GB2450739A

GB2450739A - Paving stone

Info

Publication number: GB2450739A
Application number: GB0713068A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edwin Clifford
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-07-05
Filing date: 2007-07-05
Publication date: 2009-01-07
Also published as: WO2009004327A1; GB0713068D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a moulded concrete paving slab for creating an irregular pattern of paviours from a regular pattern of paving slabs. The paving slabs comprise a face which is cruciform in shape, with a central square region ABCD and four rectangular lateral extensions (LAKD, EFAB, BGCH, DCIJ figure 1), each of which is bounded on one side by a respective side of the central square region. The slab has a pattern of paviours 5, 6 delineated on the face, wherein at least one of said paviours extends across at least one of the boundaries (ABCD figure 1) between the central square region and a rectangular lateral extension. Later embodiments relate to a mould for manufacturing the paving slabs, a textured mat for creating a pattern imprinted on concrete and a pattern imprinted concrete area.

Description

PAVING STONE

This invention relates to paving, and more particularly to creating a paved area comprising a regular pattern of slabs which form an apparently irregular pattern of paviours. This invention also relates to a mould for manufacturing the slabs which are to be used to create said paved area. This invention further relates to creating an irregular pattern of paviours in pattern imprinted concrete, and more particularly to a textured mat for performing the imprinting.

Paving using concrete slabs has become increasingly popular because the price of concrete slabs has fallen due to the new production techniques used in their manufacture.

Though slabs are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, most are moulded to standard shapes and sizes.

Slabs typically have one face which is intended to be visible when the slab has been laid, which hereinafter will be referred to as the upper surface. The upper surface can be coloured using concrete dyes which are usually a metal oxide.

Regular and repeating patterns of small paviours such as herringbone and basket weave are common in paved areas. Towards simplifying the process of creating the regular patterns in paved areas, larger concrete slabs can be moulded to have an upper surface which has the appearance of the regular pattern of paviours.

More recently, attempts have been made to use rectangular slabs to create irregular patterns of small paviours in paved areas. The slabs are moulded to have an upper surface which has the appearance of an irregular pattern of paviours. However, some regularity in appearance may still be seen when using such slabs, especially in large paved areas, due to the extended straight and thus highly visible boundaries between adjacent rows of slabs.

As an alternative to paved areas, monolithic concrete areas may be preferred. Without decorative treatment however monolithic concrete areas are usually considered to be drab, functional surfaces. The most popular decorative treatment is pattern imprinting, and the resulting monolithic concrete areas are known as pattern imprinted concrete.

A specific concrete mix is used for pattern imprinted concrete, wherein the mix comprises small size aggregate and fibre reinforcement. Once the concrete mix has been tamped and floated to form the desired monolithic surface, coloured dyes combined with surface hardener are applied. A release agent is applied to prepare the surface for imprinting, or stamping.

Imprinting is performed using textured mats usually of alloy or plastic. The mats are usually modular such that a series of mats is used to generate the pattern of paviours in the concrete. The imprinting surface of the mats is the inverse of the pattern desired on the concrete surface. Mats are carefully laid out and substantially equal pressure is applied to each mat to leave an even pattern resembling a paved area on the surface of the concrete.

Once the entire area has been imprinted the concrete is left to harden for 24-96 hours before being washed down and sealed.

The desired appearance of a pattern imprinted concrete area is substantially the same as a paved area.

Therefore, the same problems regarding creating an irregular pattern of paviours in paved areas also apply to pattern imprinted concrete areas.

One objective of this invention is to provide a paving slab to be used to lay a paved area with an irregular surface pattern. A second objective of this invention is to provide a slab that may be used to produce an apparently irregular pattern of paviours in a large paved area using only a few types, or even one type, of paving slab.

Another objective of this invention is to provide a mould for the production concrete slabs.

