S&F Ref: 959021 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 INNOVATION PATENT SPECIFICATION Name and Address Boral Masonry Limited, of Applicant: An Australian Company, ACN 000 223 718, of Clunies Ross Street, Prospect, New South Wales, 2148, Australia Actual Inventor(s): Mark Dell Address for Service: Spruson & Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 35 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Invention Title: A set of retaining wall blocks The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 5843c(2953716_1) 1 A SET OF RETAINING WALL BLOCKS Technical Field The present invention relates to the field of retaining wall blocks. 5 Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a set of retaining wall blocks, each said block of said set having a front face, a pair of laterally opposing side faces, a rear face opposing said front face, a top face and a bottom face vertically opposing said top face; 10 wherein said front face of a sub-set of said blocks, defined by each of at least a majority of said blocks, has a front face pattern comprising a plurality of laterally extending front face surfaces; further wherein for each said front face pattern, at least one of said front face surfaces lies at least substantially in a first plane and at least one of the remaining front is face surfaces lies at least substantially in a second plane recessed in relation to said first plane, said front face pattern of each of said blocks of said sub-set differing to said front face pattern of each of a majority of the remaining blocks of said sub-set. Preferably, for each block of said sub-set, said first and second planes are inclined substantially perpendicular to said top and bottom faces. 20 Preferably some blocks of said sub-set are in the form of primary blocks having a hollow core extending between said side faces and some blocks of said sub-set are in the form of a solid block with solid side faces for use as a corner block or base course block. The present invention also provides a method of forming the set of retaining wall blocks defined above, said method comprising: 25 arranging a mould form on a horizontally extending base, said mould form defining a plurality of cavities each having a horizontal cross-section corresponding to a cross-section of one of said blocks with one of said side faces of said block lying on said base; pouring a cementitious mixture into each of said cavities; 30 allowing said mixture to set; removing said mould form from said base, thereby leaving said blocks on said base. Preferably, said mould is configured such that said blocks of said set are formed in pairs, said blocks of each said pair having their front faces adjacent and opposing and 35 their top and bottom faces at least substantially aligned.
2 Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 5 Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a retaining wall block; Figure 2 is a plan view of the retaining wall block of Figure 1; Figures 3A to 3F each depict the front faces of a pair of retaining wall blocks; Figure 4 is a plan view of a set of retaining wall blocks; and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a retaining wall made from the set of retaining 1o wall blocks of Figure 3. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments Figure 1 depicts a retaining wall block 10. The block 10 includes a front face 12, a top face 14, a bottom face 16 opposing the top face 14, a rear face 18 opposing the front is face 12 and a pair of laterally opposing side faces 19. In the arrangement depicted, the top face 14 and bottom face 16 are parallel and lie in a horizontal plane. The retaining wall block 10 depicted is what is referred to in the present specification as a "primary" block, configured to be laid between end or corner blocks, with the side faces 19 covered by laterally adjacent blocks. Accordingly, the block 10 is here provided with a hollow 20 core 24 extending between the side faces 19 to reduce its mass. A lip 20 depends downwardly from the rear of the bottom face 16, here by a distance of about 10 mm, and is configured to engage the top rear edge 22 of adjacent blocks of the next uppermost course on which the block 10 is laid. To provide for a zero set back, with the front faces 12 of adjacent courses being aligned, the rear face 18 of the 25 block 10 is inclined such that the depth of the top face 14 is substantially identical to the depth of the bottom face 16 between the front face 12 and the leading edge of the lip 20. Blocks 10 forming one course may be laid on top of blocks 10 of a next uppermost course, with the courses being offset longitudinally by half a block relative to each other in a stretcher bond pattern, to assemble a retaining wall. The lip 20 of each 30 block 10 engages the top rear edges 22 of two adjacent blocks 10 in the next uppermost course. The lip 20 engaging the top rear edges 22 of adjacent blocks 10, together with soil or fill material engaging the rear faces 18 of the blocks 10 are sufficient to lock the blocks 10 in position relative to each other with a zero set-back with the front faces 12 substantially aligned. In place of the lip 20, it is envisaged that other forms of 35 interlocking mechanism may be adopted.
