Patent Application
20060156674
This invention relates to a retaining wall formed of a stacked courses of blocks, and more particularly to such a retaining wall having a planting feature that enables plants to be planted in the wall to enhance the appearance of the wall.
Retaining walls formed of stacked courses of blocks are well known. One example of such a retaining wall is illustrated in Dean, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,712 issued May 1, 1990, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The '712 patent discloses a retaining wall construction which utilizes clips that are mounted between blocks in adjacent courses for positioning the upper course blocks relative to the lower course blocks. Each clip is mounted to the upper area of the rear web of a lower block, and includes an upwardly projecting portion that extends above the upper surface of the lower block. The rear webs of the blocks are formed so that the inner surface of the rear web at the lower surface of the block is located forwardly of the inner surface of the rear web at the upper surface of the block. The upwardly projecting portion of the clip is received within the core of the upper block, and the upper block is positioned so that the inner surface of the rear web engages the upwardly extending portion of the clip. The configuration of the rear web provides a rearward offset of the upper block relative to the lower block. A retaining wall constructed utilizing the blocks as described in the '712 patent provides relatively quick and easy installation, and the clip arrangement provides consistent positioning of the blocks as the courses of the wall are constructed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a block-type retaining wall that incorporates a feature for setting back blocks in an upper course relative to blocks in a lower course, for enabling plants, foliage or other greenery to be planted in the wall and to enhance the overall appearance of the wall. Another object of the invention is to provide a block-type retaining wall which utilizes the setback between block courses to provide a seating feature. Another object of the invention is to provide such a retaining wall that is constructed in a manner similar to prior art retaining walls, while incorporating a setback feature to provide. A further object of the invention is to provide such a retaining wall in which a plantar feature can be incorporated in various locations and configurations in the wall. A still further object of the invention is to provide such a retaining wall which is capable of incorporating a drip-type irrigation feature.
In accordance with the present invention, a retaining wall is formed of a series of courses of stacked blocks, each of which includes a front face; a rear wall spaced from the front face; an upper block surface; a lower block surface; and a core extending through the block between the upper block surface and the lower block surface. The area of the block between the core and the rear wall of the block defines a rear web and the area between the core and the front face defines a front web. Each of the courses is formed of a series of the blocks placed in a side-by-side relationship, and a joint is formed between the blocks in adjacent upper and lower courses by the lower and upper block surfaces, respectively, of the blocks forming the upper and lower courses. A series of engagement members are interposed between the blocks in adjacent courses for preventing relative forward movement between the blocks in adjacent courses. Each engagement member is mountable to the rear web of a lower block in a lower course, and includes an upstanding projecting portion configured to engage the rear web of an upper block placed in an adjacent upper course for preventing forward movement of blocks in the upper course relative to blocks in the lower course. The upstanding projecting portion of the clip member is configured to engage the rear web of the upper block so that the front face of the upper block is located rearwardly of the front web of the lower block, to expose an upwardly open forward portion of the core of the lower block. The exposed portion of the core of the lower block is adapted to receive planting media, to enable plants to be planted in the exposed core of the lower block. Alternatively, the exposed upper surfaces of the lower blocks may be used to mount a cap-type block to provide a seating or other support surface in the wall.
The engagement member is preferably in the form of a clip member configured for engagement with the rear web of the lower block. In one form, the clip member includes a substantially horizontal portion for placement adjacent the upper surface of the lower block, and the upstanding projecting portion extends upwardly from the horizontal portion. The substantially horizontal portion of the clip member is defined by an inverted U-shaped mounting portion configured to engage the rear web of the lower block, and the mounting portion includes a pair of legs that extend downwardly from the substantially horizontal portion of the clip member. A recess may be formed in the upper surface of the lower block, for receiving the substantially horizontal portion of the clip member to prevent interference with the joint. The rear web of the upper block includes an inner surface forming the core, and the upwardly projecting portion of the clip member engages the inner surface of the rear web of the upper block to position the upper block relative to the lower block.
The clip member is configured to be engaged with the rear web of the lower block in either a first orientation in which the upstanding projecting portion is located rearwardly of the rear wall of the lower block, or in a second orientation in which the upstanding projecting portion is located forwardly of the rear wall of the lower block within the core. The upstanding projecting portion engages the rear web of the upper block when the clip member is in the first orientation. The clip member also may include a second upwardly projecting portion that is configured to engage the rear web of the upper block when the clip member is in the second orientation. The second upwardly projecting portion is configured to position the upper block forwardly so that the core of the lower block is not exposed when the upper block is placed on the lower block.
