AU6998801A - A paver - Google Patents

Description

S&FRef: 569170

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Boral Masonry Limited Clunies Ross Street Prospect New South Wales 2148 Australia James Michael Rotondo, Colin William Chenoweth Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower,Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Invention Title: A Paver ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS [33] Country [31] Applic. No(s) AU PR0680 [32] Application Date 11 Oct 2000 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815c A Paver The present invention relates to pavers.

Background of the Invention Pavers utilised to cover ground surfaces are typically rectangular, often square, in plan, and it is often desirable to provide a bevel or other decorative transition surface along all four edges between the upper face of the paver and the four side walls. The use of such a bevel provides a desired aesthetic appearance when the pavers are laid side-by-side.

When pavers are laid in a diamond pattern, with the sides of the pavers aligned at 45 degrees to a border extending along the edge of the paved area, it is necessary to cut individual pavers along a diagonal to form triangular half pavers to fill gaps along the border of the paved area between full pavers. Such a diamond pattern of pavers 1 and half pavers 1 a is depicted in Figure 1.

As can be seen, when a full paver 1 is cut into two half pavers l a, the bevelled transition surface 2 which extends around the entire periphery of a full paver 1 only "--:"extends partway around the half paver 1 a. A sharp edge 3 is provided along the diagonal cut-line of the half paver la. The presence of this sharp edge disrupts the aesthetic appearance of the paving design. The sharp edge 3 is also more prone to chipping than the bevelled surfaces 2. Whilst it might be possible to grind a bevelled transition surface at the sharp edge 3 of the half paver l a, such grinding would be labour intensive and would also expose aggregate within the paver, which is typically formed of concrete, providing an unacceptable surface finish along the bevelled edge.

Object of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages.

Summary of the Invention In a broad form the present invention provides a paver having a rectangular upper face, side walls extending about said upper face and a transition surface bordering each edge of said upper face and the respective adjacent said side wall, wherein a recess extends along said upper face between opposing corners thereof, opposing side surfaces of said recess having a similar configuration to said transition surfaces.

Preferably said recess is provided with a base surface separating said side surfaces.

[R:\LIBLL] I 1770.doc:TCW:GJG Preferably said base surface has a width between said side surfaces of 2 to millimetres.

More preferably, said base surface has a width of about 3 millimetres.

In one form said transition surfaces and said recess side surfaces are generally planar bevelled surfaces inclined with respect to said paver upper surface.

Alternatively said transition surfaces and said recess side surfaces are curved.

Said transition surfaces and said recess side surfaces may be convexly curved.

Alternatively, said transition surfaces and said recess side surfaces may be concavely curved.

lo Preferably, said rectangular upper face is in the form of a square.

A further said recess may extend between the remaining comers of said upper face.

In another broad form the present invention provides a method of forming a triangular paver comprising the step of: cutting a paver as defined above along said recess between said side surfaces thereof.

Brief Description of the Drawings Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 20 Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an area paved using prior art pavers.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a paver according to a preferred embodiment.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken at line 3-3 of the paver of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the paver of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a triangular half-paver cut from the paver of Figure 2.

paver.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view equivalent to that of Figure 3 of an alternative Figure 7 is a cross sectional equivalent to Figure 3 of another alternative paver.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a further alternative paver.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments With reference to Figures 2 to 4, a paver 10 according to a preferred embodiment has a square upper face 13, side walls 14 extending about the upper face 13 and transition surfaces 12 bordering the upper face 13 and each of the respective adjacent side walls 14.

In this embodiment the transition surfaces 12 are in the form of generally planar bevelled [R:\LIBLL] II 770.doc:TCW:GJG surfaces which are inclined with respect to the paver upper surface 13, here by an angle of approximately 45 degrees. A recess 15 extends along the upper face 13 between opposing corners thereof. The opposing side surfaces 16 of the recess 15 have a similar configuration to the transition surfaces 12, here being planar surfaces bevelled at an angle Sof approximately 45 degrees as per the transition surfaces 12. A base surface 17 of the recess 15 separates the side surfaces 16.

In this embodiment the paver measures approximately 400 millimetres x 400 millimetres x 60 millimetres deep. Whilst a square form of paver has been depicted, other forms of rectangular paver with unequal side lengths are envisaged. The bevelled transition surfaces 12 and the bevelled recess side surfaces 16 each have a width and depth of approximately 3 millimetres. The size and angle of these bevelled surfaces can vary to suit the desired aesthetic appearance of the paver, as can the overall size of the paver.

