A form for curable construction materials, comprising an elongated, substantially planar wall having a selected thickness, the wall having inner and outer surfaces, a flange region extending from the wall, the flange region having a flange substantially running the length of the wall, wherein a bore substantially running the length of the wall is formed adjacent the wall and the flange, the flange region further having first and second angled surfaces extending therefrom, wherein a channel extending to the bore is formed between the first and second angled surfaces, wherein one form may be assembled with other forms using pins inserted into respective bores to create a containment system for construction materials.
This invention is a containment system for loads of various types at the heart of which is a unique single and multiple gusseted buttressing system which has as its main purpose to strengthen very light weight materials to the point of usefulness in construction and transportation applications now requiring much heavier, expensive and more labor intensive materials. The concepts for some potential uses for the technology are more fully described below.
Concrete Footing Forms:
In this particular application our technology would be best described as a system for containment or formations, if you will, for cast-in-place concrete in both above and below grade applications to replace existing technology which now employs the use of wood, steel, aluminum or other permanent heavy, bulky, expensive and unwieldy devices and materials. In contrast our technology offers the “primary” benefits of a flexible, lightweight, foldable, field modifiable, fast and easily installable forming system constructed of cardboard, corrugated cardboard, corrugated fiberboard, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or any other material or combination of materials which provides the aforementioned benefits of being lightweight and flexible. The gusseted buttressing technology is a key concept in the utility of this invention and the ability of the technology design to provide strength, durability, ease of use, and stability. The forming material(s) would either be a moisture repelling material or be pretreated with moisture repelling technology to prevent absorption, before and during use, would be bent, scored, serrated and or perforated to facilitate “on the fly” field adjustments for dimension(s) and positioning to accommodate project designs and various cross-drainage tile configurations when used in below grade applications. Another key feature of this design for plastic or plasticized cardboard applications is the process of forming the positioning slots and holes which provide anchoring points for the staking re-rod material. The holes and slots are cut then formed into their final shape(s) through a combination of heat and pressure which crushes, pinches and fuses the substrate material in such a way that interior edging on the openings is bonded cohesively to form a grommet hole which will accommodate steel, brass or other metal grommet attachment(s) significantly strengthening the holes for durability and potential reuse. Additionally the forms include structural design(s) which facilitates the inclusion of a “stiffback” or bracing form such as but not limited to a “2×4” inch piece of lumber which adds strength to the design to better bear the vector force(s) of material poured into it. This sets in the upper one third of the height of the piece on the back side of the design hence the name stiffback.
The ergonomic, labor and cost saving secondary benefits of our design inure to the workers who currently must carry heavy forming materials into excavations or other sites, prepare, treat, oil, place and return days later to remove, clean and haul away for another use. Our technology provides the benefit of a “stay in place” option whereby all of the labor after the pours eliminated and the material left to deteriorate or decompose naturally. In the case of cardboard another option of “burn in place” is possible. Builders and general contractors will benefit from the cost savings this system provides since it is much less than methods now in common use. Setup can now be a one-person operation due to the folds, scores, bends, and the inherently lighter weight material. They will no doubt appreciate fewer on-the-job injuries and strains from heavier more cumbersome forms. Potential uses would encompass such projects as slabs of all types including basements, poured walls, driveways, patios, sidewalks, runways, tarmacs, water delivery systems etc.
Additional Pour-in-Place Products:
In cases where it might be necessary or desirable to pour parking lot curb stops on site or for foundation walls in basements or in other venues such as decorative gardening and landscape design where it may not be practical to deliver finished pieces or order cement delivered by truck, our technology includes a “form” or “mold” which can be used in conjunction with portable concrete machines for small jobs that will form and contain the pour in a lightweight material (size and shape can vary) until it sets. The form can then be removed and the object set or fastened in place. Lighting pole bases, flagpoles and the like may also be constructed by using this technology and simply “stacking” two or three forms to meet height requirement(s). The concrete may then be poured and allowed to cure in place before removing the form and discarding. Once again providing the unique ability to use lightweight, convenient, portable, inexpensive materials facilitated by the unique gusset and buttress design for strength and shape.
