Thin stone or thin brick veneer wall system and clips therefor

Abstract

A wall system, particularly for thin stone or thin brick veneer walls, has a plurality of stones or bricks with grooves running along the upper and lower edges and a plurality of clips for linking the stones or bricks. One type of clip having one or more connecting flanges links an upper stone or brick to a lower stone or brick with the one or more connecting flanges housed within the groove in the lower edge of the upper stone or brick and within the groove in the upper edge of the lower stone or brick. The one or more connecting flanges of the clip depend from one or more base flanges of the clip and have a width just equal to the distance from the rear face to the groove of the upper and lower stones or bricks. The one or more base flanges of the clip depend from a support flange of the clip. The support flange has one or more apertures for accepting a screw or nail for fastening the clip to a structural wall.

1 . A thin stone or thin brick wall system comprising: 
 (a) a plurality of stone or brick facing elements, each facing element having a weight, a thickness, an upper edge and a lower edge, 
 the upper edge, the lower edge or both the upper and lower edges of each facing element having a groove running along the edge at a distance from a rear face of the facing element, the groove having a length, a width and a depth; and,  
   (b) a plurality of clips for linking the facing elements, 
 the plurality of clips comprising one or more first clips for linking upper facing elements to lower facing elements,  
 each of the first clips having one or more connecting flanges housed within the groove in the lower edge of one of the upper facing elements and within the groove in the upper edge of one of the lower facing elements,  
 the one or more connecting flanges of the first clip depending from one or more base flanges of the first clip,  
 the one or more base flanges of the first clip depending from a support flange of the first clip, the support flange having one or more apertures for accepting fastening means for fastening the first clip to a structural wall, and  
 the one or more base flanges having a width just equal to the distance from the rear face to the groove of the upper and lower facing elements.  
   
   
   
       2 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the first clip has a length less than half the length of the groove to permit positioning of the first clip at any one of a plurality of positions along the groove.  
   
   
       3 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more connecting flanges of each of the first clips do not bottom-out in the grooves so that the weight of the upper facing elements is borne by the base flanges of the first clips.  
   
   
       4 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more apertures in the support flange is one aperture.  
   
   
       5 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more base flanges of the first clip comprises first and second base flanges, the first and second base flanges depending from the support flange of the first clip to provide a mortar joint between the first and second base flanges, and wherein the one or more connecting flanges of the first clip comprises an upwardly depending flange depending from the first base flange and a downwardly depending flange depending from the second base flange.  
   
   
       6 . The wall system of  claim 5 , wherein the mortar joint has a spacing of about 10 mm.  
   
   
       7 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more base flanges of the first clip comprises one base flange, and wherein the one or more connecting flanges of the first clip comprises an upwardly depending flange and a downwardly depending flange, the upwardly and downwardly depending flanges depending from the one base flange.  
   
   
       8 . The wall system of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of facing elements have front faces with beveled edges.  
   
   
       9 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stone or brick facing elements comprises detail pieces, and wherein the plurality of clips comprises one or more sill clips for retaining the detail pieces, 
 each sill clip having a connecting flange that is housed within a groove in an edge of one or more of the detail pieces,    the connecting flange of the sill clip depending from a first base flange of the sill clip,    the first base flange of the sill clip depending from a support flange of the sill clip,    the support flange of the sill clip having one or more apertures for accepting fastening means for fastening the sill clip to the structural wall.    
   
   
       10 . The wall system of  claim 9 , wherein the sill clip comprises a second base flange depending from the support flange of the sill clip to thereby provide a mortar joint between the first and second base flanges.  
   
   
       11 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of clips comprises one or more starter strips for supporting facing elements, 
 each starter strip having an upwardly depending flange that is housed within the groove in the lower edge of one or more of the facing elements,    the upwardly depending flange of the starter strip depending from a base flange of the starter strip,    the base flange of the starter strip depending from a support flange of the starter strip,    the support flange of the starter strip having one or more apertures for accepting fastening means for fastening the starter strip to the structural wall,    the base flange of the starter strip having a width greater than the distance from the rear faces to the grooves of the facing elements, and    the starter strip having a length long enough to span two or more facing elements arranged side-by-side.    
   
   
       12 . The wall system of  claim 11 , wherein the base flange of the starter strip has one or more drainage holes.  
   
   
       13 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of facing elements have first and second side edges, one or more of the first and second side edges have side grooves therein for receiving the one or more connecting flanges of one or more of the first clips for linking the facing elements side-by-side.  
   
   
       14 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the facing elements is a one-piece corner facing element comprising a first part having a first outer face attached to a second part having a second outer face, the first outer face at right angles to the second outer face.  
   
   
       15 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of clips are made of stainless steel.  
   
   
       16 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of each facing element is about 1.25 inches.  
   
   
       17 . The wall system of  claim 16 , wherein the weight of each facing element is less than about 15 lbs/square foot.  
   
   
       18 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein the structural wall comprises sheet material, and wherein the support flanges of the first clips are fastened to the sheet material.  
   
