US2316319A - Building tile - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1943. w; DEMAREST; 2,316,319

BUILDING TILE Filed Jan. 2s, 1941 y di INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 13, 1943 A UNiTEo STATES OFFICE 2 Claims.

vThe object of the invention is to provide a tile which will provide ample sustaining characteristics, be readily transportable, have embodied therein a waterbreak to prevent moisture from working from the outside of the wall construction in which the tiles form a part and provide insulating air spaces and circulatory air passages to keep the tile dry to the largest extent of surface area as possible.

The invention consists of a building tile having a load bearing portion, the upper and lower surfaces of which are adapted for mortar for joining superposed tiles, with projections on each of said surfaces for the mortar, the projections serving to guide moisture inward of the load bearing portion, upwardly inclined walls extending inwardly in respect to the inner surface of said load bearing portion forming moisture iiow impeding members and forming air conducting channels, said inclined walls adapted to guide moisture downwardly and be air dried at their upper ends, said parts being disposed symmetrical in reverse with like parts, whereby the central part of the tile is air dried by said air currents and the moisture or water seepng into the tile is discharged in proximity to the centrally disposed air dried parts, the moisture flow being 01T center at the tile.

The invention consists of having two symmetrically disposed spaced load bearing members, inward extensions for the upper surface of said members, upwardly inclined walls extending inwardly from each load bearing member terminating in an apex at the center line of the tile, a center wall depending from said apex, and opposed horizontal and inclined walls at the lower surface of the tile, horizontal channels formed by the last-named walls, the aforesaid extensions 'having downwardly extending enlarged portions immediately above the inclined walls forming the apex to cause the water to drop in proximity to the`apex.

With the Vabove and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel features hereinafter' more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure l is a perspective view of a wall construction utilizing my improved tile;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 2-2 of Figure l, the upper tile being shown in end View;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a part of thel 55 tion 26a, and with the beada, but in mirrorv tile showing a modified form of shape of the combined hand grip and drip end,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the tiles, and

Figure 5V isa perspective View of the mortar layer applied to parts of the ends of the tiles.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various Views.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 5, the tiles I8, Il and l2 form the lower series,'and tiles I3 and I4 form the upper series, all arranged end to end, in the usual manner. These tiles have layers of mortar, between part of their ends, as shown in Figure 5, and between part of the lower surfaces of the upper tile and the upper surface of the lower tile also well known. Y

Each tile has a length of about 12 to 16 inches, a height of about 5 to 8 inches, and a width of about 6 to 12 inches. These dimensions are given merely to show the relative proportions of a tile of this kind.

Each tile has longitudinally thereof, four enclosed channels 9, which are closed at their ends by the vertical mortar layers between the ends of the tiles, the shape of these channels being suitable for the' extrusion of the material when manufacturing the tile. The number and shape may be changed. These channels are bounded by Vertical parallel weight'stress absorbing members, l5, 15a, 2i) and 20a, and horizontal tie or bonding portions l'l, lla, I9, 19a, I8 and Ia, the general structure of these weight stress absorbing members being shown. The horizontal mortar layer 2l absorbs such weight stresses to the extent of its width, in correspondence with the width of the rectangularstructure l1, l5, I8, 20, just described, and of course, likewise in respect to the'layer 27a as to the rectangular structure lla, I5a' laajand 20a. This line of demarcation is generally indicated by the dotdash line 5U in Figure 2.

It-is between these two marginal known stress structures that there is arranged a construction different from those heretofore proposed and usedthe top tie member l1 is extended inwardly toward the opposed tie member l'la, with a projection of substantially the same depth as the tie member, forming a lower wall 31, and at the tip 'end thereof, having a rounded portion, semicircular in shape if desired. This rounded portion 26, is formed with a bead 25, for the purpose of causing moisture to accumulate in drops and drip on by gravity. The opposed drip extension is constructed With the rounded porreverse. Spaced from these beads 25 and 25a, there is arranged an inverted V-shaped wall, with the apex 23a uppermost and in the Vertical center line of the tile, with the upper surfaces of the walls 22 and 22a, descending, and joined to the uprights and 20a, the angular relationship forming gutters 22h and 22C.

Vertically disposed is a wall 24, which at its upper end is joined to the gutter forming walls 22, 22a, and at its lower end is joined to the inclined walls 2| and 2|a, which are generally parallel with the walls 22 and 22a and form an inverted V, with its apex at 23, in the center line of the tile, and above the plane of the lower surfaces |81) and |80 of the tile. While for the practical working out of the invention these legs 2| and 2|a could form acute angles with the uprights 20 and 20a, like the legs 22 and 22a, it is preferred to shorten the legs 2| and 2|a, and join them to horizontal projections of the base members I8 and la, these short horizontal members being referred to in the drawings by |8b and |8c. The inverted V with its apex 23 is substantially parallel with and a counterpart of the inverted V with its apex 23a. The upwards inclination of the walls forming said apices 23 and 23a work to prevent moisture or water from reaching the apices. The left hand side of the tiles shown in Figure 2 is the exterior or weatherside of the wall construction, and the right hand side is the interior or indoor side. Thus, moisture creeping inwardly from the exterior is desired to be maintained to the left of the vertical center line passing through the apices 23 and 23a. Any moisture creeping through the mortar layer 21 is collected at the bead 25, and drops into the gutter 22h therebelow.

