U.S. patent application number 11/595580 was filed with the patent office on 2008-05-15 for dimensionally compatible stone fabrication system.
Invention is credited to Dustin Brown, Robert Brown.
Application Number | 20080110116 11/595580 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39367838 |
Filed Date | 2008-05-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080110116 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brown; Dustin ; et
al. |
May 15, 2008 |
Dimensionally compatible stone fabrication system
Abstract
A system for manufacturing stones for use in construction such
that the manufactured stones may be easily used in conjunction and
alongside compressed earth blocks. The manufactured stones have a
plurality of surfaces, wherein at least one of the surfaces
includes a simulated-stone appearance and a length and/or height
which are determined based on dimension equations derived at least
in part from compatibility factors, which may be based on the
dimensions of a compressed earth block.
Inventors: |
Brown; Dustin; (Knoxville,
TN) ; Brown; Robert; (Knoxville, TN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LUEDEKA, NEELY & GRAHAM, P.C.
P O BOX 1871
KNOXVILLE
TN
37901
US
|
Family ID: |
39367838 |
Appl. No.: |
11/595580 |
Filed: |
November 10, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/315 ; 52/596;
52/747.12 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04C 1/395 20130101;
E04B 2002/0269 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/315 ; 52/596;
52/747.12 |
International
Class: |
E04C 1/00 20060101
E04C001/00 |
Claims
1. A manufactured stone for use in building a wall, the stone
having a plurality of surfaces, wherein at least one of the
surfaces includes a natural stone appearance, the stone having a
length and a height, at least one of which is determined based on a
compatibility factor to insure dimensional compatibility of the
stone in relation to contiguous stones of substantially different
lengths and/or heights for being fittingly arranged in relation to
one another and/or to non-stone building materials used in the
construction of a wall therefrom.
2. The manufactured stone of claim 1 wherein the compatibility
factor is used to derive at least one equation which substantially
determines the dimension of at least one of the length or
height.
3. The manufactured stone of claim 1 wherein the length dimension
is substantially determined based on the following equation:
L(N)=(N/2)(CFL)+[(N/2)-1][MW] wherein L is the length of the
manufactured stone and is a function of N, an integer variable
ranging from one to about eight, CFL is the compatibility factor
for the length, and MW is a mortar width.
4. The manufactured stone of claim 3 wherein the compatibility
factor for the length is substantially equal to a length of a
compressed earth block.
5. The manufactured stone of claim 3 wherein the compatibility
factor for the length is substantially equal to eight inches.
6. The manufactured stone of claim 1 wherein the height dimension
is substantially determined based on the following equation:
H(N)=(N/2)(CFH)+[(N/2)-1][MW] wherein H is the length of the
manufactured stone and is a function of N, an integer variable
ranging from one to about eight, CFH is the compatibility factor
for the height, and MW is a mortar width.
7. The manufactured stone of claim 3 wherein the compatibility
factor for the height is substantially equal to a height of a
compressed earth block.
8. The manufactured stone of claim 3 wherein the compatibility
factor for the height is substantially equal to 2.25 inches.
9. The manufactured stone of claim 1 wherein the manufactured stone
comprises a crushed stone material, such that the manufactured
stone has a substantially constant color and consistency
throughout.
10. A wall comprising a plurality of manufactured stone blocks each
having a plurality of surfaces, wherein at least one of the
surfaces includes a natural stone appearance, and a plurality of
non-stone building units, wherein the plurality of manufactured
stones are dimensionally compatible with and substantially adjacent
to the plurality of non-stone building units.
11. The wall of claim 10, wherein the manufactured stone blocks
have a plurality of length and/or height dimensions, and further
wherein the length and/or height dimensions are determined based on
a compatibility factor which is derived from at least one of a
length or a height of the non-stone building units.
