초록 ▼

This prefabricated locking quoin block is used to construct the surface of buildings. The surface of the block has decorative portions resembling brick, stone, wood, or other construction materials. Preferably the surface of each block has both a raised and a recessed decorative portion, so as to fo

This prefabricated locking quoin block is used to construct the surface of buildings. The surface of the block has decorative portions resembling brick, stone, wood, or other construction materials. Preferably the surface of each block has both a raised and a recessed decorative portion, so as to form, when assembled, a quoin corner assembly resembling sawn or quarried stone blocks. Installers can attach the assemblies to conventional building structures and install cladding materials such as vinyl siding without needing to alter the blocks other than to adjust the base block for height. The block includes wedge locks to securely connect adjacent blocks matingly to each other. Installers thereby are able to assemble a secure stack of quoin corner blocks and attach it to a building with few additional steps, saving time, labor, and cost in construction.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A locking quoin block for assembling into a column to be secured to a corner of a structure, comprising: a sheet of semi-rigid polymeric material, the sheet being formed as a pair of wings, the pair of wings comprising a first wing and a second wing connected at a right angle along a corner axis,

1. A locking quoin block for assembling into a column to be secured to a corner of a structure, comprising: a sheet of semi-rigid polymeric material, the sheet being formed as a pair of wings, the pair of wings comprising a first wing and a second wing connected at a right angle along a corner axis, each wing having a top edge, a bottom edge, a distal edge, and an exterior surface;a side flange extending from the distal edge of each wing, the side flange being adapted to be nailed to a structure;the exterior surface of each wing having a decorative portion bounded by the bottom edge of each wing;the distal edge of each wing being parallel to the corner axis and having a vertical groove;the top edge of each pair of wings having a horizontal groove with a horizontal lip formed over the groove and spaced apart from the top of one side of the groove;a ridge extending from the bottom edge of each pair of wings, the ridge having a front surface;the ridge and the horizontal groove being adapted to matingly engage when the ridge of a first locking quoin block is inserted into the horizontal groove of a second locking quoin block;at least one wedge extending from the front surface of the ridge below each wing, configured so that, when force is applied to insert the ridge of the first block into the horizontal groove of the second block, the at least one wedge deforms the lip over the top edge of the horizontal groove, permitting the at least one wedge to slide past the lip and to continue to a position where the lip is entrapped between the top of each wedge and the bottom edges of the wings, whereby the two blocks are locked together. 2. The locking quoin block of claim 1, wherein the semi-rigid polymeric material is a semi-rigid formulation of polypropylene. 3. The locking quoin block of claim 1, further comprising a top flange extending vertically at the corner axis from at least a portion of the top edge of each wing, the top flange being adapted to be nailed to a structure. 4. A method for assembling a column of locking quoin blocks, the locking quoin blocks comprising: a sheet of semi-rigid polymeric material, the sheet formed as a pair of wings, the pair of wings comprising a first wing and a second wing connected at a right angle along a corner axis, each wing having a top edge, a bottom edge, a distal edge, and an exterior surface;a side flange extending from the distal edge of each wing, the side flange being adapted to be nailed to a structure;the exterior surface of each wing having a decorative portion bounded by the bottom edge of each wing;the distal edge of each wing being parallel to the corner axis and having a vertical groove;the top edge of each pair of wings having a horizontal groove with a horizontal lip formed over the groove;a ridge extending from the bottom edge of each pair of wings, the ridge having a front surface;the ridge and the horizontal groove being adapted to matingly engage when the ridge of a first locking quoin block is inserted into the horizontal groove of a second locking quoin block;at least one wedge extending from the front surface of the ridge below each wing, the method comprising:aligning the ridge of a first locking quoin block with the horizontal groove on the top edges of a second locking quoin block; andapplying force to cause the ridge of the first block to enter the horizontal groove on the top edges of the second block, so that the at least one wedge deforms the lip of the horizontal groove, permitting the at least one wedge to slide past the lip and to continue to a position where the lip is entrapped between the top of each wedge and the bottom edges of the wings, whereby the two blocks are locked together; andrepeating the previous steps until the predetermined number of blocks for an assembly are locked together. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the force is manually applied. 