GB2137254A

GB2137254A - Insulated concrete wall with integral tie rods

Info

Publication number: GB2137254A
Application number: GB08324148A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dennis L Garrett
Original assignee: INTERNATIONAL HOUSING Ltd
Current assignee: INTERNATIONAL HOUSING Ltd
Priority date: 1983-03-24
Filing date: 1983-09-09
Publication date: 1984-10-03
Also published as: GB8324148D0; FR2543194A1; GB2137254B

Abstract

A concrete insulated wall having a plurality of tie rods 22 disposed through the insulation layer 16 and extending into the poured concrete wall layers 14 is described. The tie rods have a circular cross section and have a series of serrations 23 along the length of the rod. A pair of retainer clips 24 are mounted on each end of each rod and abut the insulation layer so that it is fixed in place between the pour forms 18. The retainer clip comprises a metal disk having a pair of bisecting slots and a circular aperture disposed therethrough when the slots intersect. forming a multiple of flat springs which engage the circumference of the rod. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Insulated concrete wall with integral tie rods The present invention relates to insulated concrete walls in which an insulation layer is disposed between pour-formed concrete wall layers.

The use of forms for fabricating concrete wall structures having an interposed layer of insulation is well known in the construction industry. It is also well known in the art to use a plurality of tie rods through the centrally disposed insulation layer, and to use retaining means to secure the rods in place within the insulation layer so that the insulation layer will be immovably held in place during and after the concrete pour. A variety of tie rods and associated retaining means have been disclosed for this purpose in U.S. Patent No.

4,329,821.

According to the present invention there is provided an insulated concrete wall comprising: a pair of pour-formed concrete wall layers; a layer of insulation sandwiched therebetween; a plurality of rods disposed perpendicularly to and extending through said layer of insulation and extending through said concrete wall layers, said rods having multiple serrations along the length thereof; a plurality of retainer means mounted on said rods for fixedly retaining said rods with respect to said insulation layer, each said retainer means comprising a plate having intersecting slots defined therethrough and an aperture defined through said plate at the point of intersection of said slots, whereby said retainer means uniformly engages the perimeter of said rod such that said retainer means is movable in one direction but resists movement in the opposite direction along said rod.

A concrete insulated wall is described having a plurality of tie rods disposed through the insulation layer and extending into the poured concrete wall layers and the tie rods preferably have a circular cross section and have a series of serrations along the length of the rod. A pair of retainer clips provided as retainer means are mounted on each end of each rod, and abut the insulation layer so that it is fixed in place between the pour forms.

The retainer clip comprises a metal disk having a pair of bisecting slots and a circular aperture disposed therethrough where the slots intersect, forming a multiple of flat springs which engage the circumference of the rod.

The invention will be described further by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the insulated concrete wall having tie rods disposed therein, Figure 2 is a perspective detailed view of a tie rod; and Figure 3 is a plan view of a retainer means or clip located on the tie rod of Fig. 2.

A concrete insulated wall structure 10 having a plurality of tie rods 1 2 of unique geometry and material combination is shown in Fig. 1. The insulated wall structure 10 comprises a pair of pour formed concrete walls 14 having a layer of insulation 1 6 disposed therebetween. The concrete walls 14 are poured between the forms 1 8 and the insulation layer 16. The forms are held in place with form ties 20 as commonly known in the art. A plurality of rods 22 extend through the insulation layer 1 6 substantially to the inner walls of the forms such that the insulation layer is fixed in place at a preselected distance between the forms.Each rod is secured in place with a pair of retainer clips 24 which are mounted on each end of the rods and which may be moved along the rod until they are substantially flush with the outer surface of the insulation layer 1 6. The rods 22 are provided with serrations along their length for engaging retainer clip 24 and for providing additional reinforcement and permanent mechanical connection with the concrete wall layers 1 4.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the serrations on the rod are such that each longitudinal section 23 of the rod between serrations has a substantially frusticonical shape. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the retainer clip is a metal disk having a pair of perpendicular bisecting slots 26 defined therethrough. At the point of intersection of these slots is a circular aperture 28 having a diameter equal to or slightly smaller than the smallest cross-sectional diameter of the rod.

