Abstract:
Construction blocks include transversely disposed first and second end walls, longitudinally disposed first and second sidewalls, and longitudinally disposed top and bottom walls. A recess is formed in a first end wall, a protuberance is formed in a second end wall and the recess receives the protuberance when the blocks are laid end-to-end. A longitudinally-extending protuberance is formed in the top wall, and a longitudinally-extending recess is formed in the bottom wall and receives the top wall protuberance when the blocks are vertically stacked. A pair of parallel, longitudinally-extending ledges is formed in the top wall of each block by the top wall protuberance and each ledge receives an associated bottom edge of a sidewall when the blocks are vertically stacked.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates, generally, to cement blocks having general utility as building materials and having enhanced utility as building materials in earthquake zones, enhanced resistance to wind forces, and enhanced impact resistance. More particularly, it relates to cement blocks that are very light in weight and which have several features that facilitate construction with such blocks. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Conventional concrete or cement blocks are 15⅝″ long×7⅝″ wide by 7⅝″ tall. They occupy about 0.83 square feet and 0.53 cubic feet. Although they are relatively small, they are heavy and difficult to work with. 
     Thus there is a need for a cement block that is lighter in weight than a conventional block and which is therefore easier to work with and safer for use in earthquake zones, has enhanced resistance to wind forces, and enhanced impact resistance. 
     Conventional blocks have no alignment aids. Alignment therefore depends upon the skill of the installer. 
     Thus there is a need for a cement block having alignment aids to thereby reduce the skill required to align the blocks as needed. 
     Conventional blocks have two (2) square cells that require more concrete when filled. 
     Thus there is a need for a cement block that eliminates the two (2) square cells of conventional blocks. 
     Conventional blocks also have no horizontal channels for concrete, thereby making installation more difficult. 
     Thus there is a need for an improved block having horizontal channels for concrete. 
     Conventional blocks are also difficult to install because they lack offset grooves for horizontal rebar. 
     There is a need, therefore, for a block having offset grooves for rebar, thereby facilitating installation of the blocks. 
     However, in view of the prior art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that conventional cement blocks were in need of improvement, and therefore it was not obvious how to improve the conventional blocks. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The long-standing but heretofore unfulfilled need for a light-in-weight construction block that facilitates construction and which is resistant to earthquakes is now met by a new, useful, and non-obvious invention. 
     Various embodiments of the novel construction block may comprise a first wall comprising a recessed area and a second end wall comprising a protruded area. The recessed area may be adapted to at least partially receive the first end wall protruded area therein when a first block is disposed in an end-to-end relation to a second block. The block may further comprise top and bottom walls. The top wall may comprise a protruded area and the bottom wall may comprise a channel that is adapted to at least partially receive the top wall protruded area therein when a first block is disposed in overlying relation to a second block. In addition, the block may comprise first and second side walls extending from the top wall to the bottom wall. Further, the block may comprises ledges formed in the top wall at an intersection of the top wall and each of the first and second side walls. The ledges may be adapted to receive bottom edges of the first and second side walls when a first block is disposed in overlying relation to a second block. 
     Additional embodiments of the construction block may comprise first and second end walls. At least a portion of one of the end walls may comprise a protrusion and at least a portion of the other end wall may comprise a recess adapted to receive the end wall protrusion therein when two blocks are disposed in an end-to-end relation to one another. The block may also comprise a top wall, at least a portion of which comprises a protrusion, and a bottom wall, at least a portion of which comprises a channel. The channel may be adapted to receive the top wall protrusion when two blocks are in overlying relation to one another. The block may further comprise first and second side walls extending from the top wall to the bottom wall. In addition, the block may comprise at least one bore extending from the top wall to the bottom wall and in communication with the channel to form a continuous hollow space within the block. 
     In still further embodiments, the construction block comprises transversely disposed first and second end walls disposed in parallel, longitudinally spaced apart relation to one another. The block may further comprise longitudinally disposed first and second sidewalls disposed in parallel, transversely spaced apart relation to one another and having a common length equal to the spacing between the first and second end walls and being formed integrally with the first and second end walls. Longitudinally disposed top and bottom walls may be disposed in parallel relation to one another and spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance determined by a common height of the first and second sidewalls. The top and bottom walls may be formed integrally with the first and second sidewalls, and the top and bottom walls may be formed integrally with the first and second end walls. The block may also comprise a first end wall recessed relative to a first end of the block and a second end wall protruded relative to a second end of the block. The bottom wall may be recessed relative to a bottom edge of the sidewalls. A longitudinally-extending protrusion may be formed in the top wall and may have a width less than a width of the block. A pair of parallel, longitudinally-extending ledges may be formed in each block by the top wall protrusion. 
     The primary object of this invention is to provide a construction block that is keyed to interlock with adjacent (in both horizontal and vertical directions) blocks of the same design to facilitate construction. 
     A closely related object is to provide a cement block that is much lighter-in-weight than conventional cement blocks. 
     Still another object is to produce blocks that are substantially larger than conventional blocks so that fewer blocks are needed to complete a construction project. 
     These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this disclosure proceeds. 
