GB2404389A

GB2404389A - Decorative facia in the form of a lintel, quoin, cill or the like

Info

Publication number: GB2404389A
Application number: GB0415288A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Patrick Grazier
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-07-25
Filing date: 2004-07-08
Publication date: 2005-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2024-07-08
Also published as: GB2404389B; GB0317528D0; GB0415288D0

Abstract

A facia including one or more fixing flanges (4, 5) is secured to a building facade either by inserting the flange (4, Figure 8) into a raked out recess (9, Figure 8) in an existing mortar joint, or by securing the flange to a wall bracket (8, Figure 6) mounted on the facade. A lintel facia may be in three parts where a centre part (1) covers a join in two laterally extending parts (2a,b). Alternatively the facia may be an apex air vent, replica air brick (Figure 10), quoin (Figure 11), or two part cill trim (Figure 12).

Description

DECORATIVE ARCHITRAVE SYSTEM FOR BUILDINGS

This invention is a decorative architrave system for buildings comprising a retro fit lintel system, an apex air vent, a corner block and a cill trim, where all of the component parts share a common system based on flanges attached to the rear surface of the system.

Steel and concrete lintels are now very commonly used in the building industry, often above door and window apertures, an example of which can be seen in GB 2 227 262. The brickwork enclosing such lintels has become much simpler and quicker which reduces the cost of the building but does little to enhance the visual appeal of the building.

The well known "catnic" lintels are often used to support brick and block work above door and window openings and frequently such lintels are formed so as to support both inner and outer faces of a cavity wall.

Such lintels provide a considerable saving over traditional I beam supports but make it extremely difficult to fit traditional block decorative lintels after a building has been completed.

In order to improve the appearance of the fascias of buildings many decorative lintel systems have been developed which incorporate a wide variety of fixing methods. Typical examples of the state of the art are as follows.

GB 2 347 697 teaches a lintel with a decorative panel made from brick slips attached to the surface of the panel. The whole assembly is mounted onto a bearing surface of the structural support lintel. This type of assembly is extremely difficult to fit after construction is complete as much of the brickwork above the door or window needs to be removed.

GB 2 346 404 shows a simple three part decorative lintel system fabricated from a fibre, fibreglass or plaster type moulding which is equipped with an adhesive backing for securing the lintel to the wall. The disadvantage with such fixings is that they are seldom permanent and they damage the clean surface of the brickwork making it difficult to revert to the original brickwork at a later date.

US 3 778 945 shows a three part lintel and teaches the principal of the components being adjustably mounted so as to allow one sized set of component parts to be fitted to a variety of differently sized apertures. All of the component parts are fixed to the wall by means of a series of protruding " ears " through which screws, or the like, are passed.

The present invention seeks to avoid all of the problems so far outlined by providing an adjustable or fixed width retro fit lintel, an apex air vent, a fixed or adjustable width window Gill and a corner stone, which are decorative in nature, require very little modification to the existing building and which have either a cement joint fixing system for each component and does not require adhesives or fixing screws. Or, are attached to a back plate mounted on the wall. Both of the fixing systems are also completely invisible once in place and both fixing systems utilize horizontal or vertical flanges which may be separate components mounted to the lintels or may be formed as part of the lintel.

According to the invention there is provided a first aspect which is an architrave element comprising retro fit lintel which is primarily but not exclusively, in three parts each part being equipped with a fixing flange. Said flange either mounted for insertion into a raked out mortar joint and secured in place by means either separate to or part of and formed from, the material in the fixing flange or said flange is mounted for engagement with a wall bracket.

A second aspect of the invention is an architrave element comprising an apex air vent which is in one part and is equipped with a fixing flange. Said flange either mounted for insertion into a raked out mortar joint and secured in place by means either separate to or part of and formed from the material in the fixing flange or said flange is mounted for engagement with a wall bracket.

A third aspect of the invention is an air brick equipped with a fixing flange.

Said flange either mounted for insertion into a raked out mortar joint and secured in place by means either separate to or part of and formed from the material in the fixing flange or said flange is mounted for engagement with a wall bracket.

A fourth aspect of the invention is a corner stone, sometimes called a quoin, equipped with a fixing flange. Said flange either mounted for insertion into a raked out mortar joint and secured in place by means either separate to or part of and formed from the material in the fixing flange or said flange is mounted for engagement with a wall bracket.

A 95th aspect of the invention is a Gill trim which is in two parts slideably mounted and equipped with a fixing flange. Said flange mounted for engagement with a wall bracket The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 Shows the three components of the retro fit lintel assembled, i.e. the left wing 2a the right wing 2b and the key stone 1.

Figure 2 Shows the separate components of the retro fit lintel unassembled where 2a is the left wing 2b is the right wing and 1 is the key stone.

Figure 3 Is a cross section of the lintel showing the horizontal fixing flanges, 4 and 5, before they are attached to the lintel.

Figure 4 Shows a cross section of the lintel 3, viewed form both inside and outside, with the horizontal flanges 4 and 5 attached.

Figure 5 Illustrates a cross section of the lintel 3, with the vertical flange 6, before it is attached to the lintel 3.

