MXPA96004664A - Summary connector rods and methods for its manufacture and use in compound walls - Google Patents

Abstract

Highly insulating connector rods used in the fabrication of highly insulating composite wall structures are described. The connector, with a high R value, is injection molded in a single step from an appropriate resinous material or moldable plastic material. Staple fibers may be impregnated within the resinous or plastic material. The connecting rod 10 has a pointed end 22 for facilitating entry through an insulating layer and a first structural layer, and an enlarged head 28 for receiving the impact of a hammer or mallet. The enlarged head 28 also provides an anchoring effect within a second structural layer. A flange 26 helps to guide the connecting rod 10 when it is inserted into the insulating material and also helps to avoid the collapse of the second structural layer on the first layer structure.

Description

SUMMARY CONNECTOR RODS AND METHODS FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND USE IN COMPOSITIONALLY INSULATED WALLS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates to highly insulating connecting rods used to secure multiple layers of material within the structure of a composite wall. In particular, the connecting rods have a high resistance to shear and a high value of R (thermal resistance) and are used to join a layer of highly insulating material sandwiched between layers of concrete on both sides of the insulating layer. Relevant technology As new materials and compounds have been continuously developed, new methods have also been created to synergistically combine seemingly unrelated materials to form new and useful composite materials. This is true in the areas of buildings and other constructions where walls of high structural strength have been manufactured and they have been coated with highly insulating materials, with a relatively low resistance, to create a structure that is both highly resistant and insulating. In general, the structural component is manufactured first and then a mesh or insulating layer to the structural component. In particular cases, the external structure of the wall is first constructed, an insulating material is placed on the internal face of the structure and covered with an internal wall to protect it and hide it. The purpose of the insulation is to avoid, or at least reduce, the transfer of thermal energy between the internal and external walls. The external wall generally provides the majority of the structural support of the building and should be constructed of a high strength material. For example, one of the strongest and most economical building materials used extensively in the construction industry is concrete, which consists of a mixture of a hydraulic cement, water and an aggregate material - relatively inexpensive and highly resistant to the compression. Unfortunately, concrete has the disadvantage that it offers poor insulation compared to highly insulating materials, such as fiberglass 0 polymeric foams. For example, an 8-inch (20.32 cm) thick concrete section has a R (heat resistance) value of 0.64, while a panel of 1 inch (2.54 cm) of polystyrene has a value of 5.0. However, these latter materials, although highly insulating, also have the disadvantage of offering very little structural strength or integrity. Even when the walls structural elements made of cement or masonry can be adapted and even retrofitted to incorporate a large number of insulating materials, including meshes or insulating foams that are sprayed between an internal and external wall, the insulating material is not able to provide the most effective insulation possible due to the structural bridge required between the external and internal walls. That structural bridge is necessary so that the structure of the two walls can have a high strength and integrity and to prevent the two walls from collapsing with each other or separating during the construction and subsequent use of the building. This has usually been achieved through the use of bolts, screws or metal beams. However, since metal is a very good conductor material (and therefore has very low insulation), the bolts, screws, beams or other means used to structurally join the two walls also create a conduit or thermal conduction bridge, through which heat can pass even when the metal is surrounded by large quantities of insulating material. As a result, heat can be transferred rapidly from a relatively warm internal wall to a colder external wall during winter. Therefore, even if the insulating material has a relatively high R value, the net R value of the two walls can be much smaller, which invalidates or reduces the effect of adding additional layers of insulating material. Of course, it is possible to build a building that does not have structural bridges between the internal and external walls, but that would result in walls with inadequate resistance to meet most of the building's construction needs. To solve these difficulties, some have tried to melt walls with two separate plates of concrete and a highly insulating layer, such as polystyrene foam, sandwiched between the two concrete plates. For example, the following United States patents describe this type of composite wall structure attached by means of metal rods or bolts: US Pat. 4,393,635 to Long, 4,329,821 to Long et al., 2,775,018 to McLaughlin, 2,645,929 to Jones and 2,412,744 to Nelson. Unfortunately, as soon as metal bolts or connectors are used to structurally join the two concrete plates, the highly insulating effect of the polystyrene foam is substantially reduced due to the thermal bridge effect created by the metal pins or connectors that are heat conductors. . Therefore, polystyrene foam or other insulating material with a high R value is unable to provide the maximum possible level of insulation due to the heat conducting bridges. In order to basically solve the problems of thermal bridges, others have tried to use connecting rods with a metal portion passing through the concrete plates and a thermally insulating portion passing through the insulator layer (eg, U.S. Patent No. 4,545,163 to Asselin). Others have developed highly insulating connector rods, made entirely of materials with a high R-value, in order to connect the two concrete structural plates together while reducing the effect of thermal bridging between the outer layers of concrete. