AU651499B2

AU651499B2 - Lintel for windows and doors

Info

Publication number: AU651499B2
Application number: AU26212/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Victor Berger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-10-10
Filing date: 1992-10-02
Publication date: 1994-07-21
Anticipated expiration: 2012-10-02
Also published as: AU2621292A

Description

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651 99 1

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

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Name of Applicant VICTOR BERGER Actual Inventor(s) VICTOR BERGER Address for Service GRANT ADAMS COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 9, National Mutual Centre, 144 Edward Street, BRISBANE. QLD. 4000

AUSTRALIA.

Invention Title "LINTEL FOR WINDOWS AND DOORS" Details of Associated Provisional Applications Numbers PK 8834 The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to me.

1 THIS INVENTION relates to lintels for doors and windows.

At present, lintels for windows and doors in brick walls take two common forms. The first comprises a length of angle-section steel laid over the window or door opening to support the bricks above the window or doorway. The second comprises a roll-formed metal section, to which is applied a plastered finish. Both forms are considered unsatisfactory as they require considerable finishing work.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a preformed lintel which can be easily installed.

It is a preferred object to provide a lintel o 15 which incorporates face bricks which match the surrounding bricks in the wall.

It is a still further object to provide a method of manufacture for the lintels.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.

o In one aspect, the present invention resides in lintels for windows, doors, or the like in a brick, block, or other like wall, comprising: an elongate rectangular body to be laid over a window, door or the like opening having a front face to be parallel with the plane of the brick wall; and a plurality of face bricks formed integrally in the front of the body presenting an exposed front face, the exposed face of the face bricks lying, in use, in the plane of the brick wall.

The invention also provides a method of manufacturing lintels for windows, doors, and the like, including the steps of: placing a plurality of face bricks face-down in a rectangular mould; 3 filling the mould with a settable material able when set to support the weight of a wall thereover to form the body of the lintel; and allowing the settable material to set in the mould.

In this specification the following terms are to be interpreted to include what is set down there in addition to what their normal meaning implies except where in the specification the context in which they are used dictates something more narrow.

A lintel is an elongate element dimensioned to span a gap with support at each end, the element being o dimensioned to perform a load bearing function in respect of wall material supported thereover, the element comprising material selected or dimensioned to provide that support and/or reinforced to that end. The lintel is provided with at least one face generally in the plane of the wall, which face may be treated in such way that the lintel matches or otherwise co-ordinates with the character of the wall to harmonise therewith in some architecturally satisfactory manner.

Face bricks are actual bricks, blocks, half bricks, stones, patterns or otherwise impressions established in that face of the lintel which is generally in the plane of the wall which impressions are treatments which may be such as to match the surface appearance of the wall and cause the lintel to merge therewith or to contrast thereto.

Preferably, the body is dimensioned to overlap the opening by, e.g. 0.5-1.5 brick lengths per side of the opening so that the pattern of the face bricks on the lintel will match the pattern of the bricks in the wall.

Preferably, the body is cast in concrete and has two or more internal steel reinforcing rods.

i Preferably, face bricks are cast into the front face of the body and project a small distance forwardly thereof. The face bricks may comprise standard bricks split in half.

In a second aspect, the present invention resides in a method of manufacturing lintels or windows, doors, and the like including the steps of: placing a plurality of face bricks face-down in a rectangular mould with or without a reinforcement therein; filling the mould with a settable material able when set to support the weight of a wall thereover o either of itself or in combination with a reinforcement to form the body of the lintel; and 15 allowing the settable concrete to set in the S8 mould.

The face bricks may be located in preformed recesses in the bottom of the mould so that the face bricks project forwardly of the front face of the lintel 8 20 body.

8 8 Preferably, reinforcing steel rods are placed within the mould to be cast within the concrete.

8 8.8Preferably, the mould is vibrated before the concrete 8 8sets.

To enable the invention to be more fully 0 understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a lintel in accordance with the invention; and FIG. 2 is a sectional side view taken on line 2-2 on FIG. i.

The lintel 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 has an elongate rectangular cast concrete body 11 (which may incorporate aggregate 12), through which can extend two steel reinforcing rods 13.

