GB2047768A - Brick laying using spacers - Google Patents

Abstract

Spacers are inserted vertically and horizontally between bricks during brick laying in order to maintain gaps of predetermined dimensions, such gaps then being filled with mortar to hold the bricks and spacers in position. A suitable spacer comprises a rectangular plastics frame having two opposite side walls (1, 2) which fit vertically between upper and lower bricks, and two upstanding fingers (13, 14) in the central regions of the other two opposite side walls (3, 4) which fit horizontally between adjacent brick ends. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Brick laying This invention relates to the laying of bricks.

When laying bricks in the formation of a wall it is necessary or desirable to ensure that a predetermined thickness of mortar is maintained between adjacent bricks and also that the bricks are laid as accurately as possible with regard to the desired horizontal and vertical disposition thereof. It is, however, difficult for an inexperienced person conveniently to achieve these requirements, especially when using large bricks, such as cementitious blocks of the kind used in decorative garden walls or screens, which can readily tilt or rock during laying of same.

An object of the present invention is to overcome or at least appreciably reduce this difficulty.

According to one aspect of the invention therefore there is provided a method of laying bricks wherein said bricks are placed one on top of another and in side-by-side disposition with spacers separate to said bricks interposed vertically and also horizontally between adjacent said bricks to support said bricks relative to each other with predetermined spacings therebetween, and mortar is inserted in said spacings to hold said bricks and also said spacers in position.

With this arrangement it will be appreciated that, in so far as the spacers act to maintain predetermined spacings between the adjacent bricks, it is possible easily and conveniently to ensure that a predetermined thickness of mortar is maintained between the bricks. Also, in so far as the spacers act to support the bricks during the laying of same, it will be appreciated that the disposition of the bricks can be adjusted as required, and achieved positions can be readily maintained, without undue problems arising as a consequence of tilting or rocking of the bricks. With the method of the invention therefore, an unskilled person can lay bricks quickly and neatly in a particularly simple and convenient manner.

Preferably, and in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a spacer for use in performing the aforesaid method, comprises a base support structure adapted to fit between an upper brick and a lower brick adjacent an end of the upper brick to support said upper brick on said lower brick with a predetermined vertical spacing therebetween, and an upstanding structure adapted to fit between said upper brick at said end and an end of an adjacent brick to maintain a predetermined horizon tal spacing therebetween.

The spacer may be formed from any suitable materials and with any suitable construction. Preferably however the spacer is in the form of one-piece moulded plastics framework. Most preferably, the spacer has two base structures on opposite sides of a common upstanding structure whereby adjacent ends of the two bricks can be supported on a single spacer.

At the end of a row of bricks, an auxiliary spacer may be used, instead of a spacer according to the above mentioned second aspect of the invention, which is simply in the form of an insert wholly interposable between upper and lower bricks to maintain a desired vertical spacing and to support the upper brick on the lower brick. Conveniently, a spacer according to the second aspect of the invention may be formed with a detachable base support structure, or a base support structure which can be readily broken away from the associated upstanding structure, so that such base support structure can be utilised as and when required as said auxiliary spacer.

For use in effecting slight adjustment of the positioning of a laid brick, wedge, for example a plastics wedge, may be provided for insertion underneath (or if desired at the side of) the brick.

The invention will now be described further by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of one form of a spacer according to the invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an alternative form of spacer according to the invention; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an auxiliary spacer for use in conjunction with the spacer of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a perspective view showing a modification to the arrangement of Figure 1.

The spacer of Figure 1 is in the form of a one-piece injection moulded rectangular plastics framework having two upstanding long walls 1,2 and two upstanding short walls 3, 4.

The walls 1 to 4 have stepped upper and lower edges so as to define inset central portions 5, 6,7,8 and projecting end portions 9, 10, 11, 12. The upper edges of all end portions 9 to 12 are co-planar as also are the lower edges thereof.

The inset central portions 7,8 of the short walls 3, 4 have respective upstanding fingers 13, 14 in the middle thereof, such fingers having parallel side edges.

In use, spacers of the kind shown in Figure 1 are placed on a flat horizontal surface, for example, defined by an existing row of bricks 15, 16, with the co-planar lower edges of the end projections 9 to 12 in contact with such surface. The co-planar upper edges of such projections 9 to 12 are then in a horizontal disposition and the parallel side edges of the fingers 13, 14 extend vertically. Due to the inset- central portions 5 to 8, the end projections 9 to 12 act as feet and thereby enable the spacer .o be positioned in a stable, level manner even on a rough or gritty surface.

The spacers are appropriately positioned in spaced disposition such that a row of upper bricks 17 can be placed on the existing row of bricks 15, 16 with each end of each brick 17 resting on the upper edges of the two end portions 9 (or 10) of one long wall 5 (or 6) and on the upper edges of the adjacent end portions 11 and 12 of the short walls 3 and 4, and also with such end of the brick resting against the adjacent vertical side edges of the two fingers 13, 14.

The bricks 17 are thereby maintained with a predetermined horizontal spacing between adjacent ends thereof (equal to the horizontal spacing of the vertical side edges of the fingers 13, 14), and with a predetermined vertical spacing between the bot toms of the bricks 17 7 and the existing row of bricks 15, 16 (equal to the vertical spacing of the upper and lower edges of the end portions 9 to 12). Such spacing may be of any desired dimension, and may be for example 3/8" as usually utilized in brick laying.

