Wall blocks, veneer panels for wall blocks and method of constructing walls

Abstract

Wall blocks, veneers, veneer connectors, walls, and methods of constructing walls are provided. More particularly, the invention relates to constructing walls in which a veneer panel is attached to a wall block with a connector and in which the front faces of the veneers have a desirable texture.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wall block comprising:
 parallel front and rear faces, a first side wall opposed from a second side wall and a first surface opposed from a second surface, the first and second side walls extending from the first surface to the second surface and from the front face to the rear face;   at least one pin hole located on at least one of the first or second surfaces of the block;   at least one receiving channel located on at least one of the first or second surfaces of the block and opening onto the first or second surface of the block and the first and second side walls of the block; and   at least one connector channel shaped for receiving a veneer connector that is open to the front face of the wall block through a channel opening, the at least one connector channel also being open to one of the first and second surfaces and closed to the other of the first and second surfaces.   
     
     
         2 . The wall block of  claim 1 , wherein the wall block comprises a larger body portion, at least one smaller body portion, and two neck portions, the neck portions connecting the larger body portion and the at least one smaller body portion, the front face forming a part of the larger body portion and the rear face forming a part of the at least one smaller body portion. 
     
     
         3 . The wall block of  claim 1 , wherein the wall block comprises two connector channels opening onto the front face of the block each through a channel opening, and at least one connector channel opening onto each one of the first and second side walls through a channel opening. 
     
     
         4 . The wall block of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one connector channel and the channel opening of the at least one connector channel each have a maximum lateral width as measured from the first side wall to the second side wall, the maximum lateral width of the channel opening being less than the maximum lateral width of the at least one connector channel. 
     
     
         5 . A combination comprising a wall block, at least one veneer, and at least one veneer connector, the wall block having parallel front and rear faces, a first side wall opposed from a second side wall and a first surface opposed from a second surface, the first and second side walls extending from the first surface to the second surface and from the front face to the rear face, the front face of the wall block having at least one connector channel shaped for receiving a veneer connector that is open to the front face of the wall block through a channel opening, the at least one connector channel also being open to one of the first and second surfaces and closed to the other of the first and second surfaces, the at least one veneer having a front and a rear face, and the at least one veneer connector having a vertical elongate portion and bifurcated prongs extending from the vertical elongate portion, the bifurcated prongs of the veneer connector being shaped to be received within the at least one wall block connector channel and the vertical elongate portion of the at least one veneer connector being secured to the rear face of the at least one veneer. 
     
     
         6 . The combination of  claim 5 , wherein the wall block has at least one pin hole located on at least one of the first or second surfaces of the block. 
     
     
         7 . The combination of  claim 5 , wherein the wall block has at least one receiving channel located on at least one of the first or second surfaces of the block and opening onto the first or second side surface of the block and the first and second side walls of the block. 
     
     
         8 . The combination of  claim 5 , wherein the bifurcated horizontal prongs of the at least one veneer connector comprise tabs at ends of the prongs. 
     
     
         9 . The combination of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one veneer connector is first and second veneer connectors and the at least one connector channel of the front face of the wall block is first and second connector channels, the bifurcated prongs of the first veneer connector being shaped to be received within the first connector channel of the wall block and the bifurcated prongs of the second veneer connector being shaped to be received within the second connector channel of the wall block. 
     
     
         10 . The combination of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one veneer connector is first and second veneer connectors, the at least one connector channel of the front face of the wall block is first and second connector channels and the at least one veneer is first and second veneers, the bifurcated prongs of the first veneer connector being shaped to be received within the first connector channel of the wall block and the vertical elongate portion of the first veneer connector being secured to the rear face of the first veneer and the bifurcated prongs of the second veneer connector being shaped to be received within the second connector channel of the wall block and the vertical elongate portion of the second veneer connector being secured to the rear face of the second veneer. 
     
     
         11 . The combination of  claim 5 , wherein the wall block comprises two connector channels opening onto the front face of the block each through a channel opening, and at least one connector channel opening onto each one of the first and second side walls through a channel opening. 
     
