GB2264311A - Brickwork - Google Patents

Abstract

A brick (1) for use in forming patterned brickwork has one or more generally rectilinear grooves (2) formed in its facing surface at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the block and for the accommodation of mortar. <IMAGE>

Description

BRICKWORK This invention is concerned with improvements in and relating to brickwork and to bricks for use in such brickwork.

Structural brick walls in buildings are nowadays almost always cavity walls and thus comprise an outer skin, one brick thick, as does, indeed, a brick facing to a structural wall made of some other material such as concrete. As a result, it is not possible, using whole un-cut bricks, to produce walls having other than an all stretcher appearance. The varied alternation or combination of header and stretcher, characteristic of the traditional bonds of brickwork, cannot be achieved.

It is an object of the present invention to provide bricks, and brickwork comprising them, which make it possible to provide the appearance of brickwork other than of simple repeated stretcher bond, e.g. bricks which give the appearance of headers and stretchers combined.

Basically, the invention provides a brick for use in forming patterned brickwork, the brick having one or more generally rectilinear grooves formed in its facing surface at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the brick and for the accommodation of mortar.

Conventional whole building bricks have a length of about 215 mm, a width of 102.5 mm and a height of about 65 mm. Bricks in accordance with the invention should have the same width as conventional bricks but their lengths and heights may be different. Generally, the lengths of the bricks of the invention will be the same as those of conventional bricks or some simple fraction or multiple thereof such as three-quarters, one and a half or one and a quarter times that of a conventional brick. The heights of the bricks of the invention are often the same as those of conventional bricks but may be different, for example equal to their length.

In order that the invention may be well understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a face view of a brick in accordance with the invention designed to give the appearance of a pair of headers side-by-side; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the brick shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a face view of a brick designed to give the appearance of a header and a stretcher side-by-side; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the brick shown in Fig. 3; Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively, face and side views of bricks similar to those shown in Figs. 3 and 4 except that the header is to the right of the stretcher, as viewed from the front of the bricks; Figs. 7 and 8 are, respectively, face and plan views of a three-quarters brick, for forming a closure, in accordance with the invention;; Figs. 9 and 10 are, respectively, face and plan views of a one and one-quarter brick in accordance with the invention for forming a closure; Figs. 11 and 12 are, respectively, face and plan views of bricks for forming a row of so-called "soldiers; Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an array of brickwork formed of bricks in accordance with the invention and showing an apparent Flemish bond; and Fig. 14 is a perspective view of an array of bricks in accordance with the invention and showing an apparent English bond.

In all of the drawings, numeral 1 represents a brick; numeral 2 represents a mortar-receiving groove; numeral 3 represents a hollow or frog in a brick; and numeral -7.

represents mortar in a joint or in a groove in a brick.

The brick shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings has the same dimensions as a convention brick and has a single mortar-receiving groove 2, equidistant from either end of the brick. The mortar receiving groove is suitably about 10 mm deep, has a bottom width of 11 mm and a top width of 13 mm, that is it is slightly tapered.

The bricks shown in Figs. 3-6 each have the same height and width as a conventional brick but are one-and-a-half times the length of a conventional brick, the mortar-receiving groove 2 being located about two-thirds of the length of the brick. In the brick shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the apparent header is on the left hand side whilst in the brick shown in Figs. 5 and 6 it is on the right hand side.

The brick shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is a closure brick three-quarters of the length of a conventional brick but otherwise of similar dimensions. The mortar-receiving groove is positioned about two-thirds of the length of the brick.

The brick shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is about one and one-quarter times the length of a conventional brick but, otherwise, has the same dimensions. The mortar-receiving groove 2 is about one-fifth of the length of the brick from one end thereof.

The brick shown in Figs. 11 and 12 has the same length of a conventional brick but its height is also equal to the length of a conventional brick, its width being the same as that of a conventional brick. A pair of grooves 2 extend at positions about one-third and two-thirds of the length of the brick.

The bricks shown in Figs. 1-12 may be used to form brickwork of an apparent Flemish bond, as shown in Figs.

13, or of an apparent English bond, as shown in Fig. 14.

Bricks in accordance with the invention may, at their face, be provided with some form of textured surface such as a sanded surface. The bricks may, of ocurse, be produced by any appropriate technique, e.g.

by moulding or by extrusion.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS:

1. A brick for use in forming patterned brickwork, the brick having one or more generally rectilinear grooves formed in its facing surface at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the block and for the accommodation of mortar.

2. A brick as claimed in claim 1 which has a length three-quarters, one-and-a-half or one-and-a-quarter times that of a conventional brick.

3. A brick as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4. Brickwork made up of one or more bricks as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

5. Brickwork as claimed in claim 4 generally described with reference to the accompanying drawings.