Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Opaque stonelike module – Particularly related to adjacent module
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-22
2001-01-30
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Opaque stonelike module
Particularly related to adjacent module
C052S603000, C052S605000, C052S596000, C052S098000, C052S100000, C405S264000, C405S285000, C405S286000, C405S287000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178715
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to mortarless retaining wall constructions which may be vertical, set back in whole or in part with regard to the vertical, or set forward in whole or in part with regard to the vertical. Standardized block constructions are also provided which enable one to obtain the aforementioned retaining wall structures and combinations thereof. This invention finds particular application to a unique standardized block construction and a corner block construction as well as a wedge-shaped construction which allows the user to build retaining walls of various configurations as will be described hereinafter.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Retaining walls are well known. These structures may be built including mortar, or as introduced more recently constructed from mortarless construction. The mortarless construction includes building blocks of predetermined design which may be stacked course upon course as a wall including a cap stone. Most blocks provided in the prior art are limited in the number of degrees of freedom that they provide the professional landscaper when constructing retaining walls. This invention obviates this limitation.
Many block constructions provide for only the ability of the contractor to build a set back retaining wall. Within a retaining wall system, it would be beneficial to be able to produce wall structures which are set back and or set forward in some portions thereof and vertical in other portions thereof. This is heretofore unknown. For example, when preparing a set of steps which traverse an incline, when blocks that provide only set back wall structures are provided, the length of the steps which traverse the incline will increase and diverge by necessity. That is to say, the lengths of each step will gradually increase as one moves up the incline course upon course. It would be advantageous to be able to provide a standard block which may not only be set back when appropriate, but which also may be stacked vertically when appropriate, such as when creating steps to traverse an incline to thereby not alter the step lengths since this may not always be desirable or esthetically pleasing.
Further, quite often, cribbing is provided to reinforce or tie back a retaining wall back into the incline around which the retaining wall is being built. Although this is desirable, it is not always cost effective. It would be desirable therefore to reduce the expense by providing a retaining wall which does not require the necessity of cribbing structures being assembled. There exists therefore a need for a simple, easy to use number of components which an installer may install course upon course to prepare a reasonable number of attractive options for the building owner without limiting the number of alternatives for which recommendations may be made by the landscaper.
Examples of the prior retaining wall structures and the blocks therefore may be found in the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,075 corresponding to Canadian Patent 1,182,295, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,897 corresponding to Canadian Patent 1,204,296 teach the use of a retaining wall system as best seen in
FIG. 2
which includes a number of blocks formed into a cribbing as seen in
FIG. 3
in order to provide lateral and longitudinal reinforcement of the cribbing as the wall is built. Such a construction is, needless to say, very expensive and at times unnecessary. Further, referring to
FIG. 8
, there is illustrated and described a block construction which includes an automatic offset when like blocks are stacked one upon the other. The only way for the block can be utilized for retaining walls is if the wall is set back from the vertical. The ability to build vertical walls using the same block is described in the claims of U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,897 wherein the blocks are reversed 180 degrees as the courses progress. The block does not include the provision of building a retaining wall which may be set forward from the vertical in whole or in part. Further unless a structure as seen in
FIG. 2
is built including a massive amount of cribbing, there is no tying in of the blocks longitudinally. This severely limits the imagination of the landscaper when constructing a retaining wall. There therefore exists a need for an improvement to provide more esthetically pleasing retaining walls while using a standard lead configured block.
Canadian Patent 941,626 issued Feb. 12, 1974 to Risi describes a retaining wall system including projections and grooves which interfit. However, unlike the inventions which followed this patent, the projections and recesses are vertically in alignment as opposed to being offset with one another with respect to a vertical axis. In all cases, the projections and recesses fit. That is to say, there is no ability to stack the courses in any other manner than as provided for with the interfitting of the recesses with the projections.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,505 and the equivalent Canadian 1,307,675 to Bender describes a construction block which includes a multiplicity of recesses on the bottom thereof and at least two projections being provided on the top thereof. The distance from the face of the block to the first projection is at least equivalent to the distance from the face of the block to the second recess. These blocks may therefore be stacked course upon course only in a manner which is best seen in
FIG. 5
, that is the building of a set back or offset retaining wall. No provision is made within this structure to provide longitudinal reinforcement for adjacent blocks as the construction of the wall progresses.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,551 and the European equivalent, 59,820, to Rolf Scheiwiller describes a construction block and walls built therefrom as best seen in
FIG. 2
of that patent which includes a number of projections provided on the top of the structure which interfit with the number of projections provided on the bottom of the structure. This may be seen readily in FIG.
5
and FIG.
6
. It may be said that no flat surface is provided on the top or bottom of the blocks between the ends of the block used in constructing such a retaining wall. Further, the structure may or may not be advantageous to a landscaper in that a multitude of blocks of various shapes and sizes as best seen in
FIG. 11
is necessary to provide various forms to the retaining wall structures. The blocks may be stacked set back, exemplified by
FIG. 11
or alternatively as best seen in
FIG. 17
in a vertical wall construction. Further the individual blocks may be set forward as seen in FIG.
15
. Again, as with the prior structures, there is no description of longitudinal reinforcing of adjacent blocks when preparing a wall structure as blocks are stacked course upon course.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,376 to Eugene Bender, issued in 1991, describes a retaining wall construction and a block therefor as best seen in
FIG. 4
which is initially manufactured in a two-block module including a pre-scored section at
20
to allow separation into two like block constructions which are mirror images. A projection and a groove at
15
and
35
are therefore provided which interfit.
U.S. Pat. No. 468,838 describes and illustrates a block with interfitting recesses and grooves of standard interfitting configurations. Italian Patent 548,936 also describes a building block including interfitting grooves and recesses.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,718 describes a retaining wall which includes a set back wall construction which is tied back to the earth as described and illustrated using a unique block construction. The only type of wall construction that may be built utilizing this block is a set back wall construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,123 describes a hollow block as seen in
FIG. 3
which may be formed into an inclined retaining wall as described. A forward projection at
4
as seen in
FIG. 7
is provided to provide the interfitting of the blocks. These blocks may be advanced with regard to one another as seen in FIG.
3
.
Australian Patent Application 17231/83 illustrates and describ
Pacitto Frank
Pignatelli Paul
Designscape Enterprises Ltd.
Dorsey Dennis L.
Friedman Carl D.
Hughes Ivor M.
Hughes Neil H.
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