   
       19 . The wall system of  claim 18  further comprising vertical drainage board between the sheet material and the plurality of facing elements.  
   
   
       20 . The wall system of  claim 19  further comprising weather-resisting wall wrap between the drainage board and the sheet material.  
   
   
       21 . The wall system of  claim 20  further comprising a fabric layer between the drainage board and the plurality of facing elements.  
   
   
       22 . The wall system of  claim 21 , wherein the structural wall comprises wood studs on which the sheet material is mounted.  
   
   
       23 . A clip for linking first and second stone or brick facing elements in a thin stone or thin brick wall system, each facing element having a weight, a thickness, an upper edge and a lower edge, the first facing element having a groove in the lower edge thereof, the second facing element having a groove in the upper edge thereof, each groove running along its respective edge at a distance from a rear face of its respective facing element, each groove having a length, a width and a depth, the clip comprising: 
 (a) one or more connecting flanges housable within the groove in the lower edge of the first facing element and within the groove in the upper edge of one of the second facing elements;    (b) the one or more connecting flanges depending at right angles from one or more base flanges;    (c) the one or more base flanges depending at right angles from a support flange, the support flange having one or more apertures for accepting fastening means for fastening the clip to a structural wall; and,    (d) the one or more base flanges having a width just equal to the distance from the rear face to the groove of each facing element.    
   
   
       24 . The clip of  claim 23  having a length less than half the length of each groove to permit positioning of the clip at any one of a plurality of positions along the grooves.  
   
   
       25 . The clip of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more connecting flanges do not bottom-out in the grooves so that the weight of the first facing element is borne by one of the one or more base flanges of the clip.  
   
   
       26 . The clip of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more apertures in the support flange is one aperture.  
   
   
       27 . The clip of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more base flanges comprise first and second base flanges, the first and second base flanges depending at right angles from the support flange to provide a mortar joint between the first and second base flanges, and wherein the one or more connecting flanges comprises an upwardly depending flange depending at a right angle from the first base flange and a downwardly depending flange depending at a right angle from the second base flange.  
   
   
       28 . The clip of  claim 27 , wherein the mortar joint has a spacing of about 10 mm.  
   
   
       29 . The clip of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more base flanges comprise one base flange depending at a right angle from the support flange, and wherein the one or more connecting flanges comprises an upwardly depending flange and a downwardly depending flange depending at right angles from the one base flange.  
   
   
       30 . The clip of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more base flanges comprises a cylindrical base flange depending at a right angle from the support flange, and wherein the one or more connecting flanges comprises a circular flange depending outwardly at a right angle from the cylindrical base flange.  
   
   
       31 . The clip of  claim 23  made of stainless steel.  
   
   
       32 . A sill clip for retaining a detail piece in a thin stone or thin brick wall system, the detail piece being a stone or brick facing element, the facing element having a thickness and an edge, the edge having a groove therein running along the edge at a distance from a rear face of the facing element, the groove having a length, a width and a depth, the sill clip comprising: 
 (a) a connecting flange that is housable within the groove in the edge of the facing elements;    (b) the connecting flange depending at a right angle from a first base flange;    (c) the first base flange depending at a right angle from a support flange, the support flange oriented upwardly;    (d) the support flange having one or more apertures for accepting fastening means for fastening the sill clip to a structural wall;    (e) the first base flange having a width just equal to the distance from the rear face to the groove of the facing element; and,    
   
   
       33 . The sill clip of  claim 32  having a length less than half the length of the groove to permit positioning of the sill clip at any one of a plurality of positions along the groove.  
   
   
       34 . The sill clip of  claim 32  further comprising a second base flange depending at a right angle from the support flange to thereby provide a mortar joint between the first and second base flanges.  
   
   
       35 . The sill clip of  claim 34 , wherein the mortar joint has a spacing of about 10 mm.  
   
   
       36 . The sill clip of  claim 32 , wherein the one or more apertures in the support flange is one aperture.  
   
   
       37 . The sill clip of  claim 32  made of stainless steel.  
   
   
       38 . A starter strip for supporting stone or brick facing elements in a thin stone or thin brick wall system, each facing element having a weight, a thickness and an edge, the edge having a groove therein running along the edge at a distance from a rear face of the facing elements, the groove having a length, a width and a depth, the starter strip comprising: 
 (a) a linking flange that is housed within the groove in the edge of one or more of the facing elements;    (b) the linking flange depending from a base flange;    (c) the base flange depending from a support flange; the support flange having one or more apertures for accepting fastening means for fastening the starter strip to a structural wall; the base flange having a width greater than the distance from the rear faces to the grooves of the facing elements; and,    (d) the starter strip having a length long enough to span two or more adjacent facing elements.    
   
   
       39 . The starter strip of  claim 38 , wherein the base flange has one or more drainage holes.  
   
   
       40 . The starter strip of  claim 38 , wherein the one or more apertures in the support flange are two or more apertures.  
   
   
       41 . The starter strip of  claim 38 , wherein the linking flange has a height that does not bottom-out in the groove.  
   
   
       42 . The starter strip of  claim 38  made of stainless steel.