Template for forming glass block panel modules

Architectural glass block walls or panels are constructed by assembling glass block panel modules which are pre-formed by using molding templates. The template has a plurality of sets of crisscrossing upstanding ribs and a plurality of square pockets surrounded by the ribs. Glass blocks are placed in the pockets and mortar is injected into the spaces between adjacent blocks.

1. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1.1. Technical Field 
This invention relates to walls or panels made of glass blocks and to 
templates and methods for using such templates in constructing such walls 
and panels. More particularly, the invention relates to templates to form 
glass block panel modules which can be subsequently assembled into glass 
block walls and panels. 
1.2. Background Art 
Glass blocks are architecturally favored as a unique construction material 
from the standpoint of their usefulness in forming walls and panels having 
an aesthetically pleasing appearance, thermal and sound insulating 
ability, weather resistance coupled with low maintenance requirements, 
resistance to vandalism and forced entry, and ability to transmit light to 
virtually any desired degree to provide optimum illumination. 
Most commonly used glass blocks are formed by fusing together two pressed 
halves of glass which results in an upstanding central projection or ridge 
around the middle of the circumference of the block. Conventionally, glass 
block panels and walls are usually built or assembled on-site using 
mortar, cement, grout, or caulking material (hereinafter referred to 
collectively as "mortar") as is the practice with regular bricks or cement 
blocks. Such walls and panels can be also be pre-assembled elsewhere and 
shipped to the job site. 
The non-porous, non-absorbent surfaces of glass blocks do not permit the 
formation of a strong bond between block and mortar, and several schemes 
have been devised to overcome this drawback. For example, the 
circumferential surfaces of some glass blocks are roughened by the 
manufacturer; also, resinous coatings have been applied to such surfaces 
so that the mortar can better adhere to them. 
In laying glass blocks to form a wall or panel, greater care is needed than 
with other types of masonry, e.g., bricks, and cement or cinder blocks. 
Glass blocks are usually laid up in straight, horizontal courses and 
vertical tiers rather than overlapping as in the case of bricks and cinder 
or cement blocks, and it is important architecturally, aesthetically and 
structually, that the blocks be uniformly spaced, both horizontally and 
vertically. Moreover, since mortars that are suitable for use in laying 
glass blocks are generally of the slow setting type, only a few courses of 
blocks can be laid up at a time; otherwise, the weight of freshly laid 
blocks will tend to squeeze out the mortar between the lower courses of 
blocks, making it difficult to align the blocks properly. Special 
fast-setting mortars are sometimes used in order to try to avoid this 
problem, but this entails undesirable trade-offs from a structural 
standpoint. Consequently, the building of glass block walls and panels can 
be a time-consuming (and hence labor-intensive) task which requires a high 
level of skill. The use of spacers for glass blocks, as described, for 
example, in the present inventor's U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,774,793 and 4,959,937, 
whose disclosures are incorporated herein by reference, enhances the 
quality while reducing the cost of glass block wall and panel 
construction. This method depends, however, upon the quality of the glass 
blocks used and, to some extent, the skill of the mason or laborer. 
Glass blocks are manufactured to certain dimensional tolerances which allow 
for deviations from the exact dimensions specified for the block. These 
deviations can be dealt with easily in the prefabrication system of the 
invention described herein, because they are accommodated in the width of 
the mortar-cement joint between the blocks, whereby the peripheral 
dimensions of the glass block module can be achieved with a high degree of 
accuracy and precision. Thus, the overall dimensions of a glass block 
panel or wall (comprising a multiplicity of precisely dimensioned 
prefabricated glass block modules) specified by the architect can be 
achieved notwithstanding the dimensional deviations among the individual 
blocks. 
Prefabricated units or modules of multiple glass blocks having cured 
mortar-cement joints are easy and quick to install, and consequently walls 
and panels of multiple prefabricated modules can be erected easily. The 
freshly mixed mortar-cement joint will set as if cementing bricks or 
concrete blocks, because the water can be absorbed into the existing dried 
mortar-cement joints at the periphery of each prefabricated module. 
For all of these reasons, glass block walls and panels, despite their 
architectual advantages, are often eschewed by builders and others who 
must pay the relatively high labor cost in constructing them. 
