GB2247908A

GB2247908A - Building aid

Info

Publication number: GB2247908A
Application number: GB9020027A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey William Pell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-09-13
Filing date: 1990-09-13
Publication date: 1992-03-18
Also published as: GB9020027D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a building aid, for assisting in the building of a structure from building modules. In one embodiment the building aid comprises a substantially rigid element defining a first surface 12c for engagement with an established building module, a second surface 12d for vertically spacing a building module being applied from an aid- engaged established building module and a third surface 13a for horizontally locating a building module being applied relative to an aid-engaged established building module. If the elements are frogged or have holes, the aid may be designed to enter the frog or hole (Figs 2-4, not shown). In some embodiments, the aid remains in the finished construction, but the aid of Figure 1 may be recovered when the construction is complete. <IMAGE>

Description

"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO BUILDING AIDS" This invention relates to building aids and, more particularly, to an aid for building structures of bricks, stone blocks, artificial stone blocks, and the like natural and artificial block materials, hereinafter referred to as "building modules".

It is well known in the art to build stnletures, such as walls and columns, of building modules using a mortar between said modules to bind the modules into a solid structure. Bricklayers, stone masons and the like artisans are highly skilled in the building of structures using such building modules but such skills are learned only with practise and the unskilled person has difficulty in judging the correct amount of mortar to be applied to each building module, the correct spacing of each module relative to the previously assembled modules and the placing of each building module without tilt.

The present invention seeks to provide a building aid useful for the building of structures from building modules.

According to the present invention there is provided a building aid, for assisting in the building of a structure from building modules, comprising means for engaging an established building module in combination with means for locating a building module being applied to the structure relative to the established building modules.

In one embodiment in accordance with the invention said means for locating a building module being applied to the structure is separable from said means for engaging an established building module. With such an embodiment the said means for locating conveniently includes an aperture there through and the means for engaging the established building module is located in said aperture.

In another embodiment the said means for engaging an established building module is securely attached to the said means for locating a building module being applied to the established building modules and most preferably said means are formed integral.

Preferably said means for engaging an established building module comprises a limb, arranged to be engaged in an established building module or between two established building modules, and said limb comprises a substantially rigid material.

Preferably said means for locating a building module being applied to the structure relative to the established building modules is arranged to engage an exposed surface of the established building module or modules and has a thickness equal to the desired thickness of mortar between a building module being applied and the established building modules.

Preferably said means for locating a building module being applied to a structure includes a surface or surfaces engageable with a face of the established building module and a surface or surfaces engageable by a face of the building module being applied and said surfaces are so arranged that when the building module being applied is in contact with the building aid that face of the building module being applied is parallel with the face of the established building module engaged by the building aid.

In one embodiment in accordance with the invention said means for spacing a building module being applied comprises at least one limb, of a substantially rigid material, extending at right angles to the axis of said limb arranged to be engaged in the said established building module.

Preferably said means for locating a building module being applied to the structure relative to the building module includes a limb arranged to engage in said building module being applied, or between two building modules being applied, and said limb comprises a substantially rigid material.

In one embodiment in accordance with the invention the said limb engageable in an established building module is axially aligned with the axis of said limb engageable with the building module being applied.

The invention will now be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows, in perspective view, a building aid in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 shows, in perspective view, a second embodiment for a building aid in accordance with the invention, Fig. 3 shows, in perspective view, a third embodiment for a building aid in accordance with the invention and, Fig. 4 shows a front view of a wall structure with the building modules located and spaced using the building aids shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The building aid illustrated in Fig. 1, generally indicated by numeral 11, comprises a rectangular block 12 with a rectangular block or limb 13 formed integral therewith.

The block 11 has a length A, substantially equal to the horizontal width of a building module, a width B and a thickness C, the width B being at least three times the thickness C. The thickness C is equal to the desired thickness of mortar between adjacent rows of building modules.

The block 13 runs the full length A of the block 11 and has a width D equal to the thickness C of the block 12. The said block 13 lies midway between, and parallel to, the side faces 12a and 12b of the block 12. The block 13 thus defines two surfaces 12d and 12e, of the block 12, one on either side of the block 13, parallel to the undersurface 12c of the block 12. The side surfaces of the block 13 are identified as 13a and 13b.

The depth E of the block 13 is preferably substantially equal to, or slightly less than, one half of the width B of the block 12.

Fig. 4 shows how the building aid 11 as used with building modules in a structure.

As will be seen from Fig. 4 a wall structure is built on a base 14 by applying a layer of mortar 15 to the base surface 14 of a thickness equal to, but preferably slightly greater than, the thickness C of the element 11.

