertical openings 15, where the rod 
is twisted into horizontally disposed loops 19-20. Looped end 19 projects 
laterally and rearwardly, at right angles as at 21, and has as a right 
angularly bent terminal end 22 so as to be embedded and anchored in a rear 
wall 14. The other looped end 20 is bent laterally at right angles in an 
opposing direction, as at 23, and is formed with a laterally bent terminal 
end 24 embedded and anchored in a front wall 13. 
As the half block 9.sup.1 of FIG. 4 only has a single rectangular vertical 
opening 15.sup.1 and lacks a central rib, the retaining and locating wire 
17.sup.1 arranged therein does not require the elongated main section so 
that the rod is twisted and looped in the center, as at 25. Rod 17.sup.1 
is formed with two legs 26 extending from the loop 25 at right angles 
which are bent laterally, as at 27, at their ends so as to be embedded in 
end and side walls 12.sup.1 and 13.sup.1. As in the embodiment of FIGS. 
1-3, loop 25 of rod 17.sup.1 is disposed in the center of vertical opening 
15.sup.1, midway of the height thereof. 
After the footing 1 has been poured, and the plastic sheeting 5 arranged on 
the flat upper face 4 thereof, and the vertical reinforcing bar 8 have 
been inserted through the row of pre-punched uniformly spaced openings 6 
and embedded therein, the concrete is permitted to set so that the bars 8 
are securely anchored in the footing and project upwardly therefrom in a 
spaced row of uniform height. As the spacing between the pre-punched 
openings 6 in the sheet is based on the dimensions of a standard hollow 
rectangular concrete building block, such as that herein described, the 
reinforcing bars 8 will be so spaced to be alignable with the securing and 
locating rod loops 19-20 of rod 17, and the loop of rod 17.sup.1. Thus, as 
best illustrated in FIGS. 6-7, the blocks of the first or bottom course 28 
are manually arranged above the retaining bars so that the latter are 
aligned with the looped rods and the blocks are manually moved downwardly 
thereover whereby a single bar will be sleeved through a centrally 
positioned loop 25 of a half block 9.sup.1, and a pair of bars will extend 
through the dual loops 19-20 of a full sized block 9. Accordingly, the 
first or bottom course of blocks 28 disposed on the footing will extend in 
a straight row of abutting end to end blocks, with their front and rear 
walls in alignment. When the first course 28 has been laid, the second 
course 29 is laid with the bottom surface 11 of each block 9 thereof 
resting on the top surface 10 of each block 9 in the first course. As in a 
conventional wall, the blocks in the second course 29 are staggered from 
the blocks 9 in the first course 28 with their abutting ends over the 
center of the blocks 9 in the first course. It is, of course, essential 
that one of the rectangular openings 15 of each second course block be 
aligned with and directly over an opening of a block therebelow. This 
procedure is repeated for all subsequent courses until a wall of the 
desired height and length has been erected. 
With the securing and locating rod of each block sleeved over the 
reinforcing bars, it will be apparent that the blocks may be laid in end 
to end and bottom to top relationship in courses by relatively unskilled 
labor and securely retained thereat without the use of any mortar 
therebetween. Although such a mortarless concrete block wall is stable and 
sufficiently strong for general use, in the event use thereof in the heavy 
construction field, such as when erecting a pier, is required, the 
strength thereof may be increased by filling the voids of the blocks by 
pouring concrete thereinto. This, in essence, creates a solid concrete 
wall structure, with the blocks acting as forms and becoming a part 
thereof, and eliminates the use of wooden forms and reduces the labor 
required. 
While a preferred embodiment of concrete building block with fixed looped 
securing rod embedded therein for use with reinforcing bars vertically 
arranged in a concrete footing for erecting a mortarless wall has been 
herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes 
and improvements may be made therein without departing from the scope and 
spirit of the appended claims.