GB2137249A - Wall blocks - Google Patents

Abstract

Foam-faced wall blocks are supplied in a pack comprising four blocks 1 glued to a foamed plastics board 10 provided with fracture lines 16 aligned with the planes of junction between adjacent pairs of wall blocks. The pack of blocks may be transported to a work site secured together and would then be broken off to be used individually. The foamed board provides insulation and will preferably be covered with a perforated reflective metal foil sheet. Apparatus is described for forming fracture lines on the board 10 and gluing sets of blocks 1 in position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to wall blocks This invention relates to wall blocks for use in building. In order to create added heat insulation for buildings it is of advantage to provide a foamed plastics layer within the cavity wall.

This can readily be achieved by constructing the wall from wall blocks which have a layer of foamed material applied to them.

It is an object of this invention to provide means whereby wall blocks may be constructed with a foamed plastics layer.

Accordingly this invention provides a pack of foam faced wall blocks comprising a row of wall blocks secured to a common single foamed plastics board provided with fracture lines aligned with the planes of junction between each adjacent pair of wall blocks secured thereto.

Whilst it would be possible to apply a foamed plastics layer individually to each wall block the process of construction of such blocks individually is very time-consuming and would not keep pace with the rate of formation of the blocks themselves. The pack of foam faced wall blocks of this invention can be formed at a rate which compares favourably with the rate of formation of the basic wall blocks themselves and the interconnection of a number of blocks onto the common foamed plastics board provides substantial advantages in handling and transportation to the working site.

It is preferred that there should be two or four blocks secured to the foamed board since conventional block manufacturing apparatus is readily adapted to construct the blocks in rows of four in a vertical block format or rows of two in a horizontal block format. The wall blocks may be formed from foamed slag, concrete, pumice, clinker, or other industrial waste building material. It is also of advantage to provide an outer surface of the foamed board with a perforated reflective metal foil sheet which provides the usual heat insulation advantages.

The invention also extends to apparatus for producing a pack of foam faced wall blocks, wherein rows of wall blocks are fed to a fixing station, and a foamed plastics board formed with fracture lines is glued and fixed onto the row of wall blocks so that the fracture lines are aligned with the planes of junction between each adjacent pair of wall blocks.

Ideally the foamed boards will be arranged to be fed in pairs, back-to-back, between pairs of rows of wall blocks at the fixing station.

This speeds up the formation process still further.

The apparatus will preferably include indexing means for feeding rows of wall blocks to the fixing station sequentially for respective fixing of foamed boards thereto. There will also desirably be a cutting station for creating fracture lines in the foamed board prior to entry thereof into the fixing station.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a plant for constructing packs of foam faced wall blocks in accordance with this invention using the vertical format of block production; Figure 2 is a side view of the plant shown in Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a pack of foam faced wall blocks constructed in the plant of Figs. 1 and 2; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a single block broken off from the pack.

Foam slag concrete blocks are constructed in a separate part of the plant (not shown) and are then delivered in units of 44, namely four rows of eleven blocks on end. These blocks 1 are then fed on an inclined gravity roll conveyor which leads to a receiving table 2.

When clamps 3 are released the blocks roll towards the table 2 and are fed positively by power rollers 4 (at the underside and the side) so as to be aligned with rows 5 of blocks already on the table. When the four rows have moved on to the table 2 the remaining rows of blocks are held back by the clamp 3 and the rollers 4 are reversed to withdraw the initial row of blocks back from the table 2.

Pusher rams 6 feed the rows of blocks to indexed positions so as to move all the rows of blocks on the table 2 and on a further table 7 forwards until two rows of blocks are moved past a fixing station 9. The remaining blocks on the table 2 are retracted (by a small movement of the table 2) so as to leave a gap into which a pair of boards 10 can be inserted. These boards are carried out by chain conveyors 11 from respective stacks 1 2 so as to be aligned vertically above feed rollers 1 3.

On their passage between the stacks 12 and the feed rollers 1 3 the boards 10 are driven over cutting rollers 14 which score fracture lines on two surfaces of the board (one of which is covered by a thin perforated metal foil). The boards are driven from the drive rollers 1 3 past gluing rollers 1 5 which apply strips of glue to the other surfaces of the boards (which are covered by a glass fibre membrane) and then the boards enter the fixing station 9 in pairs, back-to-back, between the rows 5 of blocks 1. Indexing forward of the stack of blocks on the table 2 by the pusher 6 forces the blocks 1 into contact with the boards 10 which will have been positioned in the fixing station 9 in such a way that the fracture lines are aligned with the planes of junction between each adjacent pair of wall blocks 1.The pressure applied as the blocks are indexed forwards by the pusher 6 causes the boards 10 to be stuck to the blocks 1.

When ten rows of blocks are situated between a clamp 16 on the table 7 they are carried forward by the clamp 1 6 to a strapping station 1 7 where straps are applied to hold the forty blocks, with the foamed plastics boards 10 applied, in a single unit. This unit can then be moved forward and another one laid on top when formed and the double unit can then be enclosed within a shrink wrapped bag.

A pack of four blocks 1 in a single row interconnected by the sheet 10 is shown in Fig. 3. This illustrates the fracture lines 1 8.

When one of these blocks is to be used for building purposes it can readily be removed from the pack as the sheet 10 will easily snap along the fracture line. A single block 1 which has been removed from the pack is illustrated in Fig. 4.

It will be appreciated that any wall block widths and any multiples of blocks to form a pack are possible with suitable adjustment of the operation of the plant shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Obviously also the precise construction of the plant may be modified as may occur to those skilled in the art to suit particular operating conditions.

Claims (10)

1. A pack of foam-faced wall blocks, comprising a row of wall blocks secured to a common single foamed plastics board provided with fracture lines aligned with the planes of junction between each adjacent pair of wall blocks secured thereto.

2. A pack according to claim 1, wherein there are two or four blocks secured to the foamed board.

3. A pack according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the outer surface of the foamed board carries a perforated reflective metal foil sheet.

4. A pack according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the wall blocks are formed from foamed slag, concrete, pumice, clinker, or other industrial waste building material.

5. A pack of foam-faced wall blocks substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. Apparatus for producing a pack of foam-faced wall blocks, wherein rows of wall blocks are fed to a fixing station, and a foamed plastics board formed with fracture lines is glued and fixed onto the row of wall blocks so that the fracture lines are aligned with the planes of junction between each adjacent pair of wall blocks.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the foamed boards are arranged to be fed in pairs, back-to-back, between pairs of rows of wall blocks at the fixing station.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or claim 7, including indexing means for feeding rows of wall blocks to the fixing station sequentially for respective fixing of foamed boards thereto.

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 6 to 8, including a cutting station for creating fracture lines in the foamed board prior to entry thereof into the fixing station.

10. Apparatus for producing a pack of foam-faced wall blocks, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.