A first building aid 11 is located in a desired position on the mortar 15, with its length A transverse to the intended line of the wall, and the element 11 is worked backward and forward into the mortar 15 until its major surface 12c is in contact with the base surface 14.

A first building module 16 is then placed on the element 11 such that its undersurface 16a rests on the surface of the element 11, with one end 16b of the building module 16 abutting the vertical surface 13a of the block 13. With the first building module 16 so located a second building aid 11 is worked into the mortar 15, in identical manner to the first building aid 11, and in such location that the lower corner of the first building module 16 remote from the first building aid 11 can rest on the surface 12e of the second building aid 11, with its end wall 16c abutting the surface or 13b of the block 13.

Thus, the first building module 16 is located with its undersurface 16a generally parallel the base surface 14, and by gently tapping the module 16 on its upper surface the excess mortar can be squeezed out from below the building block 16 and the building block 16 will be arrested when its undersurface 16a is engaged with the surface 12d of the first building aid 11 and the surface 12e of the second building aid 13.

To assemble a second building module 16 in the row one lower corner of the second building module 16 is located against the surface 12d of the second building aid 11 and a third building aid 11 is worked into the mortar 15 to receive the free corner of the said building module 16 on its surface 12e, with the side 16c of the second building module 16 abutting the surface 13b of the block 13 of the third building aid 13.

The second building module 16 can then be removed and mortared on its end face 16b intended to abut the first building module 16, and the said second building module 16 is then re-applied being tapped on its top and its free end 16c so its mortared side face 16b engages the adjacent the face 16b of first building aid 13 and the free corner t)f the second building module 16 is seated against the supporting surfaces 12 of 12d and 12c of the second and third building modules 16 respectively.

The building of the first layer of building module 16 can continue to one side or both sides of the first building aid 11 until the first complete row of building modules 16 has been established for the structure and, using the above described technique, the lower faces of the first row of building module 16 will lie exactly parallel with the base surface 14 and the building modules will be spaced apart by the width D of the block 13.

A straight edge, or string, may be used to ensure that the vertical faces of the building modules 16 lie in the desired planes.

With the first layer of building modules 16 assembled on the base 14 a second layer of mortar 17 can be applied to the top surfaces of the building modules 16 and a building aid 11 is located on top of each building module 16 of the first row and worked through the mortar, to be in contact with the top surfaces of their respective blocks 16. Each building aid 11 is located at the mid location of the length of each of the building module 16, with its block 13 uppermost.

A second row of building modules 18 can then be applied onto the top surface of the layer of mortar 17, each building module 18 having its lower corners seated in the recesses defined by the surfaces 12d, 13a and 12e, 13b of two spaced apart building aids 11.

As with the first layer each building module 18 will have mortar applied to its end face 18b or 18c intending to abut an established building module 18.

The building of the structure can then continue, by applying successive rows of building modules, at each row using the building aid 11 as described above.

In one embodiment, when the building aids 11 have a length A equal to the width of the building modules 16 or 18, said building aids 11 may be left in the structllre, in which case the building aids 11 may have rough surfaces to be held in the structure by the set mortar, and the ends of the building aids 11 may be coloured to match the mortar or the building modules or may be distinctively coloured to give the structure a more colourful aspect.

In another embodiment the building aids 11 may be withdrawn from the structure, as by using a hamner and punch, once a building module 16 or 18 has been set and is fully supported by the surrounding mortar, the hole left by each removed building aid 11 can then be filled with mortar and the building aids 11 can be cleaned for re-use.

In another embodiment the building aids 11 may have a length A smaller than the width of a building module 16 or 18 and may be set with the building modules to lie mid-way between the major faces of the structure, so that the building aids 11 can be left in the structure and mortar at each end of the building aids 11 will totally enclose the building aids 11.

The building aid illustrated in Fig. 2, and generally indicated by reference 21, is intended for use with so-called "frog" or "frogged" bricks and which bricks are conmnon in the art and have a recess in one major surface, or both major surfaces, each recess being defined by generally plain surfaces to form a recess of triangular configurations in cross sections at right angles to the length direction of the brick.

The building modules 18 illustrated in Fig. 4 comprise such "frogged" bricks, each having a recess 18a in one side only, and the recesses 18a are illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 4.

Each brick 18 further includes two apertures 18b therethrough, each aperture 18b passing through the brick from the lower regions of the recess 18a through to the un-recessed side of the brick 18, the axes of said recesses 18b lie in a plane passing centrally through the brick and parallel with the length direction of the brick, said two apertures 18b are equally spaced one on either side of the mid-point of the brick 18 and the axes of the apertures 18b are spaced apart by a distance equal to the length of a brick 18 plus the thickness of mortar intended to space the brick 18 from an adjacent brick 18.

