GB2141155A - Brick cladding - Google Patents

Abstract

Brick cladding comprises vertically-spaced horizontally- extending battens 19, 21 with bricks 1 mounted thereon, the bricks having rearward projections 1 which are secured between vertically adjacent battens. The battens may be of wood (as shown) or may be profiled members of folded sheet metal or extruded plastics material. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Brick cladding and bricks to form such cladding The invention relates to brick cladding and bricks to form such cladding.

It is often desirable to provide an existing wall with brick cladding, thereby to enhance the appearance of the wall. The wall may be, for example, an old wall of poor quality bricks, a concrete wall or a wooden wall as, for example, a portable cabin.

Such cladding can be effected by building a single skin of bricks using mortar between the bricks but such bricks require the services of a skilled bricklayer and full traditional footings.

One form of brick cladding is effected by securing channel shaped metal members to an existing wall in a vertical orientation with the base web of the channel member abutting and secured to the wall and with the side webs of the channel member cut away to leave ratchet tooth shaped projections. Horizontally extending lengths or material are then hung on the projections by engaging the projection beneath undercut projections at the back of the horizontal members. The horizontal members give the appearance of boarding.

This type of cladding has disadvantages. In particular the projections have to support substantially the entire weight of the horizontal members, the horizontal members can tilt on the projections and rattle in high winds, and, if one of the horizontal members should crack for example due to an impact, the member can break in half and fall out of the wall with considerable risk of damage or injury being caused.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided brick cladding comprising a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal batten members and a plurality of bricks each having a rearward projection, the arrangement being such that each rearward projection is secured between two vertically adjacent ones of said batten members.

In a preferred arrangement the upper surface of each batten member slopes upwardly forwardly and the lower surface of each brick slopes correspondingly downwardly rearwardly. The lower surface of each batten member and the upper surface of each brick preferably extend substantially horizontally.

The horizontal batten members may be secured to vertical counter batten members.

The batten members may be horizontally elongate wooden battens or profiled metal members preferably folded from sheet metal, or extruded from plastics material.

Thus each brick is preferably supported against downward movement at its front on two bricks of the course immediately below it and at its rear by the respective batten member. Upward movement of bricks of the cladding is prevented by the batten member of the course of bricks thereabove.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of apply ing brick cladding to a wall comprising apply ing a horizontal batten member to the wall, positioning bricks having rearward projections on the batten member, the lower surfaces of the rearward projections engaging the upper surface of the batten member, and subsequently applying another horizontal batten member to the wall immediately above the rearward projections, thereby securing the bricks to the wall.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a brick having a substantially rectangular front face and a rear face having a rearward projection extending longitudinally of the brick, a rabbet being defined between the projection and the lower surface of the brick for receiving a batten member.

The lower surface of the projection preferably slopes downwardly rearwardly. The projection preferably extends for the entire length of the brick. A recess may be defined between the projection and the upper surface of the brick. The upper surface of the projection preferably extends substantially perpendicular to the rear face of the brick.

Preferably each brick has an upward projection from its upper face extending the full length of the brick and at an intermediate position in the thickness of the brick and also has a recess in its under face, which recess is of a shape and size such that it could receive the upward projection of another similar brick if stacked thereon. At a position forward of the upward projection and rearward of the front face, each brick advantageously has on its upper side a flat surface extending the full length of the brick, which flat surface in use will be horizontal and each brick has a flat surface on its underside which would abut the said flat surface on the upper side of a similar brick if stacked thereupon.

Both end faces of the brick preferably have a generally upright groove therein at approximately the mid position in its thickness.

Preferably the bricks are moulded from a mixture of aggregate and cement with colouring added to cause the bricks to simulate sand faced clay bricks.

The bricks can be moulded from a coloured damp mix of the aggregate and cement and are preferably moulded in a six-sided mould which can be readily assembled and dismantled. Four sides of the mould can be clamped together and located on a shaped bottom member. The top of the mould can then be pressed into position to form a brick.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described only with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brick in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is an end view showing the lefthand end of the brick of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end view showing the righthand end of the brick of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a plan view of the brick of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an underneath plan view of the brick of Figure 1; Figure 6 is an end view showing two superimposed bricks mounted on battens secured to an existing wall; Figure 7 shows an alternative construction of a batten member; Figure 8 is an elevation of brick cladding according to the invention; Figure 9 shows an end brick; and Figures 10 and 11 show corner bricks.

