Retaining wall block and system

Abstract

A retaining wall block for an engineered block retaining wall system having an integrally formed head, neck and body, in which one generally planar front face of the body forms a visible part of the wall, the body having two pin holes, two clean out holes, each of which terminates within the body of the block, and two pin receiving openings, the pin receiving openings being configured to receive a free end of a lock pin provided in a pin hole of a block placed there under so as to interlock the blocks with a predetermined setback. The pin holes and pin receiving openings being positioned such that a plane extending perpendicular to the generally planar front face passes through one, and only one, of said pin holes or said pin receiving openings.

1 . A retaining wall block having a top surface and a bottom surface and a generally planar front face designed to form a portion of a front wall of a modular retaining wall system comprising:
 a body portion having said generally planar front face;   a neck portion;   a head portion;   said body, neck and head portions being integrally formed and each having a defined width, said width of said body portion being greater than said width of said head portion, and said width of said head portion being greater than said width of said neck portion, said neck portion formed to have an opening extending from said top surface to said bottom surface, said opening dividing said neck portion to define two legs which connect said head portion to said body portion;   first and second openings in said body portion extending between said top and said bottom surfaces defining first and second lock pin receiving openings; and   first and second pin holes in said body portion and opening on said top surface, said pin holes being designed to accept a lock pin, said pin holes terminating within said body; and   first and second clean out holes provided in the body portion below the first and second pin holes, said clean out holes being designed to avoid blockage of said pin holes by accumulation of debris said first and second clean out holes terminating within said body at least a half of an inch above said block bottom surface;   wherein said first and second openings in said body portion are each configured to receive a free end of a lock pin provided in a pin hole of a block placed thereunder so as to interlock the blocks with a predetermined setback, and wherein a plane extending perpendicular to said generally planar front face passes through one of said pin holes or said pin receiving openings.   
   
   
       2 . The retaining wall block of  claim 1  in which said body, neck and head are formed of poured concrete. 
   
   
       3 . The retaining wall block of  claim 1  in which said opening in said neck forms two legs which connect said head to said body portion, wherein said pin holes and said pin receiving openings are configured such when said block is interlocked with one or more blocks thereunder, said legs of said block do not align with a leg of said block thereunder. 
   
   
       4 . The retaining block of  claim 1  wherein said body further includes side walls which taper from said generally planar front face and said head include first and second ears which can be removed to facilitate formation of a convex shaped wall. 
   
   
       5 . The retaining wall block of  claim 1  in which the first and second clean out holes terminate within said body an inch above said block bottom surface. 
   
   
       6 . The retaining wall block of  claim 1  in which the first and second openings are kidney shaped. 
   
   
       7 . The retaining wall block of  claim 1  in which said body portion includes a side surface formed to create an inner angle between a surface plane created by said side surface and said generally planar front face not greater than 80 degrees, and said head portion is limited in length so as to not extend beyond said plane created by said side surface. 
   
   
       8 . A retaining wall block having a top surface and a bottom surface and a generally planar front face designed to form a portion of a front wall of a modular retaining wall system comprising:
 a body portion having said generally planar front face;   a neck portion;   a head portion;   said body, neck and head portions being integrally formed and each having a defined width, said width of said body portion being greater than said width of said head portion, and said width of said head portion being greater than said width of said neck portion, said neck portion formed to have an opening extending from said top surface to said bottom surface, said opening dividing said neck portion to define two legs which connect said head portion to said body portion;   said wall block having an axis of symmetry extending perpendicular to said generally planar front face and dividing said wall block into two roughly equal sides and wherein each of said neck portion legs are angled away from said axis of symmetry such that said opening formed in said neck portion is in the form of an inverted trapezoid;   each of said neck portion legs including an outer surface, each of said outer surfaces define a plane;   first and second lock pin receiving openings in said body portion extending between said top and said bottom surfaces; and   first and second pin holes in said body portion and opening on said top surface, said pin holes being designed to accept a lock pin, said pin hole terminating within said body; and   first and second clean out holes provided in the body portion below the first and second pin holes, said clean out holes being designed to avoid blockage of said pin holes by accumulation of debris said first and second clean out holes terminating within said body at least a half of an inch above said block bottom surface;   wherein said first and second openings in said body portion are each configured to receive a free end of a lock pin provided in a pin hole of a block placed there under so as to interlock the blocks with a predetermined setback, and wherein each of said planes defined by said outer surface of said neck portion legs extends from said head portion to said body portion of said wall block at an acute angle to said axis of symmetry and each of said planes extend through said body portion of said wall block at a location spaced away from said first and second lock pin receiving openings and said first and second pin holes.   
   
   
       9 . The retaining wall block of  claim 8  in which said body, neck and head are formed of poured concrete. 
   
   
       10 . The retaining wall block of  claim 8  in which said first and second pin holes and said first and second clean out holes are square shaped and designed to receive a square shaped lock pin. 
   
   
       11 . The retaining wall block of  claim 8  in which said body width is greater than said head width. 
   
   
       12 . The retaining wall block of  claim 8  in which said first and second pin holes and said lock pin receiving openings are positioned within said body portion of said block between said planes defined by said outer surfaces of said neck portion legs.