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,733 to Long (hereinafter referred to as "Long '733 patent") discloses a breakable plastic connector under shear stress and used to form an insulating wall with external and internal structural layers of concrete, containing interlayered layers of a highly material insulating. Even though the plastic connector described in the Long '733 patent has found some use in the construction industry, both the connector design described in it. The patent and the method for manufacturing said conductor cause additional costs of materials, manufacture and labor, due to the relatively difficult method required to form the connector of the Long '733 patent and the manner in which it is used. For example, the manufacture of the Long '733 patent connector requires at least five basic steps of manufacturing, and possibly more, due to the materials used to manufacture the connector and its design. First of all, the Long '733' patent connector includes two separate pieces formed by different manufacturing methods and different materials that must be joined together to form the connector. On the one hand, the flat and elongated portion extending across the entire length of the Long '733 patent connector is formed of a continuous fiber, such as glass, graphite or boron, which has been impregnated with an epoxy compound of a vinyl polyester or other binder polymeric substance that is appropriate. Although the Long '733 patent does not describe the process for forming the flat, elongated portion of the connector, the most economical and reliable method for forming a flat, elongated rod with the correct dimensions is pultrusion. Because pultrusion (like extrusion) produces articles with a uniform cross section, the flat, elongated portion must be cut to the correct length and then machined to form the tapered portions that are necessary to retain the connector within the edges. hardened concrete plates. Therefore, three separate manufacturing steps are necessary only to create the flat, elongated portion of the rod. In addition, the central sleeve portion must be molded separately using a method, for example, of injection molding, and then it must be installed separately on the central portion of the flat and elongated portion (column 3, lines 2-4). One of the objectives of the central sleeve portion is to provide a flange that rests against the side wall of the insulation sheet to prevent the Long '733 patent connector from penetrating too much or not sufficiently into the different layers of the insulation. Composite wall structure (column 3, lines 4-8). Since the flat, elongated portion is formed by pultrusion, the flange of the central sleeve portion can not be formed in a single step. Therefore, even though it provides a connector with superior insulation and strength, the Long '733 patent discloses only a breakable connector with a highly specialized design and manufacturing method. The Long '733 patent also describes a connector whose design limitations further complicate its use in the fabrication of composite wall structures. For example, the relatively wide and flat end of the connector, which must be inserted through the insulating layer and the first concrete plate, creates a significant amount of resistance to penetration, unless the connector is inserted through carefully. a hole that has been pre-punched through the insulating layer and that is substantially larger in diameter than the wider portion of the flat end of the Long '733 patent connector. In addition, the opposite side of the Long '733 patent connector closest to the flange has the same flat, narrow dimensions as the distal end inserted through the insulating layer and the first concrete layer. The flat, narrow end of the connector is not only difficult to grasp by a technician who tries to force the Long '733 patent connector through the two materials, but does not provide a reliable surface on which the connector can receive a impact or strong blow, such as that applied by a hammer or mallet, to help insert it through the insulating layer and the first layer of concrete. From the above, it is clear that what are needed are improved designs and methods for manufacturing highly insulating composite wall connectors. Improved designs and methods are also needed to make better connecting rods, which can be molded in a single step and at the same time provide means to anchor the connector within the concrete plates, in addition to providing the necessary means to place the connector within the insulating layer during the formation of the structure of the composite wall. In particular, it would be a great improvement in the craft to provide connecting rods that could be molded integrally in one step without having to separately mold an elongated connector shaft with means for retaining the shaft within the outer structural layers, a central sleeve portion with a flange and a larger central diameter to be able to place the connector within the layer insulating. In addition, what is needed are improved designs and methods for making better connecting rods having the necessary means to facilitate penetration through an insulating layer and the first of the two structural layers during the formation of the composite wall structure. It would also be a breakthrough in the trade if improved connectors could be provided that had the means to receive an impact, such as from a hammer or mallet, or an aid to grip the connector, in order to facilitate the penetration of the rods. connectors through the insulating layer and -the first structural layer. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Such designs and improved methods for the manufacture of connecting rods, with the characteristics mentioned above, are presented and claimed in the present patent application. The present invention relates to improved designs and methods for manufacturing a wall connector to be used in the manufacture of composite wall structures. In particular, these connectors can be manufactured in a single step and can be used in the manufacture of highly insulating wall structures consisting of an insulating material sandwiched between two layers of concrete. These wall connectors would significantly avoid or reduce the heat flow between the two concrete walls surrounding the insulating material and would also facilitate their placement between the various plates of concrete and insulating material during the manufacturing process of the composite structure. These wall insulator connectors can be molded in a single step, by processes such as injection molding, resin transfer molding or reaction injection molding, eliminating the need to form the connectors by multi-step processes as required in the Patent Long '733. In one of the preferred variations, the connector rod is injection molded starting from a polycarbonate resin or other high strength resin or moldable plastic material. Another preferred material is an "alloy" of polycarbonates consisting of polycarbonate and polybutylene teraphthalate. In some cases, where greater tensile strength and flexural strength are required, discontinuous fibers, such as fibers, can be used. glass, carbon fibers, mineral fibers, boron fibers, ceramic fibers and other similar fibers impregnated inside the resin to form a connector rod with greater strength and rigidity. It is estimated that the use of more flexible fibers, such as cellulosic or nylon fibers, or other polymeric fibers, would cause an increase in the strength of the connecting rod, with a reduction in its rigidity. However, when fibers are not necessary, it is preferable not to use them because of their higher cost. While in the Long '733 patent the continuous fibers described are the main structural component and are simply bonded by the resin, the main structural component of the connectors of the present invention is the moldable resin or other plastic material within which the discontinuous fibers can be impregnated. This action allows the connectors of the present invention to be molded in a wide variety of designs with any number of accessories or other variations. In the past it was believed that the proper connectors should have a tensile strength commensurate with the steel connectors they were going to replace. Therefore, the connectors used in the patents, such as the Long '733 patent, use continuous fibers of high tensile strength to produce a connector with what was erroneously believed to be the minimum resistance to tension necessary to keep the two layers of concrete together. However, studies carried out by the present inventors have shown that the connectors formed by pultrusion of continuous fibers have a tensile strength that exceeds the maximum tension required in the formation of composite insulating walls. In fact, the most important variables of the resistance required are resistance to shear stresses and bending, which also affect the firmness of the connecting rod. The inventors have discovered that by using a suitable resinous material, such as polycarbonate, a polybutylene polycarbonate-teraphthalate alloy, epoxy resins or other high strength resins, it is possible to mold a connector by injection, in a single step, which have a more than adequate resistance to stress. Because continuous fibers add little or no resistance to the shear and bending stresses of a connecting rod, they are generally unnecessary. In fact, in the case where discontinuous fibers are used, the random orientation of the fibers would serve to impart greater resistance against tensile and flexural stresses and a greater firmness to the connector, as compared to continuous fibers. Of equal or more importance is that the use of resins or other moldable plastics (whether or not impregnated with staple fibers) allows an almost infinite variety of configurations that can be molded in a single step. In contrast, the pultrusion methods of the past allow only the simplest and most uniform forms, such as cylindrical, rectangular or hexagonal rods, with the common characteristic that the diameter along the longitudinal axis is always equal to the entire length of the article. Pultruded Any variation of form a pultruded rod requires a step of machining and / or molding separately or other additional steps to provide the necessary structural characteristics. In summary, due to the discovery made by the Applicants that the most important resistance variables are the resistance to shear and bending stresses, the Applicants have taken advantage of the superior manufacturing process that consists in molding a resin in a single step to produce a connecting rod at a very low cost and, at the same time, with an improved design. Depending on the performance criteria of the composite wall, the frequency of the connectors on the wall and the type of resin or other moldable plastic, more or fewer fibers will be required to provide the adequate strength characteristics. In some cases it may be possible to remove the fibers completely.

