Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02722363 2010-11-25
WALL FACING SYSTEM AND DEVICES FOR
SUPPORTING AND ANCHORING
STONE FACING ELEMENTS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] The present invention pertains to the field of wall facing systems, and
more particularly,
to devices for supporting and anchoring facing elements to a wall.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] Since ancient times natural stones, such as limestone, granite and
marble, have been
preferred materials for finishing exterior and interior walls of buildings
given their strength,
beauty and durability. Walls were traditionally installed by professional
masons by laying
relatively thick natural stones one on top of each other in much the same
manner as brick walls
and related structures are constructed. Natural stone became prohibitively
expensive for general
use over the years and were replaced by less expensive alternatives such as
stucco, manufactured
stone and vinyl. Natural stone as a wall finishing material has however had a
tremendous
resurgence in popularity in recent years due to technological advances such as
thin natural stone
and method of installing stone facing elements without requiring a
professional mason.
[003] Various methods of installing natural stones using panels, brackets or
anchors have been
developed. One prior art anchoring systems was recently described in Canadian
Patent No.
2,526,876 to Shouldice Designer Stone Ltd. Shouldice discloses a thin wall
facing system and
clips for coupling thin stones to a wall. The clip has a support flange with
one or more apertures
for fastening the clip to a wall, one or more base flanges depending from the
support flange and
having a width equal to the distance from the rear face of a stone to a groove
within its lower or
upper edge, and one or more connecting flanges depending at right angles from
one or more base
flanges housable within a groove of the lower or upper edge of the stone.
[004] The stone of the wall facing system are support by a single edge of the
clips and are
loosely secured.
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CA 02722363 2010-11-25
[005] In order to protect the wall from the effects of moisture and comply
with building code
regulations that require an air gap between the backing portion of the stone
and the wall,
Shouldice incorporates a drainage panel into the system.
(006] There remains a need in the art for a wall facing system and anchor
devices for
supporting and anchoring stone facing elements to a wall that do not require
the use of additional
panels for water management and ventilation between the facing elements and
the wall.
[007] There also remains a need in the art for a wall facing system and anchor
devices have a
more secure mounted retention of the facing element.
[008] This background information is provided for the purpose of making known
information
believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present
invention. No admission is
necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding
information constitutes
prior art against the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[009] An object of the present invention is to provide a wall facing system
and devices for
supporting and anchoring facing elements to a wall.
[010] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided an
anchor for a wall
facing system, said anchor comprising: a) a backing member having one or more
apertures
adapted to receive fastening means for securing the anchor to a wall, b) one
or more base
members projecting substantially perpendicularly from the backing member and
configured to
abut with an edge and back of a facing element and provide a gap between the
facing element
and the wall, and c) one or more flanges projecting from the distal end of one
or more base
members, said one or more flanges adapted to fit within a groove in an edge of
a facing element
to secure the facing element.
[011] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided an
anchor for a wall
facing system comprising: a) a backing member with one or more apertures
adapted to receive
fastening means for securing the anchor to a wall, b) one or more base members
projecting
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CA 02722363 2010-11-25
substantially perpendicularly from the backing member, c) one or more flanges
projecting
substantially perpendicularly from a distal end of the one or more base
members, the one or more
flanges adapted to fit within a groove in an edge of a facing element and to
vertical position the
edge of the facing element on the base, d) one or more retaining members
projecting
substantially perpendicularly to and at a position along the one or more base
members, the one or
more retaining members adapted to abut against a rear face of a facing element
to secure the
facing element and to provide a gap between the facing element and the wall.
[012] In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a wall
facing system
comprising a) a plurality of stone facing elements having a rear face, a front
face, an upper edge,
a lower edge and side edges, the upper and lower edges having a groove or
slots, and b) a
plurality of anchors as described above for securing and anchoring facing
elements to a wall.
[013] In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a kit
comprising a) a
plurality of stone facing elements having a rear face, a front face, an upper
edge, a lower edge
and side edges, the upper and lower edges having a groove or slots, b) a
plurality of anchors as
described above for securing and anchoring facing elements to a wall, and c) a
plurality of
fasteners for securing the anchors to a wall.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[014] These and other features of the invention will become more apparent in
the following
detailed description in which reference is made to the appended drawings.
FIG 1 is a partial view of a wall facing system, in accordance with one
embodiment of the
invention.
FIG 2A is a side view of a starter anchor for supporting and anchoring a stone
facing element to
a wall, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
FIG 2B is an isomeric view of the starter anchor of FIG 2A.
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FIG 3 is a side view of a starter anchor for supporting and anchoring a stone
facing element to a
wall, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
FIG 4A is a side view of an intermediate anchor for supporting and anchoring
stone facing
elements to a wall, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
FIG 4B is a front view of the intermediate anchor of FIG 4A.
FIG 4C is an isomeric view of the intermediate anchor of FIGS 4A and 4B.
FIG 5 is a side view of an intermediate anchor for supporting and anchoring
stone facing
elements to a wall, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
FIG 6A is a side view of a finishing anchor for supporting and anchoring stone
a facing element
to a wall, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
FIG 6B is a front view of the finishing anchor of FIG 6A.
FIG 6C is an isomeric view of the finishing anchor of FIGS 6A and 6B.
FIG 7 is a side view of a finishing anchor for supporting and anchoring a
stone facing element to
a wall, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
FIG 8 is a side cross-sectional view of a section of a wall facing system
secured to a wall, in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
FIG 9 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the wall facing system
secured to a wall in FIG
8 detailing the finishing anchor of the wall facing system
FIG 10 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view the wall facing system secured
to a wall in FIG 8
detailing the intermediate anchor in the wall facing system.
