GB2354020A

GB2354020A - Building block former

Info

Publication number: GB2354020A
Application number: GB0014100A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Robin Mayes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-09-08
Filing date: 2000-06-12
Publication date: 2001-03-14
Also published as: GB0014100D0; GB9921086D0

Abstract

A building block former comprises an inverted hollow box-like shell (15) surrounded at the base by a lip or seat (23) with side flaps or plates (19),(20), which are held in an upright position by wire or plastic braces (16) and by wire or plastic stays (21) to form a container for liquid concrete, so that the former acts as "permanent shuttering". The former is made from thin waterproof material: a series of them is laid end to end to create a course of blocks.

Description

2354020 BUILDINa BLOCK FORMER

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a Building Block Former for use with fluid building materials e.g. concrete, cement, clay, or similar materials.

Backaround to the Invention

Building techniques using formers and fluid concrete or cement generally rely on the use of preformed plyvmod shuttering sections which act as a container or former into which the fluid concrete is poured, when the concrete has hardened the shuttering is removed to leave a solid concrete structure.

Shuttering building techniques are suited to large scale building projects which use solid concrete structures e.g. bridge ramparts, and involves the extensive use of plywood sheeting and wooden frameworks which is a construction project in its own right. Once the shuttering has been used it is treated as waste, This building method is not particularly well suited to small scale building projects such as houses, garages, or similar types of buildings, Summary of the Inventign

According to the present invention there is provided a building block former which is used in conjunction with other building block formers of the same design to become an integral part in the construction of walls, the building block formers are laid end to end in rows in a fashion similar to that used when laying conventional building blocks, fluid concrete is poured into the building block formers and allowed to harden, the building block former is constructed from thin rigid plastic or other waterproof material suitable for containing fluid concrete, cement, clay, or similar materials and comprises of one or two inverted hollow box like shells joined at the base by a right angled lip or seat giving the building block former a rectangular box shape, and with a channel running through the middle across the width of the former if two inverted shells are used in the design, four flaps are joined to the lip or seat which extends out at right angles from the four sides of the rectangular base, when the building block formers are laid end to end the end flaps are removed from the adjacent ends and the two remaining flaps on each building block former are folded into an upright position and held upright by wire or plastic braces which are passed through holes in the top corners, of the upright flaps and attached to the shells through holes in the top or sides of the shells, the flaps stand higher than the shells and serve to form a trough into which the concrete is poured, the building block formers which are filled with concrete are sufficiently strong to support successive rows laid on top; a width ways cross section through the hardened concrete in the building block former is in the form of an inverted U with a flattened top, and a length ways cross section is in the form of an m with a flattened top if a building block former with two inverted shells is used.

Brief Description of the Drawingi

A specific embodiment of the invention vAll now be particularly described by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure I shows in perspective the building block former with end flaps partly folded into their upright position, and side flaps held in their upright position by Wre braces.

Figure 2 shows in perspective the building block former using another form of inverted hollow box like shell, and another form of wire or plastic braces.

Figure 3 shows in perspective the building block former folded into shape and side flaps held in their upright position by wire or plastic braces, and with one end flap or plate attached to the end of the former by two wire or plastic stays.

Description of the Smift Embodiment

Referring to Figure 1: Inverted hollow box like shells - (1) Ore or plastic braces - (2) Holes in flaps through which the wire or plastic braces are passed - (3) Hole in top of inverted box like shell in wbich the end of the wire or plastic brace is inserted - (4) Side flap held in upright position by wire or plastic brace - (5) End flap partly folded into upright position - (6) Slot to receive the elbow of the wire or plastic brace from the adjacent former vAen laid end to end - (7) Slot to receive the elbow of the wire or plastic brace from the adjacent former when laid side by side - (8) Right angled lip (seat) - (9) Trough between the flap and the inverted box like shell - (10) Channel between the two inverted box like shells - (11) Wire or plastic brace elbow - (12) Referring to Figure 2: Wire or plastic brace with turned back hooked ends which locate in holes in the wall of the further side of the inverted hollow shell - (13) Inverted hollow box like shell with a circular wall formed in the shell - (14) Referring to Figure 3: Inverted hollow box like shell - (15) Wire or plastic braces - (16) Holes in side flaps through which the wire or plastic braces are passed - (17) Holes in folded together end tabs through which the end of the wire or plastic braces are pushed - (18) Side flap held in upright position by wire or plastic brace - (19) End flap or plate held in place by two wire or plastic stays - (20) Wire or plastic stay - (21) Holes cut into right angled lip (seat) of former - (22) Right angled lip (seat) - (23) Trough between the flap and the inverted box like shell - (24) End tabs of inverted box like shell folded in together - (25)