In a preferred design, the connecting rod has a central axis with a pointed end that facilitates the entry of the rod through an insulating material and into the first layer of uncured concrete, during fabrication of the composite wall structure. The opposite end of the connecting rod has an enlarged head for receiving the impact of a hammer or mallet, or be gripped by a technician, to facilitate penetration of the rod through the insulating rod and the first concrete slab uncured. The combination of the pointed end and an enlarged head at the opposite end greatly facilitates the use of the connecting rod in the fabrication of composite wall structures. The pointed end helps to pierce the material, while the cam effect of the increased diameter of the tip helps to guide the connector shaft through the various layers of material. Not only is it much faster and easier to insert the connecting rods of the present invention through the composite layers, but also the rods can be inserted through an insulating material with a smaller hole, or without any holes, thanks to the tip of the connecting rod. In addition, the enlarged head provides more ease to hit the rod with the hammer or mallet and push it through a smaller hole, or pierce the insulating material when it has not been provided an entrance hole. The connector also includes one or more portions sunk at each end, within which the concrete can flow before curing and hardening to anchor the connector firmly and reliably within the concrete layers of the composite wall structure. For example, a preferred connector has at least one notch or slit within its central axis proximal to the pointed end. The vibrations imparted by striking the rod with a hammer or hand (or by manually twisting it) facilitate the movement or flow of the concrete, before being cured, within the notch or groove in the central axis. In this way the connecting rod is firmly anchored inside the first concrete plate as it cures. Towards the other end of the connector rod is a flange or flange laterally displaced from the surface of the central shaft, which comes into contact with the insulating layer to prevent the rod is inserted too far into the insulating layer and first concrete layers . Thanks to the process of an injection molding step, this flange or flange can be molded on the connecting rod in a single manufacturing step. After the first structural layer has been poured and is still substantially liquid, an insulating layer is placed over it. The insulating layer preferably it includes holes drilled through it to insert the connecting rod. The pointed end of the rod facilitates penetration into the insulating layer and the first structural layer. However, due to the piercing effect of the tip and the softness of most of the insulating materials contemplated by the present invention, it may be possible to insert the connecting rods directly through an insulating layer that has not been pre-perforated. The flange on the central axis allows the. insertion of the connector rod through the insulating layer and the first structural layer until reaching the desired depth. Later, the second layer structure is poured on the other surface of the insulating layer. Finally, when the second layer of concrete is poured over the surface of the insulating material from which the ends of the connecting rods project with the enlarged heads, said heads, together with the flanges or flanges, define a second portion sunken within the which can flow the concrete of the second layer. When healed, the head portion and the sunken portion allow. that the second end of the connecting rod is firmly anchored in place inside the already cured cement layer. Together, they resist the separation or collapse of the second structural layer on the first structural layer. The first sunken portion of the central axis within the First structural layer provides these two functions. Figure 1 is a perspective view of an insulating connector rod with a generally circular cross section. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the insulating connector rod of Figure 1, with a flange offset laterally at an angle. Figure 3 is a perspective view of an insulating connector rod with a slightly elliptical cross section. Figure 4 is a perspective view of an insulating connector rod with a substantially elliptical cross section. Figure 5 is a perspective view of an insulating connector rod with a cross section in the shape of a cross. Figure 6A is a cross-sectional elevation of the front of a partially completed composite wall structure. Figure 6B is a cross section in elevation of the front of a composite wall structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The present invention relates to highly insulating connector connectors or rods with an improved design for use in the fabrication of composite wall structures, and to methods for the manufacture and use of such connecting rods. The connecting rods can be manufactured in a single step to produce connectors with a wide variety of structural characteristics and accessories. These connecting rods have been designed to ensure two structural layers together, with a layer of highly insulating material interspersed between them. Because the connecting rods have a high R (heat resistance) value, they avoid or greatly reduce the heat flow between the two concrete walls, compared to the metal connectors used previously. The design of the connecting rods facilitates their use by the manufacturers of the composite wall structure while manufacturing the structure. The connecting rods of the present invention are preferably injection molded starting from any suitable resin or other high strength plastic material, although they can also be molded using a resin transfer molding, reaction injection molding, or by any other step or relatively simple molding process known in the art. An important criterion is that the manufacturing costs of the molding process are commensurate with the general cost parameters of the connecting rod that it is desired to use. A preferred resinous material is polycarbonate resin because of the ease with which it can be injection molded. Another similar resinous material is the alloy polybutylene polycarbonate terephthalate, which is more economical than polycarbonate resins. Other resins such as epoxy resins, thermoset plastics and other high strength materials with a high R value can also be