[0001] The invention relates to a plate-shaped, rectangular, linkable building element of
stone-like material having a front face, a rear face parallel to the front face and
two pairs of side faces extending between the front face and the rear face, the side
faces of each pair being parallel to one another.
[0002] Such plate-shaped building elements, which are made from stone-like material, for
example, lime sand stone, concrete or the like, are often manufactured in a factory
in given dimensions. On the building site the building elements are stacked side by
side and one on the other for erecting a wall or the like. It has then to be ensured
that the front faces and the rear faces of the various building elements should lie
as much as possible in one plane for obtaining a wall which will be as glad as possible.
Such wall surfaces are often finished by applying a plaster layer or the like, but
it will be obvious that the flatter is the wall surface for applying the plaster layer,
the smaller will be the quantity of plaster material to be applied, which not only
means saving of material but also an important reduction of labour time.
[0003] According to the invention one side face of a pair of side faces is provided with
at least one projecting rib extending in the longitudinal direction of the side face,
the cross-section of which gradually decreases in a direction away from the side face
concerned, whilst at a given distance from the ends of this side face the rib is provided
with two parts, which are broader than the further parts of the rib, whereas the other
side face of the pair is provided with a corresponding recess in a manner such that
in stacking two building elements straight one above the other the rib fits with some
amount of play in the recess and in stacking these building elements one on the other
in a relatively off-set manner in the longitudinal direction of these side faces the
boundary faces of the parts of the recess of the smallest section co-operate with
the boundary faces of the broader parts of the rib for the relative disposition of
the building elements relatively to one another.
[0004] The use of such building elements permits of stacking them for transport and storing
one on the other without causing problems with respect to the presence of the projecting
ribs, since they can be arranged with ample amount of play in the recesses of the
neighbouring building elements,.whilst there is no risk of damage of the projecting
ribs.
[0005] In erecting a wall or the like the building elements are, however, usually relatively
off-set, whereby a broader part of a rib will fall into a part of a recess of smaller
cross-section, so that, so to say, a kind of directional effect will occur between
the plates and in stacking up the building elements it is automatically ensured that
the front and rear faces of the building elements will become as far coplanal as possible.
[0006] In practice it has been found that the use of the construction embodying the invention
can provide a saving of about 30 percent for establishing, setting and aligning the
building elements, so that using the building elements in the erection of walls or
the like involves an important saving, in addition to the fact that considerable saving
is obtained in the further finishing of the walls owing to the materially flatter
wall surfaces, than usually.
[0007] Preferably also the side faces of the other pair have projecting ribs and grooves
so that in neighbouring building elements the pro. jecting ribs of a side face of
a building element fit into grooves in the adjacent side face of the other building
element. Also in this case the ribs and grooves can contribute to orientating the
neighbouring buil ding elements relative to one another, whilst by using building
element! provided with projecting ribs fitting in grooves of adjacent building elements,
in addition, a satisfactory sound insulation can be obtained, which is particularly
desirable for walls erected between neighbouring dwellings.
[0008] The invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a building element in accordance
with the invention.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the element of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows the relatively facing ends of two building elements as shown in Fig.
1.
Fig. 4 shows part of a cross-sectional view taken on the line IV-IV in Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 shows a part of a cross-sectional view of Fig. 1 taken on the line V-V in Fig.
1.
Fig. 6 shows a part of a cross-sectional view of Fig. 1 taken on the line VI-VI in
Fig. 1.
Fig. 7 shows a part of a cross-sectional view taken on the line VII-VII in Fig. 1.
Fig. 8 illustrates the manner in which the building elements shown in Fig. 1 can be
piled up for transport and storage.
Fig. 9 shows a sectional view of parts of two building elements bearing one on the
other for transport and/or storage.
Fig. 10 shows the manner in which the building elements can be relatively off-set
in erecting a wall.
Fig. 11 is a sectional view of two relatively off-set, stacked building elements,
between which a mortar layer is arranged.
Fig. 12 is a sectional view like Fig. 11 without mortar layer.
Fig. 13 shows a-further plate-shaped building element which can be used in erecting
walls or the like in conjunction with the plate-shaped building element of Fig. 1.
Fig. 14 is a side view of the element of Fig. 13.
Fig. 15 is a plan view of the ends of two neighbouring building elements as shown
in Fig. 13.
Fig. 16 is an elevational view of a wall erected by means of the building elements
shown in Figs. 1 and 15.
Fig. 17 is a lateral view of the wall shown in Fig. 16.
Figs. 18 and 19 are lateral views of further embodiments of walls that can be contructed
by using building elements in accordance with the invention.
[0009] The building element 1 of Fig. 1 is mainly a parallelepiped having a front face 2,
a rear face 3 parallel to said front face, a first pair of relatively parallel side
faces 4 and 5 and a second pair of relatively parallel side faces 6 and 7.
[0010] The side face 5 is provided with a rib 8 extending in the longitudinal direction
of the building element 1 and at a given distance from the two ends of the side face
concerned provided with widened parts 9 and 10.
