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Cecil F Schaaf

Craig R Schaaf

Russell J McIntosh

David Claude Morton

James E Van Linden

Kirk S Van Linden

This invention deals with novel sound collecting blocks and their use, in conjunction with novel connector blocks, to build inexpensive, decorative sound walls. This invention also deals with retaining walls which are constructed from the novel connector block, and other non-sound absorbing solid blocks.

Sound collecting block and sound absorbing wall system

Novel building blocks are used to build inexpensive, decorative walls and building, and the like. The blocks are multi-faceted such that all of the outside faces of the blocks will match each of the faces of other blocks and allow the construction of walls having unique decorative effects, while overcoming the problems associated with standard rectangular building blocks.

Multi-faceted interfacial building blocks

This invention deals with certain specific building blocks that can be used to build stable retaining walls and stable decorative walls having novel features such as convenience in manufacturing, handling, and using.

Non-rectangular block and wall

This invention deals with certain specific building blocks that when used in combination, are essentially the only required building blocks to construct an entire building including foundations, if required, floors, bonding beams, supporting and non-supporting walls supporting and non-supporting partitions, and roofs.

Building blocks and their use

An intermeshable construction unit for constructing structures, such as walls, paving, screens, embankments and the like without mortar is disclosed. The intermeshable construction unit has a body portion which is block-like in shape. The body portion has a top, a bottom, a front end, a back end, and two opposed sides. A central spine having two sides runs along the central axis of the body portion between the front end and the back end. A plurality of teeth protrude from both sides of the central spine to form a web with each of the teeth terminating along the opposed sides. The teeth are separated by notches which have a width greater than the width of each of the teeth so that the units may be aligned, whereby one intermeshable construction unit may be meshed with another intermeshable construction unit to interlock the units. The intermediate construction units may be adapted within three planes during construction, namely the vertical, horizontal and diagonal planes. Thus, by staggering or off-setting the teeth from notch-to-notch, several patterns for structures can be designed for easy construction on sight by general labor. To increase the load bearing capacity of the intermeshable construction units, the units may be laid on a designed aggregate base in combination with geotextile fabrics.

Intermeshable construction unit

A concrete module for at least partial submergence in the surf to dissipate the energy of wave action and to promote the deposition of beach-restoring sand and pebbles comprises a series of passages which converge toward the shore-facing side of the module and terminate in an upwardly-directed opening which deflects the incoming water flow upward to further dissipate the wave energy and to create a reaction force on the module which tends to rotate or tilt it toward the shore. This tendency aids in neutralizing the natural tendency of barriers to rotate toward the sea as a result of sand being scoured out from beneath the seaward side of the barrier as a result of downwardly-deflected incoming wave energy.

Beach erosion control device

An erosion control revetment and wall made from preformed blocks which are secured to elongate support members by interlocking sleeves. The block is formed with transversely extending slots which extend from the top end to the bottom end of the block and have an enlarged opening on the top end for receiving a tubular sleeve which encircles the elongate support members. The outer diameter of the sleeve is snugly received within the enlarged opening, but is larger than the width of the remainder of the slot, preventing unintended removal of the block from the support member. The elongate support members may be semi-rigid rods or cables. The revetment is formed from alternating rows of blocks which are offset by one elongate support member relative to blocks in adjacent rows. Alternatively, the blocks may be assembled into a wall having vertically aligned blocks or blocks which are offset relative to one another in adjacent rows.

Erosion control apparatus and method

An erosion control structure having a plurality of undivided flow passages. The structure may be constructed from concrete block bonded together, a single cast module, a plurality of pipes bonded together or other suitable construction materials.

Erosion control device and method of making and installing same

A container, which may be a burial casket or a toxic waste container, is protectively sealed by enclosing it in an initially open-topped receptacle, which may be a burial vault or similar outer container or a grave, spacing the container from the bottom of the receptacle, partially filling the receptacle with a foamable plastic still in its liquid form, and, following completion of the foaming of such initial charge, supplying sufficient additional foamable plastic in one or more additional steps to completely cover and surround the container with the resulting plastic foam. In the preferred method, a film-like plastic sheet is placed over the open-topped receptacle after the final charge of liquid foamable plastic is applied, and held in place around the edges of the opening by a collar which permits the sheet to yield upwardly as the foam expands, thereby partially confining the expanding foam to assure full filling of all voids in the receptacle. Fine-grained perlite is preferably mixed with the liquid foamable plastic to improve its properties.

