Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
HOLL,OT~ B_LL IN(. sI.oc~ ~NI~ B[~rLD-r~ L_C SYSTE~
'rhe inven-tion relates to a bui.ldiny block sys-tem anda
buil.ding bloc]c made from concrete or similar material ancl
adapted to be assembled by engageable tongue and aroove
means.
It is known to make wall blocks from concrete or si-
milar material and it is also known to ~rovide such wall
blocks with tonguesan(l groovesfor controlled assembl.ing.
Elowever, the brick-laying itself by the previously known
embodiments was rather tlme-consuming and there was no
possibility of reinforcinc3 the wall in any simple way. ~n
addition the ~reviously known wall blocks made from con-
crete we:re relativel.y heavy in weicTht and -thev would re-
quire considerable extra insulation agai.nst hea-t transfer.
French ~atent No. 1 319 05~ thus describes a hollow
building bloek having tongues and grooves in one directi.on
and otherwise ~ro~ided w;th smooth side surfaces.
It is further known from ~rench natent No. 1 525 575
to produce buildinc3 blocks de.signed for mosaie assembling
and having a rela-ti.vely complicated form which will make
the ~roduc-tion of -the brick rather c~ifficult.
The present invention has as its main purPOSe to
provide a hollow building block and buildintJ bloek svstem
made from concrete or similar materia] and enabling the
reinforcing of the assembled ~rocluc-t possibly even after
the assemhlin~ and of a design which will recluce the con-
s-truction time remarkabl~ at the same time as the block is
l.ighter in weight comparecl with usual wall blocks, but
stil.l has sufFicien-t strength and does not re~TUire the
same amount of insulation against heat conduction as it is
the case for known wall b].ocks. The hollow builclincT blocks
according to the invention ~ay be fully or ~artly filled
with cast reinforcement and/or insulation.
In accordance wi-th the lnvention the hollow huildinq
~5 ~)lock com~rises two laterall~ s~aced side wall,s intercon-
nec'te(l by at leas-t one web means and having at le~st one
cavity o~en at the top and bo-ttom oF the block, horizon-tal
and vertical edcTe sur-faces of the side walls being Provi-
ded with tongue an~ groove means, each side wall having
in a first ~air of adjacent edge surfaces tonque means
,
~
,lnd in the ~-ther Pair oE ad~clcent ed~le surface~ groove
mearls, -the tongue and qroove ~eans in each O f the si(1e
wall eclge surfaces being dimensioned so as to be closelv
receivable in groove and tongue means of adiacent hlocks.
The builciing block sys~em comPrises in combination
whole module blocks constructed as described ~ereinhefore,
half module blocks and quarter module blocks sunnlemented
by coner block.s and insulation blocks for the construction
of fundaments, walls, ~artitions, pillars, etc, the module
block being rec-tangular and comnrising a cavity with onen
top and bottom.
The invention will be better understood From the
followin~ more detailed descrintion with reference to the
drawings, wherein:
Fi~ures 1 and 2 represent a Eull module block in one
size seen from the end and from above resPectively,
Figures 3 and 4 renresent a larger module block like-
wise from the end and from above res~ectivelv,
Figures 5a to 5i represent an embodiment of a modi-
fied module block, corner block, half module hl.ock and
auxiliary block,
Figure 6 shows an embodiment of a corner cons-truction
usin~ the blocks of Fi~ure 5,
Figure 7 shows a wall construc-tion with a window
opening and using the half blocks (U-blocks) and "closures',
Figure 8 shows a section of a wall portlon comnri-
sing usual module blocks and large mo~ule blocks as well
as a bl:ind wall of small massive hlocks without heat con-
duc-tion and insulation means in the wall,
Figure 9 shows in nerspective view the modlfi.ed mo-
dule block respectively from above and from below for
better understan~in~ of the narticular form of the block,
Fi.gure lO shows a modification of the hollow buil-
din~ block in front ~iew and. rear view,
Figure 11 shows four blocks of ~i~ure lO stacked onone another and havin~ the cav.ities formed by sai~ stacked
blocks fi.lled wi.th insulation mats,
Figure 12 shows a horizontal row of four blocks of
Figure lO forming an open groove for insertion of insula-
.
tion mats,
Fiqure 13 shows the use o-~ the ~ gure 1~ blocks in
connection with a concrete floor by addition of an ada~-
ting slab,
Fiqure 14 shows a wall constructe~ with the hollow
building block of Figure 10, the u~per cavity having been
filled with concrete and reinforced,
Figure 15 shows a ~urther modified embodiment of the
bloek,
Figure 16 shows a modification of the bloek of Fiqure
15, and
Figure 17 shows a bloek with an additional interme-
diate wall.
The module b]ock R aeeording to the ~resent invention
in its most applieable embodiment is shown in Figures 1
and 2 of -the drawings in an end view and a top view res-
peetively. It should be no-ted that in the present Aeseri~-
tion the huilc1ing system of hollow bloeks and the single
bloeks are so described as having their longi-tudinal axis
directed horizontally, but in some eases the bloeks mav
also be positioned vertically.
