Insulated masonry block and method for producing same

Abstract

An insulated masonry block which has very high insulating properties, is water resistant, and is light-weight being easier for masons to handle and lay, and a method for producing such an insulated masonry block. Wherein, a pre-formed, high-strength foam core, which is the insulating material, sandwiches and joins two inner walls of the insulated masonry block together. A method for producing such an insulated masonry block comprises: placing a pre-formed insulating foam core in the middle of a standard block form; filling it with concrete, cinder, or any other known building compound aggregate, and allowing it to cure. An end block can be produced using this method with the exception that a shorter length insulating foam core is used allowing for the formation of concrete at one end of the block. Various sizes and shapes of an insulated masonry block can be produced using this method.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

“This application is entitled to the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60-623,712, filed Oct. 29, 2004.”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a masonry block, and more particularly relates to a new insulated masonry block which has high insulating properties, is water resistant, is lighter in weight than known blocks, is easier for masons to handle and lay. And, the present invention relates to a method for producing such an insulated masonry block.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of an insulated concrete block is known in the prior art and such a block has been employed in the construction and building industry for several years. Known concrete blocks consist of basically common, expected, and obvious structural formations, and a limited array of various designs have been developed to achieve the objective and requirements of insulating structures built with these blocks as witnessed by prior art: U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,381, September, 1965, Perreton; U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,881, November, 1978, Muse; U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,241, March, 1980, Jensen et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,845, September, 1982, lannarelli; U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,887, April, 1983, Lee; U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,071, September, 1986, Sams et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,782, June, 1988, Johnson et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,961, September, 1988, Johnson et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,249, August, 1988, Nickerson; U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,609, April, 1995, Kelley, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,135, June, 1995, Stevens et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,670, August, 1998, Muncy; U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,293, February, 2003, Miller.

The present invention provides a novel method for producing an insulated masonry block in which a insulating foam center, by use of dovetail type shaped tenons and mortises sandwiched and interlocked with the two masonry side walls while the concrete or cinder is drying instead of using resins to glue an insulating foam core to concrete walls. And, dovetail type tenons and mortises are formed laterally in the inner sides of the two masonry side walls of the present invention which provides for a stronger and sturdier insulated block than known in prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Reviewing the disadvantages inherent in the known types of insulated cement blocks now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new insulated masonry block wherein the same can be used for construction which does not require special handles for the construction worker or builder to use in order to lift and place the insulated masonry block.

The general purpose of the present invention is to provide a new insulated masonry block and method of manufacture which has many advantages of the insulated blocks known in prior art and many novel features that result which is not anticipated, rendered, obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art insulated blocks, either alone or in any combinations thereof. And, the present invention does not require extra labor by the construction worker, as known insulated blocks in the prior art such as inserting the insulating foam inside the block prior to use. The present invention provides for a stronger, sturdier, and higher quality insulated masonry block in that a insulating foam, core is placed inside the form as the concrete is poured into the form instead of being bonded or glued to two concrete side walls once they are already formed. This method of producing an insulated masonry block of this invention provides a superior insulated block and prevents an inherent problem which is the erosion of resins or bonding materials used in the insulating blocks known in the prior art.

Furthermore, it will become obvious to those skilled in the art that an identical insulated masonry block can be constructed by pressing a pre-formed insulating foam core, with tenons and mortises on its outer walls, betweeen two pre-formed masonry side walls which have tenons and mortises in their inner side walls.

Directional and or geometrical terms such as “top”, “bottom”, “side”, “lateral”, inner, outer, “horizontal”, “longitudinal”, “vertical”, etc. are used freely hereinbelow but it will be understood that such terminology is employed for convenience of description only and is not to be regarded as in any way limiting the invention in the specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The insulated masonry block of this invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a specific embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the insulated masonry block.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the end block which is formed using a shorter insulating foam core insert which allows cement to fill and form a wall at one end of the block.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the pre-formed insulating foam core which is inserted into the form before it is filled with cement, and it shows the tenons and mortises.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the same parts are identified by the same reference numeral in all figures of the drawings.

In FIG. 1, a specific embodiment of the insulated masonry block, a six-sided body generally rectangular in shape with a top, bottom, two concrete side walls, and an insulating polyeurethane foam insert, of the present invention, indicated generally by reference numeral 10. Wherein, said insulated masonry block 10 has overall measurements, but not limited to, of 15⅝ inches by 7⅝ inches by 7⅝ inches. The two side concrete walls indicated by reference numeral 14, 14 have measurements, but not limited to, of 15⅝ inches longitudinally by 7⅝ inches vertically. The insulating foam core insert indicated by reference numeral 12 which is sandwiched between the two side cement walls 14, 14 is a six-sided body with a series of tenons indicated by reference numeral 20, 20, and a series of mortises by reference numeral 22, 22, and a center hole indicated by reference numeral 16 which is 2¾ inches, but not limited to, in diameter which can be used for electrical wiring, steel bars for reinforcement, or filled with mortar as the need may be, and two half circular cavities indicated by reference numeral 24, 24 laterally on opposite ends of the insulating foam core insert 12 which are half the diameter of hole 16.

In FIG. 2, a specific embodiment of the insulated masonry end block of the present Invention indicated generally by reference numeral 11 wherein an end wall indicated by reference numeral 18 is formed by allowing concrete to fill around a longitudinally shorter insulating foam core insert indicated by reference numeral 15.

In FIG. 3, a perspective view of the insulating foam core insert 12 is depicted with a hole 16, tenons 20, 20, mortises 22, 22, and half circular cavities 24, 24.

Claims

1. An insulated masonry block comprising:

a six-sided body, generally rectangular in shape, with a top, bottom, two spaced, parallel, rectangular shaped side walls, and an insulating foam core, sandwiched between said side walls.

2. said side walls of claim 1 have inner sides and outer sides.

3. said insulating foam core of claim 1 is a pre-formed, six-sided body, generally rectangular in shape with a top, a bottom, two sides with a series of dovetail type shaped tenons and mortises running vertically top to bottom, a center hole running vertically top to bottom, and two ends with half circular shaped cavities running vertically top to bottom.

4. said center hole of said insulating foam core of claim 2 can be used for electrical wiring, steel bars for reinforcement, or filled with mortar.

5. said half circular shaped cavities of said ends of the insulating foam core of claim 2 are half the diameter of said center hole.

6. said rectangular shaped side walls of claim 1 have a series of dovetail shaped tenons and mortises running vertically top to bottom on their inner sides which are formed by inserting the insulating foam core of claim 1 into a standard concrete block form and allowing concrete, cinder, or any other known building compound aggregate to fill and cure around it.

7. said tenons and mortises of said insulating foam core sandwiches and interlocks with said tenons and mortises of said inner sides of said side walls of claim 1

8. the rectangular shaped side walls of claim 4 have a uniform thickness.

9. an end block with an end wall is formed by allowing concrete, cinder, or any other known building compound aggregate to fill and cure around a longitudinally shorter insulating foam core of claim 1.

10. the insulating foam core of claim 1 may be constructed out of polyeurethane, polystyrene, or any other known insulating foam material.

11. an insulated masonry block of claim 1 can be constructed by an alternate method of pressing a pre-formed insulating foam core, which has tennons and mortises on its outer walls, between the inner walls, which have tenons and mortises, of two pre-formed masonry walls.