Referring to the drawings a brick 1 to form brick cladding has a planar front face 2 with a rabbet 3 at the upper edge of the front face 2 and a rabbet 4 at the right-hand edge of the front face 2. The upper surface of the brick 1 comprises a flat face 5 adjacent the rabbet 3, an upwardly sloping portion 6, a downwardly sloping portion 7 and a rear flat surface 8.

The left-hand end surface 9 and the righthand end surface 10 of the brick are planar except for a vertical groove 11 of generally semicircular section. End surface 10 is also provided with rabbet 4.

The under surface of the brick has a planar front portion 12, an upwardly sloping portion 1 3, a further planar portion 14 and at the lower rear edge of th brick a large rabbet 1 5.

The rabbet 1 5 is formed in the underside of a rearwardly projecting portion 1 6 of the brick and the upper wall 1 7 forming the rabbet slopes downwardly and rearwardly.

In use the bricks can be used to clad an existing wall 18, Figure 6, by first securing to the wall 18 a wooden batten 1 9 which extends horizontally at ground level and has an.

upwardly sloping upper face 20. A course of the bricks 1 is then laid at ground level so that the surface 1 2 of the underside of each brick rests on the ground and the batten 1 9 fills the large rabbet 15. A further batten 21, identical with the batten 19, is then secured to the wall 1 8 with the under surface 22 of the batten 21 abutting the surface 8 on the upper side of the bricks 1 of the first course.

A further course of the bricks 1 can then be laid as shown in Figure 6, the bricks 1 of the upper Course each having the rear portion of their surface 1 2 supported on the flat surface 5 of the bricks of the lower course.

Alternatively the wall may first be provided with vertical counter battens to which horizontal battens 19,21 are subsequently secured.

In this case numeral 1 8 would denote the counter batten. An advantage of this arrangement compared to prior cladding systems, is that the vertical frame timbers may be separated at a spacing corresponding to several brick lengths. In particular it is not necessary to incur the cost and effort of providing a vertical frame timber and a vertical batten for every column of bricks.

The bricks of the succeeding courses are laid in a similar manner and, as is usual practice, each brick of an upper course bridges the joint line between two bricks of the course immediately therebelow. However, in the brick cladding of the invention mortar need not be used, since the rabbets 3 and 4 give the brick cladding an appearance of brick work in which the mortar lines between bricks have been recessed back or raked from the front faces of the bricks, and little skill is required to lay the bricks.

With reference to Figure 6 it will be seen that a large part of the weight of the upper course of bricks will be supported by the courses of bricks therebelow due to abutment of the faces 5 and 1 2. Furthermore, the bricks are secured in position since they are securely locked in place by the battens 1 9 and 21.

Due to the vertical grooves 11 in the end faces of the bricks inflow of water by capillary action from the front to the back is largely prevented at the vertical abutting surfaces and the clearance between the sloping surfaces 6 and 7 on the upper side of a brick and the surfaces 1 3 and 14 on the lower side of the brick provides a space 23 which largely prevents infiow of water by capillary action at the horizontal abutting surfaces.

Figure 7 shows a folded sheet metal batten member 24 which can be used instead of the batten 19 and 21 if desired. The members 24 may be horizontally elongate or may be provided as short length clips. Alternatively the members 24 may be extruded from plastics material. The exact size and shape of battens 19,21 and member 24 may be chosen as desired. In each case it is merely necessary to alter the depth and/or shape of the large rabbet 1 5 and/or the depth and/or shape of the recess behind portion 7 and above surface 8.

Figure 8 shows bricks 1 cladding a wall which has a right-hand end indicated at 25. A plurality of the bricks 1 and battens 1 9 and 21 are used as indicated, but in addition end bricks 26 are used, such end bricks being shown in Figure 9. The end brick 26 is of a length one and one half times the length of the bricks 1 and has a groove 27 moulded in its front face at a position half a brick length from the right-hand end and a full brick length from the left-hand end. By using the end bricks 26 in conjunction with he bricks 1, the right-hand end of the cladding can finish flush with the right-hand end 25 of the wall.

