GB2024888A

GB2024888A - Sheathed building blocks

Info

Publication number: GB2024888A
Application number: GB7926020A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-04-28
Filing date: 1979-07-26
Publication date: 1980-01-16

Abstract

A constructional system includes a block (10, 20) having impervious side walls (12, 13) and an impervious bonding surface (14). Extending through the block (10, 20) from the surface (14) are tapered bores (16). Tubular tapered connectors (22) are engageable snugly within the bores (16) so as to project beyond the smaller ends of the bores (16). The projecting ends of the connectors (22) fit snugly within the larger ends of other connectors (22) in other blocks (10, 20) to secure the blocks (10, 20) together. The blocks are preferably plastics or metal and the hollow spaces are filled with peat, chopped straw, mud, brick or cement which may be compacted into the spaces or pre-formed to the required shape. The pre-formed shape may be used as a former for a plastics coating. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sheathed brick equivalent This invention concerns constructional units and systems.

Buildings are conventionally constructed from bricks, breeze blocks and the like. Such materials may give rise to various problems amongs which are, for example, untrue walls, and porous constructions which provide inadequate resistance to driven rain and which necessitate the provision of damp proof courses to cut off capillary routes for rising damp.

It is an aim, therefore, of the present invention to provide a constructional unit to replace bricks and breeze blocks if desired, which unit may be used in a manner facilitating the erection of "true" walls.

Another aim of the invention is to protect a constructional unit to enable it to withstand e.g.

driven rain and rising damp.

The invention Features a construction unit which comprises a block having protective side walls and a protective interjacent surface, and having extending therethrough from the interjacent surface bores which are each larger at one end than at the other end.

In a preferred form of the invention, the block comprises a shell having side walls which provide the protective side walls and which define therewithin a cavity of substantially rectangular section and having generally tubular projections which define the bores and which extend from a shell wall providing the interiacent surface.

When the block comprises a shell, the shell is advantageously filled in the regions between the tubular projections and the side walls with a filler such as cement, brick, peat, chopped straw or mud.

By the use of the above shell form for the block, blocks or at least their shells may conveniently be mass produced as unitary elements using plastics moulding techniques and a plastics material which gives the side walls and interjacent surface their protective function by rendering them impervious to moisture. Of course, the shells may also be made from metal, such as aluminium foil, since this too resists the passage of damp therethrough.

Preferably, the bores with the block are tapered to receive frusto-conical connectors by means of which one block may be joined to another. For example, each ofat least some of the connectors may be fitted snugly within one of the bores of a respective block such that the narrower end of the connector projects beyond the smaller end of the associated bore for engagement within the wider ends of a further connector joined to a respective block at a lower level.

The invention is described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figs. 1 a, 1 b and 1 C are respectively a plan view, a section on the line X--X in fig. 1 a, and a section on the line Y-Y in Fig. 1 a of a constructional unit embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section through a plurality of the units joined together; Fig. 3 is an end view of the joined units; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section through a unit adapted for use as a base unit; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of a lintel unit for use with the constructional unit of Figs. 1 a, ib and 1c; Fig. 6 is a front view of a wall constructed using the unit of Figs. 1 a, riband 1 c; and Fig 7 is a section through a spacer element used in the wall.

The constructional unit shown in Figs. 1 a, 1 b and 1 C comprises an impervious shell 10, made for example, from a plastics or metal material. The shell 10 is of trough-like shape having side walls 12 and end walls 13 defining a space of rectangular section which is limited at one end by a wall 14 interjacent the side walls 12 and end walls 13 and which is open at the other end. The walls 12, 1 3 taper slightly towards the interjacent wall 14. The wall 14 contains a plurality of openings 1 6 each of which coincides with one end of a respective tubular projection 1 8 extending from the wall 14 and between the walls 12 and defining a bore through the unit.Each projection is of frusto-conical form and tapers away from the wall 14, terminating at a plane defining the open end of the space within the side walls 12 and end walls 1 3. As an alternative, each projection may be of square section being frusto pyramidal in shape, however.

