Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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My invention provides an insulated masonry building
block of the type which normally has two cavities and is
served by a preformed insulative liner. The block normally
includes transverse webs modified in manner such as
substantially to reduce heat transfer thereacross.
Stated otherwise, the invention comprises a composite
structure inclusive of a ~irst component, namely a block,
modified from the conventional block design to define means
for best accommodating a second component, namely a thermal
element strategically insertable into the block. The
composite structure allows the erecting of building walls
having high tllermal insulatlon and moisture barrier
characteristics, the blocks offering the unique advantage
that the composite feature can be and preerentially is
imparted thereto at the manuacturing site~ t~e thermal
element being combined with the block thereat, to the end
that the composite blocks so assembled are then transported
to the construction site where they are laid in the usual
manner.
At the outset, a few remarks as to terminology are
indicated. Standard specifications on face-shell and web
thicknesses in hollow load bearing units of concrete blocks`
are already well established. The face-shell of a concrete
block will be understood to be the soli~ portion one observes
when the unit is laid up in a wall. Geometrically, a concrete
masonry unit may be thought of as two face-shells which make up
the inner and outer sur~aces of a wall and which are held
together by three or more webs which span across the wall
width. Values have been found by research and experience to
provide the necessary compressive strength and stiffness of
design of concrete masonry.
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PURPOSES OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of my invention is to provide a
composite insulated building unit, including a block of
lightweight concrete or other cementitious material and
cooperant insulative liner received entirely within the
con~ines of the block.
Another object is to provide an insulative element so
receivable within the block confines as not to interfere with
the dry stacking of lightweight concrete building block and
insulate that portion of the wall at the end joints of the
building block. Blocks heretofore remained uninsulated at
their ends because no masonry unit had insulating end tabs
as a solution for the problem.
Another ancillary object of tl~e invention, depending from
the above defined characteristic plertainin~ to the insulative
element being so receivable 50 as Ito be entirely located
within the block conEines is to provide a block which may
be successfully cubed or palletized for ease in handling by
automated equipment.
Still another object is to provide an insulative element
which will be received within the confines o~ the building block
as not to interfere with the placement of horizontal joint
reinforcement of the type that has diagonal cross rods that
help resist longitudinal tensile stresses.
A further object is to provide an insulative element
which will be received within the conEines of the building
block as not to interfere with the placement of horizontal
joint reinforcement of the truss type when used in a composite
wall with a brick facing.
Another object is to provide an insulative element which
will make it possible to maintain cavities to allow for vertical
reinforcement as required in load~bearing masonry wall
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construction. In the past, this part of the masonry wall
normally was not insulated and accounted for as much as
30% of the wall area in a typical reinforced building
remaining uninsulated when concrete grout was placed around
the reinforcement rods.
Another purpose hereof is to maintain uninterrupted webs
to receive mortar mix and the face shells to increase strength
of reinforced grouted walls with vertical rods and horizontal
wall reinforcing wire.
Another purpose hereof is to provide an insulated masonry
unit useful in conjunction with epoxy adhesive mortars, now
replacing the conventional mortars in masonry block construction.
Such dictate use of a pre-lnsulated masonry unit in which the
insulating element at no point prol;rudes beyond the confines
of the building ~lock. 'rhis type of construction lends itself
to vertical end stacking and allows creation of novel load-
bearing walls offering distinc~ive vertical shadow lines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INV~NTION
The assemblage represents a significant design change in
masonry units such as to help generously in meeting current
demands for improved energy-efficient building components.
Present day concerns relative to energy conservation
have dictated the development of improved techniques for
incorporating integral thermal insulation in buildings and
other structures of single wythe masonry walls.
l~alls have heretofore been insulated to be sure, sometimes
by applying layers of thermally insulative material to the
exterior formed wall surfaces in the effort to meet the
required thermal insulation standards. But these solutions
have required additional protective covering adding appreciably
to the construction and maintenance costs and loss of the
durability of the concrete for permanence purposes.
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Too, insulation in some form is sometimes introduced
to the block cavities after a course thereof has ~een laid.
In some instances, the system has envisioned the placement
of insulative material in the cores or air cells between
the outer and inner block walls while ignoring completely
the thermal throughpaths represented in the webs of the
blocks extending in planes normal to those outer and inner
walls, and/or the thermal paths represented in the end areas
of the blocks outboard of the outermost webs, all seriously
limiting the achievable thermal insulative effects.
The standard concrete block must be understood to de~ine
two primary heat paths; those extending rom the outside to
the inside ~ace shell through the outside and inside walls
and through the corè or cores, and those e~tending from the
outside to the inside face shell through the outside and
inside walls and through the webs connecting therebetween.