The building aid 21 comprises a central post 22, having a diameter to enter into an aperture 18b, with two wing-like elements extending from opposite sides of the post 22. The elements 23 and 24 are spaced from the two ends of the post 22 and present sloping surfaces 23a and 24a arranged, when the post 22 is entered into the recess 18a of a building brick 18 with the lower regions of the post 22 are entered into a recess 18b, to seat on the sloping walls of the recess 18a.

The axial lengths of the elements 23 and 24 is such that when the building aid 21 is seated in a brick 18 as described above, with the lower regions of the post 22 entered into a recess 18b and the sloping surfaces 23a and 24a resting against the side sloping surfaces of the recess 18a, the upper surfaces 23b, 24b of the elements 23 and 24 respectively are spaced from the upper surface of the building brick 18 by an amount equal to the thickness of mortar to be applied between the brick 18 and a brick 18 to be placed above and adjacent thereto. The upper regions of the post 22, above the surfaces 23b, 24b, are intended to enter into the aperture 18b of a brick 18 applied above the brick 18 in which the building aid 21 has been inserted.

In use, two building units 21 are located in the recesses 18b of a frogged brick 18, the frog is then charged with mortar, which assists in retaining the building aids 21, and a thickness of mortar is applied to the top of the brick 18, preferably to a thickness greater than the height of the surfaces 23b, 24b of the assembled building aids 21. Thus, when building the next course of bricks, said next course being in staggered relationship to the established bricks in the conventional manner, the upper regions of the post 22 will be entered into a recess 18b of a brick being applied and will serve to space the lower regions of the brick from the established brick 18, said brick being applied will be tapped lightly to squeeze excess mortar from between the bricks.Thus, when a brick 18 is being applied, one of the building aids 21 in an established brick will have the upper regions of its post 22 entered into a recess 18b of the said brick being applied, whereupon the building aids 21 vertically space the row of bricks 18 being applied from the row of established bricks and accurately locate the row of bricks being applied in the desired staggered relationship with the row of established bricks. Further, the surfaces 23b, 24b ensure that bricks being applied to the established structure have their undersurfaces lying generally parallel with the major faces of the bricks in the established structure.

When the brick 18 is a "double" frog brick, that is a brick having a recess 18a in each of its major surfaces, the building aid 21 will have a post 22 longer than that used for a single frog brick 18 and the wing-like elements 23 above the plane line XX will be a a mirror image of such elements below the line XX.By this construction, when the lower sloping surfaces 23a, 24a are engaged with the sloping surfaces defining the recess 18a in an established brick 18, the upper edges 23a and 24a are in position to contact the sloping surfaces of the recess 18a in a brick 18 being applied to the established brick 18 and the sloping surfaces 23a and 24a on the lower and upper elements 23, 24 are so spaced apart that when a brick 18 being applied to the established structure is firmly seated on the respective surfaces 23a, 24a of a building aid 21 the brick 18 is spaced from the established brick(s) by the desired mortar thickness between the bricks and the brick being applied is supported with its lower major surface in a plane parallel to the plane of the upper surface of the established brick.

The building aid illustrated in Fig. 3, generally indicated by numeral 31, comprises an assembly of six rectangular posts or limbs arranged to extend along three axis at right angles to one another. Thus a rectangular post 32 is axially aligned with a rectangular post 33, a rectangular post 34 is axially aligned with a rectangular post 35, a rectangular post 36, is axially aligned with a rectangular 37, and the axes of the posts 32 and 33, the posts 34 and 35, and the posts 36 and 37, lie at right angles to one another.

The building aid 31 is intended to be used with building modules 19 shown in Fig. 4, and which comprise solid bricks each of which has two bores 19a and 19b passing therethrough. The axes of the bores 19a and 19b in each brick 19 lie in the vertical plane passing centrally through the brick 19 and the said axes of the bores 19a, 19b are equally spaced from the mid-point of the brick 19 and are spaced apart by an amount equal to the length A of the brick 19 plus the horizontal thickness of mortar intended between two adjacent bricks 19.

In use and with a first row of bricks 19 established, conveniently using the building aids 11 shown in Fig. 1 to position the said first row of bricks, two building aids 31 are applied to each established brick 19, the posts 37 of the building aids 31 being entered into the bores 19a, 19b of the bricks 19 so that the posts 32, 33, 34 and 35 of each building aid 31 rest on the top surfaces of their respective established brick 19.Mortar is then applied on top of the established bricks 19, preferably to a thickness slightly greater than the thickness of the posts 32, 33, 34 and 35, and the bricks 19 to be applied are successively applied to the established bricks, each such brick 19 being applied being mortared on one end, and each brick being applied such that its apertures l9a, 19b receive the posts 36 of two building aids 31 presented at the adjacent ends of two established bricks 19, whereupon the rows of bricks 19 are in the conventional staggered relationship.

