CA2225262C - Retainer for poured concrete walls - Google Patents

Abstract

A retainer is disclosed to act as a substrate for nailing or screwing to with insulating foam board and concrete, particularly to insulating foam board used as a foam for pouring concrete. The retainer has a head with a face adapted to receive and anchor fasteners such as nails or screws, an elongated arm extending substantially perpendicularly from said head on the side remote from such face. The arm has means to embed the arm in concrete during pouring such that the arm will not retract from the concrete after the concrete has hardened. Optionally, the retainer has a clip to attach to a tie rod extending between concrete forms, to position the tie rod with respect to the forms. The retainer is put in place before the concrete is poured. After the concrete hardens, wall surface materials and the like can be screwed or nailed to the face.

Description

Retainer for Poured Concrete Walls Field of the Ilnvention This invention relates to fasteners for use with insulating foam board used as a form for the pouring of concrete.
Background) of the Invention In the pouring of concrete walls, such as for example foundation walls, what is typically done is to polar concrete footings on a suitable bed of gravel or the like.
These footings extend upward to the level where the floor of the basement (or first storey, if there is no basement) will be. Two opposed forms are then erected which define between them a cavity into which concrete is poured. The forms are typically of metal or wood, and are of a standard size. Typically, the forms forming opposite faces of the cavity are joined together with pins (sometimes known as "ties") of metal or plastic. The ties are left in the concrete after it is poured, and form part of the wall.
Forms are typically supplied as a "system", which is a series of mating forms, often including forms of different sizes which are designed to be used with one another.
There are a many systems in common use. They exhibit many different ways of joining the forms tol~ether edge to edge.
One of the most widely used systems of forms is composed of reusable plywood sheets of standard sizes, which are reinforced by having horizontal bands of metal reinforcement spaced at standard intervals and extending across their width on the face not intended ~to contact the concrete. For example, standard sheets of plywood for use in the system may be 8 feet in height and 2 feet wide and of 1 114" thickness.
The bands of metal are iron bands of about 3" in width and of the order of 118" to 114" thick.
They extend parallel to the 2 foot dimension of the sheet at arbitrary distances from each other and the 2 foot long edges of the board, and extend the full width of the board, from one of the edges of a long side to the other edge of a long side.
For example, cornmonly there are four bands, having their mid-lines at 8", 28", 52" and 76"
respectively from the 2 foot edge which forms the bottom edge of the plywood sheet when it is assembled into a form, Mounted on one end of each band, for example near the right edge of the face, is a pivotable hooking element, which pivots over and is retained by a post such as a large headed nail ~or screw or the like near the left edge of an adjacent like panel. Similar hook and post arrangements occur on the other bands, to hook adjacent panels together to make a form. The hooking element also has at least one (usually two) slots to fit over and retain in place iron ties extending to the similar forms making up the opposite wall of the cavity into which concrete is to be poured.
It is also known to build forms of blocks of plastic foam which define the cavity into which the concrete is poured. The foam is usually foamed polystyrene , although other types of foam plastic are sometimes used. The plastic foam can be left in place after the concrete is poured to function as insulation. Many form systems using foamed plastic are known. Representative ones are shown in U.S. Patent 4,889,310 (Boeshart) and U.S. Patent 5, 140,794 (Miller). In the Miller patent, the forms are joined together by ties of wirE~. In the Boeshart patent, the ties are plastic.
Canadian published patent application 2,182,055 of the present inventor provides a forming system with conventional plywood forms on one side of the concrete cavity and foam panels on the opposite side. These are joined by ties which hold the foam panels in place while the cement is poured into the cavity. Certain of the ties disclosed (either alone or with plates as disclosed in that application) provide areas which remain visible on the surface of the insulated wall after the concrete has hardened. These areas can be used to anchor screws or nails to hold wallboard or strapping placed to cover the foam insulation.

