GB2218503A - Fireplace surround - Google Patents

Abstract

A decorative fireplace D.I.Y. assembly kit comprises at least three stone slabs 10 to be supported one on another and secured together by metal channel members 17, 18. It allows reconstruction to be so that the decorative faces of the stone material used is in perfect alignment. The reconstructed surround structure would be placed within a mantle and a decorative frame would be fitted around the inner structure opening. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO DECORATIVE FIRE SURROUNDS The present invention relates in general to decorative fire surrounds and more particularly to structures made of rectangular slabs of material used to face the surround of a fire opening. The slabs of material, such as imitation marble, are connected together with lap joints on the rear of the slabs to produce an inverted U-shaped structure made up of three or more such slabs which surround the sides and top of the fire opening. Unless the slabs are connected with great care or with proper equipment it is quite likely the slabs will not be correctly aligned with their front faces in a common plane. Any skew of the slabs tends to detract from the visual appearance of the finished fire surround.

In one aspect of the invention provides means for connecting three or more slabs of material together to form the aforesaid inverted U-shaped structure; sai.d connecting means consisting of a plurality of channel-like connectors for location on the front and rear faces of the slabs to overlap butt joints between faces thereof. Conveniently there are at least two linear channel connectors which locate alongside respective faces of the slabs and two Lshaped or one U-shaped channel connectors which locate alongside other opposite faces of the slabs. The connectors can each take the form of a U-shaped channel made from steel or other metal. Preferably, the connectors have gripping means which provide a strong frictional engagement with the slabs to lock them together.Various forms of gripping means can be adopted such as lugs, screws, dimples or cantilevered springs.

In another aspect, the invention provides a kit of parts for creating an inverted U-shaped fire surround structure, the kit comprising at least three rectangular slabs of decorative material, and four connectors for clipping over the faces of the slabs at their outer and inner edges to overlap butt joints therebetween.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of erecting an inverted U-shaped structure composed of three or more rectangular slabs of decorative material, said method comprising placing channel connectors over the opposite major faces of the slabs and alongside outer side faces of two or more of the slabs and end faces of one or more of the slabs aligned therewith and alongside the inner side face of one or more of the slabs and the inner side faces slabs extending perpendicularly thereto in a manner to grip and lock the slabs in position.

The invention may be understood more readily, and various other aspects and features of the invention may become apparent, from consideration of the following description.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a representation of a fire surround constructed in known manner; Fig. 2 is a representation of a fire surround constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 3 is a representation of another fire surround constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 4 is a representation of a further fire surround constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of part of a connector for use in the performance of the invention; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of part of another connector for use in the performance of the invention.

As shown in Fig. 1, a structure for a fire surround of known type is composed of three rectangular slabs 10 connected together at abutting side and end faces 11 with the aid of lap joints 12 to create a generally inverted Ushaped structure 15 with an opening 13. The joints 12 are usually made up of sheets or blocks of materi.al 14 fixed to the rear faces 5 of the slabs 10 with the aid of adhesive to overlap the abutting faces 11. Once the structure 15 is erected it is placed with the opening 13 around the fire opening and a mantle e.g. of wood, is placed around the structure 15 as represented in chaindotted outline 16. The slabs 10 have a decorative finish at least on their front faces as presented from the exterior of the fire place.The slabs 10 can be made from natural stone or marble or from a synthetic material simulating such natural material.

As shown in Fig. 2, the present invention replaces the lap joints 12 with connectors 17, 18. The connectors 17 which are linear bridge the faces 11 exteriorly and lie alongside the outer side and end faces 19, 20 of the slabs 10 while the connectors 18 which are L-shaped bridge the faces 11 interiorly and lie alongside the inner side faces 21, 22 of the slabs 10. In th modified structures shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the single cross slab 10' of Figs. 1 and 2 is replaced by two or three slabs 10",10"'. The two Lshaped connectors 18 are replaced by a single extended Ushaped connector 18'. An additional linear connector 17' is provided.These modifications ensure connectors overlap the joints 30 between the ends of the cross slabs 10",10"' over the surfaces 21 and the opposite top surfaces 29. Fig.5 shows one form for each connector 17,18,l7',18'. The connector is a U-shaped channel 23 with side walls 24 and a base wall 25. The base wall 25 abuts the associated faces 19, 20, 21, 22, 29, and the distance between the interiors of the side walls 24 is just sufficient to accommodate the thickness of the slabs 10. In this construction, one or both side wall 24 have pressed-out lugs 26 or the like which grip the front and/or rear faces of the slabs. Fig. 6 shows another form for each connector 17, 18, 17', 18', which differs from Fig. 5 in having a screw 35 which may be self-tapping engaging in a bore 40 in one of the si.de walls 24 of the channel 23.

The connectors 17 are simple lengths of the channel 23 while the connectors 18 are created by taking lengths of the channel 23 and bending these lengths around relieved portions (28). The connectors ill7, 18 are very easy to install and inherently ensure the correct alignment of the slabs 10. The mantle 16 normally covers small protrusions of the connectors 17, 18 in the finished fire surround. It is envisaged that the slabs 10 and the connectors 17, 18 would be supplied to a customer as a kit of parts with instructions for erection of the structure 15.

Claims (4)

CLAIMS.

1. The decorative fireplace D.I.Y. assembly kit comprising metal channel pieces would be used as a D.I.Y. aid to secure together in the shape of an inverted U pieces of stone slab i.e marble, to form part of the decorative structure around a domestic fireplace opening.

2. The decorative fireplace D.I.Y. assembly kit as in claim 1,has metal channel pieces some of which are straight in length and others are constructed at a right angle.

3. The decorative fireplace D.I.Y. assembly kit as in claim 1 & 2 has provided within its metal channel construction a gripping means to allow the decorative stone slab to be firmly held within its channel.

4. The decorative fireplace D.I.Y. assembly kit substantially as described herein with reference to fig. 1s 2 2 & 3, of the accompanying drawing.