If the lefthand end of the cladding is to finish flush with the left-hand end of the wall then an end brick similar to the end brick 26 but oppositely handed will be required. End bricks 26 may be employed wherever a vertical line is required, for example at a doorway or window. As an alternative to end bricks 26 a special half-brick (not shown) may be employed in conjunction with a brick 1.

Where cladding is to be provided onto walls at right angles, corner bricks 28 and 29 as shown in Figures 10 and 11 are utilized at the corner region. The corner bricks 28 and 29 are similar but are oppositely handed and are used in alternate superimposed courses of brick, each corner brick having one arm which is a full brick length and an arm at right angles thereto which is only one half a brick length such that the cladding will when viewed in elevation on either wall appear to be an ordinary brick wall with a right-angled junction therein.

Although as shown rabbet 4 is at the righthand side of the brick it may alternatively be at the left-hand side. Moreover rabbet 3 may be at the bottom instead of the top.

The front face 2 may be plain as shown; alternatively it may be provided with any desired pattern, for example the hanging tile pattern shown in our patent application GB 2099032.

Although as shown the top surface 20 of the battens 19,21 and the lower surface of the projections 1 6 have the same slope, in a modification the slope of the batten surface 20 is slightly steeper so that the brick rests on the top edge of the batten. This ensures that there is a small air passage between the brick and the batten. This has the advantage that the flow of air will remove any dampness which might cause the battens to rot. In a further modification one or more horizontal channels may be provided in the brick in the vertical part of rabbet 1 5. This modification serves to provide further air passages for removing any dampness from the region of the front surfaces of the battens.

Claims (20)

1. Brick cladding comprising a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal batten members and a plurality of bricks each having a rearward projection, the arrangement being such that each rearward projection is secured between two vertically adjacent ones of said batten members.

2. Brick cladding according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of each batten member slopes upwardly forwardly and the lower surface of each brick slopes downwardly rearwardly.

3. Brick cladding according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower surface of each batten member and the upper surface of each brick extend substantially horizontally.

4. Brick cladding according to any preceding claim, wherein the batten members are of solid cross-section.

5. Brick cladding according to claim 4 wherein the batten members are of wood.

6. Brick cladding according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the batten members are of open cross section.

7. Brick cladding according to claim 6, wherein the batten members are of folded sheet metal.

8. Brick cladding according to claim 6, wherein the batten members are of extruded plastics material.

9. Brick cladding according to any preceding claim, wherein each brick has an upward projection from its upper face extending the full length of the brick and at an intermediate position in the thickness of the brick and also has a recess in its under face, which recess is of a shape and size such that it can receive the upward projection of another similar brick when stacked thereon.

1 0. Brick cladding according to claim 9, wherein at a position forward of the upward projection and rearward of the front face, each brick has on its upper side a flat surface extending the full length of the brick, which flat surface in use is horizontal and each brick has a flat surface on its underside which abuts the said flat surface on the upper side of a similar brick when stacked thereupon.

11. Brick cladding according to any preceding claim, wherein both end faces of each brick have a vertical groove at approximately the mid-position in the thickness of the brick.

1 2. A method of applying brick cladding to a wall comprising applying a horizontal batten member to the wall, positioning bricks having rearward projections on the batten member, the lower surfaces of the rearward projections engaging the upper surface of the batten member, and subsequently applying another horizontal batten member to the wall immediately above the rearward projections, thereby securing the bricks to the wall.

1 3. A brick having a substantially rectangular front face and a rear face having a rearward projection extending longitudinally of the brick, a rabbet being defined between the projection and the lower surface of the brick for receiving a batten member.

14. A brick according to claim 13, wherein the lower surface of the projection slopes downwardly rearwardly.

1 5. A brick according to claim 1 3 or 14, wherein the projection extends along the entire length of the brick.

16. A brick according to any of claims 1 3 to 15, wherein the upper surface of the projection extends substantially perpendicularly to the rear face of the brick.

1 7. Brick cladding substantially as herein described with reference to Figs 1 to 6 and 8, or to Figs 1 to 6 and 8 as modified by Fig.7 and/or Figs 9, 10 or 11.

1 8. A method of applying brick cladding substantially as herein described with refer ence to the accompanying drawings.

1 9. A brick substantially as herein described with reference to Figs 1 to 6, Fig 9, Fig 10 or Fig 11 of the accompanying drawings.

20. As an independent invention the additional feature of any of claims 2 to 11 or claims 14 to 16.