GB2268761A

GB2268761A - Wall tie

Info

Publication number: GB2268761A
Application number: GB9214897A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Robert Wood
Original assignee: ENSOR METAL PRODUCTS Ltd
Current assignee: ENSOR METAL PRODUCTS Ltd
Priority date: 1992-07-14
Filing date: 1992-07-14
Publication date: 1994-01-19
Also published as: GB9214897D0

Abstract

A wall tie (10) for use in wall constructions is formed from sheet material and comprises a first end (11) adapted to be secured relative to one wall of a wall construction, and a second end (12) adapted to be secured relative to a second wall of the wall construction, and a mid region (13) between the end regions ((11,12) at least one of the end regions (11) having a through opening (14) surrounded by portions of the sheet material, the opening (14) being formed by lateral displacement only of the sides (15,16) of a slit in the sheet material, such that the surrounding portions lie in a general plane of the end region (11). <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Wall Tie Description of Invention This invention relates to a wall tie for use in wall constructions.

According to one aspect of the invention we provide a wall tie formed from sheet material and comprising a first end adapted to be secured relative to one wall of a wall construction, and a second end adapted to be secured relative to a second wall of the wall construction, and a mid region between the end regions, at least one of the end regions having a through opening surrounded by portions of the sheet material, the opening being formed by lateral displacement only of the sides of a slit in the sheet material, such that the surrounding portions lie in a general plane of the end region.

Such a wall tie can economically be produced in a sheet material of sufficient thickness to give a required rigidity, without requiring a complex forming step.

The opening is preferably generally quadrangular, particularly rhombic, in configuration.

If desired, the second end region may be of similar configuration to the first end region, or of another different configuration altogether if desired.

The mid region of the wall tie may be planar but preferably includes a part upset out of a general plane of the mid region to provide a drip element between the two end regions.

The wall tie is preferably made in sheet steel of an appropriate grade, and may have a nominal thickness of between 2 and 4 mm, preferably about 3 mm.

According to a second aspect of the invention we provide a method of making a wall tie comprising taking a strip of sheet material and providing in at least one end region thereof a slit which is bounded by the sheet material, displacing sides of the slit only laterally with a displacing tool such that the surrounding portions remain in a general plane of the end region.

The slit may be provided by stamping or in any other manner, and the displacing tool may comprise a wedge, such as a pyramid or cone, a thin end of which is inserted by a movement transverse to the general plane of the end region into the slit, continued movement of the wedge displacing the sides of the slit outwardly laterally to provide the opening.

Alternatively, the displacing tool may comprise a pin which is moved in the slit to form the opening to the desired configuration.

The material portions of the end region surrounding the slit may be constrained against distortion during the displacement operation to ensure that when the displacing tool is removed from the opening, the surrounding portions have remained in the general plane of the end region.

Both end regions of the tie may have a slit provided therein by a common stamping or other operation and displacing operations may be carried out simultaneously on both end regions so that both end regions are of similar final configuration. If desired, simultaneously with the displacing operation, or in a separate operation, an upsetting operation may be carried out on a mid region of the strip between the end regions, to provide a drip element.

According to a third aspect of the invention we provide a wall construction comprising a first wall and a second wall, and at least one wall tie in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, a first end region being secured relative to the first wall, and the second end region being secured relative to the second wall.

For example, the end region in which an opening is provided by displacing the sides of a slit outwardly, may be located between a pair of building bricks or blocks of the first or second wall of the construction, with mortar received in the opening.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which is an illustrative view of a wall tie in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing, a wall tie 10 comprises a first end region 11 adapted to be secured relative to a first wall of a first wall construction and a second end region 12 adapted to be secured to a second wall of a wall construction, each end region being of similar configuration, and there being a mid region 13 between the first and second end regions 11,12.

The wall tie 10 is formed from sheet metal material and the first and second end regions lie 11,12, in a generally common plane.

The first end region 11 comprises a through opening 14 which in this example is generally rhombic in configuration and is formed by lateral displacement only of sides 15 and 16 of an elongate slit provided in the sheet material for example by a stamping operation. Surrounding portions of the end region 11 of the wall tie 10 lie in a general plane of the end region 11.

The sheet material comprises sheet steel of an appropriate grade, and having a thickness of about 3 mm, although could have a thickness of anything between 2 and 4 mm conveniently.