It is sometimes desirable to use metal ties, instead of the ties disclosed in application 2,182,055, vuith the invention of that application. This occurs particularly where relatively thick high concrete walls are being poured, putting larger than usual stress on the ties. However, such metal ties do not provide an area to anchor screws and nails to attach wallboard or strapping over the insulation on the finished wall.
It is sometimes desired, instead of using the invention shown in Canadian patent application 2,182,055, to use plywood forms, attached together by conventional metal ties, on both sides of the cavity. The insulating foam board is then placed within the cavity formed by the two sets of plywood forms, adjacent one set. The concrete is poured betwE~en the foam board and the other set of plywood forms. However, when this is done, there is no area on the surface of the insulation, after the wall has been poured and the forms have been removed, to attach screws or nails.
THE INVENTION
The invention provides a fastener retainer which is put in place extending through a foam insulation sheet into a cavity in which a concrete wall is poured adjacent the foam insulation sheet. After the concrete wall has been poured and has dried and the concrete forrns are removed, the fastener retainer remains with one end firmly set in concrete and the other end on the outer surface of the insulation, where fasteners such as screws or nails can be screwed into it. To the extent that the insulation has not bonded to thE~ concrete, the fastener retainer also retains the foam insulation so it will not fall off thE: concrete wall.
In a preferred embodiment, the fastener retainer also has clip means by which it can be clipped onto a metal tie extending through the insulation. In this embodiment, the fastener retainer has the added function of inhibiting movement of the foam insulation while the concrete is hardening.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which like features of the invention bear like reference numerals throughout the several figures of the drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a retainer in accordance with the invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the retainer.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a concrete form assembly using the inventive retainer.
Figure 4 is ~~ perspective view of an alternate concrete form assembly using the retainer.
Figure 5a, 5b and 5c are detail views of how various embodiments of the retainer attach to a tie.
Detailed De:~cription of the Invention Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a retainer 11 constructed in accordance with the invention. The retainer 11 has a base 10 which has a flat front surface 9 suitable for the attachment of fasteners such as screws or nails and a back side 8 with structural ribbing (not shown) to increase its strength. Holes 14 may be pr~wided in the base 10 to facilitate the attachment of screws or to facilitate the positioning of a staple for temporary positioning during form assembly.
An elongate arm 16 extends from the back side 8. Arm 16 is used to mount the retainer to insulating foam board and concrete as will be explained in more detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Preferably, but not necessarily, means are provided to keep the retainer 11 lodged in a slit in a piece of foam board. Preferably such means are resiliently deformable grips 18 provided on arm 16. The grips are preferably angled with their oui:er ends toward base 10 so that they will deform when the arm is moved through a piESCe of foam board in the direction of arrow A and not impede movement, but so that they will impede movement when the arm is pulled through a piece of foam board in a direction opposite that of arrow A.
Near the end of arm 16 are means to anchor the retainer poured concrete once the concrete has hardened. These means are irregularities in the surface of arm 16 such that, once concrete hardens in the irregularities, the arm will be permanently attached to the concrete. Preferred means are cut-out portions 20 which will become filled with the surrounding concrete to form an interlocking grip therewith to securely keep retainer 11 within the concrete once it has cured. The cut-out portions are shown as semi-circular, but their shape is not important provided concrete can flow into them when wet and can harden there to prevent removal of the retainer once the concrete has cured.
Ribs (not shown) can also be molded into the surface of arm 16 to strengthen it as well as produce further irregular surfaces to interlock with the concrete which will in use surround the retainer. A hole 22 can be provided in arm 16 if desired to permit the retainer to beg used as a tie between form pieces in a manner to be described.
The embodirnent of figure 1 has a resilient clip 51 integrally molded therewith and extending outwardly from arm 16. Clip 51 is composed of two clipping fingers attached at their bases to arm 16 defining a cavity 50. The fingers can spread outwardly to receive a metal tie rod in cavity 50, and retain it by resilient pressure once it is received. Stops 54 are provided on the inside of fingers 52 to prevent the tie rod from sliding out of cavity 50. Cavity 50 extends through head 10, and slits 55 are provided between hea~~ 10 and fingers 52 so the fingers can flex relative to head 10.
Retainer 11 is preferably constructed from moldable plastic material which provides good structural strength, which can accept screws and nails without splitting, and which does not transfer undue amounts of heat across the foamboard insulation layer when the retainer is in use. It is also preferable that the plastic material not become brittle when cold, so that the retainers can be assembled in cold weather construction conditions. Suitable materials can be selected from polypropylenes, or from propylene copolymers with ethylene or other compounds.
An alternativE~ embodiment is shown in Figure 2, and is numbered 11A. In Figure 2, like parts to the parts of Figure 1 are identified using the same reference numerals as Figure 1, and will not be further described. Instead of clip 51 and cavity 50, the embodiment of Figure 2 has a notch 56 cut out of head 10 and sized to permit entry of a metal tie used in the making of concrete forms. Figure 2 does not illustrate head 10 as having holes 14, but such holes can be present if desired.
Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a concrete form assembly to pour a concrete building wall, The assembly has a rigid form 24 defining on side of a cavity 26. The form is preferably the type of known plywood form illustrated in Figure 1 of applicant's published Canadian application 2,182,055. For clarity , only one piece of plywood is shown, but as known in the art, this is placed edge to edge with other pieces of plywood to form a form wall. A foam board 28 is in spaced relation to plywood form 24 to define concrete cavity 26. It is illustrated with a tongue 30 which mates with a groove on an adjacent foamboard (not shown) to form a wall of cavity 26. The foam board is used as a form during concrete pouring and subsequently remains in place on the inside of the finished concrete wall as insulation. The spaced relationship between the plywood form and the foamboard is maintained by ties 38. Only two such ties are shown, but in practice there are several more along the edge of the foamboard bridging the cavity 26.
Tie 38 has portion 39 extending on the other side of foamboard 28 from cavity 26. This may be used to attach a water as shown in published application 2,182,055, and may be snapped off after the concrete has hardened as known in the art.

