Building block wall connector strip and method of assembling a block wall utilizing such strip

• US 5,430,985 A
• Filed: 09/14/1990
• Issued: 07/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coleman, William J.
• Original Assignee: Coleman, William J.
• Inventors: Coleman, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safavi, Michael
• Application Number:
  US07/582,494
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 52/306, 52/307, 52/308, 52/656, 52/582, 52/586, 52/747, 52/656.1, 52/656.9
• US Class Current: 52/308
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 1/42 of glass or other transparent material panels made of glass bricks E04C2/546

Abstract

A connector strip is disclosed for assembling a building wall of glass blocks. The strip includes a longitudinal center section having a pair of oppositely disposed and longitudinally extending grooves dimensioned to receive a centrally located ridge extending peripherally around the outer edge surfaces of a molded building block to which the strip is to be mounted. A flange projects laterally outwardly from each longitudinal edge of the center section. The flanges have outwardly profecting walls and a plurality of laterally extending ribs which project outwardly from the walls. The flanges, walls and ribs define a plurality of open compartments on opposite sides of the flanges. Resiliently compressible material is mounted to the center section which engages with the outer edge surface of the building block to which the strip is to be mounted. A fastener member also is provided for coupling together adjacently positioned connector strips to form a rigid framework for assembling successive rows of blocks into a wall assembly.

Claims

1. In a building block wall assembly comprising of plurality of molded building blocks each having a centrally located ridge extending peripherally around the outer edge surfaces thereof, and a plurality of longitudinal connector strips each having longitudinally extending grooves on oppositely disposed surfaces thereof, said grooves being sized to receive therein ridge portions of adjacently positioned blocks to assemble a wall of such blocks, wherein the improvement comprises:

said connector strips being substantially rigid and each having a longitudinally extending center section having a first outer surface and a second oppositely disposed outer surface spaced apart from said first surface by a predetermined thickness, said center section having first and second longitudinally extending edges;

said grooves being centrally located on said surfaces, respectively, of said center section, and said grooves extending longitudinally the length of said strip;

first and second longitudinally extending flanges projecting laterally outwardly from said first and second longitudinal edges, respectively, of said center section, said flanges being centrally located along the thickness of said center section and extending for the length of said strip, and said flanges having a thickness less than the thickness of said center section and terminating in first and second longitudinally extending edges, respectively, of said strip;

the width of said strip being less than the width of the building block to which said strip is to be mounted to locate the longitudinal edges of said flanges in contact with marginal edge surfaces of the building block; and

wherein each of said flanges has a pair of oppositely disposed and longitudinally extending walls projecting outwardly from opposite surfaces thereof; and

wherein each of said flanges further has a plurality of oppositely disposed and laterally extending ribs projecting outwardly from said walls, said flanges having a configuration to permit at least some of said ribs to engage the marginal edge surfaces of the building block to which said strip is to be mounted, whereby said longitudinal flanges, said longitudinal walls, and said lateral ribs define a plurality of open compartments on opposite sides of said flanges extending along said longitudinal edges of said strip; and

further comprising resiliently compressible material mounted to said first and second surfaces of said center section on either side of said longitudinally extending grooves, said center section having a configuration to permit said compressible material to engage the outer edge surface of the building block to which said strip is to be mounted on either side of the building block ridge, said material having a outer surface coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, and a removable release sheet mounted to said adhesive surface and adapted to be removed therefrom when said strip is mounted to the building block; and

further comprising a fastener for coupling together adjacent segments of said connector strips, said fastener comprising first and second post elements Spaced apart from one another by an interconnecting web, said posts being sized to be received in the spaces, respectively, between said longitudinal edges of said center section of said connector strips and said center section of said connector strips and said longitudinal walls on said flanges of said strips, said web serving to space said posts apart from one another by a distance substantially equal to the lateral distance between said longitudinal edges of said center section of said strip; and

wherein said blocks have an outer peripheral edge laterally spaced from the longitudinally extending edges of the associated connector strips mounted thereon, the spacing between the outer edges, respectively, of adjacently located blocks and the adjacent longitudinally extending walls of the associated connector strips defining a plurality of channels which include said open compartments, and a binder composition received in said channels to anchor said blocks and said associated connector strips in place.

2. A rigid longitudinal connector strip comprising:

a longitudinally extending center section having a first outer surface and a second appositely disposed outer surface Spaced apart from said first surface by a predetermined thickness, said center section having first and second longitudinally extending edges;

each of said first and second surfaces of said center having a longitudinally extending groove centrally located on said respective surfaces, said grooves having dimensions to receive therein a portion of a centrally located ridge extending peripherally around the outer edge surfaces of a molded building block to which said strip is to be mounted;

first and second longitudinally extending flanges projecting laterally outwardly from said first and second longitudinal edges, respectively, of said center section, said flanges having a thickness less than the thickness of said center section and terminating in first and second longitudinally extending edges, respectively, of said strip;

each of said flanges having a pair of oppositely disposed and longitudinally extending walls projecting outwardly from opposite surfaces thereof;