12. The wall of claim 11 wherein the height dimensions of the
manufactured stone blocks are substantially determined based on the
following equation: H(N)=(N/2)(CFH)+[(N/2)-1][MW] wherein H is the
length of the manufactured stone blocks and is a function of N, an
integer variable ranging from one to about eight, CFH is the
compatibility factor for the height, and MW is a mortar width.
13. The wall of claim 11 wherein the length dimensions of the
manufactured stone blocks are substantially determined based on the
following equation: L(N)=(N/2)(CFL)+[(N/2)-1][MW] wherein L is the
length of the manufactured stone blocks and is a function of N, an
integer variable ranging from one to about eight, CFL is the
compatibility factor for the length, and MW is a mortar width.
14. The wall of claim 10, wherein a portion of the plurality of
manufactured stone blocks are interleaved with the non-stone
building units.
15. The wall of claim 10, wherein sections of manufactured stone
blocks are interspersed with sections of non-stone building units
to provide a variegated appearance to the wall.
16. A method for building a wall using a plurality of manufactured
stones the method comprising: (a) choosing at least one
compatibility factor corresponding to at least one of a length or a
height of a compressed earth block; (b) deriving at least one
dimension equation based at least in part on the compatibility
factor; (c) manufacturing a plurality of manufactured stones based
at least in part on the derived dimension equation; and (d)
building a wall using the plurality of manufactured stones.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing a plurality
of compressed earth blocks, and wherein the step of building the
wall comprises assembling the plurality of compressed earth blocks
adjacent the manufactured stones.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein the lengths of the plurality of
manufactured stones are substantially determined based on the
following equation: L(N)=(N/2)(CFL)+[(N/2)-1][MW] wherein L is the
length of the manufactured stone and is a function of N, an integer
variable ranging from one to about eight, CFL is the compatibility
factor for the length, and MW is a mortar width.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein the heights of the plurality of
manufactured stones are substantially determined based on the
following equation: H(N)=(N/2)(CFH)+[(N/2)-1][MW] wherein H is the
length of the manufactured stone and is a function of N, an integer
variable ranging from one to about eight, CFH is the compatibility
factor for the height, and MW is a mortar width.
20. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing a plurality
of compressed earth blocks, and wherein the step of building the
wall comprises assembling the a portion of the plurality the
manufactured stones interspersed among the plurality of compressed
earth blocks.
Description
FIELD
[0001] This invention relates to the field of building materials.
More particularly, this invention relates to crushed stone building
systems.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
[0002] Historically, construction of walls, interior and exterior,
has implemented numerous building methods and materials. Ancient
societies such as the Ancient Egyptians and the Sumarians are
believed to have initiated large-scale manufacture of bricks with a
systematic approach using engineered dimensions for wall
construction and other types of building.
[0003] Conventional bricks, also called compressed earth blocks
(CEBs), in use today are typically ceramic blocks made of
kiln-fired materials, such as clay. On a small scale, clay bricks
are formed in a mold, which is called the soft mud method, and on a
large, commercial scale, clay bricks are made by extruding clay
through a die and wire-cutting the bricks, which is called the
stiff mud process. Sometimes the clay is mixed with water and these
dampened clay bricks are subjected to high pressures. Such bricks
are highly resistant to weathering and therefore well-suited for
construction of exterior walls. The shaped clay is dried and fired
to achieve the final brick shape with the desired strength. The
firing process is usually done by a continuously fired kiln, in
which the bricks move slowly through the firing on a conveyor belt
or the like. This enables production of an essentially indefinite
number of bricks which exhibit consistent physical
characteristics.
[0004] Other types of building materials are sometimes used for
wall construction, including wood, vinyl, stucco, and/or stones.
For many years stones or natural rocks were thought by many in the
building trade to be superior to bricks both functionally and
aesthetically. However, stones for use in wall construction are
typically heavier than bricks and must normally be sculpted into
the proper shape. Some prefer stone walls because the stones are
shaped and colored more naturally and randomly, and provide less of
an "assembly-line" look, and more aesthetically pleasing look.
