Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02872780 2014-12-01
SUPPORT BRACKET APPARATUS
Field of Invention
This specification relates to structural materials for use in the construction
of
buildings, and, in one particular context, to support structure external
veneer components.
Background of the Invention
In former times, brick walls were load bearing structures. In contemporary
building
structures bricks, or other masonry elements, or other visible finished
surface elements, are
rarely load-bearing and tend more often to be employed as surface cladding on
the exterior
face of load-bearing structure.
When mounting face brick or stone veneer on the face of a wall structure, it
is
common to support the first row of bricks or stone, or veneer on a steel
support. The steel
support may be termed a shelf angle, and may extend outward from the wall
structure, and
may run along, or have a major dimension extending in, a direction that is
generally
horizontal and cross-wise to the wall. The steel support is mounted to the on
the wall before
brick-laying commences. The steel support may be welded to a steel anchoring
system
embedded in the wall. Alternatively, the steel support may be carried in
spaced apart
brackets that have themselves been mounted to the load bearing wall structure.
Summary of Invention
In an aspect of the invention there is a face brick support assembly having a
wall
mounting bracket and a shelf angle that seats on the wall mounting bracket.
The wall
mounting bracket has a protrusion. The shelf angle has an accommodation that,
on assembly,
admits the protrusion.
In a feature of that aspect of the invention, the shelf angle has a first leg
upon which
to mount the face brick, and a back that engages the wall mounting bracket.
The back has at
least one aperture formed in it to define the accommodation or a plurality of
accommodations. The protrusion is a toe of the bracket the seats in the
aperture. There may
be more than one toe and more than one respective mating aperture.
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In another aspect of the invention there is a wall mounting bracket having a
seat in
which to accommodate a shelf angle for external veneer members. The wall
mounting
bracket has at least one web member having an array of apertures formed
therein.
In a feature of that aspect of the invention the apertures in the side webs of
the
mounting bracket have a major axis that is obliquely angled relative to
horizontal and
vertical.
In another aspect of the invention there is a wall mounting bracket. The wall
mounting bracket has a seat in which to install a shelf angle for supporting
external veneer
members. The wall mounting bracket has at least one fitting by which to attach
the wall
mounting bracket to a load-bearing wall structure. The seat is vertically
offset from the wall
mounting fitting.
In a feature of that aspect of the invention the seat is vertically offset
downward. In
another feature, a horizontal projection of the seat toward the load-bearing
wall structure
does not project on the fitting, but rather projects downwardly of the
fitting.
In an aspect of the invention there is an external facing support assembly. It
has a
first member and a second member. The second member is engageable with the
first member
for support thereby. The first member has a mounting fitting by which to
secure the
assembly to load-bearing wall structure. The first member has a seat located
distant from the
mounting fitting. The seat has a protrusion, a shear load receiving interface,
and a moment
couple reaction interface. The second member has an external facing carrier
and a seat
engagement. The carrier is connected to the seat engagement. The seat
engagement has an
accommodation sized to admit the protrusion; a shear load transmission
interface that, in use,
engages the shear load receiving interface; and a moment couple transmission
interface that,
in use, engages the moment couple reaction interface.
In a feature of that aspect of the invention, the protrusion has an upwardly
facing
shoulder, and the upwardly facing shoulder defines the shear load receiving
interface. In
another feature, the carrier is located lower than the protrusion. In another
feature, the carrier
has an upwardly facing interface above which to locate the external facing,
and, as installed
in use, the shear load receiving interface is located higher than the upwardly
facing interface
of the carrier. In still another feature, the second member is a shelf angle
having a flange and
a web. The flange defines an upwardly facing external veneer load receiving
interface. The
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web has the accommodation for the protrusion formed therein. In an additional
feature, the
web is an upstanding web; and the upstanding web has a greater vertical extent
than the seat.
In a still further additional feature, the web includes an aperture formed
therein at a medial
height location thereof, the aperture permitting introduction of the
protruding toe
therethrough, and the aperture defining the accommodation. In another feature,
on assembly,
the flange is located one of: (a) flush with a lowermost portion of the
protruding toe; and (b)
downwardly proud of the protruding toe. In a still further feature, the flange
and the web
meet at a vertex, the vertex having an internal radius, and the accommodation
is formed as an
aperture in the web upwardly clear of the radius. In another feature, the seat
engagement
extends rearwardly and upwardly of the carrier.
In another feature, the first member is a channel member having a back and two
spaced apart legs extending away from the back. The back of the channel has
the mounting
fitting. Each of the legs of the channel has one of the seats. In another
feature, the assembly
includes a plurality of the first members, and the second member has a
plurality of the
accommodations corresponding to the plurality of the first members. In a
further feature, the
assembly includes a plurality of the first members, and the second member has
a plurality of
the accommodations corresponding to the plurality of the first members.
In another feature, the protrusion has an upwardly facing shoulder defining
the shear
load transmission interface. The seat includes an upwardly extending slot and
an over-
hanging finger. The second member seat engagement includes a web having an
upwardly
extending extremity that, on assembly, seats in the slot. The over-hanging
finger defines one
portion of the moment-couple reaction interface. In a further feature, the
slot is oversized to
admit at least partial angular rotation of the web of the second member on
installation. The
slot has a relieved first wall portion angled on a first angle relative to
vertical. The
overhanging finger has a downwardly distal tip, the downwardly distal tip is
relieved to
accommodate insertion of the web on assembly; the downwardly distal tip having
a chamfer
on a second angle relative to vertical. The second angle is greater than the
first angle.
In another aspect of the invention there is an external facing support
assembly. It
includes at least a first member and a second member. The first member has a
first portion
having a fitting by which to secure the first member to a wall. The first
member has a second
portion standing outwardly away from the first portion. The second portion
includes a seat
located distantly from the first portion. The seat has a protruding toe, a
rebate located
upwardly of the protruding toe, and an overhanging retainer. The second member
is a veneer
support. The veneer support has a foot upon which to mount at least one veneer
member.
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The veneer support has a back to which the foot is joined. The back has a
first
accommodation in which to admit the protruding toe.
