GB2245619A - Brick cladding sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

The cladding sheet has locating slots to which a plurality of artificial brick fronts having complimentary locating projections are fixed using screws, rivets or adhesive.

Description

CLADDING This invention relates to cladding and in particular relates to a system of cladding enclosures to simulate a traditional brick or stone built effect.

Steel enclosures, for example electricity substations, re-locatable buildings, and the like are often clad to enable them to fit in visually more easily with their surroundings which may include brick or stone built houses or other buildings. Currently this is done in a very labour intensive manner by measuring out the surface of the building attaching panels e.g., of steel, of such a size as to simulate bricks, buildings stones or the like, painting the surfaces of the "bricks" with one or two coats of textured paint, and then "pointing" between the artificial bricks to complete the effect.

The invention seeks to provide a system which is considerably less labour intensive yet which is capable of producing an aesthetically pleasing effect.

According to the present invention there is provided a system for cladding a building with an artificial brick effect which comprises of supplying a cladding sheet provided with locating means, supplying a plurality of artificial brick fronts having complimentary locating mean corresponding to locating means on the sheet, and fixing the artifical brick fronts in place on the cladding sheet with a fixing means.

The cladding sheet can be pre-finished with a textured surface, for example to resemble pointing mortar.

Furthermore the artificial brick fronts can also be pre-finished with a textured surface to resemble a real brick. Thus, when the artificial brick fronts are fixed to the cladding sheet no further painting is required except possibly for minor touching up around the fixing means, which may, for example, comprise self-tapping screw or rivets, or may be adhesive, cement or the like.

It will be understood that while the term artificial "brick" is used herein, other surface textured effects can be used to resemble other commonly used building materials, such as stone, slate, wood, or the like. Similarly, the shape of the artificial cladding "brick" will vary accordingly.

Conveniently the locating means are in the form of pairs of slots, holes or pegs and the corresponding means on the brick locate with these in a complimentary manner.

Thus bricks are located without any measuring on the part of the workmen on site. It is invisaged that "half" bricks or "corner" bricks will be provided for use at edges and corners. The cladding sheet and brick may be produced from any suitable material, such as galvanised steel, aluminium, stainless steel, or any other metal or plastics material sheet, or indeed timber, and need not both be produced of the same material.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a prospective view of a cladding sheet in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a detail from figure 1 on an enlarged scale showing the bricks in place; Figure 3 is a detail of a brick; Figure 4 is a section through the cladding sheet with bricks in place; Figure 5 is a similar section to figure 3 of a second embodiment; Figure 6 is a partial sectional view corresponding to Figure 5; Figure 7 is a view of a wall covered with cladding; and Figure 8 is a similar view to Figure 7 of an alternative arrangement.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to figures 1 to 4, it will be seen that the system of the invention comprises a cladding sheet 10, for example a galvanised steel sheet having a series of cut-out slots located in pairs 12 formed, e.g. by punching. The sheet 12 may be dipped, sprayed, or otherwise coated with a textured finish, e.g. to resemble pointing mortar. Artificial brick fronts 14 are provided typically of the same length and width of a standard brick but of very narrow depth.

Such brick fronts can conveniently be fabricated from sheet galvanised steel, and include projections 16 which fit into corresponding ones of the pairs of slots 12 as illustrated in figure 2. The slots 12 and projections provide location for the brick fronts 14 but there is sufficient latitude for minor adjustments in positioning. Each brick front 14 is secured to the cladding sheet 10 by means of a self-tapping screw 18 passing through a countersunk hole 20 in the brick front face and locating into a predrilled hole (not shown) in the cladding sheet 10.

Thus in use the cladding sheet 10, produced or cut to the appropriate size, is fixed to the building to be clad in a conventional manner. The bricks 14 are then placed on each being held by means of a screw 18. The cladding sheet and bricks being pretextured it is only necessary to "touch up" the centre of each brick where the screw 18 passes into the countersunk hole 20. Alternatively, if desired, the spaces between the "bricks" can be actually pointed using a textured paint or even a cement mixture to give a greater degree of verisimilitude.

The projections 16 are preferably of such a depth so as not to project beyond the thickness of the sheet 10.

Similarly the length of the screw 18 can be chosen so that it does not project from the rear of the sheet 10 either.

Referring now to figures 5 to 7, and using like numerals for like parts, it will be seen that cladding boards 10 are provided which are manufactured in a dimensionally accurate manner so as to fit together substantially without gaps.

Location means in the form of circular holes 12 are provided at fixed spaced intervals on the panel 10 as before. Corresponding and complimentary location pegs 16 are provided on the brick 14 but fixing in this case is provided by a layer of adhesive 22.

As can be seen from figure 7, the bricks can be arranged in either vertical or horizontal planes and the centres of the location means 12,16, arranged to give a standard 50% overlap brick effect. The bricks 14 can be prefixed to the cladding panels 10, or the latter can be assembled uncovered and clad in place. The latter enables seams to be covered better and thus become less visible but is more labour intensive, although not as labour intensive as methods used hitherto. This method is akin to tiling.

Figure 8 illustrates an alternative arrangement where bricks 14 overlap by one third of their length and three sets of complimentary locating means are provided per brick.

As before, half, third, and/or corner bricks can be provided where necessary.

The invention provides a simple and effective way of providing a brick or stone effect to a building such as an electricity substation, portable building, or the like.

Claims (7)

1. A system for cladding a building with an artificial brick effect which comprises supplying a cladding sheet provided with locating means, supplying a plurality of artifical brick fronts having complimentary locating means corresponding to the locating means on the sheet, fixing the artifical brick fronts in place on the cladding sheet with a fixuing means.

2. A sheet as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cladding sheet is prefinished with a textured surface.

3. Asystem according to either of claims 1 or 2 wherein the brick. fronts are also prefinished with a textured surface.

4. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 in which the fixing means comprises screws, rivets, or adhesive.

5. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 in which the brick is textured to resemble stone, slate, wood or the like.

6. A system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in which the locating means is in the form of a pair of slots, holes or pegs and the complimentary locating means on the brick locate with these in a complimentary manner.

7. A system for cladding a building substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.