Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to an improved structure for cavity walls having larger-than-normal cavities therewithin, and, more particularly, to cavity walls requiring novel anchoring systems for spanning the cavity, which systems maintain the ability to meet existing wind shear and seismic specifications. 
     2. Description of the Prior Act 
     Recently, there have been significant shifts in public sector building specifications 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 ⅜-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. 
     Exemplary of the public sector building specification is that of 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. 
     Another application for high-span 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. While this technology has not seen wide application in the United States, the ability to size cavities to match air moving requirements for naturally ventilated buildings enables the architectural engineer to now consider cavity walls when designing structures in this environmentally favorable form. 
     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. Thus, these contractors look towards substituting thinner gage wire formatives which result in easier alignment of courses of block. 
     In the past, there have been investigations relating to the effects of various forces, particularly lateral forces, upon brick veneer construction having wire formative anchors embedded in the mortar joint of anchored veneer walls. The seismic aspect of these investigations were referenced in the first-named inventor&#39;s prior patents, namely, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,875,319 and 5,408,798. Besides earthquake protection, the failure of several high-rise buildings to withstand wind and other lateral forces has resulted in the incorporation of a requirement for continuous wire reinforcement in the Uniform Building Code provisions. The first-named inventor&#39;s related Seismiclip R  and DW-10-X R  products (manufactured by Hohmann &amp; Barnard, Inc., Hauppauge, N.Y. 11788) have become widely accepted in the industry. The use of a wire formative anchors in masonry veneer walls has also demonstrated protectiveness against problems arising from thermal expansion and contraction and has improved the uniformity of the distribution of lateral forces in a structure. However, these investigations do not address the mortar layer thickness vs. the wire diameter of the wire formative or technical problems arising therefrom. 
     In the course of preparing this disclosure several patents became known to the inventors hereof. The following patents are believed to be relevant and are discussed further as to the significance thereof: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 U.S. Pat. No. 
                 Inventor 
                 Issue Date 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 3,377,764 
                 Storch 
                 Apr. 16, 1968 
               
               
                 4,021,990 
                 Schwalberg 
                 May 10, 1977 
               
               
                 4,373,314 
                 Allan 
                 Feb. 15, 1983 
               
               
                 4,473,984 
                 Lopez 
                 Oct. 2, 1984 
               
               
                 4,869,038 
                 Catani 
                 Sep. 26, 1989 
               
               
                 4,875,319 
                 Hohmann 
                 Oct. 24, 1989 
               
               
                 5,392,581 
                 Hatzinikolas et al. 
                 Feb. 28, 1995 
               
               
                 5,408,798 
                 Hohmann 
                 Apr. 25, 1995 
               
               
                 5,456,052 
                 Anderson et al. 
                 Oct. 10, 1995 
               
               
                 5,816,008 
                 Hohmann 
                 Oct. 15, 1998 
               
               
                 6,209,281 
                 Rice 
                 Apr. 3, 2001 
               
               
                 6,279,283 
                 Hohmann et al. 
                 Aug. 28, 2001 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     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 interior and/or exterior wythe. Several of the prior art items are of the pintle and eyelet/loop variety. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,764—D. 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—B. J. 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 &#39;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—J. A. 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—M. J. Catani—Issued 09/26/89 
     Discloses a veneer wall anchor system having in the interior wythe a truss-type anchor, similar to Hala et al. &#39;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. 4,879,319—R. 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. Wall tie is distinguished over that of Schwalberg &#39;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 &#39;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. 15, 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. 6,209,281—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. 
     None of the above provide the masonry cavity wall construction system for an inner masonry wythe and an outer facing wythe with high-span anchoring wire formatives as described hereinbelow. 