_7_ The retainer illustrated in Figure 3 is shown as 11B. It is the same as the retainer 11A
illustrated in Figure 2, except that the notch 56 is deeper and is provided with a shoulder 58 to retain a metal tie. The retainer 11A of Figure 2 can be used instead if desired.
In the lower portion of Figure 3 a metal tie 38 extends across the cavity 26 and through a slot 23 provided in plywood form 24. Tie 38 extends beyond the outer surface of plywood form 24. Tie 38 has mating means on the outer portion thereof extending beyond form 24 to be engaged by slot 40 provided in rotatable plate 42 which engages tie 38 by rotation of rotatable plate 42 about pivot point 44 as is well known in the construction trade. The foam board form 28 may include a precut L-shaped slot 46 into which retainer 11 is slidably received. One such slot without a retainer is shown for clarity. It has a vertical portion 46A and a horizontal portion 46B. Retainer 11 B is slid into the portion 46B with its arm 16 horizontal, and is then rotated to have the arm vertical in vertical portion 46A. This permits preassembly of the retainer to the foamboard and prevents retainer 11 B from dislodging or falling out of the foam board 28 during handling. If grips 18 are provided (as is preferred), these assist in keeping the retainer in place relative to the foamboard.
If the retainer is to be assembled to a foamboard in a place where there is no slot, arm 16 can be pierced through the foamboard. This can be facilitated by pre-piercing the foamboard with a sharp tool. For example, the uppermost retainer in Figure 3 has been attached to the foamboard in this way.
One use of holes 14 is shown in Figure 3. A staple 60 can be inserted through retainer 11 B into the foamboard and through a similar retainer 11 B on the foamboard which will be adjacent to it in forming a wall of cavity 36.
Th uppermost illustration of the retainer in Figure 3 shows a use of the retainer to replace tie 38, in a position (such as near the top of the foamboard) where little force _$_ is exerted on the tying element. Arm 16 is attached to a metal strip 32 by means of a wire 36 which is threaded through hole 22 and through a hole 37 in strip 32.
The other end of strip 32 passes through the crack where two pieces of plywood abut, and is retained from pulling back into the cavity by a nail 34 inserted through a hole 35.
Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a use of the retainer in a different concrete form assembly. In Figure 4, the foamboard is not used as a form wall. Instead, there is a second plywood form 48 spacedly deposed from a first plywood form 24. Foam panel 28 is located between the two forms 48 and 24 and in contact with one of the plywood forms. Tie 38 extends through the outer portion of each plywood form 24 and 48 such that a rotatak>le plate 42 can now be used on each side of the forms 24 and 48, as is common with conventional plywood forms The retainers in this embodiment pass through the foam, but not through the plywood 48. The headl 10 is between plywood 48 and foamboard 28. If desired the foamboard can be millecl with depressions so that the surface 9 of head 10 will lie flush with the surface of thc: foamboard, but this is not necessary. The retainer used in the topmost position is the retainer 11 B as illustrated in Figure 3, and the lower retainer is the retainer 11 of Figure 1 The clip 51 (shown in dashed form, as it is concealed in the drawing by the foamboard 28) clips onto tie 38 to retain the foamboard in position relative to plyvuood 48 before the concrete is poured.
In either the embodiment of Figure 3 or Figure 4, the forms are assembled as shown in the figures, then the concrete is poured into the cavity. Once the concrete hardens, form 24 (Fig 3) or forms 24 and 48 (Fig. 4) are removed. Foamboard 28 remains in place as insulation for the concrete wall. The arm 16 of each retainer is securely attached in the hardened concrete, and is prevented from pulling out by concrete in its depressions 20. The retainers retain the foamboard against the concrete, and also provide surfaces 9 into which nails or screws can be attached to permit attachment wood strapping or the like to permit the attachment of wallboard or panelling to cover and conceal the foamboard and provide an interior wall.
Figure 5a shows a detail showing how the retainer of Figure 1 clips to tie 38 in a form assembly of I=ig. 3 or 4. Tie 38 is of generally rectangular cross section, but the section changes along its length. Such ties are common articles of commerce. The tie configuration is chosen so that there will be a clip-mating portion 57 which is oriented to be sliding~ly received within the tie-receiving slot 50 of the clip and which has orthogonal portions 60 and 61 disposed at either end thereof to prevent relative movement of fastener 11 relative to tie 38. The clip of Figure 5a also has an end portion 58 which extends outwardly from base 10 when the tie is mounted in the retainer to co-act in known manner with the plate 42 and slot 40 (Fig 4) or to attach a water (Fig 3). The end portion will vary in length and configuration depending on whether the norms of Figure 3 or 4 are used.
Figure 5b shows the retainer 11A of Figure 2 and how it coacts with a tie 38 in a form assembly of the sort shown in Figure 3 or 4. The end portion 58 of the tie will be shorter or longer as needed to accommodate whether it has to pass through a plywood panel 48 (Fic~ 4) or not (Fig 3).or not. Notch 56 fits over the portion 57.
And abuts against a shoulder where the cross-section changes to cross section 61. In use, portion 56 is chosen to be of sufficient length so that either the plywood (Fig 4) or the water (Fig 3) pushes thE~ head 10 against the shoulder of portion 61.
Figure 5c shows an alternate embodiment of the clip portion 51 of retainer 11A.. In this embodiment, the retainer 11A is provided with a pair of clipping fingers 52 A
which are oriented to receive a portion 56A of tie 38 which is oriented vertically.
Now that the invention has been described, numerous substitutions and modifications will occur to one skilled in the art which are within the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the claims appended hereto.