FIG 11 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the wall facing system
secured to a wall in
FIG 8 detailing the starter anchor in the wall facing system.
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FIG 12 is a side cross-sectional view of a section of a wall facing system
secured to a wall with
rigid wall insulation via washers and fasteners, in accordance with one
embodiment of the
invention.
FIG 13 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the wall facing system
secured to a wall with
rigid wall insulation via washers and fasteners in FIG 12 detailing the
finishing anchor.
FIG 14 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the wall facing system
secured to a wall with
rigid wall insulation via washers and fasteners in FIG 12 detailing the
intermediate anchor.
FIG 15 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the wall facing system
secured to a wall with
rigid wall insulation via washers and fasteners in FIG 12 detailing the
starter anchor.
FIG 16 is a front view of a washer, in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention.
FIG 17 is a front view of a washer, in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention.
FIG 18 is a top plain view of the sheet metal blank used to form the starter
anchor of FIGS 2A
and 2B including bend lines represented by dashed lines.
FIG 19 is a top plain view of the sheet metal blank used to form the
intermediate anchor of FIGS
4A-4C including bend lines represented by dashed lines.
FIG 20 is a top plain view of the sheet metal blank used to form the finishing
anchor of FIGS 6A
and 6B including bend lines represented by dashed lines.
FIG 21 is a side view of a finishing anchor for supporting and anchoring a
stone facing element
to a wall, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
FIG 22A is a side view of an intermediate anchor for supporting and anchoring
stone facing
elements to a wall, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
FIG 22B is a top plain view of the sheet metal blank used to form the starter
anchor of FIG 22A
including bend lines represented by dashed lines.
CA 02722363 2010-11-25
FIG 23A is a side view of a starter anchor for use in a wall facing system, in
accordance with
one embodiment of the invention.
FIG 23B is a top plain view of the sheet metal blank used to form the starter
anchor of FIG 23A
including bend lines represented by dashed lines.
FIG 24 is an isomeric view of an anchor for supporting and anchoring stone
facing elements to a
wall, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
FIG 25 is an isomeric view of an anchor for supporting and anchoring stone
facing elements to a
wall having dimples on its flange, in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention.
FIG 26 is a partial perspective view of the anchor in FIG 24 having a portion
on its flange in the
groove of an upper edge of a facing element, in accordance with one embodiment
of the
invention.
FIG 27 is a partial view of a wall facing system, in accordance with one
embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[015] As used herein, the term "about" refers to a +/- 10% variation from the
nominal value. It
is to be understood that such a variation is always included in a given value
provided herein,
whether or not it is specifically referred to.
[016] The term "stone" as used herein is meant to refer to any natural or
manufactured material
often employed for purposes wall veneers, wall claddings or the like.
[017] The terms "wall" as used herein is meant to broadly refer to walls,
panels, pillars which
may be used to secure a stone facade or curtain wall.
[018] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein
have the same
meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which
this invention
belongs.
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Overview
[0191 The anchors for supporting and anchoring one or two stone facing
elements to a wall
generally include a backing member to be secured to a wall, one or more base
members
projecting substantially perpendicularly from the backing member, one or more
flanges
projecting substantially perpendicularly from a distal end of the one or more
base members and
adapted to fit within a groove in an edge of a facing element, and one or more
facing element
retaining means to provide a gap between a facing element and a wall.
[0201 The wall facing system generally includes a plurality of stone facing
elements having a
groove or slots in their lower and upper edges, and a plurality of these
anchors for securing and
anchoring facing elements to a wall.
Anchors
[0211 The anchors generally include a means of retaining the facing elements
and a means to
provide a gap between the facing elements and the wall for air ventilation or
water drainage.
Each anchor is fastened individually to the wall so that each facing element
is individually
secured to the wall by at least one anchor leading to improved mechanical
strength for the stone
facade. In one embodiment, each facing element is mounted to a wall by an
anchor at its top
edge and an anchor at its lower edge. In another embodiment, each facing
element is mounted to
a wall by two anchors at its top edge and two anchors at its lower edge. In
yet another
embodiment, each facing element is mounted to a wall by two anchors at its top
edge, two
anchors at its lower edge and an anchor at each of the side edges.
[0221 The profile of each anchor depends on its particular function in the
wall facing system.
The length of the anchors is typically much less than the length of the groove
so that the clip may
be positioned at any one of a plurality of positions along the groove. This
provides great
versatility in respect of where the anchor will be fastened to the wall and
the size of the facing
element being used. This versatility leads to the ability to create virtually
any pattern of stone on
the curtain wall while having each stone mounted individually to the wall.
This versatility also
facilitates retrofitting of old buildings or sections of old buildings.
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[023] In facing a wall with the wall facing system of the invention, a
plurality of facing
elements are mounted on a wall and arranged next to each other in a desired
pattern. In order to
mount the facing elements on the wall a plurality of specially designed
anchors are used.
[024] In one embodiment, the wall facing system uses the same type of anchors
are mounted on
a wall throughout the system.
