GB2113741A - Building bricks and methods of building - Google Patents

Abstract

Building bricks have cylindrical projections 1 on their upper surfaces and cylindrical recesses 2 on their lower surfaces, so that when the bricks are laid on one another the projections 1 and recesses 2 interengage to provide accurate location of the bricks. When so laid, the upper and lower brick surfaces abut without the interposition of mortar, but with the optional aid of adhesive. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Building bricks and methods of building Field of the Invention This invention relates to building bricks and to methods of building using such bricks. The invention is concerned with bricks for building fullsize structures, not with model or toy bricks.

The term brick is intended to include blocks or similar building units.

Background to the Invention In conventional building methods, bricks are laid in mortar and skill is required to build an accurate structure having horizontal courses of brickwork, vertical walls and square corners. As an aid to accurate bricklaying it has been proposed in British Patent Specification No. 1,356,298 to provide bricks with interengageable studs and recesses, but this method still relies on the use of mortar between the courses of brickwork and between the ends of the bricks. The invention is a development of this concept and does not require mortar in the building of a structure.

Summary of the Invention According to one aspect of the invention there.

is provided a plurality of building bricks having interengageable formations on upper and lower surfaces of the bricks, wherein the upper and lower bricks abut when the formations on these bricks interengage.

The bricks may be such that certain have projections (and therefore form 'male' bricks) and others have recesses (and therefore form 'female' bricks), but it is preferred for all the bricks to be identical, having projections on upper brick surfaces, and recesses on lower brick surfaces, or vice versa.

Each brick may have eight projections and eight recesses positioned in a symmetrical 4 x 2 matrix on said brick surfaces. This enables the bricks to be laid in a conventional pattern with vertical joints in adjacent courses displaced by half a brick length. It also enables the bricks to be laid around corners and as headers or stretchers in a variety of brickwork bonds.

Since the bricks are assembled together without mortar, it is desirable for the sake of appearance to make provision for pointing, at least on visible surfaces of the brickwork. To achieve this, certain (and preferably all) brick edges are formed with an angled or chamfered shape, the resulting grooves then conveniently being filled with a decorative pointing material e.g. from a dispenser having an appropriately sized discharge nozzle.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of building a structure comprising laying bricks having interchangeable formations on the upper and lower surfaces of the bricks, the bricks being laid so that the formations on bricks of adjacent courses interengage and so that the upper and lower surfaces abut with or without the presence of adhesive between the upper and lower surfaces, but without the interposition of mortar between the upper and lower surfaces.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a brick in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is an end view of the bricks of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view of the brick of Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 4 is a fragmentary side view, on a reduced scale, showing brickwork made by bricks according to the invention.

Detailed Description of the Drawings The brick shown in Figures 1 to 3 is made out of any convenient material, e.g. clay, masonry, concrete, or synthetic plastics material. The brick has on its upper surface eight cylindrical studlike projections 1, and on its lower surfaces eight cylindrical recesses 2. The projections 1 are complementary with the recesses 2, so that when a plurality of such bricks are laid one on another the projections and recesses interengage with the upper and lower brick surfaces in abutting relationship and the bricks accurately located.

The edges of the bricks are formed with an angled chamfer-like shape, the resulting grooves 3 (Figure 4) in the brickwork being provided to receive a decorative pointing material applied to the grooves by a dispenser.

The projections 1 and recesses 2 are arrayed in a 4 x 2 rectangular matrix or pattern on the brick surfaces, enabling one brick to overlap another by 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or the lengths, or the whole length, of the brick. At corners and in certain bricklaying bonds, two bricks are laid with their length dimensions at right angles, and this can be achieved by the interengagement of four projections in one brick and four recesses on the other brick. Other matrix patterns of projections and recesses are possible.

The projections 1 may be capable of being knocked off the brick to suit situations where a plain upper brick surface is required.

When laid to form brickwork (Figure 4), the adhesive or other suitable bonding agent may be placed between the assembled upper and lower brick surfaces and the abutting brick end surfaces.

The adhesive may be applied by a small roller to the underside and end of each brick just prior to laying.

The interengagement of the projections and recesses enables the bricks to be laid simply and accurately without skilful lining up and levelling, and without the use of a plumbline after the base has been proved. The resulting structure will be more accurate than structures made by conventional 'wet' methods using mortar, and no drying out is required.

It is envisaged that the height of each projection 1 (and the depth of each recess 2) could be within the range of 4 to 8 mm and preferably 5 or 6 mm, in the case of a standard sized brick. The accompanying drawings are not to scale.

Claims (12)

1. A plurality of building bricks having interengageable formations on upper and lower surfaces of the bricks, wherein the upper and lower surfaces of the bricks abut when the formations on these bricks interengage.

2. A plurality of bricks according to claim 1, wherein the bricks are identical, said formations being complementary projections and recesses on the upper and lower surfaces.

3. A plurality of bricks according to claim 2, wherein each brick has a plurality of recesses on its lower surface, or vice versa.

4. A plurality of bricks according to claim 3, wherein the projections and recesses are cylindrical in shape.

5. A plurality of bricks according to claim 3 or 4, wherein each brick has eight projections and eight recesses positioned in a symmetrical 4 x 2 matrix on said brick surfaces.

6. A plurality of bricks according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each brick has at least certain of its edges formed with a chamfered shape, to form grooves in the face of the assembled brickwork.

7. A plurality of bricks according to claim 6, wherein ali the edges of each brick are formed with said chamfered shape.

8. A method of building a structure comprising laying bricks having interengageable formations on the upper cnd lower surfaces of the bricks, the bricks being laid so that the formations on bricks of adjacent courses interengage and so that the upper and lower surfaces abut with or without the presence of adhesive between the upper and lower surfaces, but without the interposition of mortar between the upper and lower surfaces.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the bricks are in accordance with any of claims 2 to 7.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the bricks are in accordance with claim 7 and the method includes inserting a decorative pointing material into said grooves.

11. A plurality of bricks, each substantially as herein particuiarly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A method of building a structure, substantially as herein particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.