GB2303649A - Spacing paving units - Google Patents

Abstract

A spacing unit comprises a separating portion 2 or 12, to separate at least two paving units, and a base portion 1 or 11, to bear against the underside of the units. The spacing unit can, for example, be used to space apart two paving units by a predetermined amount, the base portion 1 ensuring that the spacing unit does not rise out of place, even if the paving units are bedded down using a vibrator.

Description

SPACING UNIT AND METHOD This invention relates to the spacing of paving units during laying.

Previous attempts to maintain the spacing of paving units, for example blocks, flagstones or the like, have used simple, flat pieces of material which are inserted between the edges of two adjacent paving blocks. A disadvantage of these prior art spacers is that one spacing piece can only provide spacing between two blocks with a consequent requirement for large numbers of spacing pieces.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a specially designed spacing unit which has advantages over the prior art.

According to the invention, a spacing unit comprises a separating portion to separate at least two paving units and a base portion to bear against the underside of the paving units.

The separating portion may resist lateral movement of the spacing unit by the action of orthogonal pieces of the separating portion bearing against adjacent paving units in both lateral directions, so fewer spacers are required.

More importantly, we have also found that the base portion prevents the spacing units from rising out of place, even if the paving units are bedded down using a vibrator.

Each piece of the separating portion may have a thickness selected to space blocks at a required distance apart. The thicknesses of separate pieces of the separating portion may not be equal.

The spacing unit may be used in grid paving, in which case a single spacing unit may be used to separate the adjacent corners of four paving units.

A spacing unit to be used in grid paving may comprise a separating portion in the shape of a cross and a base portion which extends beneath at least part of the cross.

The spacing unit may be used in offset paving, in which case a single spacing unit may be used to separate the corners of two adjacent paving units and the edge of a third paving unit.

A spacing unit to be used in offset paving may comprise a separating portion in the shape of a "T" and a base portion which extends beneath each limb of the "T".

The base portion of the spacing unit may comprise more than one section, which sections may have different depths to enable paving units of different thicknesses to be laid together with flush upper surfaces.

The spacing unit may be made from plastics material, eg by moulding.

The invention also provides a method of spacing paving units comprising placing a spacing unit, which unit comprises a spacing portion to separate at least two blocks and also comprises a base portion to prevent lifting of the spacing unit, between at least two paving units which are to be laid, with the base portion of the spacing unit bearing against the underside of the paving units.

The invention includes an array of paving units laid using spacing units as defined above or laid using the method according to the invention.

By way of example, two specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which : Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment.

The spacing unit of the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, comprises a rectangular base portion 1 and an upright spacing portion 2 arranged perpendicularly to the base portion 1. The spacing portion 2 is T-shaped and comprises a centrally positioned piece 3 perpendicular to a longer cross-piece 4.

The spacing unit of this embodiment can be put into use in the following manner. When dry laying paving units in an offset configuration a section 5 of the base portion 1 of the spacing unit is placed under a corner of a paving unit, which unit has been laid. A second paving unit is then placed on the other section 6 of the base portion 1 and urged towards the first paving unit so that it will bear against the central piece 3 of the spacing unit.

A third paving unit can then be pushed up against the cross-piece 4, which third paving unit will have other spacing units at each of its corners. The units enable uniform spacing of the paving units to be achieved quickly and accurately, the spacing being equal to the thickness of the portions 3 and 4.

When completed each paving unit will have a spacing unit at each of its corners (except the corners of the units at the edges of the paving section).

The depth of the paving units will be greater than the depth of the spacing units. The difference in depth will mean that the top of a spacing unit will not protrude from the top surface of the paving units. The paving units can be bedded down with a pneumatic vibrator. The spacing units will tend to resist rising out from between adjacent blocks, under the influence of vibration, unlike prior art spacers. The spacing unit herein described will resist upward movement because the base portion 1 will bear against the underside of the paving units under which it sits.

A second embodiment of the present invention which is shown in Figure 2 will now be described. The spacing unit comprises a rectangular base portion 11 and an upright spacing portion 12 arranged perpendicular to the base portion 11. The spacing portion 12 is cross-shaped. The cross is arranged on the base portion 11 and the limbs 13, 14 and 15 of the cross extend to the edge of the base portion 11.

The spacing unit of the second embodiment can be put to use when grid paving, in a similar manner to that of the first embodiment except that the third and fourth paving units will be placed on third and fourth sections of the base portion 11 and both paving units will be pushed against the spacing unit as in the first embodiment. Further laying of the paving units will proceed as described in the first embodiment, with the advantages therein noted also applying to this second embodiment.

Both of the above described embodiments of the present invention alleviate the disadvantages of prior art spacers to provide a stable spacing unit which will require fewer spacing units per paving unit.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims (12)

1. A spacing unit comprising a separating portion, to separate at least two paving units, and a base portion to bear against the underside of the units.

2. A spacing unit as claimed in Claim 1, in which the separating portion has orthogonal pieces to resist movement of paving units in lateral directions.

3. A spacing unit as claimed in Claim 2, in which each orthogonal piece of the separating portion has a thickness selected to space paving units at a required distance apart.

4. A spacing unit as claimed in Claim 3, in which the thickness of one orthogonal piece is different to the thickness of another orthogonal piece.

5. A spacing unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, for use in grid paving, comprising one separating portion in the form of a cross and a base portion which extends beneath at least part of the cross.

6. A spacing unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, for use in offset paving, comprising a separating portion in the form of a "T" and a base portion which extends beneath each limb of the "T".

7. A spacing unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the base portion comprises more than one section, the sections having different depths to enable paving units of different thicknesses to be laid together with flush upper surfaces.

8. A spacing unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, made from plastics material.

9. A spacing unit as claimed in Claim 8, comprising a plastics moulding.

10. A spacing unit constructed and arranged as herein described, with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A method of spacing paving units comprising the steps of providing a spacing unit, which unit comprises a spacing portion to separate at least two spacing units and also comprises a base portion to prevent lifting of the spacing units, and then placing the spacing unit between at least two paving units which are to be laid, with the base portion of the spacing unit bearing against the underside of the paving units.

12. An array of paving units laid using spacing units as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10, or using the method claimed in Claim 11.