     SUMMARY 
     In general terms, the invention disclosed hereby includes a high-span anchoring system for a cavity wall incorporating a wall reinforcement combined with a wall tie for serving a wall construct having an inner wythe and an outer wythe. The wythes are in a spaced apart relationship and form a larger-than-normal cavity therebetween. In the embodiments disclosed, a unique combination of a wall reinforcement and a wall tie member is provided. The invention contemplates that the primary components of the system are structured from reinforcing wire and wire formatives, such as truss reinforcement or ladder mesh reinforcements, and provide wire-to-wire connections therebetween. Further, the various embodiments combine wire formatives which are compressively reduced in height by the cold-working thereof. 
     The embodiments of the invention disclosed hereby include a veneer anchoring system incorporating a low-profile wall tie for use in the construction of a wall having an inner wythe with thick strips of insulation attached thereto. The seams between the strips of insulation are coplanar with the inner wythe bed joints. The compressively reduced in height wall anchors protrude into the cavity through the seams, which seams seal thereabout so as to maintain the integrity of the insulation and minimize air leakage along the wall anchors. The invention contemplates that some components of the system are as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,408,798; 5,454,200; and 6,279,283 and that the wire formatives hereof provide a positive interlocking connection therebetween specific for the requirements created by this high-span application. 
     In the mode of practicing the invention, wherein the inner wythe is constructed from a masonry block material, the masonry anchor has, for example, a truss portion with eye wire extensions welded thereto. The eye wires extend across the insulation into the cavity between the wythes. Each of the eye wires accommodates the threading thereinto of a wire facing anchor or wall tie with either a pintle inserted through the eye or the open end of the wall tie. The wall tie is then positioned so that the insertion end is embedded in the facing wall. The masonry anchor is embedded in a bed joint of the interior wythe. Wall ties compressively reduced in height are described as being mounted in bed joints of the inner and outer wythes. The close control of overall heights permits the mortar of the bed joints to flow over and about the wall reinforcement and wall tie combination inserted in the inner wythe and insertion end of the wall in the outer wythe. Because the wire formatives hereof employ extra strong material and benefit from the cold-working of the metal alloys, the high-span anchoring system meets the unusual requirements demanded. 
     OBJECTS AND FEATURES OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide in a wall structure having a larger-than-normal cavity formed by a outer wythe and an inner wythe, a high-span anchoring system which employs low-profile wire formatives in the mortar joint of the inner wythe and is positively interconnected with a veneer tie inserted into the outer wythe. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide labor-saving devices to aid in the installation of heavily insulated cavity wall structures and provide for the securement of facing veneers. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a high-strength, low-profile anchoring system which utilizes high cross-sectional area components for wall reinforcement of the inner wythe in a manner such that the mortar layer thickness thereof is readily maintainable. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a high-span anchoring system comprising a limited number of component parts that are economical of manufacture resulting in a relatively low unit cost. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a high-span anchoring system which is easy to install and which meets seismic and sheer resistance requirements. 
     It is a feature of the present invention that the portion of the wall tie embedded in the bed joint of the inner wythe has a pattern impressed thereon. 
     It is another feature of the present invention that the veneer tie, the wall tie and the combined wall tie and wall reinforcement are dimensioned with a sufficiently low profiles so that, when inserted into the respective mortar layers, the mortar thereof can flow around and onto the low-profile wall tie. 
     It is yet another feature of the present invention that a flattened portion of the wall tie spans the insulation of the cavity wall at the seam thereof and that the insulation sealingly surrounds the wall tie. 
     Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent upon review of the drawing and the detailed description which follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       In the following drawings, the same parts in the various views are afforded the same reference designators. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a high-span anchoring system for a cavity, wall of this invention and shows a wall having a larger-than-normal cavity with an inner wythe of masonry block insulation on said inner wythe and an outer wythe of brick; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial perspective view of  FIG. 1  showing a portion of the wall reinforcement; the high-strength, extended wall anchor; and, the interlocking, low-profile wall tie; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial perspective view from below of the wall reinforcement of  FIG. 2  showing the corrugated pattern thereof; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view of the insulation sealing about and against the insulation-spanning portion of the wall anchor of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a high-span anchoring system for a cavity wall, similar to  FIG. 1 , but employing a truss mesh reinforcement in the inner wythe and a rectangular pintle wall tie in the outer wythe; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial perspective view of  FIG. 5  showing a portion of the compressed wall anchor and the interlocking wall tie; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a high-span anchoring system for a cavity wall similar to  FIG. 1 , but employing a compressed truss mesh wall reinforcement in the inner wythe, a wall anchor with elongated vertical eyes, and a veneer box-type anchor swayed to accept continuous wire. 
