IMIROVEMENTS IN BRICKS TILES, STONES OR OTHER BUILDING MATERIALS to be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: J WILLIAM BORTHWICK SMITH, of Leamington in the County of Warwick do
hereby declare the nature of the invention for 'IMIROVEMENTS IN BRICKS TILES,
STONES OR OTHER BUILDING MATERIALS to be as follows
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This invention relates to the bricks ordinarily used for building purposes, and it
has for its object a novel method of making and forming such bricks so that
buildings built of them are very strong substantial and durable
Supposing that my invention is to be applied to a brick of about the same size
and weight as those ordinarily used in building I make my improved brick (in
plan) in the form of a parallelogram having two acute and two obtuse angles
I prefer to make these angles so that a line at right angles to the two ends meets
the opposite extremities of the latter and the brick is therefore of the same shape
as would be obtained by cutting an ordinary rectangular brick in two parts by a
digonal line through two of its opposite angles, one of these parts being inverted
and applied to the other so that the two diagonal sides and the two ends are parallel
Bricks made of the shape described have the same superficial area on their upper
and lower surfaces as ordinary bricks and can be used for building in the same way,
but overlap each other and break joint in such a manner as to form a very strong
and durable building
The improved bricks may be laid so as to form "bonds of any of the well
known kinds
For instance where an ordinary nine inch wall of two courses is to be built,
I lay a brick across the thickness of the wall and adjoining it I lay two bricks
side by side and so on continuously The next course I lay in a similar way but
I invert the bricks so that the diagonal lines formed by them across the wall cross
those of the lower course their ends being arranged so as to break joint In this
way it will be seen that each of the transverse bricks covers parts of four bricks
in the course beneath it, whilst each of the longitudinal ones covers parts of three
such lower bricks In order to form properly the square ends of the wall I use a
specially shaped brick of larger area one end of which fits against the last of the
diagonal bricks, whilst its outer end is rectangular and forms the end of the wall.
I prefer to make near the end of each brick on its upper and lower faces a
recess so that in whichever position the bricks are laid the recesses are oppoute to

page_text: each other and being filled with mortar or cement add materially to the strength
of the wall. Or a recess may be made to fit a corresponding projection upon the
next brick Or instead of recesses perforations may be made completely through
the bricks in the same position through which bolts or stays may be passed from
top to bottom of the wall and very great strength is thus obtained.
Or the perforations may be left open forming continuous passages for ventilation
The method of arrangement in laying the bricks may be easily modified so that
a fourteen inch or other wall may be built, the diagonal lines in one course being
arranged in the opposite direction to those of the courses above and below it, and
in this method each transverse brick or header will cover parts of five bricks"in
such upper and lower courses.
Instead of the bricks being made in the shape described the angle of the diagonal
Bide may be varied For instance it may be made such that starting from one
corner of an ordinary rectangular brick its other end meets the opposite end of
such brick at two thirds of the width of the latter
Bricks constructed according to my invention may be laid in combination with
ordinary bricks and are not more expensive to make than the latter whilst
buildings in which they are used have very great strength and durability
The invention may also be applied to tiles stone, or other building materiala.

