AU2010100757A4 - A paver - Google Patents

Description

- 1 A PAVER FIELD OF INVENTION The invention relates to paving, In particular, the invention relates to a paver. 5 The invention also relates to a paving system, and to a paving installation. The invention extends to a paver when used as a closure member of a service pit, and to a service pit installation. The invention relates particularly but not exclusively to a paver for use in constructing a pavement area that will bear pedestrian travel. It will therefore be 10 convenient hereinafter to describe the invention with reference to this example application. However at the same time it must be recognized that the invention applies equally to other applications, for example to a pavement for a cycling pathway. 15 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A paver is a brick, relative thick tile, stone, block, or the like that is used for paving walkways and pavement areas, There are pavers in situ that have indicia on an obverse surface, One way of applying indicia or signage to an obverse surface of a paver is to apply an adhesive 20 layer of material on the obverse surface, such as a decal, Decals or stickers that are exposed to the elements and to over-travel tend to wear and delaminate. In other cases indicia have been stamped during manufacture on the obverse surface of the paver. Stamped indicia have limited application. The stamped indicia usually indicate the position of a service pit such as a telephone exchange junction. 25 -2 OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to alleviate at least some of the problems discussed above in relation to prior art pavers bearing information on its obverse surface. 5 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the invention provides a paver, which includes: a body having opposite major sides and a circumferentially extending side edge, said body has at least one recess in an operatively upper one of the major 10 sides to receive a complementary shaped insert. In a preferred form, the body preferably has two spaced apart recesses in its operatively upper major side to receive a complementary shaped insert in each of the two recesses. Each of said recesses preferably has a depth that matches a depth of the 15 insert, so that an upper surface of the insert is flush with an upper surface of the operatively upper major side of the body when the insert is received within the recess. The body preferably has at least one gripping recess or aperture for a user to grip and maneuver the paver. The body preferably has two spaced gripping 20 recesses or apertures. The body is preferably shaped and sized complementary to a conventional paver so at to be used with conventional pavers in paving of a pavement. The body is preferably shaped and sized to fit over a mouth of a service pit, so as to be used as a closure member for the service pit.

-3.

