GB2418678A

GB2418678A - Brick guide and mortar spacer

Info

Publication number: GB2418678A
Application number: GB0421604A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Patrick Cunningham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-09-29
Filing date: 2004-09-29
Publication date: 2006-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 2024-09-29
Also published as: GB2418678B; IES20040660A2; GB0421604D0; IE20040659A1

Abstract

A combined brick guide and mortar spacer 1 comprises an elongate body portion 3 which in use spans a course of bricks and comprising a base portion 5 and front 9 and rear 11 brick supports. The base portion 5 has a plurality of through holes 7 accounting for more than 50% of the area of the base 5. The brick supports 9, 11 each have a brick receiving portion 15, 21 which is above and spaced from the base in use. The front 9 and rear 11 brick supports define a mortar receiving recess between them. The combined guide and spacer 1 may be constructed from pliable material so as to be collapsible under the weight of a brick 23. Weakened sections may be provided at intervals along the length of the combined guide and spacer 1 to facilitate cutting or breaking the spacer at those sections.

Description

24 1 8678 A Combined Buck Guide and Mortar Spacer$' This invention relates

to a combined brick guide and mortar spacer and in particular a combined brick guide and mortar spacer that will facilitate the laying of bricks in a simple and efficient manner.

Throughout this specification the term brick will be used and this is to include not only what is conventionally known as bricks but also any cementitious block or building unit of generally regular.shape which is used to build walls and other structures. There are numerous problems associated with bricklaying. Bricklaying is a core requirement in the construction of many housing and other building projects and it is becoming increasingly difficult to retain the services of a skilled bricklayer. These skilled bricklayers are usually under tremendous demand for their services by building contractors and private individuals alike and it is increasingly dimcuit to get a skilled bricklayer when required. As a result of this difficulty, many wails and other strictures involving the laying of bricks are nowadays being laid by amateur or unskilled workers such us DIY enthusiasts.

A particular problem experienced by these amateur or unskilled workers is to build a wall that is level, upright and aesthetically pleasing. In order to create a wall possessing these qualities, the individual laying the bricks must use the correct amount of mortar between the bricks as well as position the bricks correctly with respect to each other which is open particularly difficult to do. Often, the amount of mortar in particular used between the bricks will vary resulting in an uneven wall being created. Although it is possible for the unskilled bricklayer to create a wail that is level, the effort and time spent In doing so Is quite considerable thereby resulting in an inefficient use of the unskilled bricklayers time.

Indeed, skilled bricklayers themselves often spend a considerable amount of time ensuring that the correct amount of mortar is used and that the bricks are in alignment in order to create a wall that is even As the cost of hiring the services of a skilled bricklayer increases, it is in the best interests of the contractor or commercial builder to increase the speed at which the bricks may be laid, thereby reducing the amount of time required by the skilled bricklayers on site and thereby reducing the overheads of the contractor or commercial builder. Furthermore, in the event of the contractor being unable to employ - 2 the services of a skilled bricklayer, it is in their best interests to provide any aids to an unskilled bricklayer charged with the duty of laying the bricks that will speed up and simplify the procedure.

finally, it Is often In the best Interests of the skilled bricklayer themselves to be able to speed up and simplify their work as they may often be paid a fixed sum of money for a particular job and by reducing the amount of time it takes to complete a particular job, it will enable them to begin the next job quicker thereby increasing their efficiency and productivity.

The present invention is directed towards providing a combined brick guide and mortar spacer that overcomes at least some of these difficulties and that wlil facilitate the laying of bricks to form a wall in a simple and efficient manner.

Statements of Invention

According to the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and mortar spacer comprising an elongate body portion to span, in use, a course of bricks, the elongate body portion having a base incorporating a plurality of through-holes therein, the through-holes being arranged spaced apart along the length of the base and accounting for in excess of 50% of the area of the base; As the combined brick guide and mortar spacer further comprising a front brick support and a rear brick support; and at least a portion of each of the front brick support and the rear brick support being above and spaced apart from the base for reception of a brick thereon, the front brick support and the rear brick support defining therebetween a mortar receiving recess.

