Information
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Patent Grant
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6195956
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Patent Number
6,195,956
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Date Filed
Monday, December 28, 199825 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, March 6, 200123 years ago
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Inventors
-
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Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
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- 249 3
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- 249 8
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- 249 97
- 249 117
- 249 139
- 249 167
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- 249 160
- 249 163
- 052 7201
- 052 7312
- 052 7321
- 052 102
- 052 7452
- 264 138
- 264 163
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A process for pouring and finishing a concrete slab having a predetermined thickness. Concrete forms are arranged to define the periphery of the slab. Each form having a recessed top wall which serves to provide a support area for a temporary extended border portion of the slab with the border portion having a thickness less than the predetermined thickness of the slab. Concrete is poured within the area defined by the forms to a height determined by the upper edge of the form. The temporary extended border portion of the slab being supported by the recessed top wall. The concrete slab is surface finished across the top surface thereof, extending outwardly at least to the inner most portion of the temporary extended border portion of the slab. After the concrete has hardened, the forms are removed along with the temporary extended border portion as by cutting through the concrete along an inner vertical surface of the concrete forms.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to forms used to define the edges of a concrete platform, slab or the like, and which are generally removed after the concrete has set.
BACKGROUND
Traditionally, to define a perimeter of a given area to be poured with concrete, a “form board” or perimeter-stopping system using temporary forms is installed. One such temporary form is made of two inch thick (lumber dimension) boards, the widths of which correspond to the thickness of the slab desired, i.e., a four inch thick slab requires 2″×4″ boards, and a six inch thick slab requires 2″×6″ boards, etc. The boards are temporarily installed with forming stakes about the edges of the slab. The top edge of the boards is then set to the desired slab height (i.e., slab thickness) by laser beam or other appropriate site instrument. The concrete is then poured using the top edge of the perimeter forms as a reference. One disadvantage of this system, however, is that conventional concrete surface finishing machines are only able to finish within about six inches of the slab edge. As a result, the outer borders of the slab must be surface finished manually at considerable time and expense.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The product and process of this invention seeks to perform the same function as the above described traditional concrete form system, but with significantly less labor and greater accuracy. The new process involves basically moving the edges of the slab to a point six to eight inches beyond the actual desired perimeter edge. The unique concrete form in accordance with this invention allows the concrete to be placed on top of the form to a depth of about 1 to about 1½ inches, and six to eight inches beyond the desired perimeter edge of the slab. This extended border that is supported on the form becomes a temporary extended border which is disposable along with form. After the concrete is poured, a conventional surface finish machine is employed such to surface finish within about six to eight inches of the temporary extended edge, but at least to the actual desired perimeter edge. After the concrete has sufficiently hardened, a saw cut is made at the actual desired perimeter edge, through the reduced thickness border extension, and the form and along with the border extension are removed.
The concrete form in accordance with this invention may be made with any suitable but relatively inexpensive material, for example, corrugated laminated cardboard, plastic, metal or the like. The form is substantially box-like in shape, with a laterally outwardly extending flange which facilitates nailing or spiking of the form to the ground to hold the form in place about the perimeter of the slab to be poured. The form has an upper surface flush with an upper edge of one side wall but recessed relative to an upper edge of an opposite side wall to thereby provide a support for the temporary extended border of the slab. In addition, smooth dowel or stakes may be used in conjunction with the form to assist primarily in temporarily holding the form retention to the concrete after the concrete has been poured.
In a preferred arrangement, the form may include a rigid foam block which has a height dimension less than a corresponding predetermined thickness for the concrete slab to be poured. The foam block supports on its upper surface, a plastic angle plate including a horizontal portion seated on the upper surface of the foam block, and a vertical edge portion which defines the temporary extended border of the slab. The combined height of the foam block and the vertical plastic edge corresponds to the predetermined thickness of the slab. In this embodiment, the form can be anchored to the crown by one or more spikes driven through the plastic plate and the foam block, with the spike also serving to hold the plastic plate to the foam block.
