Patent Issued for Thermally Coated Wall Anchor and Anchoring Systems with In-Cavity Thermal Breaks

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Journal of Engineering -- A patent by the inventors Hohmann, Jr., Ronald P. (Hauppauge, NY), filed on October 20, 2014, was published online on July 14, 2015, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by VerticalNews correspondents.

Patent number 9080327 is assigned to Columbia Insurance Company (Omaha, NE).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: "This invention relates to thermally-coated wall anchors and associated veneer ties and anchoring systems for cavity walls. More particularly, the invention relates to anchoring systems with thermally-isolating coated wall anchors and associated components made largely of thermally conductive metals. The system has application to seismic-resistant structures and to cavity walls requiring thermal isolation.

"The move toward more energy-efficient insulated cavity wall structures has led to the need to create a thermally isolated building envelope which separates the interior environment and the exterior environment of a cavity wall structure. The building envelope is designed to control temperature, thermal transfer between the wythes and moisture development, while maintaining structural integrity. Thermal insulation is used within the building envelope to maintain temperature and therefore restrict the formation of condensation within the cavity. The integrity of the thermal insulation is compromised when used in conjunction with the prior art metal anchoring systems, which are constructed from thermally conductive metals that facilitate thermal transfer between and through the wythes. The use of the specially designed and thermally-protected wall anchors of the present invention lowers the underlying metal thermal conductivities and thereby reducing thermal transfer.

"When a cavity wall is constructed and a thermal envelope created, hundreds, if not thousands, of wall anchors and associated ties are inserted throughout the cavity wall. Each anchor and tie combination form a thermal bridge perforating the insulation and moisture barriers within the cavity wall structure. While seals at the insertion locations deter water and vapor entry, thermal transfer and loss still result. Further, when each individual anchoring system is interconnected veneer-tie-to-wall-anchor, a thermal thread results stretching across the cavity and extending between the inner wythe to the outer wythe. Failure to isolate the steel components and break the thermal transfer, results in heating and cooling losses and potentially damaging condensation buildup within the cavity wall structure. Such buildups provide a medium for corrosion and mold growth. The use of thermally-isolating coated wall anchors removes the thermal bridges and breaks the thermal thread causing a thermally isolated anchoring system with a resulting lower heat loss within the building envelope.

"The present invention provides a thermally-isolating coated wall anchor specially-suited for use within a cavity wall. Anchoring systems within cavity walls are subject to varied outside forces such as earthquakes and wind shear that cause abrupt movement within the cavity wall, requiring high-strength anchoring materials. Additionally, any materials placed within the cavity wall require the characteristics of low flammability and, upon combustion, the release of combustion products with low toxicity. The present invention provides a coating suited to such requirements, which, besides meeting the flammability/toxicity standards, includes characteristics such as shock resistance, non-frangibility, low thermal conductivity and transmissivity, and a non-porous resilient finish. This unique combination of characteristics provides a wall anchor well-suited for installation within a cavity wall anchoring system.

"In the past, anchoring systems have taken a variety of configurations. Where the applications included masonry backup walls, wall anchors were commonly incorporated into ladder- or truss-type reinforcements and provided wire-to-wire connections with box-ties or pintle-receiving designs on the veneer side.

"In the late 1980's, surface-mounted wall anchors were developed by Hohmann & Barnard, Inc., now a MiTek-Berkshire Hathaway Company, and patented under U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,518. The invention was commercialized under trademarks DW-10.RTM., DW-10-X.RTM., and DW-10-HS.RTM.. These widely accepted building specialty products were designed primarily for dry-wall construction, but were also used with masonry backup walls. For seismic applications, it was common practice to use these wall anchors as part of the DW-10.RTM. Seismiclip.RTM. interlock system which added a Byna-Tie.RTM. wire formative, a Seismiclip.RTM. snap-in device--described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,319 ('319), and a continuous wire reinforcement.

