Ventilated building block

Abstract

A building block for a ventilated wall includes an elongated center portion flanked by a pair of substantially parallel side walls oriented substantially perpendicularly to the center portion. The center portion has a first vertical wall and a second sloped wall, the second sloped wall extending between a relatively thicker bottom wall of the center portion and a relatively thinner top wall of the center portion. The first wall is co-planar with first edges of the side walls. A stacked arrangement of such blocks, where adjacent blocks are inverted and reversed, establishes front-to-back air passages that do not provide a sight line, and which prevent rain from passing through. A mold assembly for manufacturing the blocks is also disclosed.

1 . A wall unit comprising at least first and second building blocks each having an elongated center portion flanked by a pair of substantially parallel side walls oriented substantially perpendicularly to said center portion, said center portion having a first vertical wall and a second sloped wall, said second sloped wall extending between a relatively thicker base of said center portion and a relatively thinner top of said center portion; said first wall being co-planar with first edges of said side walls; and wherein said first and second building blocks are stacked one on the other, with said second block inverted and reversed relative to said first block. 
     
     
         2 . The wall unit of  claim 1  wherein the side walls of adjacent stacked blocks are engaged, and wherein, on a front side of said wall unit, the thinner edge of the second block and the base of the first block form a first forward-facing aperture, and on a back side of the wall unit, the thinner edge of said first block and the base of said second block form a second rearward-facing aperture. 
     
     
         3 . The wall unit of  claim 1  wherein said forward and rearward facing apertures are connected by an upward and rearward-extending ventilation passage. 
     
     
         4 . The wall unit of  claim 2  wherein said at least two blocks comprises more than two blocks in a vertical stack. 
     
     
         5 . The wall unit of  claim 4  wherein said at least two blocks comprises plural vertical stacks in side-by-side relationship.