Improvements in the Walls of Gardens and other Places, and in Bricks therefor.
Year: 1884

page_text: Improvements in the Walls of Gardens and other Places, and in
Bricks therefor.
I, JAMES GILLESPIE, of Garnkirk Fireclay Works, in the county of Lanark,
Brick Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE WALLS OF GARDENS AND OTHER PLACES AND IN BRICKS THEREFOR,"
to be as follows:-
My said invention has reference to special improvements in the construction of
bricks for, and in the building of walls for orchards, gardens, and greenhouses or
other places therewith, which walls will resist the effects of rain and weather in
exposed places, and enable the branches of trees, vines, and other plants to be
secured thereto much better than has been the case heretofore.
The improvements of my invention consist first in making the back or main
part of the bricks of ordinary fire-clay or the common red or dark clays, either
solid or hollow for lightness, which when baked particularly resist the absorption
of water, though they may not resist the great changes of weather; and I make
separate thin slabs, blocks, or tiles of a white or superior clay of the size of the
exposed side or end of the body brick, which when baked would be quite hard and
proof against the action of the weather. These tiles might be glazed in white or
colours as tiles are, for carrying off the water quickly or for beauty or reflection
of the best coloured rays of light for promoting vegitation; and the sides or ends
of the body bricks would be made with dovetail or other recesses to receive
corresponding projections on the inner face of the tiles, or corresponding recesses
might be formed in the tiles, and have separate pieces of porcelain made for fitting
into the recesses in the brick and the tile, so that each tile could be securely
cemented to the outer face of a brick ready for building. In some cases the outer
faces of these tiles could be formed with longer or shorter recesses in them, and
have one or more pins projecting partly or wholly across the recesses inside or
within the outer surface of the brick and the wall when built in, and having
sufficient room in the recess behind the pins to pass a cord, tape, wire or other
material to be used in tying the branches of the trees to the walls; or ridges
might be formed within the surface of the brick with holes through them for the
binders to pass through.
These improvements also apply to the walls of gardens, orchards, greenhouses,
and other places for training and securing the branches of trees. vines. shrubs.

page_text: '
flowers, and the like, as herein before described, when the walls are made as usual
with bricks in one piece without the facing tiles. The recesses in this case would
be formed in the side or end of the brick sufficiently deep or back from the face to
have one or more projections with holes in them, or pins formed or inserted wholly
or partly across the recesses, according to their longth and within the flush of the
wall; so that the pins would not touch the tree or other branches, but would allow
of the cord, band, or wire used to secure these, being passed easily through the
holes round the pins within the recesses and so fix the branches. These projecting
or cross pins within the recesses might either be formed or inserted in making the
bricks before baking them, or they might be made separately and either cemented
or inserted loosely afterwards in retaining holes or to shift in slide recesses with
holes through them for the cords.
By another modification the bricks (for the said purpose) may be formed with
narrow longitudinal, vertical, or angled bands projecting out from their outer face,
preferably rounded on the outer edge to prevent the branches being cut or injured,
and with holes at short distances apart through the ridges, for the purpose of
passing the cord, wire, or other binders through, which would be used to secure
the branches to the walls. The projecting ridges may be formed along the centre
or one edge of the side or end of the bricks which were to be built outwards; and
so as to form either continuous or interrupted projecting ridges at different parallel
heights from the ground, with plain wall between, and which would permit of the
cord, wire, or other binders being bound tight through the holes in the projecting
ridges round or outside the branches and tied individually or stretched in vertical
or angular parallel lines from the bottom to the top of the wall, or vice versa, and
enable them to be easily tightened up when required, and separately secured at
intervals to any ridge brick when desired.
Instead of making these projecting ridges upon the bricks described, I by another
modification make them in the form of thin bricks or tiles of the thickness it is
desired to have the ridges, and as much wider than the ordinary bricks of the wall
as to be built in rows between these and leave the ridges and securing holes
projecting out beyond the face of the wall and so be equivalent to the former ridge
modification described. Or otherwise, these ridge tiles may be made the same
width as the bricks and be placed between bricks with recesses in their adjacent
edges, so that the ridge tiles would not project beyond the face of the wall. Holes
or recesses might also be formed through the facing tiles or some distance into the
solid brick for securing clay or porcelain projecting pins either before or after
baking the tiles or bricks; the pins would have holes or reduced necks to which
the cords would be secured for tying the branches. Or otherwise wood or other
material may be driven into these holes in the tiles or bricks for driving in the
stems of metal or other securing hooks or eyes.
Dated this manto fourth day of Dommban 1001

