Flexible reinforcement joint for masonry wall reinforcement

Sept. 19, 1967

J. N. LUCAS

3,341,998

FLEXIBLE REINFORCEMENT JOINT FOR MASONRY WALL REINFORCEMENT

Filed April 23, 1965

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ATTORNEYS

3,341,998

Patented Sept. 19, 1967

United States Patent Office

3,341,998

FLEXIBLE REINFORCEMENT JOINT FOR MASONRY WALL REINFORCEMENT Joseph N. Lucas, Hammond, Ind., assignor to AA Wire Products Co., Chicago, III., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 450,425 1 Claim. (Cl. 52—379)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An adjustable tie for a veneer wall having a J-shaped anchor member adapted to engage a vertically extending dovetailed slot in a flat vertical surface. The base of the J is formed in a hook for engaging a wire tie member projecting out of the veneer wall joint adjacent the vertical surface.

This invention relates generally to masonry wall reinforcements and more particularly relates to a flexible and adjustable joint for tying two wall components together through the utilization of a J-shaped anchor member having a wedge-shaped longer leg adapted to cooperate with a dovetail slot in a concrete surface and hooked into assembly with a wire tie member projecting out of the mortared joint of an adjoining masonry wall component.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, an anchor member is provided which constitutes a J-shaped metal article having a long leg and a short leg joined by a curved bight portion. The long leg is wedgeshaped in configuration and is adapted to slide vertically in a dovetail slot. The shorter end of the J portion will press against the concrete when the anchor member is installed in a dovetail slot, thereby preventing lateral movement of the anchor member and a wire tie member is hooked onto the anchor member at the bight portion to restrain movement of an adjoining wall construction away from the concrete.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable wall tie capable of tying a masonry wall to a poured concrete wall or a concrete column in such a manner that movement is restrained laterally, but the masonry wall is free to move horizontally.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible locking device for a masonry wall construction which utilizes a J-shaped anchor member and wherein the shorter end of the J portion will press against the concrete when the tie is installed with the longer end portion of the J portion in the dovetail slot, thereby preventing lateral movement against the concrete itself.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable wall tie wherein an anchor member cooperable with a dovetail slot can be used in cooperation with many different sizes of wall ties.

Many other features, advantages and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment of an adjustable wall tie incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a poured concrete wall in association with a masonry wall and utilizing adjustable wall ties in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of the wall tie means provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention showing an anchor member in association with a wire wall tie;

FIGURE 3 is a somewhat schematic view illustrating the different sizes of wire wall ties and their relative proportion to one another and which different sized ties can be used in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in FIGURE 2.

As shown on the drawing:

The adjustable wall tie of the present invention has particular utility in connection with poured concrete columns or poured concrete walls which are fabricated at the time the floor of an architectural structure is made. Thus, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a poured concrete wall 10 having a vertically extending flat surface 11 which is particularly characterized by the formation therein of spaced apart vertically extending dovetail slots 12. Each dovetail slot is characterized by a bottom wall 13 and reentrant side walls 14 terminating in a mouth 16 which is narrower than the bottom wall 13.

Adjacent the poured concrete wall 10 is a masonry wall construction 17 which is herein illustrated as constituting a masonry wall made of concrete building block 18, each characterized by a pair of internal cavities 19 and end recesses 20 and adapted to be joined in assembly with one another by means of a mortared joint, the vertical component of which is shown at 21 and the horizontal component of which is shown at 22.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, an adjustable wall tie is provided between the wall 10 and the wall 17 and which wall tie is shown generally at 23. The tie assembly 23 consists of an anchor member shown generally at 24 and a wire tie member shown generally at 26.

Referring now more specifically to FIGURES 2 and 4, the anchor member 24 may conveniently comprise a metal strip having a thickness of approximately , as shown at 27 in FIGURE 4. The anchor member 24 is generally a J-shaped configuration and includes a first long leg 28. The end edge of the leg 28 is identified at 29, which edge 29 is adapted to be located parallel to the bottom wall 13 of the dovetail slot 12.

