GB2134558A - Lintel corner protector - Google Patents

Abstract

This comprises two superposed planar portions of water-resistant material,joined together along two adjacent side edges. The protector may be made by folding a sheet of waterproof plastics material and sealing two superimposed edges 7, 9 adjacent to folded edge 3. If the fold does not bisect the sheet, an exposed portion 5 is formed. Alternatively, two separate superposed sheets may be sealed along two adjacent edges. The protector 1 is engaged over a corner of the outer leaf 13 of a lintel 15 to protect against corrosion. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to lintels The present invention relates to a lintel protector for use in extending the life of a lintel as used in building construction.

Lintels are commonly made of metal and are thus open to corrosion due to contact with agressive mortars or to exposure to extreme weather conditions. To combatthese problems it is known to zinc-coat i.e. galvanize, the lintels and to additionally coat them with a paint system. However, it has been foundthatthe life expectancy ofthese zinc and additional coatings is less than was previously expected where the lintel is in contact with wet mortar.

This corrosion can lead to premature wall damage, and the problem is highlighted in the commercial world by: 1 ) Damage to the coatings occurring during transportation and site handling; 2) The use of inferior coatings, e.g. thin layers of bitumen; 3) The use ofsubstandardthicknesses of zinc galvanising, on mild steel; orthe use of pre-galvanised material when the zinc coating is destroyed during the manufacturing processes, i.e. during cutting, forming and welding; 4) The use of aggressive mortars, commonly ofthe black ash type; and 5) The use of permeable mortars in the end bearing region ofthe outer leaf ofthe lintel,these mortars specifically allowing early corrosion to occur atthat point.

Otherfactorswhich are likely to have an influence are the standard of workmanship, the severity and duration of driving rain forthe area, the particular local exposure of an affected wall and damage to the coating on site. So far, however, the only reliable evidence that exposure level is important is that the corrosion ofthe drierinnerleafofa lintel is always less serious ornon-existentthanthatin the outer leaf which may remainwetfor long periods. The presence of inorganic salts in the mortar, especially chlorides devised from marine sands, would be expected to minimise rates of corrosion.

In use a lintel is placed above a door orwindow opening in a building construction between the inner and outerwalls of a cavity wall. The so-called 'outer leaf ofthe lintel is supported on the outer wall and the so-called 'inner leaf is supported on the inner wall. As previously explained, the outer leaf corrodes rather than the inner leaf and it is envisaged that the lintel end bearing protector of the present inventon will indefinitely extend the life of a commonly known type oflintel.

According to the present invention there is provided a lintel protector comprising an envelope made from a material which is at least water resistant, the envelope being formed from two generally planar portions of the material, which portions are superposed one on top ofthe other and joined together along two adjacent side edges of the protector.

Preferably, the lintel protector is made from a generally rectangular blank of sheet material, which blank is folded along a line parallel to but offset from, a centre line ofthe blank. The two superposed edges of the folded blank, on one ofthe sides of the protector adjacenttothefolded edge, arethen joined together.

These superposed edges can be either welded of glued together. The lintel protector can then on site, be slid over a corner region of an outer leaf of a lintel prior to the installation of the lintel in the building. The superposed portions ofthe protectorthus protect the upperand underneath surfaces ofthe corner regions ofthe outer leaf, against corrosion, these corner regions ofthe outer leaf providing the bearing surfaces for supporting the outer leaf in a cavity wall.

The protector is preferably designed to completely cover these bearing surfaces and thus protect against corrosion thereof.

An extended portion ofthe preferred embodiment ofthe lintel protector, produced by the fold line being offsetfrom the centre line of the blank, may be optionally positively secured to a timber insert commonly located between front and rearfaces of the lintel.

Preferably the lintel protector is made of a waterproof plastics material, though any other, at least water-resistant material, may of course be used.

Thus, by virtue ofthe present invention, a lintel protector is provided which can be simply installed on site, therebysubstantially extending the life of a conventional lintel The present invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich: Fig. lisa perspective view of a preferred form of lintel protector constructed according to the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a lintel with the protector of Fig. 1 installed thereon.

The lintel protector 1 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe accompanying drawings and constructed according to the present invention, is made from a rectangular blank of waterproof plastics material, which is folded about a line which is parallel to but offsetfrom one of the centre lines of the blank. The folded edge 3 and the exposed portion 5 are thus formed. The superposed side edges 7 and 9 are then glued or welded together to form the complete lintel protector.