When a number of pavers are laid side-by-side paving a ground surface, it is usual to provide a small gap between each paver, particularly to allow for thermal expansion and minor movement of the individual pavers. The gap between laid pavers is typically of the order of 2 to 5 millimetres. If the width of the base surface 17 of the recess 15 as measured between the side surfaces 16 is of the same order, that is 2 to millimetres, then the recess 15 will have the same general appearance as a joint between 20 adjacent pavers. Even if the base surface is omitted, the recess 15 will still have the general appearance of a joint between pavers, albeit with the appearance of a reduced or o non-existent gap. When the edge of a paved area laid in a diamond or 45 degree pattern is reached, leaving triangular gaps as discussed above, the pavers 10 can be cut along the recess 15 to form two half pavers 10a (as depicted in Figure leaving bevelled surfaces 12, 16 extending about the entire periphery of the upper face 13a of the half paver The base surface 17 between the side surfaces 16 of the recess 15 provide a width for receipt of a cutting blade for cutting a full paver into two without cutting the side surfaces 16. Again the base surface width of 2 to 5 millimetres, preferably about 3 millimetres, will be roughly equivalent to the width of material removed during cutting with a typical concrete paver cutter. Again, however, even if the recess base surface 17 is omitted, at least a portion of the bevelled recess side surfaces 16 will remain after cutting to provide the same general appearance as the bevelled transition surfaces 12.

The transition surfaces 12 and recess 15 will typically be formed during moulding of the paver through the use of a shoe pressed into the upper surface of the uncured paver from the top of the mould.

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When paving an area in a diamond pattern, pavers 10 incorporating the diagonal recess 15 may be used throughout the paved area to provide the appearance of a multitude of triangular pavers. Alternatively, standard bevelled edged pavers (without a recess) might be laid throughout the interior of the paved area, with half pavers 10a cut from a full paver 10 with the recess 15 along the triangular gaps along each edge of the paved area, providing the regular diamond pattern appearance.

Whilst bevelled transition surfaces bordering the upper face of pavers are popular, other forms of decorative transition surface, such as bull noses and scallops are also popular in the paving industry. These and other forms of transition surface can 1o readily be utilised with the present invention.

Figure 6 depicts such a bull nose configuration paver 20 in a cross sectional view equivalent to that of Figure 3. The transition surfaces 22 bordering the upper face 23 and side walls 24 are convexly curved to form a bull nose. In a similar configuration, the side surfaces 26 of the recess 25, again extending between the corners of the upper face 23, are convexly curved to form a bull nose appearance with a base surface 27 therebetween.

scallop configuration paver 30 is depicted in another equivalent view in Figure 7. The transition surfaces 32 bordering the upper face 33 and side walls 34 are concavely curved to form a scallop. The side surfaces 36 of the recess 35 are also concavely curved with a base surface 37 therebetween.

20 Any other desired form of decorative transition surface can be applied to the paver as will be apparent to the person skilled in the art.

It is also envisaged that recesses 45 might be formed to extend between both opposing sets of corners of the paver upper face as depicted in the paver 40 of Figure 8, dividing each rectangular paver 40 into four triangular sections.

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Claims (12)

1. A paver having a rectangular upper face, side walls extending about said upper face and a transition surface bordering each edge of said upper face and the respective adjacent said side wall, wherein a recess extends along said upper face between opposing comers thereof, opposing side surfaces of said recess having a similar configuration to said transition surfaces.

2. The paver of claim 1, wherein said recess is provided with a base surface separating said side surfaces.

3. The paver of claim 2, wherein said base surface has a width between to said side surfaces of 2 to 5 millimetres.

4. The paver of claim 3, wherein said base surface has a width of about 3 millimetres.

The paver of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said transition surfaces and said recess side surfaces are generally planar bevelled surfaces inclined with respect to said paver upper surface.

6. The paver of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said transition surfaces and said recess side surfaces are curved.

7. The paver of claim 6, wherein said transition surfaces and said recess side surfaces are convexly curved. 20

8. The paver of claim 6, wherein said transition surfaces and said recess side surfaces are concavely curved.

9. The paver of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said rectangular upper face is in the form of a square.

10. The paver of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a further said recess extends between the remaining comers of said upper face.

11. A method of forming a triangular paver comprising the step of: cutting a paver as defined in any one of claims 1 to 10 along said recess between 0: said side surfaces thereof.

12. A paver substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 2 to 4; Figures 2, 4 and 6; Figures 2, 4 and 7; or Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings. Dated 7 September, 2001 Boral Masonry Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON [R:\LIBLL] 11770.doc:TCW:GJG