As shown in Fiaures 1 to 4, the building bloek B has
two laterally spaced side walls 20, 30 intereonneeted by
two webs 32, 3~a to form a central internal cavitv 3 o~en
at -the top and at the bottom of the bloek.
~ s shown in Figures 1 and 3, the block R has longitu-
clinal grooves 1 at the side wall bottom edge surfaees and
eorrespondlng longi-tudinal tongues 2 at the side wall to~
or upper edge surfaces. The block B is accordingly as~m~e-
trie about a eentral horizontal plane E. By means of these
grooves and tongues the bloeks may be nlacecl on each other
or sul~er~osed in a vertieal direetion with positive gui-
ding. As shown in Figures 2 an~ 4 the bloek B also has a
eorresponding groove and tongue form at the side wall ver-
tieal edge sur~aees, more partieularly with tongues 2a on
both side walls at one end of the bloek and with grooves
la on both side walls at the other encl thereof. Aeeordin~-
ly the block B is also asymmetrie about a eentral trans-
verse vertieal plane E'. These groove and tongue forms
,,
serve to gulde the blocks in a 1ongitudinal or horizontal
direction.
~ccordingly, each side wall 20, 30 has in a firs-t
Palr of adiacent edge surfaces ton~ues 2, 2a and in the
other ~alr of adjacent edge surfaces ~Iroo~Tes l, Ia. Tlle
tongues and grooves are dimensioned so that the individual
blocks may be assembled with the grooves of each block
closely receiving the tongues of adjacent blocks so as to
~ermit the construction of walls or the like without mor-
tar to be distributed between the blocks for bondinq them
together.
The cavities 3 are used for reinforcing the walls
or the like built up by means of the hollow buildinq blocks
B accordinq to -the invention, by filling the cavities
after assembling of the building blocks with insulation
material or concrete, separately or in combination. ~1ore-
over, a finished assembled wall of hollow building blocks
according to the invention may he rein~orced by vertical
rods, the hlocks for this nux~ose being ~rovided wi-th a
V-sha~ed web 32a (F;g.2) or a 1~-shaped web 32a (Fig. 4).
The upPer surfaces of -the webs 32, 32a, 32a' having V-
shaped cutouts 5 for introduc-tion of horizontal reinfor-
cing rods.
Referring to Figures 5a and 5d a ~odified module
block B' is shown in top view and end view. It will be
obvious from these figures that -the block has grooves l
at one end in Figure 5a and tongues at the o-ther end in
the same figure. Likewise, the block ~' has grooves and
tongues on the up~er ~nd lower edge surfaces res~ectively
(see Figure 5d) designated by la and 2a repective]~.
Furthermore, in Figures 5a and 5d grooves or o~enings 4a
are provided in bo-th webs or end walls of the block ~' for
the arrangement of reinforcing rods (not shown). In addi-
3; tion both webs or end walls have vertical recesses 16 .sui-
table for filling with concrete insulation material or
reinforcing members (not shown).
~ corner block Hi is shown in top ~Jiew in the Figu-
res 5b and c, the first one being a convex block(tongues
at t`) and the other one a concave block (qroove at -), in
3~
-- 5
relation to the upper end of the blocks. One halE portion
6 of the corner hlock. Hl is identical to a half module
block B' as shown in Fiqure 5a, whe~eas the o-ther half
portion 7 oE the corner b]ock is formed so that it can be
assembled with other blocks tc> form for example a wall
corner as shown in Figure 6. The other half 7 of the cor
ner block Hj in Figure 5b, c may be assembled with, for
instance, the module block B' shown in Figure 5a, either
in the same directlon shown or rota-ted 90 or 180 wi-th
the convex side against the concave side, -the tongue form
2a on the half portion 7 being substituted bv protruding
points 8 forming -the corners of a square havina a side-
len~th equal to the distance between the tongues 2a. Fur~
thermore, the half portion 7 has a smoo-th end wall 7b with-
out any tongues or grooves, for -terminating wall corners,
openings and so forth, see also Figure 6. The points 8
which in the half portion 7 of the corner block in Figure
5b, c, d are substitu-ted for -the tongues, have pyramidal
fonn and fit into the grooves la of the blocks when assem-
bled.
Figure 6 shows the construc-tion of a corner by means
of the module blocks and the corner blocks shown in Figure
5a, d and Figures 5b, c respectively. The corner is con~
structed by alternating the layers "I" and "II" as is well
known per se.
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate an example of a window
openi~g and how a smooth surface in the ODening is obtai-
ned hy the use of corner blocks, half blocks and closing
elements. These blocks being designated in the drawing
by "Hj", "U" and "L" respectively.
The smooth lateral sides of the window opening being
constructed by alterna-tively using corner blocks HJ and
half blocks U. The half blocks U shown in greater detail
in Figs.5f, g, h, are generally U-shaped with one smooth
end wall 7c. The cavities of the module blocks at the
lower limit of the window opening are closed by closing
elements C, one such closing element being shown in Fig.