In a feature of that aspect, the foot of the second member defines a shelf for
the at
least one veneer member. The first member has first and second protruding
toes. The bench
has the first accommodation and a second accommodation. The first and second
accommodations admit the first and second protruding toes, respectively. In
another feature,
the first member is a channel member having a back and a pair of first and
second legs
extending away from the back. The first portion of the first member includes
the back of the
channel member. The first leg of the channel member defines one the second
portion of the
first member. The second leg of the channel defines another the second portion
of the first
member. Each of the first and second legs has one the protruding toe. The back
of the
second member has the first accommodation and a second accommodation. The
first and
second accommodations are spaced apart to receive the respective protruding
toes of the first
and second legs of the channel member. In another feature, the second member
is a shelf
angle, the first portion of the second member is an horizontal leg of the
shelf angle, and the
second portion is a back of the shelf angle.
In a further aspect of the invention, there is a wall support assembly. It has
a bench
member, a first mounting member and a second mounting member. The first
mounting
member is a U-shaped bracket having a back and first and second legs extending
from the
back. The back has a mounting fitting by which to secure the back to
supporting structure.
The bench has a first portion, the first portion being an horizontally
extending flange, the
flange defining a seat for wall members. The bench has a second portion, the
second portion
defining a web running along the flange. The first and second legs of the
bracket each have a
seat into which to introduce at least a first portion of the web. The first
and second legs of
the bracket each have a protruding toe adjacent to its respective seat. The
web has at least
one lodgement into which to engage the respective protruding toes when the
first portion of
the web is located in the seat.
In another aspect of the invention there is an external facing support
assembly. The
assembly has a first member and a second member. The second member is
engageable with
the first member for support thereby. The first member has a portion having a
mounting
fitting by which to secure the external facing support assembly for securement
to a load-
bearing wall structure. The mounting fitting is located at a first height. The
first member has
a leg standing away from the portion having the mounting fitting. The leg has
a length and a
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height, the height being greater than the length. The first member has a seat
located distant
from the mounting fitting. The seat has a shear load receiving interface, and
a moment
couple reaction interface. The seat has a height less than half of the height
of the leg, and the
seat is located in a lower portion of the leg such that, as installed, all of
the seat is lower than
the mounting fitting. The second member has an external facing carrier and a
seat
engagement portion. The carrier is connected to the seat engagement portion.
The seat
engagement portion has a shear load transmission interface that engages the
shear load
receiving interface, and has a moment couple transmission interface that, in
use, engages the
moment couple reaction interface.
In a feature of that aspect of the invention, the mounting fitting has a
center. The
shear load receiving interface has a center. There is a line of action between
the center of the
mounting fitting and the center of the shear load receiving interface. The
line of action has a
greater rise than a run. In another feature, the second member is a shelf
angle. The seat
includes a shoulder defining the shear load receiving interface. The shelf
angle, as installed,
is supported upon the shoulder. The carrier is defined by an horizontal flange
of the shelf
angle. The shelf angle has an upstanding web. The height of the leg of the
first member is
more than twice as great as the upstanding web, whereby the shelf angle is a
depending shelf
angle. In another feature, the leg includes an array of apertures formed
therethrough. In a
further feature, the protrusion has an upwardly facing shoulder, and the
upwardly facing
shoulder defines the shear load receiving interface.
In another feature, the carrier of the second member is located lower than the
protrusion of the first member. In still another feature, the carrier has an
upwardly facing
interface above which to locate the external facing, and, as installed in use,
the shear load
receiving interface is located higher than the upwardly facing interface of
the carrier. In still
another feature, the second member is a shelf angle having a flange and a web,
the flange
defining an upwardly facing external veneer load receiving interface; the web
having the
accommodation for the protrusion formed therein. In a still further member,
the web is an
upstanding web; and the upstanding web has a greater vertical extent than the
seat. In an
additional feature, the web includes an aperture formed therein at a medial
height location
thereof, the aperture permitting introduction of the protruding toe
therethrough, and the
aperture defining the accommodation. In an alternate additional feature, on
assembly, the
flange is located one of (a) flush with a lowermost portion of the protruding
toe; and (b)
downwardly proud of the protruding toe. In a still further additional feature,
the flange and
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the web meet at a vertex, the vertex has an internal radius, and the
accommodation is formed
as an aperture in the web upwardly clear of the radius.
In another feature, the seat engagement extends rearwardly and upwardly of the
carrier. In a further feature, the first member is a channel member, having a
back and two
spaced apart legs extending away from the back to form a channel. The back of
the channel
includes the mounting fitting, and each of the legs of the channel has one of
the seats. In
another feature, the assembly includes a plurality of the first members, and
the second
member has a plurality of the accommodations corresponding to the plurality of
the first
members. In an additional feature, the assembly includes a plurality of the
first members,
and the second member has a plurality of the accommodations corresponding to
the plurality
of the first members.
In still another feature, the protrusion has an upwardly facing shoulder
defining the
shear load transmission interface. The seat includes an upwardly extending
slot and an over-
hanging finger. The second member seat engagement includes a web having an
upwardly
extending extremity that, on assembly, seats in the slot. The over-hanging
finger defines one
portion of the moment-couple reaction interface. In an additional feature, the
slot is
oversized to admit at least partial angular rotation of the web of the second
member on
installation. The slot has a relieved first wall portion angled on a first
angle relative to
vertical. The overhanging finger has a downwardly distal tip, the downwardly
distal tip
being relieved to accommodate insertion of the web on assembly. The downwardly
distal tip
has a chamfer on a second angle relative to vertical. The second angle being
greater than the
first angle.
In another feature, the first member includes a web extending away from the
mounting fitting, the web having the seat defined at a location distant from
the mounting
fitting, and the web is perforated. In an additional feature, the web includes
a plurality of
perforations, and the perforations are non-circular. In another additional
feature, the
perforations have a major axis and a minor axis, the major axis being inclined
upwardly and
inwardly from the seat toward the mounting fitting.
