GB2052601A - An Improved Wall Tie - Google Patents

Abstract

A one-piece wall tie is provided for incorporation in cavity walls of buildings. It comprises a pair of legs disposed in an inverted V-formation, (apex uppermost in use), each leg terminating in a foot which is twisted into a plane transverse to that of the V, the feet being co-planar. The upper edge of the inverted V, when made in sheet material, is bevelled, and the apex rounded, for preference. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An Improved Wall Tie This invention relates to a construction of wall tie for use in building cavity walls.

The purpose of a wall tie is to provide a reinforcing strut between the two parallel vertical slabs of masonry that comprise a cavity wall. The wall tie should idealiy prevent all seepage of moisture from one slab (usually the outer slab) to the other. An important aspect of this requirement is that a wall tie should not catch wet mortar dropped as surplus or by accident during brick or block-laying, in particular any mortar caught should be rendered incapable of building up to a cavitybridging amount.

It is known to provide wall ties the intermediate or cavity-traversing portion of which is narrower than the feet. It is also known to provide two-piece wall ties wherein a deflector is located atop the intermediate portion of the tie.

These and other wall ties are either unduly expensive to produce, or meet the above stated requirement only in part.

It is an object of the invention to provide a onepiece wall tie that lessens or avoids the above recited disadvantages.

The invention accordingly provides a onepiece wall tie comprising a substantially co-planar pair of oppositely directed feet, each foot being adapted to be mortared into a respective half of a cavity wall, and, intermediate the feet, a pair of legs rising to a common apex in a plane transverse to the plane of the feet.

Preferably the legs are in a plane which passes lengthwise through the feet, and is perpendicular to the feet. It is also preferred that the wall tie be made from a piece of sheet material, such as sheet metal, whereof an inverted V-shaped planar portion constitutes the pair of legs of the wall tie, the feet of the wall tie being formed by extensions of said legs, disposed into a plane perpendicular to the midline or axis of the V by being twisted thereinto at their regions of attachment to said legs. The upper edge of the inverted V-shaped portion, when the latter is made of sheet material, is bevelled for preference, so as to offer no support for falling mortar but to deflect it to one side or the other. The apex of the inverted Vshaped portion is rounded for preference, rather than pointed, for safety in handling.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, for the sake of example, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an isometric veiw of a wall tie, and Figure 2 is an end elevation of the wall tie of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, a wall tie comprises a pair of feet 1, 2 connected by a pair of legs 3, 4 rising to a rounded apex 5. The wall tie is made by stamping out a blank from sheet steel, twisting the feet portions 1, 2 at locations 6, 7 into a plane perpendicular to that of the leg portions 3, 4, and imparting a beveled edge 8 to the upper aspect (in use, as will appear hereunder) of the legs 3, 4. The extremities of the feet are split into toes 9, 10, one toe 9 (or both toes) being bent away from the plane of the feet to improve bonding of the feet into a cavity wall between courses. The wall tie is then galvanised.

In use, the wall tie is disposed with its feet 1, 2 located between courses in respective halves of a cavity wall. The legs portion 3, 4 bridges the cavity with the apex 5 uppermost. There is no horizontal connection between the feet, and hence no pathway for the passage of moisture from one half of the cavity wall to the other by way of the wall tie. It will be appreciated also that no cavitybridging quantity of wet mortar, falling on the legs portion 3, 4 during wall construction, could find support thereon.

Since the underneath profile of the legs 3, 4 parallels the upper profile thereof in the position of use, it will be appreciated that the blanks for this wall tie can be multiply or repetitively stamped from sheet metal with no waste material left over between the legs portions 3, 4 of adjacent blanks, and only minimum waste between the feet portions 1, 2 thereof. In the sheet metal before the blanks are stamped, each foot 1 of a wall tie comprises a rectangle whose long sides are parallel to those of the corresponding foot 1 of the two adjacent wall ties, with only a narrow rectangle of future waste material between each two feet 1. Similarly with the feet 2.

Claims

1. A one-piece wall tie comprising a substantially co-planar pair of oppositely directed feet, each foot being adapted to be mortared into a respective half of a cavity wall, and, intermediate the feet, a pair of legs rising to a common apex in a plane transverse to the plane of the feet.

2. A one-piece wall tie as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plane of the legs passes lengthwise through the feet, and is perpendicular to the feet.

3. A one-piece wall tie as claimed in claim 1 or 2, made from a piece of sheet material, whereof a Vshaped planar portion constitutes the pair of legs, and the feet are formed by extensions of said legs, disposed into a common plane by being twisted thereinto at their regions of attachment to said legs.

