GB2220429A

GB2220429A - Securing of insulating panels in cavity walls

Info

Publication number: GB2220429A
Application number: GB8816362A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Arthur Nicholson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-07-08
Filing date: 1988-07-08
Publication date: 1990-01-10
Also published as: GB8816362D0

Abstract

An insulating panel or cavity batt (12) is secured to the inner brick wall (16) of a cavity wall by a device (10) which comprises a shaft (24) having at one end a disc (20) engageable with the panel, and at the other end a locating means for engaging the inside of the outer wall (14). The locating means may be a flat bifurcated member (28) which, during construction of the cavity wall, is embedded in the mortar between layers of brick; or it may be a disc like disc 20 having a pin which penetrates the wall. The shaft (24) may be made in a range of lengths to suit the cavity width; or it may be adjustable and incorporate a ratchet which may be extensible by a pinion gear engageable with a rack formed in the shaft. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Securing of Insulating Panels Field of the invention This invention relates to improvements in securing insulating panels, and more particularly to a device for securing an insulating panel within a cavity wall of a building.

Background to the invention The filling of cavity walls is currently being aggressively promoted by manufacturers of filling materials. Various ways of filling cavity walls are already known. In the case of a ready built wall, the cavity may be filled by injecting an insulating foam into the cavity, although in this situation it is difficult to determine whether the entire cavity has been properly filled by the insulating foam.

Where the foam is inserted while a cavity wall is being built, it can be better ensured that no voids are created Nevertheless there is still considerable doubt amongst experts as to the efficacy of filling cavity walls, since it is believed to be better to retain at least some air gap to ensure that no water passes from the outer skin or wall to the inner.

One attempt to solve this problem has been to place an insulating material against the inside of the inner wall, ie inside the room of the building, leaving the cavity wall completely empty. But this is also not entirely satisfactory, as difficulties are then encountered in securing room-mounted fittings to the inside wall.

A more recent practice has been to mount insulating panels, or so called "cavity batts" to the outside of the inner wall. However, some moisture is always liable to penetrate through the outer mortar joints and to run down the internal face of the outer wall, and in fact there may be a considerable amount of such moisture running down the wall in heavy driving rain. Thus if for any reason one of the cavity batts is displaced and touches the outer wall, it is possible for the moisture to run across the batt to the internal wall and thereby create a moisture bridge.

At present cavity insulating batts are held in position by slightly modified conventional plastic ties which tie the inner and outer wall together. A circlip type of disc engageable with the central rod or shaft of the tie, holds the edge of the batt against the inside wall. Examples of such ties are the Posi-Ties Type T2 manufactured by Elmbourne Ltd of St Albans, Herts. However as these forms of tie also serve the other main funtion of tying together the two walls, it is difficult to ensure that a cavity batt is adequately located against the inside wall.

Clearly it is important to ensure that each batt is properly located, the cost of discovering a failure and remedying the situation is totally disportionate to the cost of the failed item.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for securing an insulating panel in a cavity wall.

Summary of the invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for securing an insulating panel within a cavity wall against one of the walls thereof, comprising a substantially planar member engageable with any desired part of the flat face of the panel, a shaft extending substantially perpendicular from the planar member to the other wall, and locating means for securing the shaft to the other wall.

The planar member preferably has a pointed projection which is penetrable into the panel.

The locating means may comprise a portion formed at the end of the shaft and adapted in use to extend into the other wall. Said portion may be of a generally flat shape, for securement in the mortar between adjacent layers of bricks during construction of the other wall.

For example the flat portion may be bifurcated, and may incorporate a stepped surface for improved retention in the mortar.

Alternatively the locating means may comprise a member similar to said planar member and having a pointed projection penetrable into the other wall.

The device may be made in a range of sizes to suit various increments of widths of cavity wall. Alternatively the shaft may comprise adjustment means for adjusting the spacing between the planar member and the locating means.

In a preferred arrangement said adjusting means comprises a hollow tubular member formed with female ratchet teeth and a cooperating stud formed with coacting male ratchet teeth, whereby the stud is withdrawable from the tubular member to any desired adjustment, inward moveet eii prevented by the coacting ratchet teeth.

