BACKGROUND OF INVENTION There are two main methods for producing a construction element which is faced with separate stones or bricks of water containing materials.

According to the first method the individual stones are created and packed at the factory, and are shipped to the construction site. Each stone is attached separately to an existing construction element. According to the second method all the individual stones are attached to concrete forms. While casting, the said stones are attached together by the freshly poured concrete.

The said methods are expensive since it is very time consuming and has to be done by skilled workers. As the individual stone is smaller and the design is more complicated the cost of the construction element is higher. Over the years some stones can pill off the exterior wall which can be dangerous.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION I have found that the disadvantages, described above, may be overcome by producing a modular construction element which is faced with at least one construction article, here in after referred to as decorative article. The modular decorative article including a plurality of separate stones or bricks

which are connected together with a plurality of rods, wires or ropes here in after referred to as rods while a space separate between all the adjacent stones. The said stones and bricks here in after referred to as stones are made of water containing materials such as concrete, gypsum, mortar, silicate or any other material which can be transferred from liquid to a solid state, here in after referred to as hardened material. The said stones can be produced in various sizes, shapes and colors. The rods are made of rigid or flexible material such as steel, aluminum, plastic or cotton and can be created in a different cross section and bent to a desire geometrical shape.

The modular decorative article is produced in at least one mold including (a) an exterior mold frame that comprises a horizontal bottom and vertical perimeter walls and (b) an interior form that comprises a plurality of vertical interconnected beams with grooves. The mold is created of rigid or flexible material such as metal, wood, plastic, rubber or polyurethane.

The said rods are mounted inside the said mold which after the pouring of the hardened material and the curing process, become an inseparable part of the modular decorative article.

The present invention introduce two main methods for producing the modular decorative article.

According to the first method of production, the modular decorative article is produced in a mold wherein exterior mold frame and the interior form are created as at least two separate components. The exterior mold frame comprises the said horizontal bottom which has even or uneven top surface and the perimeter walls. In order to enable easier striping the perimeter walls are usually created in at least two separate pieces which are erected and tied together. The perimeter walls are erected around the said horizontal bottom

or on top of it. The interior form comprises a plurality of interconnected beams which have a plurality of grooves at the bottom edge to accommodate the said rods. The rods are mounted and tied inside the exterior mold frame in a distance above the said horizontal bottom. Following the mounting of the rods, the said interior form is positioned adjacent to the horizontal bottom and to the said perimeter walls. The said vertical interconnected beams, the perimeter walls and the horizontal bottom circumscribe together a plurality of stone shaped openings. The hardened material is poured into the stone shaped openings. Following the pouring of the hardened material and prior to the hardening, the said form is lifted and removed. The modular decorative article is created as the said rods are anchored inside the cured hardened material.

According to the first method of production it is possible pour the hardened material inside the exterior mold frame prior to the placing of the interior form. Following the pouring the said interior form is pushed inside the hardened material and cut it to a plurality of stone shaped segments.

According to the second method of production the modular decorative article is usually produced in at least two modular molds which are placed adjacent each other. Each modular mold is usually created as one inseparable component including the said horizontal bottom, perimeter walls and the said vertical interconnected beams which circumscribe together a plurality of stone shaped openings. The perimeter walls and the vertical interconnected beams have a plurality of grooves at the top edge. In order to enable the placing the said modular molds adjacent each other and to obtain equal distance between all the adjacent stones it is necessary to create the said vertical perimeter walls thinner than the interior vertical interconnected beams. The present method is useful for producing a large modular

decorative article while using relatively small size modular molds. The said rods are mounted on top of the interior vertical interconnected beams inside the said grooves. The rods are stretched along the molds which after pouring and curing of the hardened material connect all the stones of the modular decorative article.

A detailed process for producing the decorative article and the construction elements according the present invention will be explain in the detailed description of the invention and in the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to methods for producing a wall, vertical or horizontal precast concrete article, walkway and roadway which are faced with a plurality of modular decorative articles. The modular decorative articles are positioned adjacent each other.

