EP0412078A4

EP0412078A4 - Brick laying tools

Info

Publication number: EP0412078A4
Application number: EP19880903752
Authority: EP
Inventors: Borislav Lester
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-04-29
Filing date: 1988-04-29
Publication date: 1991-09-11
Also published as: WO1989010457A1; EP0412078A1

Abstract

Tools for carrying mortar to a brick wall during construction one tool (10) being used to lay mortar along a course line, the other tool (26) being used to place mortar in the perpend gap (41) between two bricks (39, 40) after they have been laid on the mortar, the first tool has two main parts, a tray with a sliding plate (15) which slides under an open frame surrounding the plate to close a mortar dropping gap formed by the frame while mortar is being carried to a brick wall; the sliding plate (15) slides away from the frame to open the mortar gap and is sleeved upon runners on the frame to enable frame and plate to be moved towards and away from each other by means of a handle on each; the second tool (26) is formed as a hopper designed to straddle a perpend gap between two bricks laid on a wall and has a bottom (30) sloping towards a slot (32) which a user places over the perpend gap (41) and mortar (42) is worked from the hopper down through the slot (32) into the perpend gap (41), the second tool also has two legs (33, 34) which project downwards against the perpend gap and lugs (35, 36) for locating the tool on laid bricks.

Description

BRICK LAYING TOOLS

This invention relates generally to brick laying tools and more particularly relates to a brick laying tool or tools which will enable an inexperienced user to lay bricks course upon course, to a professional standard of appearance and structural requirements.

In usual brick laying practice, the mortar is manually spread on the top of the existing course with a trowel. .A hand-held brick is buttered on the end and placed on the top of a line of just-thrown mortar. The brick is then aligned by bumping the brick down into the mortar. The mortar is then cleaned off, and the joints finished off as required. This method suffers from the disadvantage that mortar is handled twice, once from the barrow o; the mortar board - and once from the mortar board to the hand-deposited mortar line. The physical effort of holding the loaded mortar board with one hand and depositing of mortar with the other is considerable. Extrusion of mortar causes hi h loss and recycling of mortar and tends to dirty the bricks. Mortar has to be buttered o each brick end before laying. This situat.ion demands that the bricks are in close proximity to mortar storage for application of mortar and mortared bricks are then carried to the mortar line for laying.

It is an ob ect of t.hi.s invention to provide a brick wall, mortar course tool.

'Another object of this invention is to provide a brick wall mortar perpend tool .

According to the invention, there is provided a tool for carrying mortar and laying mortar joints upon a brick wall course, the tool comprising a body with a tray portion having the bottom thereof formed into an opening fo dispensing mortar therefrom, the lateral dimensions of the opening corresponding substan ially to the dimensions of mortar laid upon a brick in a brick wall course, a slide plate bottom of the tray to open and close the tray opening being connected to, or integrally formed with at least one slide sleeve, the tray portion being connected to, or integrally formed with at least one runner for the at least one side sleeve, whereby inward and outward relative sliding movement of the sleeve and runner closes and opens the tray mortar dispensing opening. Preferably, the slide plate bottom of the tray of the tool has a pair of integrally moulded sleeves there¬ on and the tray frame is integrally moulded with a pair of runners upon which the sleeves are adapted to be slidably reciprocated, the sleeves are interconnected by a handle extending therebetween, the runners are connected by a handle extending between outwardly directed end^'s .thereof and the handles are adapted to be moved towards' and away from each other to open and close the mortar dispensing opening. According to another aspect, the invention resides in a brick wall, mortar perpend tool comprising an open-top hopper adapted to receive and carry mortar and which has a transverse bottom slot adapted to tte "placed over a mortar perpend gap on a brick wall after horizontal brick course has been laid, the mortar being adapted to be rammed into the perpend gap via the slot, while the hopper is in place on a brick wall course.

Preferably, a perpend mortar retaining leg depends downwardly from each bottom corner of the hopper, adjacent each end of the^' slot, the legs being adapted to retain mortar in the perpend gap between bricks, while mortar is being placed into the gap.

The invention, according to a still further aspect resides in a combination of both of the above tools as a kit to be used together.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view ol^" one embodiment of a mortar course, mortar carrying and laying tool according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a mortar perpend tool according to the invention. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a mortar perpend rammer for use with the tool of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1 and shows the tool in position on a wall course.

