GB2136864A

GB2136864A - Laying bricks and other building blocks

Info

Publication number: GB2136864A
Application number: GB08307858A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ivor Grealy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-03-22
Filing date: 1983-03-22
Publication date: 1984-09-26
Also published as: GB8307858D0

Abstract

A bricklaying method and apparatus are disclosed in which shuttering (10A, 10C) is placed on either side of a row of bricks (20), and the shuttered space (30) between adjacent pairs of bricks is filled with mortar, for example by pumping through a pipe 32. The apparatus provides for clamping of the shutters on either side of the row of bricks, and the shutters are preferably provided with horizontal ridges and vertical ridges (16) to space the row from the row below and to space the bricks in the row from each other. A tool is also disclosed for spreading a layer of mortar on top of a row of bricks. The tool comprises an open bottomed container to which mortar is pumped and which is drawn along the row of bricks. A rear lower edge of the container is spaced from the bricks so that a trail of mortar is spread onto the row as the tool is moved. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Laying bricks and other building blocks This specification relates to apparatus for and methods of laying bricks and other forms of building blocks, for example breeze blocks and screen blocks, which will be referred to as bricks in the following description.

According to the present inventions, there are provided a method and apparatus and tool as defined in the appended claims.

Specific embodiments and examples of the present inventions will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a shuttering member; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional end view of a cavity wall under construction; Figure 3 is a plan view of the wall shown in Fig. 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a mortar spreading tool; and Figure 5 is a rear view of the tool of Fig. 4, in use.

Referring to Fig. 1, a moulded plastics shutter 10 comprises an elongate rectangular plate. A semi-circular section horizontal ridge 1 2 extends along the bottom edge of the plate 10 and the distance H between the ridge 1 2 and the top edge 14 of the plate is equal to the height of a standard brick. A plurality of semi-circular section vertical ridges 1 6 extend from the horizontal ridge 12 to the top edge 14 of the plate and are spaced apart by a distance equal to the length of a standard brick.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, in order to build a cavity wall, two outwardly facing shutters 1 or, 1 or, and two inwardly facing shutters 10C, 1 0D are used. Two or more spacers 1 8 hold the shutters 1 or, 1 0B spaced parallel to each other.Bricks 20 are sandwiched between the shutters. 1 or, 1 OC and the shutters 1 or, 1 0D with their spacing gauged by the vertical ridges 1 6 and with their bottom edges resting on the horizontal ridges 1 2. The shutters 10C, 1 0D are urged towards each other by a clamping arrangement 22 (partially shown), and with the bricks loaded in this way, the arrangement can carried, using the clamping arrangement, to the position for laying.

The pairs of shutters may be of sufficient length to accommodate, for example, six bricks each.

Preferably, the wall 24 or bed on which the bricks are to be layed has been covered with wet mortar 26. The clamped arrangement of bricks 20 and shutters 10 is placed in position so that the bottom edges of the horizontal ridges 1 2 rest on the wall 24, and then the bricks 20 are tamped or vibrated into their proper position.

The shutters 1 or, 1 0B have holes 28 extending through them near the bottom edges and spaced to coincide with the spaces 30 between the bricks 20 in each row. Mortar is pumped through these holes from a pipe arrangement 32 to fill the spaces 30 between the bricks, and then the bricks may be tamped or vibrated again. If the mortar is sufficiently dry, the shutters and clamping arrangement may be removed immediately, or they may be left in position until the mortar has dried. To facilitate removal of the shutters 1 or, 1 0B the spacers 1 8 may be collapsible.

The ridges 12, 1 6 need not be provided on all the shutters, for example only on the inwardly facing shutters 10C, 1 or. Also, rather than laying the bed of mortar 26, an arrangement may be provided for pressure injecting the mortar once the clamped arrangement of shutters and bricks has been placed in position.

It will be noted that once the shutters have been removed, the mortar will be recessed where the ridges 12, 1 6 were located. The ridges 12, 1 6 may have other shapes to form different shaped recesses.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, a tool 40 is shown for laying a bed of mortar on a wall.

The tool 40 comprises an open bottomed container having a pair of parallel L-shaped flanges 42 extending along two edges of the opening. The tool is placed on the wall so that the flanges 42 embrace the tops of the shutters 10. The rear wall 44 of the container stops short of the wall and has a serrated edge 46. Mortar is pumped into the container via a pipe 48, and the tool 40 is pushed along the wall in the direction A by means of a handle 50. As this is done, the tool leaves behind it a trail 52 of mortar, the thickness of which is determined by the height of the serrated edge 44 above the wall.

1. A method of laying a row of building blocks with mortar therebetween, comprising the steps of laying at least two blocks in a row with a space therebetween, shuttering the space to either side of the blocks, and then filling the shuttered space with mortar.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a row of two or preferably at least three blocks are layed simultaneously, and wherein a pair of shuttering members are held against respective sides of the row to shutter the spaces between the blocks to the respective side of the row.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the spacing of the blocks in the row is gauged by projections extending from at least one of the shuttering members into the spaces between the blocks.