FIG-1 illustrates a partial isometric view of a basic embodiment of the modular decorative article generally indicated as 100. The decorative article 100 according to the present example comprises a plurality of separate stones 1 which are connected together with a plurality of rods 7h and 7v.

The stones 1 which are made of cured hardened material can be produce in a desired thickness, geometrical shape and color.

The present invention introduce two main methods for producing the modular decorative article 100.

According to the first method of production, the modular decorative article 100 is created in a mold generally indicated as 200. FIG-3 is a view of a modular decorative article 100 which is created in a mold 200 as shows in an isometric views in FIG-2 and in FIG-4. The mold 200 as illustrated

in an isometric view in FIG-2 including (a) an exterior mold frame, indicated as 80, comprising a horizontal bottom 4 and vertical perimeter walls 3 and (b) an interior form, indicated as 90, comprises a plurality of vertical interconnected beams 10. The interconnected beams 10 have a top edge lOt, a bottom edge 10b and a plurality of grooves 6 at the bottom edge. The perimeter walls 3 according to the present example are created with holes 15. FIG-4 illustrates the mold 200 according FIG-3 which already erected and a plurality of the rods 7h and 7v. The interior form 90 is position inside the exterior mold frame 80 while the interconnected beams 10 are adjacent to the horizontal bottom 4 and to the perimeter walls 10 circumscribe together a plurality of stone shaped openings 2. The plurality of rods 7h and 7v are positioned inside the grooves 6 in a distanced above the horizontal bottom #4 and in a distance below the top edge lOt. 7e is part of longer rod 7v which is placed inside the hole 15 and extends the outer face of the perimeter wall 3. On the other side of the longer rod 7v is mounted a receptacle 8, such as plastic pipe, for protruding the rod 7e of an adjacent decorative article 100. FIG-5 is an enlarged cross sectional view along a-a which illustrates the stone shaped openings 2 and the relative positions of the horizontal bottom 4, the perimeter walls 3, the vertical beams 10 and the rods. The present example shows the perimeter walls 3 that are positioned around the horizontal bottom 4 which has even top surface 4t.

However, it is possible to position the perimeter walls 3 on top of the horizontal bottom 4 which has uneven top surface 4t as illustrated in FIG- 6. According to the present example the rods 7h and 7v are tied together and supported above the horizontal bottom 4 with the rods 7e inside the holes 15. In order to enable the striping it is usually necessary to erect the

perimeter walls 3 of at least two separate components. The perimeter walls 3 are connected together prior to the casting of the hardened material and are striped separately from the decorative article 100 after the curing process.

FIG-7 illustrates cross sectional view of mold 200 wherein the exterior mold frame 80 is created as one inseparable component. In order to enable the removal of the mold frame 80 the rods 7v are not extending beyond the perimeter walls and the rods are supported on top of spacers 16.

The hardened material is cast into the stone shaped openings 2 up to the top edge lOt of the interconnected beams 10. The rods 7h and 7v are anchored inside the hardened material which after the curing process become inseparable part of the decorative article 100.

FIG-8 and is an isometric view of different mold 200 which illustrates the exterior mold frame 80, the plurality of rods 7h and 7v which are mounted inside the mold frame and the interior form 90 including a plurality of vertical interconnected beams 10 with a plurality of grooves 6 corresponding to the rods 7h and 7v. FIG-9 is a cross sectional view along b-b in FIG-8. The exterior mold frame according to the present example including (a) the perimeter walls 3 and (b) horizontal bottom 4 which has majority of even top surface and minority of uneven top surface 4t.

The minority of the uneven surface 4t comprises a plurality of interconnected wall that extend upwardly beyond the said even top surface. The interconnected walls 4t corresponding to the plurality of the vertical interconnected beams 10.

The process for producing the modular decorative article according to the first method of production is according to the following steps: (a) preparing the hardened material 5;

(b) erecting the exterior mold frame 80; (c) mounting the plurality of rods 7h and 7v inside the exterior mold frame 80 a tying the rods to the mold frame; (d) positioning the interior form 90 inside the exterior mold frame 80 adjacent to the horizontal bottom 4 and to the perimeter walls circumscribe together a plurality of stone shaped openings 2.

