U.S. patent application number 14/157184 was filed with the patent office on 2014-07-17 for insulated building block and wall structure.
The applicant listed for this patent is Gary R. Johnson, Tom Sourlis. Invention is credited to Gary R. Johnson, Tom Sourlis.
Application Number | 20140196397 14/157184 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51164083 |
Filed Date | 2014-07-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140196397 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sourlis; Tom ; et
al. |
July 17, 2014 |
INSULATED BUILDING BLOCK AND WALL STRUCTURE
Abstract
An innovative masonry block, such as a CMU, has a core of
insulative material with masonry cladding, such as concrete, on
lateral sides, and anchor elements, such as rigid bar members, may
extend from the core to hold the cladding to the core. The core may
also include a drain aperture extending from top to bottom, as well
as a sloped top surface that serves to direct water to the drain. A
plurality of such blocks can make a wall or other building
structure having a pathway for water to travel through and out of
the stacked blocks.
Inventors: |
Sourlis; Tom; (Highland,
IN) ; Johnson; Gary R.; (Burns Harbor, IN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sourlis; Tom
Johnson; Gary R. |
Highland
Burns Harbor |
IN
IN |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51164083 |
Appl. No.: |
14/157184 |
Filed: |
January 16, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61753744 |
Jan 17, 2013 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/503 ; 52/568;
52/582.1; 52/589.1; 52/604 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04C 1/39 20130101; E04B
2002/0247 20130101; E04B 2/24 20130101; E04B 2/18 20130101; E04B
2002/0206 20130101; E04C 1/41 20130101; E04B 2002/0234
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/503 ;
52/589.1; 52/568; 52/582.1; 52/604 |
International
Class: |
E04C 1/41 20060101
E04C001/41; E04C 1/39 20060101 E04C001/39 |
Claims
1. A building block for construction, as for housing structures and
walls thereof, comprising; a core member which is of thermal
insulative material, said core member having a top, bottom, ends
and lateral sides; a cladding fixed to at least said lateral
sides;; said core member and said cladding forming a rigid block
capable of supporting loads in a building structure made up of a
plurality of said blocks stacked one upon another; a plurality of
anchor elements extending from said core member lateral sides, said
anchor elements providing attachments which become integrated with
said cladding in the course of fixing said cladding.
2. The block of claim 1, wherein said core ends have an end
structure which is keyed such that a first end of one block fits
with a second end of another block in an engagement which is at
least partially overlapping between said first and second ends.
3. The block of claim 2, wherein said end structure has a
tongue-and-groove presentation at each core end, and there are
multiple parallel tongues which fit into multiple parallel
grooves.
4. The block of claim 1, wherein said core member has a channel
formed in said top, where said top defines a top surface, said
channel extending from a point on said top surface toward a lateral
side and to a point on said lateral side below said top surface,
said channel providing a path for water to exit from within the
block in said building structure.
5. The block of claim 1, wherein said anchor elements are bars
extending outwardly from said core member.
6. The block of claim 5, wherein said bars have an elongated part
embedded within said core member with t-shaped portions on either
end of said elongated part extending outwardly from said core
member.
7. The block of claim 2, wherein said top and bottom have a
structure which is keyed such that a top of one block has a shape
that fits with a complementary shape of a bottom of another
block.
8. The block of claim 1, further including at least one aperture
extending through said core member between said top and bottom;
wherein said core member is substantially solid except for said
aperture extending through said core member, and at least one of
said top and bottom define a surface which slopes downwardly to
said aperture to thereby direct water that may be present in said
building structure to said aperture.
9. A building block for construction, as for housing structures and
walls thereof, comprising; a core member which is of thermal
insulative material formed in an integral piece, said core member
having a top, bottom, ends and lateral sides; a cladding fixed to
at least said lateral sides, said cladding being of a masonry
material; said core member and said cladding forming a rigid block
capable of supporting loads in a building structure made up of a
plurality of said blocks stacked one upon another; at least one
aperture extending through said core member between said top and
bottom; a plurality of anchor elements formed in said core member
lateral sides, said anchor elements providing attachments which
become integrated with said masonry material in the course of
fixing said cladding; said top of said core member defining a top
surface, said top surface having a slope toward said aperture to
direct water that may be present in said building structure towards
said aperture.