In another aspect of the invention there is a wall support assembly. It has a
bench
member, a first mounting member and a second mounting member. The first
mounting
member is a U-shaped bracket having a back and first and second legs extending
from the
back. The back has a mounting fitting by which to secure the back to
supporting structure.
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The bench has a first portion, the first portion is an horizontally extending
flange. The flange
defines a seat for wall members. The bench has a second portion, the second
portion
defining a web running along the flange. The first and second legs of the
bracket each have a
seat into which to introduce at least a first portion of the web. The first
and second legs of
the bracket each has a protruding toe adjacent to its respective seat. The web
has at least one
lodgement into which to engage the respective protruding toes when the first
portion of the
web is located in the seat.
Brief Description of the Illustrations
The foregoing aspects and features of the invention may be explained and
understood
with the aid of the accompanying illustrations, in which:
Figure la is a side view in section of a general arrangement of an assembly of
wall elements according to an aspect of the invention;
Figure lb is an enlarged detail of an arrangement similar to the general
arrangement of Figure la;
Figure lc is a top view of the elements of the enlarged detail of Figure lb;
Figure 2a is an isometric view of a structural element of the assembly of
Figure la;
Figure 2b is a side view of the structural element of Figure 2a;
Figure 2c is a front view of structural element of Figure 2a;
Figure 3a is an isometric view of structural elements of the assembly of
Figure la shown without associated wall members from in front, to
one side, and above;
Figure 3b is an isometric view of the structural elements of Figure 3a viewed
from behind, to the other side, and above;
Figure 3c is an end view of elements of Figure 3a;
Figure 3d is a front view of the assembly of Figure 3a;
Figure 3e is a rear view of the assembly of Figure 3a;
Figure 4a is a front view of a structural element of the assembly of Figure
la;
Figure 4b is an enlarged detail of the structural element of Figure 4a.
Figure 5a is an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of support bracket
to that of Figure 2a;
Figure 5b is a side view of the support bracket of Figure 5a;
Figure 6a is a side view of an alternate assembly to that of Figure la;
Figure 6b is a side view of an alternate assembly to that of Figure 6a;
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Figure 6c is a side view of another alternate assembly to that of Figure 6a;
and
Figure 6d is a side view of a further alternate assembly to that of Figure 6a.
Detailed Description
The description that follows, and the embodiments described therein, are
provided by
way of illustration of an example, or examples, of particular embodiments of
the principles of
the present invention. These examples are provided for the purposes of
explanation, and not
of limitation, of those principles and of the invention. In the description,
like parts are
marked throughout the specification and the drawings with the same respective
reference
numerals. The drawings may be taken as being to scale, or generally
proportionate, unless
indicated otherwise.
The terminology used in this specification is thought to be consistent with
the
customary and ordinary meanings of those terms as they would be understood by
a person of
ordinary skill in the art in North America. Following from the decision of the
Court of
Appeal for the Federal Circuit in Phillips v. AWH Corp., the Applicant
expressly excludes all
interpretations that are inconsistent with this specification, and, in
particular, expressly
excludes any interpretation of the claims or the language used in this
specification such as
may be made in the USPTO, or in any other Patent Office, other than those
interpretations for
which express support can be demonstrated in this specification or in
objective evidence of
record in accordance with In re Lee, (for example, earlier publications by
persons not
employed by the USPTO or any other Patent Office), demonstrating how the terms
are used
and understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, or by way of expert
evidence of a
person or persons of experience in the art.
Referring to the general arrangement of Figure la, there is a partial cross-
section of a
wall assembly, indicated generally as 20. For the purposes of this description
it may be
helpful to consider a Cartesian co-ordinate frame of reference. The vertical,
or up-and-down,
direction may be designated as the z-axis, or z-direction. The direction
perpendicular to the
plane of the page may be considered as the longitudinal direction or x-
direction, or x-axis,
and may be taken as being the cross-wise direction of the wall. The left-to-
right direction in
the plane of the page, i.e., perpendicular to the wall, may be considered the
sideways, or y-
direction, or y-axis.
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In this description, reference is made to load-bearing structure, and load-
bearing wall
structure. The description pertains to mounting bracket assemblies that
support external
facing veneer components, such as face brick, spaced away from the supporting
structure.
The mounting brackets are anchored to load-bearing structure. Whether that
load bearing
structure is a structural wall or a concrete floor slab carried by framework,
by a poured wall,
by a block wall, or other load bearing members, in the context of this
description whether it
is a wall, a floor, or a ceiling, within the meaning of this specification it
is a load-bearing
wall structure to which the veneer supporting members may be mounted.
Wall assembly 20 may include load-bearing structure, indicated generally as
22, and
externally visible facing elements, indicated generally as 24. The externally
visible facing
elements are mated to, or linked to, or stabilised by, load bearing structure
22. The linking,
or positioning of the facing elements with the load-bearing structural
elements may be
achieved by the use of interface elements such as supports, or support
assemblies, 26, and
tying members 28. Support assemblies 26 and tying members 28 may be taken as
being
made of mild steel unless otherwise noted. Combinations of load bearing frame
or wall
assemblies, such as 22, facing elements 24, support assemblies 26 and tying
assemblies 28
may be assembled as indicated in Figure la.
Load-bearing structure 22 may have several different forms. First, it may
include a
foundation, which may be a poured concrete foundation 32. There may be a floor
structure,
such as a poured concrete floor slab 34. Floor slab 34 may carry a wall
structure 36 which
may have the form of laid blocks 38, or which may in other embodiments include
a framed
structure, such as may be a wood or steel framed structure.
Visible facing elements 24 may include brickwork 40, or stonework, be it rough
stone
or finished stone, or other cladding. The anchor system described may be used
for
supporting masonry veneer, thin granite veneer, large stone panels or pre-cast
concrete in
place of the bricks. In the example shown, facing elements 24 are shown as
bricks 42 laid in
successive courses. As suggested by Figure la, support assembly 26 may include
a base or
bench or first member 44 that may have the form of a "shelf angle", or angle
iron 46. Angle
iron 46 runs along the wall structure in the horizontal direction and provides
the bed upon
which the lowest course of bricks finds its support, hence angle iron 46 may
be termed a
brick support. Angle iron 46 may rest with the back or the angle iron seated
above a non-
load bearing abutment or stop or skirt such as plate 48. First member 44 may
be mounted to
a second member 50, which may have the form of a support bracket 52. Second
member 50
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it itself fixedly mounted to the load bearing wall structure. The vertical
load of the facing,
e.g., bricks 42 is carried by the bench or "shelf' of first member 44, and
passed into such
number of second members 50 as may support first member 44.