Trailer Box Container Form:
This use of our technology including all the previously mentioned folds, perforations, serrations, gussets, buttresses, dowels, cabling and retaining pins, collectively form a stable, strong shape out of various lightweight materials and in this use provides a container for such material as sand, loose gravel, pea rock etc., which lays on a trailer or truck bed such as a snowmobile-type or other open trailer forming an “immovable bed” for transport of the material while preempting spillage and load shifting.
The technology we seek to patent, license and/or sell to a manufacturer is not limited in scope to foundational concrete pours, but is more broadly described as an ultra-lightweight, portable, easily modifiable strengthening technology and containment system which conveys the benefits mentioned above with regard to empowering materials for uses not previously possible.
The first portion of a wall structure of an assembled containment system may have load-bearing structures selected from the group consisting of a stake, post, stick, dowel, channel, piece of angle iron, bar, reinforcing bar, rebar, rod, rerod, reinforcing wire, structure substantially extending below the surface of the ground and structure not substantially extending below the surface of the ground. This first portion of the wall structure is elongated and substantially flat. The second portion of a wall structure of an assembled containment system is shown (with seven load-bearing structures protruding “above” and “below” the second portion). The first and second portions together have a selected overall cross-sectional shape, wherein the selected cross-sectional shape is selected from the group consisting of substantially polygonal, triangular, rectangular, square, box, U-shape, W-shape, M-shape, Z-shape, T-shape, L-shape, J-shape, curved, arcuate, semicircular, and/or any combination thereof. Next in the photograph the connected first and second portions are shown, in “flat” form after fabrication and suitable for shipping multiple pieces in bulk. The first and second sections may be fabricated together as one component, and “connected” by a substantially continuous box seam for folding the sections. Alternatively, they may be connected along a line of serrations for folding the sections. Alternatively, they may be connected along a line of apertures, holes, or other features to facilitate folding the sections. Alternatively, the sections may separate prior to final assembly and be connected by fasteners such as metal or plastic rivets, clips, wires, nails, staples and/or nut-and-bolt combinations including pushnut/Palnut/Tinnerman nut-and-bolt combinations. The first and second portions are made from material(s) selected from the group consisting of cardboard, plastic foam, expanded foam sheeting, Styrofoam, closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam, expanded polystyrene foam, wood, natural wood, plywood, engineered wood product, engineered wood particle board, OSB, oriented strand board, sheathing, metal, polymer and plastic, and/or any combination thereof. The forms may be made (or made in part) using an extrusion process.
The form may be made of corrugated cardboards or corrugated fiberboards, although corrugated plastics or other materials or combinations of materials are also suitable.
A material composition such as cement, concrete, other aggregate mixtures, etc., may be poured within the containment region or space of the system. The form may be made of corrugated cardboards or corrugated fiberboards, although corrugated plastics or other materials or combinations of materials are also suitable.
A plurality of holes or apertures may accommodate the load-bearing structures used during final assembly of a wall structure. Multiple substantially in-line wall structures may be used to create forms of any desired overall length. These multiple wall structures may be “pinned” together at their ends by overlapping their respective end holes and securing them together with a common stake, section of rerod, section of rebar, etc.
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Flange region 20 further has first and second angled surfaces 25, 26, respectively, extending therefrom and running the length 22 of wall 12, wherein channel 27 which extends to bore 23 is formed between the first and second angled surfaces. The surfaces are angled relative to outer wall 18 and lower flange 21.