[0011] For the invention it is not decidely necessary that the rib covers the whole length.of
the side face 5, but the rib may have local interruptions. In the embodiment shown
local interruptions are provided at the height of holes 11 internally of the building
element at right angles to the side face 5. In the case of heavier building elements
such holes 11 can be made in order to enable catching such building elements with
the aid of suitable pincers for lifting them.
[0012] From Fig. 1 it is furthermore apparent that in the side face 4 parallel to side face
5 perpendicularly below the rib 8 there is a corresponding groove or recess 12 having
perpendicularly below the widened parts 9 and 10 of the rib 8 widened, recessed part
13 and 14 respectively.
[0013] From Figs. 4 to 7 it will be apparent that, in a cross-sectional view, the broad
side of a rib 8 and the wider parts 9 and 10 of said rib 8 gradually become smaller
in a direction remote from the side 5. The recess 12 and the wider parts 13 and 14
of this recess have a correspondingly shaped sectional area.
[0014] For storage and transport building elements of the kind set forth are piled straight
one above the other, as is illustrated in Fig. 4. The rib 8 then falls in the recess
12 and the wider parts 9 and 10 of the rib 8 get into the wider parts 13 and 14 of
the recess 12. As is shown in Fig. 9 the embodiment is such that there is some amount
of play between the boundary faces of the rib 8 with its wider parts 9 and 10 and
the boundary faces of the recess 12 with its wider parts 13 and 14. It is ensured
that the dimension of the wider parts 13 and 14 of the recess 12, measured in the
longitudinal direction of the side faces 4 and 5 is slightly greater than the dimension
of the widened parts 9 and 10 of the rib 8, measured in the longitudinal direction.
Consequently the building elements can be readily stacked one on the other for transport
and/or storage without the risk of damage of the projecting ribs 8.
[0015] It is furthermore shown in Figs. 1 to 3 that one side face 6 is provided with two
projecting ribs 15 and 16, a groove 17 between said ribs and a groove 18 located near
the rib 16 and extending up to the front face 2. The rib 15 adjoins the rear face
3. The opposite side face 7 of the building element concerned is provided with two
ribs 19 and 20, a groove 21 between the ribs 19 and 20 and a groove 22 located at
the side of the rib 19 and adjoining the rear face 3. The projecting rib 22 adjoins
the front face 2.
[0016] It will be obvious, in particular, from Fig. 3, that in this construction the ribs
15 and 16 of a plate-shaped building element can be slid into the grooves 21 and 22
of the adjacent building element, the projecting ribs 19 and 20 of the last-mentioned
building element automatically falling into the grooves 17 and 18 of the first-mentioned
building element.
[0017] When erecting a wall by using the building elements described above the building
elements arranged in layers lying one above the other are relatively off-set in the
direction of length of the building elements as is illustrated in Figs. 10 and 14.
As a result the widened parts 9 and 10 of a building element get into the non-widened
parts of the recess 12 of an element disposed thereabove. Prior to disposing the elements
one on the other a mortar layer 23 is frequently applied between the elements to a
conventional thickness of about 2 mms.From Fig. 11 it will be obvious that the boundary
faces of the widened parts 9 and 10 of the rib 8 co-operate with the boundary faces
of the non-widened parts of the recess 20 in order to carry out the orientation of
the stacked building elements so that the front faces and the rear faces of these
building elements will lie in one plane as satisfactorily as possible.
[0018] When no mortar is applied between the elements, the situation of Fig. 12 is obtained.
[0019] As a matter of course the arrangement is carried out so that with the interposition
of a mortar layer the projecting ribs 15, 16, 19 and 20 of the side faces 6, and 7
fall into the recesses 17, 18 , 21 and 22. Also then the boundary faces of the tapering
ribs and the co-operating, inclined boundary faces of the recesses ensure the orientation
of the building elements arranged side by side.
[0020] The projecting ribs and the grooves receiving the projecting ribs ensure not only
a satisfactory orientation of the building elements relative to one another, but contribute
considerably to sound insulation.
[0021] In order to obtain in the off-set disposition of the building element lying one above
the other the desired effect between the widened parts 9 and 10 of the ribs and the
non-widened parts of the recesses 12 co-operating therewith, care is taken that the
distance between the two parts 9 and 10 on a particular building element differs from
the distance between the nearest parts 9 and 10-of two building elements arranged
- side by side, so that it is avoided that in a relatively off-set position of superjacent
building elements nevertheless a widened part of a rib should fall into a widened
part of a recess.
[0022] As a matter of course, building elements of the kind set forth can be made with many
different dimensions, whilst also the dimensions of the ribs and the recesses can
be freely chosen.
[0023] In an advantageous, practical embodiment the widened parts 9 and 10 of a rib 8 and
the widened parts 13 and 14 of a recess 12 resp., measured from the side 6 are located
at a distance of about 29/90 and 61/90 respectively of the length of the side 5 from
the respective side 6. In the non-widened part the rib had a trapezoidal section having
a base width of 29 mss, a top width of 10 mms and a height of 10 mms. The dimensions
of the cross-sections of the widened parts 9 and 10, also having a trapezoidal shape,
were: base width 33 3/4 mms, the top width 16 mms and the height 10 mms. Measured
in the direction of length the dimension of a widened part was about 50 mms and the
transition between the widened part of the rib and the part of the rib with the normal
width had a length of about 321 2 mms.
