AU705021B2 - Tie assembly - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2 -1-

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 aQIE'rE S~EG I F I CZ2~T' I QI~1 S 'rz~ixr D~ D :2 I a APPLICANT: ANDREA MARIO STODULKA NUMBER: PL9839 FILING DATE: 8/ 7/93 Invention Title: TIE ASSEMBLY The following statement is a full description of this invention, .,ncluding the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 "TIE ASSEMBLY" This invention relates to a tie assembly.

The invention has particular but not exclusive application to wall ties for masonry construction such as cavity brick or cavity block walls or masonry veneer walls of brick or block and a load bearing frame. However it will be realised that a tie assembly in accordance with this invention can be used for tying together members other than walls or for tying walls other than those referred to above.

Wall ties for masonry construction are well known and the subject of Australian Standard 2699-1984. Wall ties may be cavity ties or masonry veneer ties. Wall ties are required to be sufficiently stiff to provide stability to the "I outer masonry wall against lateral loads, but must also have 15 the capacity to tolerate relative displacement both horizontally and vertically between cavity walls or between the wall and frame of a masonry veneer assembly. Other desirable characteristics include prevention of transfer of water and moisture along its length and resistance to corrosion.

The requirements of providing stability to the outer wall has hitherto been met by providing a metal tie relatively stiff in both tension and compression. Hecever known wall ties having such stiffness do not satisfact Drily 25 allow ±or relative vertical and particularly for relative horizontal displacement between the walls or wall and irame.

Known ties have attachment portions at both ends for location in the mortar bed between brick courses or affixing to the framework with the ends for location in mortar beds usually being corrugated. The end attachment portions are joined by an intermediate portion usually inclined at an angle to both end attachment portions and, if the tie is a masonry veneer tie designed to be fixed to the side of the frame, the intermediate portion has a ninety degree twist.

Known ties are sufficiently flexible to be able to be bent and the angling of the 'nd attachment portions to the -M -MJMI intermediate portion to some extent allows for relative vertical displacement between walls or wall and frame, but does not satisfactorily allow for relative horizontal displacement.

The present invention aims to provide a, tie assembly which will be reliable and efficient in use.

This invention in one aspect resides broadly in a tie assembly for tying together a plurality of members, the tie assembly including:a plurality of end portions for attachment to the members, and a longitudinally extending resiliently extensible spanning member joining the end portions.

There may be any number of end portions. For example a 15 three legged tie assembly in the shape of a T-piece may be utilised to butt tie the ends of three walls or to join the end of one wall to the face of another. However it is preferred that there are two end portions adapted for attachment to masonry walls and/or a building frame.

The end portions may be fastened to the ends of a separate spanning member but it is preferred that the end portions and the spanning member are integral.

The spanning member is preferably resiliently extensible and may inulude a ninety degree twist so that the end portions are orthogonally aligned. The end portions may be aligned at an angle to the spanning member.

In one preferred form of the invention the end portions and the spanning member are formed from a nylon or other suitable plastics strap-like material. It is preferred that the strap-like material includes a plurality of corrugations extending thereacross. The corrugations may extend rectilinearly across the strap-like material but it is preferred that the corrugations extend across the strap-like material in a saw-tooth or sinuous pattern. The strap-like material may include a plurality of apertures for receiving mortar therethrough.

The spanning member may include a spring.

In an alternative embodiment to the strap-like material described above, the end portions and the spanning member may ~I 9~slICI be formed from wire or other suitable rod-like material. In this arrangement the end portions can each include a loop of the wire or other suitable rod-like material, an intermediate loop of which constitutes the spring. it is preferred that the end portions and the spanning member are formed from stainless steel wire. Alternatively the end portions and the spanning member can be formed from a plastic rod-like material.

The tie assembly may optionally include fastening means for fastening one of the end portions to a building frame.

Suitably the fasting means is a gang nail assembly retained by an end portion.

another aspect this invention resides broadly in a .wall tie assembly for masonry construction, the tie as7,embly i. including:- .*.two end portions for location in a mortar bed between masonry courses or attachment to a building frame, and a longitudinally extending resiliently extensible spanning member joining the end portions.

20 Preferably the end portions and the spanning member are integral and formed from a nylon or other suitable plastics strap-like material which includes a plurality of corrugations extending thereacross.

Alternatively the end portions and integral spanning member are formed from wire or other suitable rod-like material, each end portion and the spanning member including a loop, the loop in the spanning member constituting a spring.

The wall tie assembly may include a gang nail assembly retained by an end portion for fastening the end portion to a building frame.

In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:- FIG 1 illustrates a brick tie made from nylon strap-like material in which the corrugations have a saw-tooth pattern; FIG 2 illustrates a brick tie made from nylon strap-like material and including plain corrugations and in which a

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ninety degree twist is incorporated; FIGS 3 to 8 illistrate alternative arrangements of a brick tie made from wire or a plastic material; FIG 9 illustrates a gang nail for use with a brick tie in accordance with the invention; FIG 10 illustrates the gang nail retained on a brick tie in accordance with this invention, and FIGS 11 and 12 illustrate a brick tie in which the spanning member is angled to the end portions.