3 The front face 12 of the block 10 has a front face pattern comprising first and second laterally extending front face surfaces 25, 26 that here extend across the full length of the front face 12 between the opposing side faces 19. The first front face surface 25 lies in a first plane P1 whilst the second front face surface 26 lies in a second plane P2 5 that is recessed in relation to the first plane Pl. In the arrangement depicted, the second plane P2 is recessed in relation to the first face P1 by approximately 5 mm. The first front face surface 25 is thus hereinafter described as a projection and the second front face surface 26 is hereinafter referred to as a recess. In the arrangement depicted, both the first and second planes P1, P2 are inclined 1o substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom faces although it is envisaged that the first and second planes P1, P2 might be inclined. In the specific arrangement depicted, the first front face surface/projection 25 is located adjacent the bottom face 16 and has a height of approximately 60 mm, whilst the second front face surface/recess 26 extends between the projection 25 and the top face 14 and has a height of the order of 90 mm, is providing an overall height of the front face 12 of 150 mm. The block 10 has an overall length of approximately 300 mm and overall depth of approximately 215 mm. All dimensions of the block 10 may, however, be adapted to suit particular applications. Figures 3A through 3F depict the front face of each block of a set of retaining wall blocks, with each figure depicting a pair of retaining wall blocks IA, lB through to 20 6A, 6B. Each of the retaining wall blocks IA to 6B has the same configuration as the retaining wall block 10 of Figures 1 and 2, apart from the front face pattern of the front face 12. In a sub-set defined by a majority of the blocks lA to 6B, being all of the blocks apart from blocks lB and 4B, the front face pattern comprises a plurality of laterally extending front face surfaces, with at least one of the front face surfaces 25 forming a 25 projection, lying at least substantially in the first plane P1 and at least one of the remaining front face surfaces 26 forming a recess, lying at least substantially in the second plane P2, recessed in relation to the first plane P1 as discussed above. As will be appreciated, the front face patterns of each of the blocks of the sub-set (defined by all blocks apart from blocks I B and 4B), differ to the front face pattern of 30 each of the remaining blocks of the sub-set. It is envisaged, however, that not all of the front face patterns need be unique, as long as the front face pattern of each block of the sub-set differs to the front face pattern of at least a majority of the remaining blocks. Figure 3A depicts the front face 25 of block IA, having a front face pattern comprising a central protrusion 25 that is 90 mm high and recesses 26, each having a 35 height of 30 mm, positioned directly above and below the central protrusion 25. Figure 4 3A also depicts the front face of block lB which lies entirely within the first plane P1 and thus does not have any recess 26. Figure 3B depicts the front face 12 of block 2A, having a front face pattern comprising a protrusion 25 which is 30 mm high and which extends from adjacent the top 5 face 14. The remaining portion of the front face pattern comprises a recess 26 having a height of 120 mm. Figure 3B also depicts the front face 12 of block 2B having a front face pattern comprising a protrusion 25 which is 90 mm high and which extends from adjacent the bottom face 16, with the remaining portion of the front face pattern comprising a recess 26 having a height of 60 mm. It may be noted that in the pair of 10 blocks comprising blocks 2A and 2B the location of the protrusion 25 on each of the blocks corresponds to the location of a recess 26 on the other block such that the protrusions 25 do not overlap. Figure 3C depicts the front face 12 of block 3A having a front face pattern comprising a protrusion 25 which is 60 mm high and which extends from adjacent the is bottom face 16. The remaining portion of the front face pattern comprises a recess 26 having a height of 90 mm. Figure 3C also depicts the front face 12 of block 3B having a front face pattern comprising a protrusion 25 which is 60 mm high and which extends from adjacent the top face 14, with the remaining portion of the front face pattern comprising a recess 26 having a height of 90 mm. It may be noted that in the pair of 20 blocks comprising blocks 3A and 3B the location of the protrusion 25 on each of the blocks again corresponds to the location of a recess 26 on the other block such that the protrusions 25 do not overlap. Figure 3D depicts the front face 12 of block 4A having a front face pattern comprising a protrusion 25 which is 60 mm high located between two recesses 26, the 25 upper one of which is 30 mm high and the lower one of which is 60 mm high. Figure 3D also depicts the front face 12 of block 4B which lies entirely