Abstract: A compound construction matrix harvests energy incident on all peripheries of a building by providing compound components having anterior and posterior portions with respect to radiation, the anterior portions being generally transparent and the posterior portions being selectively translucent, transparent or opaque, the compound components being arranged in communicating relation to form walls and roofs having multiple internal cavities and passages between cavities which permit light and air to flow freely within the matrix, allowing light incident form any angle to be reflected from cavity sidewalls toward posterior portions to form overlapping incidence on translucent conversion surfaces and to pass through tinted conversion means for direct gain, and allowing air in each cavity to expand freely in any direction from sunlit to shaded portions and through apertures toward shaded portions of adjacent cavities, to thereby form a dynamic airstream passing over translucent conversion surfaces and non-transpare

Abstract: A large-format artificial brick has vertical air channels extending therethrough. Recesses on the top and bottom of the brick form additional air circulating channels for a heating or cooling medium. In a building formed with such large-format bricks, a blower is located in the basement and connected to the vertical passages by a manifold.

Abstract: A building block having improved insulating characteristics. The block includes two spaced parallel sidewalls formed from concrete or the like. The first sidewall has at least one inwardly extending integral web, having end portions extending parallel to the sidewall. The second sidewall has inwardly extending interlock members which also have end portions extending parallel to the sidewall. When the sidewalls are assembled parallel to each other to form the front and back faces of the building block, the respective end portions overlap in a manner preventing the sidewalls from moving apart along a line perpendicular to the sidewalls. The overlapping end portions are not in contact with each other. At least part of the volume within the block is filled with a highly insulating foam. The foam fills the space between the overlapping end portions and thus provides structural rigidity to the block.

Abstract: A block for a building or a pavement is disclosed which has a plurality of longitudinal holes and transverse holes extending through the block and communicating with each other at the intersecting points, recesses formed on the underside thereof, and a plurality of holes extending vertically through the block at the solid portions remaining between the intersecting points of the holes.

Abstract: A block of concrete or the like for use in constructing a mortarless wall is provided which includes a spaced parallel pair of upright sidewalls having flat bottoms and tops and bearing integral block interlocking connectors on their opposite ends. The sidewalls are integrally connected to one or more transverse webs extending from the bottom of the sidewalls to above the tops thereof. Parallel slits may divide the upper end of the web into knock-off portions for installation of reinforcing bars. Each web has a central concavity in the upper end of at least one opposite side thereof, which concavity slope down into a complimentary central bottom convexity. The web tapers in thickness from bottom to top. The concavity and convexity can be triangular, dish-shaped, rectangular, etc. The webs define cells in the block when a number of the blocks are vertically stacked in staggered array to form a wall.

Abstract: Improvements to the various components of hydrostatic bearing levitation systems, systems wherein fluid pressure between a load and the rails of a track system supports and guides the load, are described. The rail has a plurality of lengthwise extending ports and nozzles communicating from the innermost ports through the curved upper wall to the interface area between the rail and the load. The nozzles are arranged in longitudinally aligned groups and in a pair of parallel rows with the groups of one row being longitudinally staggered with respect to the groups of the other row. The nozzles can be inexpensively produced by boring an oversize hole through the upper wall and fixing a cannula, such as a hypodermic needle, in the bore. The cannula's internal diameter is the desired nozzle diameter. The load support member has a compliant outer cover, a central core, and a filler material wound tightly on the core.

Abstract: To enable the benefits to be obtained simultaneously of using cast iron as a major constituent and of using helical prestressing, the cylindrical wall structure of a pressure vessel (which may be for a nuclear reactor) is made of truncated wedge shaped cast-iron slabs (the wedge faces of the slabs lying in radial planes of the wall structure and mutually adjacent slabs abutting one another in those planes, with a plurality of such slabs forming an annular assembly and a plurality of such assemblies stacked coaxially to form the cylindrical wall structure), the slabs having cast-in through passages, disposed obiquely, both right and left-handed in alternate layers at progressively increasing radial distance with respect to the cylindrical wall structrue, and the passages of one slab in alignment with the ends of passages of adjacent slabs in the same annular assembly and in the annular assemblies stacked adjacent thereto to provide in the assembled cylindrical wall structure a system of right- and left-handed