whereby said longitudinal flanges and said longitudinal walls define an open compartment on either side of said flanges extending along said longitudinal edges of said strip; and

wherein said flanges are centrally located along with the thickness of said center section and extend longitudinally the length of said strip; and

wherein each pair of said oppositely disposed and longitudinally extending walls are aligned in the same plane; and

wherein said oppositely disposed and longitudinally extending walls extend for the length of said strip; and

wherein each of said flanges further has a plurality of oppositely disposed and laterally extending ribs projecting outwardly from said walls on opposite sides of said flanges, said flanges having a configuration to permit at least some of said ribs to engage the marginal edge surfaces of the building block to which said strip is to be mounted, and wherein said longitudinal flanges, said longitudinal walls and said lateral ribs define a plurality of open compartments on either side of said flanges extending along said longitudinal edges of said strip; and

wherein said plurality of laterally extending ribs are spaced apart from one another over the length of said strip; and

wherein said oppositely disposed and laterally extending ribs are arranged in pairs aligned in the same plane; and

wherein said laterally extending ribs project outwardly of said respective walls to said longitudinal edges of said strip; and

wherein said connector strip further comprising resiliently compressible material mounted to said first and second surfaces of said center section, said center section having a configuration to permit said compressible material to engage the outer edge surface of the building block to which said strip is to be mounted.

3. The connector strip of claim 2 wherein said compressible material has an outer surface coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, said strip further comprising a removable release sheet mounted to said adhesive surface of said compressible material and adopted to be removed therefrom when said strip is to be mounted to the building block.

4. The connector strip of claim 2, wherein said compressible material is mounted to said surfaces. The connector strip of claim 16, wherein said compressible material is mounted to said surfaces of said center section on either side of said longitudinally extending grooves, said compressible material adapted to engage the outer edge surfaces of the building block to which said strip is to be mounted on either side of the building block ridge.

5. A rigid longitudinal connector strip comprising:

a longitudinally extending center section having a first outer surface and a second oppositely disposed outer surface spaced apart from said first surface by a predetermined thickness, said center section having first and second longitudinally extending edges;

each of said first and second surfaces of said center section having a longitudinally extending groove centrally located on said respective surfaces, said grooves having dimensions to receive therein a portion of a centrally located ridge extending peripherally around the outer edge surfaces of a molded building block to which said strip is to be mounted;

first and second longitudinally extending flanges projecting laterally outwardly from said first and second longitudinal edges, respectively, of said center section, said flanges being centrally located along the thickness of said center section and extending for the length of said strip, and said flanges having a thickness less than the thickness of said center section and terminating in first and second longitudinally extending edges, respectively, of said strip;

each of said flanges having a pair of oppositely disposed and longitudinally extending walls projecting outwardly from opposite surfaces thereof, said walls being centrally located along the width of said flanges;

each pair of said walls being aligned in the same plane and extending for the length of said connector strip;

each of said flanges having a plurality of oppositely disposed and laterally extending ribs projecting outwardly from said walls on opposite sides of said flanges, said flanges having a configuration to permit at least some of said ribs to engage marginal edge surfaces of the building block to which said strip is to be mounted;

said oppositely disposed and laterally extending ribs being arranged in pairs aligned in the same plane, said ribs projecting outwardly of said respective walls to said longitudinal edges of said strip;

resiliently compressible material mounted to said first and second surfaces of said center section on either side of said longitudinally extending grooves, said center section having a configuration to permit said compressible material to engage the outer edge surface of the building block to which said strip is to be mounted on either side of the building block ridge, said compressible material having an outer surface coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive; and

a removable release sheet mounted to said adhesive surface and adapted to be removed therefrom when said strip is to be mounted to the building block;

whereby said longitudinal flanges, said longitudinal walls and said lateral ribs define a plurality of open compartments on opposite sides of said flanges extending along said longitudinal edges of said strip.

6. A fastener for coupling together adjacent segments of connector strips wherein each of the strips has a center section having first and second longitudinally extending edges, and first and second longitudinally extending flanges projecting laterally outwardly from the first and second longitudinal edges, respectively, of the center section, and wherein each of the flanges has a pair of oppositely disposed and longitudinally extending walls projecting outwardly from opposite surfaces thereof, said fastener comprising:

first and second post elements spaced apart from one another by an interconnecting web;

said web serving to space said posts apart from one another

wherein each of said posts has a pair of oppositely disposed and aligned slit openings sized to engage with the flanges of the connector strips for coupling together the lateral edges of adjacent segments of the strips,

wherein the engagement of said slit post openings with the fingers of the connector strips is a frictional fit; and

wherein the center section of each of the connector strips has a pair of oppositely disposed and longitudinally extending grooves located on opposite surfaces, respectively, of the center section, and wherein said interconnecting web has a pair of oppositely disposed and aligned cut-out notches, said notches located to be in alignment with the longitudinal grooves, respectively, of the center section of the connector strips when the strips are coupled together; and

wherein each of said posts defines first and second oppositely disposed stem portions projecting from opposite surfaces, respectively, of said interconnecting web and projecting substantially perpendicular to the plane of said web, the first stem portion of said posts having a slit opening sized to engage with the lateral edges of the flanges, respectively, of one of the connector strips, the second stem portion of said posts being sized to be received in the spaces, respectively, between the longitudinal edges of the center section of the other one of the adjacent connector strips and the longitudinal walls on the flanges of the other connector strip for coupling together the connector strips in a substantially perpendicular configuration.