[025] Referring to FIGS 24 and 25, an anchor 200 includes a backing member
240, a base
member 249 and a flange 244. The anchor 200 is can be used as a single anchor
type for
coupling a single facing element to a wall or as a double anchor type for
coupling two facing
elements in close proximity to a wall. The backing member 240 has a
substantially flat vertical
surface to rest against a wall. The backing member 240 has an aperture 241
adapted to receive a
fastening means to secure the anchor 200 to a wall. A base member 242 projects
substantially
perpendicularly from one of the side edges of the backing member 240. The base
member 242
has a substantially flat vertical surface with substantially right angle
recesses at its opposite distal
edges. The vertical portion of each of the recesses acts as a backing for the
rear face of a facing
element. The horizontal portion the top recesses acts as a seat for the lower
edge of a facing
element whereas the horizontal portion the lower recesses will receive the
upper edge of a facing
element. The base member 249 includes a flange 244 projecting substantially
perpendicularly
upwardly and downwardly from its distal end between the top and bottom
recesses of the base
member 249. The flange generally has a U-shape and is coupled to the base
member 249 at its
middle section. The top portion of the flange 244 is adapted to fit within a
groove or slots in a
lower edge of a facing element to secure the facing element. The bottom
portion of the flange
244 is adapted to fit within a groove or slots in an upper edge of a facing
element to secure the
facing element.
[026] The distance between the horizontal surface of the recess and the flange
is preferably
substantially equal to the distance between the rear of the facing element and
the inner portion of
the groove or slot so that the facing elements are held in compressive
engagement between the
flange 244 and vertical surface of the recesses of the base member 242. The
facing element is
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therefore held by the anchor from three sides (the back face, an edge and the
wall of the groove
closest to the back face of the facing element).
[027] Referring to FIG 25, the anchor 200 may includes small ribs or
projections on its interior
surface to assist in the compressive engagement to secure the facing element
to the anchor.
[028] In one embodiment, the anchor 200 is made of a 1 mm thick stainless
steel and has a
depth of about 38 mm, a height of about 30 mm and a maximum width of about 28
mm. The
backing member 240 has a length of about 13 mm and a height of about 30 mm.
The base
member 249 has a length of about 38 mm, a height of about 30 mm and a width of
about 1 mm.
The recesses of the base member 249 located at the distal corners of the base
member 249 have a
length of about 10 mm and a height of about 10 mm. The distance between the
flange 244 and
the vertical portions of the recesses of the base member 249 is about 10 mm
and represents the
seat/holding portions for the facing element 12.
[029] The flange 244 has a U-shape with a width of about 1 mm, a length of 19
mm and a
height of about 30 mm. In this embodiment, the depth of the groove or slot of
the lower and
upper edges of the facing element would be slightly larger than 10 mm.
[030] In one embodiment, three types of anchors may be defined depending on
where they are
used in the wall facing system.
Starter Anchors
[031] A first type of anchor may be used to secure first facing elements to a
wall. This starter
anchor includes a backing member, base members, flanges and a retaining
member.
[032] Referring to FIGS 2A and 2B, a starter or bottom anchor 14 includes a
backing member
40, base members (42, 43), flanges 44 and a retaining member 46. The starter
anchor 14 is the
single anchor type for coupling a starting facing element to a wall. The
backing member 40 has
a substantially flat vertical surface to rest against a wall. The backing
member 40 has an aperture
41 adapted to receive a fastening means to secure the anchor 14 to a wall. The
backing member
40 includes a base member 42 projecting substantially perpendicularly from its
lower edge and a
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base member 43 projecting substantially perpendicularly from its upper edge.
The base member
42 has a substantially flat horizontal surface which can rest on a structural
footing in a non load
bearing wall facing system or form the lower edge of the curtain wall in a
load bearing wall
facing system. The base member 43 includes horizontally projecting members 49
having a flange
44 projecting substantially perpendicularly upwardly from the distal end of
the projecting
members 49 and a retaining member 46 projecting substantially perpendicularly
upwardly from
the base member 43 disposed between the two projecting members 49 of the base
member 43.
The flanges 44 are adapted to fit within a groove or slots in a lower edge of
a facing element to
vertical position the lower edge of a facing element on the base member. The
retaining member
46 includes a vertical portion for abutting against a rear face of a facing
element to secure the
facing element on the anchor and a curved portion 48 projecting towards and
abutting against the
wall in order to provide a gap between the facing element and the wall. A
mortar joint is formed
between the parallel base member 42 and base member 43 and horizontally
projecting members
49.
[0331 In one embodiment, the starter anchor 14 has a depth of about 26 mm, a
height of about
21 mm and a width of about 44 mm. The backing member 40 has a length of about
44 mm and a
height of about 12 mm which is about the same distance between the base
members (42, 43).
The base member 42 has a length of about 44 mm and a width of about 26 mm. The
base
member 43 has a length of about 44 mm and a width of about 8 mm. The distance
between the
flange 44 and the vertical portions of the retaining member 46 for abutting
against a rear face of
a facing element is about 18mm. This portion of the base member 43 between the
flange 44 and
the vertical portions of the retaining member 46 represents the seat portion
for the facing element
12. In this embodiment, the facing element would have corresponding groove of
slot on its lower
and upper edges at about 18mm from the rear surface. The flange 44 has a width
of about 11
mm and a height of about 12 mm. In this embodiment, the depth of the groove or
slot of the
lower and upper edges of the facing element would be about 12 mm. The
retaining member 46
has a width of about 15 mm and a height of about 30 mm.
CA 02722363 2010-11-25
[034] In one embodiment, the base member is a single horizontal projecting
member with a
single flange at its distal end. The base member includes a retaining member
projecting
substantially perpendicularly from a position along the base member. In one
embodiment, the
retaining member is positioned midway along the width of the base member.
Referring to FIG 3, there is shown a starter anchor 14' including a backing
member 40, base
members (42', 43), a flange 44 and a retaining member 46. The starter anchor
14 is the single
anchor type for coupling a starting facing element to a wall. The backing
member 40 has a
substantially flat vertical surface to rest against a wall. The backing member
40 has an aperture
41 adapted to receive a fastening means to secure the anchor 14 to wall. The
backing member 40
includes a base member 42' projecting substantially perpendicularly from its
lower edge and a
base member 43 projecting substantially perpendicularly from its upper edge.