         FIG. 8  is a partial perspective view of the wall anchor and veneer box-type anchor of  FIG. 7  showing details of the compression of the wall anchor extension; and, 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of cold-worked wire used in the wire formatives hereof showing resultant aspects of continued compression. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before entering into the detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments, several terms are defined, which terms will be revisited later, when some relevant analytical issues are discussed. For the purposes of this disclosure a cavity wall with a larger-than-normal or high-span cavity is defined as a wall in which the exterior surface of the inner wythe is spaced from the interior surface of the outer wythe by more than four inches (as measured along a line normal to the surfaces). When such high-span cavities occur, the effect is that stronger joint reinforcements are required in the inner wythe to support the stresses imparted by anchoring the more distant outer wythe or brick veneer. As described hereinbelow, this is accomplished while still maintaining building code requirements for masonry structures, including the mortar bed joint height specification of 0.375 inches. Although thicker gage wire formatives are required for greater strength, it is still preferable to have some of the bed joint mortar covering the wall anchor structure. Thus, in practical terms, the optimal height of the assemblage inserted into the bed joint of the outer wythe is approximately 0.300 inches. 
     Another term defined for purposes of this application is wall reinforcement. A wall reinforcement is a continuous length of Lox All® Truss Mesh or Lox All® Ladder Mesh manufactured by Hohmann &amp; Barnard, Inc., Hauppauge, N.Y. 11788 or equivalent adapted for embedment into the horizontal mortar joints of masonry walls. The wall reinforcements are prefabricated from cold-drawn steel wire and have parallel side rods with butt welded cross rods or truss components. The wall reinforcements for high-span anchoring systems are generally structured from wire that is at least 3/16-inch in diameter. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the first embodiment of a high-span anchoring system for a cavity wall is now discussed in detail. For the first embodiment, a cavity wall having an insulative layer of 3½ inches (approx.) and a total span of 6 inches (approx.) is chosen as exemplary. This structure meets the R-factor requirements of the public sector building specification, see supra. The high-span anchoring system is referred to generally by the numeral  10 . A cavity wall structure  12  is shown having an inner wythe  14  of masonry blocks  16  and an outer wythe  18  of facing brick  20 . Between the inner wythe  14  and the outer wythe  18 , a cavity  22  is formed. 
     The cavity  22  is insulated with strips of insulation  23  attached to the exterior surface  24  of the inner wythe  14  and having seams  25  between adjacent strips  23  coplanar with adjacent bed joints  26  and  28 . The cavity  22  is larger-than-normal and has a 6-inch span. Successive bed joints  26  and  28  are formed between courses of blocks  16 . The bed joints  26  and  28  are substantially planar and horizontally disposed and in accord with building standards are 0.375-inch (approx.) in height. Also, successive bed joints  30  and  32  are formed between courses of bricks  20  and the joints are substantially planar and horizontally disposed. Selected bed joint  26  and bed joint  30  are constructed to be interconnected utilizing the construct hereof; however, in this embodiment, the joints  26  and  30  are unaligned. 
     For purposes of discussion, the cavity surface  24  of the inner wythe  14  contains a horizontal line or x-axis  34  and an intersecting vertical line or y-axis  36 . A horizontal line or z-axis  38  also passes through the coordinate origin formed by the intersecting x- and y-axes. A wall anchor  40  is shown which has an insulation-spanning portion  42 . Wall anchor  40  is a wire formative tie which is constructed for embedment in bed joint  26  and an interconnecting veneer tie  44 . 