used. An important criterion is to select a resinous material or other plastic material that has the desired properties of strength and insulation, depending on the criteria of characteristics of the composite wall structure to be manufactured. Although not necessary in many cases, it may be desirable to incorporate certain staple fibers into the resinous material or other plastic material, such as glass fibers, carbon fibers, boron fibers, ceramic fibers, and other similar fibers to increase the fiber content. resistance to tension and bending, as well as the firmness of the connector rod. Discontinuous fibers can also increase the shear strength of the connecting rod if they are randomly dispersed in an appropriate manner through the resinous material or other plastic material. However, when the fibers are not necessary to increase the strength or rigidity of the connecting rod, it is preferable not to use them due to their higher cost. Because the use of resins or other moldable plastics (whether or not they are impregnated with fibers discontinuous) allows an almost infinite variety of design configurations that can be molded in a single step on a connecting rod. These connecting rods can include a wide variety of structural features or accessories without increasing the cost of their manufacture. In Figure 1 a preferred design of the connecting rod 10 of the present invention is shown which includes an elongated shaft 12 which is generally cylindrical or ellipsoidal. The connecting rod 10 has a penetrating segment 16 at one end, an impact segment 18 at the opposite end, and a middle segment 20 disposed between the penetrating segment 16 and the impact segment 18. The middle segment 20 essentially comprises the middle section of the elongated shaft 12, although certain appropriate accessories or other design features could be included in this segment to further increase the functionality of the connecting rod. At the end of the penetrating segment 16, which is further from the middle segment 20, there is a pointed end 22. Although the tip 22 generally has a conical shape, as shown in Figure 1, this tip can have any shape as long as it ends with a diameter substantially reduced with respect to the diameter of the elongated shaft 12. The tip 22 facilitates the entrance of the connecting rod 10 through an insulating layer and the first layer of material structural non-hardened as described below. The penetrating segment 16 also includes one or more slits 24 disposed between the middle segment 20 and the area of the penetrating segment 16 near the tip 22. As will be described later in more detail, the penetrating segment 16 has the function of penetrating and being anchored inside the first structural layer. The sunken portions 24 greatly assist in anchoring and securing the penetrating segment 16 within the first structural layer. Above the elongated shaft 12 is the middle segment 20, which generally has a uniform shape and may be cylindrical or have a cross section in the shape of an ellipse or cross. Near the end, or at the end of the segment 20 furthest from the penetrating segment 16, is a flange 26 or other flange that acts as a means for orienting the connecting rod 10 within an insulating layer adjacent to the first structural layer. The middle segment 20 must occupy, in a very narrow manner, a hole drilled within the insulating layer or formed by the perforating effect of the tip 22 of the penetrating segment 16 when the connecting rod 10 is inserted through the insulating layer and into the insulating layer. The first structural layer of the material has not yet hardened. By definition, the length of the middle segment is generally equal to the thickness of the insulating layer. Flange 26 or other flange helps to place the rod connector 10 to the correct depth through the insulating layer and the first structural layer. Of course, the flange 26 should be oriented at an angle relative to the elongated shaft 12 corresponding to the desired orientation angle for the connecting rod 10 through the composite wall structure. If, for example, it is desired that the connector is oriented perpendicular to the surface "of the insulating layer (Figure 6A), the flange 26 should preferably be orthogonally oriented to the surface of the elongated shaft 12. However, the The flange can be tilted at any appropriate angle Above the elongated shaft, away from the penetrating segment 16, is the impact segment 18 (Figure 1) .The impact segment begins at or near flange 26 or other flange along of the elongated shaft 12 and ends in an enlarged head 28 disposed at the end of the impact segment 18 furthest from the middle segment 20. The flange 26 should be close to (or close to) the intersection of the middle segment 20 and the impact segment 18, due to the interaction between the definitions of the three segments of the connecting rod and the layers of the composite wall structure within which the segments are to be buried, as well as the accuracy of the location of the connecting rods inside the layers and the thickness of the flange 26. One of the objectives of the head enlarged 28 is receiving the force of an impact, produced by a hammer or mallet, or facilitating the grip of the connecting rod 10 during its insertion through an insulating layer and a first structural layer. In addition, the enlarged head 28 also acts to prevent a second structural layer formed around the impact segment 18 from separating from the first structural layer and from the insulating layer. Acting as a whole, the flange 26 or other flange prevents the second structural layer from falling against the first structural layer. Essentially, the enlarged head 28 and the flange 26 or other flange define a pseudo-fused portion 30 within the portion of the elongated shaft 12 that exists between them, even though the elongated shaft portion 12 between the enlarged head 28 and the flange 26 may have the same diameter as the rest of the elongated shaft 12 (excluding the slits 24). Due to the ease with which the connecting rods of the present invention can be formed by the injection molding process, the tip 22, the slots 24, the flange 26 and the enlarged head 28 can be formed easily and quickly within the rod connector 10 in a single step of molding. (However, one may wish to incorporate one or more structural or accessory features into the connecting rod, using one or more separate molding or forming steps.

