TITLE IMPROVED BUILDING FORM

CITATION TO PRIOR U . S . APPLICATION This is a continuation application with respect to U. S . Application Serial No. 08/043 , 494 filed April 6 , 1994 (06.04.94) Sole inventorship with respect to this Application lies with the present Applicant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of The Invention

Applicant's invention relates to apparatuses and methods having utility in the construction trades, particularly with respect to residential construction.

2. Background Information

At present lumber prices are growing at an astronomical rate. In fact, during the one year period preceding the filing of this application, prices for the most typical lumber used in residential construction have more than doubled in many parts of the United States.

Anyone now contemplating construction of a new home must, for the first time in recent memory, plan and budget for almost weekly price increases from builders solely

because of rapidly escalating lumber prices.

Recent trends in lumber prices are, without more, sufficient to motivate those in the residential building industry and their clients to seek alternatives to traditional stick building techniques with their lumber intensive materials demands. However, there is more to foster such motivations. For one thing, stick building is also labor intensive. Also, the end result is not uniformly of high quality, either because of poor labor standards or because of inferior lumber stock. Still further, a stick build house, whether or not clad in additional wood materials, is prone to termite damage (in certain regions of the United States) and other vices peculiar to wood products.

There have, of course, long been substitutes for stick built home construction, but not necessarily desirable ones. One could, for example, construct a home principally from steel beams, as with commercial structures. Steel beam construction is a quite costly alternative to wood, and one which would render a home of even modest size and design beyond the financial reach of the traditional market for such homes. Other alternative home building techniques center on the use of pre¬ fabricated panels. Most reasonably affordable pre¬ fabricated panels do not present an aesthetically desirable appearance, and do not, in fact, eliminate the

use of wood. Those panels which do not encompass wood products (such as concrete panels) are generally not designed for adaptation to exterior materials such as brick, stucco, etc. as one would normally desire for a residential exterior siding.

In light of the above, it is highly desirable to provide to the residential construction industry a wholly new wall construction method which eliminates the need for wood, is cost effective, and, not only meets, but exceeds the benefits of stick-built construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful apparatus useful in fabricating exterior wall structures for buildings.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and useful apparatus useful in fabricating exterior wall structures for buildings, which apparatus eliminates the need for wood studs in such fabrication.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and useful apparatus useful in fabricating exterior wall structures for buildings, which apparatus facilitates consistency of quality in constructing a building, not easily achievable through stick-built

construction.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and useful apparatus useful in fabricating exterior wall structures for buildings, which apparatus allows a cost effective and at least equally utilitarian alternative to stick built construction.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and useful apparatus useful in fabricating non-wood containing exterior wall structures for buildings, particularly residential buildings, the intended use of which apparatus produces wall structures not susceptible to insect and fungal attack as with wood containing wall structures.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and useful apparatus having utility in fabricating exterior wall structures for buildings, which apparatus facilitates more rapid construction than is possible through construction based on the use of wood studs, without sacrifice of quality.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and useful apparatus useful in fabricating exterior wall structures for buildings, the use of which

apparatus produces a wall structure having greater sound and thermal insulation properties than wall structures produced through stick built construction methods.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for fabricating exterior wall structures for buildings, the practice of which method produces a wall structure optionally devoid of wood products.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and useful method for fabricating exterior wall structures for buildings, the practice of which method facilitates consistency of quality in constructing a building, not easily achievable through stick-built construction.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and useful method for fabricating exterior wall structures for buildings, the practice of which

J method allows a cost effective and at least equally utilitarian alternative to stick built construction methods.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and useful method for fabricating non-wood containing exterior wall structures for buildings,

particularly residential buildings, the practice of which method produces wall structures not susceptible to insect and fungal attack as with wood containing wall structures.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and useful method for fabricating exterior wall structures for buildings, the practice of which method facilitates more rapid construction than is possible through construction based on the use of wood studs, without sacrifice of quality.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and useful method for fabricating exterior wall structures for buildings, the practice of which method produces a wall structure having greater sound and thermal insulation properties than wall structures produced through stick built construction methods.

