Patent ID: 8122683
Filing Date: 2012-02-28
Classification: E04F

Abstract:
1. A method for mounting thin brick having a shallow dovetail groove formed on a rear surface thereof comprising the steps of: (a) mounting a panel to a vertical surface, said panel comprising a metal sheet having front and rear surfaces, having a first array of punched groove retaining tabs having first tab edges protruding from said front surface at an upward angle of less than about 45 degrees; and a second array of punched mortar lock tabs having second tab edges, said second tab edges protruding from said front surface at a downward angle of greater than about 45 degrees, said first array of mortar lock tabs being formed along a horizontal axis at a different height than a horizontal axis along which said second array of groove retaining tabs are formed, said first tab edges being configured to seat at an intersection of a recessed vertical wall and an inclined surface of the shallow dovetail grooves to thereby support the thin brick; (b) placing a plurality of thin bricks on said array of groove retaining tabs with gaps between vertically adjacent courses of thin brick, such that the first tab edges are seated within the shallow dovetail grooves formed in the rear of the thin bricks and the mortar lock tabs are disposed in gaps between vertically adjacent rows of thin bricks, the mortar lock tabs being configured to not interfere with a seating of the thin bricks on the first tab edges; and (c) filling the gaps between the thin bricks with a mortar to thereby encase the mortar lock tabs, wherein in response to a tensile force away from said front surface, the mortar lock tabs exert a downward force component, to thereby counter an upward force component exerted by the first tab edges acting on the inclined surface of the shallow dovetail grooves.