A further objective is to provide a textured mat which can be used to imprint an irregular pattern of paviours in a pattern imprinted concrete area. A yet further objective of this invention is to provide a textured mat that may be used to imprint an apparently irregular pattern of paviours in a large concrete area using only a few types, or even one type, of textured mat.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a cruciform paving slab having an upper surface comprising: a central square region and four rectangular lateral extensions each of which is bounded on one side by a side of the central square region, and a pattern of paviours delineated on the upper surface, wherein at least one paviour extends across at least one boundary between the central square region and a rectangular lateral extension.

In one embodiment, the paving slab has an irregular pattern of paviours on its upper surface.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a mould which can be used to manufacture paving slabs. The mould has an upwardly-open cavity with a cruciform base comprising a central square region and four rectangular lateral extensions, wherein the base comprises a pattern of recesses to produce a pattern of paviours on the moulded paving slab. At least one of said recesses extends across at least one of the boundaries between the central square region and a rectangular lateral extension.

In a one embodiment, the base of the mould has an irregular pattern of paviours.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a textured mat for imprinting patterns in concrete. The mat has a cruciform imprinting surface comprising a central square region and four rectangular lateral extensions each of which is bounded on one side by a side of the central square region. On the imprinting face it has a pattern of recesses to produce paviours in the concrete. At least one of said recesses extends across at least one of the boundaries between the central square region and a rectangular lateral extension of the cruciform imprinting surface of the mat.

In one embodiment, the pattern of recesses on the imprinting face is irregular.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a cruciform shape for the purpose of describing the shape and establishing notation to be

used in the description of the remaining diagrams;

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a cruciform paving slab with a first pattern of paviours; Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of the cruciform paving slab shown in Figure 2; Figures 4 to 7 are schematic plan views of cruciform slabs with different patterns of paviours on the upper surfaces; Figure 8 shows an arrangement of four identical cruciform paving slabs laid to form a paved area; Figure 9 shows an arrangement of four different cruciform paving slabs laid to form a paved area; Figure 10 shows an arrangement of two cruciform slabs and four edging slabs laid to form a paved area; Figure 11 is a schematic plan view of an alternative cruciform paving slab; Figure 12 shows an arrangement of the alternative cruciform slabs shown in Figure 11 laid to form a paved area; and Figure 13 is a schematic plan view of a textured mat to be used to imprint patterns of paviours in concrete.

B

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a cruciform shape lA which can be formed by rebating a square area from each corner of a square, wherein each square rebate has sides of length substantially one quarter of the length of the sides of the larger square. The resulting cruciform shape has a central square region (A, B, C, D) and four rectangular lateral extensions (E, F, B, A), (B, G, H, C), (D, C, I, J) and (L, A, D, K). Each lateral extension extends along the full length of one of the sides AB, BC, CD or DA of the central square region (A, B, C, D). The cruciform therefore has 12 sides: 4 long sides EF, GH, IJ, KL and 8 short sides FB, BG, HC, CI, JD, DK, LA and AE which are substantially half the length of the long sides.

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of a cruciform paving slab 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The upper surface 2 and lower surface 3 are of the cruciform shape shown in Figure 1.

The upper surface 2 is divided by one or more channels or pointing gaps 4 of width pg into a number of smaller rectangles 5, 6, 7 and 8 which represent paviours. There are no pointing gaps around the perimeter of the slab. The appearance of pointing gaps between slabs is achieved by positioning slabs a distance pg apart.

Four of the paviours 5, 6, 7 and 8 are dimensioned and positioned so that they each extend across at least one of the notional boundaries AB, BC, CD and DE between the central square region and the respective rectangular lateral extensions of the cruciform shape.

A better appreciation of the pattern of paviours may be gained from Figure 3, which is a plan view of the slab 1.

A nib 9 is formed on each edge of the cruciform slab for the purpose of maintainhig uniform separation distance of pg when slabs are laid adjacent each other. The nibs are spaced along the respective edges such that nibs on the opposing edges of adjacent slabs do not meet.

