GB2352457A

GB2352457A - Spacing device for paving slabs

Info

Publication number: GB2352457A
Application number: GB9914320A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Johnathan Reginald Robinson
Original assignee: Marshalls Mono Ltd
Current assignee: Marshalls Mono Ltd
Priority date: 1999-06-19
Filing date: 1999-06-19
Publication date: 2001-01-31
Also published as: GB9914320D0

Abstract

A spacing device [10] for use with paving slabs, flagstones etc. comprises a base portion [12] and a separating portion. The base portion [12] may have at least one aperture, in which some of the material of a paving slab [20, 22] is located, and a chamfered peripheral edge. The separating portion may comprise a shaft [14] and a head [16]. The base portion [12] may be secured to the underside of a paving slab [20] and the head [16] of the separating portion may abut the upper surface of an adjacent paving slab [22], thus preventing the surfaces of the slabs [20, 22] from contacting and damaging each other when they are stacked together prior to laying. The spacing device [10] may also be used to separate adjacent paving slabs during the curing process, allowing air to circulate between them, or to provide a means of securing the slabs in to an adhesive layer when they are laid. The spacing element [10] may be placed on the material of the paving slab [20, 22] whilst the material is fluid, and the slab [20, 22] may be vibrated in order to locate at least part of the base [12] within the material of the slab [20, 22].

Description

2352457 SPACER ELEMENT

Field of the Inventio

S The invention relates to the spacing of paving units prior to laying and to improving the securement of paving units once layed.

Backaround to the Inventio

The term paving units includes flag stones, paving slabs and blocks and the like.

Prior to laying, paving units are generally stacked upon each other horizontally or placed vertically against each other. In storage or in transportation the paving units may move relative to one another and, therefore, the surfaces of the paving units may be damaged. This is especially a problem if the paving unit has a decorative surface.

In addition, paving units formed from a fluid need to be stacked for a period of time in order to allow the paving units to cure. At present, the paving units are aligned vertically but need to be spaced from one another in order to allow the air to circulate to cure the paving units. These spaces are created by inserting pieces of doweling in between adjacent paving units. However, the pieces of doweling.can fall out of the spaces between the adjacent paving units. Therefore, adjacent paving units may abut each other and damage the surfaces of the paving units. Furthermore, the pieces of doweling create a potential hazard on the floor of the storage area.

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

Summarv of the Inventio According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a spacer element comprising a separating portion and a base portion, in which the base portion is arranged, in use, to be secured to a paving unit.

Preferably the base portion is arranged, in use, to be secured to the underside of a paving unit.

is Preferably, at least a part of the base portion is secured to the paving unit by the material of the paving unit. Preferably, the base portion has at least one aperture defined therein. The base portion may have two or four or six or eight or nine apertures defined therein. The or each aperture preferably is arranged, in use, to have some of the material of the paving unit located therein. The apertures thereby provide a more secure attachment of the spacer element to the paving unit.

The periphery of the base portion may be splayed.

The separating portion may comprise a lug.

The separating portion may also act as a securement portion for securing the paving unit. The spacer element is left on the paving unit and thereby helps to adhere the paving unit to the laying adhesive once layed, for example a layer of mortar.

The lug may comprise a shaft and a head portion.

Preferably the shaft and the head portion are both circular in cross section. Preferably the cross section of the head is greater than the cross section of the shaft. This configuration provides a strong securement portion for securing the paving unit to the laying adhesive, for example a mortar layer. The head may be dome shaped or hemispherical or conical or may have a straight edge. Preferably the head is arranged, in use, to abut the upper surface of an adjacent paving unit.

Preferably the base portion is a disc.

Preferably the spacer element comprises a plastics material.

Preferably the separating portion extends from a first side of the base portion. The second side of the base portion is preferably substantially planar. Alternatively, the second side of the spacer portion.may have projecting portion. This projecting portion may improve the securement of the spacer element to the paving unit.

The base portion may be splayed such that the periphery of. the base portion decreases from the second side to the first side. The base portion may be splayed such that the periphery of the base portion increases from the second side to the first side.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a paving unit having a spacer element secured thereto, the spacer element being in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention.

