Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02227868 1998-01-27
METHOD AND APPARATUSFOR PRODUCING
AN ORNAMENTAL SURFACE
FELD OF T~E rNVENTION
This invention relates to a method of providing a multi-design ornamental surface
formed of a concrete, plaster, or the like, on a footpath, sidewalk, driveway, step, wall
15 and the like, particularly on the sides or bottom of a swimming pool or spa, to templates
for use in said method, and resultant objects bearing said multi-designs, made by said
method.
BACKGROUND TO T~E INVENTION
Plastering or stucco is a method of applying a cement-based material to a variety
of substrates wherein the plaster or stucco serves as an exterior cladding in wall systems
or as a decorative or protective surface as in swimming pools and spas.
Typically, the plaster or stucco has the basic grey color that is applied to the25 exterior walls of a house which is then painted to achieve the desired color. A pure white
plaster may be used for the side and bottom in swimming pools. Further7 many plasters
even comprise colored aggregates that are exposed with a water or acid wash prior to
curing to achieve natural stone or multi-colored appearances.
One of the attractive features of stucco or plaster is its marble-like appearance it
30 achieves after curing. To achieve a unique appearance, many attempts have been made to
create patterns of relief with stucco or plaster surfaces. However, to-date, none has been
found to be cost effective or very versatile. An ~ltçrn~te method of adhering an article to
the surface of the stucco or plaster has been extensively used to create a threedimensional appearance. Further, the application of ceramic tiles to the substrate prior to
35 the application of plaster or stucco has been used to create a design in the plaster, but this
CA 02227868 1998-01-27
method must employ a separate trade to set the tiles. Design, in this case, is also limited
to pre-produced or custom made logos. This method is also costly and is not readily
available.
There is, therefore, a need for an easy, cost-effective, reliable method of making a
base having a surface bearing a plurality of distinct designs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of producing a multi-
design ornamental surface on a base in an easy, cost-effective, reliable manner.The invention generally provides a method of producing a pattern that can be
embedded in the final stages of plastering and readily removed to create a cavity that can
be filled with a compatible material of different color or texture to achieve the desired
15 design. This pattern can be produced in many pieces with consecutive pieces being
removed and the resulting cavities being stepwise filled with base materials of distinct,
di~iellt colors to achieve multi-colored patterns.
Accordingly, the invention provides in one aspect a method of forming a base
formed from a flowable, settable composition and having a multi-design ornamental
20 surface comprising a first base portion having a first distinctive surface and a second base
portion having a second distinctive surface; said method comprising
(i) preparing a surface to receive at least two flowable, settable compositions
(ii) positioning at least a first essentially solid template on at least a first
portion of said surface at a first desired position, said template having
peripheral portions defining a first desired distinctive shape;
(iii) pouring a first, flowable, settable composition on at least a first portion of
said surface around at least the whole or a part of said first template
peripheral portions;
(iv) effecting setting of said first composition to obtain said first base portion;
(v) removing all or a first portion of said first template to provide a first cavity
(vi) filling said first cavity with a second flowable, settable composition; and
(vii) effecting setting of said second composition to obtain said second base
portion.
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By the terrn "multi-design" surface in this application and claims is meant a
surface having a portion bearing one colour adjacent another surface bearing a different
colour.
The base, preferably, comprises a cement-based material, such as a plaster,
stucco, concrete or other suitable filler formed from flowable, settable particulate
material. The base is formed on a suitable substrate to constitute cladding, particularly
exterior cladding in wall systems, or as a decorative or protective surface for floors,
pathways, driveways, sidewalks, steps, walls and bottoms of swimming pools and spas,
and the like. The base could be of any desired thickness, for example 0.5 cm. - 15 cm.
The template of use in the present invention is considered to be a sacrificial
pattern in that it is often damaged during its removal during the practice of the invention.