The base member
42' has a substantially flat horizontal surface which can rest on a structural
footing in a non load
bearing wall facing system. The base member 43 includes horizontally
projecting members 49'
having a flange 44 projecting substantially perpendicularly upwardly from the
distal end of the
projecting members 49' and a retaining member 46 projecting substantially
perpendicularly
upwardly from the base member 43 disposed between the two projecting members
49' of the
base member 43. The base member 42' and base member 43 including its
projecting members
49' each have a length of about 56 mm. In this embodiment, the distance
between the flange 44
and the vertical portions of the retaining member 46 is about 48mm and can
therefore
accommodate wider facing elements. The flanges 44 are adapted to fit within a
groove or slots
in a lower edge of a facing element to vertical position the lower edge of a
facing element on the
base member. The retaining member 46 includes a vertical portion for abutting
against a rear
face of a facing element to secure the facing element on the anchor and a
curved portion 48
projecting towards and abutting against the wall in order to provide an air
gap between the facing
element and the wall. A mortar joint is formed between the parallel base
member 42' and base
member 43 and horizontally projecting members 49'.
[035] A second embodiment of the starter anchor may be utilized in
constructing a wall facing
system. Referring to FIGS 23A and 23B, there is provided a starter anchor 114
in accordance
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with one embodiment of the invention. The starter anchor 114 comprises backing
member 120,
base members (122,123) and flanges (131,132). The backing member 120 has a
substantially
flat vertical surface for resting against a wall. The backing member 120 has
an aperture 121
adapted to receive a fastening means to secure the anchor 114 to a wall. The
backing member
120 includes parallel base members (122, 123) projecting substantially
perpendicularly from its
side edges of the backing member 120. The base member (122, 123) each have a
top recess
(128, 129) to receive a portion of an edge of a facing member. The recesses
(128, 129) each
include a vertical portion receive the lower rear surface of a facing element
and a horizontal
portion to receive a portion of the lower edge of a facing element. Flanges
(131, 132) project
respectively from the distal end of base members (128, 129). The flanges (131,
132) have an
upper portion adapted to fit within a groove in a lower edge of a facing
element.
Intermediate Anchors
[0361 A second type of anchor may be utilized between upper and lower facing
elements to link
upper and lower facing elements and to mount the stone facing elements to the
wall. Referring
to FIGS 4A and 4B, an intermediate anchor 16 includes a backing member 50,
base members
(52, 53), flanges (54, 55) and retaining member (56, 57). The intermediate
anchor 16 is useful
for linking an upper facing element and a lower facing element to a wall. The
backing member
50 has a substantially flat vertical surface for resting against a wall. The
backing member 50 has
an aperture 51 adapted to receive a fastening means to secure the anchor 16 to
a wall. The
backing member 50 includes a base member 52 projecting substantially
perpendicularly from its
lower edge and a base member 53 projecting substantially perpendicularly from
its upper edge.
The base member 52 have two horizontally projecting members 72 each with
flanges 54 at their
distal end and a retaining member 56 disposed between the two separate
projecting members 72
of the base member 52. The flanges 54 projects substantially perpendicularly
downwardly from
a distal end of the projecting members 72 of the base member 52. The retaining
member 56
projects substantially perpendicularly downwardly from the base member 52 at a
position
between the projecting members 72 of the base member 52. The flanges 54 are
adapted to fit
within a groove in an upper edge of a facing element and to vertical position
the upper edge of
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the facing element on the projecting members of the base member 52. The
retaining member 56
includes vertical portions for abutting against a rear face of a facing
element to secure the facing
element and a curved portion 58 projecting towards and abutting against a wall
in order to
provide an air gap between the facing element and the wall. The base member 53
have two
horizontally projecting members 70 each with flanges 55 at their distal end
and a retaining
member 57 disposed between the two separate projecting members 70 of the base
member 53.
The flanges 55 projects substantially perpendicularly upwardly from a distal
end of the
projecting members 70. The retaining member 57 projects substantially
perpendicularly
upwardly from the base member 53 at a position between the projecting members
of the base
member 53. The flanges 55 are adapted to fit within a groove in an upper edge
of a facing
element and to vertical position the upper edge of the facing element on the
projecting members
of the base member 53. The retaining member 57 includes vertical portions for
abutting against
a rear face of a facing element to secure the facing element and a curved
portion 58 projecting
towards and abutting against a wall in order to provide an air gap between the
facing element and
the wall. A mortar joint is formed between the base member 52 with its
horizontally projecting
members 72 and the base member 53 with its horizontally projecting members 70.
[037] In one embodiment, the intermediate anchor 16 has a depth of about 26
mm, a height of
about 73 mm and a width of about 44 mm. The backing member 50 has a height of
about 13 mm
which is about the same distance between the base members (52, 53) and a width
of about 44
mm. The base members 52 and 53 have a length of about 8 mm and a width of
about 44mm.
Each base member has two horizontally projecting members (70, 72) having a
length of 18 mm
and a width of 11 mm and a retaining member having a height of 30 mm and a
width of 15 mm
disposed between the two projecting members. The flanges (54, 55) each have a
height of about
12 mm and a width of about 11 mm.
