GB2234994A

GB2234994A - Paving or facing bricks

Info

Publication number: GB2234994A
Application number: GB9015791A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Norbert Hagemeister
Original assignee: W H HAGEMEISTER KG ZIEGELWERK
Current assignee: W H HAGEMEISTER KG ZIEGELWERK
Priority date: 1989-07-18
Filing date: 1990-07-18
Publication date: 1991-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 2010-07-18
Also published as: GB2234994B; DE8908732U1; DD296723A5; GB9015791D0

Abstract

A paving or facing brick, stone, tile or other block has spacers (3, 4) secured to the body thereof by a positive or interlocking fit or by adhesion. <IMAGE>

Description

Paving and facing bricks This invention relates to a paving or facing brick, stone, tile or other block, hereinafter referred to as a paving or facing brick, having spacers formed on faces thereof in the form of projections.

British Patent 2136348 discloses paving bricks having rib-shaped spacers that serve to separate adjoining bricks when they are laid so as to form joints of predetermined width to receive a filler material such as sand. In the manufacture of the known paving bricks a column is first extruded from a body of a brick material, green blocks are cut from the column, stacked up on one another in layers and fired to the finished bricks in a kiln. The extrusion and subsequent cutting of the green blocks results in the disadvantage that spacers are only formed on the faces that run in the direction of extrusion and not on the cut faces of the green blocks or the finished bricks.A further disadvantage is that in the stack the green blocks, which are stood on end in layers one above the other, are only in mutual contact through their spacers, so that the stack is very unstable and can easily tip over, unless it is kept relatively low. Altogether the production of these known facing bricks involves considerable effort and expense.

The finished bricks themselves have the disadvantage that differing amounts of shrinkage occur in the course of firing or drying, which results in bricks of different dimensions which in turn lead to non-uniform patterns when they are laid unless extra effort is used. A further disadvantage is that the harder and more fragile the material of the brick, the more easily can the spacers be damaged or broken off during laying. This is especially the case with clinker bricks, so that the functioning of the spacers of such bricks is particularly impaired and the bricks are correspondingly difficult to lay.

It is an object of the invention to improve a paving or facing brick having spacers so that it can be manufactured and laid more easily and cheaply without impairing the function of the spacers.

To this end the spacers are secured to the body of the brick. The brick of the invention is thus formed in two parts. It consists of a body of conventional material suitable for the intended purpose, e.g. fired clay, and of separate spacers. The body is manufactured in the same way and with the same economy of effort as a conventional brick without spacers. The spacers are then fastened to any desired face of the body at positions that may or may not be predetermined. By making the spacers of different thicknesses the different amounts of shrinkage of the brick bodies can be compensated for, so that uniform patterns can be produced on laying the bricks without extra effort.

Attaching the spacers to the brick bodies after these have been made allows different materials to be used for the spacers than for the body. In this way the most suitable material for satisfactory functioning of the spacers can be used independently of the material of the body.

Advantageously a material having damping properties is used, so that there is no danger of breakage of the spacers during laying. This both confers improved working properties and avoids bad joints and increased cost as a result of a large number of broken bricks.

The spacers are advantageously made of elastic, e.g.

rubbery elastic, material, such as plastic material or rubber, but other materials having damping properties such as felt could be used.

The spacers can be secured to the brick by means of a positive or interlocking fit or alternatively through a material connection. Advantageously the spacers are secured to the brick with an adhesive. The spacers can be attached to the brick in one piece or for example by application in layers. Advantageously the spacers are sprayed or squirted on to the brick.

Further features and advantages of the invention will appear from the other subclaims.

An embodiment of the paving or-facing brick of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an embodiment of a paving brick according to the invention consisting of a body and a number of spacers, and Fig. 2 is the body of Fig. 1.

The paving brick according to the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing is a Dutch clinker 1 and consists of a conventional brick body 2 and four spacers 3, 4.

The body 2 consists of conventional material such as hard-fired clay, is rectangular in shape and has two opposed main faces 5, 6, one of which forms the tread face of the paving brick, and two opposed, relatively long side faces 7, 8 and two opposed shorter end faces 9, 10. The side and end faces 7 to 10 join the main faces 5, 6 together.

