US2006070327A1PendingUtilityA1

Wall block and method of manufacture thereof

50
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Sep 25, 2004Filed: Sep 25, 2004Published: Apr 6, 2006
Est. expirySep 25, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Michael Robinson
E04B 2/04
50
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
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References
0
Claims

Abstract

A wall block includes two finished wall material layers attached to a frame where the tops of the wall blocks are configured to support other wall blocks. Exterior wall blocks for constructing exterior walls include an interior wall material layer and an exterior wall material layer. Interior wall blocks include interior wall material layers on both vertical sides of the frame. Walls are formed by stacking and gluing the prefabricated wall blocks and vertically aligning the wall blocks in an offset or in a vertical configuration to form a stack bond, running bond, or offset running bond wall configuration. The interior wall material layers and exterior wall material layers do not require further finishing after a wall is assembled thereby greatly reducing labor costs.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A wall block comprising: 
 a frame having a first vertical side and a second vertical side opposite the first vertical side;    a first finished wall material layer secured to the first vertical side; and    a second finished wall material layer secured to the second vertical side, the wall block having a top configured to support at least one other wall block.    
   
   
       2 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the first finished wall material layer is an interior wall material layer.  
   
   
       3 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the interior wall material layer is a planar sheet of drywall.  
   
   
       4 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the interior wall material layer is a planar sheet of gypsum board.  
   
   
       5 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the interior wall material layer is a planar sheet of plywood.  
   
   
       6 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the interior wall layer is a planar sheet of paneling.  
   
   
       7 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the second finished wall material layer is a second interior wall material layer.  
   
   
       8 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the second finished wall material layer is an exterior wall material layer.  
   
   
       9 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the exterior wall material layer comprises wire-reinforced concrete.  
   
   
       10 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the concrete is configured to resemble stone.  
   
   
       11 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the concrete is configured to resemble brick.  
   
   
       12 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the exterior wall material layer includes a stucco surface.  
   
   
       13 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the exterior wall material layer comprises a prefabricated synthetic simulated panel.  
   
   
       14 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the prefabricated synthetic simulated panel comprises a polypropylene simulated stone panel.  
   
   
       15 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the wall block further comprises: 
 a bottom opposite the top, the bottom configured to interface with the tops of one or more other wall blocks when the wall block is placed on top of the one or more other wall blocks.    
   
   
       16 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 15 , further comprising at least one conduit channel extending vertically from the top to the bottom of the wall block.  
   
   
       17 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the at least one conduit channel comprises a cylindrical conduit channel guide positioned between holes in the top and bottom.  
   
   
       18 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein the wall block has a shape in accordance with a rectangular prism and further comprises: 
 a first end connected to edges of the top, the bottom, the interior wall layer and the exterior wall layer; and    a second end connected, opposite the first end, to opposite edges of the top, the bottom, the interior wall layer and the exterior wall layer.    
   
   
       19 . A wall block in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the first end, the second end, the top, the bottom, interior wall layer and the exterior wall layer are rectangular.  
   
   
       20 . An exterior wall block for constructing external wall of a building, the exterior wall block comprising: 
 a hollow rectangular wooden frame comprising a top lateral member, a bottom lateral member, and a plurality of vertical members between the top lateral member and the bottom lateral member:    an interior wall material layer secured to an interior side of the wooden frame;    an exterior wall material layer secured to an exterior side of the wooden frame, the top later member configured to interface with a bottom lateral member of at least one other wall block when supporting the at least one other wall block.    
   
   
       21 . An exterior wall block in accordance with  claim 20 , wherein the interior wall material comprises a section of drywall.  
   
   
       22 . An exterior wall block in accordance with  claim 20 , wherein the exterior material wall layer comprises stamped cement.  
   
   
       23 . An exterior wall block in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein the exterior material wall layer comprises lathing and a sheathing layer.  
   
   
       24 . An exterior wall block in accordance with  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 an intermediate lateral member between the top lateral member and the bottom lateral member, the interior material layer extending from the top lateral member to the intermediate lateral area to form an open area that allows access to a top of the bottom lateral member.    
   
   
       25 . A method of manufacturing a wall block, the method comprising: 
 forming a frame having a first vertical side and a second vertical side opposite the first vertical side;    securing a first finished wall material layer to the first vertical side; and    securing a second finished wall material layer to the second vertical side to form a wall block having a top configured to support at least one other wall block.    
   
   
       26 . A method in accordance with  claim 25 , wherein the forming the frame comprises: 
 cutting a top lateral member, a bottom lateral member, and a plurality of vertical members from lumber;    attaching the top lateral member, the bottom lateral member, and the plurality of vertical members to each other to form a rectangular hollow frame, first edges of the top lateral member, bottom lateral member, and the plurality of vertical members defining the first vertical side and second edges, opposite the first edges, of the top lateral member, bottom lateral member, and the plurality of vertical members defining the second vertical side.    
   
   
       27 . A method in accordance with  claim 26 , wherein the forming the frame further comprises holding the top lateral member, bottom lateral members, and the plurality of vertical members in a jig while attaching.  
   
   
       28 . A method in accordance with  claim 26 , wherein the securing the first finished wall material comprises attaching a section of drywall to the first edges.  
   
   
       29 . A method in accordance with  claim 28 , wherein the securing the second finished wall material comprises attaching a second section of drywall to the second edges.  
   
   
       30 . A method in accordance with  claim 28  further comprising: 
 attaching a portion of an interior edge interface along a portion of the perimeter of the first side formed by the first edges;    inserting the drywall within the portion of the interior edge interface; and    applying a final portion of the interior edge interface along the perimeter of the first side formed by the first edges.    
   
   
       31 . A method in accordance with  claim 26 , wherein the securing the second finished wall material comprises: 
 attaching a sheathing layer to the second edges;    attaching a lathing to the second edges; and    applying a concrete layer to the lathing.    
   
   
       32 . A method in accordance with  claim 31 , wherein the concrete layer simulates stone when cured.  
   
   
       33 . A method in accordance with  claim 31 , wherein the concrete layer simulates brick when cured.  
   
   
       34 . A method in accordance with  claim 25  further comprising: 
 drilling holes in the top lateral member and the bottom lateral member to form at least one conduit channel.    
   
   
       35 . A method in accordance with  claim 34 , further comprising: 
 securing a conduit channel guide between vertically aligned holes in the top lateral member and the bottom lateral member.

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