A rail

Abstract

A rail 10 comprises a longitudinal flexible base plate 12 with a back plate 14 and a flange 16 connected to the base plate 12. The longitudinal back plate 14 is connected to the base plate 14 along a

Description

This invention relates to a rail. In the construction industry a wide variety of different building techniques and components are used. For example, bricks are extensively used in the construction of both residential and commercial buildings. Sometimes used alongside or instead of bricks, are so-called brick slips. A brick slip is made from the same material as a conventional brick but is usually much thinner than a normal brick. Brick slips are manufactured, either by extruding clay to form the brick slip in the desired size and shape, or by cutting down a conventional brick to form one or more individual brick slips from each brick. Brick slips are preferred to bricks in some construction projects, since brick slips are generally more sustainable to manufacture than conventional bricks and are also usually faster and cheaper to install. The conventional method of using brick slips in the construction of buildings is to first construct a metal frame using a frame and rails that are connected to a substructure, with the brick slips then being slotted onto the rails. Once the brick slips are in place on a metal rail, they can be mortared into place, which provides a finish which is largely indistinguishable from a conventional brick construction. Buildings can also be constructed using a combination of bricks and brick slips. One of the known problems with brick slips is that there has to be sufficient tolerance between the horizontal rails in the metal frame to which the brick slips are attached, in order to allow the brick slips to be moved into position by an installer, once the frame is constructed. This often results in the brick slips being only loosely held in place in the metal frame and this can increase the likelihood of a brick slip coming loose during the construction process. The relative looseness of the brick slips can also make the correct positioning of a brick slip more difficult and can make the mortaring of the brick slip wall more difficult for the installer. It is therefore an object of the invention to improve upon the known art. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rail comprising a longitudinal flexible base plate, a longitudinal back plate connected to the base plate along a first longitudinal edge of the base plate, and perpendicular to the base plate, and a flange connected to the base plate along a second longitudinal edge of the base plate, the flange comprising a first part extending away from the base plate in the same direction as the back plate and a second part extending away from the base plate in the opposite direction to the back plate. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rail system comprising a plurality of rails according to the first aspect of the invention, and further comprising one or more additional rails, the or each additional rail comprising a longitudinal flexible base plate, a longitudinal back plate connected to the base plate along a first longitudinal edge of the base plate, and perpendicular to the base plate, and a flange connected to the base plate along a second longitudinal edge of the base plate, the flange comprising a first part extending away from the base plate in the same direction as the back plate and a second part terminating adjacent to the base plate. Owing to the invention, it is possible to provide a rail that can be used in the construction of a building using brick slips that will be able to grip and hold the brick slips in position, much more securely than in conventional frame and rail systems. The flexibility of the base plate of the rail and the shape and configuration of the flange of the rail means that the brick slips can be mounted between adjacent pairs of rails in such a way that, while it is still relatively easy for an installer to locate the brick slips correctly between the rails, the brick slips will be held tightly in place, once they are in position. In this arrangement, the brick slips within the rails are therefore not loose and are much less likely to move once placed in position, or to completely break loose from the frame and rail system. Mortaring the brick slips, once they have been placed in position between two rails is easier when compared to conventional systems. The improved grip of the brick slips in the rails also means that the rail system can be used in non-vertical frames (such as at an angle or even horizontal). Preferably, the flange further comprises a third part connected to the second part and extending towards the base plate. The flange at the front of the rail is shaped so that the flange travels upwards a short distance (parallel to the back plate) and then downwards a greater distance (still parallel to the back plate but now below the level of the base plate). This arrangement is to ensure that the brick slips below the rail in question are securely held (via a slot in the top of the brick slip) by the flange. Preferably the flange also has this third part, which turns back towards the base plate. This third part improves the ability of the rail to grip the brick slip below the rail, since the two parts of the flange (the second and third parts) will protrude down into the top slot of a brick slip below the rail and tend to fill this slot, creating a snug fit between the rail and the brick slip in question. Advantageously, the third part of the flange extends at an acute angle relative to the second part of the flange. Following on from the preceding paragraph, the performance of the third part of the flange is improved if it is constructed so that there is an acute angle between the second and third parts of the flange. This configuration creates a “point” where the second part of the flange ends, and the third part of the flange begins. This point will tend to enter the slot in the top of the brick slip below the rail more