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 2 and shows the tool in position on a wall course.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 in closed position, a mortar course tool 10 for carrying and laying a definitive quantity of mortar upon a brick course which comprises a body with a substantially rectangular-shaped tray portion surrounding an open bottom of lateral dimensions substantiall equal to the area of mortar of courses between bricks in a brick wall structure, which tray portion is defined by side walls 11, 12 and end walls 13, 14, formed into a continuous rectangular, open framework adapted to be opened and closed by a sliding bottom plate in the form of a flat plate 15, adapted to be slidably .-.reciprocate laterally across the rectangular bottom opening. The sliding tray bottom 15 is integrally connected to two slide sleeves 16, 17, mounted upon (or integrally moulded with) tray and sleeve movement stop back plate 18 and which are connected thereto by. inner cross pull bar handle 19, the slides are sleeved upon, or adapted to run on runners or rods 20, 21, one or outer end of whic ^'is fixedly connected to outer cross bar by rear pull handle 22, screw mounted between the runners. A front handle 23 is provided to assist correct placement of the device on a brick course. Two downwardly dependent locating lugs 24, 25 also assist in locating the device upon a brick course.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawings, there is shown a mortar perpend tool 26, constructed in accordance with the invention and which is designed to be used in conjunction with the mortar course laying tool of Figure 1, the perpend tool functioning as a hopper for mortar and being constructed in the form of an open top box adapted to straddle a brick course line and a front wall 27, rear wall 28, one full height side wall 29 and a sloping bottom 30, the upper edge of which is joined to a side wall 31 of reduced height. The bottom 30 slopes downwardly towards a perpend mortar feeding slot 32, shown in broken outline. A pair of vertical mortar perpend retaining legs 33, 34 are fixed to, or integrally moulded with the hopper portion and as shown in the encircled inset, the inner face of the legs may be convexly curved to mould the mortar perpend. A pair of laid-brick engaging lugs 35, 36 is provided for correctly aligning the hopper on a wall.

Referring to Figure 3, there is provided a spatula as a mortar ramming tool 37 for manipulating the mortar within the hopper and ramming the mortar through the slot into a perpend between laid bricks.

The vertical section of Figure 4 shows the sliding tray bottom 15 of the mortar course laying tool of Figure 1 in half-open position and in use. The tool sliding tray bottom is moved to fully closed position with a handle 19 fully extended in the direction of arrow C, the tool is the filled with mortar 38 (Fig. 4), preferably using a rectangular-shaped trowel (not shown) , the mortar is levell off and the tool is placed over laid bricks 39 (Fig. 4) of the top course of the brick wall with the two locating lugs 24, 25, engaging one edge of the bricks and the tool held in place by the handle 19 is then pulled in the direction of the arrow B to the end of the stroke and now with tray bottom in fully open position, the mortar wafer drops intact onto the brick course, after which the tool can be withdrawn and repeated for as long as desired.

Referring to the mortar perpend-laying tool 26 ₀f Figure 5, the tool hopper formed by walls 27, 28, 29, 31 and bottom 30 is filled with mortar mix and then placed over bricks 39, 40 with two locating legs 33, 34 in alignment with mortar, the space 41 between the bricks

SUBSTITUTESHEET 39, 40 with the brick-engaging lugs 35, 36, engaging the edges of the brick. The mortar 42 is then manually dispensed into the mortar space 41 by the spatula 37, via the slot 32 at the bottom of the hopper. When the slot is full and compacted, the tool is lifted off vertically, leaving the mortar between the bricks. The perpend tool filling of the vertical spaces (perpends) between bricks is carried out after the bricks are laid and aligned.

Claims

The claims definig the invention are as follows:

1. A brick wall mortar course tool for carrying mortar and depositing mortar upon a brick wall course in consistent width and volume in predetermined position related to the edge of the brick, the tool comprising a body with a tray portion having the bottom thereof formed into an opening for dispensing mortar therefrom, the lateral dimensions of the opening corresponding substantially to the dimensions of mortar laid upon a brick in a brick wall couse, a slide plate bottom of the tray to open and close, the tray opening being connected to, or integrally formed with at least one slide sleeve, the tray portion being connected"to, or integrally formed with at least one runner for th'e at least one slide sleeve whereby, inward and outward relative sliding movement of the sleeve and runner closes and opens the tray mortar dispensing opening.

2. A tool according to claim 1, wherein the slide plate bottom of the tray has a pair of integrally moulded sleeves thereon and the tray frame is integrally moulded -with a pair of runners upon which the sleeves are adapted to be slidably reciprocated.

3. A tool according to claim 1 or 2. wherein the sleeves are interconnected by a handle extending therebetween.

4. A tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, where- the runners are connected by a handle extending Between outwardly directed ends thereof.

5. A tool according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the handles are adapted to be moved towards and away from each other to open and close the mortar dispensing opening.

6. A tool according to any preceding claim wherein a brick edge locating lug projects downwardly from each outer corner of the tray portion.

7. A tool according to any preceding claim wherein a tool positioning handle is provided along the outer edge of the tray portion.

8. A brick wall mortar perpend tool comprising an open-top hopper adapted to receive and carry mortar and - ?-

which has a transverse bottom slot adapted to be placed over a mortar perpend gap on a brick wall after horizontal mortar course has been laid, the mortar being adapted to be rammed into the perpend gap via the slot while the hopper tool is in place on a brick wall course.

9. A tool according to claim 8, wherein a perpend mortar-retaining leg depends downwardly from each bottom corner of the hopper adjacent each end of the slot, the legs being adapted to retain mortar in the perpend gap between bricks while mortar is being placed into the gap.

10. A tool according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein a locating lug depends from each bottom corner of the hopper opposite to the mortar perpend leg.

11. A mortar ramming tool for the mortar according to any one of claims 7 to 10, the ramming tool being used to manipulate the mortar within the hopper and to ram mortar through the slot of the hopper, the width and thickness of the ramming tool being slightly less than that of the hopper

12. A mortaring tool kit for carrying mortar from a location for mortar mix and storage directly to the location of deposition and for forming mortar course and perpends of a brick wall structure comprising the tools according to any one of claims 1 to 7, 8 to 10 and 11 in combination.

_SU_BSTITUTESHEET