10. The building block of claim 9, wherein said anchor element
comprises a dovetail slot formed in each said lateral side, such
that masonry material in initial fluent form will enter into and
solidify within each said slot to affix said cladding.
11. The building block of claim 10, wherein said core member
further includes a hollow between said top and bottom, said hollow
capable of receiving a rebar member therein extending through a
plurality of said blocks in said building structure, said core
member further including a web element internal to said core and
extending within said hollow, said web element engaging with and
positioning said rebar in use in said building structure.
12. A building block for construction, as for housing structures
and walls thereof, comprising; a core member which is of thermal
insulative material formed in an integral piece, said core member
having a top, bottom, ends and lateral sides; a cladding fixed to
at least said lateral sides; said core member and said cladding
forming a rigid block capable of supporting loads in a building
structure made up of a plurality of said blocks stacked one upon
another; at least one hollow extending through said core member
between said top and bottom; a plurality of anchor elements formed
in said core member lateral sides, said anchor elements providing
attachments which become integrated with said masonry material in
the course of fixing said cladding; a channel formed in at least
one end of said core and extending between said top and bottom;
said top of said core member defining a top surface, said top
surface having a slope toward said end channel to direct water that
may be present in said building structure towards said
aperture.
13. The building block of claim 12, wherein said cladding being of
a masonry material.
14. The building block of claim 12, wherein said hollow is capable
of receiving a rebar member therein extending through a plurality
of said blocks in said building structure, said core member further
including a web element internal to said core and extending within
said hollow, said web element engaging with and positioning said
rebar in use in said building structure.
15. A building structure formed of a plurality of masonry elements
which are stacked one upon another, as for housing structures and
walls thereof, comprising: a plurality of building blocks, said
building blocks having a core member which is of thermal insulative
material formed in an integral piece, said core member having a
top, bottom, ends and lateral sides, with a cladding fixed to at
least said lateral sides, said cladding being of a masonry
material, a plurality of anchor elements formed in said core member
lateral sides, said anchor elements providing attachments which
become integrated with said masonry material in the course of
fixing said cladding, at least one aperture extending through said
core member between said top and bottom, each said end having a
channel formed therein between said top and bottom; said core
member and said cladding forming a rigid block capable of
supporting loads in a building structure made up of a plurality of
said blocks stacked one upon another; said aperture being generally
centered in each said block, such that when said blocks are placed
in rows one upon another, with blocks in each row being offset from
an adjacent row by a half-block length, said apertures align with
said end channels in vertical arrangement so as to provide a
vertical pathway through said building structure.
16. The building structure of claim 15, further including a plug
member having a hole extending between a plug top and bottom, said
plug fitting in a space formed by channels of abutting ends of
adjacent blocks in a row.
17. The building structure of claim 15, wherein said top of said
core member defines a top surface, said top surface having a slope
toward said aperture to direct water that may be present in said
building structure towards said aperture.
18. The building structure of claim 15, further including a drain
device, said drain device having a part sized to fit within an
aperture of a block in the bottom of a block, and a part which
extends generally laterally outboard from said block to direct
water out of said building structure.
19. The block of claim 1, wherein said core is formed in an
integral piece.
20. The block of claim 1, wherein said core is formed from two or
more pieces which are joined together to make an integral core.
21. The block of claim 20, wherein said anchor elements are bars
extending outwardly from said core member, said bars being located
between said two or more pieces and becoming embedded when said
pieces are joined.
22. A building block for construction, as for housing structures
and walls thereof, comprising; a core member which is of thermal
insulative material, said core member having a top, bottom, ends
and lateral sides; a cladding fixed to at least said lateral sides;
said core member and said cladding forming a rigid block capable of
supporting loads in a building structure made up of a plurality of
said blocks stacked one upon another; a plurality of anchor
elements extending from said core member lateral sides, said anchor
elements providing attachments which become integrated with said
cladding in the course of fixing said cladding.