As can be seen in FIG 1, brick tie 11 is made from a length of strap-like nylon material and has end portions 12 and 13 and an intermediate spanning portion 14. A series of corrugations 15 having a 3,w-tooth pattern extend laterally across end portions 12 and 13. Alternatively, as seen in FIG 15 2, the corrugations can extend transversely along the length of the spanning member. A series of apertures 16 is formed 0* in the brick tie to allow mortar to set through the holes to effect a durable bond, It will be appreciated that a brick tie in accordance with this embodiment can be formed from ~20 continuous lengths of strap-like material so as to be cut to size on site. Alternatively, elongated strips of brick ties may include weakened portions so that a brick tie can be separated from the length on site by bending the material and snapping an individual brick tie from the strip.

S 25 FIG 2 illustrates a brick tie similar to that described above with reference to FIG 1 but including straight line corrugations 10. The spanning portion 19 includes a ninety degree twist in its length so that the two end portions 17 and 18 are inclined at right angles to each other. This enables an end portion to be attached to a building frame by nailing to the side of the frame, rather than to the face of a stud as with the embodiment illustrated in FIG 1.

FIG 3 illustrates a brick tie assembly 20 made from wire or a suitably resilient plastics material and having two end portions 21 and 22 in the form of a loop with spanning portion 23 comprising a spring formed by a loop in the length of the spanning member. FIG 4 shows an alternative spring loop 24. The wire or plastics material can have any suitable cross-section such as for example square, circular or ~CII_ sl~- slllllI_~rectangular.

FIGS 5 and 6 illustrate embodiments similar to those of FIGS 3 and 4 but with end portions 25 and 26 beiiig twisted through ninety degrees to be aligned at right angles to end portions 27 and 28 for attachment to a frame as described above with reference to FIG 2.

FIGS 7 and 8 illustrate arrangements somewhat similar to the brick tie illustrated in FIGS 3 and 4, but including alternative spring loops 29 and 30 in the spanning member.

FIG 9 illustrates a gang nail 31 having a base member 32 and a number of tines 33 punched in conventional manner from base 32 to form apertures 34.

FIG 10 illustrates the gang nail 31 frictionally retained in an end portion 35 of a brick tie in accordance 15 with the invention in a manner whereby it becomes unnecessary for separate clouts to be carried by tradesmen. In r1se, such an arrangement allows moisture to drain from the inner wall or frame.

FIGS 7 and 8 also illustrate alternative fastening S: 20 arrangements to the gang nail described above. Tynes 39 can be formed by sharpening loops formed from the tie wire.

Alternatively a slide on gang nail 38 can be utilised.

FIGS 13. and 12 illustrate brick ties in accordance with the configuration shown and described previously in FIGS 3 25 and 6 in which the spanning members 37 and 37 are formed at an angle to the end portions.

It will be appreciated that the resilience of a brick tie in accordance with this invention is particularly beneficial if subsidence of the building is not uniform, ie if the brick wall on its foundations moves relative to the building frame resting on individual piers, or as a result of earthquakes or earth tremor activity.

Furthermore, if during construction, the ties have nriot been fixed to the frame during bricklaying but are attached to the frame when the mortar is still green or uncured, brick ties in accordance with the invention will reduce the tendency for the end attachment face embedded in the mortar to work free from the mortar if, as is common with known ties, the tie is bent or twisted when nailing it to the -h frame.

It will of course be realised that whilst the above has been given by way of an illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations hereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is hereinafter claimed.

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Claims (7)

1. A wall tie assembly for masonry construction, said tie assembly including:- two end portions for location in a mortar bed between masonry courses or attachment to a building frame, and a longitudinally extending resiliently extensible spanning member joining said end portions.

2. A rall tie assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said S: end portions and said spanning member are integral. S 10 3. A wall tie assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said spanning member includes a ninety degree twist so that said end portions are *orthogonally aligned.

4. A wall tie assembly as claimed in any one of the 15 preceding claims, wherein said end portions are aligned at an angle to said spanning member. A wall tie assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said end portions and said spanning member are formed from a nylon or other suitable plastics strap-like material.

6. A wall tie assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said strap-like material includes a plurality of corrugations extending thereacross.

7. A wall tie assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein said corrugations extend across said strap-like material in a saw- tooth or sinuous pattern.

8. A wall tie assembly as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein said strap-like material includes a plurality of apertures for receiving mortar therethrough. ANDREA MARIO STODULKA by PIZZEYS *So RLaa~la. Il,~a~f~ll ABSTRACT A brick tie 11 is made from a length of strap-like nylon material and has end portions 12 and 13, an intermediate spanning portion 14 and a series of corrugations 15 having a saw-tooth pattern extend laterally across end portions 12 and

13. Alternatively the corrugations can extend transversely along the length of the spanning member. i S