However, using such irregular shapes in construction of a wall
introduces difficulties in addition to regular building
considerations. For example, irregular shapes may require
individual stones to be broken/sculpted in order to finish the
corner or side of a wall or to fit with other stones in the
construction of a wall. However, this is very difficult,
time-consuming, and wasteful because stones and rocks tend to break
and crack irregularly. For this and other reasons, the commercial
success of "natural" stone walls remains limited, despite their
aesthetic, functional, and other advantages.
[0005] Attempts have been made to produce manufactured stone walls
which do not require the use of sculpted or reshaped stones. Such
attempts have comprised cast stone "tiles" which are cast from
aggregate and/or ground stone and are plastered to the sides of a
building to provide the illusion of natural stone walls. However,
such stone tiles are not easily used in conjunction with
conventional bricks.
[0006] A recent trend in home building involves the use of varying
external materials to build a single wall, such as areas of brick
and areas of wood paneling and/or areas of brick and areas of stone
all in one wall surface. However, there is no known method of
effectively combining bricks and stones in the production of a
wall. The regularity of bricks and the irregularity of stones makes
it very difficult to integrate the two into a single wall
structure, even with the use of the aforementioned manufactured
stone tiles.
[0007] Further, unlike the stone tiles, conventional bricks are
laid on top of each other a certain distance from the side of a
building to create a brick wall. The space between the bricks and
the side of the building has the advantage of acting as an
insulating space. Such a space is not possible with stone tiles,
which are plastered to the side of a building. Accordingly, it is
desirable to provide a wall with a stone appearance which enjoys
such insulating properties.
[0008] In relation to the above and other needs, the present
invention include a manufactured stone for use in building a wall,
the manufactured stone having a plurality of surfaces, wherein at
least one of the surfaces includes a simulated-stone appearance and
having a length, a height, and a depth, and wherein at least one of
the length, height, and depth are determined based at least on a
compatibility factor. The compatibility factor is used to derive a
dimension equation for the length, height, and depth and the
dimension equations are used to fabricate the manufactured stone
blocks.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Further advantages of the invention will become known by
reference to the detailed description when considered in
conjunction with the figures, which are not to scale so as to more
clearly show certain details, wherein like reference numbers
indicate like elements throughout the several views, and
wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a block such as a compressed earth
block or a manufactured stone.
[0011] FIG. 2A is a diagram of a manufactured aggregate stone.
[0012] FIG. 2B is a diagram of a manufactured aggregate stone
having a broken corner illustrating a non-uniform aggregate stone
consistency.
[0013] FIG. 3 shows a front view of an embodiment of a wall made
with manufactured stones.
[0014] FIG. 4A and 4B a corner view and side view, respectively, of
an embodiment of a wall made with manufactured stones.
[0015] FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D are diagrams of comparisons of
manufactured stones with compressed earth blocks.
[0016] FIGS. 6A and 6B show comparisons between manufactured stones
and compressed earth blocks.
[0017] FIG. 7 shows a portion of a wall made with manufactured
stones and compressed earth blocks.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for using
manufactured stones to build a wall.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] Referring now to FIG. 1, a diagram of a block such as a
compressed earth brick or a manufactured stone block 14 is shown.
It is helpful to define portions of a block 14 in order to discuss
the use of the blocks 14 in the building of a wall. The length 26
is typically the longest of the three dimensions. The length, along
with the height 28, define a front and rear face 38 of the block
14. The depth 30 and the height 28 define two side faces 40 of the
block 14. Finally, the length 26 and the depth 30 define upper 42
and lower faces 44 of the block 14. The front and rear faces 38 and
the side faces 40 are typically used on a face of a wall as
discussed below. The two side faces 40 have substantially the same
dimensions and the front and the rear faces 38 have substantially
the same dimensions. Therefore, the phrase front face 38 refers to
either the front face or the rear face, and the phrase side face 40
refers to either of the side faces.