Heretofore, it has been believed necessary only to
insulate the core area or areas in order to satisfy the
demands of builders and owners and to meet the requirements
of codes, all in the striving for thermally efficient
exterior envelopes.
But those stark facts of modern life9 higher fuel costs
and need for energy conservation, not to mention increasingly
greater stringencies in developing code requirements, all have
dictated a need for new solutions in product design and
thermal transmission values.
Given the general acceptance of a single wythe load-bearing
masonrv wall as one of the most economical approaches to
appealing design of b~lildings, while most effectively off-setting
spiraling construction costs and satisfying code specifications?
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this invention gives significant answer to the vexing problem
of heat flow through the con~entional masonry unit by the
introduction o~ what I elect to define as an engineered air
gap which creates a thermal break in the novel web of my design.
A prime consideration in the development of my design has
been toward a maximizing of the block's thermally insulative
quality, while yet maintaining its structural integrity
through increased web thickness to provide the necessary
strength and rigidity for withstanding vertical and eccentric
loading and to meet fire ratings as determined by equivalent
thicknesses.
Other key considerations have been in lessening
significantly the thermal conductivity by interrupting to as
great a degree as possible the th~rmally conducting through paths
offered by the webs and by the retention of cavities for the
normal handling and installation techniques incorporating any
of the various types of horizontal and wall reinforcing wires
and ties.
Another consideration has been ~o provide a thermally
insulated masonry block requiring only a single unitary
elongated insulative liner within the block confines, which
liner may be installed at the manufacturing site wherefor the
composite structure can be pelletized and transported to the
construction site by the normal and conventional methods.
Before now, buildings have been insulated in a plurality
of different ways, each system presenting problems of its own9
with the generally accepted objection to the techniques so
far developed being that the insulating member is usually
brought to the construction site as a separate member, there
to be integrated with a related building block, usually
following the laying of each course of blocks as ~he wall
structure undergoes erection. The known techniques do not
lend themselves to the obviously desirable fact situation of
combining block and filler, as it is sometimes called, at
the situs where the block is cast and then transporting
the so-modified block to the construction site whereat the
mason need only lay up same according to his conventional
techniques, the need for any adding filler to block after
the block has been set in place, with the added ]abor costs
represented thereby, being obviously obviated.
The systems of the prior art are exemplified in the
pertinent patents of which I am aware and include:
Perreton U.S. ~t3,204,381 of Sept. 7, 1965
Grants U.S. ~3,318,062 o May9, 1967
Moog U.S. ~3,410,044 of Nov. 12, 1968
Perreton U.S. #3,546,833 of Dec. 15, 1970
Whittey U.S. #3,885,363 of May 27, 1975
Nickerson U.S. #4,027,445 of June 7~ 1977
Warren U.S. ~4,071,989 of Feb. 7, 1978
Warren U.S. ~4,0739111 of Feb. 14, 1978
Many of these citations have included proposals
involving the placemen~ of a thermal insulation medium within
a concrete block, as for example as exemplified in U.S.
Patents #2,199,112, ~2,852,934, ~3,204,381, ~3,318,062,
$3,546,833, and ~3~885,363, but most proposals suffer from
the obvious disadvantage that the preformed insulative liners
have to be set in place with respect to the preformed blocks
only after the blocks have been laid in situ, the procedure
normally taking place following the laying of each course7
when the laying of blocks momentarily stops and placement of
liners ensues3 an utter waste of time and money.
In some prior art instances~ the system envisions
the placement of insulative material in the air cells between
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the outer and inner block walls, all the while ignoring
completely the thermal throughpaths represented in the
webs of the blocks extending in planes normal to the
outer and inner walls and in the end cores created ~Jhen
blocks are placed end-to-end, thereby seriously limiting
the achievable thermal insulative effects.
In Perreton, #3,204,381, when and where, as he indîcates
the insulating member may be provided as a strip of any
desired length to be received in a plurality of blocks,
it is obvious that such strip could only be added to the
plurality of blocks after the blocks are set in place~ ~hile
it is true that he states that the insulating member can be
inserted in the block prior to la~ring the same in a wall,
he does describe and illustrate an insert which has one side
ofset longitudinally and vertically for shiplapping purposes
wherewith he effects an interlockiLng situation. Obviously,
with parts of the insert extendin~ outwardly of a side or face
of the blockl the combination of block and insert does not
lend itself to a favorable stacking situation in the transport
o~ the supplies to the construction site. And this is equally
true of Perreton, #3,546,833.
Incidentally, neither Perreton block allows any extending
through the cores thereof of piping or wiring or cement, once
installed, and all for the obvious deleterious reason that
the entirety of the core is filled with insulating material.