A rotary drive may be provided to facilitate withdrawal of the stud from the tubular member. The drive may comprise a pinion gear engageable with a toothed rack formed along part of the stud. Since such a drive may be arranged at some distance from the device, this arrangement provides a convenient means for securing a remote insulating panel, eg in situations where remedial work is necessary in a cavity wall.

An annular drip flange may be provided around the shaft to allow any moisture condensing on the device to drip down the cavity away from the insulating panel.

The invention also extends to a method of securing an insulating panel during construction of a cavity wall comprising the steps of building the inner wall ahead of the outer wall, laying an insulating panel against the inner wall, and applying to any desired part of the face of the panel a securing device having a planar member engageable therewith and a shaft extending to the outer wall, and securing the shaft to the outer wall.

The shaft is preferably secured by embedding a flat bifurcated portion of the shaft between adjacent layers of bricks forming the outer walls. Thus by not using a conventional wall tie to also secure the insulating panel or batt, this method enables the panel to be held in position at the optimum locations on its face, and not merely along its edges.

Where the securing device is provided with a one way expandable adjustment means, the method may further comprise the step of so expanding the device after securement of the shaft to the outer wall.

Brief description of the drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of a device in accordance with the invention, the device being in position in a cavity wall shown in section; Figure 2 is a plan view, partly in section, corresponding to Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of an alternative device; Figure 4 is an end view of the device of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a section corresponding to Figure 3 with the device in its inner position; Figure 6 is an expanded view of the device of Figure 3 shown in position in a cavity wall; Figures 7 to 10 are views corresponding to Figures 3 to 6 of a modification of the device; Figure 11 is a plan view of a further device in its contracted state;; Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 11 showing the device in situ in a cavity wall; and Figure 13 is a side view in section corresponding to Figure 12.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 there is shown generally at 10 a device for securing an insulating panel or batt 12 within a cavity wall. The cavity wall is formed by an outer brick wall 14 (also known as an outer skin or leaf) and an inner brick wall 16 against which the batt 12 is to be applied.

The device 10 includes a circular disc 20 having a flat surface formed with a plurality of pins 22 which in use penetrate the face of the batt 12.

A shaft 24 extends perpendicularly from the disc 20 to the outer wall 14 and is formed with an annular drip flange 26. The main part of the shaft 24 is cylindrical in section, but it then tapers down to form a flat, bifurcated end or fishtail 28, best seen in Figure 2. In use fishtail 28 is embedded in mortar between adjacent courses of bricks forming the outer wall 14.

The device 10, which may be made of plastics material such a polypropylene, is of a simple design and is suited to the building of new cavity walls of a given internal width between the outer wall and the batt 12.

In use the inner wall will be built up slightly ahead of the outer wall, so that the batt 12 can be laid against the wall 16 and the device 10 embedded between the courses of bricks of the outer wall.

As with conventional wall ties the fishtail end 28 allows some tolerence in the positioning of the device 10, although for larger variations in the cavity there will be a need for a range of sizes of device having different incremental lengths of shaft 24.

Referring now to the device 30 shown in Figures 3 to 6, this device is particularly suited to securing insulation batts after the outer wall 14 has been built up to a certain height.

The device 30 has a circular plate 32 formed with a central pin 34 adapted to penetrate the outer wall 14. A tubular member 36 extends from the plate 32 on the side remote from the pin 34, and carries a drip flange 38 similar to the flange 26 of Figures 1 and 2.

A stud 40 is mounted inside the member 36 and carries ratchet teeth facing against female ratchet teeth 44 formed inside the member 36. In this manner due to the resilience between the stud 40 and the member 36 the stud can be withdrawn, as shown in Figure 6, but cannot then be pushed back due to the coaction of the ratchet teeth.

The stud 40 is formed with a slot 46 in which a stop 48 secured to the member 38 is engageable thereby preventing limiting withdrawal of the stud from the member 36, as shown in Figure 6.

The outer end of the stud carries a pin 52 on which is mounted a circular plate 54 engageable with the insulation batt 12.

The device 30 may be used in conjunction with the device 10, so that if during construction insufficient devices 10 have been used for a batt, additional devices 30 may later be inserted at selected locations.

It will be noted that the plate 32 and the tube are made of separated parts, the tubular member 36 being formed with an outer annular groove over which a lip 50 formed from the plate 32 can be sprung. This allows the stud 40 to be inserted from the left of the member 36, as viewed in Figure 5, before the lip 50 of the plate 32 is secured on to the groove of the member 36.

