WO1987006640A1

WO1987006640A1 - Wall-ties

Info

Publication number: WO1987006640A1
Application number: PCT/GB1987/000281
Authority: WO
Inventors: David John Jones
Original assignee: David John Jones
Priority date: 1986-04-26
Filing date: 1987-04-27
Publication date: 1987-11-05

Abstract

The wall-tie, which functions as a tie for two skins of brick in new cavity wall insulation and also a spacer for foam insulation board to be located on the outer face of the inner skin of brick, comprises an elongate strip (1) with end portions (2, 3) and intermediate drip portion (4). The strip has integral projections (9, 10) at each end of drip portion (4); the spacing between the projections corresponds to the predetermined spacing (e.g. 35mm, 50mm or 90mm) between the outer face of the foam insulation and the inner face of the outer skin of brick.

Description

Wall-Ties

The present invention is concerned with wall-ties, for use in insulated cavity wall construction. It is known to build insulated cavity walls comprising two skins of brick or block with a foam insulation panel or board secured to the outer face of the inner skin. Such walls are constructed by first building the inner skin, then securing a foam panel to the outer face of the inner skin, and then building the outer skin at a predetermined spacing from the panel. I have now devised an improved wall-tie, which comprises an elongate strip of self-supporting material, the strip being sufficiently long that each end thereof can lie on the upper face of a respective course of a skin of bricks or blocks, with a cavity between said skins, to be secured to eac of said faces by a layer of mortar, and spacing means comprising first and second formations having a predetermined separation therebetween corresponding to the desired spacing between the inner face of the outer skin and the outer face of a foam insulation panel located against the outer face of the inner skin. Such a wall-tie, which functions both as a tie for the two skins of brick or block and as a spacer for the foam insulation panel, can be used in such a way that the two skins of brick or block can be built in the way which is traditional for cavity walls without foam insulation (that is, by first building the outer skin and then the inner skin) .

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the strip and the first and second formations are integrally formed from a unitary body, the formations being at intermediate locations on the strip. Preferably, at least one of the formations extends both above and below the principal plane of the strip. The unitary strip .may be of any suitable material, such as galvanised or stainless steel, or plastics material. Stainless steel is preferred. Such a wall-tie preferably has a drip section intermediate between the first and second formations', such a drip-section is to prevent accumulation of water on the wall-tie when the latter is in use. Such a drip section may in some embodiments be formed by imparting a 180° twist to the strip at the intermediate section, although various other arrangements of drip section are envisaged as will be described below.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the first and second formations are provided on a separate spacer element (for example, as end-surfaces thereof); such a spacer element is typically a plastics body secured fast to the strip. For example, the spacer element may be a tubular body (through which the strip passes in use), the ends of the body being substantially planar and arranged to engage vertical surfaces of, respectively, brickwork or blocks and the foam panel.

The spacer element is preferably shaped to prevent accumulation of water thereon; this may be achieved in the case of a tubular element by employing a central constricted portion which diverges outwardly towards the ends thereof. Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a wall-tie according to the invention, which is integrally formed from a unitary metal strip;

Figure la is an end elevation of the wall-tie of Figure 1;

Figures 2 to 7 are perspective views of further embodiments of wall-ties according to the invention, all being integrally formed from a unitary metal strip;

Figure 2a shows a strip from which a wall-tie such as that illustrated in Figure 2 may be formed;

Figure 8 is a schematic, partially cut-away view, showing a cavity wall incorporating various wall-ties according to the invention; and

Figure 9 is a schematic view of a further embodiment of wall-tie according to the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the wall-tie illustrated comprises a strip 1 having respective end portions 2, 3 and an intermediate drip portion 4.

At each end of drip portion 4 are two pairs of fingers; each pair consists of an upstanding finger 9, and a depending finger 10. The drip portion 4 is provided with a central aperture 5, and the edges 6, 7 of the drip portion are crimped together such that they converge towards the central longitudinal axis, leaving an elongate longitudinal slot therebetween. The aperture side of the drip portion is caused to bow away from the edges (upwards in the orientation illustrated) which is such that adequate drainage is assured whichever way up the device is disposed.