"In an insulated dry wall application, the surface-mounted wall anchor of the above-described system has pronged legs that pierce the insulation and the wallboard and rest against the metal stud to provide mechanical stability in a four-point landing arrangement. The vertical slot of the wall anchor enables the mason to have the wire tie adjustably positioned along a pathway of up to 3.625-inch (max.). The interlock system served well and received high scores in testing and engineering evaluations which examined effects of various forces, particularly lateral forces, upon brick veneer masonry construction. However, under certain conditions, the system did not sufficiently maintain the integrity of the insulation. Also, upon the promulgation of more rigorous specifications by which tension and compression characteristics were raised, a different structure--such as one of those described in detail below--became necessary.

"The engineering evaluations further described the advantages of having a continuous wire embedded in the mortar joint of anchored veneer wythes. The seismic aspects of these investigations were reported in the inventor's '319 patent. Besides earthquake protection, the failure of several high-rise buildings to withstand wind and other lateral forces resulted in the incorporation of a continuous wire reinforcement requirement in the Uniform Building Code provisions. The use of a continuous wire in masonry veneer walls has also been found to provide protection against problems arising from thermal expansion and contraction and to improve the uniformity of the distribution of lateral forces in the structure.

"Shortly after the introduction of the pronged wall anchor, a seismic veneer anchor, which incorporated an L-shaped backplate, was introduced. This was formed from either 12- or 14-gauge sheetmetal and provided horizontally disposed openings in the arms thereof for pintle legs of the veneer anchor. In general, the pintle-receiving sheetmetal version of the Seismiclip interlock system served well, but in addition to the insulation integrity problem, installations were hampered by mortar buildup interfering with pintle leg insertion.

"In the 1980's, an anchor for masonry veneer walls was developed and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,069 by Reinwall et aL, which patent is an improvement of the masonry veneer anchor of Lopez, U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,984. Here the anchors are keyed to elements that are installed using power-rotated drivers to deposit a mounting stud in a cementitious or masonry backup wall. Fittings are then attached to the stud which include an elongated eye and a wire tie therethrough for deposition in a bed joint of the outer wythe. It is instructive to note that pin-point loading--that is forces concentrated at substantially a single point--developed from this design configuration. This resulted, upon experiencing lateral forces over time, in the loosening of the stud.

"There have been significant shifts in public sector building specifications, such as the Energy Code Requirement, Boston, Mass. (see Chapter 13 of 780 CMR, Seventh Edition). This Code sets forth insulation R-values well in excess of prior editions and evokes an engineering response opting for thicker insulation and correspondingly larger cavities. Here, the emphasis is upon creating a building envelope that is designed and constructed with a continuous air barrier to control air leakage into or out of conditioned space adjacent the inner wythe, which have resulted in architects and architectural engineers requiring larger and larger cavities in the exterior cavity walls of public buildings. These requirements are imposed without corresponding decreases in wind shear and seismic resistance levels or increases in mortar bed joint height. Thus, wall anchors are needed to occupy the same 3/8 inch high space in the inner wythe and tie down a veneer facing material of an outer wythe at a span of two or more times that which had previously been experienced.

"As insulation became thicker, the tearing of insulation during installation of the pronged DW-10X.RTM. wall anchor, see infra, became more prevalent. This occurred as the installer would fully insert one side of the wall anchor before seating the other side. The tearing would occur at two times, namely, during the arcuate path of the insertion of the second leg and separately upon installation of the attaching hardware. The gapping caused in the insulation permitted air and moisture to infiltrate through the insulation along the pathway formed by the tear. While the gapping was largely resolved by placing a self-sealing, dual-barrier polymeric membrane at the site of the legs and the mounting hardware, with increasing thickness in insulation, this patchwork became less desirable. The improvements hereinbelow in surface mounted wall anchors look toward greater insulation integrity and less reliance on a patch.