The pattern is preferably formed of a material that at the desired thickness of the
resultant base at which it is to be used, for example, 0.5 cm - 15 cm, it can be readily,
conveniently and accurately shaped by any suitable cutting means, such as a sharp-edged
knife or saw. Preferably, the template material is, thus, of a physical characteristic that
easily and cheaply allows custom designs to be made. Most preferably, it is soft enough
that it can be removed from the substrate surface without destroying the surrounding
plaster or key ways created. Preferably, the template material is made of a foamed
material, such as for example, expanded or extruded polystyrene. Further, the template
most preferably possesses a sufficient degree of flexibility to enable it to curve to
conform to curved walls, bottoms and the like of substrates of, for example, pillars, pools.
The template pattern most preferably has peripheral portions around the whole orat desired edge parts thereof which define protrusions or recesses which with suitably,
male-female complementary shaped edges of the hardened base or other adjacent
template patterns provide "key ways" which "assist" locking of the discrete, completed
base portions together. Simple perpendicular, "butt joints" between adjacent resultant set
base portions may allow of cracking at the joint and del~min~tion because of theexpansion characteristics of the base compositions. Thus, the pattern preferably has
edges formed in such a way that when the sacrificial pattern is removed it forms a key
way in the hardened plaster that the filling material can lock into. If the pattern is multi-
sectional, each section of the pattern preferably has key ways to lock each section of the
pattern into an adjacent piece.
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Once a design has been decided upon, a life size paper template is produced
which is a&ered to a sheet or panel of the material from which the sacrificial template
pattern is to be made. Preferably by machinery or manual cutting, the template is made
5 and cuts are produced around all or portions of the periphery or edges to create the forms
for the key way.
Once a pattern has been produced, it is preferably a&ered to the substrate upon
which the base is to be formed with adhesive and the stucco or plastering with a suitable
flowable, settable composition is effected. The area to be plastered is completed in the
10 normal procedure up to the edges of the pattern.
Plaster or stucco generally achieves a firm "set" within an hour or two of its
application, at which time either the whole pattern or portions of the pattern, depending
on the desired design, is removed. The removal, generally, destroys that section of the
pattern and creates the desired key way in the area previously plastered. The cavity
15 created by the removal of the pattern is now filled with the desired color of a compatible
flowable, settable composition of, preferably, a rapid set plaster. Subsequent pieces of
the pattern are then stepwise removed and the resultant cavities filled with compositions
of other colors to create a complete design. Due to the key way pattern in each piece of
the pattern, each piece of the final design interlocks with every other piece to create a
20 solid one piece design
Thus, the present invention provides a method of particular value in that customdesign~, optionally, of an intricate nature and comprising a plurality of adjacent
distinctive surfaces can be easily and cheaply made. The multi-design surface produced
by the process of the invention may be of a regular, orderly, overall pattern or provide a
25 plurality of discrete, disparate designs. The multi-design surface of the resultant base
may, optionally, be provided with a clear film-forming coating of, for example, a varnish,
w~lel~roof or non-slip coating.
The invention is of particular value for use in swimming pools and spars.
In a further aspect the invention provides the sacrificial template or pattern
30 formed of suitable materials of the desired shapes and thickness having suitable
peripheral key portions to assist locking with adjacent set base materials and/or adjacent
sacrificial templates.
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Thus, in this specification and claims the terms "template" and "pattern" are
synonymous and include a fully integral unit or a plurality of distinct sacrificial templates
joined one to another by temporary key locking arrangements, as herein described, which
may be stepwise dismembered one from an adjacent other, to provide distinct cavities
during the practice of the method according to the invention.
Accordingly, the invention provides a pattern comprising a plurality of discretetemplate members, each of said members having edge portions in mating engagementwith complimentary edge portions of each adjacent member.
Most preferably, the sacrificial template is softer than the adjacent, abutting base
plaster or the like to enable easy removal of the template and formation of a key way
cavity, adapted to receive a different colored, settable base composition, or a suitable
outstanding finger, wedge angle or the like around which said different colored, settable
base composition is poured.