23. The block of claim 22, wherein said cladding is a masonry
material.
24. The block of claim 23, wherein said core has an aperture
extending between said top and bottom.
25. The block of claim 23, wherein said cladding is bonded to said
core member.
26. The block of claim 25, wherein said bonding is an adhesive
securement using an adhesive material.
27. The block of claim 25, wherein said bonding is a chemical
bonding.
28. A building block for construction, as for housing structures
and walls thereof, comprising; a core member which is of thermal
insulative material, said core member having a top, bottom, ends
and lateral sides; a cladding fixed to at least said lateral sides;
said core member and said cladding forming a rigid block capable of
supporting loads in a building structure made up of a plurality of
said blocks stacked one upon another; a plurality of anchoring
indented areas in said core member lateral sides, said anchoring
indented areas providing attachment regions for said cladding in
the course of fixing said cladding.
29. The block of claim 28, wherein said cladding is a masonry
material.
30. The block of claim 29, wherein said core has an aperture
extending between said top and bottom.
31. The block of claim 28 wherein said cladding is bonded to said
core.
32. The block of claim 31, wherein said cladding is adhesively
bonded to said core using an adhesive material.
33. The block of claim 28 , wherein said cladding is provided as a
slurry which is then molded to said core and cured to bond
thereto.
34. The block of claim 28, further including wire anchor elements
extending outwardly from said core member to which said cladding is
attached on each lateral side of said core member.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/753,744, filed Jan. 17, 2013, the contents of
which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to building blocks, such as used in
construction of walls and other structures where blocks are stacked
in rows or layers.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In construction certain kinds of buildings, such as walls of
the building, concrete or other masonry blocks are often employed.
Adjacent blocks are typically cemented, as by using mortar, one to
another laterally as well as in stacked rows. These blocks tend to
be relatively heavy, and generally have poor insulative ability.
The blocks may also be relatively porous, allowing moisture to seep
through and into the construct. Insulated block material made today
typically may use complex arrangements of concrete blocks with
insulating material inserts installed, oftentimes in the field. The
concept with an insulative block, like a CMU, is to minimize heat
transfer between one side of the block, as in a wall structure, to
the other side. For instance, this may be between an outside or
exterior of a wall structure, and the interior defined by the wall
structure. Sometimes this is attempted to be accomplished by
minimizing the cross section of the block (its width or thickness
in the wall structure), and lengthening the thermally conductive
paths formed by the concrete connections of the block itself.
SUMMARY
[0004] The present invention in one aspect provides a substantially
insulated concrete block, or CMU, which has an insulative core to
which a cladding, such as concrete, is applied, as forming the
lateral or side faces of the CMU. The insulative core may be of
many types, such as foamed styrene, Styrofoam, or the like. This
yields a relatively moisture resistant element to the block with
thermal insulating properties. The cladding may be masonry,
ceramic, metal, concrete and so forth.
[0005] In one embodiment, the cladding is in the form of concrete
which is applied to the core in a molding or pouring operation, as
along the lateral sides of the core. The core in this version would
have elements to which the concrete would mold, surround and adhere
to in order to fix the concrete to the core. These anchor elements
may be in the form of wires which extend outwardly from the core
and are fixed within the core, thus forming anchors for the
concrete when it has set. The wires may, for instance, be in the
form of T-bars, but can take many shapes. The material of the
anchors may be metal, plastic or other material which will serve to
hold the concrete to the core, and thereby form a relatively stable
and sturdy structural unit, such as one that can be stacked into a
wall structure.
[0006] Such anchor elements are considered expansively herein, and
may further be indentations, grooves or other shapes formed into
the core, into which the concrete or other fluent material may
intrude and adhere to the core. Attachment of the cladding could be
through adhesive means, such as chemical adhesion or mechanical
adhesion (e.g., bonding or gluing).
[0007] In an aspect of the invention, a building block for
construction, as for housing structures and walls thereof, has a
core member which is of thermal insulative material formed in an
integral piece. The core member has a top, bottom, ends and lateral
sides.