Many different types of insulated building blocks have
been proposed and utilized, and are exemplified in the patent
literature7 but with many of such, they merely provide air
spaces for insulation purposes. In many other cases, where
the provided air spaces are large enough to accomplish an
insulating function, the load-carrying characteristics of
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the block have been infringed upon.
Another common difficulty with the prior art
mechanisms has been that, while a barrier wall may be extended
through the air space or spaces in a block, no provision is
made for extending that barrier wall through the usual block
webs at the sides of the air spaces.
The geometry of the block of this invention allows
a mold design such that, in the forming process, the area
within the mold and below the web air gaps may be filled by
conventiona:L vibration and compaction techniques at normal
cycle speeds for maximum production and, without the
need for additional bottom sled plates or special rakes.
Further advantageously, tests performed on conventional
blocks and on the blocks hereof have disclosed comparative
compressive strengths and greatly improved thermal resistance
values.
BRIEE` DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is an inverted isometric view of a masonry
block with the thermal insulative element
inserted into operative position therewith;
Fig. 2 is a view in bottom plan of the Fig. 1 composite
block and element;
Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the Fig. 1
combination;
Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in top plan of the Fig. 1
combination in cooperative association with
similar blocks at opposite ends thereof;
Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of
the Fig. 4 combination;
Fig. 6 is a view in bottom plan of the masonry block
of the invention;
Fig 7 is a view in end elevation of the Fig. 6 block;
Fig. ~ is an inverted isometric view of the thermal
insulative element of the invention;
Fig. 9 is an inverted isometric view of the block;
Fig. 10 is a view showing a mason carrying two of the
composite blocks o~ the invention from the
manufacturing or storage site to the construction
site,
Figs. 11, 12, and 13 are front elevational, rear
elevational and top plan views respectively
of a modified form of thermal insulative element
of the invention; and
Fig. 14 is a view in perspective of two inverted
conventional blocks modified so as to nestably
receive another alternate form o insulative element
and an inverted end block likewise modified so as
to nestably rece:ive the alternate form of
insulative block adapted ~or an end block.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFEKRED EMBODI~IENT
Directional and/or geometrical terms such as "top,"
2~ "bottom," "sid ,~' "transverse," "horizontal," "vertical," etc.
are used freely hereinbelow but it is t~ be understood that
such terminology is employed for convenience of description
; only and is not to be regarded as in any way limiting the
invention in the specification or the claims which follow.
I have shown, in inverted view in Fig. 1, a building
block constructed in accordance with the spirit of this
invention. Same may be made of concrete or other cementitious
material and is defined as being of generally rectangular
blocklike configuration having a vertical exterior front
face shell 10, a vertical interior rear face shell 12 spaced
therefrom, vertical end webs 149 14 adjacent opposite ends 16
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but spaced inwardly from each respective end to define a
vertically extending end core 18 thereat~ and a vertical
intermediate web 20, with end webs 14, 14 and intermediate
web 20 interconnecting between the inboard sides of front
and rear face shells 10 and 12, all as a unitary struct~lre
defining a pair o spaced air cells 30 each extending
throughout the vertical dimension of the block rom the
upper planar face 42 to the lower planar face 40 thereof.
That is, air cells 30 are bounded transversely by webs
1~, 20, 14 and by the integrally formed opposite parallel
front and rear face shells 10, 12.
Webs 1~, 14 and 20 are provided with notches or air
gaps 541 54 and 60 respectively~ which air gaps extend upwardly
and inwardly from the bottom plane of the block. They are
disposed, not centrally of each web, but closer to the block
ront Eace 10 than to the block rear face 12 for purposes to
appear. The air gaps are coplanar in the sense that their
vertical dispositions are in alignment with each other and in
parallelism with the plane of the block front face.
As best observed in Fig. 7, the air gaps extend upwardly
from the bottom 40 preferentially for a distance equal to
approximately one hal the block height.
The configurations and dimensions of the air gaps provided
in the transverse webs may vary within the scope hereof pro~ided
they represent in all instances a judicious compromise between
maintenance of a top to bottom compressive strength of the
block and insulating efficiency.
The block is preformed in a conventional manner, and as
sh~wn in Fig. 10, can be readily lifted and manipulated by a
workman at the manufacturing situs and at the construction site,
the workman grasping one of the webs7 finger access into a
cavity being readily permitted.
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~ he block may be handled from either attitude, above
or below, depending on whether the handling is being carried
on at the manufacturing or the construction site.
