GB2397324A - Drainage system - Google Patents

Abstract

The drainage system, primarily for use with surfaces formed from blocks of building material, comprises elongate supports 1,2 designed to support opposite side edges of a number of blocks 5-7 arranged in line with one another, one or more drainage apertures 8,9 for allowing water to drain between adjacent supported blocks, and spacers 4 which act to space individual blocks apart from one another along the length of the supports. The supports preferably comprise two right-angle section girders that are connected by strips or bars which act to provide support for the blocks positioned on the supports and which act to form the drainage apertures. The spacers are preferably attached to the supports and act to provide gaps between the blocks when spaced on the supports.

Description

1- 2397324 Drainage Devices This invention concerns drainage devices and

more particularly the drainage of surfaces made from blocks of building materials.

The use of blocks of building materials, for example bricks or stone slabs, to construct paths, drive ways, hard standing and the like, has become popular because of the attractive appearance of the resulting surface. However, the carrying away of rainwater from such surfaces generally requires the positioning of one or more drains across the surfaces.

Various types of drainage systems have been proposed hitherto for such surfaces. One such proposal uses blocks with channels in their upper surfaces which when laid interconnect to provide a continuous drainage path, and another is to use a drainage channel cutting across the surface to be drained, the channel having an apertured metal grill strip secured over the top of the channel, water draining from the surrounding surface through the apertures into the channel.

The disadvantage of these hitherto proposed drainage systems is that an otherwise uniform surface formed from the blocks of 2 - building materials is disturbed, this being particularly the case with the use of channels covered with apertured metal grills, and in the case of blocks with surface grooves the water carrying capacity of the grooves tends to be restricted.

According to the present invention there is provided a drainage device for draining a surface constructed from building blocks, the device comprising elongate support means for supporting opposite edge portions of a plurality of said blocks in line with each other, one or more drainage apertures for allowing water to drain through the device between adjacent supported blocks, and spacer means for spacing individual blocks from each other along the length of the support means.

The elongate support means is preferably formed from two right-angle section girders connected by strips or bars, the strips or bars providing support for the building blocks when positioned on the device.

The elongate support means is preferably formed from two right-angle section girders connected by a plurality of strips or bars, adjacent strips or bars being spaced apart to form said drainage apertures.

The spacer means is preferably attached to the elongate support means. The spacer means preferably provide gaps between the building blocks when the latter are placed in the device.

An embodiment of drainage device in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the embodiment with blocks of the building material in place; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 with the blocks removed; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 with the blocks in place.

The device shown in the drawings consists of two right angle section girders 1 and 2 connected by a plurality of ties 3, each of the girders 1 and 2 having a plurality of nibs 4 secured thereto in the angle between the arms of the girders 1 and 2.

The ties 3 are positioned substantially equidistantly between two adjacent nibs 4 on each of the girders 1 and 2 for reasons which will subsequently be described.

Figs. 1 and 3 show the drainage device with blocks 5, 6 and 7 positioned between the girders 1 and 2, and between adjacent nibs 4.

As will be appreciated, the dimensions of the drainage device and the position of the nibs 4 along the girders 1 and 2 will generally be selected to accommodate the blocks of building material with which it is to be used, a physical clearance generally being provided between the blocks and the device to allow the blocks to be positioned on the device and removed therefrom if desired. The nibs 4 are preferably of a thickness such that they hold the blocks 5, 6 and 7 apart by a distance which is substantially that between adjacent blocks in fixed portions of the paved surface.

In practice, the illustrated device would be built into a surface which is to be paved with building blocks so that the upper or load bearing surfaces of the blocks 5, 6 and 7 are substantially level with surrounding block work, a drainage channel having first been constructed below the intended position of the device. The blocks 5, 6 and 7 would then be placed into the device as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The ties 3 are positioned substantially mid way between adjacent nibs 4 to provide support for the centres of the blocks 5, 6 and 7.

Water running over the surface to be drained by the device will eventually reach the device where it will drain through the gaps 4 - 8 and 9 between adjacent blocks 5 and 6, and 6 and 7, and around the remaining edges of the blocks 5, 6 and 7 into the drainage channel built below the device.

The device has the advantage that its appearance is substantially the same as the surrounding fixed block work.

Furthermore, the blocks can be readily removed for cleaning out the channel beneath it.

Drainage devices in accordance with the present invention can be constructed to a variety of sizes and lengths to accommodate different sizes, shapes and numbers of building blocks. They are preferably made from metal, for example using two lengths of angle iron connected together by welding iron strips or bars to both to form the ties 3. Galvanising can be used to protect devices made from iron from rusting.

The girders 1 and 2 are shown having nibs 4 at their respective ends. However, either or both girders, at either or both ends thereof, preferably extend beyond the respective end nibs 4 to provide lengths of girder over which fixed block work can be positioned. t - 5

Claims (6)

1. Claims 1. A-drainage device for draining a surface constructed from

   building blocks, the device comprising elongate support means for supporting opposite edge portions of a plurality of said blocks in line with each other, one or more drainage apertures for allowing water to drain through the device between adjacent supported blocks, and spacer means for spacing individual blocks from each other along the length of the support means.
2. 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the elongate support means comprise two right-angle section girders connected by strips or bars, the strips or bars providing support for the building blocks when positioned on the device.
3. 3. A device according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the elongate support means comprise two right-angle section girders connected by a plurality of strips or bars, adjacent strips or bars being spaced apart to form said drainage apertures.
4. 4. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the spacer means are attached to the elongate support means.
5. 5. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the spacer means provide gaps between the building blocks when the latter are placed in the device.
6. 6. A drainage device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.