within the first plane P1 and thus does not have any recess 26. Figure 3E depicts the front face 12 of block 5A having a front face pattern comprising a protrusion 25 which is 30 mm high which extends from adjacent the bottom 30 face 16. The remaining portion of the front face pattern comprises a recess 26 having a height of 120 mm. Figure 3E also depicts the front face 12 of block 5B having a front face pattern comprising a protrusion 25 which is 90 mm high and which extends from adjacent the top face 14, with the remaining portion of the front face pattern comprising a recess 26 having a height of 60 mm. It may again be noted that in the pair of blocks 35 comprising blocks 5A and 5B the location of the protrusion 25 on each of the blocks 5 corresponds to the location of a recess 26 on the other block such that the protrusions 25 do not overlap. Figure 3F depicts the front face 12 of block 6A having a front face pattern comprising a central protrusion 25 which is 30 mm high located between two recesses 26 5 of 60 mm height. Figure 3F also depicts the front face 12 of block 6B as having a front face pattern comprising a central recess protrusion 26 which is 90 mm high located between two protrusions 25 of equal 30 mm height. It may again be noted that in the pair of blocks comprising blocks 6A and 6B the location of the protrusion 25 on each of the blocks corresponds to the location of a recess 26 on the other block such that the io protrusions 25 do not overlap. Figure 4 depicts a set of retaining wall blocks as depicted in Figures 3A through 3F located on a horizontally extending base 50, with each of the blocks oriented with one of the side faces 19 of the block lying on the base 50. It can be seen that the set of blocks comprises three rows each formed of the six pairs of blocks 1A to 6B depicted in Figures is 3A to 3F. The lowermost row of pairs of blocks depicted has each pair formed of one of blocks IA to 6A and one of solid blocks 1B' to 6B'. Each of the solid blocks 1B' to 6B' has the same front face pattern defined on its front face 12' as that of the corresponding primary block IB to 6B. The solid blocks 1B' to 6B' are each generally rectangular prismatic in form and do not include a cavity 24 extending between its side faces as is the 20 case with the primary blocks. The solid blocks 1B' to 6B' may be used either as corner blocks or base course blocks. They can also be rotated through 90 degrees to be used as half blocks. It can be seen that three of the solid blocks, being blocks 2B', 4B' and 6B' are provided with frangible nibs 34 which are each formed to assist in aligning of the solid blocks 11B' to 6B' onto a base 50, such as a pallet, in the arrangement depicted. 25 The blocks 10 are arranged on the base 50 with the front faces 12 of each pair of blocks adjacent and opposing and the top and bottom faces 14, 16 aligned. The orientation of the blocks within adjacent rows are reversed such that, for example, the top rear edge of block lB in the first row of pairs of blocks is located adjacent the lip 20 of block l B in the second row of pairs of blocks. A set of 36 blocks comprising three rows 30 of six pairs of blocks can thus be formed in a relatively tight and ordered square arrangement on a base 50 such as a pallet. Having the majority of the blocks each paired with another block that has any projection(s) 25 of its front face pattern aligned with a recess 26 of the front face pattern of the paired block also assists in ensuring a tight packing arrangement while still maintaining separation between all parts of the paired 6 blocks. The set of blocks may thus be arranged in multiple courses on pallets using this arrangement, building up a relatively tight "cube" of retaining wall blocks. The set of blocks will also typically be manufactured in the same geometric arrangement, with all blocks forming the set being formed substantially simultaneously. 5 The set of blocks may be formed by arranging a mould form on the base 50, with the mould form defining a plurality of cavities that each have a horizontal cross-section that corresponds to a section of one of the blocks of the set with one of the side faces 19 of the block lying on the base 50, in the manner depicted in Figure 4. The mould will typically comprise a series of walls separating each of the blocks and cores corresponding to the to cavities 24 of each of the primary blocks. A cementitious mixture is then poured into each of the cavities and the mixture is allowed to set prior to removing the mould form from the base 50, therefore leaving the blocks 10 on the base in the arrangement depicted in Figure 4. Figure 5 depicts a retaining wall 100 formed from several sets of the retaining is wall blocks 10. The face of the retaining wall provides a decorative pattern formed by the projections 25 and recesses 26 of the various blocks lying in two separate vertical planes. Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be apparent to skilled persons that modifications can be made to the embodiments described above.