(e) pouring the hardened material 5 into the stone shaped openings 2; (f) vibrating the hardened material 5; (g) lifting the interior form 90 and separating the form from the hardened material 5; (h) allowing the hardened material 5 to cure and the rods 7h and 7v are anchored inside the cured hardened material 5, forming the modular decorative article 100; and, (i) separating and removing the exterior mold frame 80 from the decorative article 100.

The process for producing the modular decorative article according to the first method of production is according to the following steps: (a) preparing the hardened material 5 ; FIG-10 is an isometric view which illustrates a different way of production while using mold 200 which includes exterior mold frame 80 and interior form 90. The hardened material 5 is poured into the mold frame 80 prior to the position of the interior form 90. The interior form 90 is pushed into the hardened material 5 and cutting it to a plurality of stone shaped segments.

According to the second method of production the modular decorative article 100 is created in at least one mold generally indicated as 300.

FIG-11 is an isometric view of a mold 300 including (a) an exterior mold frame 80 comprises even or uneven horizontal bottom 4 and perimeter walls 3 and (b) an interior form 90 comprises plurality of vertical interconnected beams 10 which have a plurality of grooves 6 at the top edge.

The interconnected beams 10 together with the perimeter walls 3 and the horizontal bottom 4 circumscribe a plurality of stone shaped openings 2.

FIG-11 further illustrates a plurality of the rods 7h and 7v which are mounted on top of the interconnected beams 10 inside the grooves 6. The hardened material 5 is poured into the stone shaped openings 2. During the curing process the plurality of rods are anchored inside the cured hardened material and become an inseparable part of the modular decorative article.

FIG-12 is an isometric view of a modular mold 300 including (a) an exterior mold frame 80 comprises even or uneven horizontal bottom 4 and perimeter walls 3 which have a plurality of grooves 6a at the top edge and (b) an interior form 90 comprises plurality of vertical interconnected beams 10 which have a plurality of grooves 6 at the top edge. The interconnected beams 10 together with the perimeter walls 3 and the horizontal bottom 4 circumscribe a plurality of stone shaped openings 2. FIG-13 and FIG-14 are partial cross sectional views of the modular mold 300 along c-c illustrating two different shapes of the perimeter walls 3 and the interconnected beams 10. The modular mold 300 is usually created as one inseparable component. The modular mold 300 is useful for producing large modular decorative article while using a plurality of smaller size modular molds 300 which are positioned adjacent each other. In order to be able to attach two adjacent modular molds 300 it is necessary to create the thickness

of the perimeter walls 3 less than half the thickness of the vertical interconnected beams 3.

FIG-16 is an isometric view of two adjacent modular molds 300 according to FIG-12. The rods 7h and 7v are positioned on top of the interconnected beams 10 inside the grooves 6. The rods 7h are placed inside the both molds 300 which after the pouring and curing are anchored in the hardened material producing one inseparable decorative article 100.

FIG-15 is an isometric view of modular decorative article 100 which is produced in the two adjacent modular molds 300 shown in FIG-16.

The process for producing the modular decorative article according to the second method of production is according to the following steps: (a) preparing the hardened material 5; (b) erecting at least one regular or modular mold 300; (c) mounting a plurality of rods 7h and 7v inside at least one mold 300; (d) pouring the hardened material 5 into the stone shaped openings 2; (e) vibrating the hardened material 5; (f) allowing the hardened material 5 to cure and to anchor the rods 7h and 7v, forming the modular decorative article 100 ; and, (g) separating and removing the mold frame 300 from the decorative article 100.

FIG-17 is an isometric view that illustrates the hardened material inside the mold 200 or 300. The present example illustrates further additional metal elements 11 which are useful for attaching the modular decorative article 100 to a wall or for lifting the decorative article. The elements 11 are anchored inside the hardened material and connected to the rods.