In satisfaction of these and related objectives, Applicant's present invention provides a design for polystyrene form blocks and methods for their use. The design of Applicant's form blocks include features for tongue and groove joinder with adjacent form blocks for fashioning wall forms of virtually any desired size and shape. Most significantly, Applicant's design also includes integral conduits defined by and within the bounds of each form block. The conduits of a plurality of

properly assembled form blocks combine to define extended conduits which define the path of concrete which is injected into the conduits to form concrete pillars or columns. The resulting wall structure is stronger, more insect and rot resistent, and more fire resistant than many comparable structures, and environmentally beneficial in its lack of wood products.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a form block of Applicant's invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the form block of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational side view of the form block of Fig. 1 with broken line indications of the path of conduits passing through the form block.

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the form block of Fig. 1 with broken line indications of the path of the end-most conduit passing through the form block.

Fig. 5 is a partial cutaway view of an installed form block showing the proper array of reinforcement rods.

Fig. 6 is a perspective, partial cutaway view of an alternative embodiment of Applicant's form block which exhibits a horizontal conduit for accomodating horizontal reinforcement bars and defining a horizontally disposed concerete column.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to Figure 1, Applicant's form block is identified generally by the reference numeral 10. Each form block 10 is a unitary construction of polystyrene. The preferred embodiment of form block 10 is 48 inches wide, 16 inches in height and 10 inches in depth.

Referring in combination to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, tongue and groove blocks 12 are situated on either vertical side 14 of form block 10.

Tongue and groove blocks 12 are integral portions of the overall form block 10, but because of their positioning relative to the remainder of form block 10 are clearly delineable from an intermediary central block 16.

Although tongue and groove blocks 12 are integral of the overall structure of form block 10, such overall structure is most easily explained and understood through a consideration of tongue and groove blocks 12 and central block 16 as separate components of form block 10.

Were tongue and groove blocks 12 to be separated from central block 16, one would find that central block 16 exhibits two rectangular, vertical side faces 18. In the preferred embodiment of applicant's form block 10,

vertical side faces 18 of central block 16 would be 16 inches in height and 48 inches in width. Likewise, the tongue and groove blocks 12 would exhibit two vertical side faces 20, also 48 inches by 16 inches in the preferred embodiment.

Referring still to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, both tongue and groove blocks 12 are shifted relative to central block 16 two inches (2") vertically and two inches (2") horizontally in the preferred embodiment. The vertical direction toward which the tongue and groove blocks 12 are shifted would, in the properly installed form block 10, be downward, or to the "bottom side" of the form block 10.

As can be easily understood, such a design for form block 10 facilitates the stable integration of multiple form blocks 10 to form, in building block-like style, full-scale forms for structural wall units.

Referring principally to Figures l and 2, in addition to vertical side faces 18, central block 16 further exhibits vertical end faces 22 and horizontal faces 24.

Each face of form block 10 defines a plane with the intersection of any two such planes substantially defining a 90 degree angle in the preferred embodiment of

Applicant's form block. Thus, in any given form block 10, the two vertical side faces 18, the two vertical end faces 22 and the two horizontal faces each lie in paired, substantially parallel planes, separated from each other by the thickness of the form block 10 in the relevant dimension.

A plurality of substantially cylindrical conduits 26 are formed within the central block 16 portion of form block 10. Each conduit 26 is radially symmetrical about an axis which is oriented in parallel with the planes of both vertical side faces 18 and vertical end faces 22 and orthogonal to horizontal faces 24. The axes of symmetry for all conduits 26 lie substantially in a single plane which is oriented substantially parallel with, and which lies substantially midway between the planes defined by the vertical side walls 22 of central block 16.

In the preferred embodiment of form block 10, vertical conduits 26 are "on 8 inch centers". In other words, the respective axes of symmetry of vertical conduits 26 are laterally spaced, one from the other, over an 8 inch distance. Vertical conduits 26 extend completely through central block 16, and each vertical conduit 26 defines orifices at each of the two opposing horizontal faces 24 of the central block 16.