page_text: Bricks therefor.
I, JAMES GILLESPIE, of Garnkirk Fireclay Works, in the county of Lanark,
Brick Manufacturer, 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 in writing, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings and to the several figures and reference letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
My said invention has reference to special improvements in the construction of
bricks for, and in the building of walls for orchards, gardens, and greenhouses or
other places therewith, which walls will resist the effects of rain and weather in
exposed places, and enable the branches of trees, vines, and other plants to be
secured thereto, all much better than has been the case heretofore.
And in order that the full nature and novelty of my said invention and mode
of putting it into effect or practice, may be properly understood, I shall now
proceed to describe the several figures on the Sheet of Drawings I have hereunto
appended for that purpose, the same reference letters indicating like parts in the
several figures.
Referring to Figures 1 to 5 the improvements of my invention consist first in
making the back, or main part of the brick. A of ordinary fireclay or of the
common red or dark clays, either solid, or hollow as dotted in in the figures for
lightness, which when baked particularly resist the absorption of water, though
they may not resist the great changes of weather; and I make separate thin slabs,
blocks, or tiles B, B1, of a white or superior clay of the size of the exposed side or
end of the body brick A, and which when baked would be quite hard and proof
against the action of the weather. These tiles B, B₁, might be glazed in white or
colours as other tiles are, for carrying off the water quickly, or for beauty, or
reflection of the best coloured rays of light for assisting vegitation; and the sides
or ends of the body bricks A, would be made with dovetail, or other dowel recesses
a to receive corresponding projections b on the inner face of the tiles B¹, shown in
Figure 5; or corresponding recesses a¹ may be formed in the tiles, and have
separate double dovetail pieces b' of porcelain made for fitting into these recesses a, a¹,
in the brick A and the tile B, so that each tile could be securely cemented to
the outer face of a brick A ready for building, Figures 1 to 4. In some cases the
outer faces of the tiles B, or that of the bricks A themselves, could be formed with
shorter or longer recesses d in them, and have one or more ridges & or pins d'pro-
jecting wholly or partly across the recess d inside or within the outer surface of the
tile B or brick and the wall when built in; each projection dor d' having a hole e
in it and sufficient room in the recess d behind as to pass a cord, tape, wire or other
material to be used in tying the branches of the trees to the wall; or ridges d', d³,
might be formed within the surface of the brick with holes e through them for the
binders to pass through, as shown respectively in Figures 5 and 6.