By having such a brick guide and mortar spacer, the skilled or unskilled bricklayer will be able to determine the precise amount of mortar that is required between the bricks in - 3 order to provide a level layer of bricks. A significant amount of time will be saved by the bricklayer by obviating the need to carefully measure out the amount of mortar along a row of bricks and a level layer of bricks will be achieved simply by filling the mortar receiving recess. Another advantage of the present invention is that the bricks may be aligned simply in an effluent manner. One of the particular advantages of the present invention is that the brick guide and mortar spacer of the present invention remains between the bricks and therefore it does not have to removed and reused which further can disrupt the level of mortar. This simplifies its use significantly.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and mortar spacer in which the combined brick guide and mortar spacer is constructed from a pliable material so that the combined brick guide and mortar spacer is collapsible under the weight of a brick placed thereon to conform to the shape of the mortar contained therein. Preferably, the combined brick spacer and mortar guide will be constructed from a pliable plastics material. This is seen as a particularly useful embodiment of the invention. By having the combined brick guide and mortar spacer constructed from a pliable material' the brick guide and mortar spacer will collapse under the weight of the brick and take on the shape of the mo tar contained therein. This is particularly useful as when the mortar begins to dry out it will also contract. The brick guide and mortar spacer, by collapsing around the mortar will therefore result in a mortar joint that is not prone to cracking and will not cause any weakness in the joint between the bricks.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and 2s mortar spacer In which the rear brick support further composes an upstanding rear wall substantially in line with the rear edge of the base and a forwardly projecting brick supporting shed for receiving a brick thereon. This is sacn RS R particularly simpic construction of combined brick guide and mortar spacer that will be relatively inexpensive to construct.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and mortar spacer in which the forwardly projecting brick supporting shelf is mounted intermediate the end of the upstanding rear wall connected to the base and the free end of the upstanding rear wall, the upstanding rear wall on the side of the forwardly projecting brick supporting shelf remote from the base thereby forming a brick retaining wall to receive the rear face of a brick. By having such a combined brick guide and mortar spacer, not only will the device be simple to manufacture but the device will provide an excellent guide for the row of bricks that are presently being laid. By having such a brick guide and mortar spacer, it will be possible to simply align an entire row of bricks without having to spend a considerable amount of time aligning the individual bricks.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and mortar spacer in which the front brick support further comprises an upstanding front wall and a rearwardly projecting brick supporting shelf connected thereto. Again, this is a relatively simple and inexpensive construction of brick guide and mortar spacer to manufacture.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and mortar spacer in which the upstanding front wall is mounted rearwardly of the front edge of the base. This is seen an advnlag'eous as this will allow for polluting to be carried out thereby not affecting the outward appearance of the wall in an adverse way. The combined brick guide and mortar spacer need not be visible in any way.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and mortar spacer in which there are provided additional throughholes formed in the rear brick support for the reception of wall ties.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and mortar spacer in which there are provided additional throughholes in each of the front brick support and the rear brick support for the reception of mortar.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and mortar spacer in which there is further provided a mortar keying projection mounted on the external face of the front brick support. This will help the mortar to take hold on to the outside face of the front brick support thereby facilitating pointing of the wall.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and mortar spacer in which the portion of the base forward of the upstanding front wall has a slot formed therein. By having a slot formed in the portion of the base forward of the upstanding front wall, the slot may be used for reception of a facing or an edging dip and may be used to receive an upright plumb device to help construct a wall that is vertical.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and mortar spacer in which the body portion is cranked intermediate its ends thereby forming a corner section. This is seen as particularly useful as the brick guide and mortar spacer will be able to be used to construct corner joints as well as facilitating the construction of straight walls. In this way, the level of the bricks on two walls incorporating a corner will be maintained at the same level which results in a wall that is particularly pleasing aesthetically.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and mortar spacer in which the distance between the front edge of the base and the rear edge of the base is equal to or less than the depth of a brick. Again, by having such a configuration, the parts of the buck guide and mortar spacer Will not be visible on the external face of the wall which will provide a more aesthetically pleasing wall.

In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and mortar spacer in which there is provided an upstanding end wall mounted on the base intermediate the front and the rear brick supports for abutting against the end face of a brick. This Will facilitate the alignment of the end wall.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and Z5 mortar spacemn which there are provided weakened sections in the bricklaying device to allow sizing of the body portion. By having these weakened sections, the brick guide and mortar spacer may be sized to suit the size of wall required. It is envisaged that the device will be suitable for spanning a large number of bricks at the same time thereby facilitating installation of the device so that a single brick guide and mortar spacer may be used for a substantial length of wall. By having the weakened sections the brick guide and mortar spacer may be sized to suit any particular sized wall as required in a simple and quick manner. It is envisaged that the weakened sections may further comprise perforated sections or scored sections along the body portion. It is further envisaged that - 6 the weakened sections may be provided at regular intervals along the length of the body portion.

