AU635641B2

AU635641B2 - Construction element

Info

Publication number: AU635641B2
Application number: AU77149/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Keith David Bowes
Original assignee: Locabloc Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Locabloc Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1990-05-17
Filing date: 1991-05-17
Publication date: 1993-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 2011-05-17
Also published as: AU7714991A

Description

635641

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: KEITH DAVID BOWES s Actual Inventor: Keith David Bowes Address for Service: Chrysiliou Moore Chrysiliou Solicitors and Attorneys CMC Centre, 143 Sydney Road Fairlight, Sydney, NSW 2094 Invention Title: CONSTRUCTION ELEMENT Details of Associated Provisional Applications: No. PK 0206 and No. PK 2440 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: -2- This invention relates to construction elements. More particularly, this invention concerns construction elements which are capable of use in the construction of buildings, walls and other structures and which are also suitable for use in the field of toys or educational apparatus.

In relation to building construction and the like, it is well known that existing brick or cement block construction requires a substantial degree of expertise. It is essential to use the correct mortar mix and to maintain a uniform mortar gap between successive courses of bricks or blocks.

This usually requires the skills of a trained tradesman which increases the costs of construction. In addition, the use of mortar results in a rigid structure, so that cracks readily appear after only relatively slight foundation movement.

It is an object of this invention to overcome or at least e: substantially alleviate 'some or all of the disadvantages of prior art building construction. It is also an object of the invention to provide a construction toy which is both educational and entertaining.

Accordingly, in its broadest aspect, this invention provides a construction element having front, back, top, bottom and end faces, each of said top, bottom and end faces containing a channel having side walls joined by a base and TR arranged so as to surround the periphery of said element.

S said side walls each forming an angle of approximately 120 -3degrees with the base of the channel, said element having a hexagonally shaped aperture formed between the top and bottom faces.

As described later in more detail, the .xagonally shaped aperture can allow vertical keyways to be formed through a structure to receive reinforcement.

The angle of approximately 120 degrees formed between the side walls of the channel and the base is advantageous The advantages of this configuration are found at least partly in the load-bearing capacity of the construction element of the invention, which is substantially highei than if there were a curve between the side walls of the channel and the base, for example, or if the angles were right angles.

Another advantage is found in the stability and strength of the finished structure, especially in the field of building construction. When one element of the invention is placed end to end with or beside another, the abutting channels will form a hexagonal keyway.

When a plurality of the construction elements of the 20 invention are intended for use in the field of building construction and are laid in courses, they may be reinforced by longitudinal reinforcement means, such as rods. However, reinforcement may also be effected by using mortar or similar material. The mortar or the like may spread within the elements through the apertures and channels both horizontally and vertically to result in a c n b oOOO go o reoo ooo me o oo eo °oO °l e oe ooooo r.

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a 'r G structure with appreciable structural strength.

For use in building construction, the element of the invention may be manufactured from cement and may carry a decorative pattern, for example, so that at least the front face resembles a sandstone block. In this application, the construction element would normally be made in sizes useful for building, such as 300 mm high by 600 mm long and 300 mm in depth.

When the construction element of the invention is intended for use as a toy or as part of educational apparatus, it will be most convenient if each construction element is of a smaller, more easily handled, size such as 50 mm high by 100 mm long and 50 mm in depth, for example. In this application, the element is preferably made of plastic or some other suitably lightweight yet durable material.

When using the element of the invention as a toy or for educational purposes, various linking devices may be used to reinforce or join the elements. These are conveniently made .0.

'of plastic.

20 The simplest reinforcement or linking device takes the form S •of a rod, which is a regular hexagon in cross section and is designed to fit snugly into the hexagonal aperture formed between the top and bottom faces of the element, or between .abutting elements. Such a rod can help to stabilise adjacent 2 5 elements when they are laid in a staggered fashion. The rod R/ ?j V may also be insertd vertically so as to pass alternately down through the centres of elements in one course and through the keyways formed between the edges of abutting elements.

Another form of reinforcement or linking device may be of Tor L-shape, so that, especially when using the element of the invention as a toy or teaching aid, a pluiality of different configurations is possible; construction is not limited to staggered courses. Each element may be offset from the other, for example. Still another form of linking device is of cruciform shape: this expands still further the ways in which elements of the invention may be linked together.

The reinforcement or linking device may be of any suitable dimension but preferably the longest dimension of the device is somewhat less than the shortest dimension of the construction element, except where the linking is linear.

S* It is also contemplated that the reinforcement or linking S" device is provided in modular form, so that desired shapes cc such as linear, T, L or cruciform may be constructed as required, with the modules of the device fitting together in \any suitable manner, for example, by snap-fit ball and \socket fittings.

