Retaining wall block with face connection

Abstract

Single and multiple retaining wall blocks and block systems are disclosed. The blocks are provided with a face connection system which includes at least one front lip extending from a top surface of the block and a bottom channel formed into a front face and bottom surface of the block. The front lips have a length which is less than the width of the blocks.

1 . A wall block comprising: 
 a block body including a top surface, a bottom surface and a front face, the front face having a height and a width;    at least one lip extending from the top surface, the at least one lip having first and second ends, first and second lateral surfaces and an upper surface, one of the lateral surfaces forming a part of the front face, the lip having a length measured between the first and second ends, the length of the lip being less than the width of the front face; and    at least one channel formed into the bottom surface and front face, the at least one channel being sized such that when a wall is formed from a plurality of the blocks stacked in multiple courses the at least one channel will accommodate a lip from an adjacent block in a lower course.    
     
     
         2 . The wall block of  claim 1  wherein the block body further comprises first and second opposing side surfaces and a rear surface which opposes the front face.  
     
     
         3 . The wall block of  claim 2  wherein the first and second sides are nonparallel.  
     
     
         4 . The wall block of  claim 1  wherein the at least one channel comprises a first channel and a second channel.  
     
     
         5 . The wall block of  claim 1  wherein the at least one lip comprises a first lip and a second lip.  
     
     
         6 . A wall block system comprising: 
 a plurality of blocks including first and second blocks, each block having a block body including a top surface, a bottom surface and a front face having a height and a width, each block further having a lip extending from the top surface and a channel formed into the bottom surface and front face, the lip having first and second ends, first and second lateral surfaces and an upper surface, one of the lateral surfaces forming a part of the front face, the lip having a length as measured between the first and second ends, the length of the lip being less than the width of the front face;    the channel being sized such that when a wall is formed from the plurality of blocks stacked in multiple courses at least a portion of the lip of the first block positioned in a first course will be accommodated in the channel of the second block in a second course overlying the first course.    
     
     
         7 . A method of making a retaining wall comprising: 
 providing a plurality of blocks including first, second and third blocks, each block having a block body including a top surface, a bottom surface and a front face having a height and a width, each block further having a lip extending from the top surface and at least one channel formed into the bottom surface and front face, the lip having first and second ends, first and second lateral surfaces and an upper surface, one of the lateral surfaces forming a part of the front face, the lip having a length as measured between the first and second ends, the length of the lip being less than the width of the front face;    laying the blocks in a first lower course including laying a first block adjacent to a second block; and    laying the blocks in a second upper course in a running bond pattern over the first course, the third block overlying a portion of the first block and a portion of the second block, the at least one channel of the third block accommodating at least a portion of the lip of the first block and at least a portion of the lip of the second block.    
     
     
         8 . A retaining wall system comprising: 
 a plurality of block types including a first block type and a second block type, each block type having a block body including a top surface, a bottom surface and a front face having a height and a width, each block type further having a lip extending from the top surface and a channel formed into the bottom surface and front face, the lip having first and second ends, first and second lateral surfaces and an upper surface, one of the lateral surfaces forming a part of the front face, the lip having a length as measured between the first and second ends, at least one of the first block type and second block type including a lip having a length which is less than the width of the front face.    
     
     
         9 . The retaining wall system of  claim 8  further comprising a third block type and a fourth block type.  
     
     
         10 . A method of making a retaining wall comprising: 
 providing a plurality of block types including a first block type and a second block type, each block type having a block body including a top surface, a bottom surface and a front face having a height and a width, each block type further having a lip extending from the top surface and a channel formed into the bottom surface and front face, the lip having first and second ends, first and second lateral surfaces and an upper surface, one of the lateral surfaces forming a part of the front face, the lip having a length as measured between the first and second ends, at least one of the first block type and second block type including a lip having a length which is less than the width of the front face; and    laying a plurality of first block types and second block types in a random pattern in multiple courses including a first lower course and a second upper course such that the channels of first block types and second block types in the second upper course receive lips of first block types and second block types in the first lower course.    
     
     
         11 . A retaining wall block system comprising: 
 a first block having a block body including a top surface, a bottom surface and a front face, the first block further having a lip extending from the top surface and a channel formed into the bottom surface and front face, the lip having first and second ends, first and second lateral surfaces and an upper surface, one of the lateral surfaces forming a part of the front face;    a second block having a block body including a top surface, a bottom surface and a front face, the second block further having first and second lips extending from the top surface and a channel formed into the bottom surface and front face, the first and second lips each having first and second ends, first and second lateral surfaces and an upper surface, one of the lateral surfaces of each of the first and second lips forming a part of the front face;    a third block having a block body including a top surface, a bottom surface and a front face, the third block further having a lip extending from the top surface and a channel formed into the bottom surface and front face, the lip having first and second ends, first and second lateral surfaces and an upper surface, one of the lateral surfaces of the lip forming a part of the front face; and    a fourth block having a block body including a top surface, a bottom surface and a front face, the fourth block further having first and second lips extending from the top surface and a channel formed into the bottom surface and front face, the first and second lips each having first and second ends, first and second lateral surfaces and an upper surface, one of the lateral surfaces of each of the first and second lips forming a part of the front face.    
     
     
         12 . A method of making a retaining wall comprising: 
 providing a plurality of first blocks having a block body including a top surface, a bottom surface and a front face, the first blocks further having a lip extending from the top surface and a channel formed into the bottom surface and front face, the lip having first and second ends, first and second lateral surfaces and an upper surface, one of the lateral surfaces forming a part of the front face;    providing a plurality of second blocks having a block body including a top surface, a bottom surface and a front face, the second blocks further having first and second lips extending from the top surface and a channel formed into the bottom surface and front face, the first and second lips each having first and second ends, first and second lateral surfaces and an upper surface, one of the lateral surfaces of each of the first and second lips forming a part of the front face;    providing a plurality of third blocks having a block body including a top surface, a bottom surface and a front face, the third blocks further having a lip extending from the top surface and a channel formed into the bottom surface and front face, the lip having first and second ends, first and second lateral surfaces and an upper surface, one of the lateral surfaces of the lip forming a part of the front face; and    providing a plurality of fourth blocks having a block body including a top surface, a bottom surface and a front face, the fourth blocks further having first and second lips extending from the top surface and a channel formed into the bottom surface and front face, the first and second lips each having first and second ends, first and second lateral surfaces and an upper surface, one of the lateral surfaces of each of the first and second lips forming a part of the front face; and    laying the first, second, third, and fourth blocks in a random pattern in multiple courses including a first lower course and a second upper course such that the channels of blocks in the second upper course receive lips of blocks in the first lower course.