Although the device 30 is almost symmetrical about the drip flange 36, it is preferred for the plate 32 to be adjacent the outer wall, if only because the drip flange 38 will, when in use the device is extended, closer to the plate 32 then the plate 54, so that there will be less tendency for the drips to pass to the inner wall.

The device 60 shown in Figures 7 to 10 is a modification of the device 30, so that only the differences need be described.

In this case the stud is formed with an open axial groove having a rack 62 formed in its base. In place of the stop 48 a pinion gear 64 is pivotally mounted on the tubular member 36, the gear being engageable with the rack 62. A key recess 66 is formed on the gear 64 outside of the member 36 which enables a suitable key wrench to be inserted for rotation of the gear 64. As shown in Figure 2, rotation of the gear 64 withdraws the stud 40, the coacting ratchet teeth preventing return inward movement, as previously.

The device 60 may be used in similar applications to the device 30, although it is particularly suited for remedial or repair work since it can be remotely operated. Thus the key wrench could be cable operated, for example by holding the device 60 with a pair of long tongs.

Referring now to Figures 11 and 13, the device 70 there shown is in effect a combination of the device 10 and of the device 30 above described. In this case the tubular member 36 is disposed at the side of the cavity wall against the insulation batt 12. The stud 40 is in this formed at its end with a fishtail 72, similar to the fishtail 28 of device 10.

In use the device 70 performs a function comparable to that of device 10 except that it enables extension adjustment, so as to more securely locate the insulation batt 12.

It will be appreciated that the methods and devices described above enable insulation batts to be secured in an improved manner, compared with the use of conventional wall ties which are only capable of locating the batt along the edges thereof.

Claims

1. A device for securing an insulating panel within a cavity wall against one of the walls thereof, comprising a substantially planar member engageable with any desired part of the flat face of the panel, a shaft extending substantially perpendicular from the planar member to the other wall, and locating means for securing the shaft to the other wall.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the pianar member has a pointed projection which is penetrable into the panel.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the locating means comprises a portion formed at the end of the shaft and adapted in use to extend into the other wall.

4. A device according to claim 3 in which said portion is of a generally flat shape, for securement in the mortar between adjacent layers of bricks during Constrllelion of said other wall.

5. A device according to claim 4 in which the flat portion is bifurcated, and incorporates a stepped surface for improved retention in the mortar.

6. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the locating means comprises a member similar to said planar member and having a pointed projection penetrable into the other wall.

7. A device according to any one preceding claim which is made in a range of sizes to suit various increments of widths of cavity wall.

8. A device according to any one preceding claim in which the shaft comprises adjustment means for adjustinq the spacing between the planar member and the locating means.

9. A device according to claim 8 in which said adjusting means comprises a hollow tubular member formed with female ratchet teeth and a cooperating stud formed with coacting male ratchet teeth, whereby the stud is withdrawable from the tubular member to any desired adjustment, inward movement being prevented by the coacting ratchet teeth.

10. A device according to claim 9 in which a rotary drive is provided to facilitate withdrawal of the stud from the tubular member.

11. A device according to claim 10 in which the drive comprises a pinion gear engageable with a toothed rack formed along part of the stud.

12. A device according to any one preceeding claim in which an annular drip flange is provided around the shaft to allow any moisture condensing on the device to drip down the cavity away from the insulating panel.

13. A method of securing an insulating panel during construct ion of a cavity wall, comprising the steps of building the inner wall ahead of the outer wall, laying an insulating panel against the inner wall, and applying to any desired part of the face of the panel a securing device having a planar member engageable therewith and a shaft extending to the outer wall, and securing the shaft to the outer wall.

14. A method according to claim 13 in which the shaft is secured by embedding a flat bifurcated portion of the shaft in the mortar between adjacent layers of bricks forming the outer wall.

15. A method according to claim 13 or claim 14 in which the securing device is provided with a one-way expandable adjustment means, and further comprising the step of so expanding the device after securement of the shaft to the outer wall.

16. A device for securing an insulating panel within a cavity wall substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

17. A method of securing an insulating panel during construction of a cavity wall substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.