There may typically be at least first and second such second support members
50
spaced laterally apart. For example, there may be several such supports on,
for example, 24"
centers, indicated as spacing LI, which may correspond to the spacing, or
double the spacing
of wall studs in standard framing (see Figure 3e). Second members 50 may then
carry the
shear load from first member 44 into the load bearing wall structure. The
depth of second
members 50 in the y-direction (i.e., normal to the wall) may typically be less
than the vertical
height of second members 50, such that the webs of second members 50 may be
considered
low aspect ratio beams in which the bending moment is small, or negligible.
Second members 50 are secured to load bearing wall 22. The securement may be
by
suitable means. For example mechanical securements in the nature of threaded
fasteners 54.
In the case of securement to a poured concrete wall or floor slab (as shown)
the fasteners
may be concrete anchors. Fasteners 54 may be concrete anchor fittings, as
shown in Figure
la, or embedded threaded rods, studs, or bolts, as in Figure lb.
Second members 50 have a depth (in the y-direction) that may correspond to, or
may
be greater than, the thickness of insulation panels 56 such as may be mounted
to the front (or
outside) face of the structural load-bearing wall assembly 22. There may also
be a drainage
shield, or flashing, 58 such as may encourage moisture to drain outwardly of
and away from
structural wall assembly 26. A vapour barrier membrane 59 may be captured
behind
insulation panels 56 upwardly of the floor slab, may traverse insulation 56 at
the level of
flashing 58, and may lay overtop of flashing 58 with its lowermost margin
draining over
angle iron 46, such that any moisture draining over vapour barrier 59 is
drained away. That
is, a continuous metal flashing 58 is supported on or above shelf angle 46. It
may connect to
a continuous flexible flashing which extends over the brick supports and that
may connect to
a vapour barrier membrane on the outer face of the wall. Sheets of rigid
insulation are
mounted over top of the membrane on the outer face of the wall. The anchor
system allows
cavity insulation to be continuous behind the brick support. The rigid
insulation may be of a
thickness that allows an air space between the insulation and the external
veneer brick facing
mounted on shelf angle 46. The anchor brackets 52 may be made in a variety of
sizes each
corresponding to a desired thickness of the rigid insulation and air space. In
this arrangement,
a standard size of brick support shelf angle 46 may be used without regard to
the spacing
between the brick facing and the face of the wall desired for insulation.
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In some embodiments, tying members 28 may be located upwardly of support
assembly 26. Tying members 28 may have the form of brick tie assembly 60, in
which there
is an anchor 62 and a brick tie 64. As may be noted, anchor 62 has a body 66
such as may
have the form of a stamped steel plate. The distal portion of body 66 may be
termed a tail
68. Tail 68 may have a length in the y-direction (i.e., into the wall)
corresponding to the
through thickness of cinder blocks 38, and such as may be located between
adjacent blocks
of a block wall, and embedded in the mortar therebetween. To that end, tail 68
may have
perforations such as may permit mortar to flow therethrough. Body 66 may also
have a
proximal portion 70 of a depth in the y-direction corresponding to the
thickness of insulation
panel 56. Proximal portion 70 may be perforated to reduce thermal conduction
in the y-
direction. Proximal portion 70 may have a step, or abutment, or indexing or
locating feature,
such as a shoulder, by which the correct depth position in the y-direction is
obtained relative
to the cinder block and the insulation. Body 66 may also have an outermost end
portion 74
having an array of tie location apertures, or seats or positions 76. A
faceplate 78 seats on the
outside face of the insulation, and may be used on installation where the
positioning of
anchor 62 is set prior to installation of tail 68 in a poured concrete form.
Brick tie 64 is then
located in one or another of the seat positions 76. When the successive
courses of bricks 42
are laid, the outermost ends of brick tie 64 are embedded in the mortar
between courses, as
suggested in Figure la. Tying members as described are used where the air or
insulation
space between the load bearing structure and the external veneer exceeds one
inch, and in all
cases where the wall height exceeds 30 ft. Tying members such as those
described may be
placed on up to 24 inch spacing vertically, and up to 32 inch spacing
horizontally.
Considering the enlarged detail of the embodiment of Figure lb, support
bracket 52
may have the form of a channel 80 (as viewed from above, as in Figure 1c)
having a first
member in the nature of a rear plate or back 82, and a second member in the
nature of a web
or leg 84. Channel 80 may also have a third member in the nature of a second
web or leg 86.
In the embodiment shown, legs 84 and 86 stand outwardly of back 82. That is,
as installed
back 82 may lie in an x-z plane abutting the load bearing structure, be it
framing, metal
girders, poured concrete wall or poured concrete slab, and so on. Legs 84 and
86 stand
outwardly away from that x-y plane. In general, it may be convenient that legs
84 and 86
stand in y-z planes perpendicular to the plane of back 82, standing spaced
apart and parallel,
but this is not necessarily so. For example, legs 84, 86 could be splayed to
form a V or
winged shape as opposed to a square-sided U. In the particular embodiment
illustrated, legs
84, 86 are a pair of side plates that extend from respective sides of the rear
plate, back 82, in
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a direction away from the wall to foiiii the sides of the U-shaped channel.
The side plates are
generally rectangular in shape and lie in respective vertical planes.