Referring now to Figure 3, there is a plan view of the slab 1 of Figure 2. Each of the notional boundaries AB, BC, CD and DE between the central square region and the respective rectangular lateral extensions has a respective paviour extended across it.

The upper rectangular lateral extension (E, F, B, A) and the lower rectangular lateral extension (D, C, I, J) each comprises a respective pair of paviours 5 and 6, and 5A and 6A. Respective square paviours 5 and 5A extend across the respective notional boundaries AB and CD, but the smaller rectangular paviours 6 and 6A do not. The pattern of paviours in the lower rectangular lateral extension (D, C, I, J) can be achieved by rotating the upper rectangular lateral extension (E, F, B, A) by 180 degrees as seen in Figure 1.

Left-hand rectangular lateral extension (L, A, D, K) and right-hand rectangular lateral extension (B, G, H, C) each comprises a respective pair of paviours 7 and 8, and 7A and 8A. Respective rectangular paviours 7 and 7A extend across the respective notional boundaries DA and BC, but the respective smaller square paviours 8 and 8A do not. The pattern of paviours in the right-hand rectangular lateral extension (B, G, H, C) can be achieved by rotating the left-hand rectangular lateral extension (L, A, D, K) by 180 degrees as seen in Figure 1.

The remaining area of the central square region comprises a pattern of paviours such that it has 180-degree rotational symmetry. Consequently the slab 1 has two different rotational orientations.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a slab 10 with a second pattern of paviours. This pattern of paviours is a mirror image of the pattern of paviours shown in Figure 3, i.e., reflecting the slab 1 shown in Figure 2 over either of its vertical edges GH or KL produces the slab 10 shown in Figure 4.

Substantially square paviours 5 and 5A now extend across the respective notional boundaries AB and CD on the right-and left-hand side respectively.

Rectangular paviours 7 and 7A now extend across the respective notional boundaries DA and BC on the lower and upper side respectively. The remaining area of the central square region still comprises a pattern of paviours such that the central square region has 180-degree rotational symmetry around a vertical axis through its centre. Consequently the slab 10 has two different rotational orientations.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a slab 11 with a third pattern of paviours. Again each of the notional boundaries AB, BC, CD and DE between the central square region and the respective rectangular lateral extensions has a respective paviour extended across it. The paviours 12, 13 and 14 in the upper lateral extension (E, F, B, A) and the paviours 15, 16 and 17 in the right-hand lateral extension (B, G, C, H) are arranged into palterns which are substantially the same, wherein paviours 14 and 17 extend across the notional boundaries AB and BC respectively. The remainder of the upper surface of the slab 11 has an irregular pattern of paviours. The slab 11 therefore has four different rotational orientations.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a slab 18 with a fourth pattern of paviours. Each of the notional boundaries AB, BC, CD and DE between the central square region and the respective rectangular lateral extensions has a respective paviour 19, 20, 21 and 22 extended across it. The entire upper surface comprises an irregular pattern of paviours.

Unlike any of the previously described slabs, the slab 18 has a pointing gap 4A extending the full length of the slab from the uppermost edge EF to lowermost edge IJ. Care must therefore be taken when positioning slabs 18 to form a paved area to ensure that the respective pointing gaps 4A are not aligned. Such an alignment results in an apparently continuous pointing gap 4A extending across multiple slabs 18, which impacts the desired irregularity in the pattern of paviours in the paved area. However, due to the irregularity in the pattern of paviours across the entirety of the upper surface of the slab 18, the slab 18 has four different rotational orientations.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a slab 23 with a fifth pattern of paviours.