[038] Referring to FIG 5, there is shown an intermediate anchor 16' including
a backing
member 50, base members (52, 53), flanges (54, 55) and retaining member (56,
57). The
intermediate anchor 16' is useful for linking an upper facing element and a
lower facing element
of a wall. The backing member 50 has a substantially flat vertical surface for
resting against a
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wall. The backing member 50 has an aperture 51 adapted to receive a fastening
means to secure
the anchor 16 to a wall. The backing member 50 includes a base member 52
projecting
substantially perpendicularly from its lower edge and a base member 53
projecting substantially
perpendicularly from its upper edge. The base member 52 have two horizontally
projecting
members 72' each with flanges 54 at their distal end and a retaining member 56
disposed
between the two separate projecting members 72' of the base member 52. The
flanges 54
projects substantially perpendicularly downwardly from a distal end of the
projecting members
72' of the base member 52. The retaining member 56 projects substantially
perpendicularly
downwardly from the base member 52 at a position between the projecting
members 72' of the
base member 52. The flanges 54 are adapted to fit within a groove in an upper
edge of a facing
element and to vertical position the upper edge of the facing element on the
projecting members
of the base member 52. The retaining member 56 includes vertical portions for
abutting against
a rear face of a facing element to secure the facing element and a curved
portion 58 projecting
towards and abutting against a wall in order to provide an air gap between the
facing element and
the wall. The base member 53 have two horizontally projecting members 70' each
with flanges
55 at their distal end and a retaining member 57 disposed between the two
separate projecting
members 70' of the base member 53. The flanges 55 projects substantially
perpendicularly
upwardly from a distal end of the projecting members 70'. The retaining member
57 projects
substantially perpendicularly upwardly from the base member 53 at a position
between the
projecting members of the base member 53. The flanges 55 are adapted to fit
within a groove in
an upper edge of a facing element and to vertical position the upper edge of
the facing element
on the projecting members of the base member 53. The retaining member 57
includes vertical
portions for abutting against a rear face of a facing element to secure the
facing element and a
curved portion 58 projecting towards and abutting against a wall in order to
provide an air gap
between the facing element and the wall. The projecting members 70' and 72'
each have a
length of about 48 mm and can therefore accommodate wider facing elements. A
mortar joint is
formed between the base member 52 with its horizontally projecting members 72'
and the base
member 53 with its horizontally projecting members 70'.
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[0391 A second embodiment of the intermediate anchor may be utilized in the
wall facing
system. The intermediate anchor includes backing member, base members and
flanges.
Referring to FIGS 22A and 22B, there is provided an intermediate anchor 116 in
accordance
with one embodiment of the invention. The intermediate anchor 116 includes
backing member
140, base members (142, 143) and flanges 148. The intermediate anchor 116 is
useful for
linking and securing an upper facing element and a lower facing element to a
wall. The backing
member 140 has a substantially flat vertical surface for resting against a
wall. The backing
member 140 has an aperture 141 adapted to receive a fastening means to secure
the anchor 116
to a wall. The backing member 140 includes a parallel base members (142, 143)
projecting
substantially perpendicularly from its side edges of the backing member 140.
The base member
143 has top and bottom recesses (145, 147) to receive a portion of an edge of
a facing member.
The base member 142 has corresponding top and bottom recesses (144, 146) to
receive a portion
of an edge of a facing member. The recesses (144, 145, 146, 147) include a
vertical portion
receive the rear surface of a facing element and a horizontal portion to
receive a portion of the
upper or lower edge of a facing element. Flanges (148, 149) project
respectively from the distal
end of base members (142, 143). The flanges (148, 149) have an upper portion
adapted to fit
within a groove in a lower edge of a facing element and a lower portion
adapted to fit within a
groove in an upper edge of a facing element.
[0401 Intermediate anchors can also be used in a similar manner to link facing
elements in a
side-by-side arrangement. Instead of orienting the one or more connecting
flanges linking
vertically arranged facing elements, the anchors can be positioned to orient
the flanges
horizontally. The flanges are then housed within the grooves on the side edges
of adjacent facing
elements.
Finishing Anchors
[0411 The third type of anchor is particularly useful as a finishing piece at
the very top of the
wall. These finishing anchors are similar to the first embodiment of the first
type of anchor
except that they do not have a second base. The second base in the first type
of anchor helps to
receive the weight on a facing element so given that finishing anchor hold any
weight the second
CA 02722363 2010-11-25
base is not required. The finishing or top anchor includes a backing member, a
base member, a
flange and a retaining member.
[0421 Referring to FIGS 6A and 6B, a finishing or top anchor 18 includes a
backing member
60, a base member 62, a flange 64 and a retaining member 66. The finishing
anchor 18 is a single
anchor type for coupling a single facing element to a wall. The backing member
60 has a
substantially flat vertical surface to rest against a wall. The upper edge of
the backing member
60 can rests on a top wall, ceiling or window sill. The backing member has an
aperture 61
adapted to receive a fastening means to secure the anchor 18 to a wall. The
backing member 60
includes a base member 62 projecting substantially perpendicularly from its
lower edge. The
base member 62 has a substantially flat horizontal surface having horizontally
projecting
members 63. The horizontally projecting members 63 include flange 64
projecting substantially
perpendicularly downwardly from a distal end of the projecting members 63 and
a retaining
member 66 projecting substantially perpendicularly downwardly from a position
along the base
member 62. The flange 64 is adapted to fit within a groove in an upper edge of
a facing element
to vertical position the upper edge of a facing element on the base member 62.
The retaining
member 66 includes vertical portions for abutting against a rear face of a
facing element to
secure the facing element on the anchor and a curved portion 68 projecting
towards and abutting
against a wall in order to provide an air gap between a facing element and a
wall. When a facing
element coupled to the anchor 18, a mortar joint is formed between the base
members 62, the
projecting members 63, the exposed upper edge of the facing element and a top
wall or ceiling.
