Fastener assembly serving as a product, or combined with other components as a product, allows automatic controlled movements in one direction and prevents movements in the opposite direction when forces are applied

A fastener system for securing a building wall to a foundation, comprising:

• a) a fastener assembly for being operably attached to a building wall;
• b) a tie rod having one end for being anchored to a building foundation and another end secured to said fastener assembly;
• and
• c) said fastener assembly comprising:
• i) a first member disposed within a second member;
• ii) said tie rod being axially disposed through said first member;
• iii) one of said first and second members being fixed relative to said tie rod and another one of said first and second members being movable relative to said tie rod;
• iv) a nut secured to said tie rod;
• v) a coil spring disposed around said tie rod and between said nut and said another one of said first and second members;
• vi) said another one of said first and second members for being operably fixed to the wall;
• vii) said spring for operably biasing said another one of said first and second members against the wall;
• viii) said first and second members including first and second opposing cylindrical walls, respectively;
• ix) said first cylindrical wall including a plurality of first receiving volumes;
• x) said second cylindrical wall including a plurality of second receiving volumes;
• xi) a resilient member disposed between said first and second cylindrical walls, said resilient member is biased to occupy one of said first and second receiving volumes;
• xii) said first and second receiving volumes are configured in cross-section such that when said another one of said first and second members is axially moved downwardly relative to said one of said first and second members, said resilient member is shifted into and fully received within another one of said first and second volumes, thereby allowing further downward movement of said another one of said first and second members;
• and
• xiii) said first and second volumes are configured in cross-section such that when said another one of said first and second members is moved axially upwardly relative to said one of said first and second members, said resilient member is only partially received within said one of said first and second volumes, thereby precluding further upward movement of said another one of said first and second members.

A building, comprising:

• a) first, second and third floors and respective first, second and third ceilings;
• b) a foundation;
• c) a first stud wall extending between said second floor and said second ceiling;
• d) a second stud wall extending between said third floor and said third ceiling;
• e) a tie rod anchor anchored in said foundation;
• f) a series of interconnected tie rods having one end secured to said tie rod anchor, said interconnected tie rods extending within said first and second stud walls through said second and third floors;
• and
• g) said interconnected tie rods being secured at intermediate and end portions thereof to said first stud wall and said second stud wall, respectively.

A method for securing a building wall to a foundation, comprising:

• a) providing a tie rod that extends from a foundation to a position within the wall;
• b) anchoring one end of the tie rod to the foundation;
• c) anchoring an opposite end of the tie rod to the wall;
• and
• d) maintaining the tie rod under tension when a slack develops on the tie rod.

A fastener system for securing a building wall to a foundation, comprising:

• a) a plurality of fastener assemblies for being operably attached to a building wall;
• b) a tie rod passing through said fastener assembles, said tie rod having one end for being anchored to a building foundation;
• c) said fastener assemblies being secured along the length of said tie rod;
• and
• d) each fastener assembly comprising:
• i) a first cylindrical member disposed within a second cylindrical member;
• ii) said tie rod being axially disposed through said first cylindrical member;
• iii) one of said first and second cylindrical members being fixed relative to said tie rod and another one of said first and second cylindrical members for being fixed relative to the building wall;
• iv) said another one of said first and second cylindrical members being movable relative to said one of said first and second cylindrical members in a downward axial direction when the wall moves downwardly through said tie rod due to wall settlement;
• and
• v) said another one of said first and second cylindrical members being immovable relative to said one of said first and second cylindrical members in an upward axial direction thereby to prevent said another one of said first and second cylindrical members from returning to its original position.