Claims (11)

1. A retainer for use with plastic foam insulation sheet and concrete which comprises (a) a head having a face adapted to receive and anchor fasteners such as nails or screws;
(b) an elongated arm extending substantially perpendicularly from said head on the side remote from such face;
(c) said arm having means to embed the arm in concrete during pouring such that the arm will not retract from the concrete after the concrete has hardened, and (d) said arm terminating in an end adapted to pierce said foam insulation sheet.

2. A retainer as claimed in claim 1, additionally comprising means extending from said arm and adapted to engage and clip to a metal tie.

3. A retainer as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, additionally comprising resilient fingers on said arm intermediate said head and said means to embed the arm in concrete, said resilient fingers being adapted to engage said plastic foam insulation sheet and to resist movement of the retainer axial to the arm in a direction with said head forwardly.

4. A retainer for use with rigid insulating material and concrete which comprises (a) a head having a first face adapted to receive and grippingly engage fasteners such as nails or screws and a second face opposite the first face;
(b) an elongated arm extending substantially perpendicularly from said second face of said head;

(c) said arm having irregularities which are adapted to engage wet concrete during the pouring of such concrete such that the arm will not retract from the concrete after the concrete has hardened, and (d) said arm terminating in an end adapted to pierce said foam insulation sheet.

5. A retainer as claimed in claim 1 or claim 4, in which said head has a substantially rectangular opening sized to engage a metal tie.

6. A retainer as claimed in claim 5, in which said substantially rectangular opening has associated with it means to engage and clip to a metal tie.

7. A retainer as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 additionally comprising insulation gripping means on said arm positioned intermediate said head and said means to embed the arm in concrete, said insulation gripping means being oriented to permit movement of the retainer through rigid insulation axially of the elongated arm in a direction with the head rearwardly, but to oppose movement of the retainer through said rigid insulation axially of the elongated arm in a direction with the head forwardly.

8. A retainer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the means to embed the arm in concrete comprise irregularities in the surface of the arm which are adapted to be filled with concrete.

9. A retainer as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the means to embed the arm in concrete comprise cut-out portions in the surface of the arm which are adapted to be filled with concrete.

10. A retainer as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, in which the irregularities are cut-out portions.

11. A retainer as claimed in any one of claims 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 or 10, additionally comprising two resilient fingers attached at their base to said arm adjacent said head, said fingers defining a cavity in which a metal tie can be retained and gripped by said fingers.