Abstract: Blocks for constructing a breakwater substantially comprises a front wall, a rear wall disposed in parallel and spaced-apart relationship relative to the front wall, and at least one partition wall disposed perpendicular to the front and rear walls and integrally connecting the above two walls to form at least one vertical open-ended chamber between the front and rear walls, wherein the improvement is characterized in that at least one vertical open-ended hole is formed on each of the front and real walls of the block such that the vertical open-ended hole can be in alignment with corresponding vertical open-ended holes formed in the same manner on front and rear walls of the blocks in upper and lower rows when the blocks are arranged in rows and stacked vertically.

Abstract: The invention comprises an insulated structural block for masonry construction formed to accept rigid insulating foam insert panels and shaped to minimize the transfer of heat by conduction through the block webs from the exterior to the interior of a structure. The foam inserts are preferably located adjacent the exterior face of the block. This permits the portion of the block on the interior side of the foam inserts to act as a thermal mass for passive solar heating and cooling applications. The blocks may be formed in a conventional block making machine by utilizing a modified mold or in a modified block making machine.The block making mold is configured to hold at least one foam insert in place as the block material is poured into the mold. The foam insert forms slots in the block webs to reduce the conduction of heat through the webs. Additional slots are formed by the mold to reduce conduction of heat through the webs and to permit the insertion of a second layer of foam insulation in the block.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pressure vessel of a nuclear power plant comprising a generally cylindrical shaped first partial section, a cavity for housing a high temperature reactor within the first partial section, a second partial section forming the lower part of the pressure vessel, a horizontal tunnel for housing a gas turbine assembly within the second partial section and a plurality of recesses for housing components of a heat exchanger apparatus, wherein the cavity for housing the high temperature reactor is eccentrically arranged in the first partial section of the pressure vessel with respect to the cylindrical shape.

Abstract: A block having opposite first and second faces adapted for use in construon. The block comprises male and female assembly means for interlocking a plurality of the blocks. The block comprises at least one male assembly means protruding from the first face. Each of the male assembly means has a vertical section and two substantially horizontal sections arranged at both ends of the vertical section. The female assembly means is arranged on the second face of the block and has a substantially rectangular cross-section.A block for use in construction. The block comprises assembly means for interlocking a plurality of the blocks. The assembly means comprise first and second opposite faces provided with at least one male assembly means and one female assembly means. The male assembly means comprises a frangible section.The block covered by the invention offers the special advantage of permitting walls to be built by simple superimposition.

Abstract: A wall comprising concrete blocks each having a longitudinally extending, wedge-shaped groove in one side thereof, the groove communicating with a pair of bores that extend through the block. The block is molded in a hollow shell or frame open at its top and bottom, the frame removably mounting a support from which depends a pair of cores by means of which the block bores are formed. Associated with the frame is a compactor and ejector member having at its lower end a base adapted to be accommodated snugly within the frame and having on its lower surface elongate, wedge-shaped grooving means that forms the groove in the block. The grooving means is longitudinally slotted to accommodate the core support and the grooving means and the base also are bored to accommodate the cores.

Abstract: A plate block includes a decorative plate which includes a substratum and a face veneer joined to the substratum by adhesive means. The substratum has a front face and a rear face with inclined edge portions disposed between the front face and the rear face such that the rear face is larger than the front face. The face veneer is joined to the front face and to the edge portions. A base plate is disposed in spaced parallel relationship relative to the decorative plate, and an intermediate member is disposed between the base plate and the decorative plate with the base plate having at least one edge portion projecting beyond an edge of the decorative plate to facilitate assembly of a plurality of plate blocks in juxtaposed array.

Abstract: A frictional self-draining structure for a vehicular supporting surface, comprised of a plurality of prefabricated interlocking panels, each panel including a relatively flat upper surface to which is attached a layer of structurally rigid porous aggregate, each panel having a plurality of parallel longitudinal fluid conduits therethrough beneath its upper surface and perforations communicating between the upper surface and the conduits.