The spacers 3, 4 consist of a material with damping properties such as felt, rubber, plastic material or the like, and are in the form of two extended ribs 3 and two spot projections 4 of generally circular section. Each of the ribs 3 extends in the end part of one of the long side faces 7 at right angles to the main faces 5, 6 and is set back relatively thereto. The two round projections 4 are located in the diagonally opposite corner regions of the two shorter end faces 9, 10, viewed in projection. The thicknesses of the ribs 3 and the round projections 4 correspond, in the embodiment described, to the width of the joint or the desired distance between adjoining bricks when they are laid. The other dimensions of the spacers 3, 4 and their shape and precise location at a predetermined position is of no importance.It is only necessary to take care that spacers on sides that adjoin on laying do not meet, as otherwise the joint width will not be constant.

In determining the thickness of the spacers the shrinkage of the body can be taken into account.

To manufacture the paving brick 1 of the invention it is only necessary to take a conventional paving brick with no spacers, here indicated as the body 2, from production and to provide it with spacers 3, 4. This is done in the present embodiment by applying liquid silicone rubber at the corresponding positions on the side and end faces 7, 9 and 10 of the body 2 in the desired form of the spacers 3, 4. The hardened mass then forms the spacers 3, 4 that adhere sufficiently firmly to the body 2 to form a material connection.

The paving bricks 1 of the embodiment of the invention are laid so that the long side faces 7 and 8, and also the short end faces 9 and 10, of adjoining bricks 1 are opposite one another. In this way the joints between the long side faces 7 and 8 of two adjoining bricks 1 are determined by the spacers 3 of only one of the two bricks 1 and the joints between the short end faces 9 and 10 by the spacers 4 of two bricks 1. The so to speak automatic production of a uniform joint of predetermined width by means of the spacers 3, 4 of the invention is particularly advantageous when laying bricks having side or end faces oblique to the main faces, since with such bricks it is difficult, even for a skilled worker, to lay them so that the distance between adjoining side faces is not greater at the base than near the tread face. After the bricks 1 have been laid the joints are filled with a filler material such as sand.

The spacers that in the embodiment described are secured to the side and end faces of the bodies can also be applied to the main faces of the bricks, e.g. when the bricks are to be laid on end. The spacers according to the invention can be used for all kinds of bricks, blocks and stones that have to be laid at a fixed distance apart, for example also for wall tiles.

Claims

1. A paving or facing brick as hereinbefore defined having a body on the faces of which spacers in the form of projections are arranged, wherein the spacers are secured to the body.

2. A paving or facing brick according to claim 1, wherein the spacers are of material having damping properties.

3. A paving or facing brick according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the spacers are of elastic material.

4. A paving or facing brick according to claim 3, wherein the spacers are of rubbery elastic material.

5. A paving or facing brick according to any preceding claim wherein the spacers are of plastics material or rubber.

6. A paving or facing brick according to any preceding claim, wherein the spacers are secured materially to the body.

7. A paving or facing brick according to any preceding claim, wherein the spacers are adhesively secured to the body.

8. A paving or facing brick according to any preceding claim, wherein the spacers are attached to the body by application in layers.

9. A paving or facing brick according to any preceding claim, wherein the spacers are secured to the body by a positive or interlocking connection.

10. A paving or facing brick according to any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the spacers is or are in the form of substantially spot projections.

11. A paving or facing brick according to any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the spacers is or are in the form of extended ribs.

12. A paving or facing brick according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one spacer is attached to an end face of the body.

13. A paving or facing brick according to any preceding claim, wherein at least two spacers are attached to a side face of the body.

14. A paving or facing brick according to any preceding claim, wherein the spacers are attached to the respective faces off-centre.

15. A paving or facing brick according to any preceding claim, wherein the spacers are located on adjoining side and end faces of the body.

16. A paving or facing brick according to any preceding claim, wherein point spacers are located on opposed end faces of the body.

17. A paving or facing brick according to any preceding claim, wherein spacers on opposed side or end faces of the body are located in positions displaced relative to one another.

18. A paving or facing brick according to claim 1 substantially as herein described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.