[0008] A cladding is fixed to at least the lateral sides of the
core. The cladding is of a masonry material, such as concrete. The
core member and the cladding form a rigid block capable of
supporting loads in a building structure made up of a plurality of
the blocks stacked one upon another. The insulative core member may
further form part of the load supporting structure of the CMU
itself.
[0009] In an embodiment, at least one aperture extends through the
core member between the top and bottom. A plurality of anchor
elements extend from the core member lateral sides. The anchor
elements provide attachments which become integrated with the
masonry material in the course of fixing the cladding.
[0010] The ends of the inventive block may have an end structure
which is keyed, such that a first end of one block fits with a
second end of another block in an engagement which is at least
partially overlapping between the first and second ends. This could
be a tongue-and-groove presentation at each end, and in one form
there are multiple parallel tongues which fit into multiple
parallel grooves. Further, the top and bottom may have a structure
which is also keyed, such that a top of one block has a shape that
fits with a complementary shape of a bottom of another block.
[0011] The sides of the core may also have a feature to promote
attachment of the masonry cladding. For instance the anchor element
may be a dovetail slot formed in each lateral side of the core,
such that masonry material in initial fluent form will enter into
and solidify within each slot to affix the cladding.
[0012] In an aspect of the invention, the core member has a channel
formed in its top surface. This channel extends from a point on the
top surface toward a lateral side, such as to a point on the
lateral side below the top surface. This channel thereby provides a
path for water to exit from within the block in the building
structure.
[0013] The anchor elements may take many forms, such as bars,
wires, plates and other members, which preferably extend outwardly
from the core member. In one embodiment, these bars may have an
elongated part embedded within the core member, with t-shaped
portions on either end of the elongated part extending outwardly
from the core member. The anchor elements could be fibrous
material, such as metal or plastic filaments, which is part of the
core and extends outwardly from the core sides, like hairs or a
mesh.
[0014] In still another aspect, the block has a core member that is
substantially solid except for an aperture extending through the
core member (e.g., top to bottom) and at least one of the top and
bottom define a surface which slopes downwardly to the aperture to
thereby direct water that may be present in the building structure
to the aperture. The aperture thus functions as a drain for the
core/block.
[0015] The building block may further provide that the core member
has a hollow between the top and bottom. The hollow is capable of
receiving a rebar member therein extending through a plurality of
the blocks in a building structure. In such an embodiment, the core
member may additionally include a web element internal to the core
and extending within the hollow. This web element engages with and
positions the rebar in use in the building structure.
[0016] An aspect of the invention is a building structure formed of
a plurality of masonry elements which are stacked one upon another,
as for housing structures and walls thereof. A plurality of
building blocks is provided, each building block having a core
member which is of thermal insulative material formed in an
integral piece. The core member has a top, bottom, ends and lateral
sides, with a cladding fixed to at least the lateral sides. The
cladding is of a masonry material. Preferably, a plurality of
anchor elements are formed in or otherwise provided in the core
member lateral sides. The anchor elements provide attachments which
become integrated with the masonry material in the course of fixing
the cladding. There may be at least one aperture extending through
the core member between the top and bottom. Each end of the block
has a channel formed therein between said top and bottom.
[0017] Such a core member with its cladding forms a rigid block
capable of supporting loads in a building structure made up of a
plurality of the blocks stacked one upon another. The apertures are
generally centered in each block, such that when the blocks are
placed in rows one upon another, with blocks in each row being
offset from an adjacent row by a half-block length, the apertures
align with the end channels in vertical arrangement, so as to
provide a vertical pathway through building structure.
[0018] The foregoing embodiment may further include a plug member
having a hole extending between a plug top and bottom. The plug
fits in a space formed by channels of abutting ends of adjacent
blocks in a row.
[0019] The foregoing building structure may utilize blocks wherein
the top of the core member defines a top surface having a slope
toward the aperture to direct water that may be present in the
building structure towards the aperture, and thereby through the
vertical pathway and out of the building structure. There may also
be a part forming a drain spout which extends generally laterally
outboard from the bottom of selected block, to direct water out of
the building structure.