The above described lintel protector 1 is then slid onto a corner region 11 of an outer leaf 13 of lintel 15, as shown in Fig. 2, and the exposed portion 5 can be positively fixed, if so desired, to a timber inset 17 commonly provided between the inner and outer faces 19, 21 ofthe lintel 15. The lintel protector can thus be held in position.

A similar lintel protector is located on the other corner region of the outer leaf 13 of the lintel 15, whereby the underneath and overleaf bearing surfaces 23 of the outer leaf are protected against corrosion.

In an alternative embodiment of the present inven tion, the lintel protector is formed from two super posed planar pieces of suitable, at least water resistant, material which are joined together on two adjacentsideedgesofeach piece to produce the desired envelope.

Whilst the above described embodiments of the present invention are preferably made of a plastics material, they can of course be made of any suitable material, even metal, such as stainless steel.

The present invention thus provides a simple lintel end bearing protectorwhich can be installed on a commonly known lintel before the lintel is located in a building structure, e.g. on site, the protector extending the life ofthe lintel on the lintel bearing surfaces 23 by preventing corrosion thereof.

CLAIMS (filed on 1-2-84) 1. Alintel protectorcomprising an envelope made from a material which is at least water resistant, the envelope being formed from two generally planar portions ofthe material, which portions are superposed one on top ofthe other and joined together along two adjacent side edges ofthe protector.

2. A protector as claimed in claim 1, in which the envelope is made from a generally rectangular blank of sheet material,which is folded along a line parallel to two of the side edges of the blank,thetwo superposed edge regions ofthefolded blank, on one of the sides of the protector adjacent to the folded edge, being joined together.

3. A protector as claimed in claim 2, in which the fold line is offsetfrom the centre line ofthe blank, which is parallel to said two side edges.

4. A protector as claimed in claim 1, in which the envelope is made from superposed rectangular blanks of sheet material, the superposed edge regions on two adjacent sides of the protector being joined together.

5. A protector as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in combination with a lintel, the protector being engaged over a corner region of a leaf ofthe lintel.

6. A protector as claimed in claim 5, in which the protector is secured to the lintel.

7. A protector as claimed in claim 6, in which a timber insert is provided between front and rear facets ofthe lintel, and the protector is secured to said timber insert.

8. A protector as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims, when made of a plastics material and heatsealedalong at least one edge region.

9. A protector as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the material from which the envelope is made is at least resistantto both water and corrosive substances commonly found in mortar and/or masonry.

10. A lintel protector constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with referenceto and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (10)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. tion, the lintel protector is formed from two super posed planar pieces of suitable, at least water resistant, material which are joined together on two adjacentsideedgesofeach piece to produce the desired envelope. Whilst the above described embodiments of the present invention are preferably made of a plastics material, they can of course be made of any suitable material, even metal, such as stainless steel. The present invention thus provides a simple lintel end bearing protectorwhich can be installed on a commonly known lintel before the lintel is located in a building structure, e.g. on site, the protector extending the life ofthe lintel on the lintel bearing surfaces 23 by preventing corrosion thereof. CLAIMS (filed on 1-2-84)

1. Alintel protectorcomprising an envelope made from a material which is at least water resistant, the envelope being formed from two generally planar portions ofthe material, which portions are superposed one on top ofthe other and joined together along two adjacent side edges ofthe protector.

2. A protector as claimed in claim 1, in which the envelope is made from a generally rectangular blank of sheet material,which is folded along a line parallel to two of the side edges of the blank,thetwo superposed edge regions ofthefolded blank, on one of the sides of the protector adjacent to the folded edge, being joined together.

3. A protector as claimed in claim 2, in which the fold line is offsetfrom the centre line ofthe blank, which is parallel to said two side edges.

4. A protector as claimed in claim 1, in which the envelope is made from superposed rectangular blanks of sheet material, the superposed edge regions on two adjacent sides of the protector being joined together.

5. A protector as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in combination with a lintel, the protector being engaged over a corner region of a leaf ofthe lintel.

6. A protector as claimed in claim 5, in which the protector is secured to the lintel.

7. A protector as claimed in claim 6, in which a timber insert is provided between front and rear facets ofthe lintel, and the protector is secured to said timber insert.

8. A protector as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims, when made of a plastics material and heatsealedalong at least one edge region.

9. A protector as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the material from which the envelope is made is at least resistantto both water and corrosive substances commonly found in mortar and/or masonry.

10. A lintel protector constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with referenceto and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.