The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 15, 1997
Filed:
Jan. 25, 1996
Joseph S Bailey, II, Roswell, GA (US);
Robert Miller, Marietta, GA (US);
Joseph D Emberson, Roswell, GA (US);
The Tensar Corporation, Atlanta, GA (US);
Abstract
A modular wall block is formed with a groove in a top surface configured to frictionally receive fingers of a rake-like connection device which may extend through apertures in an end portion of a grid-like sheet of reinforcing material. The connection device includes enlarged tabs projecting away from the fingers to engage in a widened slot defined in the bottom of superimposed wall blocks for positioning the front faces of the blocks in the retaining wall relative to each other in either a vertically aligned or vertically set back relationship depending upon the direction of extension of the tabs. The groove and the slot are formed at opposite ends of a tapered through-opening extending between top and bottom surfaces of the block. By virtue of the taper, the width of the groove is less than a width of the slot to accommodate the different portions of the connector device. Both the groove and the slot, as well as other selected depressions and recesses can be formed from one side of the block during manufacture to simplify the manufacturing equipment and minimize the cost of the wall blocks. Corner blocks are provided having perpendicular front and side surfaces with similar aesthetic patterns for forming corner portions of sections of a retaining wall extending at right angles to each other.