GB2487280A

GB2487280A - Moulded offset wall tie bracket

Info

Publication number: GB2487280A
Application number: GB1200099.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Joseph Fleming; Declan Wallace; Kelvin Lysaght; Conor Calnan; Gary Howarth
Original assignee: SALVESEN INSULATION FRAMES Ltd
Current assignee: SALVESEN INSULATION FRAMES Ltd
Priority date: 2007-08-01
Filing date: 2008-07-30
Publication date: 2012-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 2028-07-30
Also published as: GB0813890D0; GB2451579A; GB2487280B; IE20080622A1; GB2451579B; GB201200099D0

Abstract

A wall tie bracket 1 for attachment to a vertical stud 2 of a wall frame comprises an inner end 3 for engaging a wall and an outer end 7 having an aperture 10 for engaging a wall tie. The bracket is of integrally moulded plastics construction. It may comprise an inner end having a vertical planar wall 4 with two male keyhole fastener locks 5. The two locks may be located one directly above the other, and shaped to extend outwardly from the wall to engage behind corresponding keyhole apertures in a stud. The bracket may also comprise three horizontal ribs 6 extending from the inner end to an outer end. The outer end may have a wall 9 laterally offset and parallel to the inner end wall as viewed in plan. The outer end may also have a vertical slot for engagement with a wall tie. The bracket may be of integrally moulded Nylon material with 50% glass. In use, it is therefore a heat insulator and so avoids cold bridging across a cavity and also, it is safe and convenient to handle and inexpensive to manufacture.

Description

A WALL TIE BRACKET

The invention relates to wall tie brackets.

Our prior European Patent No. 1217141 describes a structural panel having a structural frame and integrally moulded insulation. A steel wall tie bracket is L-shaped in plan, having a head engaging a slot in the web of a vertical stud and a shank extending transversely from the frame through a slot in a flange of the vertical stud.

This wall tie bracket is effective, however there is a requirement for reducing further the extent of thermal path across the panel, andlor to simplify manufacture of a panel with or without integral insulation.

The invention is therefore directed towards providing an improved wall tie bracket and wall frame incorporating such a bracket.

According to the invention, there is provided a wall tie bracket comprising: an inner end for engaging a steel stud; and an outer end having an aperture for engaging a wall tie, and wherein the bracket is of moulded material including plastics. In one embodiment, the material includes glass such as glass fibre.

In one embodiment, wherein the bracket inner end comprises a fastener, said fastener is configured to allow manual connection of the bracket to the stud without use of a tool.

In one embodiment, the bracket fastener is a keyhole lock for engagement with a keyhole aperture of a stud.

In one embodiment, the inner end comprises a plurality of fasteners.

In one embodiment, the fasteners are aligned in the vertical direction.

In one embodiment, the bracket farther comprises at least one locating feature on the inner end for engagement with a corresponding locating feature a stud.

In one embodiment, the bracket locating feature is a dimple.

In another embodiment the inner end has a planar wall arranged for lying alongside a surface of a stud.

In one embodiment the inner and outer ends are laterally offset with respect to each other in plan.

In one embodiment, the inner and outer ends are interconnected by ribs.

In one embodiment, the outer end comprises a planar wail.

In one embodiment, the inner end has a planar wall arranged for lying alongside a surface of a stud, and wherein the outer end wall is parallel, and offset from, the inner end planar wall.

In another aspect, the invention provides a wall frame comprising studs having stud fasteners, and a plurality of brackets of any embodiment above connected to the stud by engagement of the bracket fasteners and the stud fasteners.

In one embodiment, the stud fasteners comprise apertures.

In one embodiment, at least some of the stud fastener apertures are in a web of the In one embodiment, said stud fastener apertures are keyhole aperthres.

In one embodiment, the studs comprise locating apertures engaging dimples of the brackets.

In one embodiment, the stud fasteners arc arranged so that the brackets may engage the studs in either direction extending generally horizontally from the stud.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a wall lie bracket connected to a vertical stud; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bracket and stud Fig 3 is a front view of the bracket and stud; and Fig. 4 is a plan cross-sectional view showing the bracket in use at a window; and Fig. 5 is a plan cross-sectional view showing two of the brackets in use at a corner.

Referring to Figs 1 to 3 a wall bracket 1 is for attachment to a vertical stud 2 of a wall frame. The bracket 1 is of integrally moulded plastics construction. It comprises an inner end 3 having a vertical planar wall 4 with two male keyhole fastener locks 5. The two locks 5 are located one directly above the other, and are shaped to extend outwardly form the wall 4 to engage behind corresponding keyhole apertures in a stud

S

The bracket I also comprises three horizontal ribs 6 extending from the inner end 3 to an outer end 7. The outer end 7 has a wall 9 laterally offset and parallel to the inner end wall 4 as viewed in plan. The outer end 8 also has a vertical slot 10 for engagement with a wall tie.

There is also a locating feature dimple 11 on the inner wall 4. Also, an intermediate wall 12 extends between and interconnects the inner and outer walls 4 and 9.

The bracket I is of integrally moulded Nylon material with 50% glass, Niretan AF5O. It is therefore a heat insulator and so avoids cold bridging across a cavity in use.

Also, it is safe and convenient to handle and inexpensive to manufacture.

The vertical stud 2 comprises a pair of keyhole apertures 20 which are vertically aligned. It also has two small apertures 21, each for receiving the dimple 11 allowing the stud to be in either orientation within a wall panel. The bracket has two small apertures 25 provided during moulding to achieve the detail of the locks 6.