Thus, in the orientation illustrated, water will drain through aperture 5 and run off edges 6, 7; when the other way up, water will drain through the aperture 5. The fingers at one end of the drip portion 4 are such that they can all engage one surface of a foam panel (not shown), while the fingers at the other end of drip portion 4 are such that they can engage the inner face of a skin of bricks or blocks. That is, the spacing between the respective sets of fingers corresponds to the desired thickness of a cavity. Such a thickness may be, for example, 35mm, 50mm or 90mm. The end portions 2, 3 of the device have, in the embodiment illustrated, a series of punched-through slots 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, which provide teeth for improved contact with a layer of mortar (the flat opposite surface is intended to be disposed on the upper surface of a skin of brickwork or blocks) .

The drip portion 4 is provided with an elongate axial reinforcing rib 19.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown a tie for two skins of brick comprising an elongate strip 20 having a pair of tongues 21, 22 extending from an intermediate portion 23, in the form of a 180° twist (this being to provide a drip section between skins of brickwork or blocks). Tongues 21, 22 each have an elongate slot 24, 25 respectively; this enables the ends to be spread into "fish-tail" form in order to increase the area of contact with bricks or blocks, if desired.

The end of intermediate portion 23 nearest tongue 22 is slit along the edge and the remaining material folded respectively up and down to form fingers 26, 27 which can engage a first face of a foam panel. A further pair of slits is made along the edges

28, 29 from the end 21 to central portion 23. The resulting edge material 30 along edge 28 is folded respectively down to one side, up, and to the other side; similar folds are made in the material 31 along edge 29. The free end of material 30 is spot-welded to material 31 at weld-point 32; similarly, the free end of material 31 Is spot-welded to material 30 at weld point 33.

A tie such as that illustrated in Figure 2 can be located with tongues 21, 22 lying along the upper faces of two skins of brickwork or blocks; fingers 26, 27 engage the face of a foam panel and the rectangular buckle-shaped member engages the inner face of an outer skin of brickwork or blocks.

Referring to Figure 2a, there is shown a strip suitable for making a tie such as the one illustrated in Figure 2, and parts are labelled to correspond with the labelling in Figure 2. In the drawing, the solid lines 51, 52, 53, 54 show where parts are cut off; the dotted lines show parts where slits are made.

Referring now to Figure 3, the tie illustrated is generally similar to that of Figure 2 and like parts are denoted by like reference numerals. Instead of being folded to form a substantially rectangular buckle-shape, however, edge strips 30 and 31 are folded and welded together to form a substantially circular buckle-shaped member 34. Referring to Figures 4 and 5, there are shown further embodiments of wall-ties; parts like those in the embodiment of Figure 2 are denoted by like reference numerals. In the embodiment of Figure 4, an aperture 36 is cut along three edges of a rectangle; the material from within the slot is folded downwards along the fourth edge to form a brickwork-engaging (or blockwork-engaging) finger 37.

Edges of tongue 21 are slit and each edge material folded up, folded through 90°, along fold lines 38, 39 and spot-welded at points 40, 41. The embodiment of Figure 5 is largely similar to that of Figure 4; however, instead of folded edge strips, there is a further aperture 42, the material from which is slit along its length and folded respectively up 44 and down 45. Figures 6a to 6d show respectively top plan view, end elevation, side elevation and bottom plan view of a further embodiment of wall-tie similar in many respects to the wall-ties of Figures 2 to 5. Referring to Figures 6a to 6d, the wall-tie illustrated comprises a strip 60 having end portions 61, 62 and an intermediate drip portion 63; the latter is broadly as described above with reference to Figure 1 and will not therefore be described in further detail. ^• End portions 61,62 each have a series of holes 64 and 65 punched therethrough; the punching produces mortar-engaging teeth 66 (see Figure 6c) .

Integrally formed with the strip 60, at one end of drip portion 63, is an upstanding finger 67 and a depending finger 68. Fingers 67, 68 are for engagement with the outer face of a foam insulation panel.