In the field of materials suitable for building construction other than 
glass blocks, such as ceramic tiles, bricks, stones, marbles and granites, 
a number of efforts have been made over the years to facilitate the 
construction of panels by using molds, templates or the like. 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,836,964 discloses a tiled wall comprising a foundation 
sheet and rigid tiles. The sheet has a plurality of sets of parallel 
projections or ribs which form pockets on its face. In the step of 
mounting the tiles on the foundation sheet, the base portion of the tile 
is coated with cement and placed in the pockets. A groove between adjacent 
tiles is filled with cement. 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,874,790 discloses a sheet of metal which has a retaining 
means for building materials. The sheet has rectangular openings and 
flanges to receive and retain a plurality of blocks or tiles. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,192,567 discloses a mold assembly for forming pre-grouted 
ceramic tile sheets. The mold assembly comprises upper and lower mating 
mold sections which are formed of a plurality of criss-crossing ribs 
separated by open wells. It also comprises a means for injecting fluid 
grout material into the clamped mold sections to fill the spaces between 
adjacent tiles. 
However, in the particular field of glass block panel and wall 
construction, no such techniques or methods are known. A need therefore 
exists for an innovative means and method to facilitate the laying of 
glass blocks, and for glass block walls and panels formed by using such 
means. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means 
for forming glass block panel modules for use in building glass block 
panels and walls. 
Another object is to provide a fast, easy and economical method of making 
pre-assembled glass block panel modules which can be advantageously used 
in the construction of glass block walls and panels. 
These and other objects of the invention as well as the advantages thereof 
can be had by reference to the following description, drawing and claims. 
2. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The foregoing objects are achieved according to the present invention, one 
aspect of which is a template for forming glass block panel modules. Such 
modules can be made on-site or can be conveniently fabricated elsewhere 
(e.g., in a factory) and shipped to the job site to be assembled into 
glass block walls and panels. 
The template is desirably of an integral, unitary stamped or molded 
construction and is configured to have a plurality of criss-crossing, 
upstanding (upwardly projecting) ribs or ridges, and a plurality of square 
pockets encompassed and defined by the ribs. The number of pockets is 
determined by the number of glass blocks intended to constitute each 
module. Each pocket is configured so that it can be mated with or fitted 
to one side of the correspondingly shaped glass block, i.e., whose length 
and width are substantially the same as those of the pocket. The depth of 
the pocket (i.e., the height of the rib) should be sufficient to align the 
glass blocks in the pockets and prevent them from shifting. The width of 
the rib is determined according to the intended spacing between adjacent 
blocks. 
The size of the template and its overall configuration in terms of the 
sizes and number of ridges and pockets is determined arithmetically by the 
dimensions of the glass blocks and the number, arrangement of and spacing 
between the blocks that are to be used in forming the module. For example, 
when glass blocks each having nominal dimensions of 8".times.8" 
(width.times.length) are used to form a module with an intended spacing 
between blocks of 1/4", the size of the template for a 6-block module 
(2.times.3 blocks) is 161/4".times.241/4" (width.times.length). (Glass 
blocks sold commercially are 1/4" smaller than their nominal size; thus, a 
nominal 8".times.8" glass block is actually 73/4".times.73/4", etc.). When 
6".times.8" blocks are used with an intended spacing between blocks of 
1/4", the size of the template for a 9-block module (3.times.3 blocks) is 
181/4".times.241/4". When 6".times.6" blocks are being used with an 
intended spacing between blocks of 1/4", the size of the template for a 
12-block module (3.times.4 blocks) is 181/4".times.241/4". When 
4".times.8" blocks are used with an intended spacing between blocks of 
1/4", the size of the template for a 12-block module (2.times.6 blocks) is 
161/4".times.241/4". 
The template of the invention can be made of any material sufficiently 
rigid (such as plastic, cardboard, wood, ceramic and metal) to permit the 
setting-up of glass blocks thereon to form a wall or panel module. To form 
a flat module (a plurality of which are assembled to form a flat wall or 
panel), the template is placed and used on a flat, horizontal surface. 
Desirably, the template is fashioned of a material and thickness so that 
it has sufficient flexibility so that, if desired, it can be placed on a 
curved (either convex or concave) surface to form a curved module for use 
in assembling correspondingly curved walls and panels. Among suitable 
materials, plastic is preferred because of its low material and 
fabrication costs and desirable physical and mechanical properties (e.g., 
stiffness, compressive strength and low weight). Because of the low costs 
associated with plastic templates, they need be used only once and then 
discarded. The templates are advantageously shaped (e.g., molded in the 
case of plastic such as polyethylene or polypropylene) so that the ridges 
between pockets are tapered or truncated (when viewed in cross-section) to 
facilitate forming the templates and removing them from the mold, nesting 
and stacking the templates for shipment and storage (so that there is no 
wasted space between adjacently stacked templates), aligning glass blocks 
in the pockets, applying mortar between the glass blocks, and removing the 
template from the finished module. 