[0431 Referring to FIG 7, there is shown a finishing anchor 18' including a
backing member 60,
a base member 62, a flange 64 and a retaining member 66. The finishing anchor
18 is a single
anchor type for coupling a single facing element to a wall. The backing member
60 has a
substantially flat vertical surface to rest against a wall. The upper edge of
the backing member
60 can rests on a top wall, ceiling or window sill. The backing member has an
aperture 61
adapted to receive a fastening means to secure the anchor 18 to a wall. The
backing member 60
includes a base member 62 projecting substantially perpendicularly from its
lower edge. The
base member 62 has a substantially flat horizontal surface having horizontally
projecting
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members 63'. The horizontally projecting members 63' include flange 64
projecting substantially
perpendicularly downwardly from a distal end of the projecting members 63' and
a retaining
member 66 projecting substantially perpendicularly downwardly from a position
along the base
member 62. The projecting members 63' have a length of about 48 mm and can
therefore
accommodate wider facing elements. The flange 64 is adapted to fit within a
groove in an upper
edge of a facing element to vertical position the upper edge of a facing
element on the base
member 62. The retaining member 66 includes vertical portions for abutting
against a rear face
of a facing element to secure the facing element on the anchor and a curved
portion 68 projecting
towards and abutting against a wall in order to provide an air gap between a
facing element and a
wall. When a facing element coupled to the anchor 18, a mortar joint is formed
between the base
members 62, the projecting members 63', the exposed upper edge of the facing
element and a top
wall or ceiling.
[044] A second embodiment of the finishing anchor includes a backing member, a
base
member and a retaining member. Referring to FIG 21, there is provides a
finishing anchor 118
in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The finishing anchor 118
includes a
backing member 160, a base member 162 and a retaining member 164. The
finishing anchor 118
couples the upper edge of a facing element to a wall. The backing member 160
has a
substantially flat vertical surface to rest against a wall. The upper edge of
the backing member
160 can rests on a top wall, ceiling or window sill. The backing member has an
aperture 161
adapted to receive a fastening means to secure the anchor 18 to a wall. The
backing member 160
includes a base member 162 projecting at right angle from its lower edge. The
base member 162
has a substantially flat horizontal surface with a facing element retaining
member 164 at its distal
end. The retaining member 164 include first vertical flange projecting
substantially
perpendicularly upwardwardly from the distal end of the base member 162, a
horizontal flange
projecting from the distal end of the first vertical flange at right angle and
away from the
backing member 160 and a retaining member projecting perpendicularly
downwardly from the
distal end of the horizontal flange. The retaining member is adapted to fit
within a groove in an
upper edge of a facing element to vertical position the upper edge of a facing
element on the
anchor 118. The vertical flange receives a portion of the upper edge of a
facing element and the
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CA 02722363 2010-11-25
flange abuts the rear face of the facing element. In this embodiment, the base
member 162
provides for the gap between a facing element and a wall.
[045] Referring to FIGS 18-20, sheet metal blanks used to form anchors (14,
16, 18) are
illustrated. The sheet metal can be comprised of carbon steel, stainless
steel, aluminum or any
other metal or metal alloy that is suitable for anchoring devices. The metal
blanks can be cut out
of galvanized steel sheet having a thickness of 0.91 mm. The anchors (14, 16,
18) are made by
bending the sheet metal blanks along bend lines depicted by dashed lines.
[046] Referring to FIGS 22B and 23B, sheet metal blanks used to form anchors
(114, 116) are
illustrated.
Facing Elements
[047] The facing elements for the wall facing system are generally of a panel
type construction
having a rear (back) face, a front (outer) face, upper and lower edges and
side edges. The facing
elements can be made of thin or regular stones. Thin stones differ from
regular stones by virtue
of the size and weight of the facing element. Thin stones may be cut from
natural materials such
as limestone, granite and marble, or they can be manufactured by molding clay
into shaped
objects and firing the clay for hardness. Thin stones are typically about 6 cm
thick or less and
building codes require thin stone to be not heavier than 15 pounds per square
foot. Regular stone
are typically thicker than 6 cm and may be heavier than 15 pounds per square
foot. The
anchoring device for supporting and anchoring facing elements to a wall can
used with either
thin stones or regular stones wall facing systems.
[048] It will be appreciated that facing elements can be customized for any
particular
application and may be of many suitable lengths, heights and widths. For
example, in one
embodiment, the facing elements are about 40 cm in length, 20 cm in height and
3 cm in width.
[049] In one embodiment, the facing elements have grooves formed and/or cut
into both the
upper and lower edges. The grooves are sized to accommodate a portion of an
anchor. The
grooves run along the edges at a fixed distance from the rear face of the
facing element. The
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CA 02722363 2010-11-25
grooves run along the entire length of the upper and lower edges. In one
embodiment, the facing
elements also have grooves formed and/or cut into one or both, side edges. The
grooves in the
side edges have the same depth and width as those in the upper and lower
edges, and are the
same distance from the rear face. In one embodiment, there is one continuous
groove running
along the edges around the perimeter of the facing element.
[0501 The facing elements have slots or cuts into both the upper and lower
edges. The slots
along the edges are cut a fixed distance from the rear face of the facing
element and at fixed
positions along the edges corresponding to the number of anchors that will be
used to secure a
facing element. In one embodiment, each facing element comprises two slots in
each upper and
lower edge.