easily, since the point has a narrow width that will fit into the slot of the brick slip. The acute angle present between the second and third parts of the flange ensures that the gap between these two parts of the flange will progressively widen. This ensures that, as the flange is inserted into the slot in the top of the brick slip, the two parts will press against the sides of the slot in the brick slip, thereby creating a close-fitting engagement between the flange of the rail and the brick slip below. This improves the retention of the brick slip in the rail. Ideally, the flange includes a set of holes located in the second part of the flange extending away from the base plate in the opposite direction to the back plate. The provision of holes in the flange provides additional benefits to the rail formed with the flange. Once the rail is in position and brick slips have been fitted into the rail system and are mounted on the rails, the brick slips have to be mortared in place. The holes in the front of the flange allows any excess mortar to flow through the holes. These holes can also be used if it is required to mechanically hold one or more of the brick slips in position relative to the rail. Screws can be located in the holes in the front of the flange and these will hold any brick slips in place. This provides additional mechanical fixing for the brick slips, for example is the rail is used on a ceiling, with the brick slips being used as a horizontal ceiling, rather than the normal configuration of a vertical wall. Preferably, the base plate includes a set of holes located adjacent to the first longitudinal edge of the base plate where the base plate connects to the back plate. Holes are preferably provided in the base plate so that rail can provide a draining function, once installed. Generally, the rail will be used in a construction product in a horizontal orientation, which will mean that the base plate will be horizontal and could collect rainwater. The holes provided in the base plate allow any water that collects on the rail to drain away. Advantageously, the back plate includes a set of holes. Preferably, the set of holes located in the back plate are arranged in two parallel, spaced apart rows. The back plate can also be provided with a set of holes, which are preferably arranged in two rows that are spaced apart. These holes provide the best method for fixing the rail to a metal frame that is used as the substructure for mounting the rails, which are then used to mount the brick slips on the rails. As described above, the rail will generally be used in a construction product in a horizontal orientation, which will mean that the back plate will be vertical and therefore the holes in the back plate can be used to screw the rails to the frame. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rail, and Figure 2 is a front elevation of the rail, Figure 3 is a set of three vertical sections through the rail of Figures 1 and 2, along the lines A-A, B-B and C-C, Figure 4 is a perspective view of an additional rail, Figure 5 is a front elevation of the additional rail, Figure 6 is a set of three vertical sections through the additional rail of Figures 4 and 5, along the lines D-D, E-E and F-F, Figure 7 is a side view of a brick slip being fitted between two rails, Figure 8 is a side view of the brick slip in position between the rails, and Figure 9 is a side view of three brick slips in position between a set of four rails. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a rail 10. The rail 10 is formed as a single piece of mild steel that has been coated in a zinc-magnesium-aluminium coating, which provides protection against corrosion. The rail 10 comprises a longitudinal flexible base plate 12 with a longitudinal back plate 14 connected to the base plate 12 along a first longitudinal edge 12a of the base plate 12, and perpendicular to the base plate 12. A flange 16 is connected to the base plate 12 along a second longitudinal edge 12b of the base plate 12. In a normal working orientation of the rail 10, the base plate 12 is horizontal and the back plate 14 is vertical, with the flange 16 at the front of the rail 10. The rail 10 is for use in a construction system that will use brick slips mounted on the rail 10. Although a single rail 10 is shown in Figure 1, the rail 10 is intended to be used as one in a series of parallel rails 10 that travel up a wall. Each rail 10 is used to support and securely retain a plurality of brick slips in parallel rows across the rails 10. As will be explained in detail below, the flange 16 at the front of the rail 10 is designed to retain brick slips both above and below the rail 10. A modified rail is used at the top and bottom of the structure, shown in Figure 4. The flange 16 comprises a first part 16a extending away from the base plate 12 in the same direction as the back plate 14 (upwards) and a second part 16b extending away from the base plate 12 in the opposite direction to the back plate 14 (downwards). The flange 16 further comprises a third part 16c connected to the second part 16b and extending towards the base plate 12. The third part 16c of the flange 16 extends at an acute angle relative to the second part 16b of the flange 16. The shape of the flange 16 is designed to work in conjunction with slots located in the top and bottom of the brick slips that are mounted by the rail 10. The rail 10 is designed to be used in the construction of a building using brick slips. The rail 10 is able to grip and hold the brick slips in position. The flexibility of the base plate 12 of the rail 10 and the shape and configuration of the flange 16 of the rail 10 results in the brick slips being securely mounted between adjacent pairs of rails 10. It is also the case that, while it is still relatively easy for an installer to locate the brick slips correctly between the rails, the brick slips will be held tightly in place, once they are in position. The brick slips within the rails 10 are therefore not loose and are much less likely to move once