Figure 6 Is an assembly drawing shoeing the key stone 1, a cross section of the lintel 3, vertical fixing flange 6, and wall bracket 8.

Figure7 Illustrates the keystone 1, with a horizontal fixing flange 4, attached.

Figure 8 Shows the key stone 1 or the apex air vent Fig 10 or a cross section of lintel 3 fitted in place on a wall where the flange 4, is inserted into the mortar joint 9 and secured by clips 10.

Figures Illustrates a left wing 2a and a right wing 2b with either pre formed flanges or fitted with vertical flanges 6, at the top and the bottom to engage with wall bracket 12.

Figure 10 Is a replica air brick vent Figure 11 Is a corner stone or quoin Figure 12 Shown a left hand 13, and right hand 14, cill system with a wall mounting bracket 15 Referring to figure 1 the first aspect of the invention is a retro fit lintel comprising three parts. 1 the key stone 2a the left wing and 2b the right wing.

Individually these components can be seen in figure 2. A second version of the invention is also planned whereby the appearance would be exactly the same as Fig 1 but the lintel would be in one single moulding of fixed width.

Figures 3 and 4 give side views of the retro fit lintel showing the horizontal mounting flanges 4 and 5. Figures 3 and 4 do not distinguish between the right and left hand wings. Figure 3 shows the horizontal fixing flanges unassembled whereas Figure 4 shows the flanges attached to the lintel or formed as part of the lintel.

An alternate flange system is shown in figure 5 where system component 3 is shown separate to vertical flange 6. Vertical flange 6 would be either attached later to the lintel or pre formed as part of the lintel. Flanges are initially separate for the purposes of manufacturing convenience in that it reduces the number of component parts in finished product inventory. Lintels may then be assembled to order when required.

In figure 6 a mounting method is illustrated whereby flange 6, when attached to lintel 3, is fixed to the wall by means of wall bracket 8 which is screwed to the wall. Key stone 1, fits over the complete assembly.

Key stone 1, is shown in figure 7 with a vertical fixing flange attached allowing it to be mounted as is illustrated in figure 8.

A unit fitted with horizontal flanges is shown mounted in figure 8 such unit could either be the apex air vent in figure 10 or the key stone 1 or a section of left or right hand lintel or a comer stone and is given by way of example of the fixing system only. In use a raked out mortar joint 9 would be present and the lintel flange 4 after inserting into the mortar joint 9 is secured by suitable means which may include a clip 10 and which is held in place by gripping surfaces 11. It will be appreciated that the ears 11 of clip 10 could be formed in the flanges themselves from the material comprising the flange by simply cutting and raising and/or lowering part of the surface of flange 3. Any means of securing coup be used including the more usual means of wedging something into the joint with a small piece of folded sheet lead or the like.

The alternate fixing and flange system is shown in figure 9 where the flanges are vertical and are already mounted to the lintel. Vertical flanges may engage a wall bracket 8 as shown in figure 6 or a wall bracket 12 as shown in figure 9.

The wall bracket 12 is arranges to engage both the upper and lower vertical flanges.

There may be provided several different lintels of different sizes to accommodate different types of standard brickwork where the adjustablilty is of limited extent or where the lintel is constructed as a one piece moulding of fixed width.

Figures 10 and 11 give front and side views respectively of a further aspect of the invention which is an apex air vent. This vent is shown in figure 10 with a horizontal flange but can also be equipped with vertical flange. It is expected that the unit would be mounted for purely decorative purposes but there is nothing preventing mounting H over an actual air vent hole because there is an aperture which would permit the vent to operate correctly.

A further component of the system is shown in figure 11 which shares the same fixing system as all of the other system components. This component is a comer stone which is also commonly known as a quoin. These items are usually used at the comers of buildings to give the effect of raised stone corners.

Each feature disclosed in this specification including the 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 embodiments, the invention extends to any novel one or any novel combination of the features disclosed in this specification including any accompanying claims and drawings.

Claims

1 A retrofittable architrave system for buildings comprising one or more component parts and which is equipped with one or more fixing flanges which are attached to each element.

2 A retrofittable architrave system for buildings according to claim 1 equipped with one or more fixing flanges mounted for insertion into a raked out mortar joint.

3 A retrofittable architrave system for buildings according to claim 2 where the said flanges have sections raised and/or lowered to engage the upper and lower surfaces of a raked out mortar joint

4 A retrofittable architrave system for buildings according to claim 1 equipped with one or more fixing flanges for engagement with a wall bracket.

A retrofittable architrave system for buildings according to claim 1,2 and 3 or 1 and 4 which system comprises a retrofittable lintel which is in three parts one of which is a centre part which is used for covering the joint between the other two parts.

6 A retrofittable architrave system for buildings according to claim 1,2 and 3 or 1 and 4 which system comprises an apex air vent.

7 A retrofittable architrave system for buildings according to claim 1,2 and 3 or 1 and 4 which system comprises a replica air brick.

8 A retrofittable architrave system for buildings according to claim 1,2 and 3 or 1 and 4 which system comprises a replica corner stone 9 A retrofittable architrave system for buildings according to claims 1 and 4 which system comprises a Gill trim in two parts which are slideably mounted.