WALL STRUCTURE

Abstract: A wall structure (10) comprising concrete composite masonry blocks (12) supported and interconnected by elongate support beams (16) is disclosed. The blocks (12) are shaped to be stacked in vertically independent columns (14) and are held in place by the specially shaped, lightweight support beams (16) placed between the adjacent columns (14). The wall structure (10) may be adapted for use as a bearing or non-bearing wall.

Description: WALL STRUCTURE Related Applications This application is a Continuation in Part of U.S. patent application serial no. 09/547,206 filed 12 April 2000. Background of the Invention The present invention is drawn to a mortarless wall structure that may be adapted for use in many applications. Specifically, the present invention is a mortarless wall structure that may be adapted for use as a skirting wall, as wainscoting, as a small retaining wall, as a pool wall, as a veneer or fascia, as a fence, and as a bearing or non-bearing wall, among others. 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'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. 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'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. Consequently, there is a need for a sturdy, inexpensive alternative for skirting a mobile home, which is easy to install. Until now, where brick, stone, or concrete were used as veneer or fascia, for fencing, and as bearing- and non-bearing walls, these structures were typically permanent in nature. In addition, the erection of these structures typically required specialized knowledge and skills to achieve. In light of these shortcomings, there is an additional need for a wall structure that may be used as a veneer or fascia, as a fence, and as a bearing or non-bearing wall, that is easily assembled by an unskilled user and that may also be dismantled and rebuilt without damage to the constituent parts of the wall structure. 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 stonewalls, 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, one person can easily construct a wall at their 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 lightweight, 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 2 Λ 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 also allows later renovations to be made easily and inexpensively. For instance, often it is desirable to vent wall structures such as 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. The wall design of the present invention also 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. Another embodiment of the present invention is well suited for use as a veneer or as wainscoting. In this embodiment, the support beam also includes one or more leg structures that extend from the support beam toward a structure over which the wall structure will be applied as a veneer. The leg structure comprises a leg and a foot that are preferably arranged at right angles to one another and to the support beam, but which may be constructed at any appropriate angle. A double-ended support beam is useful in adapting the wall structure of the present invention to the creation of a double-sided wall. In this embodiment of the present invention, two block engaging structures comprising a web and at least one flange extending therefrom are coupled together in a spaced apart relationship by a spacer or web. The respective block engaging structures engage the grooves between the side edges of adjacent block columns of respective wall faces to couple the wall faces together. Another embodiment of the support beam of the present invention is useful in constructing walls having a single face. In this embodiment, the support beam comprises a block engaging structure that extends from a sold or hollow elongate post. The block engaging structure of this support beam preferably comprises a web having extending therefrom a pair of flanges that are constructed and arranged to engage the opposing grooves formed in the side surfaces of adjacent block columns in the wall face. The post portion of this support beam can be secured directly to a wall support structure such as a foundation, footing, ledge, or bracket. Where the post portion of the support beam is hollow, the support beam can be slipped over a structural member that is secured directly to a wall support structure such as a foundation, footing, ledge, or bracket. 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 Figure 1 is a perspective view of an elevated structure skirted with the wall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a block of the present invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a support beam of the present invention; Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a column of the present invention taken generally along lines 4-4 of Figure 1 ; Figure 5 is a plan view, taken generally along lines 5-5 of Figure 1 , of two adjacent blocks of the present invention abutted and held by a support beam; Figure 6 is a plan view of two blocks abutted with a support beam installed using an alternative configuration; Figure 7 is a plan view of two blocks being pressed together and resiliently deforming a support beam; Figure 8 is a plan view of two blocks abutted with an alternative embodiment of a support beam; Figure 9 is a plan view of two blocks abutted with another alternative embodiment of a support beam; Figure 10 is a plan view of a corner of the wall structure of the present invention; Figure 11 is a plan view of a two abutting blocks with another alternative embodiment of a