     The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the disclosure set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed disclosure, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a novel block; 
         FIG. 2  is an end elevation view depicting a first novel block positioned atop a second novel block; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view from a first end wall of a novel block; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view from a second end wall of a novel block; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a plurality of the novel blocks in interconnected relation to one another. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The top wall and bottom wall of a conventional concrete masonry unit, also called concrete brick, concrete block, cement block, besser block, breeze block and cinder block, are flat and generally have a width of seven and five-eighths inches (7⅝″) and a length of fifteen and five-eighths inches (15⅝″). Conventional flat top and bottom walls of confronting, vertically stacked blocks are spaced apart from one another by a layer of concrete. The blocks are not keyed to one another due to their respective flat surfaces and their proper alignment is thus the responsibility of the block layer. 
     Each novel block  100  has six (6) walls (top and bottom walls, first and second end walls, and two sidewalls), like conventional blocks, but four (4) of them are sculpted. 
     More particularly, referring to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the first and second end walls, denoted  105  and  110 , respectively, are sculpted to facilitate the longitudinal alignment of blocks  100 , i.e., the sculpting of the first end wall  105  enables the first end wall  105  to key into the sculpting of a second end wall  110  of its longitudinally contiguous block. The first end wall  105  protrudes with respect to a conventional end wall forming protrusion  115 , and the second end wall  110  is recessed with respect to a conventional end wall forming recess  120 . The alternating protrusions  115  and recesses  120  enables the novel blocks  100  to interlock with one another when laid end to end, i.e., with each recess  120  receiving each protrusion  115  (for example, see  FIG. 5 ). The recess  120  may partially or fully receive the protrusion  115  as needed for a particular design. For example, when an essentially flush design is desired, the recess  120  may fully receive the protrusion, allowing the first end wall  105  to contact the second end wall  110  of blocks laid end-to-end. Alternately, the design may require a gap between adjacent blocks  100 , and the recess  120  may be sized (i.e., a depth of the recess  120 ) to only partially receive the protrusion  115  therein. 
     As illustrated in the Figures, both the protrusion  115  and the recess  120  have a generally rectangular shape. The shape of the protrusion  115  and the recess  120  may vary in different embodiments. For example, the protrusion  115  and the recess  120  may be oval, square, rectangular, triangular, or any other regular or irregular shape known in the art. However, testing has demonstrated that the rectangular shape illustrated in the Figures allows quick and easy alignment of the blocks  100  and is generally easier to manufacture than other shapes. The fact that the Figures only show rectangularly shaped protrusions  115  and recesses  120  is merely for convenience and does not imply any limitations on the design of the protrusion  115  and the recess  120  in various embodiments. 
     As depicted in  FIG. 2 , top and bottom walls  125  and  205 , respectively, may be sculpted to facilitate the vertical stacking of blocks  100 , i.e., the sculpting of the top wall  125  and the bottom wall  205  enables the top wall  125  to key into the sculpting of bottom wall  205 . The sculpting of the top wall  125  forms a protrusion  215  generally extending from the first side wall  105  to the second side wall  110 . The sculpting of the bottom wall  205  forms a channel  210  generally extending from the first end wall  105  to the second end wall  110 . Although the Figures illustrate the channel  210  extending through each end wall  105 ,  110 , various embodiments may comprise a channel  210  contained entirely within the end walls  105 ,  110  such that ends of the channel  210  do not extend through the end walls  105 ,  110 . 
     The protrusion  215  of top wall  125  positions an upper surface of the top wall  125  about half an inch (½″) above the uppermost edge of unsculpted sidewalls  140 ,  145 . The protrusion  215  of the top wall  125  may have a width less than the width of the block  100  and may be centered with respect to a longitudinal axis of symmetry of the block  100 , thereby creating longitudinally extending ledges  145 ,  150  of equal width. Each ledge  145 ,  150  may have the width of a sidewall  135 ,  140  so that the sidewalls  135 ,  140  of contiguous blocks  100  are flush with one another when blocks  100  are vertically stacked with respect to one another. The ledges  145 ,  150  and the sidewalls  135 ,  140  supported by them are therefore keyed to one another, thereby further facilitating flush vertical stacking of the novel blocks  100 . 
     The channel  210  is formed in the bottom wall  205  and may have a height or depth of about six inches (6″). While other heights, both less than six inches and greater than six inches are within the scope of the present disclosure, experimentation has shown that a height of about six inches provides adequate room for concrete or other filler material to flow through the block as described in more detail below. The protrusion  215  is received within the channel  210  when blocks  100  are vertically stacked but most of the channel is unoccupied and filled with air, thereby further lightening each block without adversely affecting its structural integrity. 
     Two circular bores  155 ,  160  may extend vertically through the block  100  from the top wall  125  to the bottom wall  205 . Each of the bores  155 ,  160  may extend through the bottom wall  205  to the channel  210  thereby forming a continuous hollow space within the block  100 . As illustrated in the Figures, each block  100  comprises two bores  155 ,  160 . In various embodiments, the blocks  100  may comprise other numbers of bores, such as one, three, four, etc. However, testing has shown that the two-bore arrangement facilitates filling the hollow space with concrete or other filler material as described in more detail below, while simultaneously reducing the weight of the block  100 . When the blocks  100  are stacked in a typical arrangement between rows as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the blocks  100  may be offset by half the length of a block  100  from the previous row. Thus, in this arrangement bore  155  would align with bore  160  of the block  100  below it forming a continuous vertical passage through the structure. 