The sacrificial template may have a peelable, self-adhesive backing convenient
placement of the template onto the substrate surface following removal of the backing.
In a further aspect, the invention provide a base on a substrate surface, said base
having a multi-design surface, when made by the method as hereinabove defined.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be better understood, preferred embodiments willnow be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings
wherem;
25 Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view in part of a swimming pool bottom having a multi-
design arrangement according to the invention;
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a multi-design in the form of a seahorse present in the
bottom surface of a swimming pool, according to the invention;
Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view on the line C-C' of Fig. 2 modified to
30 emphasize the key locking arrangements used in the practice of one embodiment of the
invention;
Fig. 4 is the embodiment described in Fig. 3 subject to disruption of several templates;
and wherein the same numerals denote like parts.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIM[ENTS
ACCORDlNG TO THE INVENTION
Fig. 1 shows a swimming pool bottom generally as 10 with a multi-design surface
bearing designs in the shape of concentric starfish shapes 12, 14; and a fish generally as
18 having portions 20, 22, 24 and 26 representing its body, tail, eye and mouth,respectively. Each of portions 12, 14, 20, 22, 24, 26 and surrounding base portion 28 is
of a dirrerel,l color to the other portions.
Fig. 2 represents a polystyrene template shown generally as 30 formed of
individual templates 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40 surrounded by base 42 formed of set plaster.
The individual templates are keyed into adjacent templates and, apart from template 36,
into base 42 by lock-key mech~ni~m~ as hereinbelow described with reference to Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 shows the interlocking key mech~ni.~m.c represented as individual male
protrusions 44, 46, 48, 50 and 52 mating with respective female cavities 54, 56, 58, 60
and 62. In the embodiment shown, different mating shapes are exemplified. The
respective protrusion or cavity may run the full length of each template periphery or only
an effective portion thereof. Thus, the full template 30 may be considered as anoversized jig-saw consisting of a plurality of pieces linked by sub-surface interlocking
edges, while having its outer edge suitably similarly edged-shaped for subsequent
provision of one half of the key locking mechanism for engagement with the surrounding
base surface.
As shown in Fig. 3, beneath each of templates 32, 34 and 40 is a thin metal plate,
64A, 64B, 66 and 68, respectively, suitably shaped and of such thickness as to not present
an obstacle to suitable placement of respective templates on substrate surface 70 for
suitable engagement of resultant base and base portions, when made as hereinbelow
described.
Each of plates 64A, 64B, 66 and 68 has a respective wire lead, 72, 74, 76 and 78passing through its respective template 32, 38, 40 and 42 and having a handle, 80, 82, 84
and 86, respectively.
With reference to Fig. 4, each handle is pulled when required to lift its respective
plate and template with, generally, the breakup of and subsequent removal of the latter to
create a suitably shaped cavity to be filled with an applopliately desired colored settable
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composition. In the drawings, the gap between adjacent templates and set base 42 has
been exaggerated for better visu~li7~tion.
In operation, whole template 30 is suitably placed with the metal plates on
S substrate surface 70 where desired, and settable plaster of a selected color is poured
around template 30. After the plaster has set, one or more of templates 34,38 and 40 are
removed by means of their respective metal plates to create respective cavities, into
which plaster of one or more desired colors is added and allowed to set. Adjacent
templates generally have to be restrained from being significantly lifted during this step,
10 while some degree of lift is desired to prevent damage to its peripheral locking member.
Subsequently, templates 32 and 36 may be similarly removed and suitably colored plaster
added and allowed to set to produce the finished multi-design surface. Clearly, each of
the template removal may be carried out in a stepwise fashion.
The aforesaid steps may be, optionally, repeated at other positions on the substrate
15 surface, either after or concurrent with the formation of the multi-design described.
Similarly, multi-designs of different designs from differently shaped templates may be
formed.
Although this disclosure has described and illustrated certain preferred
embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to
those particular embodiments. Rather, the invention includes all embodiments which are
functional or mechanical equivalents of the specific embodiments and features that have
been described and illustrated.