[0020] Further, the cladding, or slabs or sidepieces, may be
precast, precut or preformed. They can then be attached to the core
in a molding operation, or attached to the core using conventional
bonding material, such as adhesive (resins, elastomeric adhesives,
etc.).
[0021] These and other modifications, advantages, objectives and
details of the present invention will be further understood and
appreciated upon consideration of a detailed description of
embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the
drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment made in
accordance with an aspect of the invention in the form of an
insulated CMU;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a view of the CMU of FIG. 1 before any cladding is
added to the insulative core;
[0024] FIGS. 3a through 3d are examples of types of structures that
may be useful to provide attachment for the cladding;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a CMU
made in accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0026] FIG. 4a is a form of drainpipe that may be useful with an
embodiment such as shown in FIG. 4;
[0027] FIG. 4b is a form of mat that may be useful over the top of
an embodiment such as shown in FIG. 4;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a
CMU made in accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0029] FIG. 6 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 5;
[0030] FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6;
[0031] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of
CMU, along with an intermediate element between blocks, made in
accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0032] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the bottom of a plug element
that may be useful in a drain channel of an inventive CMU or other
building block;
[0033] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a CMU
core, before any cladding has been applied;
[0034] FIG. 10a is a side view of an element that would be useful
in making the drain portion of a core such as that shown in FIG.
10;
[0035] FIG. 11 is a side view of a portion of a wall built up with
blocks made in accordance with an aspect of the invention; and
[0036] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another type of anchor
element and related side masonry piece to which it would
attach.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0037] Referring initially to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of a CMU
made in accordance with aspects of this invention is shown at 10.
CMU 10 has an insulative core 12 with masonry cladding 14 on its
elongate lateral sides. Here, the cladding 14 is made of concrete,
which has been molded to the sides of the core 12. For example, the
core would be placed in a mold, and the liquid/viscous concrete
then admitted to the mold, so as to adhere to the sides of the
core, and then set into a rigid integrated portion of the CMU. As
has been already noted, and will be further discussed, the cladding
forms the primary load-bearing part of the block, and may be made
of other masonry materials, as well as other materials. The core
material is intended to be insulative, such as glass foam,
polystyrene, polyurethane, asphaltic foam, and the like.
[0038] The core material may further form part of the CMU support
structure, contributing to the strength of the CMU by flexing,
torsional and tensile forces, for instance. A core material having
a tensile strength of about 30 psi, or more, is considered
particularly advantageous.
[0039] In order to better attach and integrate the cladding 14 in
this embodiment, the core has some notches or indentations 16
formed in the lateral sides of the core 12. These notches 16 may be
optional. Referring to FIG. 2, more significant are elements 18
which form anchors extending outwardly from the core. Here, the
anchor elements 18 are T-bars, (also see FIG. 3), formed from rigid
wire stock. The T-bars 18 extend through the core, with an
elongated bar 19 embedded in the core having portions protruding
laterally outwardly from the core side, and terminating in a
cross-piece 20. Parts 19 and 20 may be welded. Alternatively, the
anchor element could be made as an L, with the crosspiece simply
bent from the stock end. Note further that the T-bars need not
extend completely through the core 12, but could just extend
partway therein, just so that they are sufficiently embedded to
perform their function as anchors.
[0040] Variations on the anchor element are shown in FIG. 3d which
is a double T element 22, and FIG. 3b which is a wire X 24 having
an L shaped terminus for the stock. FIG. 3a shows an element having
solid planar parts, with a central web 27 and end webs 28.
[0041] FIG. 12 shows another variation on an anchor element. This
anchor element 110 has an elongated central bar 112, with end
plates 114 extending orthogonal to the bar at each end thereof The
anchor element 110 would be embedded within a core as previously
described. The end plates would be on the outside lateral sides of
the core, with the back of the end plate either flush with the core
side or perhaps slightly embedded therein.