Back 82 may have a mounting, a seat, or an attachment fitting 90 such as shown
in
Figure 2c by which mechanical fastener 54 may secure bracket 52 to the load
bearing
structure. In general, in all of the embodiments herein a shim plate, such as
may be
substantially similar in size to the anchor bracket, may be mounted between
each anchoring
bracket and the outer face of the wall (i.e., load-bearing wall assembly 52),
as may be
suitable, for evenly engaging the concrete surface and for spacing each anchor
bracket 52
from the wall as desired to accommodate irregularities in the outer face of
the wall. Fitting
90 may be a slot 92 that permits height adjustment of bracket 52. Slot 92 may
be oriented at
a non-parallel angle or direction that is skewed relative to the vertical
axis. Slot 92 may be
an elongate aperture in back 82 that extends along an inclined axis 83
angularly offset from
vertical. Figure 2c shows a left-hand configuration. The inclined axis may be
offset 22.5
degrees from vertical. In a right hand configuration the fastener slot may be
offset 22.5
degrees from vertical axis in the opposite direction. The upright plate of
back 82 can thus be
fastened to the wall at numerous locations relative to the wall corresponding
to different
positions of the bolt within the slot. As installed, fastener 54 may be in
tension, and the
lowermost edge of back 82 may be in compression, i.e., pressed against the
load-bearing
structure, such that there is a moment reaction and a moment arm, z54. Slot 92
may be
located closer to the upper margin of bracket 52 than to the lower margin,
such that moment
arm z54 of the reaction of bracket 52, defined as the distance from the
centerline of fastener
54 to the lower margin, is typically greater than half the height of bracket
52, indicated a z52,
(Figures lb and 2c). In the default, the upper datum of z54 may be taken as
the mid-height
location of fitting 90, namely half way up in the middle of slot 92. Slots 92
of successive
brackets 52 may be alternately left handed and right handed. That is, in use,
a plurality of
anchor brackets may be spaced horizontally across a wall using a chalk line
and a measuring
tape. The anchoring brackets are mounted in an alternating arrangement of left-
hand and
right-hand configurations. The brackets are mounted along the wall such that
each anchoring
bracket having a left-hand orientation is beside an anchor bracket having a
right-hand
orientation. On installation, the vertical shear load may tend to cause the
brackets to wedge
and lock in position on the fasteners.
The side plates defined by legs 84, 86 are arranged to receive and to carry
the brick
support defined by bracket 46. Looking at leg 84 as being representative also
of leg 86, and
considering the profile shown in Figures lb and 2b, the distal portion of leg
84 (i.e., the
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portion standing away most distantly from back 82) has a fitting, or
accommodation, or seat
94 that is matingly co-operable with first member 44, and that provides a
shear load transfer
interface in which a vertical gravity load from member 44 is transferred into
web 84 (or 86 as
may be). The profile of each seat 94 in the respective side plates of legs 84,
86 may have the
appearance of a recessed channel in the forward or foremost, or distal edge or
margin thereof
Seat 94 includes a vertical reaction interface, indicated at 96, and a moment
restraint,
indicated at 98. Moment restraint 98 includes an upper reaction member 100 and
a lower
reaction member 102. Leg 84 (or 86) may have an overhanging member, or finger
104 that,
in use, over-reaches, and depends in front of, the uppermost margin of first
member 44. The
space between finger 104 and the upper leading edge of the body of leg 84 (or
86) more
generally defines a receiving slot 107 as, or at, the upper portion of seat
94. Slot 107 extends
upward, and has a rearward edge (i.e., at edge or wall 114) at a top end of
the recessed,
generally channel-shaped profile of seat 94. The inside face of the downward
or distal tip of
finger 104 may have the form of an abutment, or stop, or restraint that faces
wholly,
substantially, or predominantly in the ¨y direction, defining upper reaction
member 100.
Vertical reaction interface 96 may be defined as the upper face of the toe,
edge, or
side of an extending portion or member or dog or toe 108, such as may be or
define a
protruding extension or protrusion in the y-direction of the lower margin of
leg 84. That is,
in the embodiment illustrated the recessed channel shape of seat 94 includes a
shoulder at a
bottom end. That shoulder defines vertical reaction interface 96, and it
carries the shelf
angle, such that the brick supporting flange extends laterally outward from
the wall.
Lower reaction member 102 extends upwardly and away from the root of toe 108,
and has the form of a wall or edge that faces wholly, substantially or
predominantly in the +y
direction. A fatigue detail, or stress relief detail, in the form of a finite
radius relief 110 is
provided at the root of the intersection of vertical reaction interface 96 and
lower reaction
member 102. The upper and lower stops (i.e., 100 and 102) constrain the
translational degree
of freedom of corresponding upper and lower regions of angle iron 46, and thus
define a
moment-couple reaction inhibiting motion in the rotational degree of freedom
about the x-
axis of angle iron 46 in the counter-clockwise direction.
Upwardly of an inflection point 112, wall 114 of seat 94, (being the back or
rearward
margin of slot 107) is relieved in the ¨y direction such that seat 94 may
include, and slot 107
may be, a slanted slot or accommodation such as to permit entry of the upper
leg of angle
iron 46 into the accommodation on installation. The angle of inclination a107
may be in the
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range of 10 ¨ 20 degrees in some embodiments. The lowermost extremity of the
inside tip of
finger 104 may also be trimmed, or tapered, or chamfered as at 115. The angle
or size of the
chamfer or relief at 115 , designated as a115, is steeper, i.e., smaller, than
the size of angle
ct107 of the chamfer or relief of wall 114. That is, whereas wall 114 may be
angled at 10 ¨ 20
degrees, from vertical, the relief at 115 may be more than 20 degrees, and may
be about 24 or
25 degrees. Lower reaction member 102 may extend in a vertical plane, P102.
Upper
reaction member 100 may extend in a vertical plane P100. Planes P102 and P100
may be
parallel and spaced apart, with upper reaction member 100 being more distant
from back 82
than is lower reaction member 102. They may be spaced apart by a distance
corresponding
to the through thickness of the upstanding leg of angle iron 46.