If you wish, a newly molded rod can be structurally altered, either by bending or bending it, while still in an unhardened condition). In addition to the structural characteristics of the connecting rod 10 shown in Figure 1, the reference to the Figure 2 shows that a cam-shaped rim 32 can be incorporated along the elongated shaft 12 and close to the intersection between the penetrating segment 16 and the middle segment 20. The object of the rim 32 is to provide the way of securing the rod connector instead, once it has been fully inserted through the insulating layer to the flange 26. In Figure 3 another variation is shown having substantially the same structural functions as the connecting rod 10 shown in Figure 1, except that the elongated shaft 40 and other features of the connecting rod 42 have a slightly elliptical cross section instead of cylindrical. In most aspects, the connecting rod 40 functions essentially in the same manner as the connecting rod 10 of Figure 1. Although the shape of the slits is different in this variation, they have exactly the same anchoring function as the legs. slits illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. In reality, the shape or depth of the slits is relatively unimportant as long as the slits provide adequate means to anchor the penetrating segment within the first structural layer. In Figure 4 another variation of a connecting rod of the present invention similar to that shown in Figure 3 is shown, except that the elongated shaft 50 of the connecting rod 52 has an elliptical cross section even more exaggerated when compared to the connecting rod 40 of Figure 3. The shape of the cross section of the elongated shaft and other design features are even less important than the functional characteristics. The current shape of the cross section can be selected to correspond to a particular design and performance criteria of the composite wall structure to be manufactured. Because the cross section of the connecting rod of Figure 4 is ellipsoid, the tip of the rod is more concave than conical. In Figure 5 there is shown another variation of the present invention, in which the elongated shaft 60 of the connecting rod 62 has a generally cross-shaped cross section. Within the spaces defined by the fins of the structure are the flanges 64, which aid in the anchoring of the connecting rod 62 within a first structural layer. As before, a flange 66 and an enlarged head 68 help anchor the connecting rod 62 within a second structural layer.

Reference is now made to Figure 6A which shows an integral connecting rod 10 positioned within a cross section in elevation of a first structural layer 70 and an insulating layer 80. In a preferred method for manufacturing composite wall structures, a first layer is poured of a structural material in an appropriate formwork. In general, the first structural layer 70 will be a rectangular plate, although it may also include other design and ornamental or structural features. The only limitation is that it has a thickness or depth sufficient to give adequate strength to the structural layer and also the ability to firmly anchor the penetrating segment 16 of a connecting rod 10 placed therein. The first structural layer 70 can consist of any suitable material that can flow when initially melted and hardened to form a generally rigid structural layer. In a preferred variation, the first structural layer 70 consists of a concrete material that includes hydraulic cement, water, an aggregate material and other suitable additives. Concrete is preferred because of its low cost, high strength and ease of melting compared to other materials. However, any other suitable structural material, such as polymers, resins or other high strength materials that can be used, can be used.

