Insulated Building Block Wall Construction

In the past block walls have for the most part been insulated by pouring a granular insulating material into the cavities after the blocks are in place in the wall. This granular material settles down into the block cavities, leaving uninsulated areas in the wall. Also, there are rigid inserts presently available which are placed into the main core cavities of masonry blocks. However, these inserts leave critical uninsulated areas at the small cavities between the ends of adjacent blocks and also at the mortar joints between adjacent courses of blocks. Thus, heat very easily flows around these rigid inserts and is lost thus seriously reducing the insulating effect of the inserts.

With the present invention rigid insulation panels are inserted into each cavity thus eliminating the settling problem and separate cap elements are provided which extend across the tops of the blocks in sealed relation to both the panels and upper edges of the block webs thus forming a continuous insulating barrier throughout the entire length and height of the block wall.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of a block wall embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the block wall shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of an insert member and cap for a typical block cavity; and

FIG. 4 is a end view of the elements shown in FIG. 3.

Masonry blocks such as sand and gravel or lightweight concrete blocks are used for constructing walls. Conventionally each block 4 is formed with a pair of central cavities or hollow cores 5 formed therein and a pair of end recesses 6, as best shown in FIG. 1. The central cores 5 are slightly tapered to facilitate removal of each block 4 from its forming mold (not shown) at the time of manufacture. This is best shown in the vertical sectional view designated as FIG. 2. Each cavity 5 has a barrier panel 10 of any conventional rigid insulating material (such as but not limited to polystyrene) inserted therein, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Each of these barrier panels is tapered to conform to the taper of the cavities 5 and is of a size to produce a tight wedging fit within each of said tapered cavities. The ends of the barrier panels 10 are disposed flush with the ends of the cavity or cores 5. The small end of each core 5 is located at the top of each block when the blocks are laid in the conventional manner, as best shown in FIG. 2. In the form shown, adjacent courses of blocks are laid with the ends thereof stagered so that the recesses 6 overlie the center of the masonry webs 7 of the blocks 4 disposed in the adjacent course. That is the system most commonly used; however, the blocks can also be stacked with the ends in vertical alignment.

The shorter upper ends of each of the barrier panels 10 are grooved as indicated at 10a in FIG. 4, to receive a tongue element 11a of a cap member 11. The cap member 11 is placed over the upper grooved edge of the barrier member 10 and the tongue element 11a is a size to produce a forced fit in the groove 10a of panel 10. Thus a positive retaining sealed fit is formed which holds each cap member 11 securely in place. The ends of the cap are sufficiently long to overlie approximately half the width of the upper ends of the block webs 7 as best shown in FIG. 1 and the ends of adjacent cap elements abut each other, as illustrated in FIG. 1 for form a continuous insulating and sealing barrier between adjacent courses of blocks.

The recesses 6 normally have straight end walls so that the recesses of adjacent blocks form a small end cavity having straight (vertical) side walls. A narrow rigid insulating barrier panel element 14 is easily inserted therein into each of these small end cavities after each course is laid and a short cap element 15 mounted thereon, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

It will be seen that the cap elements 11 and 15 combine with the respectively underlying barrier panels 10 and 14 to provide a continuous insulating barrier throughout the length and height of the entire block wall, except for the masonry cross webs 7 formed in each of the blocks 4. The cap elements 11 and 15 meet in end to end relationship to provide the continuous sealing and insulating barrier strip between adjacent horizontal rows of blocks.

It will of course be understood various changes may be made in the form details arrangement and proportions of the part disclosed, without departing from the scope of this invention which generally stated is set forth in the claims appending hereto.