placed in position. The shape of the flange 16 is such that the third part 16c of the flange 16 extends at an acute angle relative to the second part 16b of the flange 16. This improves the functionality of the flange 16 since the acute angle between the second and third parts of the flange 16 creates a “point” where the second part 16b of the flange 16 ends, and the third part 16c of the flange 16 begins. This point will tend to enter a slot in the top of a brick slip below the rail 10 more easily. The point has a narrow width that will fit into the slot of the brick slip. A further advantage of the acute angle present between the second and third parts of the flange 16 is that the gap between these two parts of the flange 16 gets progressively wider. As a result, when the flange 16 is inserted into a slot in the top of a brick slip, these two parts 16b and 16c of the flange 16 will press against the sides of the slot in the brick slip. This helps to create a close-fitting engagement between the flange 16 of the rail 12 and any brick slip that is positioned below the rail 10. This improves the retention of the brick slip in the rail 10. The flange 16 includes a set of holes 18 located in the second part 16b of the flange 16 extending away from the base plate 12 in the opposite direction to the back plate 14. The holes 18 in the flange 16 provide various benefits to the rail 10. Once the rail 10 is in position and one or more brick slips have been mounted on the rail 10, the brick slips have to be mortared in place. The holes 18 in the front of the flange 16 allow any excess mortar to pass through the holes 18. These holes 18 can also be used if it is required to mechanically hold one or more of the brick slips in position on the rail 10. Screws can be located in the holes 18 in the front of the flange 16, and these will therefore hold any brick slips in place. The base plate 12 includes a set of holes 20 located adjacent to the first longitudinal edge 12a of the base plate 12 where the base plate 12 connects to the back plate 14. The holes 20 in the base plate are present so that rail 10 is able to drain away water. Generally, the rail 10 will be used in a construction product in a horizontal orientation, which will mean that the base plate 12 will be horizontal and could therefore collect rainwater. The holes 20 provided in the base plate 12 allow any water that collects on the rail 10 while in use to drain away. The back plate 14 includes a set of holes 22. The set of holes 22 located in the back plate 14 are arranged in two parallel, spaced apart rows. The back plate 14 is provided with holes 22 that provide the best method for fixing the rail 10 to a metal frame that is used as the substructure for mounting the rail 10. Since the rail 10 will generally be used in a construction product in a horizontal orientation, this will mean that the back plate 14 will be vertical and therefore the holes 22 in the back plate 14 can be used to screw the rails to the frame. The back plate 14 is provided with a pair of marking holes 24, spaced apart by a predetermined distance. The marking holes 24 are smaller than the set of holes 22 located in the back plate 14. These marking holes 24 are spaced apart by a distance of 75mm. The presence of the marking holes 24 is not directly related to the function of the rail 10, or the brick slips that are mounted by the rail 10. They are designed to assist in the construction of the F building using the rails 10, since the spacing between two rails 10 should be 75mm. This reflects the standard height of a brick slip (65mm) plus the mortar height (10mm). An installer can use the two marking holes 24 to mark the required spacing between rails 10 before they are fixed into position. Figure 2 shows a front elevation of the rail 10, with three horizontal sections A-A, B-B and C-C. Figure 3 shows the three vertical sections that are taken from the front elevation of the rail 10 shown in Figure 2. In the front elevation, the flange 16 can be seen at the bottom and the back plate 14 can be seen at the top. The flange 16 is provided with the holes 18. The back plate 14 is provided with the two rows of holes 22 and also the smaller marking holes 24. The section A-A passes through a solid part of the rail 10 and so has no holes present. The section B-B passes through a hole 18 in the flange 16 and a hole 22 in the back plate 22, as can be seen in the elevation of Figure 2. This section also passes through a hole 20 in the base plate 12, which can be seen in the sectional view B-B, but not the elevation view, since the base plate 12 is not shown in that view. The section C-C passes through two holes in the back plate 14, being a larger fixing hole 22 and a smaller marking hole 24. This section does not pass through any holes in either the base plate 12 or the flange 16. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of an additional rail 40. The additional rail 40 is for use in a rail system along with the rail 10. In general, multiple rails 10 (of the type shown in Figure 1) will be used, with two of the additional rails 40 being used. These rails 10 and 40 will be arranged so that there are multiple rails 10 in horizontal rows with one additional rail 40 at the top of the rails 10 and one additional rail 40 at the bottom of the rails 10. The additional rail 40 is largely identical to the rail 10, apart from the structure of its flange 42, which differs from the flange 16 of the rail 10. The additional rail 40 comprises a longitudinal flexible base plate 12, a longitudinal back plate 14 connected to the base plate 12 along a first longitudinal edge 12a of the base plate 12, and perpendicular to the base plate 12, and a flange 42 connected to the base plate 12 along a second longitudinal edge 12b of the base plate 12, the flange 42 comprising a first part 42a extending away from the base plate 12 in the same direction as the back plate 14 and a second part 42b terminating adjacent to the base plate 12. As with the rail 10, the additional rail 40 is formed from a single piece