support beam coupling the blocks to an existing structure; Figure 12 is a plan view of a two abutting blocks with another alternative embodiment of a support beam coupling the blocks to an existing structure; Figure 13 is a plan view of a two abutting blocks with another alternative embodiment of a support beam coupling the blocks to an existing structure; Figure 14 is a plan view of a double-sided free standing wall structure wherein the respective sides of the wall structure are coupled together by a double ended support beam; and, Figure 15 is a plan view of a freestanding wall structure in which the support beam is formed integral to a post. Detailed Description Referring now to the drawings and first to Figures 1-4, there is shown a wall structure 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. Figure 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 28a and 28b. 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 Figure 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 28a and 28b, as shown in Figure 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 Figure 3. Alternatively, it is envisioned that one side surface 28a or 28b 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 Figure 3, preferably comprise a spine or web 36 and at least one rib 38. Preferably, there are two pairs of ribs 38a and 38b. This configuration of two pairs of ribs 38a and 38b attached to each other by web 36 forms somewhat of an I-beam configuration. It is preferred that one set of ribs 38a 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 38a places an even force on groove 34 and prevents movement and misalignment between blocks 12 of a given column 14. The distance between rib 38a and 38b 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. Figures 6-9 show a variety of envisioned beam constructions and arrangements. Figure 6 shows a preferred arrangement of the preferred beam construction shown in Figures 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 38a having flanges 40 are rearward of ribs 38b. Doing so utilizes the forces exerted by the bias of ribs 38a to press the forward edges of opposing sides 28a and 28b together so that no gap is seen from the front of the wall. Arrows 41 represent these forces. Figure 7 shows how flanges 40 act to guide block 12 into beam 16 and also to assist in increasing span 42. Figure 8 shows an alternative embodiment of beam 16 having two ribs 38b but only one resiliently deformable rib 38a. Figure 9 shows yet another embodiment of a beam 16 comprising one pair of opposed ribs 38b such that the support beam 16 is essentially an elongate spline. It is envisioned that brackets 18 be used in conjunction with beams 16 to provide stability to wall 10. Referring now to Figure 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. Figure 10 shows a preferred corner configuration using the blocks 12 of the present invention. The design of block 12 lends itself to the formation of corners without the need for mortar, corner braces, or other supports. Two blocks 12a and 12b are simply aligned to form a corner butt joint 51. Preferably block 12b is broken along its splitting recess 21 to form a new split face 52 which roughly matches split front face 20 of block 12a. Holes 54 are drilled through blocks 12a and 12b 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. Figures 11-15 illustrate additional embodiments of the present invention. Figure 11 illustrates a support beam 16 having a pair of leg structures 59 that are constructed and arranged to secure a wall comprising columns 14 of blocks 12 to an existing support structure 62. The support structure may be a building or any other type of structure that may require a wall structure 10 according to the present invention. Legs portions 60 of the leg structures 59 extend rearwardly from the support beam 16 and are preferably secured to one of the ribs 38A or 38B thereof. The leg structures 59 may also be formed as part of the web 36 of the support beam 16. Legs 60 have a foot 64, which extends laterally from the legs 60 to provide a point of connection for the support beam 16 to the existing structure 62. Nails, screws, or other appropriate fasteners 66 are driven through the feet 64 of the support beam 16 and into the sheathing 68 of the wall of the existing structure 62. The sheathing 68 of the typical wall is typically supported by a plurality of horizontal girts 70. Once the support beam 16 has been secured to the existing structure 16, blocks 12 are stacked between respective support beams 16 as illustrated in Figure 11 such that flanges 38A of the support beam 16 are inserted into the grooves 34 in the sides of the blocks 12. Note that the number, construction, and arrangement of flanges 38a and 38b may vary as described above in conjunction with Figures 5-9. In order to prevent the inflow of water into the wall structure 10, it may be desirable to apply a bead of a waterproof material 90 such as a mastic or a caulk along the top surface 24 of the blocks 12. The bead of waterproof material 90 forms a seal between the upper surface 24 of the lower block 12 upon which the bead has been placed and the lower surface 26 of the block 12 immediately above the lower block. Legs 60 of support beam 16 are preferably extend rearwardly from flanges 38B in a perpendicular relationship thereto. Similarly, it is preferred that the feet 64 of the support beam 16 extend laterally perpendicular to the legs 60. The perpendicular relationship of the feet and legs to the remainder of the support beam 16 is the preferred embodiment thereof, it must be