Spacers for use in masonry wall

Abstract

A spacer for use in constructing masonry walls of brick, block or cut stone and the like has two parallel rows of flexible beads that are connected to one another by filaments. The beads are spaced apart from one another so that when one course of bricks or the like has been laid, the spacer can be placed on top of that course so that there are four beads on top of each brick and the like, two beads in each row. The beads have a height that is slightly less than a level of fresh mortar to be placed and the spacer remains in the wall when construction is completed.

1 . A spacer for use in constructing masonry walls of rectangular units, said spacer having two rows of beads that are spaced apart from one another, said beads being interconnected by filaments, said spacer having a width that is narrower than a width of said unit, said beads being arranged so that when said spacer is properly placed on top of a course of units, there are four beads on top of each unit, two beads of said four beads being in each-row, said beads not being located directly above a mortar joint of said course of units or directly beneath a mortar joint of a next course of units to be placed, said beads having a height that is less than a thickness of fresh mortar to be placed on said units, said beads being somewhat flexible, said spacer remaining in said wall after construction.  
   
   
       2 . A spacer for use in constructing masonry walls made of rectangular units where each unit has an identical height and footprint, said units being placed in successive horizontal courses to form a completed wall, said spacer having a plurality of beads that are spaced apart from one another, said beads being interconnected by filaments, said beads being arranged on an installed course of units to assist in supporting and spacing a succeeding course of units to be laid on a top of said installed course of units, there being no beads located at a joint, said beads having a height that is slightly less than the thickness of fresh mortar to be placed on said installed course of units, said beads being somewhat flexible and providing a guide to said thickness of mortar, said spacer remaining in said wall after construction.  
   
   
       3 . A spacer as claimed in any one of claims  1  or  2  wherein said spacer is long enough to extend over several units.  
   
   
       4 . A spacer as claimed in any one of claims  1  or  2  said spacer is long enough to extend over a previously laid course of units.  
   
   
       5 . A spacer as claimed in any one of claims  1  or  2  wherein said spacer has a continuous length relative to the units on which the spacer is to be placed, said spacer being severable to create a particular length.  
   
   
       6 . A spacer as claimed in  claim 2  wherein there are two rows of beads, said rows being parallel to one another.  
   
   
       7 . A spacer as claimed in any one of claims  1  or  2  wherein said spacer has two parallel rows.  
   
   
       8 . A spacer as claimed in any one of claims  1  or  2  wherein said beads are arranged in a front row corresponding to said beads in a back row, said beads in said front row being located in alignment with said beads in said back row.  
   
   
       9 . A spacer as claimed in any one of claims  1  or  2  wherein said spacer has segments which are connected to one another, each segment having four beads, two in a front row and two in a back row with said filaments extending between said beads to form a rectangular shape, there generally being one segment on top of each unit of a previous course.  
   
   
       10 . A spacer as claimed in any one of claims  1  or  2  wherein said beads are located so as not to contact any joints of a previously laid course or of a successively laid course of said units.  
   
   
       11 . A spacer as claimed in any one of claims  1  or  2  wherein said spacer is formed in continuous lengths to extend over several units from material selected from the group of plastic, rubber, neoprene, polyethylene and polypropylene.  
   
   
       12 . A spacer as claimed in any one of claims  1  or  2  wherein said spacer is formed from one material.  
   
   
       13 . A spacer as claimed in any one of claims  1  or  2  wherein said beads and said filaments are made from different material.  
   
   
       14 . A spacer as claimed in any one of claims  1  or  2  wherein said beads are arranged in a front row corresponding to said beads in a back row, said filaments that connect said beads and said front row to said beads in said back row being stiffer than said filaments connecting said beads in the same row.  
   
   
       15 . A spacer and masonry wall in combination, said combination comprising the masonry wall of rectangular units, said spacer having two rows of beads that are spaced apart from one another, said beads being interconnected by filaments, said spacer having a width that is narrower than a width of said unit, said beads being arranged so that when a spacer is placed on top of a course of units, there are four beads on top of each unit, two beads of said four beads being in each row, said spacer remaining in said wall after completion, said beads not being located directly above or directly beneath a mortar joint, said beads having a height that does not exceed a thickness of cured mortar between said units, said beads being somewhat flexible.  
   
   
       16 . A spacer and masonry wall in combination as claimed in  claim 15  wherein each unit has an identical height and footprint.  
   
   
       17 . A spacer and masonry wall in combination as claimed in any one of claims  15  or  16  wherein said spacer is long enough to extend over several units.  
   
   
       18 . A method of constructing masonry walls of rectangular units, said units each having an identical height and footprint, said method comprising using a spacer to assist in applying mortar of uniform thickness from one course of units to a successive course of units, choosing a spacer of appropriate size for the units that are to be laid, said spacer having a plurality of beads that are interconnected by filaments, said beads being somewhat flexible said spacer being narrower than said units, after a first course of units is laid placing said spacer on top of said first course over several units as desired so that there are four beads on top of each unit, applying mortar to a top of said course embed said spacer including said beads in said mortar, placing a unit for a successive course as said mortar is applied, continuing to apply mortar and placing units for said successive course, placing said units substantially parallel to a top of said beads adding more spacers as required, completing each course as desired and repeating said method for each subsequent course to form a wall, leaving said spacer in said wall.