The sides 15 and 16 of the slit are displaced outwardly as described by means of a displacing tool comprising a generally cone or pyramid shaped wedge, a thin end of which is introduced into a slit provided in the end region 11 by a movement transverse to the general plane of the tie 10. During continued movement of the wedge, the sides 15 and 16 will thus be displaced outwardly only to the positions shown, thus to provide the generally rhombic shaped opening 14 in the end region 11 of the tie 10. If necessary, portions of material of the end regions surrounding the slit prior to the displacement operation, may be constrained during the displacement operation to ensure that the surrounding portions remain in the general plane of the end region 11 and are not distorted.

In the present example, the second end region 12 is of a similar configuration to end region 11 and conveniently may be formed simultaneously with end region 11, a slit being provided in end region 12 simultaneously with end region 11, and the displacing tool comprising a pair of generally pyramid shaped wedges, one for each slit.

The mid region 13 between the end regions 11 and 12 has a part 17 is upset out of the general plane of the tie 10 as shown, to provide a drip element to permit water to drip from the tie 10 at a position remote from the walls of the wall construction to which the end regions 11 and 12 are, in use, relatively secured.

If desired, end region 12 may be of an alternative configuration to end region 11. If desired, instead of forming the tie 10 from sheet metal, any other appropriate sheet material could alternatively be used.

Although as described, the opening 14 in end region 11 is generally rhombic in configuration, requiring a generally cone or pyramid shaped displaying tool, other configuration of opening 14 and tool are possible, provided that the portions surrounding the opening 14 are not distorted out of the general plane of the end region 11 during the displacement operation.

In one alternative arrangement, the sides of the slit are displaced outwardly by means of a pin inserted into the slit and moved, for example, via a series of levers, to form the opening to a desired configuration.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A wall tie formed from sheet material and comprising a first end adapted to be secured relative to one wall of a wall construction, and a second end adapted to be secured relative to a second wall of the wall construction, and a mid region between the end regions, at least one of the end regions having a through opening surrounded by portions of the sheet material, the opening being formed by lateral displacement only of the sides of a slit in the sheet material, such that the surrounding portions lie in a general plane of the end region.

2. A wall tie according to claim 1 wherein the opening is generally quadrangular, particularly rhombic, in configuration.

3. A wall tie according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the second end region is of similar configuration to the first end region.

4. A wall tie according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the mid region of the wall tie is generally planar.

5. A wall tie according to claim 4 wherein the mid region includes a part upset out of the general plane of the mid region to provide a drip element between the two end regions.

6. A wall tie according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the wall tie is made in sheet and has a nominal thickness of between 2 and 4 mm, preferably about 3 mm.

7. A wall tie substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

8. A method of making a wall tie comprising taking a strip of sheet material and providing in at least one end region thereof a slit which is bounded by the sheet material, displacing sides of the slit only laterally with a displacing tool such that the surrounding portions remain in a general plane of the end region.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the slit is provided by stamping.

10. A method according to claim 8-or claim 9 wherein the displacing tool comprises a wedge, such as a pyramid or cone, a thin end of which is inserted by a movement transverse to the general plane of the end region into the slit, continued movement of the wedge displacing the sides of the slit outwardly laterally to provide the opening.

11. A method according to claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the displacing tool comprises a pin and the method comprises moving the pin in the slit to form the opening to the desired configuration.

12. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 11 wherein the material portions of the end region surrounding the slit are constrained against distortion during the displacement operation to ensure that when the displacing tool is removed from the opening, the surrounding portions have remained in the general plane of the end region.

13. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 12 wherein both end regions of the tie have a slit provided therein by a common operation and displacing operations are carried out simultaneously on both end regions so that both end regions are of similar final configuration.

14. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 13 wherein simultaneously with the displacing operation, or in a separate operation, an upsetting operation is carried out on a mid region of the strip between the end regions, to provide a drip element.

15. A method of making a wall tie substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A wall construction comprising a first wall and a second wall, and at least one wall tie in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 8, a first end region being secured relative to the first wall, and the second end region being secured relative to the second wall.

17. A wall construction according to claim 16 wherein the end region in which an opening is provided by displacing the sides of a slit outwardly, is located between a pair of building bricks or blocks of the first or second wall of the construction, with mortar received in the opening.