6. A method for unlocking a locked pair of locking quoin blocks, each of the blocks comprising: a sheet of semi-rigid polymeric material, the sheet formed as a pair of wings, the pair of wings comprising a first wing and a second wing connected at a right angle along a corner axis, each wing having a top edge, a bottom edge, a distal edge, and an exterior surface;a side flange extending from the distal edge of each wing, the side flange being adapted to be nailed to a structure;the exterior surface of each wing having a decorative portion bounded by the bottom edge of each wing;the distal edge of each wing being parallel to the corner axis and having a vertical groove;the top edge of each pair of wings having a horizontal groove with a horizontal lip formed over the groove;a ridge extending from the bottom edge of each pair of wings, the ridge having a front surface;the ridge and the horizontal groove being adapted to matingly engage when the ridge of a first locking quoin block is inserted into the horizontal groove of a second locking quoin block;at least one wedge extending from the front surface of the ridge below each wing,the method comprising:applying force to deform the distal edge of a wing of the lower block near a groove of the top edge, the force directed away from the exterior surface of the wing; andapplying force to the upper block, the force directed as if turning the top edges of the upper block towards the exterior surfaces of the lower block. 7. A method for installing an assembly of locking quoin blocks at the corner of a building structure, each of the blocks comprising: a sheet of semi-rigid polymeric material, the sheet formed as a pair of wings, the pair of wings comprising a first wing and a second wing connected at a right angle along a corner axis, each wing having a top edge, a bottom edge, a distal edge, and an exterior surface;a side flange extending from the distal edge of each wing, the side flange being adapted to be nailed to a structure;the exterior surface of each wing having a decorative portion bounded by the bottom edge of each wing;the distal edge of each wing being parallel to the corner axis and having a vertical groove;the top edge of each pair of wings having a horizontal groove with a horizontal lip formed over the groove;a ridge extending from the bottom edge of each pair of wings, the ridge having a front surface;the ridge and the horizontal groove being adapted to matingly engage when the ridge of a first locking quoin block is inserted into the horizontal groove of a second locking quoin block;at least one wedge extending from the front surface of the ridge below each wing, the method comprising:determining the desired height of a column of locking quoin blocks;shaping a first locking quoin block to fit a column to the building;aligning the ridge of a second locking quoin block with the horizontal groove on the top edges of the first block;applying force to cause the ridge of the second block to enter the horizontal groove on the top edges of the first block, so that the at least one wedge deforms the lip of the horizontal groove, permitting the at least one wedge to slide past the lip and to continue to a position where the lip is entrapped between the top of each wedge and the bottom edges of the wings, whereby the two blocks are locked together;repeating the previous steps until the predetermined number of blocks for an assembly are locked together;securing the assembled column to the building structure. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: inserting an end of a panel of cladding matingly into the groove of a distal edge of a first locking quoin corner of the assembled column;securing the cladding panel to the building; andrepeating the previous step until the desired number of cladding panels is secured to the building. 9. In a quoin block comprising: a sheet of semi-rigid polymeric material, the sheet formed as a pair of wings, the pair of wings comprising a first wing and a second wing connected at a right angle along a corner axis, each wing having a top edge, a bottom edge, a distal edge, and an exterior surface;a side flange extending from the distal edge of each wing, the side flange being adapted to be nailed to a structure;the exterior surface of each wing having a decorative portion comprising a raised portion and a recessed portion bounded by the bottom edge of each wing;the distal edge of each wing being parallel to the corner axis and having a vertical groove;the top edge of each pair of wings having a horizontal groove with a horizontal lip formed over the groove;a ridge extending from the bottom edge of each pair of wings, the ridge having a front surface;the ridge and the horizontal groove being adapted to matingly engage when the ridge of a first locking quoin block is inserted into the horizontal groove of a second locking quoin block, the improvement which comprises:locking functionality supplied by the addition of two wedges extending from the front surface of the ridge below each wing, the wedges configured so that, when force is applied to insert the ridge of the first block into the horizontal groove of the second block, the wedges deform the lip over the top edge of the horizontal groove, permitting the wedges to slide past the lip and to continue to a position where the lip is entrapped between the top of each wedge and the bottom edges of the wings, whereby the two blocks are locked together. 10. The locking quoin block of claim 9, further comprising a top flange extending vertically at the corner axis from at least a portion of the top edge of each wing, the top flange being adapted to be nailed to a structure.