The long leg 28 is provided with a first set of side edges designated at 3® which extend longitudinally and converge inwardly from the end edge 29 towards, a narrow throat portion identified at 31.

The angle of convergence of the edges 30 corresponds to the reentrant angle of the dovetail slot 12 . and the dimensional extent of the first edges 30 corresponds generally to the dimensional extent of the side walls 14 of the dovetail slot 12. Thus, the throat 31 is located outwardly adjacent the mouth 16 prescribed by the side walls 14 of the dovetail slot 12.

Extending transversely outwardly of the throat 31, the long leg 28 of the anchor member 24 has a transverse shoulder 32 which is actually formed as a return portion

3,341,998 in that the shoulder 32 returns to the same width dimension as the end edge 29 (see FIGURE 4).

The long leg 28 is then provided with a second set of side edges 33 which converge and blend into a. curved bight portion 34. The curved bight portion 34 extends through approximately 180° of curvature and terminates in a short leg provided for the J-shaped article which is indicated at 36.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the bight portion 34 presents the minimum width dimension of the J-shaped anchor article 24 and the short leg 36 has side edges 37 which diverge outwardly toward an end edge 38 spaced opposite the throat 31 on the long leg 28. The side edges 37 of the short leg 36 are in parallel relation to the second set of side edges 33 of the long leg 28. As shown in FIGURE 4, the short leg 36 is spaced from the long leg 28 by a spacing dimension 39 so that the end edge 38 together with the outwardly extending shoulders 32, 32 form an abutment surface overlying the edges of the mouth 16 of the dovetail slot >12.

With such provision, the shorter end of the J-shaped article will press against the concrete of the wall 10 when the tie is installed in the dovetail slot 12, preventing lateral movement against the concrete itself.

It is contemplated by the present invention that a wire tie be used in association with the anchor member 24 and such wire tie has been indicated generally at 26. As is shown somewhat schematically in FIGURE 3, the particular wire tie 26, illustrated as exemplary herein, is of a comparatively small size and correspondingly larger sized ties could be provided as shown in FIGURE 3 in nested relationship at 265, 26c and 26J. In each instance, the general structural configuration would be the same and, accordingly, it will be necessary to describe in detail only the exemplary wire tie 26.

As shown in the drawings, the wire tie 26 is made from wire stock and has a hook-engaging portion 40 of sufficient extent to be received in the bight portion 34 of the anchor member 24. The hook-engaging portion 40 terminates in angularly diverging legs shown at 41 and 42 which, in turn, terminate in transversely disposed confronting legs 43 and 44. The legs 43 and 44 need not be connected and a space is shown at 46 between the free ends of the wire tie 26. If desired, the short leg 36 may be clamped over the wire 40 so the tie will not move laterally.

In operation, the anchor member 24 is located in the dovetail slot 12 by placing the long leg 28 in the slot in position to have the end edge 29 parallel to the bottom wall 13, and the first side edges 30, 30' parallel to the reentrant walls 14, 14 of the slot 12. The anchor member is then adjusted vertically to any desired location, whereupon a wire tie member 26 is hooked in the bight portion 34 and is projected into the joint of an adjoining veneer wall or second wall member to be associated with the poured concrete wall 10.

While the wall structure shown in FIGURE 1 locates the wire tie member 26 astride a vertical component of the mortared joint, such as 21, those versed in the art will readily recognize that the wire tie member 26 could also be positioned at other locations on the block and in direct registry with one of the cavities 19, if desired and if the cavity 19 is filled with grouting and it is desired to integrate the tie 26 with the wall 17.

Thus, the wire tie portion of the assembly will restrain movement away from the concrete wall 10 and by virtue of the construction of the anchor member 24., lateral movement against the concrete itself is also prevented.

Although various minor structural modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.