Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Externally projecting liquid deflector
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-11
2001-03-20
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Externally projecting liquid deflector
C052S169500, C052S302100, C052S302300, C052S302600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202366
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a water collection pan adapted for installation in unit masonry wall systems, as well as a drainage system employing a plurality of the collection pans.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One of the most common and versatile methods of building construction employs concrete masonry. Concrete masonry units (C.M.U.) are manufactured in various sizes, shapes, colors, and surface finishes for use in a wide variety of applications. The most common C.M.U. shapes include standard (or stretcher) units, open-ended (including bond beam, lintel, and knock-out) units, as well as single and double open-end units. The C.M.U.'s come in a number of relatively standard dimensions. Typical sizes and shapes of C.M.U.'s are illustrated in National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) Technical Bulletin No. TEK 2-1A (1995), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Other types of units besides C.M.U.'s are also commonly employed in constructing unit masonry wall systems. These include bricks (and other clay or shale units), structural tile, glass units, stone, and pre-cast stone. As used hereinafter, “unit”, “masonry unit,” or “block” is intended to include any construction unit utilized in building unit masonry wall systems including those units described above.
Different sizes, shapes and types of masonry units are often utilized in combination. The units are typically laid up with mortar and, optionally, with steel reinforcement, grout, and other accessories to form unit masonry wall systems of enumerable variety in size and shape. The units each often have one or more vertically extending interior cavities hereinafter referred to as “cores” so that, when multiple courses of the blocks are assembled to form a wall, the cores of the blocks are aligned to form unobstructed, continuous series of vertical spaces within the wall. Basic unit masonry wall system designs include single wythe, multiple wythe (such as cavity wall systems), and veneer systems.
A persistent problem in the design and construction of concrete unit masonry wall systems is the migration of water from the exterior of the block walls to the interior of the building. Designers and builders have tried various methods and apparatus to intercept the flow of water through masonry and direct it to the exterior of the structure. One conventional flashing approach is to install a continuous water impervious membrane at any location in block walls where the potential exists for water penetration, such as the top of walls at copings, at the base of parapets, over openings, beneath sills, over bond beams, at shelf angles, at the tops of foundations, and at the base of the wall, to serve to divert water to the exterior of the wall. The installation of flashing is, however, labor intensive, and therefore costly. In particular, conventional flashing is difficult and time consuming to properly install in block courses including rebar or other vertical reinforcement. In addition, conventional flashing is difficult to inspect since, once installed, flashing may not be evident from the exterior of the wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,614, issued to McGrath, discloses an integral flashing unit comprising a custom designed masonry block which includes a solid base and integral weep slot for collecting and directing water from the interior cavities of blocks installed in courses above the flashing unit and directing the water to the exterior of the wall. One drawback of the above-mentioned system is that it requires fabrication and shipment of a separate set of non-standard blocks for each construction job. Moreover, the nationwide acceptance and use of such specialty units is inhibited by the high costs of shipping the custom-made blocks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,931, issued to Pardue, Jr., discloses a water collection and drainage system which includes a system of upper water collection pans suitable for installation in upper bond beam courses, which pans collect and direct the water through the vertical block cavities and lower block courses to another series of collection pans at a lower beam block course, which in turn direct the water to base collection pans at the lower most beam block course where the water is directed to the exterior of the wall through weeping spouts. Drawbacks to this system include the cost and complexity of installation of the multiple tiers of collection pans, as well as design limitations in the system which require installation solely in bond beam courses.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an effective drainage system for unit masonry wall systems which can be fabricated, shipped to construction sites, and quickly installed during construction of unit masonry wall systems.
In carrying out the above and other objects, the drainage system of the present invention includes a plurality of water collection pans which may be quickly positioned on the top surface of each of the blocks over the length of a selected block wall course for collecting water drained through the cores of the upper courses and directing the water to the exterior of the block wall through the bed joint. The collection pan of the present invention includes a substantially planar collector surface which may be positioned on the top surface of the block to extend across the width (i.e., from the front of the block to the rear of the block while maintaining inner and outer face shell bonds) to thereby collect any water which drains to the top surface of the block from the cores of the blocks in the upper courses. The pan preferably includes generally vertically extending ridges surrounding the collector surface to retain any water that is collected and direct it out of the weep channel to the exterior.
Each of the collector pans also includes a weep channel extending generally horizontally from the front edge of the collector surface and including a weep spout which provides an opening through which water collected in the pan can escape. The weep spout typically extends outward from the pan on the top surface of the masonry unit to a point immediately adjacent the edge of the unit so that, when the pan is placed in position atop the masonry unit during installation, the weep spout extends through the bed joint mortar, with the weep spout opening at the exterior edge of the wall.
The system of the present invention includes a plurality of water collection pans installed adjacent one another across the top surface of each of the blocks in a selected course of a unit masonry wall so that the pans provide a substantially continuous water collection surface for water which drains through the vertical cores of the upper courses in the wall.
The system preferably also includes a plurality of bridge units, each of which spans the adjacent edges of two water collection pans to divert descending water into the adjoining pans.
The water collection pans may be fabricated from any water impervious, corrosion resistant construction material, such as molded plastic, sheet metal, or other corrosion resistant, water impervious material suitable for inexpensive mass production, as well as effective water collection and diversion in unit masonry wall systems.
The water collection pans are also preferably designed so that they can be inexpensively molded and compactly packaged for storage and shipment.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 835669 (1906-11-01), Eckley
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patent: 2657570 (1953-11-01), Moore
patent: 2934931 (1960-05-01), Johnson
patent: 3293810 (1966-12-01), Cox
patent: 3429084 (1969-02-01), Brewer
patent: 3668829 (1972-06-01), Nelson
patent: 4253285 (1981-03-01), Enright
patent: 4272931 (1981-06-01), Stanizzo
patent: 4375143 (1983-03-01), Godlewski
patent: 4612742 (1986-09-01), Bevilacqua
pate
Snyder Jeffrey Thomas
Snyder Jerald Allen
Brooks & Kushman P.C.
Friedman Carl D.
McDermott Kevin
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