[0511 Mortar joints can be formed between facing elements. The spaced-apart
base members
can be about 10 mm apart, which automatically provides 10 mm mortar joints
over the entire
curtain wall, which is standard in the stone facing industry. Once the veneer
wall has been
constructed, the mortar joints may be filled with mortar by any suitable
means, for example,
mortar guns, grout pumps, trowels, etc. Mortar filling the mortar joint helps
prevent the clip from
deflecting or collapsing since the mortar fills the space between the base
flanges thereby
providing support for the base flanges. Mortar may also enter the grooves
thereby helping key
the upwardly and downwardly depending flanges into the grooves. This helps
strengthen the clip
and adds to overall strength of the wall facing system.
[0521 Anchors are fastened to the wall by fastening means, for example screws
and nails. In
one embodiment, all clips and fastening means comprise strong, durable
material, for example
plastic and/or steel, in particular galvanized steel or stainless steel.
Stainless steel is preferred.
[0531 The wall facing system is generally secured to a wall made of wood frame
construction,
steel frame construction, or poured concrete block construction and generally
includes sheet
material, for example wood-based sheet material (e.g. plywood, OSB), non-
combustible sheet
material or combinations thereof, mounted on the frame. In constructing the
wall facing system
of the present invention, anchors are secured to the wall, particularly to the
sheet material, and
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CA 02722363 2010-11-25
the facing elements set on the anchors. The veneer wall, stone face or curtain
wall is generally
built from the bottom up in courses, and, if desired, each course is leveled
to ensure a consistent
appearance over the entire wall.
Wall Facing System
[054] FIG 27 details a wall facing system having horizontal, vertically
spaced, rows of facing
elements 12 having different sizes secured to a wall 11 by anchors 200. The
anchors 200
maintain the facing elements 12 at a set distance from the wall. The
superposed rows of facing
elements 12 form a stone facade or curtain wall.
[055] FIG 1 details a wall facing system 10 coupled to a wall. This figure
shows horizontal,
vertically spaced, rows of thin stone facing elements 12 secured to a wall by
bottom or starter
anchors 14, intermediate anchors 16 and top or finishing anchors 18. Although
the facing
elements 12 are preferably made of natural stone, tile or brick may also be
used as facing
elements. The wall facing system shown in FIG. 1 depicts the facing elements
arranged in rows,
however, it should be understood that other arrangements could be adopted by a
skilled worker
in the art. The anchors (14, 16, 18) maintain the facing elements 12 at a set
distance from the
wall. The superposed rows of facing elements 12 form a stone facade or curtain
wall.
[056] The wall for a wall facing system can be load bearing or non-load
bearing, depending of
the application, the weight of the facing elements and building code
requirements. This
flexibility can significantly increase the type and shape of facing elements
that can be used. The
wall may also include structural reinforcement to increase it load bearing
capacity.
[057] In one embodiment, the weight of the superposed rows of thin stone
facing elements 12 is
entirely supported by a structural footing 21, such as a concrete base. The
structural footing can
be the foundation of a building or a foot or extension portion extending along
the outside of the
foundation of a building. In one embodiment, the wall facing system with
facing elements
having a width less than 6 cm carries the weight of the facing elements on the
wall instead of a
structure footing.
CA 02722363 2010-11-25
[058] The anchors also provides for mortar joints 19 between the rows of thin
stone facing
elements 12. The mortar joints are then filled with mortar (not shown). In one
embodiment, the
anchors provide for mortar joints of about 10 mm, which is standard in the
stone facing industry.
In one embodiment, the anchors provide for mortar joints of 12.7 mm. It will
be appreciated that
the anchor can be customized for any size of mortar joint.
[059] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 8, each of the thin stone facing elements 12 is
generally
rectangular in shape and, as viewed when assembled on a wall 20 has a front
face 22, a rear face
24, an upper edge 26, a lower edge 28 and two side edges 30. It will be
appreciated that facing
elements can be customized for any particular application and may be of many
suitable lengths,
heights and widths. Each facing element 12 has a groove 32 or edge slots
formed in its upper
and lower edge. The groove 32 runs the entire length of the facing element 12
whereas edge
slots are of sufficient length and depth to receive a portion of an anchor to
properly align the
facing elements. In one embodiment, the side edges 30 also have a groove or
edge slots.
[060] Optionally, the wall facing system 10 coupled to a wall includes one or
more ventilation
apertures 17. The ventilation apertures 17 are spaces without mortar between
two adjacent facing
elements 12 on the upper row of facing elements 12 for venting air from the
air gap between the
stone facade and the wall 20, and on the lower row of facing elements 12 for
draining moisture
and venting air from the air gap.
[061] The width of each facing element 12 is defined between the opposed side
edges 30, the
height between the upper edge 26 and the lower edge 28, and the thickness or
depth is defined
between the front face 22 and the rear face 24. The stone facing elements
depicted in FIG 1 are
approximately 40 cm in length, 20 cm in height and 3 cm in width.
[062] Referring to FIG 8, a side cross-sectional view of a section of a wall
facing system 10
secured to a wall 20. Facing elements 12 are mounted on a wall 20 of a
building structure by a
starter anchor 14, a number of intermediate anchors 16 and a finishing anchor
18. The rear
surfaces of the anchors (14, 16, 18) are attached to the wall 20 by fastening
means 34. The
fastening means 34 are preferably screws made of strong, durable material, for
example plastic
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CA 02722363 2010-11-25
and/or steel, in particular galvanized steel or stainless steel. The wall
facing system 10 is non-
load bearing since the weight of the facing elements 12 rest on the footing
21. The anchors (14,
16, 18) provides for mortar joints 19 between the rows of thin stone facing
elements 12. The
mortar joints depicted are filled with mortar.