of mild steel that has been coated in an anti-corrosion coating. Holes 20 are present in the base plate 12 and holes 22 and 24 are present in the back plate 14. The flange 42 of the additional rail 40 differs from the flange 16 of the main rail 10 by the fact that the flange 42 does not extend below the level of the base plate 12 in the rail 40. The rail 40 shown in Figure 4 is designed to be used at the top and the bottom of a set of rails 10 and 40, with the main rail 10 be used in-between the top and bottom rails 40. The Figure 4 orientation of the rail 40 is for use at the bottom of a rail system, the rail 40 used at the top of the rail system would be turned upside down. Figure 5 shows a front elevation of the rail 40, with three horizontal sections D-D, E-E and F-F. Figure 6 shows the three vertical sections that are taken from the front elevation of the rail 40 shown in Figure 5. In the front elevation, the flange 42 can be seen at the bottom and the back plate 14 can be seen at the top. The flange 42 of the rail 40 is not provided with any holes. The back plate 14 is provided with the two rows of holes 22 and also the smaller marking holes 24, in the same manner as are provided in the main rail 10, shown in Figures 1 to 3. The section D-D passes through a solid part of the rail 40 and so has no holes present. The section E-E passes through a hole 22 in the back plate 14, as can be seen in the elevation of Figure 5. This section also passes through a hole 20 in the base plate 12, which can be seen in the sectional view E-E, but not the elevation view, since the base plate 12 is not shown in that view. The section F-F passes through two holes in the back plate 14, being a larger fixing hole 22 and a smaller marking hole 24. This section does not pass through any holes in the base plate 12. Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the rails 10 and 40 being used to mount a brick slip 26. The numbers in circles within Figures 7 and 8 indicate the order in which various actions are taken by an installer as they create a wall using the rails 10 and 40 and the brick slips 26. In Figure 7, a single brick slip 26 is being located between a main rail 10 and a bottom rail 40. The two rails 10 and 40 are fixed to a frame (not shown) using screws 28. The arrangement shown in Figure 7 can be considered as the bottom of a wall that is being created using the rails 10 and 40 and the brick slips 26. Each brick slip 26 (shown in Figure 7 in side view) has a top slot 30 and a bottom slot 32 formed therein. The first action in the process of fitting the brick slip 26 into the rail system is to engage the top slot 30 of the brick slip 26 with the flange 16 of the main rail 10. Once there is engagement between the two parts, the installer pushes upwards on the flange 16, which has the effect of bending the flexible base plate 12 of the rail 10 upwards, as the pressure is sufficient to bend the base plate 12. This part of the rail 10 is therefore sprung upwards under the installer’s applied pressure. The second action in the process of installing the brick slip 26 is for the installer to push the brick slip 26 into the desired position in-between the two rails 10 and 40. The third step of the process is for the installer to push down the brick slip 26 so that the bottom slot 32 within the brick slip 26 engages with the upper part of the flange 42 on the lower rail 40. These actions will locate the brick slip 26 in the correct position within the rail system, and the actions one to three will be performed by the installer in a very quick and straightforward manner. Figure 8 shows how the bricks slips 26 are retained in series above one another, as the wall is being created by the installer. Step four in the process is for the addition of another brick slip 26 above the first brick slip 26, which will help to secure the first brick slip 26 in position. As discussed above, the rails 10 and 40 are fixed to the supporting frame 75mm apart, while the height of the individual brick slips is 65mm, hence the 10mm gap between two adjacent brick slips 26. Each brick slip 26 in the column of brick slips 26 is fitted in the same manner as shown and discussed relative to Figures 7 and 8. The main advantage of the arrangement shown in these Figures is that the brick slips 26 are firmly held in place by the rails 10 and 40, while also being relatively easy for the installer to fix in place. The spring effect provided by the flexible base plate 12 is enough to retain a brick slip 26 in place without a brick slip 26 being located above the specific brick slip 26. However, the effective stacking of the brick slips 26 one above another, helps to ensure that each brick slip 26 is firmly held in place between two adjacent rails. The flanges 16 of adjacent rails each engage in the slots 30 and 32 of the brick slips 26 to prevent movement of the brick slips 26. Once a brick slip 26 has been placed between two adjacent rails 10, the weight of the brick slip 26 is borne by the rail 10 below the brick slip 26, with the upper part of the flange 16 engaging in the bottom slot 32 of the brick slip 26 in question. Further brick slips 26 can be inserted into the rail system alongside the specific brick slip 26 that is already in place, creating rows of brick slips 26. This is in addition to the process of mounting new brick slips 26 above the brick slip 26 in rows higher up the wall being constructed, as shown in Figure 8. Figure 9 shows how a rail system would look using two main rails 10 and two additional rails 40. The additional rails 40 are located at the top and bottom of the stack of rails that make up the rail system. The two additional rails 40 are fixed in different orientations, with the bottom rail 40 being “upright” and the top rail 40 being “upside down”. In order to construct this wall as shown, the rails 10 and 40 would first be fixed to a substructure frame by screwing the rails 10 and 40 to the frame. The brick slips 26 would then be inserted into the gaps between the rails 10 and 40, as discussed in detail above.

