GB2477980A

GB2477980A - Weather protection of stacks of building bricks and blocks

Info

Publication number: GB2477980A
Application number: GB1002951A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Page; Kevin John Rutter
Original assignee: BRICK BROLLY Ltd
Current assignee: BRICK BROLLY Ltd
Priority date: 2010-02-22
Filing date: 2010-02-22
Publication date: 2011-08-24
Also published as: GB201002951D0

Abstract

A cover 10 for a stack 32 of building bricks 34 to protect them from being soaked by rain. The cover comprises the shape of an open-bottomed bag with a top panel 24 which is substantially rectangular for covering the top of the stack of bricks, and four side panels 26,28 each of which is substantially rectangular and covers a respective side of the stack of bricks over substantially the whole height of the stack. The top panel preferably has a width in each direction which is not much more than the width of the stack of bricks. By providing a relatively snug fit of the cover around the cross-section of the stack, the risk of the cover being blown away by the wind is minimised. Preferably the cover is manufactured from transparent polyethylene film and may be formed from a single blank with heat-welded seams.

Description

TITLE

Weather protection of stacks of building bricks and blocks

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to weather protection of stacks of building bricks and blocks.

In this specification, the term "brick" is intended to include building elements that are commonly referred to as blocks unless the context demands otherwise.

When building bricks are laid, it is preferable that they are not saturated with water, otherwise they can be unusable.

Building bricks are typically delivered to a building site on a pallet, shrink-wrapped with plastics film not only to secure them to the pallet but also to protect them from the rain.

Conventional practice is then to tear or cut open the shrink-wrap, take the bricks from the pallet and place them in stacks alongside the line of the wall that is to be built, possibly on the ground or possibly elevated on scaffold planks, ready for a bricklayer to lay the bricks. In the event that it rains once the bricks have been placed out in stacks, or the stacks are to be left for a period of time, for example overnight, it is important to protect the bricks from rain to prevent them becoming unusable in the short term. Typically this has been done in the past by placing a piece of waste plastics sheet or a spare muck (mortar) board on top of the stack and possibly weighting it down with a brick.

The use of merely a muck board to protect the stack of bricks from rain may prevent the top surface of the stack becoming soaked, but it offers negligible protection to the sides of the stack especially in driving rain. Also, in high winds, the muck board may be blown off the top of the stack so that it no longer serves its purpose, but also so that there is a risk, especially if the stack is at an elevated position, that the muck board may strike another object or person and cause damage or injury. The use of a small piece of plastics sheet again offers negligible protection to the sides of the stack especially in driving rain, and the sheet may be blown away by a high wind and carried far away. A larger piece of plastics sheet may perhaps be used to offer more protection from rain to the sides of the stack, but is more likely to be caught by the wind.

An aim of the present invention, or at least of specific embodiments of it, is to protect a stack of bricks from being soaked by rain, with negligible risk that the protection offered is affected by high winds or might cause damage or injury, and to do so in an inexpensive and convenient way.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cover for a stack of building bricks. The cover is in the form of an open-bottomed bag and comprises a top panel which is substantially rectangular for covering the top of the stack of bricks, and four side panels each of which is substantially rectangular and covers a respective side of the stack of bricks over substantially the whole height of the stack. The top panel preferably has a width in one direction and a width in the orthogonal direction which are no more than 15% (and more preferably no more than 10%) greater than the width in one direction and the width in the orthogonal direction, respectively, of the stack of bricks. By providing a relatively snug fit of the cover around the cross-section of the stack, the risk of the cover being blown away by the wind is minimised.

When the cover is to be used with bricks that are currently a standard size in the United Kingdom, the top panel preferably has a width in one direction and a width in the orthogonal direction each of which is between 440 mm and 480 mm.

The top panel of the cover is preferably substantially square.

The side panels of the cover preferably each have a height which is no smaller than the height of the stack of bricks, so that the side panels can completely cover the sides of the stack.

The side panels may for example each have a height which is between 800 mm and 1200 mm.

The cover is preferably formed from polyethylene film, and is preferably formed from a single blank having heat-welded seams.

The cover is preferably substantially transparent, so that the bricks inside the cover can be seen without the need to lift the cover.