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The containment system and method(s) of using are further described as follows:
A method of using a containment system, comprising:
locating a first and second wall structures on a surface;
orienting the wall structures with respect to the surface;
orienting the wall structures with respect to each other, wherein substantially flat first portions of the wall structures substantially form a containment region or space;
substantially fixing the wall structures in their orientation to the surface and each other using a plurality of load-bearing structures in contact with the surface and/or the region below the surface and the wall structures; and
providing a pourable material composition within the containment region or space.
The method of using a containment system above, further comprising:
removing the wall structures and load-bearing structures after a selected time has elapsed.
The method of using a containment system above, further comprising:
removing the wall structures and load-bearing structures after the pourable material composition has substantially cured and/or hardened.
A containment system, comprising:
a sheet of cardboard;
a cardboard structure having first and second components, the first component being substantially flat, the second component not being substantially flat.
A containment system, comprising:
a wall structure having first and second portions, the first portion being elongated and substantially flat, the first and second portions having first and second selected thicknesses, respectively, the first and second portions together having or forming a selected overall cross-sectional shape;
wherein the selected cross-sectional shape is selected from the group consisting of substantially polygonal, triangular, rectangular, square, box, U-shape, W-shape, M-shape, Z-shape, T-shape, L-shape, J-shape, curved, arcuate, semicircular, and/or any combination thereof;
wherein the first and second portions are adjacent one another and connected to one another, the first and second portions further having first and second portion longitudinal, lateral and vertical axes, respectively;
wherein the wall structure is made from material(s) selected from the group consisting of cardboard, corrugated cardboard, corrugated fiberboard, corrugated plastic, plastic foam, expanded foam sheeting, Styrofoam, closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam, expanded polystyrene foam, wood, natural wood, plywood, engineered wood product, engineered wood particle board, OSB, oriented strand board, sheathing, metal, polymer and plastic, and/or any combination thereof;
a load-bearing structure, wherein the load-bearing structure is selected from the group consisting of a stake, post, stick, dowel, channel, piece of angle iron, bar, reinforcing bar, rebar, rod, rerod, reinforcing wire, structure substantially extending below the surface of the ground, structure not substantially extending below the surface of the ground;
further wherein the load-bearing structure is made from material(s) selected from the group consisting of metal, polymer, plastic, wood, and/or any combination thereof; and
wherein the load-bearing structure is engaged with/in contact with the wall structure.
A containment system, comprising:
a wall structure having first and second portions, the first portion being elongated and substantially flat, the first and second portions having first and second selected thicknesses, respectively, the first and second portions together having or forming a selected overall cross-sectional shape (or the second portion having or forming a selected cross-sectional shape);
wherein the selected cross-sectional shape is selected from the group consisting of substantially polygonal, triangular, rectangular, square, box, U-shape, W-shape, M-shape, Z-shape, T-shape, L-shape, J-shape, curved, arcuate, semicircular, and/or any combination thereof;
wherein the first and second portions are adjacent one another and connected to one another, the first and second portions further having first and second portion longitudinal, lateral and vertical axes, respectively;
wherein the wall structure is made from material(s) selected from the group consisting of cardboard, corrugated cardboard, corrugated fiberboard, corrugated plastic, plastic foam, expanded foam sheeting, Styrofoam, closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam, expanded polystyrene foam, wood, natural wood, plywood, engineered wood product, engineered wood particle board, OSB, oriented strand board, sheathing, metal, polymer and plastic, and/or any combination thereof;
a load-bearing structure, wherein the load-bearing structure is selected from the group consisting of a stake, post, stick, dowel, channel, piece of angle iron, bar, reinforcing bar, rebar, rod, rerod, reinforcing wire, structure substantially extending below the surface of the ground, structure not substantially extending below the surface of the ground;
further wherein the load-bearing structure is made from material(s) selected from the group consisting of metal, polymer, plastic, wood, and/or any combination thereof; and
wherein the load-bearing structure is engaged with/in contact with the wall structure.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the following claims.
This original utility patent application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/935,829, filed on Feb. 4, 2014. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/935,829 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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