They can flow when they melt and later harden. Before the first structural layer 70 becomes so rigid that a connecting rod 10 can not be placed within it without damaging the structural integrity and strength of the layer, an insulating layer 80 adjacent to the exposed side of the first layer must be placed. structural 70. The insulating layer may include any suitable insulating material, such as polystyrene foam, glass fiber, airgel, xerogel, xonotlite, seagel, polyisocyanate foam, polyurethane foam, urea-formaldehyde foam and other highly insulating cementitious materials of low density. These insulating materials are presented only as an example and the list is not limiting. The insulating layer 80 preferably includes a large number of perforated or punched holes in said layer, through which the connecting rod 10 of the present invention will be inserted. A connecting rod 10 is inserted through each hole until it penetrates the insulating layer 80 and the first structural layer 70, until the flange 26 prevents any further penetration. Once correctly oriented, the penetrating segment 16 (Figure 1) will reside substantially within the first structural layer 70, while the middle segment 20 will substantially occupy the hole or space within the insulating layer 80 (Figure 6A). Due to the perforating effect of Sharp point 22 of the connecting rod 10, it will be possible to drill holes having a diameter substantially smaller than the diameter of the elongated shaft 12 of the connecting rod 10. In some cases it will not be necessary to drill any holes. After the first structural layer 70 has acquired an adequate level of hardness or strength, a second layer of structural material will be poured onto the surface of the insulating layer 80 to form the second structural layer 90, as shown in Figure 6B. The second structural layer 90 may also consist of any suitable material that flows and then hardens to form a substantially rigid structural wall. Concrete is preferred because of its low cost, high strength and ease of formwork. Although the second structural layer 90 is generally a rectangular plate, it may also include other designs and ornamental or structural features. The thickness or depth of the second structural layer 90 should be such that it completely covers, or at least substantially, the enlarged head 28 of the connecting rod 10, thus providing a suitable anchoring effect of the connecting rod 10 within the second layer. structural 90. The flange 26 also helps to prevent the second structural layer, already hardened, from falling against the first structural layer 70. In some cases it may be desirable to place a second layer insulation on the second structural layer not yet hardened, followed by the insertion of additional connecting rods through the second insulating layer and the second structural layer. Later a third structural layer will be fused on the surface of the second insulating layer in the same manner as before. Due to the ease with which the connecting rods of the present invention are molded, an adapted connector rod could be molded which would connect the three structural layers together. The various connecting rods described here have been used in experimental composite wall structures and proved to have a more than adequate resistance to the shear forces to hold together the three layers of the composite wall structures that were analyzed. In fact, in all cases where a sufficiently large effort was applied to cause a failure of the structure, the concrete structural layer was the one that suffered the failure. The connecting rods remained intact. From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that the present invention provides improved designs and methods for manufacturing highly insulating canectores for use in composite walls. The present invention also provides improved designs and methods for making improved connecting rods that can be molded in a single step and provide means for Anchoring the rod within the structural layers, while providing methods for placing the connector within the insulating layer during fabrication of the composite wall structure. In addition, the present invention provides connecting rods that can be integrally molded in a single step, without having to separately mold an elongated shaft of connector with the means necessary to retain the shaft within the outer structural layers, and a portion thereof. central sleeve with a flange and a larger central diameter to be able to place the connector inside the insulating layer. In addition, the present invention provides improved connecting rods having means to facilitate their penetration through an insulating layer and the first of two structural layers during fabrication of the composite wall structure. Finally, the present invention provides improved connecting rods with the means necessary to receive the impact of a hammer or mallet, or to help grip the rod and, therefore, facilitate the penetration of the connecting rods through the insulating layer and the first structural layer. The present invention may vary in other specific forms without affecting its spirit or essential characteristics. The described variations should be considered in all their respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated in the appended claims and not in the foregoing description. All changes that are within the meaning and equivalency of the claims should be considered as within the scope of the invention.

Claims (21)

1. CLAIMS 1. A connecting rod used to make composite insulated wall structures, characterized in that said connecting rod contains a resinous or plastic material with a high R value and includes: (1) an elongated shaft having a penetrating segment , an impact segment and a middle segment between them; (2) a substantially pointed end at the end of said penetrating segment, distant from said middle segment; (3) an enlarged head at one end of said impact segment, distant from said middle segment; (4) means for orienting said connector rod within an insulating material to a predetermined depth; (5) means within said penetrating segment for anchoring said penetrating segment within a first structural layer; and (6) means within said impact segment for anchoring said impact segment within a second structural layer. A connector rod, as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for orienting said connector rod within an insulating material includes a rim disposed on a surface of said elongated shaft, close to the intersection between said middle segment and said impact segment. 3. A connecting rod, as defined in claim 2, wherein said flange contains a flange. 