BUILDING SYSTEM

Abstract: Construction system based on the combined use of blocks designed to lock together. There are three basic blocks, the full, half and knock-out blocks with which any desirable structure can be built. The full block comprises protruding ears (107) and grooves (100). The half block and the knock-out comprise grooves (200 and 304) only. There are standard measurements between groove faces in all blocks and standard measurements between ears in the full block which correspond to the measurements of the groove faces. This provides for a wide array of interbonding positions.

Description: BUILDING SYSTEM This system has been designed to facilitate the construction of buildings, walls, cross walls and the like without the need for special equipment or techniques. The essential idea is to provide a basic interbonding system using three types of blocks. The blocks are designed to firmly lock together and thus the construction does not require the traditional mortar or cement to bond it together. Due to the selection and position of the protruding ears and of the grooves that fit on said protruding ears, it is possible to interlock said blocks in parallel, in cross- section or in any other desired arrangement or com¬ bination. Thus, with this system any simple or complex structure may be built. The state of the art is still complex and costly and is far behind the invention herein described because either too many differently shaped blocks must be used in combination and/or because manufacturing, stocking, selecting and assemblying so great a number of blocks defeats the idea of faciliting construction. Also, such complications increase costs and require skilled personnel to allot the type of blocks that will be used in a particular building. Workmen certainly need some skills to control inventaries and select the proper blocks as may be needed. For example, Canadian patent 1,142,773 relates to a fitting block comprising a distinctive manner of obtaining male-female fitting of blocks intended to form the moldings for beams or doorheads with pillars going through them, or to form groups or channels for internal line or cable ducts. This system does not require skilled workmen. However, it needs special machinery for its manufacture. It also requires many forms of blocks to obtain building configurations such as corner, columns, cross-walls, etc. The object of the invention is to provide three basic blocks with which any desired structure can be built. Another object is to obtain a construction system which does not require special equipment or skilled workmen. A further object is to provide the means for precision molding of blocks. Another object is to use as few molds as possible to reduce manufacturing costs. Another object is providing blocks which may be easily cubed for transportation and stocking. Another object is to make it easy for the builder to choose acquire and use the blocks. IN THE DRAWINGS: Figure 1 is a perspective top and bottom view of a group of full blocks. Figure 2 is a top plant view of the half- block. Figure 3 is a cross-section view of figure 2 at lines III-III. Figure 4 is a top plant view of the full block. Figure 5 is a cross-section view of figure 4 at lines V-V. Figure 6 is a cross-section view of figure 4 at lines VI-VI. Figure 7 is a top plant view of the knock-out block. Figure 8 is a cross-section view of figure 7 at lines VIII-VIII. Figure 9 is a cross-section view of figure 7 at lines IX-IX. Figure 10 is a cross-section view of figure 7 at lines X-X. Figure 11 is a top plant view of the shoe assembly 1 of the block molding. Figure 12 is a cross-section of figure 11 at lines XII-XII. Figure 13 is a cross-section of figure 11 at lines XIII-XIII. Figure 14 is a plant view which shows a particular configuration of interbonded blocks. Figure 15 shows the parallel and side by side block interbonding. Figure 16 (a) to (i) show some of the many possible configurations obtained by combining and inter¬ bonding the full block, the half block and the knock-out block. The system comprises the combination of three basic building blocks. The full block, the half-block, and the knock-out block. . These blocks should be manufactured with precision for interbonding there between without the use of mortar. Load-bearing structures can be built therewith. 1) All measurements between groove face 100, and face 102 and side face 101 are the same and any com- bination of two grooves should be less than the distance between ears 107 AB and 107 AC. 2) The measurements between the tapered groove faces 106 must be greater than the sides of ears 107 BB or 107 CC. 3) The tapered groove 106 is larger at the bottom face 109 than at the top face 108. This makes for an adequate locating device when in contact with the ears 107 AB or 107 AC. _ .- 4) The center webs 103 are placed in critical positions that ensure the exact location for the pro¬ truding ears 107 AB and 107 AC. That makes the ultra block system so versatile. It is desirable that face of ear 104 protrudes in a 1/5 to 1/25 rate the distance between the bottom face 109 of the block and top face of the block in relation to said face 108. The half block is exactly half the size of the full block and it can be incorporated into the system in any combination. The groove 200 in any face 201 will slide down the ear 107 AB or 107 AC of the full .ultra block and any combination of end or side faces of any proceeding block, full, half or lintel. The main function of the half block is to give any wall built with this system a straight end wall finish when using the running bond method of construction. The characteristics of the half block are the greater cavity and the four internal recesses in the four internal block walls. Figure 2 illustrates it has no protruding ears. Nevertheless, it fits in the bonding with the basic block. The main functions of the lintel or knock-out block are two fold: 1) With the single web 306 located in the center of the block it allows for a greater opening in the block. The distance between the center web 306 A or B and the groove 304 in the end face 301, provides greater accessibility to cavity A for housing water lines, electric cables, etc. Also, concrete or insulating materials may be poured into the cavities. 