The invention will now be described with reference to the attached Drawings, in which:

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25 Figures 1, 2 and 3 respectively illustrate elevation, plan and end views of an embodiment of a construction element according to the invention, Figures 4 and 5 show elevation and end views of a wall structure constructed using the elements of Figures 1, 2 and 3, Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a reinforcement device for use with the elements of Figures 1, 2 and 3, Figure 7 shows a second form of. reinforcement device, and Figure 8 shows the parts of a mould for forming one version of a construction element of the invention.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, the element may be formed from cement and have a rectangular shape with front and back faces 1 and 2, top and bottom faces 3 and 4 and end faces 5 and 6. Although not shown by the drawings, the oo 15 front face of the element may carry a decorative pattern to represent, f r example, a cut sandstone block. While the invention is not limited to any particular size for the element, in the case of the element illustration the front and back faces may be 300mm high by 600mm in length and the top, bottom and end faces may be 300mm in width.

o In accordance with this invention, a channel 7 is formed along each of the top, bottom and end faces so as to extend completely around the block. In this embodiment, the channel is 65mm deep with sloping sides 8 and a flat bottom 9. Although the channel is shown centred between each of the faces, this is not essential to the invention as the channel may in fact be offset from the centre towards either the front of the block.

When a plurality of elements are laid in a staggered fashion as shown by Figures 4 and 5, channels 7 combine to form keyways 10 extending the length of the structure between adjacent courses of elements. Placement of longitudinal reinforcement devices along these keyways will serve to lock the structure together without the need for mortar between the blocKs while at the same time allowing a limited degree of movement. A strong and robust structure is thus provided which is still able to tolerate minor foundation displacement without cracking. It is of course permissible to use mortar if desired.

15 One suitable form of reinforcement device 10A is shown in Figure 6. Preferably, device 10A is constructed of concrete eoeoe with steel rods 11 running the length of the device. In S"cross-section the device 10A is hexagonal so as to gee correspond in shape and fit within the keyways 10 formed 20 between the elements.

The shape and dimensions of aperture 12 are such as to receive the aforementioned reinforcement device in the vertical direction. Thus, in the case of the wall shown in Figures 4 and 5, reinforcement device 10A could be placed vertically so as to pass alternately down through the centres of the elements in one course 13 and through the -8keyways formed between the edges of abutting elements in adjacent courses 14. Appropriate breaks in the longitudinal reinforcement devices 10A would of course have to be allowed for these vertical devices.

A second form of reinforcement device 15 is shown in Figure 7. This device is adapted for placement along the 7 i I

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-9extremities of a wall structure and sits within the open channel remaining along the exposed ends of the elements. It thus acts as a capping and provides a finished appearance for the wall as well as an additional measure of vertical reinforcement.

One type of mould for an element according to this invention is shown in Figure 8. The mould comprises two interfitting right angled sections 16 with indentations 17 on the interior o* 0 walls to form the aforementioned channel 7. There is also a 10 base plate 18 which fits within the assembled mould sections.

This plate preferably has a textured upper surface 19 so as to imprint any desired face onto the moulded element. With the preferred embodiment this is designed to produce an element having the appearance of cut sandstone.

a In use the two sections 16 are assembled around the base .6 place 18 and a cement mixture is poured into the resulting e 0 cavity. Before the mixture hardens completely the mould is inverted and the base plate removed to leave the desired textured face. To assist this operation any suitable type of release agent may be applied to surface 19 prior to the moulding operation.

It will be appreciated that the present invention is capable of use in various fields. Other forms of the invention and methods of use will be apparent to one skilled in the art and the invention is not -to be limited by the specific examples referred to herein.

4* 00' *004

Claims

1. A construction element having front, back, top, bottom and end faces, each of said top, bottom and end faces containing a channel having side walls joined by a base and arranged so as to surround the periphery of said elment, said side walls each forming an angle of approximately 120 degrees with the base of the channel, said element ving a hexagonally shaped aperture formed between the top and bottom faces.

2. A construction element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aperture is adapted to receive a reinforcement or linking device.

3. A construction element as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, in which the channels are adapted to form a continuous horizontal keyway when a plurality of elements is S. laid in successive courses.

4. A construction element as claimed in claim 3, in which the keyway is adapted to receive a reinforcement or linking device. 20

5. A construction element as claimed in claim 2 or claim 4, wherein the reinforcement or linking device is a rod of hexagonal cross-section. o

6. A construction element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, which is intended for use as a toy. -12-

7. A construction element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, which is intended for use in building construction.

8. A construction element as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 and 6 of the accompanying drawings. Dated this fourteenth day of January, 1993 KEITH DAVID BOWES By his Patent Attorney KERRY MOORE CHRYSILIOU of CHRYSILIOU MOORE CHRYSILIOU '1 I j[* -13- ABSTRACT A construction element has front and back faces, top and bottom faces and end faces A channel (7) with sloping sides and a flat bottom is formed along each of the top bottom and end 6) faces so as to surround the periphery of the construction element. An aperture (12) is formed between the top and bottom (4) faces so as to receive longitudinal reinforcement device (10A). When a plurality of elements is laid in successive courses, the channels combine to form keyways extending the length of the structure between adjacent courses of elements. Longitudinal reinforcement devices constructed with steel rods 11 running the length of the devices (10A) are placed along keyways (10) to lock the structure together without the need for mortar between the blocks. In cross-section the devices (10A) are so as to correspond in shape and fit within the keyways (10) formed between the elements. -4