The upper lateral extensions (E, F, B, A) comprises only two paviours 24 and 25, of which neither extend across the notional boundary AB. A continuous pointing gap 4B therefore extends across the full length of the notional boundary AB. When laid to form a paved area, a continuous pointing gap 4B will extend the full length of the slab along the line LG. As with the slab 18 of Figure 6, care must be taken when positioning the slab 23 to form a paved area to ensure that pointing gaps 4B are not aligned. If the pointing gaps 4B are aligned, the result is an apparently continuous pointing gap 4B extending across multiple slabs 23.

Notional boundary CD has one paviour 28 extending across it. Notional boundaries BC and DA each have extended across them two respective paviours 31 and 32, and 34 and 35 respectively. The entire upper surface comprises an irregular pattern of paviours, and the slab therefore has four different rotational orientations.

Figure 8 shows four identical slabs 23, 31, 32 and 33 laid to form a paved area. One slab 23 is the same as the slab 23 shown in Figure 7. Second 31, third 32 and fourth 33 slabs are each the same as the slab 23 of Figure 7 rotated respectively through 90, 180 and 270 degrees clockwise as seen in Figure 7.

When forming a paved area, slabs are positioned in rows. Respective slabs are laid such that a first slab 23 has a long edge EF opposing a long edge IJ of a second slab 33. As a result respective rows will each have castellated edges on their respective lateral edges.

The interdigitation of these respective rows produces a paved area of uniformly-spaced slabs, wherein the paved area comprises an irregular pattern of uniformly-spaced paviours. When the respective rows are interdigitated, the respective slabs are laid such that a short edge FB of a first slab 23 opposes substantially half of the long edge KL of a second slab 31, and a second short edge BG of the first slab 23 opposes a short edge DK of the second slab 31.

It will be clear that pattern repetition may be avoided, or at least reduced, by laying the slabs in a different rotational orientation from each other.

Adjacent slabs may be positioned to ensure that a pointing gap 34 of a first slab 23 and a pointing gap of an adjacent slab 33 are not aligned. If pointing gaps 34 and 35 are aligned an apparently continuous longer pointing gap is formed.

Adjacent slabs may also be positioned to ensure that a pointing gap 36 running the entire length of a notional boundary AB of a first slab 23 and the respective pointing gap 37 running the entire length of a notional boundary AB of an adjacent slab 32 are not aligned. Again the result of this alignment is an apparently continuous longer pointing gap extending across multiple slabs.

Figure 9 shows four slabs 10, 11, 18 and 23 laid to forni a paved area. As in the description of Figure 8, the paved area is produced by laying slabs adjacent one another to form rows and interdigitating the adjacent rows.

It will be clear that the different arrangements of paviours on the respective upper surfaces of the slabs 10, 11, 18 and 23 provide means to avoid, or at least to reduce, pattern repetition by positioning adjacent one another slabs with respective different patterns of paviours. Different apparently irregular patterns of paviours may be achieved in a paved area by laying rows with respective slabs in different sequences.

Two adjacent slabs may be positioned to avoid a pointing gap 38 of a first slab 23 being aligned with a pointing gap 39 of a second slab 11, as this alignment results in one apparently continuous longer pointing gap.

Two adjacent slabs may also be positioned to align pointing gap 40 running the entire length of a notional boundary AB of a first slab 23 with a respective notional boundary CD of a second slab 10, wherein the notional boundary CD of the second slab 10 has at least one paviour 6 extended across it.

The different arrangements of paviours on respective slabs, combined with the different rotational orientations of the slabs, provides means to avoid, or at least to reduce, pattern repetition over a much larger paved area than shown in Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 10 shows a paved area comprising two cruciform slabs lB and lC and four different edging slabs 41, 42, 43 and 44. Laying slabs which are each cruciform in shape will result in castellated edges to the paved area. In order to produce straight edges to the paved area one or more edging slabs are required.

According to one embodiment of the invention, square slabs 44 are laid at the corners 45 of the paved area and rectangular slabs 43 are laid in the rebates 46 of the castellated edges of the paved area in order to produce straight edges.