"As concerns for thermal transfer and resulting heat loss/gain and the buildup of condensation within the cavity wall grew, focus turned to thermal isolation and breaks. Another prior art development occurred in an attempt to address thermal transfer shortly after that of Reinwall/Lopez when Hatzinikolas and Pacholok of Fero Holding Ltd. introduced their sheetmetal masonry connector for a cavity wall. This device is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,392,581 and 4,869,043. Here a sheetmetal plate connects to the side of a dry wall column and protrudes through the insulation into the cavity. A wire tie is threaded through a slot in the leading edge of the plate capturing an insulative plate thereunder and extending into a bed joint of the veneer. The underlying sheetmetal plate is highly thermally conductive, and the '581 patent describes lowering the thermal conductivity by foraminously structuring the plate. However, as there is no thermal break, a concomitant loss of the insulative integrity results. Further reductions in thermal transfer were accomplished through the Byna-Tie.RTM. system ('319) which provides a bail handle with pointed legs and a dual sealing arrangement as described, U.S. Pat. No. 8,037,653. While each prior art invention reduced thermal transfer, neither development provided more complete thermal protection through the use of a specialized thermally-isolating coated wall anchor, which removes thermal bridging and improves thermal insulation through the use of a thermal barrier.

"Focus on the thermal characteristics of cavity wall construction is important to ensuring minimized heat transfer through the walls, both for comfort and for energy efficiency of heating and air conditioning. When the exterior is cold relative to the interior of a heated structure, heat from the interior should be prevented from passing through the outside. Similarly, when the exterior is hot relative to the interior of an air conditioned structure, heat from the exterior should be prevented from passing through to the interior. The main cause of thermal transfer is the use of anchoring systems made largely of metal, either steel, wire formatives, or metal plate components, that are thermally conductive. While providing the required high-strength within the cavity wall system, the use of steel components results in heat transfer.

"Another application for anchoring systems is in the evolving technology of self-cooling buildings. Here, the cavity wall serves additionally as a plenum for delivering air from one area to another. The ability to size cavities to match air moving requirements for naturally ventilated buildings enable the architectural engineer to now consider cavity walls when designing structures in this environmentally favorable form.

"Building thermal stability within a cavity wall system requires the ability to hold the internal temperature of the cavity wall within a certain interval. This ability helps to prevent the development of cold spots, which act as gathering points for condensation. Through the use of a thermally-isolating coating, the underlying steel wall anchor obtains a lower transmission (U-value) and thermal conductive value (K-value) and provides non-corrosive benefits. The present invention maintains the strength of the steel and further provides the benefits of a thermal break in the cavity.

"In the past, the use of wire formatives have been limited by the mortar layer thicknesses which, in turn are dictated either by the new building specifications or by pre-existing conditions, e.g., matching during renovations or additions the existing mortar layer thickness. While arguments have been made for increasing the number of the fine-wire anchors per unit area of the facing layer, architects and architectural engineers have favored wire formative anchors of sturdier wire. On the other hand, contractors find that heavy wire anchors, with diameters approaching the mortar layer height specification, frequently result in misalignment. This led to the low-profile wall anchors of the inventors hereof as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,283. However, the above-described technology did not address the adaption thereof to surface mounted devices. The combination of each individual wall anchor and tie combination linked together in a cavity wall setting creates a thermal thread throughout the structure thereby raising thermal conductivity and reducing the effectiveness of the insulation. The present invention provides a thermal break which interrupts and restricts thermal transfer.

"In the course of preparing this Application, several patents, became known to the inventors hereof and are acknowledged hereby:

"TABLE-US-00001 Patent Inventor Issue Date 2,058,148 Hard October 1936 2,966,705 Massey January 1961 3,377,764 Storch April 1968 4,021,990 Schwalberg May 1977 4,305,239 Geraghty December 1981 4,373,314 Allan February 1983 4,438,611 Bryant March 1984 4,473,984 Lopez October 1984 4,598,518 Hohmann July 1986 4,869,038 Catani September 1989 4,875,319 Hohmann October 1989 5,063,722 Hohmann November 1991 5,392,581 Hatzinikolas et al. February 1995 5,408,798 Hohmann April 1995 5,456,052 Anderson et al. October 1995 5,816,008 Hohmann October 1998 6,125,608 Charlson October 2000 6,209,281 Rice April 2001 6,279,283 Hohmann et al. August 2001 8,109,706 Richards February 2012 Foreign Patent Documents 279209 CH March 1952 2069024 GB August 1981

"It is noted that with some exceptions these devices are generally descriptive of wire-to-wire anchors and wall ties and have various cooperative functional relationships with straight wire runs embedded in the inner and/or outer wythe.