The overall height of seat 94 may be taken from the vertical shear transfer
receiving
interface of shoulder 96 to the uppermost extremity of slot 107, and is
indicated as h94 in
Figure lb. In this embodiment, shelf angle 46 is mounted at a height that
corresponds
generally to the height of the attachment interface of back 82 to the load-
bearing support wall
structure. This may be expressed several ways. First, it may be expressed in
the relative
squareness of the mounting bracket when seen in side view, as in Figures lb
and 2b. In this
embodiment the most distant extremity of toe 108 is the same distance from
back 82 as is the
most distant extremity of finger 104. That distance, y108, may be comparable
to the overall
height of member 50, indicated as 152. It may be that the ratio z52/ y108 may
lie in the range:
2/3 <152/ Y108 < 3/2. As another measure of squareness, the lateral projection
of fastener 54
falls between the upper and lower boundaries of seat 94. Expressed differently
again, the
projection of the y-direction of mounting fitting 90, namely slot 92, falls
within the
projection of seat 94 in the y-direction. This may be expressed equivalently
as the projection
of seat 94 in the y-direction including the footprint of the mounting fitting.
Either of those
conditions also implies that the y-direction projection of shelf angle 46 also
falls upon the
mounting fitting footprint. As another expression of the squareness, it may be
said that seat
94 lies opposite to mounting fitting 92, or generally substantially or
predominantly in line
with mounting fitting 92, as opposed to being offset downwardly therefrom as
in the
apparatus shown of Figures 6a ¨ 6d, discussed below.
The brick support defined by angle iron 46 may include a mounting flange which
engages anchor bracket 50, and a supporting flange arranged to carry bricks.
The mounting
flange and the supporting flange may typically be mounted at right angles to
form an L-
shaped angle iron, typically made of steel. As in Figure 3a, angle iron 46 has
a first or
horizontal leg 116 and a second or vertical leg 118. Horizontal leg 116
extends forwardly (in
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the +y direction) away from vertical leg 118, and hence on installation also
forwardly and
away from bracket 52. Horizontal leg 116 runs along the wall structure in the
x-direction.
Typically the running length of the angle iron is much greater than the
horizontal leg length.
For example, in one embodiment the running length may be 72 inches, while the
leg of the
angle may be 6 inches or less. In various embodiments the x:y aspect ratio of
lengths may be
in the range of 4:1 to 16:1. Bracket 52 may be cut to length as may suit. As
installed, the
length of leg 118 proud of the end of toe 108 in the y-direction may have a
length
corresponding to the depth in the y-direction of the facing members to be
supported. In the
case of face brick, that length corresponds to the depth of the face brick. In
some
embodiments it may be somewhat less than the depth of the face brick to permit
the iron to
be less noticeably visible, as in Figure la, or to be hidden, as in the
embodiment of Figures
6a ¨ 6d.
In the embodiment of Figure la, vertical leg 118 has an accommodation, slot,
aperture, socket, or relief, or reliefs 120, 122 spaced upwardly from the
junction of members
116 and 118. The lower margin of reliefs 120, 122 may be located at or above
the run-off of
the rolled radius between members 116 and 118, i.e., in the tangent portion of
the vertical
leg, rather than in the radius. Reliefs 120, 122 are sized to receive the
dogs, or toes 108 of
web members 84 or 86. They are over-sized in the x-direction to permit lateral
adjustment of
bracket 52, as, for example, according to the fastener position along inclined
slots 92. For
half inch thick legs, the slot may be 2.5 inches wide, giving, potentially,
one inch play to
either side of center. The height of the slot may be slightly oversize to
permit rotating
installation of bracket 52. The vertical through thickness of each toe 108 may
be 1" or more.
In the engagement of toe or dog 108 in accommodation or relief 120 or 122, as
may
be, it may be that the lowermost margin of leg 84 (or 86) does not extend
lower than (i.e.,
downwardly proud of) the bottom of horizontal leg 116, such that no additional
vertical
clearance allowance is required for toe 108, meaning that the toe is concealed
behind the
external veneer and the bottom edge of the lowest course of bricks may be
lower than
otherwise. Expressed differently, in terms of a seating arrangement of
structural members,
second member 50 may be considered to be the receiving member, and first
member 44 may
be considered to be the received member. In the arrangement of Figures la, lb,
and 3a to 3e,
the received member is flush with, or extends downwardly proud of, the
lowermost portion
or extremity of the receiving member and may tend to conceal the receiving
member from
view. The engagement of the receiving and received members is a mechanical
interlocking
relationship that is biased into securement by gravity acting on the load.
That is, while the
angle iron may be adjustable and engageable while unloaded, the loading of
bricks or other
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surface elements may tend to increase the moment couple on the angle iron,
such as may tend
to tighten the hold of the moment couple reaction members of the receiving
member.
The receiving slot 107 slidably receives an edge portion of the mounting
flange of leg
118 therein such that the brick support remains secured to the anchoring
bracket 46 when a
weight of bricks is stacked on the supporting flange of leg 116. The rearward
edge 114 of
receiving slot 107 extends upward at a slight rearward incline for
accommodating the edge
portion of the mounting flange of leg 118 as it is inserted therein. A wedge
shaped shim may
then be inserted between the distal tip of leg 118 and the rearward edge 114
such as to lock
the assembly in tight engagement.
The received member, such as the shelf angle identified as angle iron 46, is
itself a
receiving member, or accommodation, for the externally visible facing
elements, and as the
facing elements are received, rearward structure such as bracket 52 is
obscured from view.
The received member need not be an angle iron, and whether or not it is an
angle iron, is
need not have a 90 degree angle. In more general terms, the received member
has a first
portion that defines a seat or bench, or accommodation, or support, or
platform or under-
girding, or shelf, for the externally visible facing members, hence the term
"shelf angle". It
is a form of sill. The received member also has a second portion that engages
the receiving
member such that vertical load from the received member is transmitted or
carried into the
receiving member and thence into the load-bearing supporting structure. In
that sense the
second portion can be thought of as an engagement fitting, or key, or inter-
locking feature, or
indexing feature, that mates with the receiving member. It happens that an L-
shaped angle
iron may be a convenient form having these properties.