The paving unit may have two or three or four or five spacer elements secured thereto.

Preferably the or each spacer element is secured to the underside of the paving unit.

Preferably at least a part of the base portion of the or each spacer element is secured to the paving unit by the material of the paving unit.

The or each spacer element may be arranged to space adjacent paving units when the paving units are stacked vertically. The or each spacer element may be arranged to space adjacent paving units when the paving units are stacked horizontally.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of spacing adjacent paving units prior to laying, the method comprising securing a spacer element having a separating portion and a base portion to a paving unit.

Preferably the method comprises securing a spacer element to the underside of a paving unit.

Preferably the method comprises securing a spacer element using the material of the paving unit. Preferably the method includes placing the spacer element on the material of the paving unit whilst the material is fluid. The method may include vibrating the paving unit whilst the material of the paving unit is still a f luid in order to locate at least a part of the base portion of the spacer 5 element within the material of the paving unit.

The method may include securing two or three or four or five spacer elements to the paving unit.

Preferably the method includes spacing adjacent paving units vertically from one another. The method may include spacing adjacent paving units horizontally from one another.

The method may include spacing adjacent paving units from one another whilst the paving units are cured. The method may include spacing adjacent paving units whilst the paving units are in storage or transportation.

Brief Description of the Drawinas

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings that follow, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the upper side of a first embodiment of a spacer element.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the underside of the spacer 30 element of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of the spacer element of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross section of a spacer element separating two adjacent paving units.

Figure 5 is a side view of a second embodiment of spacer 5 element having a conical head.

Figure 6 is a side view of a third embodiment of spacer element having a straight edge on the head.

Figure 7 is a side view of a fourth embodiment of a spacer element having a splayed base portion.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the underside of a paving unit having three spacer elements secured thereto.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the underside of a paving unit having five spacer elements secured thereto.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

As shown in Figures 1 to 3 the spacer element 10 has a base portion 12 and a separating portion. The separating portion is a lug that protrudes from the centre of one side of the base portion 12. The other side of the spacer element is substantially planar. The separating portion has a shaf t section 14 and a head 16. The head 16 has a shaped surface.

The base portion 12 is a disc. The base portion 12 also has apertures 18 defined therein.

In use the spacer element 10 is secured to the underside of a paving unit in order to separate the upper side of one paving unit from the underside of the adjacent paving unit when the paving units are horizontally stacked or vertically placed against each other. This, thereby, prevents the surfaces of the adjacent paving units rubbing against each other and causing damage. In addition, the spacer elements 10 can be used to separate adjacent paving units from one another whilst the paving units are being cured during manufacture. The spacer element maintains a passage for airflow in order to aid the curing of the paving units. In addition, when the paving units are eventually laid the separating portion provides a lug which will improve the securement of the paving unit in the adhesive layer, for example a mortar layer.

The spacer elements 10 are secured to the paving units by placing the spacer element on the underside surface of the paving units whilst the material of the paving units is still fluid. The paving units are vibrated in order for a portion of the base portion 12 to move down into the material of the paving unit. The material of the paving unit will also locate within the apertures 18 of the base portion in order to improve the securement of the spacer element to the paving unit. The vibration causes approximately half of the width of the base portion 12 to locate within the material.

The spacer elements separate adjacent paving units in both the vertical and horizontal stacking arrangements. Since the spacer elements are secured to the paving units the spacer elements cannot fall out.

The spacer element 10 separates adjacent paving units 20, 22 as shown in Figure 4. The spacer elements are made from a plastics material. Therefore, if there is relative movement of the adjacent paving units 20, 22 then only minimal damage will be done to the upper surface of the paving units.

The head of the separating portion may be of a variety of shapes. As shown in Figure 5, the head of the spacer element may be conical. Alternatively, the head of the separating portion may be circular with two flat faces defined thereon which produce a straight or chisel edge at the outermost position, as shown in figure 6.

The periphery of the base portion 12 may be splayed as shown in Figure 7. The periphery is splayed such that the periphery of the base portion increases from the side of the base portion having the separating portion extending therefrom to the side of the base portion which is arranged to be secured in the material of the paving unit. The splayed periphery provides a better securement. of the spacer element 10 to the paving unit.

