GB2404385A

GB2404385A - Wall tie with distal mortar engaging formations

Info

Publication number: GB2404385A
Application number: GB0315214A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kwok Pun Chan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-06-28
Filing date: 2003-06-28
Publication date: 2005-02-02
Also published as: GB0315214D0

Abstract

A wall tie 10 comprises an elongate sheet of rigid material having a planar central portion 12 and mortar engaging formations 14 at its ends 11. The formations may be corrugations 14, indentations (34, fig 3) or apertures (54, fig 5). The material may be steel, preferably galvanised, or plastic. The tie 10 may have a substantially rectangular planform, preferably with a narrower central portion 13. It may (60, fig 6) be incorporated into a cavity wall structure (61, fig 6). The end portions (66, fig 6) of the tie may be disposed between the end surfaces (67, fig 6) of the bricks (65, fig 6), preferably in a vertical plane. The cavity wall is preferably constructed using bricks with brick contacting regions (fig 6). In use the tie enables bricks to be laid in contact with the adjacent upper or lower row.

Description

WALL TIE

This invention relates to wall ties, and in particular to ties for spanning the cavity between the inner and outer leaves of a cavity wall.

Wall ties have been used to span the cavity between the inner and outer leaves of a cavity wall for many generations. Conventionally such ties comprise a length of wire bent into a butterfly configuration. These ties are placed with each "wing" resting horizontally on a brick of one of the two leaves, with a central portion of the tie spanning the cavity between the leaves. The central portion may be horizontal, or preferably is inclined downwardly towards the outer leaf so that any water on the tie will drain away from the inner leaf. Although such ties are cheap to manufacture, there is an initial outlay on expensive machinery to bend the wire into the required shape.

In British Patent Application No. 0224066.1 there is described a novel arrangement of bricks and tools for facilitating the laying of such bricks in a quick and simple manner. Such bricks are intended to be laid with the bricks in one row in contact with the bricks in the adjacent rows above and below. This mutual contact would not be possible if the known wall ties are placed between the rows of bricks.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wall tie that can be used with the improved brick-laying arrangement described in British Patent Application No. 0224066, but may also be used in conventional brick laying if desired.

The invention provides a wall tie comprising an elongate sheet of substantially rigid material having opposed end portions and a central portion, the central portion being substantially planar and the end portions being provided with mortar engaging formations.

The mortar engaging formations may comprise corrugations in the sheet material.

Alternatively, the mortar engaging fommations may comprise indentations. Altematively or additionally, the mortar engaging formations may comprise apertures.

The sheet material may be steel, and may be galvanised steel. Altematively, the sheet material may be a plastics material. The wall tie may be substantially rectangular in planfomm and the central portion may be of narrower width than the end portions.

The invention also provides a cavity wall structure comprising a pair of wall leaves spaced by a cavity, each leaf comprising a plurality of bricks in adjacent courses, the leaves being connected by a plurality of wall ties as aforesaid spanning the cavity.

Preferably, the wall ties have their end portions disposed between end surfaces of the bricks.

In this case, the sheet material may lie in a substantially vertical plane.

Each brick may be of rectangular form having opposed bedding surfaces and opposed end surfaces, wherein at least one of the bedding surfaces has a recess therein providing a brick contacting region adjacent thereto, and at least one of the end surfaces has a recess therein providing a brick contacting region adjacent thereto.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a first embodiment, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a second embodiment, Fig. 4 is a plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a third embodiment, and Fig. 6 shows a wall tie in place.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a wall tie 10 of substantially rectangular rigid sheet galvanised steel or plastics material. The wall tie 10 has opposed end portions 11 and a central portion 12. The central portion 12 is substantially planar, and has a cutout 13 on its lower edge whereby it is narrower than the end portions 11. Each end portion 11 has corrugations 14 to provide mortar engaging formations.

In Figs. 3 and 4, there is shown an alternative embodiment of wall tie 30. Again, the wall tie is of substantially rectangular rigid sheet galvanised steel or plastics material and has opposed end portions 31 and a central portion 32. In this case, the planar central portion 32 has cut- outs 33 on its upper and lower edges whereby it is narrower than the end portions 31.

Each end portion 31 has indentations 34 to provide mortar engaging formations.

In Fig. 5 there is shown another alternative embodiment of wall tie 50. Again, the wall tie 50 is of substantially rectangular rigid sheet galvanised steel or plastics material and has opposed end portions 51 and a central portion 52. In this case, the planar central portion 52 has cutout 53 on its upper edge whereby it is narrower than the end portions 51. Each end portion 51 has apertures 54 to provide mortar engaging formations.

Referring now to Fig. 6, there is shown a wall tie 60 in situ in a wall 61. The wall 61 comprises inner and outer leaves 62, 63 with a cavity 64 between them. Each leaf 62, 63 is formed of a plurality of bricks 65, each of the type described in British Patent Application No. 0224066.1.

The wall tie 60 the wall ties has its end portions 66 disposed between end surfaces 67 of the bricks 65 and lies in a substantially vertical plane. Use of the wall tie 60 in this manner allows the bricks 65 in one row to be in contact with the bricks 65 in the rows above and below.

By means of the invention, a wall tie is provided that is quick and simple to manufacture, not requiring expensive machinery for the purpose. By using such a wall tie, the speed and ease of laying bricks as described in British Patent Application No. 0224066.1 is maintained, thereby enabling relatively unskilled persons to lay bricks accurately and speedily.

Claims

1. A wall tie comprising an elongate sheet of substantially rigid material having opposed end portions and a central portion, the central portion being substantially planar and the end portions being provided with mortar engaging formations.

2. A wall tie according to claim 1, wherein the mortar engaging formations comprise corrugations in the sheet material.

3. A wall tie according to claim 1, wherein the mortar engaging formations comprise indentations.

4. A wall tie according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mortar engaging formations comprise apertures.

5. A wall tie according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sheet material is steel.

6. A wall tie according to claim 5, wherein the sheet material is galvanised steel.

7. A wall tie according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sheet material is a plastics material.

8. A wall tie according to any one of claims 1 to 7, of substantially rectangular planform.

9. A wall tie according to claim 8, wherein the central portion is of narrower width than the end portions.

10. A cavity wall structure comprising a pair of wall leaves spaced by a cavity, each leaf comprising a plurality of bricks in adjacent courses, the leaves being connected by a plurality of wall ties according to any one of claims 1 to 9 spanning the cavity.

11. A cavity wall structure according to claim 10, wherein the wall ties have their end portions disposed between end surfaces of the bricks.

12. A cavity wall structure according to claim 11, wherein the sheet material lies in a substantially vertical plane.

13. A cavity wall structure according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein each brick is of rectangular form having opposed bedding surfaces and opposed end surfaces, with at least one of the bedding surfaces having a recess therein providing a brick contacting region adjacent thereto, and at least one of the end surfaces having a recess therein providing a brick contacting region adjacent thereto.

14. A wall tie substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, or Figs. 3 and 4 or Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A cavity wall structure substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.