An Improved Brick.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 31st Oct., 1893-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1893
An Improved Brick.
I, JOHN MOHLBERG, Painter of No. 213 East 83rd Street, of the City of New
York, State of New York, U.S.A. do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved brick such as can be used for the interior
decoration of buildings and more especially for fire-places for the walls of dining
rooms, bath rooms, kitchens, halls, etc., and in which one side or the face of the
brick is advantageously glazed while the other sides remain unglazed and are
jointed without the use of mortar at the joint and for this purpose the invention
consists of a brick for interior work which is provided with openings extending
through its body said openings being enlarged towards the top and bottom of the
brick and with transverse depressions in the solid portion or partition between the
openings and recesses at one or both ends or sides so that the bricks can be placed
in position without any mortar between the joints by casting the mortar through
the openings and into the recesses whereby anchor-like connections with the
adjoining bricks are obtained.
My improved brick for interior work is provided with two openings and an
intermediate solid portion or partition between the openings.
These openings are advantageously made tapering or rounded off so as to form a
contracted portion or throat between the enlarged upper and lower ends of said
openings.
In the top and bottom of the solid portion or partition between the open parts of
the brick transverse recesses are arranged while the ends of the brick are provided
with recesses or depressions which in the case of a corner brick are arranged at one
end of the brick and at the rear-side extending along about one-half of the length of
the same.
At the top and bottom of the brick smooth face portions are arranged around
the openings and the recesses by which the joint of one brick with the adjoining
bricks above and below the same is made.
In laying the bricks so as to form a wall the mortar or cement is cast into the
tapering openings of the bricks the opening at one end of the brick corresponding
with the opening adjacent but alternating with the brick above or below the same.
The mortar or cement passed through the said openings of the bricks and forms a
continuous anchor or fastening that extends from brick to brick. The end recesses
of the two adjacent bricks form also an opening or space that is filled with mortar
or cement said cement extending into the depression below the same so as to form
thereby an additional connection with the brick below.
No cement or mortar is placed on the faces of the bricks nor between the adjacent
side-faces of two adjoining bricks so that a direct contact of the face at the ends of
one brick with those of the adjacent bricks above below and sideways of the same
is obtained. Consequently a wall formed of such bricks has the appearance of a
brick wall without any cement or mortar joints. As one side or the face of the
brick is advantageously glazed in a suitable color it may match the color of the
surrounding decoration and a very strong and ornamental wall in the nature of
tiling is obtained that can be used for interior decoration in place of the more
expensive tiles.
Bricks having openings in the body of the same and narrow contact faces extending
around said openings are well known but I am not aware that the bricks heretofore

page_text: made were provided either with transverse recesses of depressions in the top and
bottom of the solid portion or partition between the openings and with recesses in
the vertical ends or sides which depressions and recesses have the advantage that
walls can be quickly laid with such bricks by laying them in position in regular
courses casting the mortar or cement through the spaces between the adjacent ends
of the bricks so as to secure thereby the bricks in position by the preliminary
anchoring of the mortar in the central recesses of the bricks below so that a helper
or boy can then cast the mortar or cement through the main openings so as to finally
secure the bricks in place while the skilled hand or brick-layer continues to lay the
bricks as described.
In this manner the walls can be laid quickly and still very accurately and reliably
so as to form a strong and solid wall with nicely jointed bricks in which the mortar
is not visible.
3.
TA 1
2000
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Brick.
I, JOHN MOHLBERG Painter of 213 East 83rd Street, of the City of New York,
State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved brick of the character used for the interior
decoration of buildings and more especially for fire-places for the walls of dining
rooms, bath-rooms, kitchens, halls, etc., and in which one side or the face of the
brick is advantageously glazed while the other sides remain unglazed and are
jointed without the use of mortar at the joint and for this purpose the invention
consists of a brick for interior work which is provided with openings extending
through its body said openings being enlarged towards the top and bottom of the
brick and with transverse depressions in the solid portion or partition between the
openings and recesses at one or both ends or sides, so that the bricks can be placed
in position without any mortar between the joints by casting the mortar through
the openings and into the recesses whereby anchor like connections with the
adjoining bricks are obtained.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the corner portion of a wall made of my
improved bricks.
Figs. 2 and 4 are top views respectively of a corner brick and a brick for the
ordinary wall purposes, and
Figs. 3 and 5 are vertical longitudinal sections respectively on lines 3-3 and 5—5
of Figs. 2 and 4.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Referring to the drawings-a represents my improved brick for interior work
which is provided with two openings bb and an intermediate solid portion or
partition & between the openings.
These openings are advantageously made tapering or rounded off so as to form a
contracted portion or throat between the enlarged upper and lower ends of said
openings.
In the top and bottom of the solid portion or partition & between the open parts
of the brick are arranged transverse recesses e while the ends of the brick are
provided with recesses or depressions which in the case of a corner brick are