     The masonry or wall anchor  40  is adapted from one shown and described in Hohmann, U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,200, which patent is incorporated herein by reference. The wall anchor  40  is shown in  FIG. 1  as being emplaced on a course of blocks  16  in preparation for embedment in the mortar of bed joint  26 . In this embodiment, the system includes a ladder-type wall reinforcement  46 , a wall anchor  40  and a veneer tie  44 . The wall reinforcement  46  is constructed of a wire formative with two parallel continuous straight, side wires  48  and  50  spaced so as, upon installation, to each be centered along the outer walls of the masonry blocks  16 . An intermediate wire body or a plurality of cross rods  52  are interposed therebetween and connect wire members  48  and  50  forming rung-like portions of the ladder-type reinforcement  46 . 
     At intervals along the ladder-type reinforcement  46 , spaced pairs of transverse wire members  54  are attached thereto and are attached to each other by a rear leg  56  therebetween. These pairs of wire members  54  extend into the cavity  22 . The spacing therebetween limits the x-axis movement of the construct. Each transverse wire member  54  has at the end opposite the attachment end, an eye wire portion  58  formed continuous therewith. Upon installation, the eye  60  of eye wire portion  58  is constructed to be within a substantially vertical plane normal to exterior surface  24 . The eye  60  is elongated vertically in both directions to accept a veneer tie threadedly therethrough from the unaligned bed joint. The eye  60  is slightly larger horizontally than the diameter of the tie. This dimensional relationship minimizes the z-axis movement of the construct. For positive interengagement, the eye  60  of eye wire portion  58  is sealed forming a closed loop. 
     The wall tie or box tie  44   FIG. 2 , is, when viewed from a top or bottom elevation, generally rectangular in shape and is a basically planar body. The box wall tie  44  is dimensioned to be accommodated by a pair of eye wire portions  58  described, supra. The wall tie  44  has a rear leg portion  62 , two parallel side leg portions  64  and  66 , which are contiguous and attached to the rear leg portion  62  at one end thereof, and two parallel front leg portions  68  and  70 . To facilitate installation, the front leg portions  68  and  70  are spaced apart at least by the diameter of the eye wire member  58 . The longitudinal axes of leg portions  66  and  68  and the longitudinal axes of the contiguous portions of the side leg portions  64  and  66  are substantially coplanar. The side leg portions  64  and  66  are structured to function cooperatively with the spacing of transverse wire members  54  to limit the x-axis movement of the construct. The box tie  44  is constructed so that with insertion through eye  60 , the misalignment tolerated is approximately one-half the vertical spacing between adjacent bed joints of the facing brick course. As will be described in more detail hereinbelow, the insertion portion  72  of veneer tie  44  is considerably compressed with the vertical height  74  being reduced. Upon compression, a pattern or corrugation  76  is impressed. 
     For high-span applications, the above-described arrangement of wire formatives has been strengthened in several ways. First, in place of the standard 9-gage (0.148-inch diameter) wall reinforcement wire, a 3/16-inch (0.187-inch diameter) wire is used. Additionally a 0.250-inch wire is used to form both the wall anchor  40  and the veneer anchor  44 . To approximate the 0.300-inch optimal height, see supra, the insertion ends of both anchors  40  and  44  and the corresponding attachment site at cross rod  52  are compressively reduced in height. In this regard, side rod  48  and cross rod  52  are reduced to 68% to a height of 0.130-inch; and the anchors 68%, to a height of 0.170-inch. Although in this example to compressively size the components the same reduction is used, the components are selectively compressible. By way of further example, when the wall reinforcement at 0.187-inch is not reduced in height, the corresponding wall anchor may be reduced to 46% to meet the 0.300-inch optimal height. As a general rule, compressive reductions up to 75% are utilized and high-span strength calculations are based thereon. 
