GB2511783A

GB2511783A - Pointing jig for brickwork

Info

Publication number: GB2511783A
Application number: GB1304461.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Colin Payne
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-03-13
Filing date: 2013-03-13
Publication date: 2014-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 2033-03-13
Also published as: GB201304461D0; GB2511783B

Abstract

A masonry pointing board has a handle 4 comprising a first section that extends from the centre of the underside of the board and a second section that extends laterally towards one edge of the pointing board, such that in use the end 9 of the second section can be used to brace the pointing board against a wall to be pointed for improved stability. The pointing board may also incorporate pins 6 at said one edge of the pointing board that locate onto the brickwork during use to provide further stability. The pointing board may also have a rolled edge 8 at an edge of the board, opposite to the said one edge, that assists a user in putting mortar onto a trowel and can also be used for catching mortar when trimming excess from joints during pointing (Figs 5 and 6).

Description

Masonry pointing jig A tool that speeds up the process of pointing brick walls and produces less mess.

When pointing a wall it can be tricky for the less skilled to keep the mortar on a trowel before pushing it into the joints, as an alternative you can hold the mortar parallel to the brickwork on a hawk or brick trowel while trying to get cement into the joints, this is still very awkward and makes for a time consuming and often messy job.

To overcome these problems the invention incorporates a platform with adjustable pins that locate on or against the brickwork, with a handle designed to give ultimate stability.

The tool is equally well suited to the tradesman and DIY enthusiast, cutting down the time of pointing any wall. The design of the handle not only gives stability from its base but also makes the tool much more comfortable to use because of the different gripping points, that allow the tool to be held in the centre while loading and the outer grip being used when in operation. The design of the handle and locating aids mean the invention can be held against the brickwork, eliminating vertical and horizontal movement completely, alternatively the tool comes with an adjustable handle that is also collapsible, this will allow the angle of the platform to be changed to suit the operators preference.

The tiny holes created by the location aids are lost when the joint is towelled off The invention has a roll at the rear end of the mortar platform that acts as a catch tray. The roll in conjunction with location aids pushed into spacer mode also keeps the platform away from the wall when being used as a straight edge for striking joints. The roll will also assist with getting mortar on the trowel for pointing the perpendicular joints of a brick wall.

The following drawings describe the benefits of the invention.

Figure 1 shows the amount of movement experienced when trying to point brickwork with a conventional hawk.

Figure 2 shows how the problem outlined in fig I can be overcome, using the invention with the locating aids hooking onto the brick with the base of the handle footing onto the brickwork to provide quick pointing by eliminating horizontal and vertical movement of the platform.

Figure 3 shows the invention in use with trowels loaded with mortar, with a detailed explanation of each feature.

Figure 4 shows the invention with a single handle that is adjustable to change the angle of the platform in relation to the wall. Also illustrating how the locating aids hook onto the bottom brick for speed and accuracy and how the handle foots into the wall for stability.

Figure 5 With the fixed multi handle showing how the invention can be used as a straight edge for striking joints, with the roll at the bottom catching the trimmed off waste.

Figure 6 with the adjustable handle in the collapsed position indicates how the tool contacts the wall when being used as a straight edge for the trimming of mortar.

Detailed description

The handle (4) fig 3 or (13) fig 4 when fixed to platform (10) and placed against a wall eliminates movement shown in (2) fig I To eliminate movement (1) figi the pins (6) or (16) in fig 3,4&6 are attachcd to the platform (10) and are held in position by either tension spring (7) fig 3 or torsion spring (16) fig 4. Pin (6) fig 3 adjusts up and down by applying pressure to the bottom or top of pin (6). Spring (16) fig 4 rotates around an axle and clicks into different positions notched into the platform, this is important so that the pins can be used as a hook as shown fig 3 and fig 4 or a spacer for when the jig is being used to strike joints as in fig 5 and fig 6. The pin (6) can be set in a retracted position underneath the platform (10) when not in use, but when fixed in position wifi eliminate the movement shown in (1) fig 1.

Figure 2 illustrating the jig in relationship to the wall when set up for horizontal mortar application.

Figure 3 (11) is showing mortar loaded on the board. Arrow (12) is showing trowel application for horizontal joints to be pointed.

The handle in fig 4 can be either a multi grip tool or single grip as shown (13) this is adjustable to enable the angle of the mortar-carrying platform to be changed according to the operator's preference. The head of pin (6) fig 4 is located onto the bottom brick for speed when forming joints.

