GB2064617A - Wall of vertical paving slabs - Google Patents

Abstract

Building walled structures using slabs with their major faces vertical is facilitated by fittings (10) that engage localised, normally corner, parts of the slabs. The fittings (10) include two (or more)-way unitary structures presenting spaced substantially parallel projections for each of adjacent slabs, and often a one-way locater (10D) for ends of walled structures. The fittings may be of H- shaped configuration or shaped as shown in Figs. 1B, 1C and 1D. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Buiiding using paving stones This invention relates to building structures, particularly walls and walled enclosures or partenclosures, using paving slabs often also called flagstones.

Paving slabs of stone, concrete and the like can come in a variety of sizes but are characterised by their intended use. Thus, they are of large area, say compared with tiles, and of thicknesses that are substantial though very smail compared with lengths or widths. They are extremely durable, impervious products that serve their purpose very well when laid flat on a suitably prepared surface.

These properties of durability and size, allied with generally low price per unit area, have caused us to consider seriously the possibilities of using paving slabs vertically to define walls and walled enclosures, say for gardens, allotments, etc.

However, paving slabs are normally heavy and unwieldy objects that are inherently unstable when stood upon their edges. Achievement of satisfactory results has involved very substantial effort in preparation and erection, for example trenching to be infilled with concrete to hold the lower slab edge portions, and/or shuttering for a concrete base, plus at least temporary stays erected and positioned to hold each slab in place while the concrete sets, all to be followed later by grouting between the slabs after the concrete has set.

Whilst still attractive from the point of view of monetary expense, the time and effort required by the actual building operations has always seemed to us to be out of all proportion and acceptable only if in support of a consuming hobby, say for the addicted rather than the casual gardener. Also, of course, the replacement of a broken slab is a major operation usually involving breaking up and remaking substantial amounts of concrete foundations. To our mind, that is a particularly grave disadvantage as paving slabs are, by their nature, quite liable to break when held vertical by their bottom portions.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to try to facilitate the use of paving slabs in the formation of walls and especially walled enclosures or part-enclosures.

To this end, we now propose slab location fittings each as a unitary structure presenting to the or each slab located thereby a pair of parallel spaced flat projections engaging about a localised edge portion, normally at a corner, of that slab, preferably as a fairly close-fit to both major faces of the latter.

Even building of straight walls is much facilitated as our slab locater fittings at spaced heights for each joint between slabs, preferably at top and bottom, make it impossible for relative misalignment of slabs to occur and reduces staying requirements, which can be virtually eliminated if the bottom slab locater fittings are previously set into or secured to a concrete or other strip foundation.

For other than straight walls, especially walled enclosures or part-enclosures, the improvement is more dramatic still as any substantial angling, normally of course at the perpendicular, between adjacent slabs renders them mutually supportive by reason of our corresponding fittings with angled pairs of projections.

We therefore foresee a basic range of our slab locater fittings as comprising a straight locater of generally H-shape, a two-way corner locater with one pair of projections extending off one projection of the other pair, and a three-way locater as a straight locater with an additional pair of projections off one of its sides. A four-way locater would be as for a three-way locater with another pair of projections off its other side. A simple one-way locater with a single pair of projections from a side flanged base could have its side flanges pierced for securement to a butting existing wall or to a foundation or base.

Walls and walled enclosures or part-enclosures of this invention will thus normally comprise vertically disposed paving slabs edge-located and intercoupled by our slab locater fittings. Building thereof can very conveniently start from any two-, three- or four-way slab junctions whereupon the entire structure is virtually self-supporting from the start, so as to make trenching, etc. purely optional, and rendering replacement of broken slabs a particularly easy matter.

We prefer to use our slab locater fittings at corners of slabs and, as the latter are most often made by casting in moulds, it is also proposed that the slabs be rebated or inset into their thickness at their corners so as more readily positive to position the slab locater fittings. Alternatively, of course, the slab locater fittings could have webs between the projections of each said pair to engage boundary portions of the slabs.

Practical implementation of the invention will now be described specifically, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 A to 1 D show slab locater fittings in plan; Figure 2 shows an end view of one particular slab locater fitting; Figures 3A and 3B show views of particular slab; and Figures 4A and 4B show incorporation of slabs and slab locater fittings into walled enclosures and part-enclosures.

Where appropriate, similar references are used throughout the drawings. Referring first to Figures 1 A to 1 D, a two-way straight slab locater fitting 1 OA is shown of generally H-shape with a central web 11 from which extend aligned and opposite pairs of extensions 12, 13 and 14, 1 5 each presenting parallel opposed flat interior surfaces 16, 17 and 18, 19 spaced at 20, 21 to embrace an edge portion of a paving slab, such as 22 in Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 1 B shows a two-way right-angle corner type of slab locater fitting 1 OB comprising conjoined outer parts 25, 26 and spaced parallel conjoined inner parts 27, 28, one of which (28) also extends at 29 to join the other outer part 26.

Two pairs of projections are thus provided with flat opposed surfaces flanking slab thickness receiving spaces 30, 31 one such pair of projections extending off the other.