During manufacture of a structural panel, the apertures 20 and 21 are punched before or after roll forming. They are preferably punched by a single tool so that each set of apertures are at the same relative locations. The bracket 1 is then, manually or by robotics, secured to the stud 2 by simply engaging the locks 5 in the larger end of the keyhole apertures 20, and dropping the bracket down to secure the locks S behind the stud web at the narrow ends. At this position the dimple 11 engages the small aperture 21 on the side of the web which it covers. Because it is very awkward to automate connection of the brackets 1 to the studs in a wall frame, the fact that the brackets of integral plastics material means that they do not have sharp edges and so may be safely handled for manual connection to the studs either in the factory or In situ.

The structural frame may be inserted in a mould and expanded polystyrene foam moulded in and around it to provide an integrally moulded structural panel. The foam preferably extends for the full depth of the studs 2 and the brackets 1 so that the brackets 1 do not extend from the panel, the outer surfaces of the brackets 1 being flush with the outer surface of the foam.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5 two examples of use of the brackets 1 are shown. In Fig. 4 an external leaf 50 of a wall is of block, there is a cavity Si, and an inner leaf 52 is constructed from structural panels with the vertical studs 2 and the brackets I. The panel 52 has BPS insulation 53. There is a box-section stud 55 at an end of the panel, at a window reveal. A bracket 1 is attached to a web of the stud 55, and the bracket I extends through the insulation 10 to the inner surface of the leaf 52. A wall tie 56 is connected to the bracket 1 at its slot 10. Of course, there is a series of brackets and wall ties 56 along the height of the stud 55. Also, to form the window reveal, there is a timber batten 57 butting against the stud 55. A window 58 is in place, and there is a fire-prevention batten 59 laterally of the window 58. As is shown in this drawing, because the bracket 1 has an offset configuration, there is space for the tie 56 to be connected to the side of the battens 57 and 59. In the prior arrangements it was common to provide an additional stud in the panel merely to accommodate wall ties in close proximity to windows and doors. The invention, because of the offset nature of the bracket, avoids needs for this and thus saves a considerable amount of manufacturing and material cost.

Referring to Fig. 5, in another example inner leaves 70 and 71 join to form a corner, each comprising a panel with vertical C-shaped studs 72 and moulded-in BPS insulation. The brackets I are used to link with wall ties 56 extending across a cavity to a block-construction outer leaf.

It will be appreciated that the bracket virtually eliminates thermal bridging from the wall ties to the steel studs as it is of low thermal conductivity glass reinforced nylon material.

This low thermal conductivity across the cavity is achieved even though there is a large degree of physical contact between the bracket and the stud, thus providing excellent structural interconnection between the two wall leaves. Also, fixing to the web of the stud is structurally stiffer and stronger in comparison to fixing to the flange of the stud.

The bracket may be fixed to the sides of boxed studs at all external wall openings, thus reducing the need for specific wall tie studs at all openings. Also, the slots 20 in the studs do not reduce the load-carrying capacity of the studs, as the centre of the web carries only a small percentage of the vertical load because it is an unstiffened element.

Another advantage is that the bracket may be fixed to the web of the stud in a factory environment, which may then be then encased in insulation. The offset configuration of the bracket walls means that the wall lie position is the required distance from any openings.

This avoids the need for extra studs when using the bracket, The connection detail (key hole and dimple hole) is symmetrical, meaning that the orientation of the stud or of the bracket does not matter. The dimples on the bracket ensure the stability of the wall lie when put in place, ensuring robustness of the design. The key hole and dimple hole are punched out on a roll form machine, which will be dictated by design. The location of the wall ties may be included in the CAD CAM information sent to the roll former.

It will also be appreciated that the location and quantity of wall ties is controlled by design, and not on the production floor. Also fewer studs are required on panels, and no screws are required to attach wall ties to studs, However, in certain circumstances the brackets may be secured by screws if desired. The positions of wall ties does not have to be marked out by operations on the floor and tire operator does not have to put two screws in to hold the wall tie in place, he simply slots the wall tic into position.

The 30mm vertical slot 10 allows for differential movement and tolerance in the level of the external masonry courses.

The offset nature of the wall tie bracket allows it to be fixed to the side of a trimmer stud to an opening without interfering with the cavity banter and removes the need for a stud to provide grounds for the wall tie bracket either side of openings in external walls.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described but may be varied in construction and detail. For example, the stud may be of another material such as wood, wood composite, or plastics, or other moulded material. Also, the frame may not be structural. The bracket may be moulded from a different polymer which meets the

mechanical specifications.

This application is a divisional from UK application No. GB 0813890.1, published as GB 2451579.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A wall tie bracket comprising: a first end for engaging a wall stud by a first wall; and a second end having a second wall with an aperture for engaging a wall tie; wherein the second wall is parallel to and laterally offset from the first wall.
2. A wall tie bracket according to claim 1, wherein the bracket is of moulded plastics material.
3. A wall tie bracket as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material includes glass fibre.
4. A wall tie bracket according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first end of the bracket includes a fastener formed as a keyhole lock for engagement with a keyhole aperture of a stud.
5. A wall tie bracket as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the first end comprises a plurality of fasteners.
6. A wall tie bracket as claimed in claim 5, wherein the fasteners are aligned in the vertical direction.
7. A wall tie bracket as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first wall is a planar for lying alongside a surface of a stud.
8. A wall tie bracket according to the preceding claims, wherein the first and second ends are interconnected by ribs.S
9. A wall tie bracket according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second wall is planar.
10. A wall frame comprising studs having stud fasteners, and a plurality of brackets each according to any preceding claim connected to the stud by engagement of the bracket fasteners and the stud fasteners.