Figure 5 locating aids (6) pushed into spacer position enables a gap to be created between brickwork and the platform edge to allow striking of joints.

Figure 6 the pin formed by a torsion spring (16) and (8) the rolled edge shows how the invention is held off the wall and where the handle (13) is gripped during mortar trimming. Rolled edge (8) forms a catch tray for the cut excess mortar to drop into.

Also showing the invention with an adjustable and collapsible handle, with runner (15) which slides along a tracks (14)

Claims

Claims 1) A mortar board for pointing, allowing mortar to be held adjacent to brickwork during pointing, comprising of a board and a handle come support that is attached to the underside of the board, the handle protrudes downwards away from the platform to provide grip for the handle it then continues laterally towards the front edge of the platform terminating in an area of at least one brick course beneath the front edge, thus providing a brace between the platform handle and the brickwork, the end of the brace part of the handle will foot into the wall during operation of horizontal pointing, allowing the front edge of the board and the brace part of the handle to both be in contact with the wall, while not interfering with perpendicular joints that may have already been pointed.
2) A mortar board according to claim I where the handle is formed by two grips protruding from the underside of the board, one grip being attached at the rear of the board which is shorter than the one which is attached close to the centre of the board they are connected together at their ends forming the brace part of the handle which starts from the rear grip and continues past the centre grip on the same plane terminating in an area underneath the front edge of the platform.
3) A mortar board according to claim 1 where the stable operation is provided by the handle, which is adjustable along the underside of the platform, this allows the angle of the platform in relation to the wall to change allowing the operator to choose their own set up preferences when horizontal mortar application is being carried out.
4) A mortar board for pointing according to claiml, 2 and 3, the board having location aids at its front edge that when in a fixed position will act as guide and eliminate vertical downward movement of the board during pointing by locating onto thc top cdgc of thc brick, the location aid at its cnd point is on the same level as the top edge of platform allowing the board to butt up against the brickwork, so the top surface of the platform is on the same plane as the brick providing a flat continuous surface from the board into the joint.
5) A mortar board according to claim 4 where the location aids can be used as a guide resting on the bottom brick of the joint to be pointed or as a gauge of the top brick of the joint being pointed.
6) A mortar board according to claim 4 that has location aids on the front edge of the board and when set in position and protruding upwards from the top surface of the platform can act as a spacer for claim 7.
7) A mortar board according to claim 6 where the mortar carrying surface of the board has the rear edge rolled upwards to form an arc that provides a catch tray that will also act as a spacer when used in conjunction with the location aids in the spacer position, the mortar board can be placed against the wall with the rolled edge at the bottom and the mortar carrying surface facing the wall with the handle being held in the middle part, the mortar board becomes a stable straight edge for trimming excess mortar offjoints 8) A mortar board according to claims 4 when in operation and using the location aids in guidance position will mean the brick wall will take a proportion of the combined weight of the mortar and jig.9) A mortar board according to claim 2 has a handle which can be gripped in different positions for different operations, has a central handle to hold when loading the platform, a rear handle to hold when applying mortar to horizontal joints to be pointed and the brace across the two handles is held when the tool is used as a straight edge for trimming joints.10) A mortar board according to claim 3 where the handle is collapsible, which allows the invention to be used as a pallet when loading a trowel with mortar for vertical joints to be pointed.11) A mortar board according to claim S where the locating aids are metal pins with the top ends turned over to create a hook which will slide up and down through small holes in the front corners of the board with a locking or securing device holding them in position once the desired height or joint width is achieved.12) A mortar board according to claim 6 where the locating aids are shaped metal pins protruding up through small holes in each corner of the front edge of the board and are secured by tension springs which are attached to the board to allow easy adjustment between guide and spacer position.13) A mortar board according to claim 6 where the locating aids are in the form of torsion springs located on an axle fixed to the front edge of the platform to provide three different settings, location position is secured by a small notches in the front edge of the board, spacer position is achieved by notches in the side edges of the board & a retracted position when the location aids are not needed is attained by rotating the spring around the axle so that it is held underneath the platform by its own tension.14) A mortar board according to claim 1 where the locating aids are formed integrally as part of the platform.15) A mortar board according to any proceeding claims, which can be used by left or right-handed people.