Burial enclosure arrangement and method

An off-shore reef-like structure for preventing beach erosion. The structure comprises a string of prism-shaped modules placed in side-by-side relation in the surf area along a line defined by a sand bar, for example, where waves normally break. Each module has oppositely inclined front and rear walls adapted to face seaward and landward, respectively. At least one flow control passage extends through the module so as to converge from its front to rear wall openings. Incoming waves flow through the passage in a manner dissipating the wave energy while minimizing the wave impact forces tending to move the module. An opening is provided in the module bottom wall in communication with a through conduit enabling the module to fixedly seat or interlock itself in either sandy or coral-like shoreline areas. The module is uniquely designed to provide a minimal air lifting load for helicopter installation.

Device for preventing beach erosion

A series of modules for initiating the creation of a sandbar to halt the erosion of a beach along a body of water. Each module has a heavy concrete base, formed in a ring with a central vertical aperture, which is placed beneath the water near the shore. A series of boards which extend parallel to the shore line are maintained one above the other by a pair of attached flexible belts each of which is also attached to the base at either end. The boards, bound by the belts, form a web which is permitted to drop downwardly during water flow toward the shore line. During water flow from the shore line, the web of spaced boards rises upwardly to form a pocket which is held in a slightly curved position by the belts. The apertured board arrangement retards the water flow sufficiently to cause the deposit of sand onto and adjacent to the base of the module. When arrayed in a row, generally paralleling the shore line, the modules serve in time to create a sandbar and eventually become fully buried.

Shore erosion prevention modules

A traffic barricade or marker comprises a base in the form of a conventional pneumatic vehicle tire having a pair of substantially vertical flexible plastic tubular posts upstanding from the tire upper sidewall from aperture means located diametrically across from each other. The tubular posts in their unflexed condition are substatntially straight and upwardly diverging in a symmetrical manner away from the tire principal axis. A substantially rectangular structural member has a pair of longitudinally spaced tubular-like connector formations thereon of a size to be freely telescoped over the upper end portions of said posts. The structural member has a predetermined major dimension between its connector formations so as to continually flex the upper end portions of the posts into substantial parallel relation whereby said connector formations are releasably retained on the posts. As a result, each of the lower end portions of the posts are urged into contact with an edge of its associated tire aperture means to frictionally retain the posts within the tire. The structural members may be either flexible banners or figid rail members while the tire may be filled with buoyant material for use in the invention as a floatable marine traffic marker or buoy. A further disclosed alternative uses wood boards as the base with the banners flexing the posts toward each other and a rigid top rail forcing their upper ends apart.

Traffic barricade

A motor vehicle traction aid device including a plastic bag containing a sand mixture for insertion under a tire on a drive wheel of a motor vehicle for improving traction on ice, snow or the like. The bag is partially filled with the sand material and includes a foam or sponge rubber tab on one side. The bag is inserted between the driving surface and the tire of the motor vehicle such that the tab engages the tire. Rotation of the wheel toward the driving surface causes the tire to engage the tab, drawing the bag and the sand material under the tire in a rolling action, bursting the bag and dispensing the sand beneath the tire.

Traction aid device

A cane apparatus adaptable for use as an ordinary walking cane and also having the capability of assisting a person in walking on stairs. A support structure having a foot support platform is releasably mounted adjacent the lower portion of the cane to assist a person in walking up and down steps which might otherwise be too high. The height of the foot-bearing platform surface is designed to be about one-half the height of an average step to reduce the maximum necessary vertical distance between the feet of a person walking on steps to approximately one-half of what it would otherwise be. When the platform is in its lowered position for walking on stairs, the cane shaft is free for limited rotation from the vertical in all directions.

Walking cane apparatus

A wall comprising concrete blocks each having a longitudinally extending, wedge-shaped groove in one side thereof, the groove communicating with a pair of bores that extend through the block. The block is molded in a hollow shell or frame open at its top and bottom, the frame removably mounting a support from which depends a pair of cores by means of which the block bores are formed. Associated with the frame is a compactor and ejector member having at its lower end a base adapted to be accommodated snugly within the frame and having on its lower surface elongate, wedge-shaped grooving means that forms the groove in the block. The grooving means is longitudinally slotted to accommodate the core support and the grooving means and the base also are bored to accommodate the cores.

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Standish, MI, United States of America

Cecil F Schaaf