In one use of the cover (i) each brick has a length (for example 215 mm) which is substantially equal to twice its width (for example 102.5 mm), and a height (for example mm) which is less than its width, (ii) the bricks are arranged in the stack with their heights vertical and (iii) the width of the stack is substantially equal to twice the brick length.

In an alternative use of the cover (i) each brick is of a form commonly referred to as a block, (ii) each block has a length (for example 440 mm) which is substantially equal to twice its height (for example 215 mm), and a width, (iii) the blocks are arranged in the stack with their widths vertical and (iv) the width of the stack is substantially equal to the block length.

Other aspects of the invention relate to: (i) a cover per se of the combination of the first aspect of the invention, for use with a stack of building bricks; and (ii) a method of protecting building bricks from falling rain.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view of a blank for forming a cover for a stack of bricks; Figure 2 is an isometric view, upside down, of the stack cover; Figure 3 is an isometric view of a stack of bricks; Figures 4A&B show alternative arrangements of the bricks in each layer in the stack; Figure 5 is an isometric view of the stack cover fitted to the stack of bricks; Figure 6 is an isometric view of a stack of blocks; and Figure 7 is an isometric view of the stack cover fitted to the stack of blocks.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a stack cover 10 is formed from a blank 12 of substantially-transparent low density polyethylene (LDPE) film having a thickness of 75 tim, although other thicknesses may be employed, such as 100 1im or 125 1im. The blank 12 has a square central portion 14 having a size A x A of about 460 mm x 460 mm. A pair of rectangular wing portions 16 extend from opposite sides of the central portion 14, each having a size A x B of about 460 mm x 1000 mm. A further pair of rectangular wing portions 18 extend from opposite sides of each wing portion 16, each having a size B x C of about 1000 mm x 230 mm. A seaming margin 20 having a width D of about 6 mm is provided along the longer edges of the further wing portions 18, the shorter edges of the further wing portions 18 adjacent the central portion 14, and the free edges of the central portion 14. A logo 22 is printed on each of the wing portions 16.

In order to form the stack cover 10, the blank 12 is folded at right angles along each of the dotted lines shown in Figure 1, and the seaming margins 20 which come together are heat-welded together to form an open bottomed bag. The stack cover 10 is shown upside down in Figure 2. As can be seen, the stack cover 10 has: a square top panel 24 having a size A x A of about 460 mm x 460 mm formed by the central portion 14 of the blank 12; a pair of opposite rectangular side panels 26, each having a size A x B of about 460 mm x 1000 mm and each formed by a respective one of the wing portions 16 of the blank 12; and a further pair of opposite rectangular side panels 28, each also having a size A x B of about 460 mm x 1000 mm and each formed by a respective pair of the wing portions 18 of the blank 12. The welded together seaming margins 20 form: seams 30 along the edges between the top panel 24 and the side panels 28; and seams 32 along the centres of the side panels 28.

Figure 3 shows a stack 32 of building bricks 34. Each brick 34 is of the size currently standard in the United Kingdom, i.e. a length E x width F x height G of 215 mm x 102.5 mm x mm. The bricks 34 are stacked with their heights vertical in fifteen layers so that the overall height H of the stack 32 is about 15 x 65 mm = 975 mm, which is less than the height B of 1000 mm of the stack cover 10. As shown in Figure 3, each layer of bricks 34 is two brick lengths wide (2 x E = 430 mm) in one direction and four brick widths wide (4 x F = 410 mm) in the orthogonal direction. It will be appreciated, however, that the bricks may be arranged differently in each layer, for example as shown in Figure 4A or 4B. However, in each case, the maximum width either direction of the layer is no more than two brick lengths wide (2 x E = 430 mm), which is less that the width of side A (460 mm) of the stack cover 10.