According to another embodiment of the invention eight-sided edge slabs 41 are laid in the rebates 47 of the castellated edges of the paved area and eight-sided corner slabs 42 are laid in the corners 48 of the paved area.

Figure 11 is a schematic plan view of an alternative cruciform slab 49. The cruciform slab 49 has a central square region (A, B, C, D) and four rectangular lateral extensions (F, G, B, E), (H, I, J, C), (D, K, L, M) and (P, A, N, 0). Each rectangular lateral extension (F, G, B, E), (H, I, J, C), (D, K, L, M) and (P, A, N, 0) extends along substantially half of a respective side of the central square region AB, BC, CD and DA.

Figure 12 is a schematic plan view of a paved area 50 comprising six of the alternative cruciform slabs 49.

To form a paved area 50, slabs 49 are laid adjacent one another to form staggered diagonal rows, two such rows being shown in Figure 12.

In a yet further embodiment (not illustrated) each paving slab is formed of a central square region and four lateral extensions, each extension being itself a square of substantially the same size and shape as the central square region. The face of the slab will be formed with a pattern of paviours separated by channels which form pointing gaps, at least one of the paviours extending from one of the lateral extensions into the central square region. To form a paved area with a these slabs, the slabs are laid in staggered diagonal rows similar to the rows shown in Figure 12.

Referring now to Figure 13, there is a textured mat 51 for creating pattern imprinted concrete. The textured mat 51 comprises rectangular 52 and substantially square 53 recessed regions, which form the paviours when imprinting is performed. The textured mat 51 further comprises ridges 54 of width pg extending across the textured mat and a ridge 55 extending along the entire perimeter of the textured mat. According to one embodiment, the perimetral ridge 55 is of width one half of pg. According to another embodiment, the perimetral ridge 55 is of width pg.

The ridges 54 and 55 form the pointing gaps when imprinting is performed. When the textured mat 51 is used for imprinting, the depicted pattern of rectangular 52 and substantially square 53 recessed regions, together with the ridges 54 and 55, will produce in the concrete a pattern of paviours substantially the same as shown on the slab 1 in Figure 3.

The recessed regions 52 and 53 can be dimensioned and positioned on the textured mat to give the appearance when imprinted in concrete of any of the respective patterns of paviours shown in Figures 3 to 7, as well as any other pattern of paviours which has at least

C

one paviour extending across at least one of the respective notional boundaries between the central square region and the respective lateral extensions of the cruciform mat.

A further aspect of the invention provides a mould for manufacturing cruciform slabs.

The mould is an upwardly-open cavity which has a cruciform base and generally vertical sidewalls.

There are ridges in the base of the cavity to form pointing gaps in a cruciform face the concrete slab, and there are recesses spaced around the sidewalls of the cavity to form nibs on the edges of the concrete slab.

To produce a slab, concrete is poured into the cavity and allowed to set. Optionally, pigment may be applied to one or more area delineated by the ridges in the base, to provide a slab having paviours of different tone or colour.

The mould may be used to manufacture slabs substantially the same as any one of the respective slabs shown in Figures 3 to 7, as well as any other cruciform slab which has at least one paviour ( extending across at least one of the respective notional boundaries between the central square region and the respective lateral extensions. (

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A paving slab having a face which is cruciform and

comprises: a central square region and four rectangular lateral extensions each of which is bounded on one side by a respective side of the central square region, and a pattern of paviours delineated on the face, wherein at least one of said paviours extends across at least one of the boundaries between the central square region and a rectangular lateral extension.
2. A paving slab according to claim 1, wherein the pattern of paviours is irregular.
3. A paving slab according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each lateral extension extends along the full length of a respective side of the central square region of the cruciform face.
4. A paving slab according to claim 3, wherein each lateral extension is substantially of the same size and shape as the central square region.
5. A paving slab according to claim 1 or claim 2,

