Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DRYWALL CONSTRUCTION METHOD AND MEANS THEREFOR
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to block-type drywall construction and, more
particularly to
a drywall construction and the method for carrying it out. The constructed
wall is
designed to be, essentially, self supporting, easily constructed and
economical insofar as
material and labour costs are concerned.
DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
Drywall construction is used generally for low walls and takes the form of a
wall
constructed of unitary building units or blocks which can be stacked to
provide a self
supporting wall structure, a securing cement, or mortar, being dispensed with.
United States patent 5,048,250 - Ellias, issued September 17, 1991, is
directed to a
building block per se which is designed for stacking in a drywall structure.
The blocks are
provided with vertically oriented holes, which in stacking are vertically
aligned through row
layers, through which rods may be passed, after the wall is constructed, to
provide
reinforcement of the structure.
United States patent 4,426,815 - Brown, issued January= 26, 1984, is directed
to a
mortarless concrete building block provided with key means locking one layer
of blocks to
the underlying or overlying next layer. Here again reinforcing rods may be
used for added
strength.
United States patent 2,199,112 - O'Leary, issued April 30, 1940, is directed
to an
insulated building block having, in one instance, a simulated brick
construction surface being
applied to the face of the block.
United States patent 2,006,462 - Kupper, issued July 2, 1935, is directed to a
miniature building system wherein individual building blocks are mounted on
and secured by
vertical rods passing consecutively through layers of the blocks.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a drywall construction method and means
facilitating ease of construction while, at the same time, providing a strong
structure. The
preferred construction block is similar to a standard size brick modified
somewhat to
accommodate the features of the present invention.
The construction block, upon which the present description is primarily based,
is
provided with holes, preferably more than one, passing vertically through the
block with the
holes symmetrically situated so that the holes of offset block layers will
align or coincide
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between vertical layers with, in the case of the three hole block, the centre
hole coinciding
vertically with the butting ends of the blocks in the layers immediately above
and below that
particular center hole.
A particular feature of the invention of the aforementioned application is the
use of
short pin members, for instance tubes, which are dimensioned to fit snugly
into the holes in
the blocks. The length of the pin member is preferably substantially equal to
the vertical
height of a block and is inserted into the hole of a block to the approximate
extent of half its
length, the other half of the pin member acting as a locating pin upon which
the block of a
subsequent layer of blocks is laid. The pin members act as means for securing
the block
against lateral and horizontal displacement with respect to each other. In
addition, the pins,
in view of their snug fits in the holes of the blocks, provide an additional
degree of vertical
stability. When the pins are tubular in form, vertical reinforcing rods may be
readily inserted
through a number of laid layers of blocks to increase the vertical rigidity of
the wall.
This type of construction reduces labour costs in the building of walls etc.,
is
economical and, in view of the fact there are no rigid joints the wall may be
subjected to
considerable vibrational stress without consequent cracking and deterioration
thus rendering
the construction useful for earthquake prone areas.
The ends, or the abutting surfaces, of the blocks in a horizontal layer can be
provided
with vertical cutouts corresponding to half a hole which, in conjunction with
an abutting
brick, forms a composite vertical hole which is utilized by inserted pin means
to align and
maintain the alignment of abutting block ends in a horizontal layer. In
addition, the inserted
pin acts as a means of securing the block rows against lateral movement
between the blocks
and a vertically adjacent layer of blocks. Alternately, the vertical holes
supplied in the block
may be displaced symmetrically with respect to the ends ofthe blocks so that
the holes in one
layer of blocks are coincident with holes in a vertically adjacent layer of
blocks, the
coincidence being maintained throughout the vertically layers of blocks in a
completed wall,
According to the invention, the blocks are each provided on their upper
surfaces with
a raised, longitudinally oriented, laterally central, portion preferably
extending for the full
length of the block and having, preferably, a flat upper surface area. The
lower surfaces of
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each block is provided with a symmetrically opposed and contoured cutout which
mates
with the upper surface of a block positioned therebeneath in a vertically
adjacent layer of
blocks to form an interlock resisting lateral movement of adjacent layers of
blocks in a
constructed wall. The blocks of a layer are longitudinally moveable with
respect to the
blocks of a vertically adjacent mating layer of blocks and, in order to
prevent longitudinal
movement of blocks in one layer with respect to the blocks in vertically
adjacent layer of
blocks, pins, mating with the holes in the blocks or the composite holes
between the ends of
abutting blocks, may be inserted in the holes of blocks in a layer leaving
extended ends
which insert into coincident holes of a vertically adjacent layer of blocks to
limit the
lo longitudinal movement of one layer of blocks with respect to an adjacent,
mating, layer of
blocks.
In order to facilitate construction, the pins are preferable, in overall
length, slightly
less than the distance between vertical centrals of adjacent layers of blocks.
Although it is
possible to use longer pins difficulties may arise in assembling multilayer
walls when the
pins are a greater length than the preferred length. In addition, the repair
of a wall can be
greatly impeded when the pins employed in construction are greater in length
than the
preferred length.
