Claims
- 1. A block for use in forming a support structure from multiple blocks comprising:
a top surface spaced apart from a substantially parallel bottom surface, thereby defining a block thickness; opposed and substantially parallel first and second walls having a length, the top and bottom surfaces and the first and second walls being configured to define a longitudinal axis; opposed and substantially parallel first and second ends separated by the length; the top surface, the bottom surface, the first and second walls and the first and second ends together forming a block body; a core extending through the block body substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis; and wherein the top surface has a projection extending therefrom and the bottom surface has a groove adapted to engage the projection of the top surface of an underlying block in the support structure, thus forming an interlocking arrangement.
- 2. The block of claim 1 wherein the core extends the length of the block body.
- 3. The block of claim 1 wherein the core is centered in the block body.
- 4. The block of claim 1 wherein the core is substantially cylindrical.
- 5. The block of claim 1 wherein the projection is centered on the top surface of the block and the groove is centered on the bottom surface of the block.
- 6. The block of claim 1 wherein the projection and the groove extend the length of block.
- 7. A ramp assembly comprising:
first and second supports spaced apart in substantially parallel arrangement, each support having a first layer having at least one block, each block having: a top surface spaced apart from a substantially parallel bottom surface, thereby defining a block thickness; opposed and substantially parallel first and second walls having a length, the top and bottom surfaces and the first and second walls being configured to define a longitudinal axis; opposed and substantially parallel first and second ends separated by the length; the top surface, the bottom surface, the first and second walls and the first and second ends together forming a block body; and wherein the top surface has a projection extending therefrom and the bottom surface has a groove adapted to engage the projection of the top surface of an underlying block, thus forming an interlocking arrangement; a tread having a substantially planar top surface and an opposed bottom surface, opposed front and rear surfaces, and first and second ends; the bottom surface having first and second grooves, the top surface inclined relative to the opposed bottom surface; wherein the first and second grooves on the bottom surface of the tread are adapted to engage the projections on the top surfaces of the blocks in the first layer of the first and second supports, so that the first layer and the tread form the ramp assembly.
- 8. The ramp assembly of claim 7 wherein each block further has a core extending through the block body substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.
- 9. The ramp assembly of claim 7 further comprising adhesive between the grooves on the bottom surface of the tread and the projections on the top surfaces of the blocks.
- 10. A method of forming a concrete block, the block having a longitudinal axis and a core substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, comprising:
providing a mold box having first and second opposing sides and third and fourth opposing sides, the sides each having a width and a length, the length being longer than the width, the mold box oriented such that the length of the sides is vertical and the mold box is capable of being filled with concrete; positioning a core mold into the mold box in a vertical orientation; filling the mold box with concrete around the core mold; compressing the concrete; and removing the block from the mold box.
- 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the providing step further comprises providing the mold box with at least one projection on the first side and at least one groove on the second side.
- 12. The method of claim 10 wherein the positioning step further comprises positioning the core mold so that it is centered relative to the at least one projection and the at least one groove.
- 13. The method of claim 10 wherein the positioning step comprises hanging the core mold.
- 14. The method of claim 10 wherein the core mold is tapered.
- 15. A method of forming a concrete block, the block having a longitudinal axis and a core substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, comprising:
providing a mold box capable of being filled with concrete, the mold box having first and second opposing sides and third and fourth opposing sides, the first opposing side having two symmetrically disposed projections and a first V-shaped projection and the second opposing side having two symmetrically disposed grooves and a second V-shaped projection, the first and second V-shaped projections located at a midpoint of the first and second opposing sides, respectively; positioning two core molds into the mold box in a vertical orientation, so that each of the two core molds is centered relative to the grooves and the projections; filling the mold box with concrete around the two core molds; compressing the concrete; and removing the block from the mold box.
- 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the positioning step comprises hanging the two core molds.
- 17. The method of claim 15 further comprising splitting the block at the V-shaped projection.
- 18. A wall comprising:
at least a first lower course and a second upper course, each course comprising a plurality of blocks, each block having: a top surface spaced apart from a substantially parallel bottom surface, thereby defining a block thickness; opposed and substantially parallel first and second walls having a length, the top and bottom surfaces and the first and second walls being configured to define a longitudinal axis; opposed and substantially parallel first and second ends separated by the length; the top surface, the bottom surface, the first and second walls and the first and second ends together forming a block body; a core extending through the block body substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis; wherein the top surface has a projection extending therefrom and the bottom surface has a groove adapted to engage the projection of the top surface of an underlying block in the wall, thus forming an interlocking arrangement.
- 19. The wall according to claim 18 further comprising adhesive disposed between the projection of a block in the first lower course and the groove of a block in the second upper course.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/754,769, filed Jan. 4, 2001, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/176,869, filed Oct. 22, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,049, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/986,453, filed Dec. 8, 1997, now abandoned.
Divisions (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09754769 |
Jan 2001 |
US |
Child |
10091271 |
Mar 2002 |
US |
Parent |
09176869 |
Oct 1998 |
US |
Child |
09754769 |
Jan 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08986453 |
Dec 1997 |
US |
Child |
09176869 |
Oct 1998 |
US |