GB2258689A

GB2258689A - Bricklayer's guide apparatus.

Info

Publication number: GB2258689A
Application number: GB9211388A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey Betts
Original assignee: PORTLAND MANUFACTURING Ltd
Current assignee: PORTLAND MANUFACTURING Ltd
Priority date: 1991-06-06
Filing date: 1992-05-29
Publication date: 1993-02-17
Also published as: GB9211388D0

Abstract

Bricklayer's guide apparatus including a pair of right angle blocks each having a pair of upstanding projections (22) defining a slot (24) for receiving a length of line. The opposed faces of the projections may be provided with staggered teeth which act to grip the line. Spaced abutment elements (16) are provided on each block to define an abutment surface (18) for engagement with a wall corner. <IMAGE>

Description

Bricklayer's guide apparatus The invention relates to a bricklayer's guide apparatus, that is to say apparatus to assist him in laying courses of bricks straight and level.

The most commonly used apparatus for ensuring that courses of bricks are laid straight and level is a pair of line pins and a line, the line pins being hammered into a joint around the opposite corners of a wall at roughly the height required and the line then being tensioned between the line pins so that it extends along the top leading edge of the course of bricks just laid. This is effective but relatively slow. The invention has for its object to provide apparatus which will be easier and faster to use.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a bricklayer's guide apparatus including pair of right angle blocks, each of said blocks being provided on a front face with a pair of upstanding projections defining between them a slot which can receive a length of line, the width of the slot and the resilience of the material of which they are made being such that the line can be forced into said slot to be nipped by the two upstanding projections. The opposed faces of the projections defining the slot may be provided with staggered teeth acting to grip the line securely.

The pair of upstanding projections will preferably extend the full length of the front face of the block but be of a lesser width.

At the underside of the block an abutment surface which can abut against an end surface of a wall will preferably be formed by a pair of closely spaced abutment elements which define a narrow gap between them through which the length of line can extend.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided bricklayer's guide apparatus comprising, in combination, a pair of right angle blocks as described above and a length of line for use therewith.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of wall being built with the aid of guide apparatus embodying the invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view from the top of one of a pair of right angle blocks which together with a length of line constitute the guide apparatus, Figure 3 is a perspective view on the underside of the block, and Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the block in use.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, the section of wall there illustrated is being built with the aid of guide apparatus which is constituted by a pair of right angle blocks 10,10 and a length of line 12 which is tensioned between the blocks so that it extends along the top leading edge of the course of bricks just laid. The blocks are maintained in position purely by friction and by tension in the length of line which extends along the face of the wall.

In Figures 2 and 3 it will be seen that each block 10 has a flat planar portion 14 which in use is to lie against the face of the wall concerned.

Projecting from the underside of said flat planar portion are a pair of closely spaced abutment elements 16,16 providing an abutment surface 18 which can abut against an end surface of a wall as shown in Figure 4, and it is the angle between the abutment surfaces 18 and the flat planar portion 14 which constitutes the right angle of the right angle block. The length of line can extend through the narrow gap 20 between the two abutment elements.

A pair of upstanding projections 22, shaped so as to be comfortably grasped by the user, are provided on the front face of the block and define between them a slot 24 which can receive a length of the line between them, the width of the slot and the resilience of the plastics material of which the block has been moulded being such that the line can be forced into said slot to be nipped by the two upstanding projections, as shown in chain-dotted lines in Figure 2.

It will be understood that when the pair of blocks are to be used for the building of a wall, a length of line somewhat longer than the length of wall will be required. One end of said length of line will be attached to a first one of the two blocks, the line extending through the gap 20 between the two abutment elements 16,16 of the block before being nipped between the upstanding projections 22,22 on its front face, and perhaps wound several times around said projections for extra security. The block can then be placed in position at one end of the wall, the workman paying out the line as he walks towards the other end of the wall, but of course keeping the paid-out length of line taut in order to maintain the first block in the position in which it has been placed.

When he reaches the other end of the wall, the workman will place the second block in position and will attach the length of line to it, the paid-out length being maintained under tension so that both blocks will remain in the positions in which they have been placed. To attach the length of line to said second block, the workman may simply force the line into the slot 24 between the two upstanding projections 22,22 (although he may, if he wishes, wrap the line several times around the upstanding projections 22,22 as shown in Figure 4).

The relocation of the line from one course of bricks to the next as building proceeds can be effected very quickly and easily. Even when the line is stretched fairly taut between the pair of blocks there will still be sufficient resilience in the line to allow the blocks to be inched vertically upwards course by course. This is in contrast to the use of line pins which require to be removed and relocated on completion of each laid course of bricks.

Thus there is provided a bricklayer's guide apparatus which is very easy to use and which has been found to speed up the building of a wall when the more conventional line and line pins have previously been used.

Various modifications can however be made. For example, the opposed faces of the two upstanding projections 22 defining the slot 24 could be provided with staggered teeth acting to grip the line more securely.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Bricklayer's guide apparatus including a pair of right angle blocks, each of said blocks being provided on a front face with a pair of upstanding projections defining between them a slot which can receive a length of line, the width of the slot and the resilience of its walls being arranged to permit the line to be releasably nipped between the projections.

2. Bricklayer's guide apparatus according to claim 1, in which the opposed faces of the projections defining the slot in each block are provided with staggered teeth acting to grip the line.

3. Bricklayer's guide apparatus according to either one of the preceding claims, in which the pair of upstanding projections of each block extend the full length of the front face of the block but are of a lesser width.

4. Bricklayer's guide apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which, at the underside of each block an abutment surface which can abut against an end surface of a wall is formed by a pair of closely spaced abutment elements which define a narrow gap between them through which the length of line can extend.

5. Bricklayer's guide apparatus comprising, in combination, a pair of right angle blocks as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and a length of line for use therewith.

6. Bricklayer's guide apparatus constructed, arranged and adapted to be used substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.