In a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a combined brick guide and mortar spacer in which the front brick support comprises a first upstanding brick supporting wall, mounted intermediate its ends to the front edge of the base portion and the rear brick support comprises a second upstanding brick supporting wall mounted intermediate its ends to the rear edge of the base portion. This is seen as a useful alternative embodiment of combined brick guide and mortar spacer that will be simple to use. It is envisaged that each of the upstanding brick supporting walls are arcuate in shape.

In one embodiment of the present invention there is provided a brick guide and mortar spacer in which the through-holes account for in excess of 70% of the area of the base.

1 S In a further embodiment of the invention, the through-holes account for in excess of 80% of the area of the base. By having the maximum amount of area taken up by the through-holes there will be provided a greater area for the bonding of the mortar to the bricks which helps to provide the strongest possible connection therebetween. The amount of area of the base that can be taken up by the through-holes also has to be carefully selected to ensure that the combined brick guide and mortar spacer retains sufficient rigidity to operate.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The Invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig 1 is a perspective view of a combined brick guide and mortar spacer according to the present invention; Figs 2 and 3 are typical cross sectional views of the combined brick guide and mortar spacer with mortar and a brick mounted thereon; - 7 Fig 4 is an end view of the combined brick guide and mortar spacer; Figs 5 to 8 (inclusive) are end views of alternative constructions of combined brick guide and mortar spacers according to the present invention; and

S

Fig 9 is a perspective view of an alternative construction of combined brick guide and mortar spacer.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figures 1 and 4 fhreof, there is shown a combined brick guide and mortar spacer, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, comprising an elongate body portion 3 having a base 5 incorporating a plurality of through-holes 7 therein, the throughholes 7 being arranged spaced apart along the length of the base. The base mounts a front brick support, indicated generally by the reference numeral 9 and a rear brick support, indicated generally by the reference numeral 11 for reception of a brick (not shown) thereon. The front brick support 9 further comprises an upstanding front wall 13 whim; in Flaunted rearwardly of the front edge 14 of the base and a rearwardly projecting brick support shelf 15 connected to the upstanding front wall 13. A pair of mortar keying projections 17, are mounted on the external face of the upstanding front wall 13 of the front brick support 9.

The rear brick support 11 further comprises an upstanding rear wall 19 substantially in line with the rear edge 20 of the base and a forwardly projecting brick support shelf 21 for receiving a brick thereon. The forwardly projecting brick support shelf 21 is mounted intermediate the end of the upstanding rear wall 19 connected to the base 5 and the free end of the upstanding rear wall 19. The upstanding rear wail on the side of the forwardly projecting brick support shelf remote from the base thereby forms a brick retaining wall to receive the rear face of a brick placed thereon.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. there are shown crosssectional views of the combined brick guide and mortar spacer as shown in Figure 1 with a brick 23 and mortar 25 mounted thereon. In use, the combined brick guide and mortar spacer is placed on top of a foundation or a previously laid row of bricks (not shown). Mortar 25 is then used to fill a mortar receiving recess formed between the front brick support 9 and the rear brick support 11. A brick 23 is then placed atop the front brick support 9 and rear - 8 brick support 11 abutting against the brick retaining wall formed by the upstanding rear wall 19. The mortar 25 is able to bond with the brick and is also able to bond with the foundation of the previously laid row of bricks through the throughholes 7. Mortar is then applied to an end face of the brick 23 and another brick (not shown) is then placed in S position abutting against the first brick. Once the tncks are In position, the area In front of the front brick support 9 is filled with mortar 25 and pointed in the normal manner.

Additionni rows of bricks on top of this row can then be laid in the same manner.

The combined brick support and mortar spacer is constructed from a pliable material, preferably plastics material, that will collapse under the weight of the brick 23. In this way, as the mortar 25 hardens and contracts, the combined brick guide and mortar spacer 1 will conform to the shape of the mortar thereby preventing the mortar from cracking. The pliable material will however be sufficiently rigid so that it will hold its shape on the introduction of the mortar until a brick is placed thereon.