The invention also contemplates a method of forming a block-type retaining wall, substantially in accordance with the foregoing summary.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.
The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention.
In the drawings:
Referring to
A pair of recesses 36 are formed in the upper surface of rear web 18, shown at 38.
The above construction of block 12 is generally known, and is available under the designation STONEWALL SELECT™ from Innovative Concrete Design Corporation of Milwaukee, Wis. It should be understood, however, that the illustrated construction of blocks 12 is exemplary of any number of different block configurations that may be utilized to form retaining wall 10 having a planter feature as will be described.
In order to provide engagement between conventionally constructed block courses, such as between courses 14a and 14b or courses 14c and 14d, a series of engagement members such as clips 42 (
As shown in
A clip 42 is engaged within each recess 36 formed in the upper surface 38 of rear web 18 of each block 12 in lower course 14a. Each clip 42 is oriented within its respective recess such that its depending leg 46 is adjacent to and engages the rear surface of rear web 18, and its depending leg 48 is adjacent to and engages the inner surface 34 of front web 20. The upper transverse member 44 of each clip 42 is positioned within a recess 36, so that the upper transverse member 44 does not extend above the upper block surface 38. When clip 42 is positioned in this manner, upwardly projecting portion 50 is oriented so that its rearwardly facing surface is substantially in line with the inner surface of rear web 18 adjacent the recess 36 within which clip 42 is mounted.
Course 14b is constructed by placing a series of blocks 12 in a side-by-side manner, as above, on top of the blocks 12 forming course 14a. Before course 14b is constructed, a length of filter fabric 52 is placed on top of certain of the blocks 12 in course 14a. The blocks 12 forming course 14b are placed in a staggered relationship relative to the blocks 12 forming course 14a, so that the blocks 12 in course 14b overlap the joint between the blocks 12 in course 14a.
The blocks 12 in course 14b are placed on the blocks 12 in course 14a such that the upwardly projecting portion 50 of each clip 42 extends into one of the cores 32 of each block 12 in course 14b. The blocks 12 in course 14b are then moved forwardly so that the rearward surface of upstanding portion 50 of each clip 42 engages the inner surface of rear web 18 of the blocks 12 in course 14b. In this manner, forward movement of the blocks 12 in course 14b relative to the blocks 12 in course 14a is prevented.
Each of the block cores 32 is formed so as to define the inner surface of rear web 18 in a manner that provides a greater thickness to rear web 18 adjacent the lower block surface than adjacent the upper block surface. That is, the inner surface of rear web 18 includes a substantially vertical upper portion 54 and a lower, inwardly tapered portion 56. With this construction of each block 12, an automatic offset of blocks 12 in an upper course, such as 14b, is provided relative to the blocks 12 in a lower course, such as 14a, when the wall 10 is constructed as described above. When a block 12 in an upper course is positioned on a block 12 in a lower course such that the upwardly projecting portion 50 of clip 42 projects into the core 32 of the upper block 12, and the upper block 12 is moved forwardly until engagement with the rearward surface of upwardly projecting portion 50 of clip 42, the increased thickness of the rear web 18 of the upper block 12 at its lower surface will provide the noted rearward offset or setback of the upper block 12. The rearward offset of the blocks 12 functions to provide an increase in the strength and stability of retaining wall 10.
Upper transverse member 44 of clip 42 is located within one of recesses 36, which has a depth sufficient to prevent any portion of upper transverse member 44 from projecting above upper surface 38. In this manner, the lower surface of an upper block 12 can be placed directly onto the upper surface of a lower block 12.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the blocks 12 in course 14b are destined to become “planter blocks” in that a forward portion of at least some of the cores 32 of blocks 12 in course 14b are exposed. Accordingly, blocks 12 in course 14b are backfilled with planting media 58, which may be topsoil, potting soil or any other media that facilitates plant growth. Filter fabric 52 functions to separate the planting media 58 from the backfill material placed in the cores of blocks 12 in lower course 14a, to maintain segregation of such materials.