The size of the shell 10 may be 1 0x 1 Ox20 cms but this is not suggested as necessarily being the most or the only practicable size.

Filling the regions between the projections 1 8 and the walls 12, 13 is a filler 20. This filler may comprise a preconstructed element formed independently of the shell and shaped to fit snugly within the shell, or a material compacted directly within the shell. In the latter instance the shell is supported during compaction and setting within a rigid mould. An alternative possibility is for the filler to be produced first, the shell 10 then being applied to the filler by, for example, spraying or dipping. Cement, peat, chopped straw and mud all provide approprite fillers. Peat although being readily obtained and having load bearing properties when dried is not fire resistant but may be used in e.g. farm structures where fire resistance is not significant.Chopped straw, according to research, may be formed into an insulating, load bearing and fire resistant material by the application of heat and pressure. And mud may provide a useful filler in developing countries for example.

In order to mount a number of the units one upon the other tubular connectors 22 as shown in Fig. 2 are provided. Each connector 22 is dimensioned to fit tightly within the bore provided by a respective projection 1 8 with the connector's wider end flush with the outer surface of the wall 14 and with its narrower end projecting beyond the free end of the respective projection 1 8. Thus, in the described embodiment, the connectors are frusto-conical, although they could, as in the case of the projections 1 8 be generally pyramidal in shape. A tamping tool is used for the final fitting of each connector into the associated projection 1 8 to bring the wider end of the connector into the flush condition with the outer surface of the wall 14.The wall thickness of each connector is chosen so that the projecting tip thereof is a firm fit within the wider end of a respective connector below when two units laid one upon the other are in contact with each other. As a result, the two units are locked against relative lateral displacement, the connectors combine together to provide load bearing supports, and the load bearing requirements of the unit itself as compared with a brick for example are reduced in relation to the load bearing capacity of such supports. The connectors may be made, for example, from concrete, plastics or metal material.

For units which are not themselves to be supported on lower units, it may be undesirable to have connectors projecting therefrom and in this case a reduced connector 24 is used as shown in Fig. 4 This reduced connector 24 corresponds with a wider end section of the connector 22 and serves merely to receive and locate the projecting tip of a respective connector 22.

Turning to Fig. 5, a lintel construction unit 30 is shown which resembles the unit of Fig. 1 except in that each projection 32 extends only a part of the way through the unit and is closed at its end remote from the wall 14. In use, strength and rigidity are imparted to the lintel unit by the provision of reinforcing rods 34 within a concrete filler. The length of the lintel unit is chosen so that it is capable of spanning the widest potential door or window opening, while the length of the reinforcing rods corresponds with the particular opening over which the lintel unit is to be used.

In the case, for example, of garden walling which may include open work and at some locations spaces where support is required for the units, spacer connectors 40 as shown in Fig. 7 are provided. Each spacer connector 40 comprises a hollow cyiindrical element whose wall at one end 42 is externally tapered to fit within the wider end of a respective connector 22. At the other end 44, the wall of each spacer connector 40 is internally tapered to receive the narrower end of a respective connector 22. The spacer connectors may additionally be used as foundation elements as described below.

Construction utilising the above elements and materials is as follows: To erect housing or other such buildings, a reasonably level foundation is first prepared and with the aid of guidelines an initial course of construction units each comprising both the shell 10 and the filler 20 is laid on a bed of mortar. The units are laid end to end with the walls 14 uppermost and since the units taper towards the walls 14 wedge shaped spaces are left between the ends of the units. Such wedge shaped spaces are filled either with mortar or with filling wedges which are adhered to the associated units.

Reduced connectors are tamped into all the bores within the units of the first course and a second course of units is immediately placed on the first.

Connectors are inserted into all the bores of the second course in order to secure this course on the first, no mortar being used between the courses.

At this stage the two courses are adjusted, as by striking, until all the connectors are properly seated, the second course is level and the construction is "true". Construction then ceases until the mortar is set, when the wedge shaped spaces of the second course are filled as before with mortar or filing wedges.