     
         12 . The combination of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one veneer is first and second veneers and the at least one veneer connector is first, second and third veneer connectors, the bifurcated prongs of the first and second veneer connectors being shaped to be received within the front face of the wall block connector channels and the vertical elongate portions of the first and second veneer connectors being secured to the rear face of the first veneer and the bifurcated prongs of the third veneer connector being shaped to be received within one of the first or second side wall connector channels and the vertical elongate portion of the third veneer connector being secured to the rear face of the second veneer. 
     
     
         13 . The combination of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one connector channel of the wall block and the channel opening of the at least one connector channel each have a maximum lateral width as measured from the first side wall to the second side wall, the maximum lateral width of the channel opening being less than the maximum lateral width of the at least one connector channel. 
     
     
         14 . The combination of  claim 13 , wherein the bifurcated prongs of the at least one veneer connector of the wall block have an expanded width greater than the maximum lateral width of the channel opening and less than or equal to the maximum lateral width of the connector channel and a compressed width less than the maximum lateral width of the channel opening, the bifurcated prongs of the veneer connector being shaped to be compressibly inserted into the at least one channel opening of the front face of the wall block when the bifurcated prongs are at the compressed width and expandably received within the at least one veneer connector channel when the bifurcated prongs are at the expanded width. 
     
     
         15 . A wall comprising at least a first course and a second course of wall blocks, the wall comprising:
 a plurality of wall blocks, the plurality of wall blocks having parallel front and rear faces, a first side wall opposed from a second side wall and a first surface opposed from a second surface, the first and second side walls extending from the first surface to the second surface and from the front face to the rear face, the front face of the wall block having at least one connector channel shaped for receiving a veneer connector that is open to the front face of the wall block through a channel opening, the at least one connector channel also being open to one of the first and second surfaces and closed to the other of the first and second surfaces;   at least one veneer, the at least one veneer having a front face and a rear face;   at least one veneer connector, the at least one veneer connector having a vertical elongate portion and bifurcated prongs extending from the vertical elongate portion, the bifurcated prongs of the veneer connector being shaped to be received within the at least one wall block connector channel;   wherein the bifurcated prongs of the at least one veneer connector are received within the at least one connector channel of the at least one of the plurality of wall blocks and the vertical elongate portion of the at least one veneer connector is secured to the rear face of the at least one veneer.   
     
     
         16 . The combination of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one veneer connector is at least first and second veneer connectors and the at least one connector channel of the front face of at least one of the plurality of wall blocks is first and second connector channels, the bifurcated prongs of the first veneer connector are shaped to be received within the first connector channel of the wall block and the bifurcated prongs of the second veneer connector are shaped to be received within the second connector channel of the wall block. 
     
     
         17 . The wall of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one veneer connector is at least first and second veneer connectors, the at least one connector channel of the front face of at least one of the plurality of wall blocks is first and second connector channels and the at least one veneer is at least first and second veneers, wherein the bifurcated prongs of the first veneer connector are received within the first connector channel of the at least one wall block and the vertical elongate portion of the first veneer connector is secured to the rear face of the first veneer and the bifurcated prongs of the second veneer connector are received within the second connector channel of the at least one wall block and the vertical elongate portion of the second veneer connector is secured to the rear face of the second veneer. 
     
     
         18 . The combination of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of wall blocks has two connector channels opening onto the front face of the block each through a channel opening, and at least one connector channel opening onto each one of the first and second side walls through a channel opening. 
     
     
         19 . The combination of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one veneer is at least first and second veneers and the at least one veneer connector is at least first, second and third veneer connectors wherein the bifurcated prongs of the first and second veneer connectors are received within the front face connector channels of the at least one wall block and the vertical elongate portions of the first and second veneer connectors are secured to the rear face of the first veneer and the bifurcated prongs of the third veneer connector are received within one of the first or second side wall connector channels of the at least one wall block and the vertical elongate portion of the third veneer connector is secured to the rear face of the second veneer. 
     
     
         20 . The combination of  claim 15 , wherein at least some of the plurality of wall blocks have first and second connector channels opening onto the front face of the block each through a channel opening and at least some of the plurality of wall blocks have two connector channels opening onto the front face of the block each through a channel opening, and at least one connector channel opening onto each one of the first and second side walls through a channel opening.