Collar for a wall anchor

Abstract

A wall anchor for use in a cavity wall that connects to a veneer tie to join an inner wythe and an outer wythe of the cavity wall includes an elongate body and a collar. The elongate body has a driven end and a driving end and defines a longitudinal axis extending between the driven and driving ends. The collar connects to the veneer tie. The collar includes a body mounting portion mounted on the elongate body. The body mounting portion defines an aperture through which the elongate body extends and includes a first aperture forming portion and a second aperture forming portion. The first and second aperture forming portions define at least a portion of the aperture through which the elongate body extends. The first and second aperture forming portions are longitudinally offset with respect to one another along the longitudinal axis of the elongate body.

1 . A wall anchor for use in a cavity wall that connects to a veneer tie to join an inner wythe and an outer wythe of the cavity wall, the wall anchor comprising:
 an elongate body having a driven end and a driving end, the elongate body defining a longitudinal axis extending from the driven end to the driving end, the driven end being configured to connect to the inner wythe of the cavity wall; and   a collar configured to connect to the veneer tie, the collar including a body mounting portion mounted on the elongate body adjacent to the driving end and defining an aperture through which the elongate body extends, the body mounting portion including a first aperture forming portion and a second aperture forming portion, the first and second aperture forming portions defining at least a portion of the aperture through which the elongate body extends, the first and second aperture forming portions being longitudinally offset with respect to one another along the longitudinal axis of the elongate body, the first aperture forming portion being formed as a single layer of metal having an internal surface facing toward the longitudinal axis, the collar including a first void radially opposite the internal surface of the first aperture forming portion, the second aperture forming portion being formed as a single layer of metal having an internal surface facing toward the longitudinal axis, the collar including a second void opposite the internal surface of the second aperture forming portion.   
     
     
         2 . The wall anchor of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second aperture forming portions are disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The wall anchor of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second aperture forming portions are longitudinally spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal axis such that the first and second aperture forming portions define a longitudinal gap there-between. 
     
     
         4 . The wall anchor of  claim 1 , wherein the body mounting portion further comprises a third aperture forming portion defining at least a portion of the aperture through which the elongate body extends, the third aperture forming portion being longitudinally offset with respect to at least one of the first and second aperture forming portions along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         5 . The wall anchor of  claim 4 , wherein the third aperture forming portion is longitudinally offset with respect to both the first and second aperture forming portions. 
     
     
         6 . The wall anchor of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second aperture forming portions are longitudinally spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal axis such that the first and second aperture forming portions define a first longitudinal gap there-between and wherein the second and third aperture forming portions are longitudinally spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal axis such that the second and third aperture forming portions define a second longitudinal gap there-between. 
     
     
         7 . The wall anchor of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second aperture forming portions are disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and wherein the first and third aperture forming portions are disposed on the same side of the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         8 . The wall anchor of  claim 1 , wherein the collar and elongate body are free to rotate with respect to each other about the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         9 . The wall anchor of  claim 1 , wherein the collar further comprises first and second wings connected to the body mounting portion, each wing extending from the body mounting portion in a direction that is away from the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         10 . The wall anchor of  claim 9 , wherein each wing defines a connecting aperture configured to receive a portion of a veneer tie to connect the veneer tie to the collar. 
     
     
         11 . The wall anchor of  claim 1 , wherein the collar is formed as a single piece of material. 
     
     
         12 . The wall anchor of  claim 11 , wherein the aperture forming portions are deformations of the single piece of material. 
     
     
         13 . A collar that connects a veneer tie to an elongate body of a wall anchor to join an inner wythe and an outer wythe of the cavity wall, the collar comprising:
 a body mounting portion configured to be mounted onto the elongate body adjacent an end of the elongate body, the body mounting portion defining an aperture configured to receive the elongate body, the aperture defining a central axis that extends through the aperture, the body mounting portion including a first aperture forming portion and a second aperture forming portion, the first and second aperture forming portions defining at least a portion of the aperture configured to receive the elongate body, the first and second aperture forming portions being longitudinally offset with respect to one another along the central axis of the aperture, the first aperture forming portion being formed as a single layer of metal having an internal surface facing toward the longitudinal axis, the collar including a first void radially opposite the internal surface of the first aperture forming portion, the second aperture forming portion being formed as a single layer of metal having an internal surface facing toward the longitudinal axis, the collar including a second void opposite the internal surface of the second aperture forming portion; and   at least one wing connected to the body mounting portion and configured to connect to the veneer tie, the at least one wing being formed by a single layer of metal.   
     
     
         14 . The collar of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second aperture forming portions are disposed on opposite sides of the central axis. 
     
     
         15 . The collar of  claim 14 , wherein the body mounting portion further comprises a third aperture forming portion defining at least a portion of the aperture through which the elongate body extends, the third aperture forming portion being longitudinally offset with respect to both of the first and second aperture forming portions along the central axis, the third aperture forming portion being on the same side of the central axis as the first aperture forming portion. 
     
     
         16 . The collar of  claim 15 , wherein the collar is formed form a single piece of sheet metal and the first, second and third aperture forming portions are deformations of the sheet metal. 
     
     
         17 . A method of making a collar that connects a veneer tie to an elongate body of a wall anchor, the method comprising:
 cutting a collar blank from a sheet of metal;   deforming outwardly in a first direction from a remainder of the collar blank a first aperture forming portion;   deforming outwardly in a second direction opposite the first direction from the reminder of the collar blank a second aperture forming portion at a location on the collar blank so that as deformed from the collar blank the first and second aperture forming portions are aligned to define an aperture having a central axis, the first and second aperture forming portions being offset from each other along the central axis and the aperture being sized and shaped to receive the elongate body therethrough along the central axis for mounting the collar on the elongate body, the first and second aperture forming portions each being formed by a single layer of the sheet of metal;   forming a structure on the collar blank configured to connect the veneer tie to the collar, the structure including a single layer of the sheet of metal.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising deforming in the first direction from the remainder of the collar blank a third aperture forming portion at a location on the collar blank so that as deformed from the collar blank the first, second and third aperture forming portions are aligned to define the aperture, the first, second and third aperture forming portions being offset from each other along the central axis of the aperture. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein forming structure on the collar blank to connect to the veneer tie to the collar comprises punching an opening in the blank at a location spaced radially from the first, second and third aperture forming portions. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the steps of deforming the collar blank to form the first, second and third aperture forming portions occur simultaneously.