     As described in a prior patent of the present inventors, namely, Hohmann et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,283, the insertion ends of the wall anchor is, upon cold-forming, optionally impressed with a pattern on the mortar-contacting surfaces. For this application, while several patterns—corrugated, diamond and cellular—are discussed in the patent, only the corrugated pattern is employed. The ridges and valleys of the corrugations are shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and are impressed so that, upon installation, the corrugations are parallel to the x-axis. In  FIG. 3 , the lower surface of wall reinforcement  46  is shown having corrugations  78  impressed on side rod  48  and corrugations  80  impressed on cross rods  52 . 
     The high-span cavity, as previously mentioned, results from a requirement of a thick, high R-factor insulation layer  23  which is shown in  FIG. 4 . The successive insulation strips  23  when in an abutting relationship the one with the other are sufficiently resilient to seal at seam  25  without air leakage therebetween. The extended insulation-spanning portions  42  of wall anchor  40  are flattened. This results in minimal interference with seal at seam  25 . 
     The description which follows is of a second embodiment of the high-span anchoring system of this invention. For ease of comprehension, where similar parts are used reference designators “100” units higher are employed. Thus, the veneer tie  144  of the second embodiment is analogous to the veneer tie  44  of the first embodiment. Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the second embodiment of a high-span anchoring system of this invention is shown and is referred to generally by the numeral  110 . As in the first embodiment, a wall structure  112  is shown having an inner wythe  114  of masonry blocks  116  and an outer wythe  118  of facing brick  120 . Between the inner wythe  114  and the outer wythe  118 , a cavity  122  is formed. 
     The cavity  122  is insulated with strips of insulation  123  attached to the exterior surface  124  of the inner wythe  114  and having seams  125  between adjacent strips coplanar with adjacent bed joint  126 . The cavity  122  is larger-than-normal and has a 5-inch span. Successive bed joints  126  and  128  are formed between courses of blocks  116  and the joints are substantially planar and horizontally disposed. Also, successive bed joints  130  and  132  are formed between courses of bricks  120  and the joints are substantially planar and horizontally disposed. Selected bed joint  126  and bed joint  130  are constructed to be interconnected utilizing the construct hereof; however, the joints  126  and  130  are unaligned. 
     For purposes of discussion, the exterior surface  124  of the interior wythe  114  contains a horizontal line or x-axis  134  and an intersecting vertical line or y-axis  136 . A horizontal line or z-axis  138  normal to the xy-plane also passes through the coordinate origin formed by the intersecting x- and y-axes. 
     The wall anchor  140  is shown in  FIG. 6  as having an insulation-spanning portion or extension  142  for interconnection with veneer tie  144  and further is shown as being emplaced on a course of blocks  116  in preparation for embedment in the mortar of bed joint  126 . In this embodiment, a truss-type wall reinforcement  146  is constructed of a wire formative with two parallel continuous straight side wire members  148  and  150  spaced so as, upon installation, to each be centered along the outer walls of the masonry blocks  116 . An intermediate wire body  152  is interposed therebetween and connect wire members  148  and  150  separating and connecting side wires  148  and  150  reinforcement  146 . 
     At intervals along the truss-type reinforcement  146 , spaced pairs of transverse wire members  154  are attached thereto and are attached to each other by a rear leg  156  therebetween. These pairs of wire members  154  extend into the cavity  122 . Each transverse wire member  154  has at the end opposite the attachment end an eye wire portion  158  formed continuous therewith. Upon installation, the eyes  160  of eye wire portion  158  are constructed to be within a substantially horizontal plane normal to exterior surface  124 . The eyes  160  are horizontally aligned to accept the pintles of a veneer tie  144  threaded therethrough from the unaligned bed joint. The eyes  160  are slightly larger than the diameter of the pintles, which dimensional relationships minimize the x- and z-axis movement of the construct. For ensuring engagement, the pintles of veneer tie member  144  are available in a variety of lengths. 