kept in mind that the purpose of the legs 60 and feet 64 is to provide and offset for the block wall 10 from the wall of the existing structure 62. This offset allows a concrete block wall 10 to be secured over uneven surfaces such as the steel siding 72 illustrated in Figure 11. As can be seen, legs 60 of support beam 16 are sufficiently long such that the support beam clears ridge 73 of the steel siding 72. As can be appreciated, steel siding 72 typically presents a vertically flat surface. Where a wall structure 10 is to be applied to a wall of an existing structure 62 that is not vertically smooth, firing strips or blocking may be fastened to the wall of the existing structure 62 as needed. As support beam 16 provide no vertical support for the blocks 12, the blocks must be provided with some sort of foundation. Examples of suitable foundation include a concrete pad or footing that is sunk into the ground, and a cantilever ledge or bracket which is securely affixed to the wall of the existing structure. Figure 12 illustrates a support beam 16 having two pairs of flanges 38A and 38B separated by a web 36 and only a single leg structure 59 comprising a leg 60 and foot 64. The embodiment of Figure 12 is particularly useful when an obstruction such as ridge 73 of steel siding 72 would prevent one of the leg structures 59 illustrated in Figure 11 from securely contacting the wall of the structure 62. Fasteners 66 are sufficient to provide the requisite lateral support for the wall structure 10. The support beam 16 having only a single leg structure 59 may be rotated end-for-end depending on the offset location of an obstruction such as ridge 73. Preferably the support beam 16 of the present invention will be extruded or molded from a material such as a plastic, a fiber reinforced resin, or a metal such as aluminum. In addition to forming embodiments of support beams 16 having the respective profiles of the support beams illustrated in Figure 12, it is possible that one leg structure 59 could be removed from a support beam 16 such as the support beam 16 of Figure 11 having two leg structures 59, thereby resulting in the support beam embodiment illustrated in Figure 12. However, where a single leg structure 59 would be sufficient to provide the needed lateral support for a wall structure 10, it would be more economical to manufacture support 16 having only a single leg structure 59. Figure 13 illustrates a support beam 16 that is constructed and arranged to provide lateral support to a wall structure 10 as described in conjunction with figures 11 and 12. The main difference here being that the support beam 16 of figure 13 has a pair of flanges 38A and only a single flange 38B extending from the web 36. Leg structure 59 extends rearwardly from the flange 38B preferably in a perpendicular relation thereto. While it is preferred that the leg 60 and foot 64 be arranged at right angles to each other and to the flanges 38b of the support beam 16, these structures may be arranged at any angle to one another provided, of course, that there is a sufficient offset from the wall of the existing structure 62 to allow installation of the blocks 12 of the wall structure 10 and that the feet 64 of leg structure 59 may be securely fastened to a supporting structure 62. Figure 14 illustrates a double-ended support beam 16, which is useful for constructing a wall structure 10 having a front face 74 and a rear face 76. The space 78 between the front and rear faces 74, 76 of the wall structure 10 of figure 14 may remain hollow or may be filled. As can be seen from figure 14 the double ended support beam 80 comprises two support beams 16 having a cross-sectional profiles similar to the support beam 16 illustrated in figure 5 arranged back-to-back and space apart and connected by a spacer web 82. Spacer web 82 is connected to the base pair of flanges 38B of each of the support beam portions in a perpendicular fashion. In this manner, support beam 80 couples the front and rear sides of the wall structure 10 to provide mutual lateral support for the sides. Further support can be had by backfilling the space 78 between the front and back sides of the wall structure 10 with gravel, earth, or an insulating material. Preferably, a cap such as bracket 18 will be placed over the top of the wall structure 10 of figure 14 to prevent the ingress of water and nuisance animals. Figure 15 illustrates a single sided wall structure 10 comprising columns 14 of blocks 12 supported by a post-like support beam 84. Support beam 84 comprises a post 85 having extending therefrom a web 36. A pair of flanges 38A extends laterally from the web 36 in the same manner as the flanges of support beams 16 described in conjunction with Figure 3. As installed, post 85 is preferably rigidly seated in a footing or foundation set into the ground below the wall structure 10. As can be appreciated, blocks 12 are stacked between respective post support beams 84 as described above. The posts 85 of the post-support beam 84 preferably have a hollow cross section. However, post 85 may also be a solid in cross section or may have a reinforcing structure such as a pipe or a rod received therein. An alternate embodiment for the post to support beam 84 involves securely seating a plurality of rods or members in footings or a foundation beneath the wall structure 10 and sliding the post beam 84 of the type illustrated in figure 15 thereover. Blocks 12 would then be disposed between respective pairs of post support beams 84 as described above. 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.