[0020] Crushed stone or an aggregate mixture, or other material
suitable for creating simulated-stone blocks, may be used for the
manufactured stone blocks 22. Referring now to FIG. 2A, an
aggregate stone block 10 is shown. The aggregate stone block 22 has
pieces of stone 12 dispersed throughout the body of the aggregate
stone block 22. These pieces of stone 12 are irregular in shape and
are dispersed throughout the aggregate stone block 14 in varying
consistencies. An unfinished face 16 of the aggregate stone block
22 is shown in FIG. 2A, which reveals the pieces of stone 12 used
to construct the aggregate stone block 22. A finished face 18 of
the aggregate stone block 22 is shown in FIG. 2B. The upper
right-hand corner of the aggregate stone block 22 has been chipped
from the brick and is referred to as a chipped surface 20. The
coloration, texture, shape, and many other characteristics of the
finished face 18 differ greatly from those of the chipped surface
20 or the unfinished face 16 (FIG. 2A). Thus, although either
aggregate or crushed stone may be used for the present invention,
aggregate stone blocks are less desirable than crushed stone
blocks, which have a substantially constant coloration and texture
throughout.
[0021] Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4A, and 4B, a wall 24 made from
manufactured stone blocks 22 is shown. The manufactured stone
blocks 22 each have a length 26, a height 28, and a depth 30.
Typically, the depth 30 of the manufactured stone blocks 22 remains
substantially constant. In the figures, the depth 30 of several
manufactured stone blocks 22 may be seen at the corner 36 of the
wall 24 between the front face 38 and the side face 40. As
illustrated, in order to increase the stability of the wall 24, the
manufactured stone blocks may alternately face the front face 38
and then the side face 40 as they proceed upward from the
ground.
[0022] As shown, the manufactured stone blocks 22 making up the
front face 38 of the wall 24 may vary in shape and dimensions.
However, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, both the
length 26 and the height 28 are based on compatibility factors. The
compatibility factors allows the maker of the manufactured stone
blocks 22 to fabricate numerous shapes and sizes of manufactured
stone blocks 22 that may be used in conjunction with one another to
build a stable, well organized wall 24. The dimensions of the
manufactured stone blocks 22 are proportional so that various sizes
of manufactured stone blocks 22 may be used in conjunction to build
a wall 24. This provides improved structural integrity and support,
but also a desired seemingly disorderly and more natural appearing
organization of the manufactured stone blocks 22 on the wall
24.
[0023] The compatibility factors are preferably determined based on
the dimensions of the classic clay brick, sometimes referred to as
a compressed earth block ("CEB"). The dimensions of a compressed
earth block in the United States typically include a length 26 of
about eight (8) inches, a height 28 of about two and one quarter
(2.25) inches, and a depth 30 of about four (4) inches. Thus, the
compatibility factor for the length 26 is eight (8) inches in a
preferred embodiment. Also, the compatibility factor for the height
28 is two and a quarter (2.25) inches and the compatibility factor
for the depth 30 is four (4) inches and remains constant, that is,
the manufactured stones 22 are preferably manufactured with
dimensions at multiples of the compatibility factors for length 26
and height 28, but are manufactured at substantially the
compatibility factor for depth 30, which is substantially equal to
the depth 30 of a compressed earth block.
[0024] One motivation and advantage behind sizing manufactured
stone blocks 22 based on their CEB counterparts is that the
manufactured stone blocks 22 and the CEBs may be easily used in
conjunction if their shapes are proportional. With reference to
FIG. 7, a wall 24 built from both manufactured stone blocks 22 and
CEBs 50 is shown, which was previously unfeasible.