The molding template can be provided with means for enabling a plurality of 
templates to be properly aligned and overlapped in coplanar disposition 
for situations where it is desired to connect or join them together to 
form larger templates. One example of such a connecting or joint means is 
an outward extension of those ribs which extend inward from two adjacent 
sides as shown in FIG. 1 so as to form connecting tabs. If the tabs are 
not desired, then they can be snipped off with a cutter. Each tab is 
configured to mate with the underside of the counterpart ridge of the 
adjacent template whereby such ridges are registered in perfect alignment. 
In this way, corresponding ridges on the sides where the templates are to 
be joined overlap each other to form a common rib. Thus, for example, by 
connecting four 6-block templates (thereby forming in effect a 24-block 
template), a 24-block panel module can be formed with great ease and 
convenience. 
Another aspect of the present invention is a method of forming glass block 
panel modules. The method comprises (1) placing a template of the present 
invention substantially horizontally on a work table or surface, (2) 
placing glass blocks within the pockets of the template, (3) grouting the 
glass blocks by disposing mortar between adjacent blocks, (4) optionally 
strapping the glass blocks around the periphery of the module for greater 
security in subsequent shippping, storage and use, and (5) detaching the 
grouted glass blocks after the grout material has cured. For this purpose, 
a mortar such as Portland cement grouting is preferred. If desired, a 
water proofing agent can be applied or waterproof Portland cement can be 
used. Other suitable mortars will suggest themselves to those skilled in 
the glass block wall and panel construction art having the benefit of the 
present disclosure before them. 
By virtue of the present invention, glass block panel modules can be 
obtained in which the blocks are accurately aligned and spaced 
appropriately (uniformly in cases when the ribs on the template are of 
equal width) in both the width and height directions so that the edges of 
the module are straight and square even though the dimensional tolerances 
of the individual glass blocks admit of some blocks being out of square. A 
plurality of glass block modules can thus be assembled to construct panels 
or walls on-site so that the appearance of the wall or panel constructed 
of such modules is extremely uniform and of consequent pleasing appearance 
to the eye of even the most fastidious architect, building contractor or 
customer.

4. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
4.1. Example 1 
Referring to FIG. 1, molding template 1 comprises six square pockets 2 and 
criss-crossing upwardly projecting ribs 3. The ribs 3 are tapered in the 
sense that the width of the base 11 of the rib is greater than the width 
of the top surface 9 of the rib. Each glass block 4 is placed in an 
individual pocket. Standard dimensions of the glass block of width 5, 
length 6, and height 7 are 8".times.8".times.37/8". The width and length 
of the pocket at its base are equal to the aforesaid corresponding 
dimensions of the glass blocks. The height 8 of the ribs (and hence the 
depth of the pocket) is 1/4". The width 9 of the top surface of the ribs 3 
is 1/4"; the width 11 of the base of the ribs is 3/8". 
Then, the mortar, e.g., Portland cement grouting, is injected into the 
spaces 10 between adjacent blocks up to the height of the blocks. An 
exemplary grouting is made by slurrying with water a mixture of one part 
by volume Portland cement, 1/4 to 1/2 parts by volume lime, and sand equal 
to between about 21/4 and 3 times the volume of cement-plus-lime. 
Temporary sides can be disposed against the periphery of the module being 
formed so as to prevent the mortar from running out the sides. 
When the mortar has cured, the module can be secured with straps (not 
shown) around its circumference to strengthen the module for shipping. The 
strapping can be removed from the template prior to use. A 6-block 
(3.times.2 blocks) module is thus obtained. 
4.2. Example 2 
Four templates of the type shown in FIG. 1 are connected and joined 
(2.times.2) by tabs 12 on two adjacent sides of each template. Each tab 12 
is of a size and shape 15 so that it slides under the upper surface of an 
inwardly projecting corresponding rib of the adjacent template (not 
shown). In so doing, the corresponding peripheral ribs of the connected 
templates are caused to overlap fully and the two templates so joined are 
placed into and kept in perfect alignment (vis-a-vis the ridges) on the 
work table or surface. In this way, the same spacing is achieved between 
glass blocks separated by the overlapped ribs as between adjacent glass 
blocks on the same template. By the same method as described in Example 1, 
a 24-block module of 24 (6.times.4 glass blocks) is obtained. 
The foregoing description is intended to illustrate the invention, and it 
is understood that changes and variations can be made in the foregoing 
embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention which is 
defined in the following claims.