Rainy now [u Figure 5, where parts similar to those described with reference to the previous drawings have been given the same reference numeral as before, there is shown an alternative embodiment of combined buck guide and mortar spacer 1, in which there is provided a slot 27 formed in the part of the base 5 forward of the front brick support 9. The slot 27 may be used for reception of a facing or edging clip (not shown).

Furthermore, the slot 27 may be used to provide a reception hole for a clip, which clip can carry an upright plumb device or the like (not shown) to ensure that the front wall of the wall being constructed remains vertical.

Retemng to Figure 6 of the drawings, where parts similar to those described with reference to the previous drawings have been given the same reference numeral as before, there is shown an alternative construction of combined brick guide and mortar spacer 1. The combined brick guide and mortar spacer 1 comprises a base 5 having a plurality of throuQh-holes (not shown) arranged along the length thereof and a front brick support 9 and a rear brick support 11. The front brick support g further comprises an upstanding front wall 13 which is mounted along the front edge of the base and a rearwardly projecting brick support shelf 15 connected to the upstanding front wall 13.

The rear brick support 11 further comprises an upstanding rear wall 19 substantially in line with the rear edge of the base and a forwardly projecting brick support shelf 21 for - 9 - receiving a brick thereon. Use of the combined brick guide and mortar spacer will be the same as previously described.

Referring to Figure 7 of the drawings, where parts similar to those described with s reference to the previous drawings have been given the same reference numeral as before, there is shown an alternative construction of combined brick guide and mortar spacer 1. In the embodiment shown, the front brick support 9 comprises a hrst upstanding brick support wall 29 mounted intermediate its ends to the front edge of the base portion and the rear brick support 11 comprises a second upstanding brick support wall 31 mounted intermediate its ends to the rear edge of the base portion 5. In this way mortar may be applied to the base portion and will travel through the through-holes (not shown) in the base portion onto the layer of bricks or foundation (also not shown) below.

A brick may then be placed on top of the first and second upstanding brick support walls 29, 31.

Referring to Figure 8 of the drawings, where parts similar to lhus described with reference to the previous drawings have been given the same reference numeral as before, there is shown an alternative construction of combined brick guide and mortar spacer 1. Both the first and the second upstanding brick support walls 33, 35 are arcuate in shape.

Referring to Figure 9 of the drawings, where parts similar to those described with reference to the previous drawings have been given the same reference numeral as before, there is shown an alternative construction of combined brick guide and mortar spacer 1. The combined brick guide and mortar spacer 1 Incorporates a comer section to ensure that the corner sections of a wall also remain level and so the entire structure created will be level and aligned correctly. The corner section is achieved by cranking the body portion intermediate its ends. In the embodiment shown, the body portion 3 is cranked at 90. but it will be understood that other angles could also be provided It will be further understood that additional holes could be provided in the combined brick guide and mortar spacer 1. For example, it is envisaged that additional holes for the reception of wall ties could be provided in the rear brick support and more specifically in the upstanding rear wall 19 of the rear brick support. It is further envisaged that - 10 additional holes could be provided in either or both the front and rear brick supports 9, 11, to facilitate keying. Again it will be understood that these holes would be provided in the upstanding front wall 13 and the upstanding rear wall 19 respectively of the front brick support 9 and the rear brick support 11. It is envisaged that the distance from the front edge of the combined brick guide and mortar spacer will be less than the depth of a standards brick as this will facilitate keying of mortar.

Finally, the combined brick guide and mortar spacer 1 may be provided with weakened sections along its length to facilitate cutting or breaking of the combined back guide and mortar spacer. These weakened sections may be provided by perforated or scored sections on the body portion 3. Preferably, these weakened sections will be at regular intervals along the length of the body portion 3 to facilitate fitting of the combined brick guide and mortar spacer to the length required. In this way, the combined brick guide and mortar spacer may be constructed to a standard length to cover, for example, 20 bricks at a time, and may be cut according to the individual requirements.

In this specification the through-holes in the base are described as accounting for in excess of 50% of the total base area. It will be understood that this could in fact be in the region of 70% or even 80% if desired in order to ensure that there is sufficient bonding area for the mortar to bond to the bricks below. All that is required is that the combined brick guide and mortar spacer retains sufficient rigidity so that it is not prone to failure and that it will be sufficiently stable to receive the mortar and bricks as described above.