Referring to
In order to position blocks 12 of course 14c such that the forward portions of cores 32 of blocks 12 in course 14b are exposed, extended clips 60 are mounted to rear webs 18 of blocks 12 in course 14b, in a manner similar to that in which clips 42 are mounted to rear webs 18 of blocks 12 in course 14a. Extended clips 60 are engaged with rear webs 18 such that transverse extension 70 extends rearwardly of the rear web 18. That is, upper transverse member 62 is again received in the block recess 36, and leg 66 is placed against the inner surface of rear web 18 and leg 64 is placed against the outer surface of rear web 18.
Course 14c of retaining wall 10 is then constructed on top of course 14b, again by placing blocks 12 in course 14c in a side-by-side manner on top of blocks 12 in course 14b. Again, the blocks in course 14c overlap the joints between the blocks in course 14b, to strengthen the construction of retaining wall 10.
The blocks 12 in course 14c are placed on the blocks 12 in course 14b such that the outer upwardly projecting portion 72 of each extended clip 60 is located within one of the cores 32 of the blocks 12 forming course 14c. The blocks 12 in course 14c are then moved forwardly so that the rearward surface of outer upwardly projection portion 72 of each extended clip 60 engages the inner surface of rear web 18 of the blocks 12 in the upper course 14c. In this manner, forward movement of the blocks 12 in upper course 14c relative to the blocks 12 in lower course 14b is prevented. The configuration of extended clip 60 functions to position the face of the block 12 in upper course 14c rearwardly of the inner surfaces 34 defined by the front webs 16 of the blocks 12 in lower course 14b. The degree of exposure of the block cores 32 of blocks 12 in course 14b is determined by the rearward offset provided by extended clips 60, which may be any satisfactory dimension as desired, e.g. three to four inches, although it is understood that any other suitable rearward offset may be attained in this manner.
If desired, a layer of filter fabric 52 may also be placed between the blocks 12 in courses 14b and 14c, to maintain segregation between the backfill material placed into the blocks 12 of course 14c from the planting media 58 placed into the cores 32 of blocks 12 in course 14b.
The blocks 12 utilized to construct course 14b may be provided with a trough 74 for receiving a drip irrigation tube 76. In a manner as is known, drip irrigation tube 76 is closed at one end and has a fitting at the opposite end, to enable a conventional hose to be hooked to drip irrigation tube 76 so as to impart moisture to planting media 58.
With this construction, the exposed portion of cores 32 of blocks 12 in course 14b is used to plant foliage such as plants P. This ability to plant plants P in retaining wall 10 functions to increase the aesthetic appearance of retaining wall 10, by breaking up the concrete surface defined by the faces of blocks 12.
Additional courses, such as 14d, are then constructed so as to complete retaining wall 10. It can be appreciated, however, that the planter feature provided by the exposed cores 32 of blocks 12 can be placed in any location on the wall 10, and that numerous planter features may be provided in various locations, as desired. The specific configuration of wall 10 as shown and described is one of a virtually unlimited number of planter wall configurations that can be provided utilizing the construction of the present invention.
If desired, extended clip 60 may also be used in a manner similar to clip 42, to provide a conventional setback between adjacent block courses. To accomplish this, the orientation of extended clip 60 is reversed so that transverse extension 70 and outer upwardly projecting portion 72 extend forwardly into the core 32 of the upper block 12. In this orientation, the inner upwardly projecting portion 68 of extended clip 60 functions in the same manner as upwardly projecting portion 50 of clip 42, to position the blocks 12 in an upper course relative to the blocks 12 in a lower course.
It should be understood that the exposed block cores provided by the present invention may be utilized for purposes other than planting of natural plants. For example, and without limitation, the exposed block cores may be used to mount artificial plants in a retaining wall. The exposed block cores may also be used to position any other decorative or functional feature in a retaining wall. As noted previously, the exposed upper surfaces of the blocks may be used to provide a seating or other horizontal support feature in a wall. In this embodiment, one or more cap blocks are secured to the exposed upper surfaces of the lower course blocks, such as by use of an adhesive or any other satisfactory mounting arrangement. In this embodiment, the forward portions of the cap blocks are cantilevered outwardly from the front faces of the lower course blocks. The upper surfaces of the cap blocks may be used for seating or for providing support for other items that may be used in a wall, e.g. planters, birdbaths, water fountains, etc.
Various alternatives and embodiments are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.