At the other end of drip portion 63, and again integrally formed with the strip 60, is a shoulder 69 arranged for engagement with the inner corner of an outer skin of bricks or blocks.

Referring now to Figure 7, this illustrates a further embodiment of wall-tie according to the invention; this embodiment is formed from a rod.

The rod 46 has a median portion A which is twisted through a full 360°; the edges of the rod are machined to form side-pieces 47, 48 which are bent outwardly to form respective cross-shaped members. The spacing C between the cross-shaped members corresponds to the desired spacing between the inner face of an outer skin of brickwork or blocks and the outer face of a foam panel.

The end portion B of the rod may take the form of a triangular member Bl or a fish-tail B2; the median portion A may, instead of having a full twist, have a crimped section Al or A2. Referring now to Figure 8, there is shown a cavity wall construction comprising an outer skin of bricks P, an inner skin of bricks Q and, abutting the inner skin Q, a number of panels of foam insulation Rl, R2, R3, R4. Spacing the panels from skin P are a number of ties SI, S2 which each lie on respective faces on a course of brickwork; the panels are spaced from skin P by complementary formations on the ties SI, S2 etc., which may correspond to an of those illustrated in Figures 1 to 7, or equivalents thereof Finally, referring to Figure 9, there is shown a wall-tie comprising a length of rigid wire 70, which is twiste to form a closed loop, the ends of which are twisted together at an intermediate portion 71.

Located over the closed loop (the ends of which are arranged to lie on respective horizontal surfaces of space courses of brickwork) is a hollow plastic tube 72 having a central aperture 73 for receiving the twisted portion of the wire 70. The tube is in the form of two frustoconical portion 74, 75, joined at their narrow ends, the wider ends opening to substantially planar end portions 76, 77. The spacing between the end portions 76, 77 corresponds to the spacing desired between an outer skin of brickwork (or blocks) and a foam insulation panel to be located flush with the inner skin of th brickwork (or blocks). At the joint between the two frustoconical sections 74, 75 is disposed an upstanding drip member 78, whic is such as to ensure that any water settling on the tube 72 will drip therefrom.

The tube 72, which functions as a spacer member between an outer skin of brickwork or blocks and a foam insulation panel, may be used with a wide range of wall-ties and offers the advantage of protection for the wall-tie becaus the latter is fully enclosed.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A wall-tie, which comprises an elongate strip of self-supporting material, the strip being sufficiently long that each end thereof can lie on the upper face of a respective course of a skin of bricks or blocks with a cavity between said skins, to be secured to each of said faces by a layer of mortar, and spacing means comprising first and second formations having a predetermined separation therebetween corresponding to the desired spacing between the inner face of the outer skin and the outer face of a foam insulation panel.

2. A wall-tie according to claim 1, which is further provided with a drip section intermediate between said first and second formations.

3. A wall-tie according to claim 1 or 2, in which the strip and the first and second formations are integrally formed from a unitary body.

4. A wall-tie according to claim 3, in which at least one of the first and second formations extends both above and below the principal plane of the strip.

5. A wall-tie according to claim 3 or 4, in which at least one of said formations comprises at least one finger extending from the edge of said strip substantially perpendicular to the principal plane thereof .

6. A wall tie according to any of claims 3 to 5, in which each end of the strip has a plurality of holes or slots punched therein so as to provide a key for engagement with mortar.

7. A wall-tie according to claim 1 or 2, in which the first and second formations are provided on a separate spacer element.

8. A wall-tie according to claim 7, in which said spacer element comprises a plastics body secured fast to the strip.

9 A wall-tie substantially as herein described with reference to any of Figures 1 to 7 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A method of building a cavity wall comprising two skins of bricks or blocks with foam insulation panels between the two skins, which comprises building the outer skin with first ends of a plurality of wall-ties according to any of claims 1 to 8 disposed in the horizontal joints of some of the bricks or blocks, with said first formations abutting the inner face of said outer skin, locating said foam panels in abutment with said second formations and building the inner skin with the opposite ends of the wall ties disposed in horizontal joints between some of the bricks or blocks constituting the inner skin.