Improvements in Bricks.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bricks.
I, STEPHEN ISAAC ADAMS, of "Ravenhurst," York Road, Southend-on-Sea, in
the County of Essex, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
,
My invention relates to bricks of the kind or class described in the Specifications
of former Letters Patent granted to me and dated 13th June 1893, No. 11538,
and 12th January 1894, No. 713, wherein dovetailed grooves, recesses or frogs
are formed in the upper or under surface or in both the upper and under
surfaces of the bricks to provide a key, or hold for the mortar or cement in
addition to that due to the adhesion of the mortar or cement to the material of
the brick. And my said.invention is chiefly designed to reduce the weight of
such bricks and the amount of mortar or cement which it is necessary to use
therewith.
3
My improved bricks are made with elliptical or other suitably shaped holes or
passages extending through or partly through the same, at equal distances from
opposite sides thereof, parallel with the said dove-tailed grooves or recesses. These
holes or passages must be of such shape in transverse section as to form arches
above and beneath the said dovetailed grooves or recesses, so that, while the weight
of the bricks will be considerably reduced, their strength and capability of with-
standing compression will not be impaired to any material degree, since the archeji
form of the material at the base of each groove or recess enables it to effectually
resist crushing stresses. In addition to these arched holes or passages, circular
or other holes or passages can be formed in the said bricks at other suitable
positions therein.
To further strengthen the hollow brick and at the same time reduce the
quantity of mortar or cement required to fill the dovetailed grooves or recesses,
form at the bottom of each dovetailed groove or recess, a curved or cambered
projection, which not only serves to reduce the cross-sectional area of the said
groove or recess but also thickens the crown of the corresponding arch, thus
diminishing the quantity of mortar or cement which it is necessary to employ
in the joint, without interfering with the efficiency or strength of the keys of
mortar or cement thus produced, and at the same time increasing the resistance
of the hollow part of the brick to crushing or compression.
In applying my improvements to "stretcher" bricks or to double "Stretcher"
bricks, I arrange the dove-tailed grooves or recesses and the holes or passages
longitudinally, and the said bricks, if desired, may also be recessed along their
inner face to further reduce their weight.
[
In the case of "header" bricks, I arrange the grooves and holes or passages
transversely, preferably with an additional circular hole or passage between the
arched or elliptical passages.
My improvements can also be applied to quoin, bull-nosed and other bricks of

page_text: special form, the dovetailed grooves or recesses and holes or passages terminating
at a short distance from the finished or outer surface of the said bricks.
Dated the 8th day of September 1898.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Bricks.
I, STEPHEN ISAAC ADAMS, of "Ravenhurst," York Road, Southend-on-Sea, in
the County of Essex, Architect, 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:-
My invention relates to bricks of the kind or class described in the Specification
of former Letters Patent granted to me and dated respectively 13th June 1893,
No. 11,538, and 12th January 1894, No. 713, wherein dovetailed grooves,
recesses or frogs are formed in the upper or under surface or in both the upper.
and under surfaces of the bricks to provide a key, or hold for the mortar or
cement in addition to that due to the adhesion of the mortar or cement to the
matérial of the brick. And my said invention is chiefly designed to reduce the
weight of such bricks and the amount of mortar or cement which it is necessary
to use therewith.
My improved bricks are made with elliptical or other suitably-shaped holes or
"passages extending through or partly through the same, at equal distances from
opposite sides thereof, and parallel with the said dovetailed grooves or recesses.
These holes or passages must be of such shape in transverse section as to form arches
above and beneath the said dovetailed grooves or recesses 'respectively, so that,
while the weight of the bricks will be considerably reduced, their strength and
capability of withstanding compression will not be impaired to any material
"degree, since the arched form of the material at the base of each groove or recess
enables it to effectually resist crushing stresses. In addition to these arched holes
or passages, circular or other holes or passages can be formed in the said bricks
at other suitable positions therein to still further lighten them.
To further strengthen the hollow brick and at the same time reduce the
quantity of-mortar or cement required to fill the dovetailed grooves or recesses,
I form at the bottom of each dovetailed groove or recess, a curved or cambered
*projection, which not only serves to reduce the cross-sectional area of the said
"groove' or recess but also thickens the crown of the corresponding arch, thus
diminishing the quantity of mortar or cement which it is necessary to employ
in the joint, without interfering with the efficiency or strength of the keys of
mortar or cement thus produced, and at the same time increasing the resistance
of the hollow part of the brick to crushing or compression.
:
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of one form of "stretcher"
ing to my present invention.
brick made accord-
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of one form of "header" brick made
according to my said invention, and
Figures 3 and 4 are similar views respectively to Figures 1 and 2, showing
other forms or modifications of my improved bricks.

page_text: In the bricks shown in Figures 1 and 2, a hole or passage a, which is elliptical
in cross-section, is formed in the brick midway between and parallel with the
opposite dovetailed grooves or recesses b, and a curved or cambered projection c
is formed at the bottom of each of the said grooves or recesses b for the purposes
above specified.
In applying my improvements to "stretcher" bricks or to double "stretcher"
bricks, I arrange the dovetailed grooves or recesses b and the hole or passage a
longitudinally, as shown in Figure 1, and the said bricks, if desired, may also
be recessed along their inner face, as at d, to further reduce their weight.
In the case of "header" bricks, I arrange the grooves and the holes or
passages a transversely, as shown in Figure 2, preferably with an additional
circular hole or passage e between the arched or elliptical passages a.
To increase the strength of the bricks and enable them to more effectually
withstand compression, I sometimes make the said bricks with one or more stays
or props between the arched portions of the same. The bricks shown in Figures 3
and 4 are made with a stay or prop f extending from end to end of each hole or
passage a.
The recess d in Figure 3 is of semi-oval form, and an oval hole or passage e
is formed through the middle of the brick shown in Figure 4.
By my improvements above described I am enabled to make bricks of con-
siderably larger size than the ordinary bricks for the same weight, without unduly
diminishing their strength.
I sometimes make my improved bricks two or more times the size of an ordinary
brick and form in them grooves in their outer surface which can be filled with
mortar or the like so that a structure built of the said bricks will have the
appearance of one built of ordinary bricks or of bricks of less depth than the
ordinary bricks.
My improvements can also be applied to quoin, bull-nosed and other bricks of
special form, the dovetailed grooves or recesses and holes or passages terminating
at a short distance from the finished or outer surface of the said bricks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
www
First. A brick having one or more dovetailed grooves or recesses in the upper
or under surface or in both the upper and under surfaces thereof and having one
or more holes or passages extending through or partly through it parallel with
the said grooves or recesses, substantially as herein before described.
Second. A brick made substantially as described with reference to either of the
figures of the accompanying drawing and for the purposes specified.
८
1035.
S. I. ADAMS.
D. Young & Co.,
11 and 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.