Claims

1. A building block former which is used in conjunction Wth other building block formers of the same design to become an integral part in the construction of walls, the building block formers are laid end to end in rows in a fashion similar to that used when laying conventional building blocks, fluid concrete is poured into the building block formers and allowed to harden, the building block former is constructed from thin rigid plastic or other waterproof material suitable for containing fluid concrete, cement, clay, or similar materials and comprises of one or two inverted box-like shells joined at the base by a right angled lip or seat giving the building block former a rectangular box shape, and with a channel running through the middle across the vWdth of the foriner if two inverted shells are used in the design, four flaps are joined to the lip wbich extends out at right angles from the four sides of the rectangular base, when the building block formers are laid end to end the flaps are removed from the adjacent ends and the two remaining flaps on each building block former are folded into an upright position and held upright by Wre or plastic braces which are passed through holes in the top comers of the upright flaps and attached to the shells through holes in the top or sides of the shells, the flaps stand higher than the shells and serve to form a trough into which the concrete is poured, the building block formers which are filled YAth concrete are sufficiently strong to support successive rows laid on top; a width ways cross section through the hardened concrete in the building block former is in the form of an inverted U with a flattened top, and a length ways cross section is in the form of an m with a flattened top if a building block former with two inverted shells is used.

2. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, wherein one large inverted hollow box like shell is used instead of two inverted hollow box like shells

3. A building block former as claimed in claim 2, wherein one large inverted hollow box like shell is used with a depression formed in the middle to provide a circular, square, or rectangular well instead of a channel, which is fitted with the fluid building material.

4. A building block former as claimed in claim 2, wherein one large inverted hollow box like shell is used with a combination of depressions formed in the shell to provide circular, square, or rectangular wells which are filled with the fluid building material.

5. A building block former as claimed in claim I and claim 2 wherein the inverted shelf or shells can be of a shape other than box like e.g. cylindrical, hexagonal.

6. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, and claim 5 wherein any number of inverted hollow shells are used.

7. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, claim 4, claim 5, and claim 6 wherein a complete skirt surrounds the inverted hollow shell(s), instead of four separate flaps.

8. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, claim 4, claim 5, and claim 6 wherein a wire or plastic brace passes through holes in the top corners of the flaps with the legs of the brace crossing the top of the inverted hollow shell(s), and the turned back, hooked ends of the wire brace locating in holes in the wall(s) of the further side of the inverted hollow shells.

9. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, claim 4, claim 5, and claim 6 wherein a wire or plastic brace passes through holes in the top comers of the flaps with the turned back, hooked ends of the wire brace locating in holes in the near side wall(s) of the inverted hollow shells.

10. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, claim 4, claim 5, and claim 6 wherein the wire or plastic brace does not locate into slots of the adjacent building block former.

11. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, claim 4, claim 5, cAaim 6 and claim 18 wherein a wire or plastic brace slots, clamps or slides on to the flaps to keep the flaps of the building block former in an upright position.

12. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, claim 4, claim 5, claim 6 and claim 18 wherein a belt, or rectangular wire hoop is passed around the flaps to keep the flaps of the building block former in an upright position.

13. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, claim 4, claim 5, claim 6 and claim 18 wherein adhesive tape is used to keep the flaps of the building block former in an upright position.

14. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, claim 4, claim 5, and claim 6 wherein the Ws are kept in an upright position by a fillet or strap connecting the ftap with the inverted shell(s).

15. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, claim 4 claim 5, and claim 6 wherein the flaps are kept in an upright position by a fillet or strap connecting the flaps.

16. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, claim 4, claim 5, claim 6, and claim 7 wberein the fbrmers will stack inside each other to reduce the volume of the packaged building block formers.

17. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, claim 4, claim 5, claim 6, claim 7, and claim 18, wherein the material used for constructing the former is of any combination of ribbed, fluted, corrugated, perforated or gauze material.

1 S. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, claim 2 wherein the building block former is folded into shape from cut and scored plastic sheet material or other suitable material, the side flaps are held in a vertical position by wire or plastic braces Mich are passed through holes in the top =ners of the flaps and the ends of the braces are pushed through holes in the folded together end tabs of the inverted box like shell of the former and serve to keep the folded sbixture in shape.

19. A building block former as claimed in claim 18 wherein the folded together end tabs of the inverted box like shell are held together by pins or studs, or staples, or adhesive, or adhesive tape, instead of using the ends of the braces to hold the tabs together.

20. A building block former as claimed in claim 18 and claim 19 wherein a flap or end plate can be attached to one or both ends of the former by two wire or plastic stays which are passed through holes in the end plate and the ends of the stays are pushed through holes on the inside of the side flaps.

21. A building block former as claimed in claim 18 and claim 19 wherein adjacent building block formers are joined and held together by u shaped clips which are passed through the wire or plastic braces, or pressed through the tops or end tabs of the. inverted box like shell of the former.

22. A building block former as claimed in claim 18 and claim 19 wherein holes are cut into the seat of the former to allow the concrete in the former to connect with the concrete in the former below.

23. A building block former as claimed in claim 1, claim 2, claim 3, claim 4, claim 5, claim 6, claim 7, claim 18 and claim 19 wherein the holes are made in the material from which the former is constructed to allow for adhesion of the concrete or other building material to the former, and to allow the concrete to dry and set faster.