Block plank and method for the production thereof

Abstract

A block plank for building wooden walls, formed of a plurality of block planks (6, 7) located horizontally one above the other, of houses and other buildings is proposed which on its lower bearing face (8) has a wedge-shaped longitudinal slit (3) that tapers toward the heart (2) of the block plank (6, 7). The method of the invention for producing such block planks (6, 7) with a low wood moisture provides that the logs (1) used, before the drying operation, are provided with at least one longitudinal slit (3) extending as far as the heart (2) of the respective log (1); that the logs (1) are then dried in a drying chamber to a moisture content of less than 15%, preferably to a moisture content of 11%; and that the logs (1) are then sawn to the desired size of block plank.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a block plank for building wooden walls, as generically defined by the preamble to claim 1, and to a method for producing it.

[0002] For building wooden houses and other buildings, block planks are used, which can have an essentially rectangular cross section, or a rounded cross section, with flat faces. In walls constructed of block planks, one problem is that the walls settle from shrinkage, and warping can also occur in the wood. This can make the wooden walls constructed with conventional block planks leaky.

[0003] The object of the invention is to create a block plank for building wooden walls that even after a relatively long time maintains high dimensional accuracy.

[0004] This object is attained by the characteristics recited in claim 1. The block plank of the invention, at least on its lower bearing face, has a wedge-shaped longitudinal slit that narrows toward the heart of the log. An elastic insulating material with which the block planks, stacked one above the other to make a wall, rest sealingly on one another can be inserted into this longitudinal slit.

[0005] The wedge shape of the longitudinal slit is created on the one hand during the drying operation, since the log, previously slit longitudinally, contracts in such a way that a longitudinal slit initially made in straight form widens into a V. If before the drying operation, other longitudinal notches are provided in the region of the later top side of the block plank, then it is especially advantageous to position them in such a way that they are located in the region of tongue-and-groove joints that are embodied between the bearing faces of the block planks. A refinement of the invention provides that longitudinal notches are located in the ribs embodied on the top side of the block planks, and precisely these ribs are part of the aforementioned tongue-and-groove joints. Because the additional longitudinal notches are located in the ribs at the top, the properties of the finished wooden wall are practically unimpaired.

[0006] The longitudinal slit extended to the heart of the log and the other longitudinal notches at the top have the great advantage that uncontrolled development of cracks in the later drying operation is avoided. The logs sawn to size after the drying operation result in block planks with side faces that are free of cracks, and as a result, suitably high-quality block plank walls can be constructed.

[0007] The object of the invention is also to create a method for producing the highest possible quality block planks for constructing wooden walls.

[0008] This object is attained with the characteristics of claim 7. The logs used can, with or without the bark, be dried, preferably in a vacuum drying operation, to a wood moisture of 11%, for example, and the longitudinal cuts made beforehand prevent uncontrolled cracking of the logs that would otherwise occur. After the drying operation, the logs can be cut to the finished size of the block planks, and the longitudinal cut extended to the heart of the log can also be milled out to a predetermined size. In this way, block planks are obtained which have high dimensional accuracy and with which sealing problems can be reliably avoided. Optimal sealing off of the finished block plank wall is obtained by means of the insulating materials placed in the V-shaped longitudinal cut, and ecologically unobjectionable insulating materials can be used.

[0009] The invention will be described in further detail below in terms of an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing.

[0010] Shown are:

[0011] FIG. 1, a log with a longitudinal cut, made all the way to the heart, before drying;

[0012] FIG. 2, the log of FIG. 1 after drying;

[0013] FIG. 3, a plurality of logs stacked for drying;

[0014] FIG. 4, block planks cut to their final size, as part of a block plank wall;

[0015] FIG. 5, a block plank wall seen from above in the region of one face end;

[0016] FIG. 6, a log sawn to size as a model, before drying;

[0017] FIG. 7, seams, sealed off with adjusting tongues, of block planks located one above the other;

[0018] FIG. 8, a perspective view, and FIG. 9, a plan view of a corner halving of a block plank house.