[0631 Referring to FIG 9, an enlarged view of the finishing anchor 18 in the
wall facing system
secured to a wall in FIG 8 is shown. The finishing anchor 18 includes a
backing member 60, a
base member 62, a flange 64 and a retaining member 66. The finishing anchor 18
couples the
upper edge of the facing element to a wall 20. The flat vertical surface of
the backing member
60 rest against the wall 20 and is secured to the wall via fastening means 34.
The upper edge of
the backing member 60 rests against the top wall 38. A base member 62
projecting substantially
perpendicularly from the lower edge of the backing member 60. The base member
62 has a
substantially flat horizontal surface with horizontally projecting members 63.
The horizontally
projecting members 63 include flange 64 projecting substantially
perpendicularly downwardly
from a distal end of the projecting members 63 and a retaining member 66
projecting
substantially perpendicularly downwardly from a position along the base member
62. The flange
64 fits within the groove 32 of the upper edge 26 of a facing element 12 to
vertically position the
upper edge of a facing element on the anchor 18. The retaining member 66
includes vertical
portions 66 for abutting against a rear face of a facing element to secure the
facing element on
the anchor and a curved portion 68 projecting towards and abutting against the
wall 20 to provide
a gap 36 between the rear face 24 of the facing element 12 and the wall 20.
Mortar fills the
mortar joint 19.
[0641 Referring to FIG 10, an enlarged view of the intermediate anchor 16 of
the wall facing
system secured to a wall in FIG 8 is shown. The intermediate anchor 16
includes a backing
member 50, base members (52, 53), flanges (54, 55) and retaining member (56,
57). The
intermediate anchor 16 supports and anchor an upper and lower facing element
12 to the wall 20.
The backing member 50 has a substantially flat vertical surface that rests
against the wall 20 and
is secured to the wall 20 via fastening means 34. The backing member 50
includes a base
member 52 projecting substantially perpendicularly from the lower edge of the
backing member
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CA 02722363 2010-11-25
50 and a base member 53 projecting substantially perpendicularly from the
upper edge of the
backing member 50. The base member 52 has two horizontally projecting members
72 each
with flanges 54 at their distal end and a retaining member 56 disposed between
the two separate
projecting members 72 of the base member 52. The flanges 54 projects
substantially
perpendicularly downwardly from a distal end of the projecting members 72 of
the base member
52. The retaining member 56 projects substantially perpendicularly downwardly
from the base
member 52 at a position between the projecting members 72 of the base member
52. The flange
54 fits within the groove 32 in an upper edge 26 of the lower facing element
12. The retaining
member 56 includes vertical portions for abutting against a rear face of a
facing element 12 to
secure the facing element 12 and a curved portion 58 projecting towards and
abutting against the
wall 20 to provide a gap 36 between the rear surface of the facing element 12
and the wall 20.
The base member 53 has two horizontally projecting members 70 each with
flanges 55 at their
distal end and a retaining member 57 disposed between the two separate
projecting members 70
of the base member 53. The flanges 55 projects substantially perpendicularly
upwardly from a
distal end of the projecting members 70. The retaining member 57 projects
substantially
perpendicularly upwardly from the base member 53 at a position between the
projecting
members of the base member 53. The flange 55 fits within the groove 32 in an
upper edge 26 of
a facing element 12. The retaining member 57 has vertical portions 57 for
abutting against a rear
face of the facing element to secure the facing element and a curved portion
58 projecting
towards and abutting against the wall 20 to provide a gap 36 between the
facing element 12 and
the wall 20. Mortar fills the mortar joint 19.
10651 Referring to FIG 11, an enlarged view of the intermediate anchor 14 of
the wall facing
system of FIG 8 is shown. The starter anchor 14 couples a starting facing
element 12 to the wall
20. The starter anchor 14 includes a backing member 40, base members (42, 43),
flanges 44 and
a retaining member 46. The flat vertical surface of the backing member 40
rests against the wall
20 and is secured to the wall 20 via fastening means 34. The backing member 40
includes a base
member 42 projecting substantially perpendicularly from its lower edge and a
base member 43
projecting substantially perpendicularly from its upper edge. The base member
42 has a
substantially flat horizontal surface which rests on the footing 21. The base
member 43 includes
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CA 02722363 2010-11-25
horizontally projecting members 49 having a flange 44 projecting substantially
perpendicularly
upwardly from the distal end of the projecting members 49 and a retaining
member 46 projecting
substantially perpendicularly upwardly from the base member 43 disposed
between the two
projecting members 49 of the base member 43. The flanges 44 fits within the
groove 32 in the
lower edge 28 of a facing element 12. The retaining member 46 includes a
vertical portion for
abutting against a rear face of a facing element 12 to secure the facing
element on the anchor and
a curved portion 48 projecting towards and abutting against the wall 20 to
provide a gap 36
between the facing element 12 and the wall 20. Mortar fills the mortar joint
19.
[0661 Referring to FIGS 12-15, there is shown a side cross-sectional view of a
section of a wall
facing system 11 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The wall
facing system
11 has rigid wall insulation 74 coupled to the outer surface of the wall 20.
Anchors (14, 16, 18)
are secured to the wall 20 with the rigid wall insulation 74 by fastening
means 34. Appropriately
sized shims or washers (76, 77), for example such as the washers illustrated
in FIGS 16-17, are
positioned between the backing members of the anchors (14, 16, 18) to increase
the surface area
of the force applied against the rigid wall insulation 74. The wall facing
system 11 depicted is a
non-load bearing system since the weight of the facing elements rest on the
footing.
[0671 Although the invention has been described with reference to certain
specific
embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled
in the art without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such modifications
as would be apparent
to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the
following claims.
24