4ii~ ~r~u~xF Six face bricks 14 can be cast into the front face 15 of the lintel body 11 and project forwardly therefrom, the face bricks 14 being surrounded by concrete. Clearly the number of face bricks will be determined by the span over which the lintel is to reach.

Each face brick 14 might be chosen to match the surrounding bricks in the wall to which the lintel is to be fitted and preferably comprises one-half of a split brick of the type used in the wall. Clearly the choice of matching bricks is an architectural nicety.

On occasions a choice might be made to establish a contrast with bricks of another type being selected for their affect on the pattern of the building.

.0 15 In use, the lintel 10 is laid on the wall to span the window or door opening and extends over the wall on each side preferably by 0.5-1.0 brick lengths so that the face bricks 14 match or harmonise with the pattern of the bricks on the wall. The lintel is mortared in position and bricks can be laid over the *#ro lintel to complete the wall to its full height. No special finishing is required.

@~or .0 To produce the lintels 10, the face bricks 14 are laid face down in preformed recesses formed in the floor of a rectangular mould. Two (or more) reinforcing "l°o rods might be provided to extend longitudinally within the lintel when cast and they may be supported by suitable casting chairs or supports (not shown).

Concrete (preferably containing aggregate) is poured into the mould and vibrated on a vibrating table for a short period. When the concrete has at least partially set, the lintel 10 can be stripped from the mould.

In the above described lintel, the face bricks may be bricks to match the bricks of a brick wall, they 6 may be blocks to match the blocks of a block wall, they may be stone to match the stone of a stone wall, etc.

In each case establishment of the lintel may be by the same technique with a matching bricks, blocks, stones, etc. set into the front face of the lintel in an array that matches the lay up of the wall. Where the physical dimensions of the lintel are to be limited such that lintel strength might be adversely affected by insertion therein of whole bricks, blocks, stones, etc., then it will be clear that the brick, block, stone, etc. might be cut at a depth therein generally parallel to their face which is to be exposed so as to reduce their depth o° of penetration of the lintel, to enable greater cross-

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.Poo.* section of lintel material for greater strength and/or 0 0 S 15 the passing through the lintel of suitable o reinforcement.

o~ The lintels of the present invention provide a simple, efficient and economic, yet highly aesthetic means, for providing lintels over windows and/or doors in brick walls and the face bricks can be selected to °o match the bricks of the walls in which the lintels are to be used.

0*00 o. D Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the present invention as set out in the °o appended claims.

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Claims

1. A lintel for windows, doors, or the like in a brick, block, or other like wall, comprising: an elongate rectangular body to be laid over a window, door or the like opening having a front face to be parallel with the plane of the brick wall; and a plurality of face bricks formed integrally in the front of the body presenting an exposed front face, the exposed face of the face bricks lying, in use, in the plane of the brick wall.

2. A lintel as claimed in Claim 1 wherein: the face bricks are half bricks set into the 0" body of the lintel. 0

3. A lintel as claimed in either one of Claims 1 °04 15 and 2 wherein: 0 00. reinforcing steel rods extend the length of the rectangular body.

4. A lintel as claimed, in any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein: 20 the body compris; -oncrete. °0

5. A method of manufacturing lintels for windows, doors, and the like, including the steps of: placing a plurality of face bricks face-down S; in a rectangular mould with or without a reinforcement therein; o' filling the mould with a settable material 0 "able when set to support the weight of a wall thereover either of itself or in combination with a reinforcement Iu to form the body of the lintel; and allowing the settable material to set in the mould.

6. A method of manufacturing lintels as claimed in Claim 5 wherein: the face bricks are laid into recesses in the bottom of the mould so that they project forwardly 8 of the body.

7. A method of manufacturing lintels as claimed in either one of Claims 5 and 6 wherein: the settable material is concrete containing aggregate.

8. A method of manufacturing lintels as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 7 wherein: two or more reinforcing rods are laid up within the mould prior to pouring the settable material.

9. A lintel for a window, door, or the like, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. S0

10. A method of manufacturing lintels for windows, doors, and the like, substantially as hereinbefore S 15 described. DATED this second day of September 1992. VICTOR BERGER, by his Patent Attorneys, GRANT ADAMS COMPANY. 0 0 .000 000 000 0 00 0 L.