4. A method as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, wherein the spacing of the blocks in the row above an earlier layed row of blocks or a firm

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Laying bricks and other building blocks This specification relates to apparatus for and methods of laying bricks and other forms of building blocks, for example breeze blocks and screen blocks, which will be referred to as bricks in the following description. According to the present inventions, there are provided a method and apparatus and tool as defined in the appended claims. Specific embodiments and examples of the present inventions will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a shuttering member; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional end view of a cavity wall under construction; Figure 3 is a plan view of the wall shown in Fig. 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a mortar spreading tool; and Figure 5 is a rear view of the tool of Fig. 4, in use. Referring to Fig. 1, a moulded plastics shutter 10 comprises an elongate rectangular plate. A semi-circular section horizontal ridge 1 2 extends along the bottom edge of the plate 10 and the distance H between the ridge 1 2 and the top edge 14 of the plate is equal to the height of a standard brick. A plurality of semi-circular section vertical ridges 1 6 extend from the horizontal ridge 12 to the top edge 14 of the plate and are spaced apart by a distance equal to the length of a standard brick. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, in order to build a cavity wall, two outwardly facing shutters 1 or, 1 or, and two inwardly facing shutters 10C, 1 0D are used. Two or more spacers 1 8 hold the shutters 1 or, 1 0B spaced parallel to each other.Bricks 20 are sandwiched between the shutters. 1 or, 1 OC and the shutters 1 or, 1 0D with their spacing gauged by the vertical ridges 1 6 and with their bottom edges resting on the horizontal ridges 1 2. The shutters 10C, 1 0D are urged towards each other by a clamping arrangement 22 (partially shown), and with the bricks loaded in this way, the arrangement can carried, using the clamping arrangement, to the position for laying. The pairs of shutters may be of sufficient length to accommodate, for example, six bricks each. Preferably, the wall 24 or bed on which the bricks are to be layed has been covered with wet mortar 26. The clamped arrangement of bricks 20 and shutters 10 is placed in position so that the bottom edges of the horizontal ridges 1 2 rest on the wall 24, and then the bricks 20 are tamped or vibrated into their proper position. The shutters 1 or, 1 0B have holes 28 extending through them near the bottom edges and spaced to coincide with the spaces 30 between the bricks 20 in each row. Mortar is pumped through these holes from a pipe arrangement 32 to fill the spaces 30 between the bricks, and then the bricks may be tamped or vibrated again. If the mortar is sufficiently dry, the shutters and clamping arrangement may be removed immediately, or they may be left in position until the mortar has dried. To facilitate removal of the shutters 1 or, 1 0B the spacers 1 8 may be collapsible. The ridges 12, 1 6 need not be provided on all the shutters, for example only on the inwardly facing shutters 10C, 1 or. Also, rather than laying the bed of mortar 26, an arrangement may be provided for pressure injecting the mortar once the clamped arrangement of shutters and bricks has been placed in position. It will be noted that once the shutters have been removed, the mortar will be recessed where the ridges 12, 1 6 were located. The ridges 12, 1 6 may have other shapes to form different shaped recesses. Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, a tool 40 is shown for laying a bed of mortar on a wall. The tool 40 comprises an open bottomed container having a pair of parallel L-shaped flanges 42 extending along two edges of the opening. The tool is placed on the wall so that the flanges 42 embrace the tops of the shutters 10. The rear wall 44 of the container stops short of the wall and has a serrated edge 46. Mortar is pumped into the container via a pipe 48, and the tool 40 is pushed along the wall in the direction A by means of a handle 50. As this is done, the tool leaves behind it a trail 52 of mortar, the thickness of which is determined by the height of the serrated edge 44 above the wall. CLAIMS

4. A method as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, wherein the spacing of the blocks in the row above an earlier layed row of blocks or a firm bed is gauged by at least one projection extending from at least one of the shuttering members beneath the row of blocks being layed.

5. A method as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 4 wherein the row of blocks is carried into position for laying by being clamped between said shuttering members and by carrying the members.

6. An apparatus for use in laying a row of two or preferably more standard sized building blocks in a row, comprising a pair of shuttering members to extend along the sides of the row of blocks, means to clamp the members to hold a row of blocks therebetween and a plurality projections provided on at least one of the shuttering members with such an arrangement as to gauge a spacing between the blocks in the row.

7. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, further comprising at least one further projection provided on at least one of the shuttering members to extend beneath the blocks to gauge a spacing between the row of blocks and an earlier layed row or firm bed on which the row of blocks is to be layed.

8. A tool for spreading mortar on a course of building blocks, comprising an open bottomed container, means to guide the container for movement along the top of the course of blocks so that the wall substantially closes the bottom of the container but so that a rear wall of the container is spaced from the top of the course to form a discharge opening, and means to pump mortar into the container so that, as the tool is moved along the course, a trail of mortar is left on the course.