In order to provide greater wall integrity, a belt layer may be inserted
between the
block layers and enclosed between the mating upper and lower surfaces of
blocks to assist in
2o assuring longitudinal alignment of blocks in each layer and the layer
adjacent thereto.. In
order to accommodate such a belt the upper raised surface of a block can be
designed to be
free from contact with the lower surface of the cutout of a mated block so
that an internal flat
surface space is provided between the mated blocks to accommodate the belt.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figures 1, 2 and 3 show a top view, a side view and a cross-sectional view
respectively of a building block according to the present invention,
Figure 4, 5 and 6. show a top view, a side view and a cross-sectional view
respectively of a modified version of a building block according to the
present invention,
Figures 7 shows, in end view, two building blocks, in exploded view,
vertically
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stacked and oriented as, they would be situated in a vertical wall
construction oftwo layers of
blocks,
Figure 8 shows two blocks, as illustrated in Figure 7, in cross-sectional and
unexploded view with locating pins inserted in coincident vertical holes of
the layers of
blocks,
Figure 9 shows an exploded view of a wall construction based on the use of
blocks
according to Figures 1, 2 and 3 and
Figures 10 shows an exploded view of a wall construction based on the use
ofblocks
according to Figures 4, 5 and 6.
lo DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Figures 1, 2 and 3 show a building block 1, for instance a baked clay or
concrete
block, according to the invention and adapted for use in the construction of a
vertical,
motarless, wall (drywall). The block 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is, for
the most part, an
elongated rectangular form which, as is illustrated best by Figure 3, is
provided with a
longitudinal, lower cavity 3 which extends linearly for the full length of the
block, the cavity
3, preferably, being provided with lower flat, horizontal, portions 2
corresponding to the
lower side of the block and an inner and upper flat surface 3 connected to the
lower flat
portions 2 by linearly sloping sides 4. On the upper surface of the block 1 a
symmetrically
opposed, raised and linearly elongated surface protruberance 5 is provided and
proportioned
to mate with the underside cavity 3 of a further correspondingly formed block
so that the
flat portions 2 of the corresponding block rest on the outer, top, flat
portions 6 corresponding
to the top surface of the block thus providing firm seating and mating
surfaces 2, 6. It is
preferable that the flat surface 3 of the cavity of each block is raised
sufficiently, with respect
to the surfaces 2, to ensure secure mating of the flat surfaces 2 and 6. The
top surface 5 of
the protuberance is joined to the flat portions 6 by sloping surfaces 7. It
should be noted here
that the contours of the mating cavities, protnisions and surfaces can be
varied with respect to
what has been described. It is essential however, in vertical drywall
construction, designed to
be essentially self supporting, that the mating surfaces, when assembled,
automatically
provide for substantially true vertical alignment between vertically stacked,
horizontal, layers
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of blocks.
It should be noted here that the surface 3 of the lower cavity of a block can
be raised
sufficiently, with respect to flat portions 2 to make room for a longitudinal
belt between t To
layers of blocks as will be referred to in greater detail with respect to
Figures 9 and 10.
The blocks 1 are each provided with vertical holes 11, laterally central of
the block
and extending fully from the lower surface 3 to the upper surface 5 of each
block. The holes
11 maybe located longitudinally central of each block and at each end thereof,
the end holes
11 a being in the form of a vertical cutout forming one limiting surface of a
composite vertical
hole, the vertical hole being completed by a similar block end abutted
thereagainst in a
lo horizontal row of blocks. As shown in figure 4 the vertical holes can be
located midway
between the ends and centers of the blocks. Other holes arrangements can be
used so long as
the holes of vertically and horizontal conventionally staggered layers of
blocks are
coincident. Such coincident arrangements being shown in Figures 9 and 10.
Figure 7 illustrates an exploded stacked arrangement of two blocks 1, 1
wherein the
opposed mating surfaces 2 and 6 are spaced to show the contour ofthe mating
surfaces more
clearly. Figure 8 shows sectional end views of two fully seated blocks 1a, Ib
with three
stabilizing pins 9 a, 9b, 9c inserted into the coincident holes 11 of the two
blocks, one pin 9a
having a half-pin length part projecting below block 1 a, a pin 9b extending
from midway of
block 1 a to midway of block 1 b and the third pin 9c extending from midway of
block 1 b to
project there above for half its length The pins 9 stabilize the vertically
stacked rows of
blocks against lateral toppling and against relative longitudinal movement
with respect to
each other.
Figure 9 shows an exploded view of two longitudinal rows of blocks I a and 1 b
in
stacked vertical arrangement and longitudinally staggered relationship wherein
the blocks are
each provided with holes 111ocated midway between the longitudinal centers and
the ends of
each block 1 thus facilitating the respective longitudinal staggering of
vertically adjacent
horizontal rows of blocks. In this configuration a belt 10, provided with a
series of
longitudinally spaced holes 12 coinciding with coincident block holes 11, is
placed between
the vertically stacked rows of blocks and accommodated in the space allowed
therefore
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between the upper faces 5 of the lower row and the lower cavity faces 3 of the
upper row of
blocks. Pins 9, when assembled, will extend from approximately midway of the
lowerrow
row of blocka 1 a to substantially midway of the upper row of blocks lb. This
arrangement of
rows of blocks is, of course, repeated vertically throughout the constructed
wall.
Figure 10 shows an arrangement similar to that described in regard to Figure
9,
differing only in the location of holes in the blocks and the accommodating
and coinciding
holes 12 in belt 10. In this arrangement every other horizontally located hole
11 a, in each
horizontal row of blocks, is a composite hole formed between the abutting ends
ofblocks in
that row.
Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described further
variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and
scope ofthe
invention which is defined in the claims appended hereto.
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