Once the mortar is set, further courses of constructional units are mounted on the second with the aid of the interlocking connectors although these are now only inserted into the endmost bores in each construction unit and into bores aligned with these endmost bores. By virtue of the interlocking arrangement of the connectors, when properly seated, the further courses follow the plumb conditions set by the first two and are thus both level and "true" At the sides of windows and doors a combination of 60cm, 30cm and 20cm units are used to produce the desired rectangular openings.

And over such opening lintel units as shown in Fig.

5 are laid.

Ventilation openings are again achieved by arranging different lengths of unit 10 to produce a rectangular area wherein either modified construction units having ventilation openings are place or grilles are subsequently inserted.

The exterior walls of the erected building may be pointed with mastic which is spread over any filler exposed at the lower external edges of the units. Finally a decorative finish may be applied to the external walls, although the need for such could be avoided by a suitable choice of material for the shell.

It will be appreciated that amongst the advantages of the described constructional system are the virtual avoidance of a need for mortar and the self alignment of the construction units above one another. The supports formed by the interfitting connectors have a substantial load bearing capacity thus reducing the demands on the constructional units themselves as compared with, for example, bricks held together with mortar, and the shells act as barriers to rising damp. Finally, the shells of the units, and the connectors may be stacked together prior to construction for ease of handling.

Should it be desired to erect garden walls, boundary walls and such like, a different procedure may be adopted using the constructional units 10 and connectors 22. In this case the spacer connectors 40 are sunk into the ground or beddings of cement, tapered external end first, at appropriate intervals. Constructional units are mounted on each pair of adjacent spacers by fitting connectors 22 into the endmost bores of each unit and inserting the projecting tips of the connectors into the internally tapered ends 44 of the spacer connectors 40. Further constructional units may be mounted either directly or by way of spacer connectors 40 on units below as shown in Fig. 6. When the spacer connectors 40 are used, their externally tapered ends 42 are pressed into the wider ends of connectors 22 fitted into the lower units 10 while their internally tapered ends 44 receiye the narrower ends of the connectors 22 fitted into the upper units. The openings 1 6 exposed in the uppermost units 10 may be closed by frustoconical stoppers.

Claims

1. A constructional unit comprising a block having protective side walls and a protective interjacent surface, and having extending therethrough from the interjacent surface bores which are larger at one end than at the other end.

2. A unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the block comprises a shell having side walls which provide the protective side walls and which define therewithin a cavity of substantially rectangular section and having generally tubular projections which define the bores and which extend from a shell wall providing the interjacent surface.

3. A unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the shell is a unitary impervious element.

4. A unit as claimed in claim 3 wherein the shell is made from plastics material.

5. A unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the shell is an impervious element made from metal.

6. A unit as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5 wherein the shell is fitted in the regions between the side walls and the projections with a filler.

7. A unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein the filler comprises cement.

8. A unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein the filler comprises brick.

9. A unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein the filler comprises peat.

10. A unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein the filler comprises chopped straw.

11. A unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein the filler comprises mud.

12. A unit as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the bores are frusto-pyramidal in form.

13. A unit as claimed in claim 12 wherein the bores are frusto-conical in form.

1 4. A constructional system including units as claimed in any preceding claim and connectors each having one end larger than the other end, each of at least some of the connectors being snugly fitted within one of the bores of a respective block such that the smaller end of the connector projects beyond the smaller end of the associated bore for engagement within the larger end of a further connection joined to a respective block at a lower level.

1 5. A system as claimed in claim 14 wherein at least some qf the connectors are tapered.

16. A system as claimed in claim 1 5 wherein at least some of the connectors are frusto-conical.

17. A system as claimed in claim 1 5 and 16 wherein at least some of the connectors comprise cylindrical spacer connectors each having at one end a tapered internal surface and at the other end a tapered external surface.

1 8. A construction unit constructed substantially as herein particularly described with reference to and as illustrated in the drawings accompanying the provisional specification.

19. A constructional system constructed substantially as herein particularly described with reference to and as illustrated in the drawings accompanying the provisional specification.