[0042] Instead of a masonry cladding formed from an initially
viscous material, such as concrete, which would set (harden) about
the anchor 110, a finished masonry element is provided in the form
of a platelike side piece 116. This would facilitate the use of
masonry materials that do not need to be poured about the core in
situ, such as the use of cut stone, and facades of many different
textures and surface features. Moreover, "masonry materials" is
used expansively in this disclosure. It is conceivable that a wood
facade might form the cladding, or metal, plastic and so forth.
[0043] In this embodiment, the sidepiece 116 has a well 118 formed
therein, which is sized to receive an end plate 114 of an anchor
element 110 therein. The depth of the well 118 is such that the
inner (inboard) face of the sidepiece 116 will be flush with the
core side. An adhesive would be used to affix the end plate 114 in
the well of the sidepiece 116. Adhesive could be further used on
other parts of the inner face of the sidepiece and/or core side to
affix the core and sidepiece 116 together. Note that the well 118
might be eliminated in some embodiments, with the core and
sidepiece 116 being connected with the end plate 114 flush with the
side of the core.
[0044] It may be further understood that a core of the type
considered by this invention might be formed in two (or perhaps
more) pieces, and then joined together, as also by bonding, as by
welding, adhesively securing the two core parts, and so forth. This
could simplify embedding anchor elements, if top and bottom halves
of a core were provided; an elongated anchor part, such as
described with the T-bars or the elongated bar 112 of the foregoing
anchor element 110, could then be sandwiched between the two
halves, thereby eliminating a molding step involving the anchor
element.
[0045] Returning to FIGS. 1 and 2, the core 12 has voids 30 and 31
which extend from a core top surface 32 through to a core bottom
surface 34. Top and bottom may be considered relative, as these may
be mirror images of each other, or these surfaces may be uniquely
designed so as to only mate with the top surface upwardly, for
instance. Upwardly is considered with regard to how the CMU would
be oriented in a wall or other building structure.
[0046] On at least the top surface 32 is a ramp-like or sloping
part 36, which extends at an angle down from the top surface to the
lateral side. This sloping part 36 forms an exit in the form of a
weep vent, for water that may accumulate in the wall structure.
[0047] The ends of the core 12 are also provided with mating
structure in one aspect of this invention, so that two CMU's placed
end to end in a row or layer will interfit. In this embodiment, a
kind of tongue-and-groove arrangement is provided. One end of the
core 12 has a protruding tongue part 40, which fits within a
complementary groove or cavity 42. A series of parallel grooves 44
are also formed on an end, forming structure that would mate with
complementary structure formed on the opposite end of the core.
[0048] Turning to FIG. 4, another embodiment 50 of a CMU is shown.
It is formed similarly to that described with respect to the first
embodiment 10, with some variation in the lateral notches 16 used
to attach the concrete cladding and end structure of the core;
here, the end structure has vertical channels 53 which are
relatively centered along the long axis of the CMU 50. In this
embodiment 50, core 52 has a single generally centralized void 54,
which can form a drain for the block, and thereby for the building
structure in which a plurality of these blocks 50 would be
used.
[0049] Top surface 56 of the core 52 has a sloping structure, so
that the surface 56 will direct water falling therein to the drain
void 54.
[0050] FIG. 4a shows a drain or drain cap 60, which is here in the
form of an L-shaped conduit. The drain may be made of a rigid
plastic, sheet metal, or the like. Part of the L would be sized to
fit within the bottom of a drain void 54, as in a lower run of a
wall structure, with the other part of the conduit extending beyond
the wall to vent water.
[0051] FIG. 4b shows a fibrous mat sheet material 65, which might
be sized so as to cover the top surface 56. The mat would allow
water to pass therethrough, but prevent most debris from getting
into the drain. This mat 65 could also be insulative material.
[0052] As will be shown with respect to a wall structure in FIG.