It will be seen that with the device illustrated in Fig. 3 the thickness of the posts 32, 33, 34 and 35 accurately determine the thickness of mortar between adjacent rows of bricks 19 as the bricks 19 are being applied to the established structure, the limbs 36 so locate each brick 19 relative to the established bricks 19 as to determine the thickness of mortar between adjacent bricks being applied, and the top and bottom surfaces of the posts 32, 33, 34 and 35, establish each brick 19 planes parallel to the planes of the established bricks 19.

It will be appreciated that the building aid 31 can have posts 32 to 37 of different cross-section to the square cross-section illustrated and such posts may, for example, have circular cross sections, hexagonal cross sections or any other desired regular cross section.

It will also be appreciated that the building aids 11, 21 and 31 can be constructed in any desired material and.

conveniently, said building aids may be made from a plastics material and by a moulding process.

It will also be appreciated that the building aids 11, 21 and 31, need not be of solid construction and, for example, the building aid 11 may have a recess formed in its plane surface 12c, and which recess may extend into the block 13. In another arrangement the said aid 11 may be formed from a sheet material, so as to be open at its end. With respect to the building aid 21 the post 22 may be of tubular form and the wing-like elements 23 and 24 may have apertures therethrough.

The building aid 31 may also have its limbs 32 to 37 of tubular form. It should be noted however that such lightening of the building aids 11, 21 and 31 should be effected without weakening the aids beyond the rigidity required to support the building modules.

It will be seen that using the building aids 11, 21 or 31, each building module being applied to an established structure will have its lower surface firmly supported in a plane parallel to the upper surface of the established modules and the building aid will space the module being applied at a pre-determined distance from the established modules, to determine the thickness of mortar between adjacent rows of building rows 19. Further, the building aids 11, 21 and 31 establish the distance between adjacent building modules 19 in each row so that the thickness of mortar between adjacent building modules 19 is accurately determined.

Whilst the present invention has been described by way of specific examples the invention is not restricted thereto and many variations and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A rigid building aid, for assisting in the building v of a structure from building modules, comprising means for engaging an established building module, means for vertically locating a building module being applied to the structure relative to the established building modules, and means for horizontally locating a building module being applied to the structure relative to the established building modules.

2. A building aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for engaging established building modules comprises a first surface presented by said building aid.

3. A building aid as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein said means for vertically locating a building module being applied to the established building modules comprises a second surface presented by said building aid.

4. A building aid as claimed in claims 2 and 3, wherein said first and second surfaces are generally parallel, oppositely facing and spaced apart to define the desired vertical spacing between the established building modules and the building module being applied.

5 A building aid as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first and second surfaces extend in the longitudinal and width directions of the structure.

6. A building aid according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said means for horizontally locating a building module being applied to established building modules comprises a third surface, substantially at right angles to said first and second surfaces, engageable by an intended upright surface of the building module being applied to define the horizontal location for the building module being applied relative to the established building modules.

7. A building aid as claimed in claim 6, of T-shaped cross-section, and wherein, when inverted, the plane lower surface defines the said first surface, a surface to one side of the limb and parallel to said plane lower surface defines said second surface and a surface presented by the said limb defines the said third surface.

8. A building aid as claimed in claim 7, and wherein the height of the limb is less than half the width of the plane lower surface of the inverted T-shaped cross-section.

9. A building aid as claimed in claims 4, 5 or 6, for use with a frogged building module, and comprising a central post with two diametrically opposite wing-like elements extending therefrom, said wing-like elements each presenting a surface engageable with an inclined surface of the frogging of an established building module, to define a said first surface, and a surface oppositely facing from said first surface and at right angles to the axis of the post defining a said second surface.

10. A building aid as claimed in claims 3, 4, 5, or 6, for use with building modules having identical recesses formed in their intended horizontal surfaces, and wherein said building aid comprises a first limb intended to be entered into an upwardly opening recess in an established building module, a second limb arranged with its axis parallel with the axis of said first limb and intended to be entered into a downwardly facing recess in a building module being applied, and means between said first and second posts defining said first and second surfaces.

11. A building aid as claimed in claim 10, and wherein said first and second surfaces are defined by limbs, arranged with their axes in a common plane at right angles to the axes of the first and second limbs.

12. A building aid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Fig. 1, Fig 2 or Fig 3, of the accompanying drawings.

13. A method for building a structure of building modules substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Fig.l and Fig.4, Fig. 2 and Fig 4, or Fig.3 and Fig 4, of the accompanying drawings.