US2496984A - Removable cover for bricks - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 7 1950 J. R. CLARK REMOVABLE COVER FOR BRICKS Filed Aug. 9, 1945 JOHN 00E 8.

MAI N WASHINGT BRICK TILE a GY INVENTOR J R. Clark (IL s ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REMOVABLE COVER FOR BRICKS John It. Clark, Silver Spring, Md. Application August 9, 1945, Serial No. 609,833 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-46) The present invention comprises a weather proof covering for a brick unit, an object of which is to provide an inexpensive cover which may be quickly engaged over and disengaged from a unit without displacement of any of the bricks.

It is now well known to raise and lower units of brick, tile and the like, by lifting apparatus, such as the Priester fork. each unit comprising a predetermined number. usually over five hundred, in conjunction with the time bricks or blocks, the units being loaded and unloaded on trucks or like conveyances for transportation to a predetermined destination. After being unloaded, the bricks are frequently exposed, for protracted periods of time, to the elements, with obvious undesirable results. After considerable experiment, I have found it feasible to cheese unit bricks in a relatively inexpensive covering, made of waterproofed paper or the like, which may be slidably engaged over the brick, while they are mounted on the ground or other base. and may be expeditiously disengaged from the brick by parts of the covering which form handholds.

A further object of the invention is to provide a covering or casing made from waterproof paper. or other suitable material, capable of being folded along predetermined lines, in order to conform a blank to a contour which complements the stacked unit bricks; the invention contemplates the folding of the portions of the blank either inwardly or outwardly to provide tapering flaps which serve as handholds' to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the cover.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a waterproof covering, the sides of which may be equipped with advertising, as well as indicia to instruct users on how to fold the blanks into covers or cases, and to knock down the cases or covers for re-use when desired.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following description of the present preferred forms of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a case constructed in accordance with the invention, illustrating its application, a part of the case being broken away to show the brick unit;

Fig. 2 is a detail fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing portions of the blank folded inwardly;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the case or cover per se;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the case is formed, scoring being used to show the lines on which the blank is folded: and

Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary side elevational view of a modified form of case or cover wherein portions of the blank are folded outwardly.

In order to illustrate the application of this invention, I have in Figures 1 and 2 illustrated a brick unit 6 which includes tine brick l as employed with raising and lowering apparatus.

for brick units, such as the Priester fork. In actual practice, a unit consists in excess of 590 stretcher and header bricks which are superposed on spaced rows of brick known as tine brick and indicated supra at I. The bricks so stacked are raised and lowered as a unit by the expedient of inserting the tines of the fork between the rows of tine bricks, the fork tines likewise embracing the outer surfaces of the extreme rows of time bricks. As is known in the art, pressure on the fork automatically clamps the tine bricks to permit movement of the latter as a unit with the stacked bricks. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a case or cover for a unit of bricks in order to protect the bricks, very often exposed on the top and on all sides, from the elements. I have found that the desired result may be accomplished through the use of a relatively inexpensive waterproof paper blank folded so as to conform to the contour of the unit, to

permit facile and expeditious engagement of the cover with, and disengagement of the cover from, the unit. As is of course manifest, this cover, in order to envelope the brick, is of considerable size and consequently provision must be made for its engagement over and especially of its disengagement from the brick, especially if the weight of the cover has been increased by the elements. To carry out the desideratum of the present invention, I employ a blank 8 which in one form, as illustrated in Fig. 4, is rectangular. In order to facilitate folding of the blank along predetermined lines, to effect a contour which will conform to the shape of the stacked bricks, I score one face of the blank as also illustrated in Fig. 4. Parallel score lines 8 are used which intersect each other adjacent opposite margins of the blank providing in effect demarked rectangular zones 10. Each of the zones is bisected by a scoring line H which extends to the outermost corner of the blank. The blank is adapted to be folded along a pair of the parallel lines 9, following which the blank is folded simultaneously along the two remaining parallel lines 9 and along the lines H. The blank may be folded inwardly as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 to provide, when folded, flaps o1 ears l2; or if desired the blank may be folded outwardly along the score lines II to provide external flaps or ears l2. The flaps either internal or external are preferably secured near their lower margins, by suitable means I3, which in the present instance is shown to consist of staples.

In use of this invention, it is, of course, to be understood that the blanks 8 may be transported flat and, if desired, folded on the job. The folding, in accordance with the teaching of the present invention, provides a rectangular case or cover which generally conforms to the contour of the brick unit and snugly engages the walls of the latter to avoid the possibility of casual displacement. I have found that in someinstances, it is sufiicient that the case or cover extend to a point approximately midway between the top and bttom of the unit. It is preferred, however, that the case be a size coextensive with the vertical extent of the brick unit as illustrated in Fig. 1. In this way, the case or cover is completely engaged over the top and the four sides of the unit. The lower marginal edge of the case is prevented from coming in contact with the ground or other supporting surface because of the rows of time brick I. In order to retain the blank in a set up position, the securing means 13 is preferably at the extreme terminals of the flaps so as to provide ample room for the accommodation of the hands beneath the flaps, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. In this way, the case or cover is more easily engaged over and maneuvered into a proper position on the brick unit. Of more importance however, the flaps l2 tend to permit disengagement of the case or cover from the unit without mutilation. To facilitate removal of the case from the brick unit, it is preferred to first disengage the staples 01 other securing means I 3 when external flaps are used as illustrated in Fig. 5. This frees the flaps 12 to provide in effect handles which may be grasped by workmen and the cover lifted in an obvious manner.

When internal flaps l2 are used, a maximum external uninterrupted surface results for use of advertising and indicia of various miscellany.

Although I have found that the present invention may be advantageously used when made of waterproof material and the like, I am, nevertheless, aware that various materials may be employed for this purpose. I believe it to be of importance in the present invention to provide a collapsible case and preferably one which may be made up quickly on the job, placed over the brick and removed from the brick in a minimum period of time. In addition, with the present invention, re-use of the case is feasible whether it be retained, set-up or knocked down, by removal of the securing means I3 and collapsing the case into a blank.

It is of course to be understood that the function of the cover herein shown and described is to protect a brick unit from the elements. However, the cover serves a further utilitarian function in that it is located in sufficiently close proximity to the unit perimeter, that displacement of any of the brick of the unit, during transportation, is rendered impossible. Consequently the brick, after having been loaded for transportation as a unit, with the cover of the present invention thereon, may be unloaded at their destination in the same manner, through use of the Priester fork or other hoist or unloading means.

Although I have herein described preferred forms of the invention, I am aware that various changes may be made within the scope of the claim hereto appended.

What I claim is:

The combination of a brick unit consisting of a predetermined number of bricks arranged in stretcher and header rows superimposed on supporting bricks arranged in fixed spaced relation; and a cover for the unit comprising a foldable envelope slidable over the unit and adapted to rest on and pend from the top of the unit, the corners of the cover being formed to provide flaps tapering outwardly toward the marginal edges of the cover to provide hand holds.

JOHN R. CLARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 153,932 Bushfield Aug. 11, 1874 1,025,661 Voss May 7, 1912 1,296,765 Christensen Mar. 11, 1919 1,311,047 Cole July 22, 1919 1,555,022 Proctor Sept. 29, 1925 1,735,548 Scott Nov. 12, 1929 1,926,366 Bergstein Sept. 12, 1933 1,936,825 Butts Nov. 28, 1933 1,943,742 Presbrey Jan. 16, 1934 1,966,893 Harris July 17, 1934 2,246,936 Grau June 24, 1941

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