In order to fit the cover 10 to the stack 32, the open bottom of the cover 10 is placed over the top of the stack, and the sides 26,28 of the cover 10 are pulled down over the sides of the stack 32 so that the lower edges of the sides 26,28 of the cover 10 reach the ground (or other surface on which the stack 32 is standing), as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 6 shows an alternative stack 32 of thermal building blocks 36. Each block 36 has a face of the size currently standard in the United Kingdom, i.e. a length E x height G of 440 mm x 215 mm. Such blocks 36 come in different thicknesses. For example, Thermalite® Hi-Strength 10 blocks are currently available in the United Kingdom in thicknesses of 100, 140, 150, 190, 200 and 215 mm. The thinner blocks are more commonly used, and Figure 6 shows blocks 36 with a thickness F of 100 mm. The blocks 36 are stacked with their thicknesses vertical in ten layers so that the overall height H of the stack 32 is about 10 x 100 mm = 1000 mm, which is equal to the height B of 1000 mm of the stack cover 10. As shown in Figure 6, each layer of blocks 36 is one block length wide (E = 440 mm) in one direction and two block heights wide (2 x G = 430 mm) in the orthogonal direction. Therefore, the maximum width in either direction of each layer is no more than one block length wide (E = 440 mm), which is less that the width of side A (460 mm) of the stack cover 10.

Again, in order to fit the cover 10 to the stack 32, the open bottom of the cover 10 is placed over the top of the stack, and the sides 26,28 of the cover 10 are pulled down over the sides of the stack 32 so that the lower edges of the sides 26,28 of the cover 10 reach the ground (or other surface on which the stack 32 is standing), as shown in Figure 7.

In the case of both the covered stack 32 of bricks 34 of Figure 5 and the covered stack 32 of blocks 36 of Figure 7, the cover 10 completely shields the bricks 34 or blocks 36 from any falling rain and keeps them dry. Because the cover 10 is a snug fit for the stack 32 in its width directions, the risk of the cover 10 being blown off by the wind is minimal. It should be noted that the cover 10 may be used with stacks 32 that are not so high as described above, in which case, the cover 10 is preferably pulled down taut over the sides of the stack 32 and left crumpled around the base of the stack 32. Because the cover 10 is substantially transparent, the type of brick 34 or block 36 inside the cover 10 can be seen without the need for lifting the cover 10.

In Figures 2, 5 and 7, the cover 10 has, for simplicity, been shown with planar sides.

However, it will be appreciated that, because the cover 10 is formed from thin flexible material, it will not necessarily appear as shown in the drawings.

It should be noted that the embodiments of the invention have been described above purely by way of example and that many modifications and developments may be made thereto within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS(The reference numerals in the claims are not intended to limit the scope of the claims.) 1. A combination of: a stack (32) of building bricks (34;36); and a cover (10) for the stack, the cover being in the form of an open-bottomed bag and comprising: a top panel (24) which is substantially rectangular and covers the top of the stack of bricks; and four side panels (26,28) each of which is substantially rectangular and covers a respective side of the stack of bricks over substantially the whole height (H) of the stack.
2. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the top panel has a width (A) in one direction and a width (A) in the orthogonal direction which are no more than 15% greater than the width in one direction and the width in the orthogonal direction, respectively, of the stack of bricks.
3. A combination as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein: the top panel has a width in one direction and a width in the orthogonal direction each of which is between 440 mm and 480 mm.
4. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: the top panel is substantially square.
5. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: the side panels each have a height (B) which is no smaller than the height of the stack of bricks.
6. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: the side panels each have a height which is between 800 mm and 1200 mm.
7. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: the cover is formed from polyethylene film.
8. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: the cover is formed from a single blank (12) having heat-welded seams (30,32).
9. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: the cover is substantially transparent.
10. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein: each brick (34) has a length (E) which is substantially equal to twice its width (F), and a height (G) which is less than its width; the bricks are arranged in the stack with their heights vertical; and the width of the stack is substantially equal to twice the brick length.
11. A combination as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, wherein: each brick (36) has a length (E) which is substantially equal to twice its height (G), and a width (F); the bricks are arranged in the stack with their widths vertical; and the width of the stack is substantially equal to the brick length.
12. A combination of a stack of building bricks and a cover for the stack, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
13. The cover (10) per se of the combination of any preceding claim, for use with a stack (32) of building bricks (34;36).
14. A method of protecting building bricks (34;36) from falling rain, the method comprising: placing the bricks in a stack; and placing a cover (10) as claimed in claim 13 over the stack of bricks to form a combination as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12.