[0025] Mathematical relationships discussed below relate the
dimensions of the CEBs 50 to the dimensions of the manufactured
stone blocks (MB) 22 and may be used in the manufacture of
manufactured stone blocks 22. The manufactured stone block 22
dimensions are represented by the functions L(N), H(N) and D for
length as a function of N, height as a function of N, and depth,
respectively. The relationships between the dimensions of the
manufactured stone blocks 22 and the CEBs 50 may be understood with
reference to FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D. With references to these
figures, "N" represents an integer variable indicating the relative
size of the MB 22. For example, regarding length, for an N=1, two
of the resulting MB 22 match one CEB 50 or in other words, one MB
22 matches one-half a CEB 50. For an N=2, one of the resulting MBs
22 match one CEB 50. For an N=3, one of the MBs 22 matches about
one and a half CEBs 50. This is demonstrated with reference to FIG.
5A, which illustrates two CEBs 50 and four MBs 22. The lengths of
the CEBs 50 are referred to as CEBL and are represented by 52. The
lengths 58 of the manufactured stone blocks 22 are represented by
L(N=1).
[0026] The lengths 58 of the MBs 22 are not simply half of the
length 52 of the CEB. One must account for the mortar or similar
substance used for setting the CEBs 50 and MBs 22 in place. The
width of the mortar (MW) is represented by 54 and is preferably
about half an inch. Thus, the length 58 of an MB 22 in order to fit
two MBs for every one CEB (also referred to as the first size of
MBs) is represented by the equation as follows:
L=(1/2)(CEBL)-(1/2)(MW).
[0027] Referring now to FIG. 5B, the second size of MBs 22 is
compared to CEBs 50. The length 58 of the MBs 22 in this figure may
be represented by the equation as follows:
L=CEBL.
[0028] Referring now to FIG. 5C, the third size of MBs 22 is
compared to CEBs 50. The length 58 of the MBs 22 in this figure may
be represented by the equation as follows:
L=( 3/2)(CEBL)-(1/2)(MW).
[0029] Referring now to FIG. 5D, the fourth size of MBs 22 is
compared to CEBs 50. The length 58 of the MBs 22 in this figure may
be represented by the equation as follows:
L=(2)(CEBL)+MW.
[0030] The lengths 58 of the above sizes and the remaining sizes of
MBs may be represented by the equations compiled in TABLE 1
below.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Lengths of MBs for a Given Value of N N L N
= 1 L = (1/2)(CEBL) - (1/2)(MW) N = 2 L = CEBL N = 3 L =
(3/2)(CEBL) + (1/2)(MW) N = 4 L = (2)(CEBL) + MW N = 5 L =
(5/2)(CEBL) + (3/2)(MW) N = 6 L = (3)(CEBL) + (2)(MW) N = 7 L =
(7/2)(CEBL) + (5/2)(MW) N = 8 L = (4)(CEBL) + (3)(MW)
[0031] TABLE 1 compiles the various equations representing the
lengths 58 of MBs 22 corresponding to a particular value of the
integer variable N. These various equations, however, may be
represented by a simplified equation including N as a variable and
not a number as follows:
L(N)=(N/2)(CEBL)+[(N/2)-1][MW],
wherein L is a function of N and L is the length 58 of the MB 22, N
is an integer variable, CEBL is the compatibility factor for
length, which is preferably the length 52 of the CEB 50, and MW is
the mortar width, which represents the preferred width of any
mortar-like substance used to build the wall.
[0032] Similarly, the height 28 of the MBs 22 may be represented a
simplified equation as follows:
H(N)=(N/2)(CEBH)+[(N/2)-1][MW],
wherein H is a function of N and H is the height 28 of the MB 22, N
is an integer variable, CEBH is the compatibility factor for
height, which is preferably the height 28 of a CEB 50, and MW is
the mortar width, which represents the preferred width of any
mortar-like substance used to build the wall.
[0033] As discussed above, the depth of the MBs is preferably
constant and is represented by the equation as follows:
D=CEBD,
wherein D is a constant and represents the depth 30 of the MB 22
and CEBD,is the depth of the CEB 50.