     The low-profile veneer tie or wire formative wall tie  144  is, when viewed from a top or bottom elevation, generally U-shaped. The low-profile wall tie  144  is dimensioned to be accommodated by a pair of eye wire portions  158  described, supra. The wall tie  144  has two rear leg portions or pintles  162  and  164 , two parallel side leg portions  166  and  168 , which are substantially at right angles and attached to the rear leg portions  162  and  164 , respectively, and a front leg portion  170 . An insertion portion  172  of veneer tie  144 , upon installation extends beyond the cavity  122  into bed joint  130 , which portion includes front leg portion  170  and part of side leg portions  166  and  168 . The longitudinal axes of side leg portions  166  and  168  and the longitudinal axis of the front leg portion  170  are substantially coplanar. 
     In the second embodiment and for the high-span applications, the above-described arrangement of wire formatives has been strengthened in several respects. First, in place of the standard 9-gage (0.148-inch diameter) wall reinforcement wire, a 3/16-inch (0.187-inch diameter) wire is used. Additionally a 0.250-inch wire is used to form both the wall anchor  40  and the veneer anchor  144 . In contradistinction to the first embodiment to approximate the 0.300-inch optimal height, see supra, the insertion ends of only anchors  140  and  144  are compressively reduced in height. In this regard, wall anchor  140  is reduced by 50% to a height of 0.125-inch; and veneer tie  144  by 68%, to a height of 0.170-inch. Also and similar to the first embodiment, the successive insulation strips  123  when in an abutting relationship the one with the other are sufficiently resilient to seal at seam  125  without air leakage therebetween. The extended insulation-spanning portions  142  of wall anchor  140  are flattened. This results in minimal interference with seal at seam  125 . 
     Upon compressing the insertion ends of wall anchors  140  and  144 , a corrugated pattern is optionally impressed thereon. The ridges and valleys of the corrugations  176  are shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  and are impressed so that, upon installation, the corrugations  176  are parallel to the x-axis  134 . 
     The insertion portion  172  of veneer tie  144  is considerably compressed and, while maintaining the same mass of material per linear unit as the adjacent wire formative, the vertical height  174  is reduced. The vertical height  174  of insertion portion  172  is reduced so that, upon installation, mortar of bed joint  130  flows around the insertion portion  172 . Upon compression, a pattern or corrugation  176  is impressed on either or both of the upper and lower surfaces of insertion portion  172 . When the mortar of bed joint  128  flows around the insertion portion, the mortar flows into the valleys of the corrugations  176 . The corrugations enhance the mounting strength of the veneer tie  144  and resist force vectors along the z-axis  138 . With wall tie  144  compressed as described, the wall tie is characterized by maintaining substantially all the tensile strength as prior to compression. 
     The description which follows is of a third embodiment of the high-span anchoring system of this invention. For ease of comprehension, where similar parts are used reference designators “200” units higher are employed. Thus, the wall anchor  240  of the third embodiment is analogous to the wall anchor  40  of the first embodiment. The veneer anchor of this embodiment is adapted from that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,200 to R. P. Hohmann. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the third embodiment of a high-span anchoring system of this invention is shown and is referred to generally by the numeral  210 . In this embodiment, a wall structure  212  is shown having an inner wythe  214  of masonry blocks  216  and an outer wythe  218  of facing brick  220 . Between the inner wythe  214  and the outer wythe  218 , a cavity  222  is formed, which cavity  222  has an exterior surface  224 . In the third embodiment, successive bed joints  226  and  228  are formed between courses of blocks  216  and the joints are substantially planar and horizontally disposed. Also, successive bed joints  230  and  232  are formed between courses of bricks  220  and the joints are substantially planar and horizontally disposed. For each structure, the bed joints  226 ,  228 ,  230  and  232  are specified as to the height or thickness of the mortar layer and such thickness specification is rigorously adhered to so as to provide the uniformity inherent in quality construction. Selected bed joint  226  and bed joint  230  are constructed to align, that is to be substantially coplanar, the one with the other. 