     Similarly, the shape of each bore  155 ,  160  may vary in different embodiments. For example, the bores  155 ,  160  may be oval, square, rectangular, triangular, or any other regular or irregular shape known in the art. The fact that the Figures only show two bores  155 ,  160  in each block  100  is merely for convenience and does not imply any limitations on the design of the bores  155 ,  160  in various embodiments. 
     The bores of conventional blocks as well as the novel blocks  100  of the present disclosure may be filled with concrete or other filler material during construction of a structure. The circular bore  155 ,  160  design of the present disclosure would require approximately 21 percent less filler material than a conventional block with square bores that would circumscribe the circular bores  155 ,  160 , resulting in a material and labor savings when constructing a structure with the novel blocks  100 . 
     A rebar-receiving channel  130  may be formed in each top wall  125  and may extend either coincident with or parallel to a longitudinal axis of symmetry of the block  100 . As each row of blocks  100  is laid as depicted in  FIG. 5 , rebar may be placed within the rebar-receiving channel  130 , then the next vertical row of blocks  100  may be laid. Once the hollow space is filled, the rebar will aid in forming a stronger structure. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the rebar-receiving channel  130  may be offset from the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the block  100 . While any positioning of the rebar-receiving channel  130  in the top wall  125  is within the scope of the present disclosure, a slight offset facilitates flow of cement or other filler material into the hollow space within the blocks  100 . Similarly, the shape of the rebar-receiving channel  130  may be straight, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , or any other shape known in the art to accommodate non-straight rebar such as curved, zig-zag, etc. Additional rebar may be placed within the bores  155 ,  160  and the channel  210  as necessary for the load bearing requirements of the structure. 
     Sidewalls  135 ,  140  are generally not sculpted so that when the blocks  100  are assembled, the flat side walls  135 ,  140  collectively provide a flat wall on both the exterior and interior of the structure. The sidewalls of conventional blocks are also not sculpted but conventional blocks lack the keys and keyways provided by the novel blocks  100  to easily and quickly align the sidewalls  135 ,  140 . 
     Each wall of the novel block  100  has a larger size than its conventional counterpart. 
     The sidewalls of a conventional cement block are flat and have a height of seven and five-eights inches (7⅝″) and a length of fifteen and five-eighths inches (15⅝″) as aforesaid, thereby occupying a two-dimensional area of about 0.83 square feet. Sidewalls  135 ,  140  of the novel blocks  100  have a height of approximately sixteen inches (16″) and are approximately twenty-four inches (24″) in length, thereby occupying a two-dimensional area of about 2.67 square feet which is more than three times the area covered by a conventional block. Thus, two walls of equal size, when constructed of the novel blocks  100 , will require about one-third as many blocks as conventional construction, and can be constructed about three to five times faster. 
     The shape of the novel blocks  100  makes them resistant to earthquake damage. Significantly, each block  100  is very light in weight and is more flexible than a conventional cement block and is therefore less likely to collapse during an earthquake. These same properties also provide the block  100  with increased resistance to wind forces and increased impact resistance. If a block  100  does falls on the occupant of a structure during an earthquake, any injury may be less severe than that caused by a falling conventional block. 
     The novel blocks  100  are stacked and stucco may be applied to them in the same way as conventional (heavy) concrete blocks. The size and weight is such that each block  100  can be easily lifted overhead and manually set on top of other stacked blocks  100 . The blocks  100  are self-aligning due to the above-disclosed sculpting and may be tacked together with standard non-expanding foam. 
     When the blocks  100  are assembled as shown in  FIG. 5 , a vertically-extending and horizontally-extending internal grid of hollow space is formed throughout the structure by the intersecting bores  155 ,  160  and channels  210 . As the structure is assembled, rebar may be placed vertically and/or horizontally within this internal grid. The internal grid hollow space may then be filled with concrete, grout, cementitious material, or other material known in the art, thereby tying the wall together both horizontally and vertically to form a solid, load-bearing structure. 
     GLOSSARY OF CLAIM TERMS 
     Bore means a hollow space extending from and through the top wall to the bottom wall. 
     Channel means a hollow space extending generally from end wall to end wall. 
     Construction block means blocks that may be stacked in rows on top of one another to form a structure. 
     End-to-end relation means positioned end wall to end wall such that the end walls are generally touching. 
     Longitudinal means related to the length of the block (i.e., extending in the direction from end wall to end wall). 
     Overlying relation means stacked upon one another. 
     Protruded area or protrusion means a portion of a wall that extends outward from an otherwise flat wall. 
     Recessed area or recess means a portion of a wall that indented from an otherwise flat wall. 
     Transverse means related to the width of the block (i.e., extending in the direction from side wall to side wall). 
     It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing disclosure, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing disclosure or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein disclosed, and all statements of the scope of the invention that, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.