VENEERS FOR WALLS, RETAINING WALLS, RETAINING WALL BLOCKS, AND THE LIKE

• US 20080313988A1
• Filed: 06/23/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keystone Retaining Wall Systems Incorporated (THE QUIKRETE Cos. LLC)
• Original Assignee: Keystone Retaining Wall Systems Incorporated (THE QUIKRETE Cos. LLC)
• Inventors: MacDonald, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,234,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/385
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 29/02 Retaining or protecting walls piers or quay walls E02B3/06

Abstract

Veneers for walls, retaining walls, retaining wall blocks, gabions, wire faces, and other structures are provided. Various methods of attaching the veneers are also described. A combination of a wall block and a veneer is provided. The wall block has a front face with a block connection space, and the veneer has a front face with a veneer connection portion. The veneer is attached to the front face of the wall block by the veneer connection portion, which is disposed in the block connection space.

Claims

1. A combination comprising a wall block and a veneer, the wall block having a front face, the front face having a block connection space, and the veneer having a front face, the veneer having a veneer connection portion, and the veneer being attached to the front face of the wall block by the veneer connection portion, which is disposed in the block connection space.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the front face of the veneer is the same size as the front face of the wall block.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein the front face of the veneer is larger than the front face of the wall block.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein the veneer has a top lip.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein the front face of the veneer is the same size as the front face of the wall block.

6. The combination of claim 4, wherein the front face of the veneer is larger than the front face of the wall block.

7. The combination of claim 4, wherein the veneer was two side lips.

8. The combination of claim 1, wherein the veneer connection portion and the block connection space form a dovetail connection.

9. The combination of claim 1, wherein the veneer is a pre-cast concrete veneer.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein the wall block is a dry cast concrete wall block.

11. The combination of claim 9, wherein the wall block is a wet cast concrete wall block.

12. The combination of claim 1, wherein the veneer is a real stone veneer.

13. The combination of claim 12, wherein the wall block is a dry cast concrete wall block.

14. The combination of claim 12, wherein the wall block is a wet cast concrete wall block.

15. The combination of claim 1, wherein the veneer is made of polymer.

16. The combination of claim 15, wherein the wall block is a dry cast concrete wall block.

17. The combination of claim 15, wherein the wall block is a wet cast concrete wall block.

18. The combination of claim 1, wherein the wall block has an open space.

19. The combination of claim 1, wherein the wall block has a rear face, the rear face having a block connection space, and further comprising a second veneer attached to the rear face of the wall block.

20. The combination of claim 1, wherein the veneer connection portions comprise friction fins.

21. The combination of claim 1, wherein the block connection space is in the shape of a cylinder, trapezoidal column, hexagonal column, or keyhole-shaped column.

22. The combination of claim 1, wherein the wall block comprises two or more wall block connection spaces.

23. The combination of claim 22, wherein the wall block comprises two wall block connection spaces.

24. The combination of claim 22, wherein the wall block comprises three wall block connection spaces.

25. The combination of claim 1, wherein the veneer connection portion can be slid into the block connection space.

26. The combination of claim 1, wherein the veneer connection portion can be snapped into the block connection space.

41. A wall comprising a combination of claim 1.

27. A combination comprising a wall block, a veneer, and a connector, the wall block having a front face, the front face having a block connection space, and the veneer having a front face, the veneer having a veneer connection space, and the veneer being attached to the front face of the wall block by the connector, which is disposed in the block connection space and in the veneer connection space.

28. The combination of claim 27, wherein the front face of the veneer is the same size as the front face of the wall block.

29. The combination of claim 27, wherein the front face of the veneer is larger than the front face of the wall block.

30. The combination of claim 27, wherein the block connection space and the veneer connection space are in the shape of a cylinder, trapezoidal column, hexagonal column, or keyhole-shaped column.

31. The combination of claim 27, wherein the wall block has a rear face, the rear face having a block connection space, and further comprising a second veneer attached to the rear face of the wall block.

32. The combination of claim 27, wherein the connector comprises friction fins.

42. A wall comprising a combination of claim 27.

33. A combination comprising a wall block and a veneer, the wall block having a front face and a top face, the top face having a block connection space, and the veneer having a front face, the veneer having a veneer connection portion, and the veneer being disposed adjacent the front face of the wall block and the veneer being attached to the top face of the wall block by the veneer connection portion, which is disposed in the block connection space.