     For purposes of discussion, the exterior surface  224  of the inner wythe  214  contains a horizontal line or x-axis  234  and an intersecting vertical line or y-axis  236 . A horizontal line or z-axis  238  normal to the xy-plane also passes through the coordinate origin formed by the intersecting x- and y-axes. In the discussion which follows, it will be seen that the various anchor structures are constructed to restrict movement interfacially—wythe vs. wythe—along the z-axis and, in this embodiment, along the y-axis. The system  210  includes a masonry wall anchor  240  constructed for embedment in bed joint  226 , which, in turn, includes a cavity-spanning or extension portion  242 . Further, the system  210  includes a low-profile, wire formative veneer tie member  244  for embedment in bed joint  230 . 
     The wall anchor  240  is shown in  FIG. 7  as being emplaced on a course of blocks  216  in preparation for embedment in the mortar of bed joint  226 . In the best mode of practicing the invention, a ladder-type wall reinforcement wire portion  246  is constructed of a wire formative with two parallel continuous straight wire members  248  and  250  spaced so as, upon installation, to each be centered along the outer walls of the masonry blocks  216 . An intermediate wire bodies or cross rods  252  are interposed therebetween and connect wire members  248  and  250  forming rung-like portions of the ladder structure  246 . At intervals along the wall reinforcement  246 , spaced pairs of transverse wire members  254  are attached thereto and are attached to each other by a rear leg  256  therebetween. These pairs of wire members  254  are contiguous with extension portions  242  and extend across the cavity  222  to veneer tie  244 . As will become clear by the description which follows, the spacing between the transverse wire member  254  is constructed to limit the x-axis movement of the construct. Each transverse wire member  254  has at the end opposite the attachment end an eye wire portion  258  formed continuous therewith. 
     Upon installation, the eye  260  of eye wire portion  258  is constructed to be within a substantially vertical plane normal to exterior surface  224 . The eye  260  is dimensioned to accept a veneer tie threadedly therethrough and is thus slightly larger than the diameter of the tie. This relationship minimizes the z-axis movement of the construct. For positive engagement, the eye  260  of eye wire portion  258  is sealed forming a closed loop. 
     The veneer tie  244  is generally rectangular in shape and is dimensioned to be accommodated by a pair of eye wires  258  previously described. The wall tie  244  has a rear leg portion  262 , two parallel side leg portions  264  and  266 , and two front leg portions  268  and  270 , which have been compressively reduced in height. The front leg portions  268  and  270  are spaced apart at least by the diameter of the veneer reinforcing wire member  271 . An insertion portion  272  of wall tie  244 , upon installation, extends beyond cavity  222  into bed joint  230 , which portion includes front leg portions  268  and  270  and part of side leg portions  264  and  266  adjacent to front leg portions  268  and  270 , respectively. The longitudinal axes of leg portions  262 ,  264 ,  266 ,  268  and  270  are substantially coplanar. The side leg portions  264  and  266  are structured to function cooperatively with the spacing of transverse wire members  254  to limit the x-axis movement of the construct. 
     The insertion portion  272  is considerably compressed and, while maintaining the same mass of material per linear unit as the adjacent wire formative, the vertical height  274  is reduced. The vertical height  274  of insertion portion  272  is reduced so that, upon installation, mortar of bed joint  230  flows around the insertion portion  272 . Upon compression, a pattern or corrugation  276  is impressed on insertion portion  272  and, upon the mortar of bed joint  230  flowing around the insertion portion, the mortar flows into the corrugations  276 . For enhanced holding, the corrugations  276  are, upon installation, substantially parallel to x-axis  234 . In this embodiment, an indentation  278  is swaged into leg portion  266  opposite the opending between front leg portions  268  and  270 , which indentation is dimensioned to accommodate veneer reinforcing wire  271 . With the insertions end  272  of veneer tie  244  as described, the wall tie is characterized by maintaining substantially all the tensile strength as prior to compression while acquiring a desired low profile. 
