Paving block structures

Claim 2

A paving block comprising: a body having first and second opposed faces and a hexagonal plan profile defined by six segments and six vertices; and a groove extending between an opposed pair of said vertices in at least one of said faces to define in said body two mirror image portions, whereby said groove defines a weakened area for breaking said body into said two mirror image portions, each of which can be employed separately and wholly to provide a continuous straight marginal edge for a ground cover constructed from said paving blocks.

Claim 3

A paving block as claimed in claim 1, wherein each pair of said opposed pair of vertices forms a 90° angle.

Claim 4

A paving block as claimed in claim 1, wherein two of said segments extend parallel to said groove, each of said two segments having a length which is longer than the length of each of the remaining segments.

Claim 5

A paving block as claimed in claim 1, wherein two of said segments extend parallel to said groove, each of said two segments having a length which is shorter than the lengths of each of the remaining segments.

Claim 6

A paving block as claimed in claim 2, wherein two of said segments extend parallel to said groove and wherein said body further comprises a stem portion having a square plan profile defined by four sides, one side of said stem portion extending between two adjacent ones of said vertices disposed between said opposed pair of vertices.

Claim 7

A paving block as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a second groove formed in at least one of said faces along said one side of said stem portion, whereby said second groove defines a weakened area for breaking said stem portion from said body and permitting separation of said stem portion from said body.

Claim 8

A ground covering comprising a plurality of paving blocks each comprising: a body having first and second opposed faces and a hexagonal plan profile defined by six segments and six vertices; and a groove extending between an opposed pair of said vertices in at least one of said faces to define in said body two mirror image portions, whereby said groove defines a weakened area for breaking said body into said two mirror image portions, each of which can be employed separately and wholly to provide a continuous straight marginal edge for said ground cover constructed from said paving blocks.

Claim 9

A ground covering comprising a plurality of paving blocks each comprising: a body having first and second opposed faces and a hexagonal plan profile defined by six segments and six vertices; and a groove extending between an opposed pair of said vertices in at least one of said faces to define in said body two mirror image portions, whereby said groove defines a weakened area for breaking said body into said two mirror image portions, each of which can be employed separately and wholly to provide a continuous straight marginal edge for said ground cover constructed from said paving blocks.

Claim 10

A ground covering as claimed in claim 7, wherein two of said segments extend parallel to said groove, each of said two segments having a length which is longer than the length of each of the remaining segments.

Claim 11

A ground covering as claimed in claim 7, wherein two of said segments extend parallel to said groove, each of said two segments having a length which is shorter than the lengths of each of the remaining segments.

Claim 12

A ground covering as claimed in claim 7, wherein each pair of said opposed pair of vertices forms a 90° angle.

Claim 13

A ground covering as claimed in claim 10, wherein two of said segments extend in parallel to said groove, and wherein each of said blocks further comprises a stem portion having a square plan profile, one side of said stem portion extending between two adjacent ones of said vertices disposed between said opposed pair of vertices.

Claim 14

A ground covering as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of said paving blocks further comprises a second groove formed in at least one of said faces along said one side of said stem portion whereby said second groove defines a weakened area for breaking said stem portion from said body and permitting separation of said stem portion from said body.

Claim 15

A composite ground covering structure comprising paving blocks, said blocks being laid laterally side by side so as to form a substantially continuous paving comprising; a plurality of parallel rows of paving blocks, each of said blocks comprising a body having first and second opposed faces and a hexagonal plan profile defined by six segments and six vertices; a first groove extending between an opposed pair of said vertices in at least one of said faces to define in said body two mirror image portions, said first groove defining a weakened area for breaking said body into said two mirror image portions each of which can be employed separately and wholly; two of said segments extending in parallel with said first groove; a stem portion having a square plan profile defined by four sides, one side of said stem portion extending between two adjacent ones of said vertices disposed between said opposed pair of vertices; a second groove formed in at least one of said faces along said one side of said stem portion, said second groove defining a weakened area for breaking said stem portion from said body; said paving blocks being arranged in each row so that the side of said stem portion of one paving block parallel with said second groove is in contact with the segment of said body parallel with said second groove and remote from said stem portion with the tips of said opposed pairs of vertices in contact with the tips of said opposed pairs of vertices of adjacent rows; and the spaces between consecutive contacts between the tips of adjacent opposed pairs of vertices filled by a paving block body, said first grooves of said blocks describing a continuous straight marginal edge of said rows.

Claim 16

A composite ground covering structure comprising paving blocks, said blocks being laid laterally side by side so as to form a substantially continuous paving comprising; a plurality of parallel rows of paving blocks, each of said blocks comprising a body having first and second opposed faces and a hexagonal plan profile defined by six segments and six vertices; a first groove extending between an opposed pair of said vertices in at least one of said faces to define in said body two mirror image portions, said first groove defining a weakened area for breaking said body into said two mirror image portions each of which can be employed separately and wholly; two of said segments extending in parallel with said first groove; a stem portion having a square plan profile defined by four sides, one side of said stem portion extending between two adjacent ones of said vertices disposed between said opposed pair of vertices; a second groove formed in at least one of said faces along said one side of said stem portion, said second groove defining a weakened area for breaking said stem portion from said body; said paving blocks being arranged in each row so that the side of said stem portion of one paving block parallel with said second groove is in contact with the segment of said body parallel with said second groove and remote from said stem portion with the tips of said opposed pairs of vertices in contact with the tips of said opposed pairs of vertices of adjacent rows; and the spaces between consecutive contacts between the tips of adjacent opposed pairs of vertices filled by a paving block body, said first grooves of said blocks describing a continuous straight marginal edge of said rows.

Claim 17

A composite ground covering structure as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of the block bodies along the free parallel marginal edges of the ground covering structure are broken along their respective first grooves to provide straight marginal edges.

Claim 18

A composite ground covering structure as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of the blocks which lie along one of the free parallel marginal edges of the ground covering structure is broken along their respective first grooves to provide a first straight marginal edge and the severed mirror image portions are moved laterally and placed in the voids along the line of the second marginal edge of said structure to provide a second straight marginal edge.

Claim 21

The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the steps of: severing said body of the first paving block in the row along said first groove; removing said severed portion of said body; moving said severed portion longitudinally; and placing said severed portion in contact with the stem portion of the last paving block in the row whereby the leading and trailing edges of said paving block row in straight.

Claim 24

The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising the steps of: severing said two mirror image portions of a plurality of block bodies along their respective first grooves; and placing one of said two mirror image portions against each of the exposed sides of said stem portions in the two marginal rows of the structure to define continuous straight marginal edges for said ground covering structure.

Claim 25

The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising the steps of: serving the bodies of the first paving blocks in each row along said first groove; removing said severed portion of said block body; moving said severed portion longitudinally; and placing said severed portion in contact with the last stem portions of the paving block in each of the rows stem portions whereby the leading and trailing edges of said structure are straight.