[0024] In a building element having a rib of this construction the trapezoidal cross-sectional
area of the recess 12 had a base width of 32 mms, a top width of 11l mms and a height
of 11) mms. A widened part 13 and 14 respectively of the recess 12 had also a trapezoidal
cross-section having a base width of 371 2 mms, a top width of 18) mms and a height
of 11l mms. The length of such a widened part was about 70 mms.
[0025] For finishing the walls erected by the building elements of the kind set forth on
the top side it is not desirable to have ribs projecting on the top side. In conjunction
with the embodiments described above it is, therefore, efficient to use the building
element 24 shown in Figs. 13 to 15, which has, at least for the major part the same
structure as the building element shown in Fig. 1, the corresponding parts of which
are, therefore, designated by the same reference numerals as in Fig. 1. Instead of
using a rib 8, the side face 5 has, however, a recess 25, the section of which correspondends
with the recess 12, but this recess 25 does not have widened parts. Such stones can
be used for finishing the top layer of a wall. Furthermore such stones can be sawn
through the middle along a diagonal line for finishing a ridge facade of Fig. 16 so
that two rectangular, trapezoidal building elements 24' and 24'' are obtained, with
the aid of which a triangular gable can be built in the manner shown in Fig. 16.
[0026] As a matter of course, within the spirit and scope of the invention variations and/or
completions of the constructions are possible.
[0027] As is shown in Figs. 1 to 17 relatively broad building elements with a rib and a
groove respectively can be used and, of course, a plurality of ribs and grooves can
be arranged side by side. A further embodiment is shown in Fig. 18, in which is used
a building element as desaibed in Dutch Patent Application 8203653, in which each
building element is built up from two plate-shaped parts 26 and 27 of stone-like material
with an interposed layer of insulating material. As is shown, the two plate-shaped
parts 26 and 27 can be provided with ribs and grooves, but it is also possible to
provide only one of these plates with ribs and grooves.
[0028] Fig. 19 shows an embodiment in which building elements 29 of the kind of the construction
of Fig. 17 are used which may have a smaller thickness and which are furthermore provided
in a similar manner with projecting grooves and recesses. These building elements
are employed as the inner plate of a hollow wall, to which insulating material 30
is applied, whilst the hollow wall is furthermore provided with an outer plate 32
of bricks.
1. A plate-shaped, rectangular building element (1) of stone-like material comprising
a front face (2), a rear face (3) parallel to said front face (2) and two pairs of
side faces (4,5; 6,7)extending between the front face and the rear face, the side
faces of each pair being parallel to-ene another characterized in that one (5) of
the one pair of side faces (4,5) is provided with at least one projecting rib (8)
extending in the longitudinal direction of the side face (5), the cross-section of
which gradually decreases in a direction away from the side face (5) concerned, whilst
a given distance from the ends of said face (5) the rib (8) has two parts (9,10) broader
than the further parts of the rib (8) and the other side face (4) of said pair has
a corresponding recess (12) in a manner such that when two of these building elements
are stacked straight one above the other, the rib (8) fits with some amount of play
in the recess (12) and when these building elements (1) are stacked in an off-set
manner in the longitudinal direction of these side faces (4,5), the boundary planes
of the parts of the recess (12) having the smaller cross-section co-operate for the
relative disposition of the building elements relatively to one another with the boundary
planes of the broader parts (9,10) of the rib (8).
2. A building element as claimed in Claim 1 characterized in that the distance between
two broader parts (9,10) of a rib (8) arranged on an element (1) differs from the
distance between the most adjacent broader parts of the ribs of two building elements
disposed side by side with their ribs (8) aligned to one another.
3. A building element as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 characterized in that a rib (8) and
recess (12) respectively have a trapezoidal cross-section.
4. A building element as claimed in anyone of the preceding Claims characterized in
that the side faces (6,7) of the other pair are provided with projecting ribs (15,16;
19,20) and grooves (17,18; 21,22) so that the projecting ribs of neighbouring building
elements (1) of a side face fit into grooves in the adjoining side face of the other
building element.
5. A building element as claimed in Claim 4 characterized in that the projecting ribs
(16,19) have a trapezoidal shape.
6. A building element as claimed in Claim 4 or 5 characterized in that each side face
(6,7) is provided with a plurality of ribs (15,16; 19,20) having the same cross-sections
and a plurality of grooves (17,18; 21,22) of the same cross-sections, whilst, viewed
in a direction normal to the longitudinal direction of these ribs and grooves, at
a place where one side face has a groove, the other side face is provided with a rib.
7. A building element to be used in conjunction with a building element as claimed
in anyone of the preceding Claims characterized in that the building element is provided
on one side face (5) with a recess
(25) instead of a rib, at least the smaller section of said recess (25) corresponding
with the smaller section of the recess (12) in the other side face (4).