Wall covering

Application filed January 22, 1931. Serial No. 510,441.

My present invention relates to the art of wall covering wherein a wall, usually an exterior wall of a wooden building, is to be provided with a surface giving the appear5 ance of being formed of brick or the like.

Frequently for this purpose metal sheets colored and marked off to represent bricks and the like are nailed to the wooden backing, but the artificiality of such a surface is 10 usually quite apparent and the general effect is cheap and tawdry.

Again blocks intended to represent bricks and the like have been cemented or otherwise secured by surface attachment to sheets of 15 backing material, such as composition boards and the boards have then been nailed to the wall. In such cases to properly carry out the delusion the blocks must be of a material of different character than that of the - > backing and difficulty is experienced in maintaining a permanent bond or union between the blocks and the backing, owing largely to the different coefficients of expansion and contraction of the two materials, and there-·’ fore in time the blocks tend to become loosened and in some cases detached from the backing.

One of the objects which I have in view is the provision of an inexpensive wall cov³⁰ ering simulating bricks or the like which may be readily attached to the building; which will present a close resemblance to a brick or similar wall, and which will remain permanently in place and indefinitely retain the ^3j desired appearance.

For this purpose I have invented a new and improved wall covering comprising a composition board backing preferably of a material similar to “cellotex”, which is composition board formed of sugar cane, and blocks formed by plastic material, such as cement, which are cast or molded in place on the backing, the backing being provided with suitable apertures preferably with outward^4υ ly converging walls, into which apertures the material from which the blocks are formed enters and when it hardens permanently keys the blocks to the backing.

_r One or more keys may be provided for each ⁰⁰ block, but I prefer to form the keys so that they bridge two or more blocks whereby in addition to keying the blocks permanently to the backing the blocks are permanently connected in proper spaced relation to each other.

In the present practice the mortar joints 55 between adjacent bricks are usually simulated by coloring the grooves between the blocks with a pigment contrasting with the color of the blocks. Such illusion is very imperfect and usually serves to heighten the cheap ap- 60 pearance of the wall.

In my invention to represent the mortar bond between the bricks or like units I point the grooves or depressions between the blocks with properly colored bricklayer’s mortar or 65 similar plastic material. Again when the wall covering is placed in position the joints between the adjacent backing sections are likewise covered and are pointed with mortar.

Other novel features of construction, and ⁷⁰also of arrangement of parts, will appear from the following description.

I also have invented a new and improved process for manufacturing my improved wall covering. 7o

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated a practical embodiment of the principles of my invention, Fig. 1 is an elevation of a section of my improved wall covering. ⁸⁰

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same taken along the line 2—2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3—3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a broken elevation of the backing ⁸⁵board before the blocks are cast thereon and showing the apertures in the board. _;

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the mold and grid and backing board arranged for casting _othe blocks for one of my units. '

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing each of the blocks keyed separately to the backing board.

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 7—7 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a broken view similar to Fig. 6 showing a block provided with two keys.

Fig. 9 is a detail in section showing the method of pointing the joints between adj a- _wcent sections of my wall covering.

1,863,822

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, 1 represents the backing board which is preferably of heat insulating character and of suitable composition such, for instance, as ⁶ “cellotex” a composition of sugar cane.

The board 1 is provided with apertures extending through the board and preferably having their walls converging toward the front face of the board.

¹⁰ Two characters of apertures are shown. Thus 2 represents an elongated aperture which bridges the adjacent portions of horizontally alined blocks while 3 represents a smaller aperture intended for use to anchor ¹⁸ the outer· end portions of the end blocks of a section.

The blocks indicated at 4 which are formed to represent building elements, such as bricks, are cast or molded of cement or other suit⁸⁰ able plastic material which will set and harden. The blocks are cast onto the backing board 1 and the plastic block material flows or is pressed down into the apertures 2 and 3 so that when the blocks are formed ²⁸ the material of which the blocks are composed is integrally keyed in the apertures of the board 1 and Baid keys being of wedge or dovetail shape hold the blocks permanently and rigidly in place on the face of the board 1. In the case of the elongated apertures 2 the same bridge adjacent blocks, preferably the blocks in the same horizontal row and thus an elongated key 5 is thus formed, occupying the aperture 2 and integral at either ³⁸ end with adjacent blocks. In the case of end blocks of a horizontal row an additional key 6 is formed occupying the end apertures 3. The ends of the board 1 and the ends of the rows of blocks are preferably staggered as ⁴⁰ illustrated in Fig. 1 so that the sections will interlock when nailed in place. /

After the sections are nailed in place with the edges of the boards 1 abutting, as indicated in Fig. 9, bricklayers’ mortar or other ⁴⁵ similar plastic material is then filled in the grooves or valleys 7 between adj acept blocks in the same and adjacent rows and also in the space between the end blocks of adjacent sections as illustrated in Fig. 9.

Thus the blocks are pointed with mortar as are also the joints between wall sections, further bracing the blocks rigidly in place and also sealing the joints between Blocks and the boards and also the joints between ⁶ the sections to prevent the entrance of mortar.

In manufacturing my improved wall covering I prefer to use a shallow mold having a closed bottom and a low perimetral wall indicated at 8 in Fig. 5, the wall having a contour corresponding to the perimetral edge of the wall sections. The apertured backing board 1 is laid in said mold and a grid laid down thereon. The grid is formed of the bars 9 which are permanently fixed together, the bars defining the spaces or valleys between the blocks and also the valleys which are to be formed along certain of the perimetral edges of the units, as for instance the tight end and bottom of the unit as illustrated in Fig. 1. These valleys are indicated by the. numeral 7 in Fig. T.

The cement or other plastic material is then filled into the mold and tamped or jarred until the material fills the apertures 2 and 3 and also fills the mold. The cement is then struck off level with the top edges of the grid, and the material is then allowed to set ana harden. When the section is removed from the mold it is allowed to cure. To insure proper texture and strength the cement is kept properly wet or dampened while in the mold.

The finished and cured section is then ready to be nailed in place and after the Avail is finished the valleys between the blocks and at the edges of the section are pointed with mortar as at 10.

In Fig. 6 I show each block 4 provided with its individual key 11 extending longitudinally of the block and occupying a corresponding aperture 12. In Fig. 8 I show each block 4 provided with two keys 13 adjacent to either end of the block and occupying individual apertures 14 in the board 1.

My improved wall covering provides a much better simulation of a wall of brick or other laid unit than is afforded by the present practice. The blocks are of material which may be colored and finished to very closely resemble brick or other laid units. It is permanent in character and very inexpensive to manufacture and put in place. It forms a perfectly moisture-proof and durable wall surface, and forms a very satisfactory insulation against heat and cold.