In the embodiment shown in Figure la, inasmuch as each leg 84, 86 may pass
through the wall insulation panels 56, each leg may also have an array of
apertures as at 124,
such as may reduce the section for heat transfer in the y-direction. In some
embodiments
apertures 124 may be non-circular, and may have an oval, oblong, or elliptical
form. The
form of aperture may have a long axis and a short axis. The long axis may be
inclined at an
angle to the perpendicular. In one embodiment the angle of inclination may be
about 45
degrees. The interstitial strips 126 between adjacent apertures may
tend to be
correspondingly inclined on a generally diagonal angle. On the diagonal angle,
the diagonal
may be oriented from outwardly and downwardly to upwardly and inwardly, i.e.,
the mean
slope dz/dy in Figure lb is negative. As such, a vertical load imposed at
interface 96 may
tend to place members 126 in tension, or to impose a tensile load component in
them.
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In the alternate embodiment of Figures 5a and 5b there is a first member of a
support
assembly, identified as bracket 128. Bracket 128 has a back 130, and first and
second legs
131, 132, the legs and the back being joined together to for a U-shaped
channel as indicated.
In this instance the seat for the shelf angle may be defined by a slot 134 and
the uppermost
end 135 of an upwardly extending finger 136. In this example, the shelf angle
(not shown,
but understood to be the same as, or similar to, shelf angle 162, below) may
seat in an
inverted orientation, with the back web extending downward into the slot, and
the root of the
horizontal flange being supported on ends 135 of fingers136. The ends of
fingers 136 are
vertically shy of the upper edge 133 of the proximal portion of legs 131, 132
such that, on
installation, the upwardly facing surface of the horizontal flange of the
inverted shelf angle
may lie flush with edges 133. Ends 135 may define the shear load receiving
interface. Given
the downward vertical loading orientation of the accommodations defined by
slots 134, slots
134 may be straight-sided, since they do not have to allow for angular
rotation upon entry.
Slots 134 may nonetheless define a moment-couple reaction interface such as
may tend to
react the eccentric moment due to loading on horizontal flange. Bracket 128
may have an
array of reliefs or apertures, as indicated at 138. Apertures 138 may be non-
circular, and
may have a major axis and a minor axis, as do the elliptical apertures shown
in Figures 5a
and 5b. As before, the major axis of the ellipse may be angled upwardly and
inwardly
toward back 130. Apertures 138 may correspond in number, size, spacing, angle,
and
arrangement to apertures 124 in Figures lb and 2b. Back 130 may have a
mounting fitting,
such as slot 129, which may be taken as being the same as slot 92 noted above.
As above,
bracket 128 has a general squareness when taking the ratio of z-direction
height to y-
direction depth, falling in the same range as member 50 discussed above.
Likewise, the seat
defined by slot 134 has the same y-direction relationship of projection
relative to slot 129, the
slot being opposed or generally in line with the mounting fitting. Whether
upright, as in
Figures la and lb, or inverted, as in the embodiment of Figures 5a and 5b, the
shelf angle
and bracket assembly may employ apertures to reduce thermal conductivity
through the
bracket in the y-direction.
Support assemblies 26 need not be located only at the lowermost course of
facing
elements. As seen in Figures 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d, such assemblies may be
located at
intermediate height locations, where there are bricks both above and below the
support bench
defined by the horizontal leg of the shelf angle. Such intermediate height
locations may
occur at horizontal control joints, which may typically be employed in non-
residential
structures having wall heights in excess of 30 ft. A shelf angle may then be
used for each
successive storey. Whatever the case may be, the height of the structure to
which the support
CA 02872780 2014-12-01
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assembly may be mounted may not necessarily be the height of the structure at
which the
shelf angle is to be located. As suggested by the illustrations in Figures 6a
¨ 6d, there may
be circumstances when the shelf angle is to be located some distance below the
level of the
securement to load-bearing structure.
Considering Figure 6a, structural load-bearing wall assembly 140 may have
steel
framing 142 and a floor slab 144. A hard-point, or rail, 146 is located at the
end of floor slab
144. A mounting fitting 148 is secured to rail 146. An external facing veneer
assembly is
identified as 150. Veneer assembly 150 has a horizontal expansion joint 152.
Veneer
assembly 150 is connected to wall assembly 140 by a vertical load transfer
assembly 160
that, as before, includes a first member 162 and a second member 164. First
member 162
may be the received member, and may be a shelf angle. The shelf angle may have
a first
portion identified as horizontal leg 166 and a second portion identified as
upright leg 168.
The shelf angle, and in particular horizontal leg 166, may be located at the
position of
horizontal expansion joint 152, such that it bears the vertical load of that
portion of wall
assembly 150 extending upwardly thereof.
Second member 164 may be the receiving member with which it co-operates, and
may be a channel-shaped bracket 170. As before, the receiving member 164 is
rigidly
secured to the load bearing wall structure, namely wall assembly 150. On
installation, the
back of bracket 170 lies in facing abutment against the load bearing wall
structure in the
same manner, or substantially the same manner, as member 50 described above,
and where
the wall is vertical, bracket 170 is correspondingly vertical. The load output
interface of
vertical load transfer assembly 160, namely the connection to the load bearing
wall, is
located at a first height, identified as H164. The load input interface of
assembly 160, at
which the vertical load of the external veneer or cladding is received at leg
166, is identified
as a second height, 11166. The first height is substantially higher than the
second height. That
is, H162 lies at a level that is below the height of the bottom margin of the
floor slab, and at a
height that is more than two brick courses (i.e., more than 6") below H164.
Side web or leg
172 of channel or bracket 170 is much deeper in the z-direction (see H172)
than is the depth of
the accommodation for the shelf angle, i.e., first member 162, identified as
11168.
In the embodiment of Figure 6a, second member 164 may have substantially the
same
mounting arrangement and adjustability as back 82 of bracket 46. The receiving
seat or
accommodation may differ, though. That is, there may be a vertical load
reaction member, in
the nature of a protruding toe 174 having an upper shoulder or side, or face,
upon which shelf
angle 162 rests. A relief or slot, or rebate, or accommodation 176 may extend
upwardly
CA 02872780 2014-12-01
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therefrom, the slot being bounded by a first wall or vertex, or abutment 178
that defines the
first moment couple reaction interface. At the upwardly distant end of
accommodation 176
there is an overhanging, downwardly extending finger 180, the overhang being
spaced away
forwardly by a gap defining a slot 182 sized to fit the upper margin of the
angle iron leg. The
inner face or side of finger 180 defines the second moment couple resisting
interface 184.