5i, said closing element having a flat top surface 7d and
~ 3
-- 6
grooves 7e in -their bot-tom surface. The upper limit oE the
window opening is formed a<3ain by closing elements U turnèd
with thelx open side upwardly. ~einforcing bars are nlaced
into said communicating openings and the~ are thereafter
filled with concrete.
Figure 8 shows a wall construction comprising usual
and large module blocks ~ of Figures 1 to 4 together with
a blind wall consisting of small massive blocks 11 and in-
termediate insulation 12 which possibly may be introducea
against a foil 13 in order to provide a blind wall without
heat conduction. Figure 8 furthermore shows some examples
of fillings 14 consisting of additional concrete with xe-
inforcing members 15.
As already mentioned above, the cavities of the
blocks may be filled with insula-tion material or concrete
and may also be provided with reinforcing mernbers.
Figure 9 shows the modified block R' o:F Figures Sa,
d on a larger scale in perspective view.
The block construction system of the invention also
comprises insulation blocks BI as shown in Figures 10 - 14
from which it will be obvious that the insulation block
has the same grooves and tongues as the module blocks and
thus is suitable for the construction of a wall in the so-
called dry form and providing an effective sound and
thermal insulation.
The arrangement of the grooves and tongue~ differs
however from -the preceding embodiments in the following
respect. In the left side wall 90 of the -two blocks shown
the upper edge surface has a tongue 2 and the lower edge
surface has a groove 1 while the forward edge surface has
a groove la and the rear edge surface has a tongue (not
shown). For -the right side wall 20 this arrangement is,
however, reversed in that the upper edge surface of this
side wall is provided with a groove 1 and the lower edge
surface is provided with a tongue 2. Likewise, the forward
edge surface of wall 20 has a tongue 2a while the rear ed-
ge surface has a groove (not shown). In other words the
tont3ue and groove means are arranged in the edge surfaces
of the side walls 20, 30 such that for one si.de wall the
corner formecl between the adjacen~ edge surfaces having
tongue means is diagonally opposite to the corner of -the
other side wall formed be-tween the adjacent edge surfaces
having tongue means. This also applies to the corners for-
med between the edge surfaces having groove means. This
arrangement permits -to use onlv one single block which
may be assembled with other blocks in different orienta-
tions.
The blocks of Figure lO are ~-shaped in view of the
double L-shaped form of the web 40 interconnecting the
two side walls 20, 30.
The figures ll to 14 show some examples of construc-
tion using the insulation block sI described hereinbefore.
Figure 13 for instance shows how a wall is eonstruc-
ted with the insulation blocks BI when passing a floor lO
without interrupting the insulation and it wil.l be seen
that this problem is easi.ly solved by the use of an adaptor
slab ~ having a height equal to the thickness of floor lO.
It should be noted that within the scope of the in-
vention the insulation block is not bound to having an S~
formed cross-section, but may have a cross seetion f~rmed
like a double "S", an "M" or a double "M".
It will be obvious to a ~erson skilled in the art
that the internal corners of all cavities in ~raetiee will
be slightly rounded and not sharp, to avoid stresses and
possible breakages at these points. Accordingly the draw-
ings are to be considered as merely illustrating schema-
3Q -tieal sketches.
The blocks according to the invention are made by
moulding of concrete and provide a simplest possible adap-
tation to the various cons-truction methods. The blocks may
be stacked in dry condition or be connected by binding
(as in brick-laying) and standard mats may be used as in-
sulation material for instance dlvided simply in halves.
The most important advantages in a system of hollow
construc-tion blocks according to the invention is found
in the fact that the blocks are very light in weight and
at the same time have su~flcient streng-th and in -themselves
provide considerable insulation~ Furthermore -the blocks can
be man~lfactured at low cos-t and aford the possibility of
constructing a wall or similar s-tructure in a simple, ~uick
and safe way. A completed wall or the like mav be surface
treated in a known manner to provide a ready-made front.
Re~erring now to Figure 15 t a double S block 50 is
shown having side walls 20,30 provided with groove~s and
tongues arranged as described hereinbefore with respect to
the insulation block ~I of Figure 10. The web 52 inter-
connecting the two side walls is substan-tially ~-shaped -to
form a block 50 of double S-form.
The block 60 shown in Figure 16 also corresponds to
the insulation block BI of Figure 10 as far as the arran~e-
ment of the gxooves and tongues in the side walls is con-
cerned, but it has a modified web 62 which is generall~
0-shaped to form a block of double H form.
Finally, the block 70 o Figure 17 also has the
grooves and tongues arranged as explained hereinbefore
with respect to the block of Figure 10 but it comprises
an intermediate wa~l 72 between the side walls 71, 73 and
three webs 74 interconnecting the intermediate wall 72 and
-the side walls 71, 73.