Claims

1. A rail (10) comprising:• a longitudinal flexible base plate (12),5 • a longitudinal back plate (14) connected to the base plate (12)along a first longitudinal edge (12a) of the base plate (12), and perpendicular to the base plate (12), and• a flange (16) connected to the base plate (12) along a second longitudinal edge (12b) of the base plate (12), the flange (16) io comprising a first part (16a) extending away from the base plate(12) in the same direction as the back plate (14), a second part (16b) extending away from the base plate (12) in the opposite direction to the back plate (14) and a third part (16c) connected to the second part (16b) and extending towards the base plate 15 (12).

2. A rail according to claim 1, wherein the third part (16c) of the flange (16) extends at an acute angle relative to the second part (16b) of the flange (16).

203. A rail according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flange (16) includes a set of holes (18) located in the second part (16b) of the flange (16) extending away from the base plate (12) in the opposite direction to the back plate (14).25 4. A rail according to any preceding claim, wherein the base plate(12) includes a set of holes (20) located adjacent to the first longitudinal edge (12a) of the base plate (12) where the base plate (12) connects to the back plate (14).30 5. A rail according to any preceding claim, wherein the back plate(14) includes a set of holes (22).

6. A rail according to claim 5, wherein the set of holes (22) located in the back plate (14) are arranged in two parallel, spaced apart rows.18 08 257. A rail according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the back plate (14) is 5 provided with a pair of marking holes (24), spaced apart by a predetermined distance, wherein the marking holes (24) are smaller than the set of holes (22) located in the back plate (14).

8. A rail system comprising a plurality of rails (10) according to any io preceding claim, and further comprising one or more additional rails (40), the or each additional rail (40) comprising:• a longitudinal flexible base plate (12),• a longitudinal back plate (14) connected to the base plate (12) along a first longitudinal edge (12a) of the base plate (12), and 15 perpendicular to the base plate (12), and• a flange (42) connected to the base plate (12) along a second longitudinal edge (12b) of the base plate (12), the flange (42) comprising a first part (42a) extending away from the base plate (12) in the same direction as the back plate (14) and a second 20 part (42b) terminating adjacent to the base plate (12).

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