Patent ID: 7827752

Claim:
An insulating concrete form comprising: a pair of wall panels arranged in spaced apart relation, each panel formed of a lightweight insulating material and having interior and exterior surfaces, said internal surfaces being in opposed relation; at least two vertically disposed tie assemblies each including a pair of vertically elongated anchors, each anchor vertically embedded within one of said panels, each anchor comprising a vertical elongated member having a vertically extending first engagement element positioned so as to be exposed on the interior surface of the panel, and an elongated furring strip positioned within the panel so that the strip is adjacent to the exterior surface of the panel, said vertically extending first engagement element connected to said elongated furring strip by at least one web member; a vertically extending ladder-like tie including a pair of vertically extending second engagement elements, each second engaging element removably engaging one of said first engagement elements so as to maintain said panels in spaced apart relation; and a slidable locking mechanism to prevent disengagement of the anchor and tie, said slidable locking mechanism including a female engagement element defining one of the first or second engagement elements, said female engagement element having generally C-shaped cross section and elongate opposed sides, each side having staggered openings arranged to be substantially opposed to at least a portion of one of said elongated sides; and a male engagement element defining the other of the first and second engagement elements, said male engagement element including a cantilevered locking tab configured to deflect against the opposed sides, as the cantilevered locking tab is slid into the female engagement element and to lock into place in one of the staggered openings of said female engagement element.