Each paving unit 24 may have three spacer elements 10 secured to the underside in a triangular configuration as shown in Figure 8. This is advantageous over having four spacer elements due to a cost saving. In addition, if four spacer elements were used there is a tendency for adjacent paving units to be able to rock relative to each other due to the fact that all four separating portions do not simultaneously abut the adjacent paving unit. As shown in Figure 9, for improving the securement of the paving units to the adhesive layer each paving unit 26 may have five spacer elements 10 secured thereto.

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 thisspecification (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 extend 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

1. A spacer element comprising a separating portion and a base portion, in which the base portion is arranged, in 5 use, to be secured to a paving unit.

2. A spacer element according to claim 1, wherein the base portion is arranged, in use, to be secured to the underside of a paving unit.

3. A spacer element according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least a part of the base portion is secured to the paving unit by the material of the paving unit.

4. A spacer element according to any preceding claim, wherein the base portion has at least one aperture defined therein.

S. A spacer element according to claim 4 wherein the or each aperture is arranged, in use, to have some of the material of the paving unit located therein.

6. A spacer element according to any preceding claim, wherein the periphery of the base portion is splayed.

7. A spacer element according to any preceding claim which the separating portion comprises a lug.

8. A spacer element according to claim 7 wherein the lug comprises a shaft and a head portion.

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9. A spacer element according to claim 8, wherein the head is arranged, in use, to abut the upper surface of an adjacent paving unit.

10. A spacer element according to any preceding claim in which the separating portion also acts as a securement portion for securing the paving unit.

11. A spacer element according to any preceding claim in 10 which the base portion is a disc.

12. A spacer element according to any preceding claim, wherein the spacer element comprises a plastics material.

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13. A spacer element according to any preceding claim in which the separating portion extends from a first side of the base port-ion.

14. A spacer element according to claim 13 wherein the second side of the base portion is preferably substantially planar.

15.. A spacer element according to claim 13 wherein the second side of the base portion has a projecting portion.

16. A spacer element substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. A paving unit having a spacer element secured thereto, the spacer element being in accordance with claim 1.

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18. A paving unit according to claim 17 in which the paving unit has two spacer elements in accordance with claim 1 secured thereto.

19. A paving unit according to claim 17 in which the paving unit has three spacer elements in accordance with claim 1 secured thereto.

20. A paving unit according to claim 17 in which the paving unit has four spacer elements in accordancewith claim 1 secured thereto. -

21. A paving unit as claimed in any of claims 17 to 20 in which the or each spacer element is secured to the underside of the paving unit.

22. A paving unit according to any of claims 17 to 21 in which at least a part of the base portion of the or each spacer element is secured to the paving unit by the material of the paving unit.

23. A paving unit according to any of claims 17 to 22 in which the or each spacer element is arranged to space adjacent paving units when the paving units are stacked vertically.

24. A paving unit according to any of claims 17 to 22 in which the or each spacer element is arranged to space adjacent paving units when the paving units are stacked hortizontally.

25. A paving unit substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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26. A method of spacing adjacent paving units prior to laying, the method comprising securing a spacer element having a separating portion and a base portion to a paving 5 unit.

27. A method according to claim 26 comprising securing a spacer element to the underside of the paving unit.

28. A method according to claim 26 or claim 27 comprising securing a spacer element using the material of the paving unit.

29. A method according to claim 28, including placing the spacer element on the material of the paving unit whiist the material is fluid.

30. A method according to claim 29, including vibrating the paving unit whilst the material of the paving unit is still a fluid in order to locate at least a part of the base portion of the spacer element within the material of the paving unit.

31. A method according to any of claims 26 to 30 including spacing adjacent paving units vertically from one another.

32. A method according to any of claims 26 to 30 including spacing adjacent paving units horizontally from one another.

33. A method according to any of claims 26 to 32 including spacing adjacent paving units from one another whilst the paving units are cured.

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34. A method according to any of claims 26 to 33 including spacing adjacent paving units whilst the paving units are in storage or transportation. 5

35. A method of spacing adjacent paving units prior to laying substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.