2) Placed in the end faces 301 and two slots 307 that extend approximately 1/3 depth into the end faces 301, placed in the center web 306 are two con¬ tinuous slots 308 that extend approximately 1/3 depth into the center web 306. When given a sharp blow with a hammer these parts will knock-out giving access for reinforcing bar (steel) and concrete to be placed in the blocks to create beams, and lintels. The block is designed to fit into this system. Internal interlock is as per the full and half blocks. TYPICAL INTERLOCKING METHOD FOR RUNNING BOND STRAIGHT WALL AND CORNER Any combination of faces 102 on blocks A and B are placed in line and closed together, any combination of faces 101 on block C is placed closed together with the end face 102 on block B and so placed that face 102 on block C is in line with faces 101 on blocks A and B. Block D is placed on blocks A and B in a central position, the groove 100 located on both end faces 102 of block D will slide down the ear 107 AC on block A and the ear 107 AB on block B. The tapered grooves sides 106 on face 102 block D being larger than sides of the ear 107 AC block A and the ear 107 AB on block B, and the distance between the grooves 100 on the faces 102 on block D being greater than the distance between the ear 107 AC on block A and the ear 107 AB on block B when the end face 102 of block A is in contact with the end face 102 of block B. D block is in positions when the bottom face 109 of block D is in contact with the top face 108 of block A and the top face 108 of block B. Block E is placed on blocks B and C in a central position to groove 100 in the end face 102, the blocks will slip down the ear 107 AC of block B, the distance between the ears 107 AB and 107 AC being greater than the distance between the groove 100 face 102 block E when the two end faces 102 make contact. MOLD DESIGN In the conventional manufacture of conventional blocks only one bar 400B is used for the cores. Said core bar is located along the top face of a mold for concrete blocks which support steel cores 401B to form a cavity or hollow in a concrete block. This causes a problem..to the block manufacturer because the area just below the core bar, whenever a 403B block face exists, cannot be compressed by the top face of the forming press 404B, this is solved by severing and removing a small section in the lower portion of the core bar located on the top face of the concrete block to obtain a thin area. This results in a small amount of loose concrete that is left on the top face 402B of the block, in the conventional process, when the concrete block is removed from the mold. Said loose concrete can now be removed using pressurized air streams or rotating brushes placed in the appropriate location on the block once it has been removed from the mold. Now then, with regard to the novel block and mold herein described, the central position of the protruding ears in the base block means that variations should be introduced in the process. The first variation is due to the fact that pressurized air currents cannot be used without damaging the integrity of the protruding ears when a single core bar, instead of the twin bars used in this process, is used. The second problem is that for forming the protruding ears a molding press having the exact form of the pro- truding ears for the formation thereof is used, and this solution malforms the resulting molded ear due to a suction effect occurring at the time of removing the mold once the ear is formed. The suction effect also causes the mold to retain some of the concrete which should have stayed on the ear. In other words, the compression shoes get dirty and have to be cleaned in every block formation cycle. For solving this problem " the mold herein described is designed for using the twin core bars 400A supporting steel cores 401A. The positions of the twin bars 400A can be approximate¬ ly 6 mm from the external edge 402A of the protruding ear to a position of approximately 3 mm with relation to the external edge of the steel core. ~ ■' The section of twin bars in the area 403A extends downwards between steel cores 401A to the first level defined by top face 404A of said block. In the 6 mm space located between the two 400A twin bars and side face of molding 408A and delimited also by steel cores 401A a molding guide 407A which is removable is used. The above allows the material to be deposited on the 402A area during the pouring cycle and, consequently, the piston 406A of the central com¬ pression shoe press 400A can be shorter than pistons 405A of molding press in a rate of, for instance, the height of the ear which varies between 1/15 and 1/25 the distance between the top and bottom face of the basic block. Central molding press 410A is now a flat face molding which facilitates the same to be removed when the block is removed from the mold. Also the flat face of the central compression shoe makes it easy to clean because conventional methods can be used for this purpose. The use of twin bars 400A gives place to the use of conventional measures for cleaning the loose concrete deposited on the block face without damaging the protruding ears as mentioned before. Another • further benefit of the use of twin bars is that during the pouring cycle, the area between parallel bars can be isolated from the external areas of said twin bars, thus allowing the deposition of greater amounts of material in the area comprised between bars 402A, if necessary. The method of depositing the additional material in the area comprised between the twin bars is used by setting the height of the material strike off plate in the area disposed between the core bars. The adjustment of the height will depend on the type of mixture used as well as on -hhe materials conforming said mixture. - •' Figure 10 shows the special machinery necessary to manufacture concrete blocks. The con¬ figuration shown would be very expensive for production, for it requires a special machinery as well as a minimum of additional elements for supporting the block in its humid state. Also, as this is used with * systems of interbonded blocks consisting of 10, 20 or 30 base molds, against only 3 molds of this invention, the production of the conventional equip¬ ment is more expensive and less versatile.

