Holding device for paving blocks

• US 5,240,343 A
• Filed: 06/08/1992
• Issued: 08/31/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bravo Foxtrot Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap Edge Corporation
• Inventors: Strobl, Frederick P. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LISEHORA, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US07/852,268
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 404/7, 404/8, 404/99, 404/18, 404/27, 404/28, 404/37, 404/29, 52/567-570, 52/571, 52/572, 52/573, 52/578, 52/581-583, 52/102, 256/19, 256/29, 47/23, 47/24, 47/33, 47/32
• US Class Current: 404/7
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 11/221 Kerbs or like edging members, e.g. flush kerbs, shoulder retaining means specially adapted for guiding or warning traffic or for display purposes E01F9/535; Joint members, connecting or load-transfer means specially for kerbs

Abstract

A holding device for paving blocks which has a vertical side for contacting the paving stones is strongly buttressed to hold the paving blocks. At pre-selected points along the vertical side are belts of material perpendicular thereto. Buttressing each belt of material in the vertical edge are gusset members supported by a boss member. The boss member provides for driving a nail into the ground and through the support member in order to hold the holding device for paving blocks in position. The nail is a barbed, X-cross-section nail which may be used to secure the holding device for paving blocks.

Claims

1. A holding device for paving blocks including a vertical plate for contacting said paving blocks and a supporting means for said vertical plate, wherein:

a. at least two belts of material are secured substantially perpendicularly to said vertical plate at a bottom edge of said vertical plate;

b. the supporting means comprise a triangulated member extending between a belt and said vertical plate;

c. said triangulated member is supported by a boss member;

d. said boss member includes an aperture for driving a nail into the ground by passing through said boss member in order to keep said holding device for paving blocks in proper position;

e. a capping strip is integrally secured to said at least two belts of material substantially perpendicular to said at least two belts to provide a generally rectangular opening surrounded by said belts, said bottom edge and said capping strip;

f. said holding device further includes a triangulated piece at each end thereof;

g. said holding device further includes a tab end at one triangulated piece and a tab-receiving end disposed at the other end of the holding device; and

h. said tab end includes a male member suitable for locking to a female member on said tab-receiving end so that a first holding device may be joined to a second holding device such that a triangulated piece on said first holding device is adjacent a triangulated piece on said second holding device.

2. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 1, wherein a portion of said capping strip between said at least two belts of material is severable to make said vertical plate flexible.

3. A holding device for paving blocks including a vertical plate for contacting said paving blocks and a supporting means for said vertical plate, said supporting means comprising:

a. at least two belts of material secured substantially perpendicularly to said vertical plate at a bottom edge thereof;

b. buttressing structure interconnecting the belts and said vertical plate, said buttressing structure including a boss member; and

c. a capping strip joining said belts, a portion of said capping strip being removable to make said vertical plate flexible.

4. A holding device for paving blocks including a vertical plate for contacting said paving blocks and a supporting means for said vertical plate, said supporting means comprising:

a. at least two belts of material secured substantially perpendicularly to said vertical plate at a bottom edge thereof;

b. buttressing structure interconnecting the belts and said vertical plate, said buttressing structure including a boss member; and

c. a tab end at one end of the holding device and a tab-receiving end oppositely disposed from said tab end,

said tab end including a male member suitable for locking to a female member on said tab-receiving end so that a first holding device may be joined to a second holding device such that a triangulated piece on said first holding device is adjacent a triangulated piece on said second holding device.

5. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 4, wherein:

a. said boss member includes an aperture to receive a nail into the ground after passing through said aperture in order to keep said holding device for paving blocks in proper position;

b. a capping strip is secured to said at least two belts of material substantially perpendicular to said at least two belts to provide a generally rectangular opening surrounded by said belts, said bottom edge and said capping strip;

c. said holding device further including a triangulated support piece at each end thereof; and

d said holding device further including a tab-joining means for attaching a first member of said holding device to a second member of said holding device.

6. A holding device for paving blocks including a vertical plate for contacting said paving blocks and a supporting means for said vertical plate, said supporting means comprising:

a. at least two belts of material secured substantially perpendicularly to said vertical plate at a bottom edge thereof;

b. buttressing structure interconnecting the belts and said vertical plate, said buttressing structure including a boss member; and

c. a gusset member for each belt of said at least two belts,

said gusset member being of a generally planar nature, said gusset member having a first edge perpendicular to a plane of said vertical plate, and said gusset member having a second edge perpendicular to a plane of each belt.

7. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 6 wherein:

a. said gusset member is supported by a boss member within said gusset member;

b. said boss member includes an aperture to receive a nail; and

c. said nail passes into the ground after passing through said aperture in order to keep said holding device for paving blocks in proper position while a root system is developed.

8. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 7, wherein said nail includes at least one barb.

9. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 7 wherein:

a. a capping strip is secured to said at least two belts and coplanar therewith;

b. said capping strip is substantially equal in length to said vertical plate; and

c. said capping strip, said at least two belts and said vertical plate provide an opening for vegetation roots to grow therethrough and support the positioning of said hollow device.

10. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 9 wherein;

a. said holding device for paving blocks has a male member tab end suitable for locking a first said holding device to a second said holding device;

b. said holding device for paving blocks has a female member tab-receiving end suitable for locking a first said holding device to a second said holding device; and

c. said female member receives said male member tab.

11. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 10, wherein said capping strip is severable to render said vertical plate bendable.

12. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 11, wherein a portion of said capping strip is removable to render said vertical plate bendable.

13. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 10, wherein said capping strip includes a severable means to render said vertical plate bendable.

14. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 10, wherein said holding device further includes a plurality of boss members to render said first holding device stackable with said second holding device.

15. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 10, wherein said holding device is formed by injection molding.

16. A holding device for paving blocks including a vertical plate for contacting said paving blocks and a supporting means for said vertical plate, wherein:

a. at least two belts of material are secured substantially perpendicularly to said vertical plate at a bottom edge of said vertical plate;

b. a support means supports said at least two belts and said vertical plate;

c. said support means includes a boss member;

d. said holding device further includes a tab end at one end thereof and a tab-receiving end oppositely disposed from said tab end;

e. said tab end includes a male member suitable for locking to a female member on said tab-receiving end so that the first holding device may be joined to a second holding device such that a triangulated piece of said first holding piece is adjacent a triangulated piece on said second holding piece;

f. said boss member includes an aperture to receive a nail into the ground after passing through said aperture in order to keep said holding device for paving blocks in proper position;

g. a capping strip is secured to said at least two belts of material substantially perpendicular to said at least two belts to provide a generally rectangular opening surrounded by said belts, said bottom edge and said capping strip;

h. said holding device further includes a support piece at each end thereof;

i. said holding device further includes a joining means for attaching a first member of said holding device to a second member of said holding device;

j. said support means includes a gusset member for each belt of said at least two belts;

k. said gusset member is of a generally planar nature;

l. said gusset member has a first edge perpendicular to a plane of said vertical plate; and

m. said gusset member has a second edge perpendicular to a plane of each belt.

17. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 16 wherein:

a. said gusset member is supported by said boss member within said gusset member;

b. said nail passes into the ground after passing through said aperture in order to keep said holding device for paving blocks in proper position while a root system is developed;

c. said nail includes at least one barb;

d. a capping strip is secured to said at least two belts and coplanar therewith;

e. said capping strip is substantially equal in length to said vertical plate;

f. said capping strip, said at least two belts and said vertical plate provide an opening for vegetation roots to grow therethrough and support the positioning of said holding device; and

g. said capping strip is severable to render said vertical plate bendable.

18. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 17, wherein a portion of said capping strip is removable to render said vertical plate bendable.

19. The holding device for paving blocks of claim 17 wherein:

a. said capping strip includes a severable means to render said vertical plate bendable;

b. said holding device further includes a plurality of boss members to render a first holding device stackable with a second holding device; and

c. said holding device is formed by injection molding.

20. A device for holding paving materials in place comprising:

an elongated vertical plate having a front surface disposed for facing and contacting the paving material, a lower edge, and a rear surface disposed to face away from the paving material when the device is installed;

support means for supporting the vertical plate including a plurality of elongated, longitudinally spaced, rearwardly extending, ground contacting footing structures, each footing structure having a proximal end secured to the lower edge of the vertical plate and a distal end spaced rearwardly away from said plate; and

an elongated capping member secured to the distal ends of at least two of said footing structures to present an opening surrounded by said plate, said footing structures and said member.

21. A device as set forth in claim 20, wherein said member is severable between said distal ends to free the plate for flexure about a vertical axis.

22. A device as set forth in claim 20, wherein said support means includes respective buttressing structures interconnecting each footing structure and the vertical plate.

23. A device as set forth in claim 20, wherein said support means includes a plurality of bosses, each boss having a nail receiving hole extending vertically therethrough.

24. A device as set forth in claim 20, wherein said plate has an upper edge and said capping member has an upper surface, and said device includes mating elements disposed at the top of the plate and at the upper surface of the member to facilitate stacking of the devices for storage and transit.

25. A device as set forth in claim 20, wherein each footing structure comprises a continuous belt of material.

26. A device as set forth in claim 20, wherein each said buttressing structure includes a boss having a nail receiving hole extending vertically therethrough.

27. A device for holding paving materials in place comprising:

an elongated vertical plate having a front surface disposed for facing and contacting the paving material, a lower edge, and a rear surface disposed to face away from the paving material when the device is installed; and

supporting means for supporting the vertical plate including a plurality of elongated, longitudinally spaced, rearwardly extending, ground contacting footing structures,

each said footing structure having a proximal end that is integrally formed with the lower edge of the vertical plate and a distal end spaced rearwardly away from said plate,

said plate and said footing structures together defining a root growth facilitating opening,

said support means further including respective buttressing structures interconnecting each footing structure and the vertical plate.