In the embodiment of Figure 6b, insulation 182 is located in the space between
load-
bearing wall assembly 140 and veneer assembly 150. Bracket 184 is may be
understood to
be the same as bracket 164, except insofar as, in the manner of the embodiment
of Figure la,
web 186 of bracket 184 is perforated as at 188 to reduce the conduction heat
transfer path
width across the bracket.
In the embodiment of Figure 6c, bracket 190 is substantially the same as
bracket 46,
except of greater vertical extent in the manner of bracket 164; or,
equivalently, bracket 190 is
substantially the same as bracket 184 except in respect of having a receiving
seat 192 that
corresponds to the receiving seat of bracket 46. In this embodiment, first
member 194 may
be taken as being the same as first member 44 in having apertures or reliefs
120, 122 in the
upstanding leg that engage with the protruding toes 108 of the various spaced
bracket. It
may be that such an embodiment may be desirable where the shelf angle forms a
header or
sill over a window or door opening or window or door installation, as at 196.
The embodiment of Figure 6d is substantially the same as the embodiment of
Figure
5a, except insofar as it shows a vertical load transfer assembly 200 in which
the receiving
load transfer member, or bracket, 202 is of greater length than in Figure 5a,
such as may be
suitable where the expansion joint (or window header or door header) is more
distant from
the floor plate to which the assembly is anchored. The embodiment of Figure 5d
may also be
modified to correspond to the embodiments of Figures 5b and 5c, as may be.
In each of Figures 6a ¨ 6d, if one defines a load center at the vertical load
input
interface of the seat, notionally C174 and another load center at the
connection point, or
centroid, of the fastening connection or connections to the load-bearing wall
structure,
notionally C164, the line of action constructed between those centers extends
upwardly and
toward the load-bearing structure. That line of action is predominantly
upwardly oriented,
i.e., the rise is greater than the run, as suggested by the ratio of
164Rise/174Run. This may also
be expressed in terms of the hanging, non-square nature of the mounting
brackets of Figures
6a ¨ 6d. In these embodiments the y-direction projection of the seat does not
fall on the
footprint of the mounting fitting, but rather falls well below it. The seat is
not in line with the
CA 02872780 2014-12-01
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mounting fitting. On the contrary, the seat is downwardly displaced from the
centerline of
the mounting fitting at C164 by several pitches of the magnitude of the seat
height, H168. This
downward offset of seat 168 (or, from the other perspective, upward offset of
fitting 148) is
more than one pitch of the seat height, and may be up to 6 or 8 pitches, or
may lie in the
range of 2 to 8 pitches of the seat height.
In each of the embodiments of Figures 6a ¨ 6d it may be that the receiving
member,
such as 170, may be a bracket having a channel-shaped cross-section when
viewed from
above, that cross section being substantially similar to, or the same as, that
of member 50
such as illustrated in Figure lc or 2a. However, in an alternate embodiment,
the receiving
member, corresponding to item 170, may have a single web standing outwardly
away from
the supporting load-bearing wall structure. The web may be aligned on the
center-line of the
fastening mount at item 148. In some embodiments the receiving member may be
an angle
bracket having a flange that locates in facing abutment against the wall
structure, and a web
that stands perpendicular to the wall structure.
In each case the general description of installation and use is substantially
the same.
That is, a brick support in the form of a standard size shelf angle is mounted
across the wall
on the anchoring brackets. The anchoring brackets are first bolted to the wall
by securing the
bolts loosely by hand. The brick support is then mounted on the anchoring
brackets by
inserting a edge portion of the mounting flange 118 upward into the receiving
slot 92 of each
anchoring bracket 52 (or as may be) at an incline and then by pivoting the
supporting flange
inward until the mounting flange engages the rearward edge of seat 94. The
rearward edge at
102 prevents the brick support from being further pivoted within the recessed
channel under
the increasing moment couple as the weight of the bricks is applied to the
brick support. The
bolts are then tightened snugly and the wedge shaped shims may be inserted to
suit.
Until the nuts on the respective bolts are tightened, the relative height of
each
anchoring bracket is adjustable by sliding the anchoring bracket laterally
along the brick
support as the anchoring bracket is moved upward or downward relative to the
bolt extending
from the wall. This lateral movement of the anchoring bracket relative to the
brick support
with the adjustment in height is due to the inclination of the fastener slot
from the vertical.
Once the nuts are tightened on the bolts the brick support is secured to the
load-
bearing wall structure, and bricks may be supported thereon. The inclination
of the fastener
slot from the vertical acts to inhibit vertical displacement of the anchoring
bracket along the
mounting bolt through the resistance of the lateral movement of the anchoring
bracket along
CA 02872780 2014-12-01
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the brick support. Having anchoring brackets of opposing orientation mounted
adjacent to
each other further restricts the entire brick anchor system from shifting
positions relative to
the wall once the bolts are tightened.
The relative location of the anchoring brackets remains adjustable as the
brick support
is mounted thereon for accommodating irregularities in the wall or
misalignment between
adjacent anchoring brackets. Once the brick support is securely fastened to
the wall further
vertical displacement of the anchoring brackets is inhibited by the resistance
of lateral
movement of the anchoring brackets relative to the brick support due to the
arrangement of
the fastener slot.
A shim plate which is substantially similar in size to the anchoring bracket,
mounts
between each anchoring bracket and the outer face of the wall for evenly
engaging the
concrete surface and for spacing each anchoring bracket from the wall as
desired to
accommodate for irregularities in the outer face of the wall.
Various embodiments of the invention have been described in detail. Since
changes in
and or additions to the above-described best mode may be made without
departing from the
nature, spirit or scope of the invention, the invention is not to be limited
to those details but only
by the appended claims.