The air cells or cavities will taper gradually inwardly
and upwardly so that during block manufacture, as the cores
employed in molding the block may vary somewhat in dimension,
especially as wear ensues through continued use. The result
may be that the cross sectional configurations and/or
dimensions of the cavities will be subject to variation over
a modest range~ the variations possibly occur~ing from block
to block, or even from cavity to cavity in a single block.
The insulative liner or element now to be described is
of such configurations and dimensions as to accommodate to
these variations.
Having particular reference to Fig. 8, there is shown
an insulati~e element or liner 76 ior use with the building
block oE the invention and preferentially formed of a light-
weight foraminous heat insulating and fire retardant material
whereby a ~ire stop function and a reasonable degree of
resistan~e to sound and moisture transmission are provided.
Molded expanded polystyrene has been found to be a particularly
desirable material for the purpose.
It has a generally elongated configuration to define a
vertically extending wall 72 extending upwardly from a flat
horizontally-extending bottom wall 7~ and terminating in a flat
horizontally-extending top wall 76. At the opposite ends 80 of
the liner, vertically-extending end tabs 81 project rearwardly,
each in a plane normal to the main longitudinal axis of the
liner and throughout the insert height~
At each opposite end of top wall 76, an inwardly~extending
notch 82 is provided, which notch extends inwardly approximately
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one-half of the liner height. An intermediate notch 84
extends inwardly from top wall 76, and extends inwardly
approximately the same distance.
As shown in Fig. 7, air gaps 54, 54, 60 may be each
provided with a slight inward taper from the block bottom 40
and with a peaked pointed inner end wall such as shown at 55
to facilitate core bar removal without the danger of
developing cracks in the air gap walls due to the inherent
suction forces during block manufacture~ as well as to allow
for a slight clearance so that minute amounts of material
may collect without interference with the placement of the
liner.
The insulative elements are preformed in a configuration
so as to be receivable across the cavities and within the air
gaps of a block and air possessive o a degree of cross
sectional compressi~ility so that when an element is introduced
to its nesting position within a block it is allowed to
accommodate to any slight variations of dimension if and as
encountered and to adopt a firm engagement with the cavity
and air gap walls by means of a frictional retention so as to
insure against accidental displacement during handling.
I presently prefer the provision of an air gap which will
have a depth or height approximately three times the thickness
of the web out of which it is formed.
Thus where a web thickness of approximately 1 l/16 inch
may be provided7 as is conventional in many building block
designs, an air gap depth of approximately 3 5/8 inches is
provided for.
~y ~miting the air gap to a width and depth or height
less -than the midlength and by the retention of the normal
cavity widths we minimize if not eliminate the dependence
on wire reinforcement to retain the tensile strength.
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In Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are shown front elevational, rear
elevational and top plan views respectively of a modified
~orm of thermal insulative element of the invention.
The insulative element 170 here again has a generally
elongated configuration to define a vertically-extending wall
172 extending upwardly from a flat horizontally-extending
bottom wall 174 and termnating in a flat horizontally-
extending top wall 176. ~t the opposite ends of the element,
vertically extending end tabs 181 project rear~ardly each
in a plane normal to the main longitudinal axis of the
element and throughout its height.
At each opposite end of top wall 176, an inwardly
extending notch 182 is provided, which notch extends inwardly
approximately one-half of the insert height. An intermediate
notch 184 extends inwardly from top wall 176, and extends
inwardly approximately the same distance.
Between the adjacent notches and extending throughout
the vertical height of the element from top to bottom is an
enlargement 190 which extends outwardly from the vertical plane
of the inside face of the element to a vertical plane which is
coplanar with the outboard end faces of the end tabs 181. These
serve the function of partially filling the respective air cells
when in operative xelationship with a block.
In Fig. 14, I have shown a pair of blocks 200 and 202
disposed in end to end relation with an end or corner block 204
likewise disposed in end to end relation with blocl~ 202.
Blocks 200 and 202 are each provided with an insulative
; element 270 having the vertically extending end tabs 2~1
projecting rearwardly in planes normal to the main longitudinal
axis of the respective element. It will be observed that
adjacent end tabs are in confronting relation with each other.
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Fo~ardly of the main longitudinal axis of each element
and throughout its height are a pair of enlargements 290
are provided which extend outwardly from the vertical plane of
the inside face of the element and each have a curved outboard
face of a configuration which generally conforms to the
adjacent wall of the respective air cell so as to be slightly
spaced therefrom and to define a moisture barrier therebetween.
Rearwardly of the element the air cells may be left
unfilled as in the case of block 200 or filled with grout 210
and conceivably reinforcing rods 212 as in the case of block 202.
End block 204 may be modified so as to provide air ~aps
in only the inboard webs, the outboard webs 214 remaining uncut.