     The third embodiment is for high-span applications in which larger-than-normal cavities occur, but for reasons other than increased insulation. The above-described arrangement of wire formatives has been strengthened in several ways. First, in place of the standard 9-gage (0.148-inch diameter) wall reinforcement wire, a 3/16-inch (0.187-inch diameter) wire is used throughout. Here, wall reinforcement  246 , wall anchor  240 , the veneer tie  244 , and veneer reinforcing wire  271  are all formed from 0.187-inch diameter wire. In the inner wythe  214  to approximate the 0.300-inch optimal height the attachment site at cross rod  252  are compressively reduced in height. In this regard, side rod  248  and cross rod  252  are reduced to 60% of original height to a height of 0.113-inch. Additionally, the insertion end  272  of veneer tie  244  is reduced in height to 75% of original height to a height of 0.140-inch with the indentation  278  to a height of 0.110-inch. This enables the veneer reinforcing wire  271  to interlock with the veneer tie within the 0.300-inch tolerance. Although in this example compressive sizing is limited, the embodiment demonstrates the flexibility provided to architectural engineers by selectively compressing either or both the inner and outer wythe anchoring components. 
     Analytically, wall anchor calculations entail viewing a weight hanging from the end of a beam. Here, the circular cross-section of a wire provides greater flexural strength than a sheetmetal counterpart. In the embodiments described herein the wire components of the wall anchors are cold-worked or partially flattened so that the above-referenced height specification is maintained and high-strength anchors are provided for the high-span cavities. It has been found that, when the appropriate metal alloy is cold-worked, the desired plastic deformation takes place with a concomitant increase in tensile strength and a decrease in ductility. These property changes suit the application at hand. In deforming a wire with a circular cross-section, the cross-section of the resultant body is substantially semicircular at the outer edges with a rectangular body therebetween,  FIG. 9 . The deformed body has substantially the same cross-sectional area as the original wire. In each example in  FIG. 9 , progressive deformation of a wire is shown. Disregarding elongation and noting the prior comments, the topmost portion shows the original wire having a radius, r 1 =1; and area, A 1 =Π; length of deformation, L=0; and a diameter, D 1 . Upon successive deformations, the illustrations shows the area of circular cross-section being progressively ½, ⅜, and ¼ of the area, A 1 , or A 2 =½ Π; A 3= ⅜ Π; and A 4 =¼ Π, respectively. With the first deformation, the rectangular portion has a length L=1.11r (in terms of the initial radius of 1); a height, h 2 =1.14; (or D 2 =0.71D 1 , where D=diameter); and therefore has an area of approximately ½Π. Likewise, with the second deformation, the rectangular portion has a length, L=1.38r; a height, h 3 =1.14; a diameter D 3 =0.57D 1 ; and therefore has an area of approximately ⅝ Π. Yet again, with the third deformation, the rectangular portion has a length, L=2.36r; a height h 4 =1; a diameter, D 4 =0.50D 1 ; and therefore has an area of approximately ¾ Π. From these estimation formulas, the degree of plastic deformation to remain at a 0.300 inch (approx.) combined height for the truss and wall tie can, as will be seen hereinbelow, be used to optimize the high-span anchoring system. 
     Turning once again to practical considerations, high-strength truss and ladder reinforcements for extra heavy applications utilize 9 gage—0.148 inch diameter—and 3/16 inch–0.187 inch diameter wires. In these applications, the 9-gage wire is used in the cross rods of the reinforcement with the 3/16-inch wire being used for the side rods and thereby filling 0.335 inch of the 0.375 bed joint space. Optimizing the added strength provided by the cold working of the metal alloy and using wire compression techniques, high-span anchoring systems are now able to utilize 0.187-inch diameter wire in the side rods and 0.250-inch diameter wire with compressive reduction in height up to 75%. This enables the stacked elements to have a combined height in the 0.300-inch range and thereby permits an adequate mortar coverage in the bed joint. 
     Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirement of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Technology Category: e