C

wherein each lateral extension extends along substantially half of the length of a respective side of the central square region of the cruciform face.
6. A paving slab according to any preceding claim, wherein: paviours extend to the edges of the cruciform face, the paviours are separated by pointing gaps formed by channels, and the slab has spacing nibs on its respective edges, wherein the nibs are of a height substantially the same as the width of said pointing gaps.
7. A mould for manufacturing paving slabs, wherein: the mould has an upwardly-open cavity with a cruciform base comprising a central square region and four rectangular lateral extensions each of which is bounded on one side by a respective side of the central square region, the cruciform base comprises a pattern of recesses to produce a pattern of paviours on the moulded paving slab, and at least one of said recesses extends across at least one of the boundaries between the central square region and a rectangular lateral extension. (
8. A mould according to claim 7, wherein the pattern of recesses is irregular.
9. A mould according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein each lateral extension extends along the full length of a respective side of the central square region of the cruciform base.
10. A mould according to claim 9, wherein each lateral extension is substantially of the same size and shape as the central square region.
11. A mould according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein each lateral extension extends along substantially half of the length of a respective side of the central square region of the cruciform base.
12. A mould according to any of claims 7 to 11, wherein: recesses extend to the edges of the cruciform base, the recesses are separated by ridges to produce pointing gaps in the slab, and the respective sides are formed with further recesses to produce spacing nibs, wherein the depth of ( the further recesses is substantially the same as the width of said ridges.
13. A textured mat for creating pattern imprinted concrete, wherein: the mat has a cruciform imprinting surface comprising a central sqi..iare region and four rectangular lateral extensions each of which is bounded on one side by a respective side of the central square region, the mat has on the imprinting face a pattern of recesses to produce paviours in the concrete, and at least one of said recesses extends across at least one of the boundaries between the central square region and a rectangular lateral extension of the cruciform imprinting surface of the mat.
14. A textured mat according to claim 13, wherein the pattern of recesses is irregular.
15. A textured mat according to claim 13 or claim 14, wherein each lateral extension extends along the full length of a respective side of the central square region of the cruciform imprinting surface of the mat.
16. A textured mat according to claim 15, wherein

C

each lateral extension is substantially of the same size and shape as the central square region.
17. A textured mat according to claim 13 or claim 14, wherein each lateral extension extends along substantially half of the length of a respective side of the central square region of the cruciform imprinting surface of the mat.
18. A textured mat according to any of claims 13 to 17, wherein: recesses extend to the perimeter of the cruciform shape, the cruciform mat has ridges which delineate the recesses and are of width pg. and the mat has a ridge extended around its entire perimeter.
19. A textured mat according to 18, wherein the perimetral ridge is of width pg.
20. A textured mat according to 18, wherein the perimetral ridge is of width half of pg.
21. A pattern imprinted concrete area, wherein: the pattern comprises a contiguous series of ( cruciform shapes each comprising a central square region and four rectangular lateral extensions each of which is bounded on one side by a respective side of the central square region, and wherein each cruciform shape comprises a pattern of paviours, and wherein at least one of the paviours extends across at least one of the boundaries between the central square region and a rectangular lateral extension of the cruciform shape.
22. A pattern imprinted concrete area according to claim 21, wherein the pattern of paviours imprinted in the concrete is irregular.
23. A pattern imprinted concrete area according to claim 21 or claim 22, wherein each cruciform shape has lateral extensions extending along the full length of a respective side of the central square region of the cruciform shape.
24. A pattern imprinted concrete area according to claim 23, wherein each cruciform shape has lateral extensions substantially of the same size and shape as the central square region.

I
25. A pattern imprinted concrete area according to claim 21 or claim 22, wherein each cruciform shape has lateral extensions extending along substantially half of the length of a respective side of the central square region of the cruciform shape.
26. A paving slab substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 2 and 3, Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 6, or Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.
27. A paving slab substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 11 of the accompanying drawings.
28. A textured mat substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 13 of the accompanying drawings.