page_text: arranged at one end of the brick and at the rear side extending along about one
half of the length of the same as shown in Fig. 2.
At the top and bottom of the brick are arranged around the openings bb and
the recesses e smooth face portions d by which the joint of one brick with the
adjoining bricks above and below the same is made.
In laying the bricks so as to form a wall the mortar or cement is cast into the
tapering openings bb of the bricks the opening at one end of the brick corresponding
with the opening adjacent but alternating with the brick above or below the same.
The mortar or cement passed through the said openings 6b of the bricks and
forms a continuous anchor or fastening that extends from brick to brick.
The end recesses of the two adjacent bricks form also an opening or space that
is filled with mortar or cement said cement extending into the depression e
below the same so as to form thereby an additional connection with the brick
below.
No cement or mortar is placed on the faces of the bricks nor between the
adjacent side-faces of two adjoining bricks so that a direct contact of the face at
the ends of one brick with those of the adjacent bricks above below and sideways
of the same is obtained. Consequently a wall formed of such bricks has the
appearance of a brick wall without any cement or mortar joints. As one side or
the face of the brick is advantageously glazed in a suitable colour it may match
the colour of the surrounding decoration and a very strong and ornamental wall
in the nature of tiling is obtained that can be used for interior decoration in place
of the more expensive tiles.
Bricks having openings in the body of the same and narrow contact faces
extending around said openings are well known but I am not aware that the bricks
heretofore made were provided either with transverse recesses or depressions in the
top and bottom of the solid portion or partition between the openings and with
recesses in the vertical ends or sides which depressions and recesses have the
advantage that walls can be quickly laid with such bricks by laying them in
position in regular courses casting the mortar or cement through the spaces
between the adjacent ends of the bricks so as to secure thereby the bricks in
position by the preliminary anchoring of the mortar in the central recesses of the
bricks below so that a helper or boy can then cast the mortar or cement through
the main openings so as to finally secure the bricks in place while the skilled hand
or brick-layer continues to lay the bricks as described.
In this manner the walls can be laid quickly and still very accurately and
reliably so as to form a strong and solid wall with nicely jointed bricks in which
the mortar is not visible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A hollow brick having a transverse partition provided with depressions on its
upper and lower edges the openings on opposite sides of said partition being
enlarged towards the top and bottom of the brick said brick being provided with a
vertical face with a recess adapted to register with the partition depressions of
adjacent bricks above and below substantially as set forth.
2. A hollow brick having a transverse partition provided with depressions on its
upper and lower edges the openings on opposite sides of said partition being
enlarged towards the top and bottom of the brick said brick being provided on two
vertical faces with recesses adapted to register with the partition depressions on
adjacent bricks above and below substantially as set forth.
3. A hollow corner brick for interior work having a transverse partition provided
with depressions on its upper and lower edges the openings on opposite sides of said
partition being enlarged towards the top and bottom of the brick said brick being
provided at one end and along one half of one side with recesses adapted to register

page_text: with the partition depressions on adjacent bricks above and below substantially a
set forth.
Dated this 31st day of October 1893.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.