Patent ID: 8091303

Claim:
A building block having translucent properties, comprising; a first boundary surface and a second oppositely oriented boundary surface spaced from the first boundary surface, a plurality of discrete translucent members extending between the first and second boundary surfaces and being spaced from one another, the translucent members being rods which are generally parallel to one another and having opposite ends that terminate generally at the first and second boundary surfaces when the building block is cast so that the opposite ends are visually apparent when the building block is viewed from outside the block, at least one retainer structure extending in a transverse direction relative to the translucent members and being positioned between the first and second boundary surfaces and the plurality of translucent members being connected so as to extend from opposite sides of the at least one retainer structure so as to thereby form one discrete group of translucent members having open spaces there between, the at least one retainer structure having a plurality of openings there through which are spaced between the plurality of translucent members such that, prior to casting of the building block, open spaces on opposite sides of the at least one retainer structure communicate with one another through said openings, the building block being formed by a self solidifying casting material filling the open spaces between the translucent members and the plurality of openings through the at least one retention structure, the translucent members have sufficient rigidity to preserve their positions under the effect of forces applied by a casting of the cast material , and the plurality of translucent members and the at least one retention structure forming a mechanical structure embedded within the building block.