In one alternative embodiment of applicant's invention (not separably shown in the drawings) vertical conduits 26 are tapered in an hourglass-like fashion whereby the radius of each vertical conduit 26 (measured perpendicular to the vertical conduit's 26 longitudinal axis) graduates from a maximum at each of the two opposing horizontal faces 24 of a central block 16 to a slightly smaller minimum at a medial point therebetween. This tapering of the contour of the vertical conduits 26 is for facilitating the use and relatively stable fixation of cardboard tubes (not shown in the drawings) which may be inserted into each vertical conduit 26 and which are helpful in managing the injection of concrete into the vertical conduits 26 during construction of a wall unit.

It is expected that the primary use of form blocks 10 will be in constructing load-bearing walls for homes and small commercial structures. A wall unit is formed using form blocks 10 by assembling so many form blocks 10 in such an arrangement as is necessary to define the size and shape of a desired wall unit. Each form block 10 mates with each adjoining form block 10 through interaction of the tongue and groove structures as defined on each face of form blocks 10 by the relative positioning of each central block 16 and its associated tongue and groove blocks 12 as earlier described.

Referring principally to Figure 5, rebar reinforcement rods 30 should be positioned to extend through at least some columns of successive vertical conduits 26 in each vertical assemblage (or "stack") of form blocks 10 and into which concrete will be injected. It is important to note that, particularly for a single story dwelling, not all vertical conduits 26 need be filled with concrete to achieve an acceptably stable structure. Depending on wind load expectations, load bearing requirements, and related strength dependant factors, as few as one in three vertical conduits 26 may be filled.

Referring principally to Figure 6, when horizontal reinforcement bars are required (as because of building code requirements) , form block 10 may be modified to exhibit a horizontal conduit 32 through which such a horizontal reinforcement bar may be extended.

Alternatively, horizontal reinforcement bars may be positioned along the line of juxtaposition between successive rows of form blocks 10 (not depicted in the drawings) . In this latter case, one-half of a cylindrical conduit is defined by each of two vertically abutting form blocks 10 by forming a trough in the abutting horizontal faces 24 thereof. In either case, horizontal and vertical

reinforcement bars should, of course, be "tied" according to standard construction practices.

Once a wall structure constructed through use of Applicant's form blocks 10 is complete, the result is an extraordinary structure with many benefits not available through the use of competing construction processes. Such a wall structure exhibits between an R35 to an R45 insulative factor, depending on the number of conduits 26 which are filled with concrete versus left open. Also, the wall structure is stronger than both stick built walls and concrete block walls. For example, engineering studies rate walls constructed of Applicant's form blocks for withstanding 190 mph wind loads. Also, the polystyrene, steel and concrete composition of such a wall structure renders it virtually insusceptible to insect or fungal attack, quite unlike stick built walls. Further still, such wall structures are less likely to be a contributing factor to fire deaths. Not only are the wall structures of Applicant's invention substantially more flame resistant than wood, when exposed to fire, they emit only a fraction of the toxic gasses which wood does in like contexts.

Attached hereto as Exhibit "A", and incorporated herein by reference as part of the original disclosure and

specification, is a document entitled "Insulform Technical Data Sheet". "INSULFORM" is the unregistered trademark under which Applicant has begun marketing the products and services of his invention. Exhibit "A" explains and elaborates on some of the technical aspects of the embodiments of Applicant's invention, as well as on some of the uses of his form blocks 10.

Applicant's form blocks 10 are manufactured using a clam shell like mold assembly in a steam-heated oven unit. The process, well known in the art, involves pre-expanding polystyrene beads and placing the expanded beads in the mold assembly for heat forming the beads into a unitary body form of a form block 10. One source of polystyrene mold/oven units is MFI, Inc. of Los Angeles, California. Of course, custom molds for manufacturing Applicant's form blocks 10 must be obtained as they are not yet available on the open market.

The polystyrene beads preferred by Applicant in fabricating form blocks 10 are available from the Huntsman, Incorporated of Los Angeles, BASF of Germany, Atlantic-Richfield Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Scott Paper Company (Ft. Worth, Texas division) . The beads are of the type known as "modified B" type beads.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon the reference to the description of the invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.