4. A one-piece wall tie as claimed in claim 3, wherein the upper edge of the Vshaped planar portion, when its apex is uppermost, is bevelled.

5. A one-piece wall tie as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the apex is rounded.

6. A one-piece wall tie as claimed in claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION An Improved Wall Tie This invention relates to a construction of wall tie for use in building cavity walls. The purpose of a wall tie is to provide a reinforcing strut between the two parallel vertical slabs of masonry that comprise a cavity wall. The wall tie should idealiy prevent all seepage of moisture from one slab (usually the outer slab) to the other. An important aspect of this requirement is that a wall tie should not catch wet mortar dropped as surplus or by accident during brick or block-laying, in particular any mortar caught should be rendered incapable of building up to a cavitybridging amount. It is known to provide wall ties the intermediate or cavity-traversing portion of which is narrower than the feet. It is also known to provide two-piece wall ties wherein a deflector is located atop the intermediate portion of the tie. These and other wall ties are either unduly expensive to produce, or meet the above stated requirement only in part. It is an object of the invention to provide a onepiece wall tie that lessens or avoids the above recited disadvantages. The invention accordingly provides a onepiece wall tie comprising a substantially co-planar pair of oppositely directed feet, each foot being adapted to be mortared into a respective half of a cavity wall, and, intermediate the feet, a pair of legs rising to a common apex in a plane transverse to the plane of the feet. Preferably the legs are in a plane which passes lengthwise through the feet, and is perpendicular to the feet. It is also preferred that the wall tie be made from a piece of sheet material, such as sheet metal, whereof an inverted V-shaped planar portion constitutes the pair of legs of the wall tie, the feet of the wall tie being formed by extensions of said legs, disposed into a plane perpendicular to the midline or axis of the V by being twisted thereinto at their regions of attachment to said legs. The upper edge of the inverted V-shaped portion, when the latter is made of sheet material, is bevelled for preference, so as to offer no support for falling mortar but to deflect it to one side or the other. The apex of the inverted Vshaped portion is rounded for preference, rather than pointed, for safety in handling. An embodiment of the invention will now be described, for the sake of example, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an isometric veiw of a wall tie, and Figure 2 is an end elevation of the wall tie of Figure 1. Referring now to the drawings, a wall tie comprises a pair of feet 1, 2 connected by a pair of legs 3, 4 rising to a rounded apex 5. The wall tie is made by stamping out a blank from sheet steel, twisting the feet portions 1, 2 at locations 6, 7 into a plane perpendicular to that of the leg portions 3, 4, and imparting a beveled edge 8 to the upper aspect (in use, as will appear hereunder) of the legs 3, 4. The extremities of the feet are split into toes 9, 10, one toe 9 (or both toes) being bent away from the plane of the feet to improve bonding of the feet into a cavity wall between courses. The wall tie is then galvanised. In use, the wall tie is disposed with its feet 1, 2 located between courses in respective halves of a cavity wall. The legs portion 3, 4 bridges the cavity with the apex 5 uppermost. There is no horizontal connection between the feet, and hence no pathway for the passage of moisture from one half of the cavity wall to the other by way of the wall tie. It will be appreciated also that no cavitybridging quantity of wet mortar, falling on the legs portion 3, 4 during wall construction, could find support thereon. Since the underneath profile of the legs 3, 4 parallels the upper profile thereof in the position of use, it will be appreciated that the blanks for this wall tie can be multiply or repetitively stamped from sheet metal with no waste material left over between the legs portions 3, 4 of adjacent blanks, and only minimum waste between the feet portions 1, 2 thereof. In the sheet metal before the blanks are stamped, each foot 1 of a wall tie comprises a rectangle whose long sides are parallel to those of the corresponding foot 1 of the two adjacent wall ties, with only a narrow rectangle of future waste material between each two feet 1. Similarly with the feet 2. Claims

1. A one-piece wall tie comprising a substantially co-planar pair of oppositely directed feet, each foot being adapted to be mortared into a respective half of a cavity wall, and, intermediate the feet, a pair of legs rising to a common apex in a plane transverse to the plane of the feet.

2. A one-piece wall tie as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plane of the legs passes lengthwise through the feet, and is perpendicular to the feet.

3. A one-piece wall tie as claimed in claim 1 or 2, made from a piece of sheet material, whereof a Vshaped planar portion constitutes the pair of legs, and the feet are formed by extensions of said legs, disposed into a common plane by being twisted thereinto at their regions of attachment to said legs.

4. A one-piece wall tie as claimed in claim 3, wherein the upper edge of the Vshaped planar portion, when its apex is uppermost, is bevelled.

5. A one-piece wall tie as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the apex is rounded.

6. A one-piece wall tie as claimed in claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.