Claims: C L A I M S 1. Building system comprising blocks that interlock together to form a structure, said system comprising a set of three blocks wherein the full block comprised two external side faces, two external end faces, one internal cavity separated in two smaller cavities of equal size by two middle web defining an additional cavity; each middle web comprises an ear which protudes from the top face of the block; each of the two cavities comprises three groove faces whose size is designed for male-female fitting with the ears, all measures between the groove faces and the end faces are the same and any combination of two grooves should be less than the distance between ears, ali • measures between the tapered groove faces should be greater than the faces of the ears; each groove is tapered and is greater in the bottom face than in the top face; the half block is exactly half the ■ size of the full block and it has the same measures with which the full block is built; the knock-out block is .designed as a complement for the above mentioned blocks and has the same measurements to ensure its fitting with them. 2. Building system according to claim 1, wherein the half block half comprises one single cavity and the four slots are located in the four internal walls of the block. 3. Building system according to claim 2, wherein the four walls have the same measurements and each groove is located in the same position with respect to each wall and has the same proportion than the other grooves of the block. 4. Building system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the half block does not have protruding ears. 5. Building system according to claim 1, wherein the knock-out block has the same outside measurements than the full block, having grooves which, weaken the cross- webs and facilitate the breaking thereof in order to place rods or bars in the formation of concrete beams and the like. 6. Building system according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the knock-out block has no protuberances and its grooves are located and sized to bind with the protruding ears of the base block. 7. Building system according to claim 1, wherein the bonding between the three blocks is mechanical and self-locking and does not require mortar to hold the result¬ ing structure against movement. 8. Building system according to claim 1, wherein the half blocks can be piled one upon another to define a long cavity where reinforcing rods and can be placed to form columns and the like. 9. Building system according to claim 1, wherein the knock-out blocks can be piled one upon another to define a long cavity where reinforcing rods and cement can be placed to form columns and the like. 10. Building system according to claims 1 to 9, wherein the combination of any of the three types of blocks allows the disposition of piping and cables inside the cavities. 11. Building system according to any one of the pre¬ ceding claims, wherein the blocks can be interlocked in parallel, crossed, piled up and running bond manners to obtain the desired form and dimension. 12. ' Building system according to any one of the pre¬ ceding claims, wherein the blocks may be used to form load bearing structures. 13. A method of producing building blocks for use in the system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein cavity-forming . cores*;- are provided. in¬ side the wall forming molds, the working material is poured therein and then compressed in order to make it compact and protruding ears are formed using mold formed by flat elements which define three flat'faces. 14. Method according to claim 13, wherein vibration is provided to the mold once it has been filled up with the working material. 15. Method according to claim 13, wherein parallel twin core bars are used to define a working space for the ear forming pieces. 16. Method according to claim 13, wherein the remain¬ ing working material is removed by a rotating brush.

Inventors: HUNT TERANCE J, HUNT, TERANCE, J.
Applicants: HUNT TERENCE JOSEPH, HUNT, TERANCE, J.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: E04C1
IPC codes: B28B3, B28B7, E04B2