4. A connecting rod, as defined in claim 3, wherein said flange is oriented at an angle relative to the surface of the elongated shaft, which corresponds to the desired orientation angle for the penetration of the connecting rod through the structure of the connecting rod. the composite wall. A connecting rod, as defined in claim 1, wherein the means used in the penetrating segment to anchor said penetrating segment within a first structural layer consists of a portion sunk within the elongated shaft, disposed between said middle segment and said pointed end. A connecting rod, as defined in claim 1, also including means within the impact segment for anchoring said impact segment within a second structural layer, and which means consists of an enlarged head and a flange disposed therein elongated shaft that roughly defines the intersection between said impact segment and said middle segment. 7. A connector rod, as defined in claim 1, wherein said connector rod contains a polycarbonate material. 8. A connecting rod, as defined in Claim 1, wherein said resinous material or. Plastic is impregnated with discontinuous fibers. A connector rod, as defined in claim 2, also including means for anchoring the rod in place, once it has been inserted through the insulating layer so that said rim is contiguous with the surface of the rod. insulating layer, and whose anchoring means is disposed on said elongated shaft close to the intersection between the penetrating segment and the middle segment. 10. An article of manufacture, consisting of a connecting rod used to make insulating structures of composite walls, characterized in that said article is formed by a process that includes: (1) providing a plastic material with a high value of R; (2) molding the plastic material in the predetermined form of a connecting rod and whose connecting rod includes an elongated shaft having: (a) a substantially sharp point projecting from a first end; (b) a second end opposite said first end, ending in an enlarged head; (c) means disposed between said first and second end for orienting said connecting rod within a insulating material at a predetermined depth; (d) means within said first end for anchoring said first end within a first structural layer; and (e) means within said second end for anchoring said second end within a second structural layer.; and (3) curing the molded connector rod, thereby forming the article of manufacture. 11. An article of manufacture, as defined in claim 10, wherein said plastic material consists essentially of an epoxy-based resin. 12. An article of manufacture, as defined in claim 10, wherein said plastic material consists essentially of an alloy of polycarbonate and polybutylene teraphthalate. 13. An article of manufacture, as defined in claim 10, wherein said molding process is carried out in a single molding step. An article of manufacture, as defined in claim 10, which also includes the step of reforming the connector rod, which had been molded in a predetermined form, into a second form having substantially the same functional characteristics as the default form. 15. An article of manufacture, as defined in claim 10, wherein said resinous material contains staple fibers. An article of manufacture, as defined in claim 15, wherein said staple fibers consist of fibers selected from a group consisting of glass fibers, carbon fibers, boron fibers, ceramic fibers and mixtures thereof fibers. 17. A highly insulating composite wall structure, characterized in that it includes: (1) a first structural layer consisting of a high strength material; (2) a second structural layer consisting of a high strength material; and (3) an insulating layer consisting of material having a high R value, with said insulating layer disposed between the first and second structural layer, with said first structural layer, said second structural layer and said insulating layer being secured between yes by means of a connecting rod containing a material of high R value and including: (a) an elongated shaft having (i) a penetrating segment disposed substantially within said first structural layer; (ii) an impact segment substantially disposed within said second structural layer; and (iii) a middle segment disposed substantially within said insulating layer; (b) a sharp point at the end of said penetrating segment, distant from said middle segment; (c) an enlarged head at the end of said impact segment, distant from said middle segment; (d) means for orienting said connector rod, within said first insulating layer, to a predetermined depth; (e) means within said penetrating segment for anchoring said penetrating segment within said first structural layer; and (f) means within said impact segment for anchoring said impact segment within said second structural layer. 18. A highly insulating composite wall structure, as defined in claim 17, wherein at least one of said first structural layer and said second structural layer contains concrete. 19. A highly insulating composite wall structure, as defined in claim 17, wherein said insulating layer contains polystyrene foam. 20. A highly insulating composite wall structure, as defined in claim 17, wherein said insulating layer contains fiberglass. 21. A method for manufacturing a highly insulating composite wall structure, characterized by the fact that it consists of the following steps: (1) providing at least one connecting rod containing a material with a high value of R and including: (a) an elongated shaft with a penetrating segment, an impact segment and a middle segment; (b) a sharp point at the end of said penetrating segment distant from said middle segment; (c) an enlarged head at the end of said impact segment, distant from said middle segment; (d) means for orienting said connector rod within said insulating layer to a predetermined depth; (e) means within said penetrating segment for anchoring said penetrating segment within the first structural layer; and (f) means within said impact segment for anchoring said impact segment within the second structural layer; (2) forming a first layer containing an unhardened structural material; (3) placing an insulating layer containing a material with a high R value on a surface of the first layer; (4) inserting at least one connector rod through an exposed surface of said insulating layer, and at least partially through said first layer so that said penetrating segment is disposed substantially within said first layer, said middle segment is substantially disposed within said insulating layer, and a substantial portion of said impact segment extends from the exposed surface of said insulating layer; (5) forming a second layer containing a non-hardened structural material on the exposed surface of said insulating layer, so that a substantial portion of said impact segment is disposed within said second layer; and (6) allowing said first layer to harden and become a first structural layer and allow said second layer to harden and become a second structural layer, thereby forming the composite wall structure.