As tiles of this kind are not absolutely horizontally level, this water in the gutter 22a, runs out of the gutter 22h, at its end, and flows across the end of the wall 22 and across the end of the wall |8b to the top surface of the tile below, is again beaded, and repeats its action across each tile. This is shown by the line of arrows 3), shown in Figure l. The upward inclination of the walls 22 and 2| prevent the moisture from bridging the apices 23 and 23a. The upper surfaces 32 and 32a, and the lower surfaces 38 and 33 are each inclined upwardly and retard any water flow.

The extension |81) with its upper horizontal surface 4E) as its lower horizontal surface 4|, is about to the extent necessary to enable contact to be had with the mortar layer 21, by the juxtapositional surfaces of the tiles, the extended portion of the mortar layer being due to the pressure of the weight of the superposed tile or tiles and to a squeezing action of the operator.

In Figure 3, the bead is formed into a beak 25h, to enable the accumulated water to drop oi quicker.

The channels 9a and 9b are open at each end, and in consequence air can circulate therethrough, which air serves to dry the interior surface by evaporation action, and consequently the walls 22 and 2|, and tend to minimize the water quantity flowing as indicated by the arrows. Another channel is formed by the lower surface of the inverted V having the apex 23, with the upper surfaces of the inverted V having the apex 23a, being bounded laterally by the ends of the mortar layers 21 and 21a, by the extensions 26 and 26a, and by the inner surfaces of part of the uprights 20 and 20a. This space is generally indicated by 35, and as stated is a channel longitudinally disposed from end to end of two or more superimposed tiles, of the configuration described. The ends of these channels are open since the upright mortar layers 21. block off the lateral downward stress bearing parts of tiles, but do not block off the ends of the channels 35. The channels 9a and 9b are also open, that is, not covered by the mortar at their ends. In consequence, vertical currents form, since the warmer air always ascends, and these draw along by induction the air from the horizontal channels Sa, 9b and 35, and subject the entire wall structure to the evaporation of moisture, maintaining the inner halves of the tiledry. The air flow is along centrally disposed air gutters at 23, 38a and 38h, thus Warming the junction terminating in the upright 24 and also the junction terminating in the apex 23a. Such warmer junctions work to increase the evaporation capacity.

The beaded or heated ends of the projections 2t and 26a form hand holds for the convenient transporting of the tiles. The projections 26 and 26a act as shields to prevent the blocking of the gutters 22h and 22o, by the dropping of an excess of mortar from the joints 21 and 21a into said gutters.

In Figure 4, the mortar layers between two ends of tiles are shown, with the open space therebetween, and in Figure 5 the mortar bed, composed of two horizontal joints connected with a vertical joint is shown separated from the tiles.

The improved tiles are horizontally symmetrical and may be readily manufactured and placed in position.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and advantages of the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as set out in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a building tile having two spaced parallel load bearing portions of rectangular transverse cross section, joined by spaced, parallel upper and lower walls each of which is inclined downwardly and outwardly from the median line of the tile to connect with the opposed inner faces of said bearing portions, a centrally located, longitudinal wall joining said parallel walls, the combination of shelf-like inward extension walls supported by said bearing portions each having its upper surface in alignment with the upper surface of its adjacent bearing portion, the edges of said extensions being spaced from each other, and a downwardly directed enlargement on each of said extension walls overhanging the upper surface of said upper parallel walls at opposite sides of the said median line, whereby moisture seeping inwardly over said upper surfaces of a bearing portion and its inward extension wall is adapted to be guided directly from said enlargement to said upper parallel inclined wall immediately beneath said enlargement and guided by said wall in a direction away from said median line.

2. In a building tile having two spaced parallel load bearing portions of rectangular transverse cross section, joined by spaced, parallel upper and lower walls each of which is inclined downwardly and outwardly from the median line of the tile to connect with the opposed inner faces of said bearing portions, a centrally located, longitudinal wall joining said parallel Walls, the combination of said upper parallel walls at opposite sides of the said median line, and the lower surfaces of said bearing surfaces extending inwardly to form the connection with the lower surfaces of the lower inclined parallel walls, the connections being substantialIy below the enlargements.

WILLIAM G. DEMAREST.

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