Claims: Claims What is claimed is: 1. A block for use in a mortarless wall structure comprising: a front face; a rear face separated from said front face by a distance defining the depth of said block; a top surface; a bottom surface separated from said top surface by a distance defining the height of said block, said bottom surface shaped to rest on the top surface of a lower block in the same column as said block such that a relatively coplanar, vertical relationship results between said block and the lower block; opposing side surfaces at least one of which having grooves shaped to accept portions of a vertically oriented, lateral support beam. The block of claim 1 wherein said front face further comprises a split face. The block of claim 1 wherein said top surface and said bottom surface are flat. 4. The block of claim 1 wherein said top surface and said bottom surface comprise at least one set of complementary angles. 5. The block of claim 4 wherein said top surface and said bottom surface are substantially perpendicular to said rear face. 6. The block of claim 1 wherein said front face further comprises at least one vertically oriented elongate recess effectively reducing the depth at said recess for providing a splitting line. 7. The block of claim 1 wherein said rear face is substantially planar. 8. The block of claim 1 wherein said rear face is non-planar. 9. The block of claim 1 wherein said rear face further comprises planar portions and non-planar portions. 10. The block of claim 1 wherein said block further comprises a composite masonry material. 11. A mortarless wall structure comprising: a plurality of vertically oriented, elongate beams, each of said beams comprising: a vertical web; and, at least one rib extending laterally from said web; a plurality of blocks arranged in columns, each of said blocks comprising: a front face; a rear face separated from said front face by a distance defining the depth of said block; a top surface; a bottom surface separated from said top surface by a distance defining the height of said block, said bottom surface shaped to rest on the top surface of a lower block in the same column as said block such that a relatively coplanar, vertical relationship results between said block and the lower block; opposing side surfaces having grooves shaped to accept portions of said at least one rib; wherein said vertical columns are arranged adjacent to each other to form said walls such that said side surfaces of adjacent vertical columns oppose each other; wherein said support beams are constructed and arranged to be received between said columns in said grooves and thereby providing support to said columns. 12. The mortarless wall structure of claim 11 further comprising downwardly opening brackets for attachment to the elevated structure, said brackets comprising: a front wall having a top edge and a bottom edge downwardly displaced from said top edge; a top wall extending rearwardly from said front wall top edge; a rear wall extending downwardly from said top wall and spaced rearwardly from said front wall; said front, top and rear walls constructed and arranged to form an opening into which a portion of said top surface of an uppermost block in a said column may be inserted such that said bracket front wall prevents said column from tilting forwardly and said bracket rear wall prevents said column from tilting rearwardly. 13. The mortarless wall structure of claim 11 , said beams further comprising a first pair of ribs extending from said web, and a second pair of ribs extending from said web, wherein said first pair of ribs is forwardly separated from said second pair of ribs by a distance defined as the span of said ribs. 14. The mortarless wall structure of claim 13 wherein said span of said ribs is at least as great as a distance measured between said groove of said block side surface and said block back surface. 15. The mortarless wall structure of claim 13 wherein said span of said ribs is less than a distance measured between said groove of said block side surface and said block back surface and wherein at least one of said pairs of ribs is resiliently deformable such that when said blocks are mated with said beam, at least one rib of said pair of resiliently deformable ribs deforms, thereby increasing said span to at least as great as said distance between said groove and said back surface. 16. The mortarless wall structure of claim 11 , said ribs further comprising angled flanges for guiding said ribs into said grooves. 17. The mortarless wall structure of claim 11 , wherein said beam comprises two coplanar ribs that form an elongate spline. 18. The system of claim 11 , wherein said beam further comprises an odd number of ribs extending from said web. 19. The system of claim 11 , wherein said beam further comprises one pair of opposing ribs extending from said web and one rib which is offset from said pair and extending laterally from said web. 20. The system of claim 11 wherein said block front face further comprises a split face. 21. The system of claim 20 wherein said block front face further comprises at least one splitting recess for allowing said block to be split roughly along a line generally perpendicular to said front face. 22. The system of claim 11 wherein said block top surface and said block bottom surface are flat. 23. The system of claim 11 wherein said block top surface and said block bottom surface comprise at least one set of complementary angles. 