[0034] In other embodiments, different compatibility factors may be
chosen and equations representing those compatibility factors may
be derived. For example, if CEBs from the United Kingdom were being
used in conjunction with MBs 22, the compatibility factors may be
CEBL=215 millimeters, CEBH=65 millimeters, and CEBD=102.5
millimeters, which are the standard dimensions of CEBs in the
United Kingdom. Thus, MBs could be manufactured according to the
derived equations and used in conjunction with United Kingdom CEBs
without the need for time consuming modification of MBs 22.
[0035] Referring now to FIGS. 6A and 6B MBs 22 are compared to CEBs
50 in various configurations. In comparison 62, a CEB 50, which is
broken in half length-wise, is compared to MBs 22. This comparison
represents L(N=1) as discussed regarding FIG. 5A above. Comparison
64 has a MB 22 placed above a CEB 50. This comparison represents
L(N=2) as discussed regarding FIG. 5B above. Also in comparison 64,
the MB 22 is compared to three CEBs 50, which is represented by
H(N=6) in the above equation. Comparison 66 shows a half-CEB and a
full CEB 50 underneath a MB 22, which is represented by L(N=3)
above. Comparison 68 shows a lengthwise comparison represented by
L(N=2) and a height-wise comparison represented by H(N=4).
Comparison 70 shows a height-wise comparison represented by H(N=8).
Comparison 72 shows a length-wise comparison of L(N=4). Comparison
72 also demonstrates the space left in between the CEBs 50, which
corresponds to the mortar width 54 as discussed regarding FIG. 5D
above. Comparison 74 shows a height-wise comparison where
H(N=6).
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 7, a wall 24 constructed from both
CEBs 50 and MBs 22 is shown. As illustrated, the MBs 22 are
manufactured such that their dimensions are compatible with the
dimensions of the CEBs 50. This is because the dimensions of the
MBs 22 are determined based on the dimensions of the CEBs 50 as
discussed above. A wall constructed from both CEBs 50 and MBs may
comprise two distinct sections, where one section consists entirely
of CEBs and the other section consists entirely of MBs, with a
transition between the two sections which is either straight,
interleaved, or otherwise uneven. However, in other alternate
embodiments, such as the wall shown in FIG. 7, a wall constructed
from both CEBs and MBs may be variegated, with individual MBs
and/or continuous or discontinuous sections of MBs interspersed
amongst individual CEBs and/or continuous or discontinuous sections
of CEBs; and having straight, interleaved, or otherwise uneven
transitions between the sections of blocks.
[0037] Further, in other alternate embodiments of the invention,
MBs may be used to construct a wall in conjunction with other
building materials, such as wood paneling or vinyl siding, where
certain dimensions of the building materials are used to derive the
compatibility factors and related equations for determining the
dimensions of MBs.
[0038] Referring now to FIG. 8, a flowchart of a method for using
MBs for building a wall with increased structural stability and
aesthetic design 100 is shown. First, compatibility factors are
chosen 46. Once the compatibility factors are chosen 46 for length
and height, and potentially depth, which are preferably based on
the dimensions of a CEB, equations representing the dimensions of
the MBs are derived 102. Next, the desired quantity of MBs is
manufactured with dimensions based on the derived equations 104.
The MBs are preferably crushed stone manufactured blocks but may be
aggregate stone blocks or other brick made from various stone
substitutes. Finally, the MBs are used to build a wall such as
those shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 7, which includes both MBs and
CEBs.
[0039] The foregoing description of embodiments for this invention
have been presented for purposes of illustration and description.
They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to
the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are
possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments are
chosen and described in an effort to provide the best illustrations
of the principles of the invention and its practical application,
and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize
the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications
as is suited to the particular use contemplated. All such
modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention
as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance
with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably
entitled.
* * * * *