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: According to the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a fluid contacting device according to which a single side wall of vertically continuous hollow prism-shaped elements is formed of a single sheet of metal or like material and a plurality of such sheets are regularly arranged and joined together to form the fluid contacting device. By this arrangement, assembling of the fluid contacting device is made very simple, waste of material in forming the side wall sheet can be held to the minimum and an unused portion between a column and the fluid contacting device can be eliminated whereby a fluid contacting efficiency can be improved.

Abstract: A method and device for producing a slotted concrete vertical wall. A pair of vertically extending forms having vertically extending ridges are positioned on the final use site of the slotted wall. The ridges of one mold are positioned adjacent and aligned with the ridges of the second mold. A pair of forms are located outwardly and adjacent the molds with a plurality of ties extending through the ridges of the molds being secured to the forms connecting the molds and forms together as concrete is poured between and around the ridges. The forms and molds are removed once the concrete is solidified leaving the slotted concrete wall permanently in the position poured.

Abstract: A light-weight thick-walled unitary burner block adapted to embrace a burner installed in the wall of a high temperature furnace. The block is formed of spun refractory fibers accreted by vacuum deposition from an aqueous slurry.

Abstract: A box formed building panel has a section in the end walls that joins the panel to an adjacent panel and seals the joint against heat loss. The joining and sealing functions may be combined in a single construction, such as a wedge-shaped projection on one panel insertable into a sealant containing groove in the other panel, or, separate projection and groove combinations may be used for joinder and for sealing. Internal walls and stiffeners may be mounted in the building panel. The building panel may be filled with foam and auxiliary panels mounted on the building panel.

Abstract: A rectangular building block with surface indentations corresponding to a geometrical arrangement of rhombic dodecahedral elements. The indentations are designed to interlock closely with those of the adjoining blocks in order to provide a mortarless bond.

Abstract: A substantially crack-free load-bearing wall of prefabricated building elements and method of producing the same comprising a plurality of pre-fabricated building elements made of light-weight concrete each having a modulus of elasticity less than 8,000 kg/cm.sup.2. The elements are substantially rectangular in shape and have longitudinal grooves on their respective longitudinal edges. The elements are first shrunk by steam hardening or by storage for a pre-selected period of time and then arranged side by side with their lateral side edges in abutting relationship so that the grooves of the respective adjacent elements form vertical channels therebetween. The channels are filled with heavy concrete which provides a tensile-resistant bond between the elements and which also forms pillars which carry the major part of any load applied to the wall.

Abstract: There is provided a masonwork which consists of stacked building blocks forming several superimposed horizontal courses. The upper sides of blocks in lower courses and the undersides of blocks in the next-higher courses have registering mirror symmetrical sockets in the form of generally hemispherical cavities for reception of spherical connectors. Auxiliary connectors can be provided to couple neighboring blocks of each course to each other; such auxiliary connectors constitute discrete parts having webs received in aligned channels of the respective blocks and end portions which extend into neighboring sockets or blind bores of such blocks.

Abstract: An inclined retaining wall for retaining and securing the slope of an inclined piece of terrain comprises a plurality of horizontal rows of prism-shaped elements, which rows of elements are superimposed one upon the other in a relationship staggered rearwardly in upward direction. The elements of each row are spaced relative to one another leaving gaps therebetween, and a base at the foot of said inclined piece of terrain supports a lowermost row of the elements. Each element of a superimposed one of the said rows bridges a corresponding gap in the next adjacent row therebeneath and is aligned in an inclined series with an element in any second row therebeneath or thereabove. Some or all elements have a hollow soil-fillable interior open at the top end and at the bottom end of such element, whereby plants planted in the soil at the open top end of one of these elements can extend their roots through the open bottom end of that element into the soil therebeneath.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for use in controlling soil erosion comprising a matrix of cellular concrete blocks, having foliage growth passageways therethrough, and held together by a series or system of cables or the like passing through internal passageways within each block. The cables are anchored into the ground to retain the blocks in position.

Abstract: Cementitious building blocks having upstanding male projections on one planar surface so as to be disposed in a particular geometric array which locates the projections in the corners of passages extending through the blocks. The projections are supported on corner corbels which carry corner spanning shelves which extend inwardly into the passages so as to locate the projections in alignment with the open corners at the opposite ends of the passages. The open corners and aligned male projections allow self-aligning stacked interlocking mortarless assembly of a plurality of such blocks for the construction of buildings, walls and the like.

Abstract: A combination die and pallet assembly upon which mortarless interlocking cementitious blocks of the type having a plurality of cast male projections thereon, includes a die and pallet plate of solid heavy gage metal with a predetermined array of frustro-conical apertures formed therethrough, and a solid heavy gage metal backing plate removably disposed in contiguous engagement with the bottom surface of the die and pallet plate.