24. The system of claim 23 wherein said block top surface and said block bottom surface are substantially perpendicular to said block rear face. 25. A column for use in constructing a mortarless wall structure for an elevated structure comprising: a plurality of vertically stacked blocks, each of said blocks comprising: a front face; a rear face; a top surface; a bottom surface; first and second opposed side surfaces connecting said top surface with said bottom surface, said side surfaces defining a groove; at least one elongate support beam for retaining said blocks comprising: a vertical web; at least one pair of ribs extending laterally from said web, at least one of said ribs shaped to fit within said groove for providing lateral support to said block. 26. The column of claim 25 wherein said block front faces are substantially parallel to said block rear faces. 27. The column of claim 25 wherein the blocks further comprise: a separation between said front face and said rear face defining the depth of the block; a separation between said top surface and said bottom surface defining the height of the block; and a ratio of height to depth greater than 2.5 to 1. 28. The column of claim 25 further comprising a downwardly opening bracket for attachment to the elevated structure, said bracket comprising: a front wall; a top wall extending rearwardly from said front wall; a rear wall extending downwardly from said top wall and spaced rearwardly from said front wall; said front, top and rear walls constructed and arranged to form an opening into which a portion of said top surface of an uppermost block in said column may be inserted such that said bracket front wall prevents said column from tilting forwardly and said bracket rear wall prevents said column from tilting rearwardly. 29. The column of claim 25, said beam further comprising a first pair of ribs extending from said web, and a second pair of ribs extending from said web, wherein said first pair of ribs is forwardly separated from said second pair of ribs by a distance defined as the span of said ribs. 30. The column of claim 29 wherein said span of said ribs is at least as great as a distance measured between said groove of said block side surface and said block back surface. 31. The column of claim 29 wherein said span of said ribs is less than a distance measured between said groove of said block side surface and said block back surface and wherein at least one of said pairs of ribs is resiliently deformable such that when said blocks are mated with said beam, at least one rib of said pair of resiliently deformable ribs deforms, thereby increasing said span to at least as great as said distance between said groove and said back surface. 32. The column of claim 25 wherein at least one of said ribs further comprises an angled flange for guiding said rib into said recess. 33. The column of claim 25 further comprising a space defined by the structure and said top surface of the uppermost block. 34. The column of claim 25 wherein said block top surface of the uppermost block contacts said structure. 35. A mortarless base wall for at least partially supporting a structure comprising: a plurality of vertically oriented, elongate synthetic beams, each of said beams comprising: a vertical web; at least two ribs extending laterally from said web; a plurality of blocks arranged in columns, each of said blocks comprising: a front face; a rear face separated from said front face by a distance defining the depth of said block; a top surface; a bottom surface separated from said top surface by a distance defining the height of said block, said bottom surface shaped to rest on the top surface of a lower block in the same column as said block such that a relatively coplanar, vertical relationship results between said block and the lower block; opposing side surfaces having grooves shaped to accept portions of said ribs; wherein said vertical columns are arranged adjacently with each other and aligned by said beams; wherein the structure rests on said top surfaces of the top block of each of said columns, causing the wall to support a predetermined percentage of the weight of the structure. 36. The system of claim 12, wherein said bracket rear wall extends downwardly a greater distance than said bracket front wall. 37. The system of claim 12 wherein said bracket rear wall extends laterally a greater distance than said bracket front wall. 38. The system of claim 11 wherein said walls further comprise corners comprising: two of said columns of blocks constructed and arranged to abut with each other to form an angle on the order of 90 degrees; at least one fastener holding said columns in place relative to each other. 39. The system of claim 38 wherein one of said columns comprises a plurality of said blocks, which have been split to form a broken side surface. 40. The system of claim 38 wherein said fastener comprises a peg. 41. The system of claim 38 wherein said fastener comprises an adhesive. 42. The system of claim 38 wherein said fastener comprises a screw. 43. The system of claim 38 wherein said fastener comprises a peg and an adhesive in combination. 44. The system of 41 wherein said adhesive further comprises construction mastic. 45. A mortarless wall structure comprising: a plurality of elongate beams, each of the beams comprising: a web; a rib extending laterally from the web; and, a leg structure extending from the beam so as to permit the beam to be secured to a supporting structure; a plurality of blocks arranged in at least one column, each of the blocks comprising: a front face; a rear face separated from the front face by a distance defining the depth of the block; a top surface; a bottom surface separated from the top surface by a distance defining the height of the block, the bottom surface shaped to rest on the top surface of a lower block in the same column as the block such that a relatively coplanar, vertical relationship results between the block and the lower block; opposing side surfaces having grooves shaped to accept portions of the at least one rib; wherein the vertical columns are arranged adjacent to each other to form the walls such that the side surfaces of adjacent vertical columns oppose each other; wherein the support beams are constructed and arranged to be received between the columns in the grooves and thereby providing support to the columns of the wall. 46. The mortarless wall structure of claim 45 wherein said leg structure further comprises: a leg portion that extends away from the beam a predetermined distance sufficient to space the blocks forming the wall structure a predetermined distance away from the support structure; and, a foot portion extending from the leg portion and constructed and arranged to permit the beam to be securely fastened to the support structure. 