GB2169630A

GB2169630A - Mat pack brick

Info

Publication number: GB2169630A
Application number: GB08501027A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Raymond Berkley Botha
Original assignee: H L and H Timber Products
Current assignee: H L and H Timber Products
Priority date: 1985-01-16
Filing date: 1985-01-16
Publication date: 1986-07-16
Also published as: GB8501027D0

Abstract

A brick for use in a mat pack support which is made from two timber elements (10, 12) strapped together with their grains (14) parallel by means of a strap (16). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mat pack brick This invention relates to a brick for use in a mat pack. It further extends to components constructed with the aid of such bricks and to mat packs constructed from such components.

Mat packs used for underground supports can consist of overlying timber slabs with interspersed bricks. Generally such bricks have been made from concrete or similar material. A recent development however has seen the introduction of bricks fashioned from timber. For effective results the timber bricks have the grain vertically aligned in use i.e.

transversely to the direction of grain of the longitudinally extending slabs. One problem with this approach however has been the fact that the timber bricks, which are fairly large, have been fashioned from timber poles of adequately large diameter.

The availability of such timber is not high though and unfortunately it is rather expensive.

The invention provides a brick for use in a support which includes at least two brick elements and means securing the brick elements to each other.

In a preferred form of the invention two brick elements are employed.

The securing means may take on any suitable form. Use may for example be made of staples, plastic shrink wrapping, or the like. However in a preferred form of the invention the brick elements are secured to each other by means of an encircling strap.

The strap may be made from any suitable material and preferably is made from a plastics material. More than one strap may be employed if desired and the number of straps used, the shape and size may be determined according to particular requirements.

The strap may be secured in position by any suitable means and for example use may be made of clips, buckles, staples or the like but preferably the ends of the strap overlie one another and are heat fused to each other.

Where use is made of a single strap it may be orientated so that in use it forms a loop which lies substantially in a horizontal plane. Alternatively the strap may be aligned so that in use it lies in a vertical plane.

The brick of the invention may be secured to a timber slab to form a mat pack component. If the brick elements which make up each brick are made of wood they may be aligned so that their grains are parallel and, in use, the grains are aligned vertically i.e. transversely to the grain of the longitudinally extending timber slab.

Each brick may be secured to the timber slab in any suitable way. Preferably however use is made of staples or plastics straps for this purpose or both devices may be employed.

The invention further extends to a mat pack constructed with components of the kind described or which includes bricks of the kind described.

The invention also extends to a method of constructing a brick for use in a support which includes the steps of juxtaposing at least two timber elements with their timber grains parallel but not in line, and securing the elements to each other.

The elements may be secured to each other in any suitable way but preferably use is made of one or more plastics straps. The ends of the plastics straps may be heat fused to each other.

The invention is further described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 illustrate bricks according to different embodiments of the invention, and Figure 3 illustrates a mat pack component which includes at least one brick according to the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a brick according to a first embodiment of the invention which consists of two brick elements 10 and 12 which are juxtaposed with the direction of their grains parallel. The grain direction in each case is indicated by an arrow 14.

The brick elements are secured to each other with the aid of an encircling plastics strap 16 which in this example forms a loop in the horizontal plane. The strap is applied automatically by means of an industrial strapping machine and the ends of the strap are secured to each other in any suitable way. In a preferred embodiment of the invention however the ends of the straps overlie one another and are heat fused together. The operation is fast, easily effected and inexpensive. The end result is a brick which effectively can be handled and used like a brick made from a single piece of timber.

The cost of the brick of the invention is however far lower than the cost of a brick made from a single timber element and this is due to the fact that the brick elements are made from small diameter timber poles which are much cheaper.

The brick element shown in Figure 2 is constructed in a similar way and the components bear similar reference numerals to the like components of Figure 1. The two timber elements 10 and 12 are located side by side with their grains 14 parallel. In this case the strap 16 which encircles the two brick elements is positioned so that its loop lies in a vertical plane and not in a horizontal plane as is the case with the Figure 1 embodiment. The advantages achieved with the brick of Figure 2 are similar to those achieved with the brick of Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates the use of a brick according to the invention in the construction of a mat pack component. The component includes an elongate timber slab 18 with a plurality of bricks 20, each of the kind described, secured to the slab. Only one such brick is illustrated however.

In this example the bricks are similar to those shown in Figure 1 and the strap 16 is aligned in a horizontal plane. The brick is fixed to the slab using two straps 22, which are similar to the straps 16, and each strap 22 encircles one of the brick elements and the timber slab. As pointed out the straps are rapidly and automatically applied, are inexpensive, and offer considerable security of attachment. If desired staples 24 may be driven into the slab and into the brick, on each of the long sides of the brick, in the manner illustrated.

The brick of the invention is cheaper to fabricate than a one part or integral brick. This is the case despite the fact that at least one strap 16 is used to fasten the brick elements to each other. In this connection it should be pointed out that multiple straps may be used to fix the brick elements to each other and these may be at right angles to each other for example as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Thus one strap may encircle the brick horizontally while a second strap may encircle the brick vertically. Since a number of bricks are used in the construction of each mat pack component the savings achieved with each brick are reflected in the cost of each component and consequently the end result is a cheaper, yet highly effective, mat pack.

Claims

1. A brick for use in a mat pack support which includes at least two brick elements and means securing the brick elements to each other

2. A brick according to claim 1 wherein the brick elements are secured to each other by means of an encircling strap.

3. A brick according to claim 2 wherein the strap is made from a plastics material and the ends of the strap overlie one another and are heat fused to each other.

4. A brick according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the strap is orientated so that in use it forms a loop which lies substantially in a horizontal plane.

5. A brick according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the strap is aligned so that in use it lies in a vertical plane.

6. A brick for use in a mat pack support substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A mat pack component which includes a timber slab and at least one brick according to any one of claims 1 to 6 which is secured to the slab.

8. A mat pack component according to claim 7 wherein the brick elements are made from timber and are aligned so that their grains are aligned transversely to the grain of the longitudinally extending timber slab.

9. A mat pack component according to claim 7 or 8 wherein the brick is secured to the slab by means of staples or straps or both.

10. A mat pack component substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawinys.

11. A mat pack support which is constructed with components according to any one of claims 7 to 10, or which includes bricks according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

12. A method of constructing a brick for use in a mat pack support which includes the steps of juxtaposing at least two timber elements with their timber grains parallel but not in line, and securing the elements to each other.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the elements are secured to each other by means of a strap which encircles the element.

14. A method of constructing a brick for use in a mat pack support substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.

15. A brick made by the method of claim 12, 13 or 14.