"U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,764--Storch--Issued Apr. 16, 1968 Discloses a bent wire, tie-type anchor for embedment in a facing exterior wythe engaging with a loop attached to a straight wire run in a backup interior wythe.

"U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,990--Schwalberg--Issued May 10, 1977 Discloses a dry wall construction system for anchoring a facing veneer to wallboard/metal stud construction with a pronged sheetmetal anchor. Like Storch '764, the wall tie is embedded in the exterior wythe and is not attached to a straight wire run.

"U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,314--Allan--Issued Feb. 15, 1983 Discloses a vertical angle iron with one leg adapted for attachment to a stud; and the other having elongated slots to accommodate wall ties. Insulation is applied between projecting vertical legs of adjacent angle irons with slots being spaced away from the stud to avoid the insulation.

"U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,984--Lopez--Issued Oct. 2, 1984 Discloses a curtain-wall masonry anchor system wherein a wall tie is attached to the inner wythe by a self-tapping screw to a metal stud and to the outer wythe by embedment in a corresponding bed joint. The stud is applied through a hole cut into the insulation.

"U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,038--Catani--Issued Sep. 26, 1989 Discloses a veneer wall anchor system having in the interior wythe a truss-type anchor, similar to Hala et al. '226, supra, but with horizontal sheetmetal extensions. The extensions are interlocked with bent wire pintle-type wall ties that are embedded within the exterior wythe.

"U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,319--Hohmann--Issued Oct. 24, 1989 Discloses a seismic construction system for anchoring a facing veneer to wallboard/metal stud construction with a pronged sheetmetal anchor. The wall tie is distinguished over that of Schwalberg '990 and is clipped onto a straight wire run.

"U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,581--Hatzinikolas et al.--Issued Feb. 28, 1995 Discloses a cavity-wall anchor having a conventional tie wire for mounting in the brick veneer and an L-shaped sheetmetal bracket for mounting vertically between side-by-side blocks and horizontally on atop a course of blocks. The bracket has a slit which is vertically disposed and protrudes into the cavity. The slit provides for a vertically adjustable anchor.

"U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,798--Hohmann--Issued Apr. 25, 1995 Discloses a seismic construction system for a cavity wall having a masonry anchor, a wall tie, and a facing anchor. Sealed eye wires extend into the cavity and wire wall ties are threaded therethrough with the open ends thereof embedded with a Hohmann '319 (see supra) clip in the mortar layer of the brick veneer.

"U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,052--Anderson et al.--Issued Oct. 10, 1995 Discloses a two-part masonry brick tie, the first part being designed to be installed in the inner wythe and then, later when the brick veneer is erected to be interconnected by the second part. Both parts are constructed from sheetmetal and are arranged on substantially the same horizontal plane.

"U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,008--Hohmann--Issued Oct. 6, 1998 Discloses a brick veneer anchor primarily for use with a cavity wall with a drywall inner wythe. The device combines an L-shaped plate for mounting on the metal stud of the drywall and extending into the cavity with a T-head bent stay. After interengagement with the L-shaped plate the free end of the bent stay is embedded in the corresponding bed joint of the veneer.

"U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,608--Charlson--Issued Oct. 3, 2000 Discloses a composite insulated framing system within a structural building system. The Charlson system includes an insulator adhered to the structural support through the use of adhesives, frictional forces or mechanical fasteners to disrupt thermal activity.

"U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,281--Rice--Issued Apr. 3, 2001 Discloses a masonry anchor having a conventional tie wire for mounting in the brick veneer and sheetmetal bracket for mounting on the metal-stud-supported drywall. The bracket has a slit which is vertically disposed when the bracket is mounted on the metal stud and, in application, protrudes through the drywall into the cavity. The slit provides for a vertically adjustable anchor.

