Wasted Spacer Member for Wall Elements, Especially for Glass Bricks

The invention relates to a wasted spacer member for wall elements, especially for glass bricks, consisting of at least one cross-element or T-element whose arms are disposed in two planes that are perpendicular to each other.

The placing of wall elements, especially of glass bricks, is carried out in such a way that a first layer of bricks is put in place and short wooden strips are used to provide a spacing between the adjacent wall blocks or bricks. Thereafter narrow planed wooden strips are put on so as to obtain a uniform spacing of the next layer, and between these wooden strips the mortar and a reinforcing bar is put, the wall elements for the next layer being placed on top of the wooden strips. After the wall is finished and the mortar has hardened the wooden strips are removed, but this causes usually a destruction of the wooden strips. After the wooden strips have been removed the grooves thus created are filled in with a joint mortar. It is obvious that in this known working procedure the wooden strips must be kept in the brick construction until the mortar has hardened as otherwise the wall would settle unevenly whereby the good visual impression of the wall construction would be destroyed. It is clear that when the mortar is hard it is very difficult to remove the wooden strips because the mortar sticks to them, and when a chisel is used to help remove them this is likely to cause damage to the bricks. In any case, even when a special mortar is used a subsequent filling out of the joints is necessary.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a spacer member for wall elements, especially for glass bricks, which makes possible a working operation that eliminates the above mentioned disadvantages. This is obtained according to the invention in that the spacer member consists of two cross-elements or T-elements which lie in parallel planes to each other, wherein the intersecting points of the arms of both elements lie on a common axis which is perpendicular to the plane of the elements, that the two elements are joined to each other by at least one web, wherein the distance between the two outer surfaces of the elements from each other is smaller than the thickness of the wall elements, and the width (thickness) of the arms measured in the planes of the elements corresponds either to the width of the joints between the individual wall elements or the width of the joint plus the sum of the groove depths of two adjacent wall elements. The spacer members of the invention are imbedded into the mortar and as they are set back relative to the surface of the bricks they can remain in place. It is also possible to finish the constructed wall directly after the placing of the last layer or, when using a visible joint mortar, to finish it simultaneously with the placing of the bricks. This produces a considerable saving of time with regard to the known working procedure because in the conventional procedure the filling out of the joints may be carried out only one or two days after the wall is built so that the workers are forced to go twice to the same construction site. A further advantage of the spacer member according to the invention consists in that the correct vertical as well as horizontal distance between adjacent elements can be assured with a single spacer member while in the known working procedure at least two strips are necessary which must be removed subsequently.

The web according to the spacer member of the invention is designed in a preferred embodiment as a support element for the iron reinforcing bars which are placed between the wall elements, wherein the surface of the web supporting the reinforcing bar is displaced relative to the intersecting point of the arms of the cross-element or T-element by half the diameter of the reinforcing bar whereby the strength properties of the wall with reinforcing bars is improved.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the spacer member the cross-elements or T-elements are provided with break-off vanes which enclose the wall elements, or with a disc which encloses the outer surfaces of the wall element, wherein the distance of the discs enclosing the outer surfaces of the wall elements or the vertical parts of two oppositely disposed break-off vanes correspond to the thickness of the wall element. This arrangement guarantees not only an exact maintenance of the joint width but prevents simultaneously that one wall element is set back relative to an adjacent wall element so that an even wall is produced. These break-off vanes may be broken off simply with a spatula or a trowel as soon as the mortar is hardened a little and therefore do not get in the way during the filling of the joints, which is always necessary.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the discs are releasably connected with the cross-elements or T-elements so that they may be repeatedly used in contrast to the cross-elements or T-elements.

According to an additional feature of the invention the spacer member consists of a material which is essentially not subject to expansion in water and preferably of a synthetic material containing filler materials.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of several embodiments of the spacer member according to the invention and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the spacer member according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the spacer member according to the invention,

FIG. 3 is a side view of the spacer member according to FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 shows a further arrangement of the spacer member corresponding to FIG. 3 with grooved wall elements and,

FIGS. 5 - 7 show a third embodiment of the spacer member according to the invention respectively in an elevation view, a plan view and a side view.

As may be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2 each spacer member consists of two cross elements 1 which are disposed in two planes that are parallel to each other. The two cross elements are connected by a web 2 which is arranged either centrally as in FIG. 1 or opposite the intersecting points of the arms of the cross elements 1 in an offset relationship as seen in FIG. 2. This web 2 may serve also as support element for an iron reinforcing bar 3 which can be inserted between the wall elements, especially glass bricks.

Each of the cross elements 1 consists of two arms 4 standing vertically on each other. In order to be able to use these spacer members also for the first and last layer or along the side one uses T-elements instead of cross elements.

The width of the arms 4 corresponds to the desired joint width between the wall elements or glass bricks. The distance of the outer surfaces of the cross-elements or T-elements from each other is less by at least double the joint depth than the thickness of the wall elements used for constructing the wall.

In case the wall elements are provided with a groove extending along the side surfaces, and whose walls are either parallel or perpendicular to the joint surfaces, or present centering steps in connection with the joint surfaces, the spacer member may be exclusively in contact with these surfaces. The width of the arms of the cross-elements or T-elements must correspond in that case to the width of the joint plus the double groove depth or step height, as seen in FIG. 4.

In order to line up the wall elements exactly to each other also in the vertical direction break-off vanes are provided as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2, and their vertical parts enclose also the outer surfaces of the wall elements as shown in dash lines in FIG. 3.

These break-off vanes are connected to the arms of the cross-elements or T-elements and are provided with breaker lines so that they may be easily broken off after a short period, namely as soon as the mortar has hardened a little.

The embodiment according to FIGS. 5 through 7 differs from that of FIGS. 2 and 3 merely in the fact that in place of the break-off vanes 5 each cross-element or T-element 1 is provided with a disc 7 which is spaced by means of a projection 8 relative to the wall element. This disc 7 is integral with the projection 8 and may be separated from the cross-element or T-element, and this is done for manufacturing reasons. In order to receive vertical reinforcing bars (not shown) the web 2 is provided with openings 9. There are also openings 10 in the cross-elements or T-elements 1 and they provide on the one hand a saving of material and improve on the other hand the anchoring of the spacer member in the joint material.

It is particularly necessary in the embodiment of FIG. 2 that the spacer member is exactly adjusted to the wall element thickness. For this purpose each of the cross-elements or T-elements is provided with a projection 6, for example of cylindrical form, by means of which the two elements 1 may be connected through a sleeve-like web 2. By means of sleeve-like webs 2 of varying lengths the spacer members may be adapted easily to the thickness of the wall elements to be used.

In order to prevent a turning of the two cross-elements or T-elements relative to each other these elements may be provided with two projections 6 so that two webs 2 instead of one may be attached. It is obvious that the spacer member of the invention may be manufactured also either as a one piece or a two-piece member.

It has been found that it is useful to provide the outer surfaces of the cross-elements or T-elements with a rough surface so that the joint mass can combine also with the spacer member.

In order to prevent a working of the spacer members in the finished wall structure they consist of a material which is essentially non-expandable in water and preferably of a synthetic material which is provided with filler material.