The spacers provide a firm support for the bricks 17 and there is little tendency for the bricks to rock or tilt even if the bottom surfaces of the bricks 17 (or the top surfaces of the lower bricks 15, 16) are not accurately flat. This is because the end projections 9 to 12 can give a good grip even with uneven surfaces and also because the brick ends are held in the angles between the fingers 13, 14 and the end projections 9 to 12. If desired, the end projections 9 to 12 may be thickened or provided with webs or platforms thereacross to supplement the supporting action hereof and also to ensure that they are strong enough to support the weight of the bricks 17 without bending or breaking.

The spacings between the bricks 15, 16, 17 can then be filled with mortar. This may be effected by applying some mortar to the brick ends and/or to the top surfaces of the existing bricks 15, 16 prior to positioning of the spacers and then filling remaining gaps with further mortar after the spacers and bricks have been laid into the requisite positions thereof; or alternatively all of the mortar may be introduced after positioning of the spacers and bricks. In either case it will be appreciated that the spacers are incorporated in the finished wall construction and advantageously, this acts to strengthen the construction and also to reduce the amount of mortar required.

It will be appreciated that the spacers act to hold the bricks in position both horizontally and vertically; however, slight adjustment of the position of one or more bricks may be required and this may be achieved by driving wedges (not shown) between bricks. Such wedges may be hollow plastics structure.

At the end of a row of bricks, a supplementary spacer may be utilised instead of a spacer of the kind shown in Figure 1, such supplementary spacer being inserted wholly beneath the pertaining brick end and not extending vertically alongside same. Such supplementary spacer may be formed from a spacer as shown in Figure 1 by breaking the short walls 3,4 of same at positions 18 of weakness adjacent the fingers 13, 14 to give a structure made up of one long wall 6 and adjacent parts of the short walls 3, 4.

With the arrangement described above a wall can be constructed quickly, yet in a neat and pleasing fashion, by an unskilled person.

The embodiment of Figure 2 comprises a generally flat body having four corner platforms 19 to 22 linked by a central bridge piece 23 having an upstanding central ridge 24. The body is utilized, in like manner to the spacer of Figure 1, by placing same on an existing flat surface with a brick end supported on two platforms 19, 20 (or 21,22) and resting against the adjacent side edge of the ridge 24.

As a supplementary spacer for use with the spacer of Figure 2, there is provided a structure as shown in Figure 3 which comprises two flat platforms 25 linked by a straight rod 26.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiments which are described by way of example only. Thus, for example, although in Figure 1 the short walls 3, 4 of the spacer are shown as terminating level with front and back faces of the bricks 17, if desired, the spacer may be of smaller dimension such that the short walls 3,4 are spaced inwardly of such faces. In this case, the end portions 9 to 12 may be extended beyond the corners defined therebetween, as shown in Figure 4.

Also, it is to be understood that the spacers may be utilised with any suitable kinds of bricks in the formation of any suitable building construction.

Further, although the foregoing specific description is directed to the laying of a single row of bricks on top of an existing row, it will of course be appreciated that any desired number of rows may be laid in this manner and the bricks of the different rows may be vertically aligned as shown in Figure 1 or may be offset relative to each other.

Still further, the embodiments of Figures 1 and 4 may be modified by replacement of the short walls 3, 4 with a single transverse wall centrally between the long walls 1, 2, such single wall having a single upstanding finger centrally thereof, whereby the structure is generally H-shaped.

Claims (11)

1. A method of laying bricks wherein said bricks are placed one on top of another and in side-by-sidedisposition with spacers separate to said bricks interposed vertically and also horizontally between adjacent said bricks to support said bricks relative to each other with predetermined spacing therebetween, and mortar is inserted in said spacings to hold said bricks and also said spacers in position.

2. A spacer for use in performing the method of claim 1 comprising a base support structure adapted to fit between an upper brick and a lower brick adjacent an end of the upper brick to support said upper brick on said lower brick with a predetermined vertical spacing therebetween, and an upstanding structure adapted to fit between said upper brick at said end and an end of an adjacent brick to maintain a predetermined horizontal spacing therebetween.

3. A spacer according to claim 2, 3ving two base structures on opposite sides of a common upstanding structure whereby adjacent ends of two bricks can be supported on a single spacer.

4. A spacer according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said upstanding structure comprises two spacedapart up-standing fingers.

5. A spacer according to claims 3 and 4, wherein the said base structures are defined by a rectangular frame having two pairs of opposed side walls, said upstanding fingers being provided respectively in the central regions of one of said pairs of side walls.

6. A spacer according to claim 5, wherein each said side wall comprises a central portion in the form of a narrow strip extending between end portions at corners of the frame.

7. A spacer according to claim 6, wherein said end portions extend upwardly and downwardly beyond said narrow strips, upper edges and lower edges of all said end portions lying in respective common planes.

8. A spacer according to claim 6 or 7, wherein said end portions have extensions thereto which extend outwardly beyond the corners.

9. A spacer according to any one of claims 2 to 8, which is a one-piece plastics moulding.

10. A spacer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. The method of claims 1 when performed using the spacer of any one of claims 1 to 10.