The body is preferably unitary in construction. The body is preferably formed from a settable cementatious material, sandstone, slate, silk stone, clay or the like. The recess is preferably shaped and sized correspondingly to a conventional tile to receive the conventional tile in the recess. 5 In another aspect of the invention there is provided a paving system that includes: at least one paver having a body that has opposing major sides and a circumferentially extending side edge, said body has at least one recess in an operatively upper one of the major sides; and 10 at least one insert that is complementary shaped to the recess, so that the insert is receivable within the recess. The paver preferably includes any one or more of the optional features as defined and described according to the first aspect of the invention. The paving system preferably includes a plurality of inserts that are 15 complementary shaped to the recess, so that any one of the inserts is selectively receivable within the recess. The insert is preferably formed from a settable cementatious material, sandstone, slate, silk stone, ceramic, clay or the like. The insert is preferably a conventional tile. 20 The insert preferably bears indicia or signage on its obverse surface. The signage or indicia preferably includes information, ornamentation, advertising information, or the like. At least one insert is preferably removable from the recess. The paving system preferably includes a plurality of pavers and a plurality of 25 associated inserts, in which the plurality of associated inserts bear related -4 information on their obverse surfaces. The related information preferably includes identification information of a destination and or information for directing a viewer to the destination. In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a paving installation that 5 includes: at least one paver installed on a surface, the paver having a body that has opposing major sides and a circumferentially extending side edge, in which the body has at least one recess in an operatively upper one of the major sides; and at least one insert that is complementary shaped to the recess, and that is 10 received within the recess. The paving installation preferably includes a plurality of pavers that are spaced apart on the surface, and a plurality of associated inserts received within the recesses of the bodies of the pavers respectively, the insert bearing related information on their obverse surfaces. 15 The pavers are preferably spaced apart progressively further away from a destination, and the related information on the obverse surfaces of the inserts preferably include identification information of the destination and information indicating a direction to the destination. In a yet further aspect of the invention there is provided a method for directing 20 traffic on a pavement, the method including: installing a plurality of pavers spaced apart from each other to form part of the pavement; each paver having a body that has opposing major sides and a circumferentially extending side edge, in which the body has at least one recess in an operatively upper one of the major sides; and - 5 locating inserts in the recesses of the paver that bear information for directing traffic. Each paver preferably includes any one or more of the optional features of a paver as defined and described according to the above aspects of the invention. 5 Each insert preferably includes any one or more of the option features of an insert as defined and described according to the above aspects of the invention. The invention extends to a paver that includes: a body that has opposing major sides and a circumferentially extending side edge, said body has at least one recess in an operatively upper one of the major 10 sides, when used as a closure member for a service pit. The invention extends further to a service pit installation that includes: a paver having a body that has opposing major sides and a circumferentially extending side edge, the body has at least one recess in an operatively upper one of the major sides for receiving an insert, which paver is used as a closure member for 15 a mouth of the service pit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the present invention can be more readily understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred 20 embodiments of the invention and wherein: Figure 1 is a three-dimensional view of a paver, in accordance with the invention: Figure 2 is a plan view of the paver in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the paver in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a three-dimensional view of another embodiment of a paver; 25 Figure 5 is a plan view of the paver in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a side elevation view of the paver in Figure 4: Figure 7 is a three-dimensional view of another embodiment of a paver; Figure 8 is a plan view of the paver in Figure 7; Figure 9 is a plan view of the paver in Figure 8; 5 Figure 10 is a three-dimensional view of an insert for use with the paver in Figure 1 or Figure 7; and Figure 11 is an insert for use with the paver in Figure 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 10 In Figure 1, reference numeral 10 refers generally to a paver in accordance with the invention. The paver 10 includes a body 12 having opposing major sides and a circumferentially extending side edge 14. An operatively upper major side 16 is visible in Figure 1. The body 12 has two recesses 18 in the operatively upper major side 16. An 15 insert 20 (see Figure 10) is complementary shaped to the recess 18, so that the insert 20 is snugly receivable within one of the recesses 18. In this embodiment, the body 18 is formed from a settable cementatious material and insert 20 is a tile formed from sandstone, Each recess 18 has a depth that matches a depth of the tile 20. That way, the 20 upper or obverse surface 22 of the tile 20 is flush with an upper surface 24 of the upper major side 16 of the body 12 when the tile 20 is snugly received within the recess 18. The paver 10 has two spaced apart gripping recesses or apertures 26 for a user to grip and maneuver the paver, and the body is shaped and sized so as to fit 25 over a mouth of a service pit (not shown), to be used as a closure member for the -7 service pit. The body 12 is generally oblong and has rounded corners. The paver 10 has a length of 730 mm, a width of 300 mm and a depth of 50 mm. The recesses 18 each has a length and width of 200 mm and a depth of 12 mm. The tile 20 has a length and width of about 200 mm and a depth of about 12 mm, so that the tile fits 5 snugly in the recess 18 and so that the obverse surface 22 of the tile 20 is flush with the upper surface 24 of the paver 20, when inserted. Figure 4 shows another embodiment of a paver 30. The paver 30 is also for use as a cover member of a service pit (not shown). The paver 30 includes a body 32 having an operatively upper major side 34. The body 32 has two recesses 36 10 that are generally rectangular in shape. Figure 11 shows an insert 38 that is complementary shaped and sized to the recess 36 so that it is snugly receivable within the recess 36. Figure 7 shows another embodiment of a paver 40 that includes a generally rectangular body 42 that has a rectangular recess 44 for receiving an insert such as 15 tile 20. The body 42 is shaped and sized complementary to conventional pavers of similar shape and size so as to be used with conventional pavers in paving. The pavers 10, 30, and 40 forms part of a paving system in accordance with the invention. The paving system includes a paver and insert in combination. That is, the paving system includes any one or more pavers such as pavers 10, 30, and 20 40, and includes inserts, for example such as inserts 20, 30, from which a user can select for insertion into the recesses of the pavers for use in different applications. In use, the pavers and inserts finds many applications. In one application, the inserts 20 bears indicia or signage 46, 48 on its obverse surface. The signage or indicia 46, 48 can be information such as a name of a destination 46 and a direction 25 indicator in the form of an arrow 48 indicating a direction towards the destination.

.S. Therefore, in directing pedestrians on a pathway, the appropriate information is applied to the obverse surface of the inserts 20. The pavers are laid at spaced intervals so that a user can follow the direction indicators, Instead, the inserts, such as insert 38, can bear decorative ornamentation on 5 its obverse surface 50. The inserts 20, 30 can be affixed to their associated pavers in a way that retain them sufficiently to resists unauthorized removal or tampering, but to allow authorized removal for replacing the inserts. ADVANTAGES 10 Advantageously, the pavers provide a common or blanket base that can be equipped selectively with inserts bearing information according to a specific application. Thus, the information or ornamentation of the paver is replaceable without having to replace the entire paver. This can result in cost savings for changing signage or indicia on pavers, and also facilitate refurbishment of a paver 15 having a worn obverse surface. In some embodiments of the paver, the paver is shaped and sized for use with conventional pavers and therefore does not require undue resizing and shaping when used with conventional pavers in constructing a pavement. Further, the recesses of the pavers and the inserts are shaped and 20 dimensioned so that the inserts are flush with the paver surface, therefore avoiding tripping of pedestrians traveling over the paver. VARIATIONS It will of course be realized that while the foregoing has been given by way of 25 illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations .9 thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth. Throughout the description and claims of this specification the word "comprise" and variations of that word such as "comprises" and "comprising", are not 5 intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.

Claims (5)

1. A paver which includes: a body having opposing major sides and a circumferentially extending side 5 edge, said body has at least one recess in an operatively upper one of the major sides to receive a complementary shaped insert.

2. A paver as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are two spaced apart recesses in its operatively upper major side to receive two complementary shaped inserts within 10 the two recesses respectively.

3. A paver as claimed in claim 2, wherein there is at least one gripping recess or aperture for a user to grip and maneuver the paver. 15

4. A paving system that includes: at least one paver having a body that has opposing major sides and a circumferentially extending side edge, said body has at least one recess in an operatively upper one of the major sides; and at least one insert that is complementary shaped to the recess, so that the 20 insert is receivable within the recess.

5. A paving system substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to Figures 1 to 11.