page_text: I, WIILIAM BORTHWICK SMITH of Leamington in the County of Warwick do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BRICKS TILES,
STONES OR OTHER BUILDING MATERIALS" and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following,
statement and accompanying drawing (that is to say)
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This invention relates to the bricks ordinarily used for building purposes and it
has for its object a novel method of making and forming such bricks so that
buildings built with them are very strong substantial and durable
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention
Supposing that my invention is to be applied to bricks such as that shewn in
figure 1 I make the improved brick (in plan) in the form of a parallelogram having
two acute and two obtuse angles
I prefer to make these angles so that the brick is of the shape shewn in figure 2
the two diagonal sides and the two ends respectively being parallel
Bricks made of the shape and of about the proportion shewn in the drawing can
be used for building in the same way as ordinary bricks but they overlap each other
and break joint in such a manner as to form very strong and durable buildings
The improved bricks may be laid in different methods as shewn in the drawing
so as to form 'bonds 'of any of the well known kinds
For instance where an ordinary wall of two thicknesses is to be built the
method of arrangement shewn in figure 4 may be used which represents a plan of
two courses, the lower one being indicated by dotted lines the bricks in the upper
course being laid longitudinally and those of the lower one transversely, forming
what is known as English Bond, each brick bonding or covering part of four
other bricks in the courses above and below
Figure 5 represents a plan of two similar courses laid so as to form what is
known as • Flemish bond, two bricks being laid longitudinally and each covering
three others, and one transversely covering four others and so on successively to
form each course. The direction of the diagonal bricks is reversed in each
succeeding course
Figure 6 represents in plan a wall of three bricks in thickness laid in English
bond each longitudinal brick covering four others and each transverse brick
covering five others, as shewn
Figure 7 shews a similar wall in Flemish bond each longitudinal brick
covering or bonding three others and each transverse brick covering or bonding
five others
Figure 8 18 a side view of three courses of the wall laid as shown in plan in
figure 7
Figure 10 18 an elevation shewing the improved bricks laid on end to form
spans for doorways windows, or other openings, and figure 11 is a horizontal
section through the line C D figure 10 shewing the span composed of three
thicknesses or courses the bricks in the middle one being laid horizontally and the
whole three thicknesses being interlocked together by recesses and projections so as
to form one piece.
Figure 12 shews in plan two courses of another arrangement of laying the
bricks in a wall of three thicknesses in which each longitudinal brick covers or

page_text: bonds four others and each transverse brick five others as in figure 6 In this
method the special bricks at e to form the end of the wall can be made the same
Bize and shape for all the courses, as shown, and tho end bricks so used by being
turned upon their edges can be used as efficient coping bricks the edge f of which
then forms a sloping upper surface
This can also be done with the end bricks
shewn in figures
5 6, and 7
In order to form properly the square ends of the wall I use specially shaped
bricks (as shewn at c figures 4, 5, 6 7 10 and 12) one end of which fits against
the last of the diagonal bricks whilst its outer end is rectangular and forms the
end of the wall
Walls at right angles are united together in a similar manner
I prefer to make near the end of each brick on its upper and lower faces, a
recess as shown at c in the several figures, so that in whichever position the bricks
are laid the recesses are opposite to each other and being filled with mortar or
cement add materially to the strength of the wall as shewn in section at h in
figure 9 which is a vertical section on the line A B figure 7
The rectases may be of any suitablo size and circular hexagonal (as shown in
dotted lines in figure 12) or other suitable shape, or a recess upon one brick may bo
made to fit upon a corresponding projection upon the next brick as shown at 2
figure 9, the work being thus very strongly interlocked together
Or instead of recasses perforations may be made in the same position completely
through the bricks as shown at k figuro 9, and through these perforations bolts or
tubular or other stays may be passed from top to bottom of the wall as shewn at Z
in figure 9 and great strength is thus obtained
Or the perforations may be left open so as to form continuous passages for
ventilation, as shown in figure 13
The method of arrangement adopted in laying the bricks may be easily modified
so that walls of different thicknesses may be built and the angle of the diagonal
sides may bo vaned
Bricks made according to my invention may be made of any suitable material
and may be laid in combination with ordinary bricks and are not more expensive
to make than the latter whilst buildings in which they are used have very great
strength and durability
The invention may also be applied to tiles stone, or other building materials
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
1 The method of making bucks or other building materials having their top
and bottom parallel and then sides diagonal in plan substantially as described and
Bbewn.
2 Also, in such bricks or other building materials so made, the recessus or
recesses and projections or perforations, substantially as and for the purposes
described and shewn
3 Also, the several methods of laying such bricks, substantially as described
and shown.