47. The mortarless wall structure of claim 46 wherein the beam has extending therefrom a single leg structure. 47. The mortarless wall structure of claim 46 wherein the beam has extending therefrom a single leg structure that is offset from the web of the beam. 48. The mortarless wall structure of claim 46 wherein the beam has extending therefrom two leg structures. 49. The mortarless wall structure of claim 46 wherein said beams further comprise: a first pair of ribs extending from said web, and a second pair of ribs extending from said web, wherein said first pair of ribs is separated from said second pair of ribs by a distance defined as the span of said ribs. 50. The mortarless wall structure of claim 46 wherein said beams further comprise: a single rib extending from said web, and a pair of ribs extending from said web, wherein the single rib is separated from the pair of ribs by a distance defined as the span of said ribs. 1. A mortarless wall structure comprising: a plurality of elongate beams, each of the beams comprising two block engagement structures spaced apart and coupled together by a spacer, the block engagement structures further comprising: a web; and, a rib extending laterally from the web; a plurality of blocks arranged to form a plurality of columns, each of the blocks comprising: a front face; a rear face separated from the front face by a distance defining the depth of the block; a top surface; a bottom surface separated from the top surface by a distance defining the height of the block, the bottom surface shaped to rest on the top surface of a lower block in the same column as the block such that a relatively coplanar, vertical relationship results between the block and the lower block; and, opposing side surfaces having grooves shaped to accept portions of the at least one rib; wherein the vertical columns are arranged so as to form a front face and a back face of the wall structure, the columns of the respective faces being further arranged such that the side surfaces of adjacent vertical columns oppose each other, the elongate beams being constructed and arranged such that a first block engaging structure of the elongate beam engages the grooves of adjacent columns of the front face of the wall structure and the remaining block engaging structure of the elongate beam engages the grooves of adjacent columns of the back face of the wall structure, thereby coupling the front and back faces. 52. The mortarless wall structure of claim 51 further comprising a cap. 53. The mortarless wall structure of claim 51 wherein a space formed between the front and back faces of the wall structure is filled with one of the group comprising: earth; gravel; sand; concrete; and, insulation. 54. A mortarless wall structure comprising: a plurality of elongate beams, each of the beams comprising an elongate post having a block engagement structure affixed thereto, the block engagement structure further comprising: a web; and, a rib extending laterally from the web; a plurality of blocks arranged to form a plurality of columns, each of the blocks comprising: a front face; a rear face separated from the front face by a distance defining the depth of the block; a top surface; a bottom surface separated from the top surface by a distance defining the height of the block, the bottom surface shaped to rest on the top surface of a lower block in the same column as the block such that a relatively coplanar, vertical relationship results between the block and the lower block; and, opposing side surfaces having grooves shaped to accept portions of the at least one rib; wherein the vertical columns are arranged so as to form a wall face such that the side surfaces of adjacent vertical columns oppose each other, the elongate beams being constructed and arranged such that the block engaging structure of the elongate beam engages the grooves of adjacent columns of the wall face. 55. The mortarless wall structure of claim 54 wherein the post of the elongate beam is solid in cross-section. 56. The mortarless wall structure of claim 55 wherein the solid post of the elongate beam is secured directly to a wall support structure. 57. The mortarless wall structure of claim 54 wherein the post of the elongate beam is hollow in cross-section. 58. The mortarless wall structure of claim 57 wherein the hollow post of the elongate beam received over a structural member secured to a wall support structure. 59. The mortarless wall structure of claim 45 further comprising a bead of waterproofing material laid down on the top surface of each block to form a substantially water tight seal between the top surface of each block and the bottom surface of the next highest block in the column.

Inventors: PRICE RAYMOND R, PRICE, RAYMOND, R.
Applicants: ALLIANCE CONCRETE PRODUCTS INC, PRICE RAYMOND R, ALLIANCE CONCRETE PRODUCTS, INC., PRICE, RAYMOND, R.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: E04B2
IPC codes: E04B1, E04B2, E04F13