Each retainer clip 24 is mounted onto the rods 22 by sliding the retainer clip along the rod until it abuts the surface of the insulation layer. The frusticonical configuration of each serration along the rod provides for a ratchetlike operation of the rod and retainer clip such that the retainer clip is movable inwardly toward the insulation layer, and movement of the retainer clip in the direction away from the insulation layer is prevented. The rod 22 may be of alternative designs which also restrict movement of the retainer clips to one direction. For example, the rod may be threaded, and the retainer clip 24 may be screwed onto the rod until it abuts the insulation layer 16.

As best illustrated in Fig. 3, the lip 29 of the central aperture 28 in the retainer clip engages with the smaller diameter of the rod cross section. The slots 26 defined through the retainer clip form four flat spring members 30 which are biased against the serrations in the rod. The simple, tapered flat spring design of the present invention provides for spring members each having uniform strength. Thus, the springs provide the same bending stress at all sections along their length, and can support the same load for a particular stress as a rectangular spring of the same length and base width.The flat spring configuration of the present invention offers an optimized arrangement for providing uniform urgent spring force around the entire circumference of the rod 22 so that the rod is fixedly maintained within the insulation layer 1 6 and resists removal once the retainer clips 24 are fully snapped into place abutting the insulation layer surface.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the rod is composed of plastic, such as polyethylene and the retainer clip is composed of metal, such as stainless steel. Thus, the lip 29 of the aperture 28 will tend to dig into the circumference of the rod when the rod or retainer clip is moved in the wrong direction.

However, other suitable materials well known in the art may also be used for manufacture of the rod and retainer clip. The fact that the lip of the aperture in the retainer clip will tend to dig into the surface of the rod if removal is attempted adds to the retention capability of the retainer clip and the immovability of the clip and rod combination.

While the above description shows and describes an insulated concrete wall with integral tie rods and construction method of one embodiment of the present invention, other embodiments may also be constructed. Thus, it will be understood that the same is capable of modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An insulated concrete wall comprising: a pair of pour-formed concrete wall layers; a layer of insulation sandwiched therebetween; a plurality of rods disposed perpendicularly to and extending through said layer of insulation and extending through said concrete wall layers, said rods having multiple serrations along the length thereof; a plurality of retainer means mounted on said rods for fixedly retaining said rods with respect to said insulation layer, each said retainer means comprising a plate having intersecting slots defined therethrough and an aperture defined through said plate at the point of intersection of said slots, whereby said retainer means uniformly engages the perimeter of said rod such that said retainer means is movable in one direction but resists movement in the opposite direction along said rod.

2. An insulated concrete wall as claimed in claim 1, in which said intersecting slots defined through said retainer means are sub stantially perpendicular to each other.

3. An insulated concrete wall as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which in said aperture in said retainer means and the cross section of said rod are substantially circular such that the circumference of said rod engages with the lip of said aperture.

4. An insulated concrete wall as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 in which in said slots define a plurality of opposing flat springs, each spring being of substantially uniform strength along its entire section.

5. An insulated concrete wall as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which each longitudinal section between said serrations in said rods is substantially frusticonical such that said rod operates as a ratchet thereby allowing said retaining means to be slidably positioned inwardly against the surface of said insulation layer and while preventing outward movement of said retainer means away from said insulation layer.

6. An insulated concrete wall as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, in which said retainer clip is comprised of a metal and wherein said rod is comprised of a plastic.

7. A retainer means for use in the construction of an insulated concrete wall and adapted to locate on a serrated rod, comprising a plate having intersecting slots defined therethrough and an aperture in said plate at the point of intersection of said slots.

8. A retainer means as claimed in claim 7, in which said slots define a plurality of opposing flat, springs with each spring being of substantially uniform strength along its entire section.

9. A retainer means as claimed in any of claims 7 to 8, in combination with a serrated rod for use in combination of an insulated concrete wall.

10. An insulated concrete wall substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.