Abstract: A block of this invention for constructing a breakwater is characterized by having a front wall provided with a horizontal hole, an intermediate wall, a rear wall and a pair of spaced apart longitudinal walls which are disposed perpendicular to the above three walls for integrally connecting the three walls.Due to such construction, when the blocks are stacked up in rows to form a breakwater, the breakwater can have a first chamber which effects the dissipation of wave force and a second chamber which effects the firm integration of blocks along with the packing of a block uniting material therein.

Abstract: Lightweight and structurally efficient construction or building units of cementitious materials and the method of making these units. Prefabricated cementitious strips or slabs are aligned with their longitudinal axes parallel and rigidly held in the desired orientation with each other, preferably with the use of spacer/connectors. Stressed or unstressed reinforcement elements can also be placed parallel to the lines of junction between the strips or slabs by attaching them to the spacer/connectors. Continuous prisms of cementing material or cement mortar are then applied along the junction of the strips or slabs and around the reinforcement to structurally bond all the components into an integral unit. The units are characterized by a constant cross section of relatively thin structural parts and voids normal to a major longitudinal axis. They can be massive or small depending on the particular application for which they are made.

Abstract: A construction block of generally rectangular form having parallel upper and lower faces between which extend, through the block, one or more wide apertures and a plurality of narrow holes; the end faces of the block have wide grooves which cooperate, in a wall structure constructed from a plurality of horizontal courses of such blocks, to provide chambers between adjacent blocks of a course, the wide apertures in the blocks of adjacent courses cooperating to form vertically extending channels, the narrow holes house locating pins for holding the blocks of adjacent courses together until they are joined by concrete cast into the said vertical channels; the said upper and lower parallel faces have central depressions which form, between adjacent courses of blocks, horizontal channels linking the vertical channels so that the concrete cast into the vertical channels can also flow into and fill the horizontal channels to form an interlinked network giving great strength to the wall.

Abstract: Cementitious building blocks having upstanding male projections on one planar surface and recessed female cavities on the opposite surface. The male projections and female cavities are disposed in special identical geometric arrays which allows interlocked mortarless assembly of a plurality of such blocks for the construction of buildings, walls and the like. The blocks are further provided with passages extending therethrough which are especially configured for weight and aesthetic considerations.

Abstract: In a process for making large-size building elements called "plate bricks" of ceramic material, which comprises preparing the ceramic material, forming it to large-size plate-shaped bricks, drying and burning the same, the improvement which consists of drying the element evenly over the cross section after forming. The invention also relates to the brick made by the process.

Abstract: A solar heat collecting building block, having top, bottom, front, back and side surfaces, the block having at least one vertical passage extending therethrough from the bottom surface to the top surface, the top surface having an upper portion which protrudes above the plane of the top surface, the bottom surface having a recessed portion for mating receipt of the upper portion of another block, the front surface of the block having at least one transparent member embedded therein to allow solar rays to pass therethrough and strike the interior portions of said block and heat the same.

Abstract: A casing brick comprising a hollow insulating insert, and a two-part concrete shell which substantially encloses the insert, two projections extending from the insert and positioned between the two parts of the shell and interlocking projections and grooves for connecting the shell and the insert together.

Abstract: A light-weight modular building component of conventional concrete, formed by a unitary or composite rectangular panel having transversely therethrough at least a large centralopening--and also a set of relatively small openings disposed peripherally thereabout; and various multi-planar structural systems embodying this kind of panel design.

Abstract: A self-aligning construction block consisting of a basic double block having two flat vertical sides connected by two flat vertical end surfaces, the sides being twice the length of the ends with compound angled top and bottom surfaces having two hollowed center portions for receiving a reinforcing cement fill. The top and bottom surfaces of the basic blocks complement each other for automatic stacking. In construction of a wall, the top surface of modified top blocks and the bottom surfaces of modified bottom blocks are flat and at right angles to the side and end surfaces. The angular relationships of the basic block's top and bottom surfaces perforated by two hollow wells allow for reinforcement rods to lie in a transverse axis and at right angles thereto across each hollow well in a substantially coplanar relationship. Any odd space at the end of a wall is taken up by a half block which is constructed exactly as one half of the basic double block.

Abstract: A plurality of structural unit bodies are utilized to construct a structure by suitably assembling the unit bodies. Each structural unit body comprises an outer flange and an inner flange extending from one end edge and the other end edge respectively of a box-shaped frame. A stuffed box is secured to the surface of the inner flange and the stuffed box is in the form of a flat box made of a dampproof material. The stuffed box is covered on the outside with a metal net-like material and has disposed therein a pipe capable of passing fluid therethrough. The box is stuffed with noncombustible materials. The upper portion of the middle section of the frame, the inside flange surface and the entire surface of the stuffed box is plastered or covered with mortar whereby there is formed a circumferential groove between the outer flange and the underside of the mortar.