"U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,283--Hohmann et al.--Issued Aug. 28, 2001 Discloses a low-profile wall tie primarily for use in renovation construction where in order to match existing mortar height in the facing wythe a compressed wall tie is embedded in the bed joint of the brick veneer.

"U.S. Pat. No. 8,109,706--Richards--Issued Feb. 7, 2012 Discloses a composite fastener, belly nut and tie system for use in a building envelope. The composite fastener includes a fiber reinforced polymer. The fastener has a low thermal conductive value and non-corrosive properties.

"None of the above provide a thermally-isolating coated anchoring system that maintains the thermal isolation of a building envelope. As will become clear in reviewing the disclosure which follows, the cavity wall structures benefit from the recent developments described herein that lead to solving the problems of thermal insulation and heat transfer within the cavity wall. The wall anchor assembly is modifiable for use on various style wall anchors allowing for interconnection with veneer ties in varied cavity wall structures. The prior art does not provide the present novel cavity wall construction system as described herein below."

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, VerticalNews journalists also obtained the inventors' summary information for this patent: "In general terms, the invention disclosed hereby is a high-strength thermally-isolating surface-mounted anchoring system for use in a cavity wall structure. The wall anchor is thermally-coated and interconnected with varied veneer ties. The veneer ties are wire formatives configured for insertion within the wall anchor and the bed joints of the outer wythe. The veneer ties are optionally compressed forming a low profile construct and swaged for interconnection with a reinforcement wire to form a seismic construct.

"The first embodiment of the thermally-isolated wall anchor is a sheetmetal device with a bail type receptor for interconnection with a veneer tie. The wall anchor provides a sealing effect precluding the penetration of air, moisture, and water vapor into the inner wythe structure. The cavity portion and aperture receptor portion and optionally, the attachment portion, the wall anchor mounting surface, the outer surface and the pair of legs receive a thermally-isolating coating. The thermally-isolating coating is selected from a distinct grouping of materials, which are applied using a specific variety of methods, in one or more layers which are cured and cross-linked to provide high-strength adhesion. A matte finish is provided to form a high-strength interconnection. The thermally-coated wall anchors provide an in-cavity thermal break that interrupts the thermal conduction in the anchoring system threads running throughout the cavity wall structure. The thermal coating reduces the U- and K-values of the anchoring system by thermally-isolating the metal components.

"The second embodiment of the thermally-isolated anchoring system includes a sheetmetal wall anchor with an L-shaped design having an attachment portion, at least one cavity portion with a receptor portion and a receiving aperture in the receptor portion. A pintle-type veneer tie is interconnected with the wall anchor. The receiving aperture and optionally, the attachment portion and the cavity portion receive a thermally-isolating coating.

"It is an object of the present invention to provide new and novel anchoring systems for cavity walls, which systems are thermally isolating.

"It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel high-strength metal wall anchor which is thermally coated with a thermally-isolating compound that reduces the U- and K-values of the anchoring system.

"It is yet another object of the present invention to provide in an anchoring system having an inner wythe and an outer wythe, a high-strength wall anchor that interengages a veneer tie.

"It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide an anchoring system which is constructed to maintain insulation integrity within the building envelope by providing a thermal break.

"It is a feature of the present invention that the wall anchor hereof provides thermal isolation of the anchoring system.

"It is another feature of the present invention that the wall anchor is utilizable with a dry wall construct that secures to a metal stud and is interconnected with a veneer tie.

"It is another feature of the present invention that the thermally-coated wall anchor provides an in cavity thermal break.

"It is a further feature of the present invention that the wall anchor coating is shock resistant, resilient and noncombustible.

"Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent upon review of the drawings and the detailed description which follows."

URL and more information on this patent, see: Hohmann, Jr., Ronald P.. Thermally Coated Wall Anchor and Anchoring Systems with In-Cavity Thermal Breaks. U.S. Patent Number 9080327, filed October 20, 2014, and published online on July 14, 2015. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=9080327.PN.&OS=PN/9080327RS=PN/9080327

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