7. A method of assembling a building block wall assembly made of a plurality of molded building blocks each having a centrally located ridge extending peripherally around the outer edge surfaces thereof;

Comprising the steps of;

a. mounting a rigid first longitudinal connector strip to the outer edge surface of said plurality of molded building blocks adjacently positioned in a row in edge to edge alignment, said strip having a longitudinally extending center section having a first outer surface and a second oppositely disposed outer surface spaced apart from said first surface by a predetermined distance, said center section having first and second longitudinally extending edges, said first and second surfaces of said center section each having a longitudinally extending groove centrally located on said respective surfaces, said grooves being sized to receive therein ridge portions of adjacently positioned blocks, said strip having first and second longitudinally extending flanges projecting laterally outwardly from said first and second longitudinal edges, respectively, of said center section, said flanges being centrally located along the thickness of said center section and extending for the length of said strip, said flanges having a thickness less than the thickness of said center section and terminating in first and second longitudinally extending edges, respectively, of said strip, the width of said strip being less than the width of the aligned building blocks to which said strip is mounted to locate the longitudinal edges of said flanges in contact with marginal edge surfaces of the blocks, each of said flanges having a plurality of oppositely disposed and longitudinally extending walls projecting outwardly from opposite surfaces thereof;

b. mounting a second connector strip to the facing edge surfaces, respectively, of the adjacently positioned blocks so as to be sandwiched there between, said second strip constructed similar to said first strip and being shorter than said first strip, said second strip having a length less than the length of the blocks to which said second strip is mounted, said strip and said second strip being in substantially perpendicular relation to one another when said strips are in their respective mounted positions;

c. coupling together adjacent segments of said first and second connector strips by a first fastener member, said fastener having first and second post elements spaced apart from one another by an interconnecting web, said web serving to space said posts apart from one another by a distance substantially equal to the lateral distance between the longitudinal edges of the center section of said strips, each of said posts defining first and second oppositely disposed stem portions projecting from opposite surfaces, respectively, of said interconnecting web and projecting substantially perpendicular to the plane of said web, each of said stem portions having a slit opening with the slit opening of said second stem portion being oppositely disposed and aligned to the slit opening of said first stem portion, the slit openings in the respective first stem portions of said posts being sized to engage with the lateral edges of the flanges, respectively, of said second connector strip, the second stem portions of said posts being sized to be received in the spaces, respectively between the longitudinal edges of the center section of said first connector strip and the longitudinal walls on the flanges of said first strip for coupling, together with said first and second strips in a substantially perpendicular configuration;

d. mounting a third longitudinal connector strip similar to said first connector strip to the opposite outer surfaces of said row of blocks;

e. coupling together adjacent segments of said second and third connector strips by a second fastener member similar to said first fastener member;

f. repeating steps a, b, and c for assembling successive rows of blocks wherein said third connector strip is mounted to the outer edge surfaces of said plurality of model building blocks adjacently positioned in a second row in edge to edge alignment so as to be sandwiched between first and second rows of blocks, said blocks having an outer peripheral edge laterally spaced from the longitudinally extending edges of the associated connector strips mounted thereon, the spacing between the outer edges, respectively, of adjacently located blocks and the adjacent longitudinally extending walls of said associated strips defining a plurality of channels; and

g. applying a binder composition within said channels to anchor said blocks and said associated connector strips in place.

8. The method of assembling said building block wall assembly of claim 7, wherein the flanges of said first, second and third connector strips each have a plurality of oppositely disposed and laterally extending ribs projecting outwardly from said walls on opposite sides of said flanges, said oppositely disposed and laterally extending ribs being arranged in pairs aligned in the same plane, said ribs projecting outwardly of said respective walls to the longitudinal edges of said strips, said flanges having a configuration to permit at least some of said ribs to engage marginal edge surfaces of the said plurality of molded building blocks to which said strips are mounted, said flanges and said walls and said ribs defining a plurality of open compartments on opposite sides of said flanges extending along the edges of said strips, and said compartments being with the channels defined by the outer edges of adjacently located said plurality of molded building blocks and the adjacent longitudinally extending walls of the associated connector strips.

9. The method of assembling said building block wall assembly of claim 8, wherein said first, second and third connector strips each have a resiliently compressible material mounted to the first and second surfaces of said center section on either side of said longitudinally extending grooves, said center section having a configuration to permit said compressible material to engage the outer edge surface of associated said plurality of molded building blocks to which each said strip is mounted on either side of the said plurality of molded building blocks ridge, said material having an outer surface coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive, and a removable release sheet mounted to said adhesive surface, said method further comprising the step of removing said release sheet from the adhesive surface of the connector strip when said strip is mounted to the associated said plurality of molded building blocks.