34. The combination of claim 33, wherein the front face of the veneer is the same size as the front face of the wall block.

35. The combination of claim 33, wherein the front face of the veneer is larger than the front face of the wall block.

43. A wall comprising a combination of claim 33.

36. A real stone veneer comprising a tray having veneer connection portions, the real stone being attached to the tray with an adhesive, and the tray comprising holes that contain adhesive.

37. The real stone veneer of claim 36, wherein the holes are tapered towards the real stone.

38. The real stone veneer of claim 36, wherein the holes are rivet-shaped having a narrower diameter portion and a wider diameter portion, and the narrower diameter portion of the rivet shape is adjacent to the real stone.

39. A real stone veneer comprising a tray having veneer connection portions, the real stone being attached to the tray with an adhesive, and the tray comprising wells that contain adhesive.

40. A real stone veneer comprising a tray having veneer connection portions, the real stone being attached to the tray with an adhesive, and the tray comprising a honeycomb structure that contains adhesive.

44. A wall comprising two or more wall blocks and two or more veneers, the wall blocks having front faces, the front faces having block connection spaces, the veneers having front faces, the veneers having veneer connection portions, and the veneers being attached to the front faces of the wall blocks by the veneer connection portions which are disposed in the block connection spaces, and wherein the veneers have front faces of at least two different sizes.

45. A wall comprising two or more wall blocks and two or more veneers, the wall blocks having front faces, the front faces having block connection spaces, the veneers having front faces, the veneers having veneer connection portions, and the veneers being attached to the front faces of the wall blocks by the veneer connection portions which are disposed in the block connection spaces, and wherein the veneers have front faces of at least two different colors.

46. A wall comprising two or more wall blocks, two or more veneers, and two or more connectors, the wall blocks having front faces, the front faces having block connection spaces, the veneers having front faces, the veneers having veneer connection spaces, and the veneers being attached to the front faces of the wall blocks by the connectors which are disposed in the block connection spaces and the veneer connection spaces, and wherein the veneers have front faces of at least two different sizes.

47. A wall comprising two or more wall blocks, two or more veneers, and two or more connectors, the wall blocks having front faces, the front faces having block connection spaces, the veneers having front faces, the veneers having veneer connection spaces, and the veneers being attached to the front faces of the wall blocks by the connectors which are disposed in the block connection spaces and the veneer connection spaces, and wherein the veneers have front faces of at least two different colors.

48. A wall comprising two wall blocks and a veneer, the wall blocks having front faces, the front faces having block connection spaces, the veneer having a front face, the veneer having a veneer connection portion, the veneer being attached to the front faces of the wall blocks by the veneer connection portion, and the front face of the veneer having a larger area than the combined area of the front faces of the two wall blocks.

49. A combination comprising a first wall block, a second wall block, and a tensile connector, each wall block having a front face and a rear face, the front face and the rear face each having a block connection space, the first wall block being connected to the second wall block by a tensile connector, which is disposed in the block connection spaces in the rear faces of the first and second blocks.

50. The combination of claim 49, wherein veneers are attached to the front faces of the first and second blocks.

51. A wall comprising the combination of claim 49.

52. A combination comprising a wall and two or more cast polymer veneers attached to the wall.

53. The combination of claim 52, wherein the veneers are attached to each other by tongue and groove.

54. A wall comprising wire face elements and veneers attached to the wire face elements.

55. A wall of claim 54, wherein the front faces of the veneers are the same sizes as front faces of the wire face elements.

56. A wall of claim 54, wherein the wire face elements have front faces having a dimension of at least 0.6×

1.2 m.

57. A wall comprising wire baskets and veneers attached to front faces of the wire baskets.

58. A wall of claim 57, wherein the wire baskets contain rock.

59. A wall of claim 57, wherein the front faces of the veneers are the same sizes as front faces of the wire baskets.

60. A wall of claim of claim 57, wherein the wire baskets have front faces having a dimension of at least 0.6×

1.2 m.

61. A wall block having a front face, the front face comprising two or more wall block connection spaces.

62. A wall block of claim 61, the front face comprising three or more wall block connection spaces.