[0019] In FIG. 2, the end view is shown of a log 1 that has a longitudinal slit 3 made all the way to the heart 2. If this log is dried to less than 15% wood moisture, for instance, the wood shrinks in such a way that the cross section, or the end view as shown in FIG. 2, changes. The longitudinal slit 3 narrows in wedgelike fashion toward the heart 2, so that it can now be said to be a V-shaped longitudinal slit 3.

[0020] To make it possible for a plurality of logs to be stacked one above another in a vacuum drying chamber in a space-saving way, the logs 1 are flattened, as shown in FIG. 3, on their lower bearing face, where the longitudinal slit 3 is located. The logs 1 shown in FIG. 3 are additionally provided with longitudinal notches 4, 5 in the upper region, in order to assure that in the drying operation, uncontrolled cracking will not occur in the log.

[0021] In FIG. 3 and in FIG. 4, unlike FIGS. 1 and 2, the annual rings are not shown, for the sake of simplicity.

[0022] After the drying operation, the logs 1 of FIG. 3 are cut to the finished block plank size, for instance to block planks of the kind shown in part in FIG. 4. The block planks 6, 7 have an essentially square cross section, and on their lower bearing face 8 and on their top faces 9, they are provided with longitudinal grooves 10 and with parallel-extending ribs 11 corresponding to the longitudinal grooves. On the adjoining sides of the two block planks 7, 8, the longitudinal grooves 10 and ribs 11 form tongue-and-groove joints 12.

[0023] As can also be seen in FIG. 4, the longitudinal slit 3, after the drying operation, has widened to a V shape, as shown in FIG. 2. The V-shaped longitudinal slits 3 are milled out to a uniform size in the block planks 6, 7, so that insulating material 13 can be inserted uniformly in each of the longitudinal slits 3.

[0024] The longitudinal slits 3 can also be milled out to some other cross-sectional shape, not shown here. That cross section can for instance be rectangular or in the form of a half oval.

[0025] It can be seen from the lower block plank 6 that the insulating material 13, in the unstressed state, protrudes slightly past the lower bearing face 8, while it is elastically compressed from the top side of the block plank 6 between the tongue-and-groove joints 12, thus assuring secure sealing between the two block planks 6, 7.

[0026] The longitudinal notches 4, 5 provided in FIG. 3 are positioned, in the finished block planks 6, 7, in the region of the ribs 11. In principle, still other longitudinal slits or longitudinal notches could be made on the top side 9 and on the lower bearing face 8, should that be expedient because of the nature of the wood or other requirements.

[0027] In FIG. 5, the end covering 14 of a block plank wall 15 can be seen. The covering 14 comprises 2 glued-together solid planks 16, 17, shown shaded in the drawing, which are joined to the block planks 6, 7 with screw or nail fastenings 18, 19. The face ends 20 of the block planks 6, 7 are notched in a wedge shape. In the free space between the covering 14 and the face end 20, there is a threaded rod 21, with which the block planks are braced. The wall thickness in the exemplary embodiment is 36 cm.

[0028] FIG. 6 shows the preferred form of a log intended for drying, because such models are optimally stackable.

[0029] The block planks 6, 7 used in FIG. 7, on the top side 9 facing away from the lower bearing face 8, have longitudinal grooves 21, extending parallel to and spaced apart from one another, which correspond to longitudinal grooves 10 embodied on the lower bearing face 8. Highly predried adjusting tongues 22 of wood are inserted into each two longitudinal grooves located directly one above the other, so that between block planks 6, 7 located one above the other, press fits are created at the adjusting tongues 22 as the moisture increases. Before insertion into the longitudinal grooves, the adjusting tongues 22 have a degree of drying of preferably less than 10% moisture.

[0030] For the corner halving, shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, of outside walls of a block plank house, a tightening tongue 23 vertically penetrating the block plank is inserted into the block planks in the region of the corner halving, transversely to the longitudinal direction of the block plank. From its outward-pointing face end 25, the block plank has a spline 24, which is oriented toward the tightening tongue 23 and into which a wedge 26 that can be driven farther in is inserted at the face end of the plank. When shrinkage occurs, the wedge can be driven farther in, and the corner halving can be further tightened and made windproof. For reasons of appearance, the wedge 26 can be covered by a removable cover plate.