FIG-18 is a partial isometric view of a mold according to the present invention that illustrates the hardened material inside the mold 200 or 300.

FIG-18 further shows form liner 12 which is positioned on top of the hardened material 5. The form liner which has uneven bottom surface impart to the hardened material 5 uneven top surface. FIG-19 is an enlarged cross sectional view along d-d which shows the relative position of the form liner 12, the hardened material 5, the rods 7h and the mold.

The rods 7h and 7v are made of flexible or rigid material and the can bent horizontally whenever it is necessary. The rods are mounted inside the mold 200 or 300 as a separate pieces or the rods are connected together and are mounted as an array of rods. FIG-20 illustrates part of decorative article 100 which is useful for facing an oval shaped wall. The stones 1 are connected with flexible rods 7h and with rigid rods 7v. The decorative article 100 can be bent to an oval shape as shown in FIG-21.

FIG-22, FIG-24, FIG-25 and FIG-26 are an isometric views which illustrate a production of vertical and horizontal decorative elements which are faced with a plurality of modular decorative articles 100. The decorative article are produced are produced in small and large sizes. The small size decorative article 100 is created up to 0.75 sq. m which can be lifted and placed by hand. The large decorative article 100 has to be handled by suitable crane or any other machinery. While the small decorative articles 100 are usually created in the factory it is often more economical to produce the large decorative FIG-22 is an isometric partial view of vertical wall 30 which is covered with three modular decorative articles 100. Each decorative article 100 is supported on top of foundation 20 or on top of another decorative article

100 below, while the hangers 14 prevent a horizontal movement. FIG-23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along e-e. The view illustrates the hangers 14 that are attached to the wall 30 which is sealed with a mortar 13. The view illustrates also the decorative article 100 which is hung with the horizontal rod 7h on top of the hangers 14 adjacent to the mortar 13 and supported on top of the foundation 20.

FIG-24 is an isometric view of seven modular decorative articles 100 according to FIG-17 and part of a stone la which are attached adjacent each other to an exterior concrete form panel 21. The decorative articles 100 are supported on top of the foundation 20 and connected with nails or special brackets to the panel 21. FIG-24 further shows the interior concrete form panel 22 which is erected in a horizontal distance from the unexposed surface of the decorative articles 100u. The concrete is poured into the concrete forms inside the space between the decorative articles 100 and the interior panel 22. Elements 11 which are part of the decorative article 100 are anchored inside the concrete which after the curing process attach the decorative articles 100 to the concrete. It is recommended to seal the unexposed surface 100u with a mortar or with a layer of polyethylene.

The sealing prevent liquids that are normally discharged from the concrete to penetrate through the space between the stones 1 and to damage the exposed surface of the decorative article 100.

FIG-25 is a partial isometric view that illustrates a production process of decorative precast concrete element which is faced with four modular decorative articles 100 according to FIG-17 and few stones la. The decorative articles 100 are positioned horizontally adjacent each other and the concrete forms 23 are erected around the perimeter. The concrete is

poured into the forms 23 on top of the decorative articles 100. The elements 11 are anchored inside the concrete and connect the decorative articles 100 to the concrete. In order to prevent the liquids that are normally discharged from the concrete to damage the bottom decorative surface of the decorative articles 100 it is recommended to seal the top surface prior to the pouring.

FIG-26 is a partial isometric view that illustrates a production process of a wall which is faced with modular decorative articles 100. Each decorative article 100 is supported on top of a foundation 20 or on top of another decorative article 100 below and connected to two columns. The walls 30a are built between the columns only after the connection of the decorative articles is finished. FIG-27 is a cross sectional view along F-F showing the position and the connection of the decorative article 100 prior to the building of the wall 30a. The elements 11 which are anchored inside the decorative article 100 are connected to elements 15 that are anchored inside the columns 16.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with various embodiments, the are illustrative only. Accordingly, many alternatives, modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art in light of the foregoing detailed description, and it is therefore intended to embrace such alternatives and variations as to fall within the spirit and board scope of the appended claims.