Figure 1 C shows a three-way slab locater fitting 1 OC that is effectively the straight connector of Figure 1 A with a further pair of spaced projections 34, 35 off one side 13, 15 thereof to present flat parallel faces flanking a further slab edge receiving space 36. It will be appreciated that the projections 34, 35 can be located anywhere along the side 13, 15 so long as they give the requisite width of space 36. However, extension of web 11 into one of those projections (34) is preferred for strength reasons. It will be obvious that similar extensions off the other side 12, 14 will afford a four-way, cross-type slab locater fitting, if desired with an offset of slabs butting into it and relative to the direction of the spaces 20, 21 of the basic straight connector part.

Figure 1 D shows a wall or floor plate slab locater fitting 1 OD with a single pair of projections 43, 44 flanking a space 45 and extending from an interconnecting web 46 flanged to each side at 47, 48. The flanges 47, 48 have holes 49, 50 for mounting purposes using bolts or screws.

Figure 2 could, in effect, be an end-view of Figures 1 A, and shows a spaced pair of projections 54, 55 connected by web 56 from which they extend and further connected by a thin, non-load-bearing web solely with a view to preventing sliding of locater fittings up and down an adjoined slab or slabs. Such slab locater fittings would be relatively inverted at tops and bottoms of slabs, thereby requiring centralised sideprojection location for three- and four-way slab locater fittings.

Such webbing 57 would not be necessary for a paving slab such as is shown in Figures 3A and 3B with recessing 60 to 63 of its main faces at each of its corners to match projections of slab locater fittings. However, webbing 57 might also be accommodated as indicated in dashed lines in Figures 3A and 3B.

Figure 4A shows in solid lines a walled partenclosure 70 utilising straight, corner, three-way and wall-mounting slab locaters 1 OA to 1 OD at tops and bottoms of adjointed paving slabs 22.

Gaps are shown but clearly could be filled as indicated in dashed lines 71,72 using slab locater fittings as appropriate and obvious from the rest of the Figure. Top and bottom slab locater fittings are plainly indicated in Figure 4B and it will be clear that erection can start in a stable and selfsupporting manner from any one of the slab locater fittings 1 OB to 1 OD and the remainder completed in an orderly manner by first setting a bottom slab locater fitting and then a top slab locater fitting in sequence from one slab to another.

The slab locater fittings may be of cast metal or moulded from suitable grades of synthetic plastics material, probably with reinforcing inclusions for strength.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that useful aspects of this invention include sets of slab location fittings comprised at minimum of a twoway straight locater and a one-way locater (for straight walls) or of a two-way straight locater and a two-way corner locater (for enclosures or part enclosures); a building kit including slab location fittings and slabs with surface-relieved corners; and a method of making a walled structure where localised edge portions of slabs are caused to be flanked by parallel spaced substantially flat projections of location fittings each comprising a unitary structure with projections for two adjacent slabs one being positioned to so cooperate with such adjacent slabs.

It will also be appreciated that slab locating projections of slab location fittings hereof may, if desired, at least for two-way fittings, make any angle of joint other than the specifically described 90 angles, particularly angles suitable for making regular geometric enclosures such as hexagon, pentagons, etc.

Claims (14)

1. A method of making a walled structure comprised of paving slabs with their major faces substantially vertical, wherein localised edge portions of the slabs are caused to be flanked by parallel spaced substantially flat projections of location fittings each comprising a unitary structure with projections for two adjacent said slabs and being positioned to so cooperate with such adjacent slabs.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein bottom corners of said slabs are associated with first ones of said location fittings and upper corners of said slabs are associated with second ones of said location fittings that are emplaced, for each slab, after that slab is associated with the first location fittings.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein building is begun at a junction between adjacent slabs.

4. A set of slab location fittings for carrying out the method of any preceding claim, comprising a two-way straight slab locater of generally Hshape, and a two-way corner locater with one pair of spaced projections extending off one projection of the other pair.

5. A set of slab location fittings according to claim 4, further comprising a three-way locater as a said straight locater with an additional pair of spaced projections off one of its sides.

6. A set of slab location fittings according to claim 4, wherein the corner locater has its two pairs of spaced projections at right angles to each other.

7. A set of slab location fittings according to claim 4, 5 or 6, wherein the three-way slab locater has its additional pair of projections at right angles to its said one side.

8. A set of slab location fittings according to any one of claims 4 to 7, further comprising, for ends of the walled structure, a one-way slab locater having a single pair of spaced projections from a side-fianged base.

9. A set of slab location fittings according to claim 8, wherein the or each side-flange of the base of the one-way locater is pierced to facilitate securement to a butting surface.

10. A set of slab location fittings for carrying out the method of claim 1,2 or 3, comprising a two-way straight slab locater of generally Hshape, and a one-way slab locater as specified in claim 7, 8 or 9.

11. A set of slab location fittings according to anyone of claims 4 to 10, further comprising a four-way slab locater as a three-way locater with another pair of spaced projections off its other side.

12. Slab location fittings substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A building kit comprising slab location fittings according to any one of claims 4 to 12, and a plurality of paving slabs each having their corners locally rebated or inset into their thicknesses to accommodate the projections of the slab location fittings.

14. A walled structure made by the method of claim 1,2 or 3.

1 5. A walled structure according to claim 14 including a building kit according to claim 13.

1 6. A walled structure according to claim 14 including a building kit according to claim 1 3.