It is further envisaged that the combined brick guide and mortar spacer could be constructed from materials other than plastics such as cardboard or other hardened paper substance. In this way the material used may begin to lose its rigidity on or after prolonged contact with the mortar. This could be particularly useful as the material would not adversely affect the quality of the joint. Alternatively, it is envisaged that the combined brick guide and mortar spacer could indeed also be constructed from a cementitious material if required. Although the cementitious material will not collapse under the weight of the bricks in the same manner as the pliable materials described, the cementitious material will be able to form a strong joint with the mortar which may also be preferable in certain circumstances. - 11

What is important to remember in this specification is that not only will the combined brick guide and mortar spacer overcome the problems experienced by workmen by ensuring that the correct amount of mortar is applied to a line of bricks so that the bricks are kept level, but in addition to this the combined brick guide and mortar spacer will essentially also act as a builders line aligning the bricks, thereby elrnnaDng the need for any further builders lines. This is highly advantageous.

in this specification, the terms Comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising" or any variation thereof as well as the terms "include, includes, included and including" or any variation thereof are all deemed totally interchangeable and they should all be afforded the widest possible interpretation.

This invention is in no way limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described, but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the claims. 1 4: - 12

Claims

Claims 1. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer comprising: S an

elongate body portion to span, in use, a course of bricks, the elongate body portion having a base incorporating a plurality of through-holes therein, the through-holes being arranged spaced apart along the length of the base and accounting for in excess of 50% of the area of the base; the combined brick guide and mortar spacer further wmprlsing a front brick support and a rear brick support; and at least a portion of each of the front brick support and the rear brick support being above and spaced apart from the base for reception of a brick thereon, the front brick support and the rear brick support defining therebetween a mortar receiving recess.
2. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in claim 1 in which the combined brick guide and mortar spacer is constructed from a pliable material so that the combined brick guide and mortar spacer is collapsible under the weight of a brick placed thereon to conform to the shape of the mortar contained therein.
3. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in claim 1 or in which the rear brick support further comprises an upstanding rear wall substantially in line with the rear edge of the base and a forwardly projecting brick supporting shelf for receiving a brick thereon.
4. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in claim 3 in which the forwardly projecting brick supporting shelf is mounted intermediate the end of the upstanding rear wa1i connected to the base and U'e tree end of the upstanding rear wall, the upstanding rear wall on the side of the forwardly projecting brick supporting shelf remote from the base thereiy forming a brick retaining wall to receive the rear face of a brick. - 13
5. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in any preceding claim in which the front brick support further comprises an upstanding front wall and a rearwardly projecting brick supporting shelf connected thereto.
6. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed In claim In which the upstanding front wall is mounted rearwardly of the front edge of the base.
7. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in any preceding claim in which there are provided additional throughholes formed in the rear brick support for the reception of wall ties.
8. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in any preceding claim in which there are provided additional through-holes in each of the front brick support and the rear brick support for the reception of mortar.
9. A combined brick guide and mottler spacer as claimed in any preceding claim In which there is further provided a mortar keying projection mounted on the external face of the front brick support.
10. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in claim 6 in which the portion of the base forward of the upstanding front wall has a slot formed therein.
11. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in any preceding claim in which the body portion is cranked intermediate its ends thereby forming a corner As section.
12. I\ combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in any preceding claim in which the distance between the front edge of the base and the rear edge of the base is equal to or less than the depth of a brick.
13. A combined buck guide and mortar spacer as claimed in any preceding claim in which there is provided an upstanding end wall mounted on the base intermediate the front and the rear brick supports for abutting against the end face of a brick. - 14
14. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in any preceding claim in which there are provided weakened sections in the bricklaying device to allow sizing of the body portion.
15. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in claim 14 in which the weakened sections further comprise perforated sections or scored sections along the body portion.
16. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in claim 14 or 15 in which the weakened sections are provided at regular intervals along the length of the body portion.
17. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in any preceding claim in which the front brick support comprises a first upstanding brick supporting wall, mounted intermediate its ends to the front edge of the base portion and the rear brick support composes a second upstanding brick upportiry wall mounted intermediate its ends to the rear edge of the base portion.
18. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in claim 17 in which each of the upstanding brick supporting walls are arcuate in shape.
19. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in any preceding claim in which the through-holes account for in excess of 70% of the area of the base.
20. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer as claimed in any preceding claim in which the through-holes account for in excess of 80% of the area of the base.
21. A combined brick guide and mortar spacer substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompany drawings.