[0031] The block planks for the corner halving of outside walls of a block plank house can each have a vertical, spreadable longitudinal slit, preferably embodied as a spline 24, extending from their outward-pointing face end to beyond the region of the corner halving. What is important is the possibility of driving the block planks apart in order to compensate for the attendant shrinkage, and driving the block planks to the size sawn out in the region of the corner halving and to seal them off from one another.

Claims

1. A block plank for building wooden walls, formed of a plurality of block planks (6, 7) located horizontally one above the other, of houses and other buildings, characterized in that the block plank (6, 7), on its lower bearing face (8), has a wedge-shaped longitudinal slit (3) that tapers toward the heart (2) of the block plank (6, 7).

2. The block plank of claim 1, characterized in that an elastically compressible insulating material (13) is inserted into the longitudinal slit (3) and protrudes slightly from the lower bearing face (8) of the block plank (6).

3. The block plank of one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that ribs (11) extending parallel to and spaced apart from one another are embodied on the top side (9) of the block plank (6, 7), facing away from the lower bearing face (8), and these ribs correspond with longitudinal grooves (10) embodied on the lower bearing face (8), so that a tongue-and-groove joint (12) is created between block planks (6, 7) located one above the other.

4. The block plank of one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that longitudinal notches (4, 5) are embodied on the top side (9) facing away from the bearing face (8).

5. The block plank of claim 4, characterized in that longitudinal notches (4, 5) are located in the ribs (11) embodied on the top side (9).

6. The block plank of one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the free face ends (20) of a plurality of block planks located one above the other in a block plank wall (15) are notched preferably in wedge-shaped fashion and are covered by means of a shape-adapted covering (14).

7. The block plank of claim 1, characterized in that longitudinal grooves (21) extending parallel to and spaced apart from one another are embodied on the top side (9), facing away from the lower bearing face (8), of the block plank (6, 7), and they correspond with longitudinal grooves (10) embodied on the lower bearing face (8); and that in each two longitudinal grooves located directly one above the other, a highly predried adjusting tongue (22) is located, so that press fits are created at the adjusting tongues (22) between block planks (6, 7) located one above the other.

8. The block plank of claim 7, characterized in that the adjusting tongues (22), before insertion into the longitudinal grooves, have a degree of dryness of less than 10% moisture, and preferably 8% moisture.

9. The block plank of one of the foregoing claims, for the corner halving of outside walls of a block plank house, characterized in that the block planks, from their outward-pointing face end to beyond the region of the corner halving, each have one vertical, spreadable longitudinal slit.

10. The block plank of claim 9, characterized in that into each of the block planks in the region of the corner halving, a respective tightening tongue vertically penetrating the block plank is inserted, transversely to the longitudinal direction of the block plank.

11. The block plank of one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the block plank, from its outward-pointing face end, has, as a longitudinal slit, a spline aligned with the tightening tongue, into which spline a wedge that can be driven farther in is inserted on the face end of the plank.

12. A method for producing block planks (6, 7) with low wood moisture for building wooden walls, of one of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the logs (1) used are provided, before the drying operation, with at least one longitudinal slit (3) extending as far as the heart (2) of the respective log (1); that the logs (1) are then dried in a drying chamber to a moisture content of less than 15%, preferably to a moisture content of 11%; and that the logs (1) are then sawn to the desired size of block plank.

13. The method of claim 12, characterized in that before the drying operation, the logs (1) are flattened over their entire length on the side where the longitudinal slit (3) is made.

14. The method of claim 13, characterized in that further symmetrically disposed longitudinal notches (4, 5) are made, offset by more than 90° relative to the longitudinal slit (3) extending to the heart (2).

15. The method of one of claims 12-14, characterized in that after the drying operation, the longitudinal slit (3) is milled out to a predetermined final size.