11, blocks such as those of the type of CMU 50 can be organized so
as to provide a continuous drain path for water throughout the
wall. This is accomplished here by offsetting the blocks 50 by a
half-length from one layer to another. Central drains 54 will
thereby align with end channels 53, with end channels 53 of
adjacent blocks 50 abutting to create a single passageway. That is,
the end channel 53 is defined by vertical ribs or columns 57 at
each end of the CMU 50. The ribs 57 extend vertically in the same
plane. Therefore, when blocks 50 are placed end to end, the
respective ribs 57 abut, creating a space open top to bottom by the
respective channels 53.
[0053] FIG. 8 shows a modified arrangement of CMU blocks 50; these
blocks 50 have been slightly modified themselves, to emphasize a
wider passageway that would be otherwise presented by abutting
blocks. This embodiment utilizes a plug member 66 between the
abutting ends of the blocks 50 in a row. Plug 66 has a drain 67
extending between a top and bottom of the plug. It would be sized
to fit within the space between the abutting ribs 57. The plug 66
could be slightly tapered so as to slope inwardly top to bottom. As
depicted in FIG. 9, the bottom of the plug 66 can be provided with
a notched structure for better drainage capability, here with
crossing grooves 68.
[0054] Referring now to FIG. 5, another embodiment is shown, here
of a CMU 70. This CMU 70 has an insulative core 71, that has a
drain void 54 which is offset to one side of the top surface 72 of
this CMU 70. Top surface 72 slopes toward the drain 54 in similar
fashion to that described with relation to CMU 50. A large void 74
is provided somewhat offset on the other side of the top surface
72. This large void may be useful in providing further
reinforcement in a building structure, as will be described
momentarily with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 6.
[0055] Note that the core 71 of CMU 70 does not extend to the ends
of the CMU in this embodiment. The concrete cladding 77 is formed
to extend beyond the core ends 78. The core ends have corner
extensions 79, and the cladding surrounds these extensions 79,
extending slightly inboard relative to the core ends. These ends 83
of each cladding side thus surround and embrace the extensions 79.
There is also a dovetail engagement between the cladding and the
core, with complementary portions indicated at 80 and 81.
[0056] Looking at FIG. 6, there is shown an embodiment much like
that of FIG. 5. This CMU 85, however, does not utilize a drain
void, but instead has a sloping top surface 87 which slopes away
from the large void 74 toward the end 78 of the core. The CMU 85 is
furthermore provided with an anchor element 89, which is similar to
that described as element 24 in FIG. 3b. There may be more than one
such anchor element near the top and bottom of the CMU 85. This
anchor element 89 extends within the large void 74, and provides a
support and centering for positioning of a rebar 90. The rebar 90
may rest in the nook, or crotch 92, formed by the cross-pieces of
the anchor element 89. Use of such rebar as additional
reinforcement and stabilizing in building structures using CMU's is
well known. Typically, concrete (cement) would also be poured into
the CMU voids through which the rebar extends.
[0057] FIG. 7 is an embodiment very much identical to that of FIG.
6. However, this CMU 95 has a large void 96 in the core 71 which
does not have its sides parallel with those of the CMU. Here, the
generally square cross-section void 96 has been rotated about 45
degrees on its axis. This places corners 97 near the sides of the
core 71, rather than the sides extending adjacent a length of the
core (as in FIG. 6). The insulative ability of the CMU 95 may
thereby be improved, through this further reduction in the
heat-transfer pathway through the CMU.
[0058] FIG. 10 shows yet another version of an embodiment of a core
for an inventive CMU. This core 100 has anchor elements 104
extending through and out of the core 100. The ends of the core 100
have ribs or columns 57 as previously described. The lateral sides
of the core have vertical channels 105 defined therein, as well as
horizontally crossing channels 106. This creates a substantial
surface detail for the lateral sides into which the masonry
material, such as cement, can embed and attach, to thereby form the
lateral cladding for the CMU.
[0059] FIG. 10a illustrates a form of mold piece which could be
used to create the drain 54. This is an elongated mold element
having a shaft 109 and an end part 110. This would be put in
position in the mold being used to make the core, and then
removed.
[0060] While the invention has been described with respect to
specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying
out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that
there are numerous variations and permutations of the above
described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and
scope of the invention.
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