page_text: My improvements also apply to the walls of gardens, orchards, greenhouses, and
other places for training and securing the branches of trees, vines, shrubs, flowers,
and the like, as herein before described, when the walls are to be built as usual with
bricks made in one piece without the said new facing tiles.
Figures 6 to 18 show various modifications of these improvements applied to
bricks made in one block without facing tiles.
Referring to Figures 6 to 8 and 10 to 13 the recesses d d would be formed in
the side or end of the brick A sufficiently deep or back from the face to have one
or more ridges or projections d' with holes or spaces e through them, or pins d
formed or inserted wholly or partly across the recesses d, the number of pins or
holes being more or less according to the length of the recesses d and projections d¹.
All formed preferably within the flush or face of the brick or the wall, so that the
pins or projections d³ or d would not touch the trees or the branches to injure
them, but would allow of the cord, band, or wire used to secure these, being passed
easily through the holes e in the ridges or pins d², d', within the recesses d and so
fix the branches to the walls. These projections or cross pins d', d³, within the
recesses & might either be formed or inserted in making the bricks A before baking
them, or they might be made separately and either cemented or inserted loosely
afterwards in retaining holes c, as shown at Figures 4 and 8; or made to shift in
dovetail or T slide recesses f, with holes e through the shifting pins d³ for the cords
to pass through as shown in Figure 9.
By another modification the bricks A shown in Figure 15, (for the said purpose)
may be formed with narrow longitudinal, vertical or horizontal ribs or bands d'
projecting out from any part of their outer face, preferably rounded on their
outer edge to prevent the branches being cut or injured; and with holes e at short
distances apart through the ridges, for the purpose of passing the cord, wire, or
other binders through, which would be used to secure the branches to the walls.
The projecting ridges d' may be formed along the centre or the one edge of the side
or end of the bricks A which are to be built outwards.
As shown in Figures 16 and 17, these projecting ridges d³ may be formed the
whole depth or thickness of the brick, and so as to form either continuous or
interrupted ridges do projecting out from the face of the wall, at different parallel
heights from the ground, with plain wall between, and which would permit of the
cord, wire, or other binders being bound tight through the holes e, in the projecting
ridges d³ round or outside the branches and tied individually, or stretched in
vertical, or angular or parallel lines from the bottom to the top of the wall, or vice
versa, and enable them to be easily tightened up when required, and separately
secured at intervals to any ridge brick when desired.
Instead of making these projecting ridges upon the bricks as described, I by
another modification, (as shown in side and end views detached in Figure 18) make
them in the form of thin bricks or tiles C of the thickness it is desired to have
the ridges d', and as much wider than the ordinary bricks of the wall as to be built
in rows between these and leave the ridged part d¹ with the holes e, for the securing
wires or cords projecting out beyond the face of the wall, and so be equivalent to
the former ridge modifications described and shown in Figures 15, to 17. Or
otherwise, the ridge tiles C may be made, as shown in Figure 14, of the same width
as the bricks A and be built in between bricks A* A*, above and below them with
recesses & in their adjacent edges, so that the ridge tile C, would have ample room
above and below it for the insertion of the binding cords or wires through the
holes e and not project beyond the face of the wall to touch the branches of the
As shown in Figure 19 dovetail or T headed metal studs G are shown for
inserting into correspondingly shaped recesses c¹ formed through the facing
tiles B B¹ Figure 4, or some distance into the sides, ends, or middle of the solid
bricks as shown at A³ Figures 20 to 22, for securing these metal, or other pro-
jecting pins G placed therein either while making the tiles or bricks or after
they are made or. built into the walls. These pins G would have holes e, or it
might be recessed necks, in them to which the cords or wires would be secured for
trees.

page_text: tying the branches; and small blocks c³ of fire clay or other material might be used
for filling the holes or recesses c³, o³, and for securing the projecting pins G in their
recesses.
In some cases holes c would be formed in the bricks or tiles, as shown in
Figure 23, into which holes c wood or other material would be driven or inserted,
for driving in the stems of metal or other securing eyes or hooks G₁as shown
in Figure 24. Figure 25 is an isometrical elevation of the corner of a brick
wall W illustrating the application of several of the modifications of my improve-
ments thereto, and as described in reference to and shown singly or detached in
the former figures, and all distinguished by the corresponding reference letters, and
showing the binding cords or wires e¹ passed vertically and horizontally through
their securing holes e, all for training or binding the branches of the trees or other
vegetation to the wall.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my sid
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. The making or manufacturing of common fireclay or red or dark clay
bricks with facing blocks or tiles of a white or superior clay and secured together
by dovetail or other recesses formed in their adjacent faces with correspondingly
shaped securing pieces or dowels, or by a recess in one face and a corresponding
projection in the other, for building the exposed face of garden or other brick
walls, all substantially as, and for giving great resistance against the action of
the weather, or for the securing of trees or plants thereto when that is required,
berein described and illustrated..
Second. The making or manufacturing of tiles or of bricks, for garden or other
walls with perforated or recessed projections, ribs, or pins within or beyond
the outer face of the tiles or bricks, all substantially as herein described and
illustrated.