Accordingly, in its broader aspects, the present invention relates to a concrete form having a first wall defining a height dimension corresponding to a predetermined thickness and a peripheral edge of a concrete slab, and a second wall transverse to the first wall for supporting a temporary extended border portion of the slab, the temporary extended border portion having a thickness less than the predetermined thickness of the slab and such that an upper surface of the slab including the temporary extended border portion is substantially flat and continuous.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a process for pouring and finishing a concrete slab having at least one peripheral edge and a predetermined thickness, the process comprising:
a) providing one or more concrete forms in an arrangement defining a periphery of the slab, the form having a recessed top wall providing a support area for a temporary extended border portion of the slab having a thickness less than the predetermined thickness;
b) pouring the concrete within the area defined by the form to a height determined by an upper edge of the form, and so that the temporary extended portion of the slab is supported on the recessed top wall;
c) surface finishing the concrete slab across the top surface thereof, extending outwardly at least to the innermost portion of the temporary extended border portion of the slab; and
d) after the concrete has hardened, removing the form along with the temporary extended border portion.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a partial side section view illustrating the concrete form construction in accordance with this invention secured in place and after pouring of a concrete slab;
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of a portion of the form similar to that illustrated in
FIG. 1
, but shown in isolation;
FIG. 3
is a side section view of a variation of the forms shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, but anchored to the ground and prior to concrete pouring; and
FIG. 4
is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
With reference now to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the concrete form
10
in accordance with this invention is intended to be utilized in the pouring of a concrete slab
12
. The slab may be square or rectangular, or any other shape but preferably (but not necessarily limited to) one which has a periphery defined by straight sides.
The concrete form
10
is preferably made of corrugated cardboard which may have laminations on opposite sides of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,238. Other suitable materials (e.g., plastic, metal, wood, etc.) may be employed, but it is advantageous if the materials are relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture. The form
10
includes a base
14
, a pair of side walls
16
,
18
, and an upper wall
20
, thereby forming a hollow, box-like shape. The upper wall
20
, however, is recessed relative to the height of side wall
18
by means of a substantially vertical folded back portion
22
of the side wall
18
. Side wall
18
also includes a horizontal bottom flange
24
which overlaps a portion of the base
14
and which is utilized to anchor the form to the ground by means of one or more spikes or nails
26
. The surface
20
is flush with the upper edge of side wall
16
, so as to provide a support for an extended concrete border portion as described further below. A smooth dowel
28
(having a length of, for example, 18 inches or longer) may be inserted through the form
10
as shown in
FIG. 1
so as to extend into the concrete pouring area in order to align and retain the form
10
along one side of the slab, as the concrete is poured and as it hardens.
With the form
10
in place as shown in
FIG. 1
, the concrete is poured to form slab
12
with a thickness of, e.g., six inches, and with a temporary extended border portion
30
supported on the top wall
20
of the form
10
, the height or thickness of which corresponds to the height of the folded back portion
22
of wall
18
, e.g., one to one and one half inches. Thus, the portion
30
which extends between side wall
16
and side wall
18
forms the temporary border portion, which extends laterally six to eight inches beyond the desired and ultimate slab edge, as defined by the outer surface
32
of side wall
16
. The upper surface of the extended border is flush or continuous with the upper surface of the remaining area of the slab.
A conventional surface finishing machine may be used to surface finish the slab, recognizing that the machine, even when guided along wall portion
22
, can only surface finish the concrete along a line parallel to wall portion
22
, and extending in general alignment with the surface
32
. Then, a saw cut is made as shown at
34
, through the reduced thickness of the extended border portion
30
, i.e., the cut need only extend downwardly as far as top wall
20
. The form can then simply be pulled or knocked away from the edge of the slab, and away from the dowel
28
. The dowel can thereafter be cut so as to present a smooth straight surface along the edge of the slab.
If the concrete slab
12
is formed with four straight sides, then it will be appreciated that four forms
10
would be employed, with the above process carried out sequentially or simultaneously about the sides of the slab. It will be appreciated, however, that the form length, width and height may be varied to suit particular applications, and the form may present straight or curved edge defining surfaces as well.
By extending the slab
12
at a reduced thickness along the top wall
20
of the form, a conventional concrete surface finishing machine can surface finish the slab
12
at least out to the desired peripheral edge of the slab. As a result, when the form and the extended border portion
30
of the concrete are removed, the slab is in fact surface finished to the edge
30
, thereby eliminating manual surface finishing of the peripheral portion of the slab resulting from the inability of present concrete surface finishing machines to surface finish all the way to the edge of the slab.
In a modified embodiment of the invention as shown in
FIG. 3
, the form
110
is similar to form
10
shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
with the exception that a diagonal brace
36
is utilized to further strengthen the form, one end of the brace
36
sandwiched between flange
124
and bottom wall
114
. The use of a dowel
28
is optional.
With reference now to
FIG. 4
, a presently preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. Here, the concrete form
210
is constructed of a rigid foam block
212
having opposite side surfaces (one of which is shown at
216
), and opposite front and back surfaces (only the back surface
218
is shown), and an upper surface
220
. The height of the block
212
is less than a predetermined height for the thickness of the slab to be poured. A plastic angle plate
222
is seated on the upper surface
220
of the foam block. This component includes a horizontal plate portion
224
and a vertical edge portion
226
, the latter defining the outside edge of the extended border portion of the slab. It will be noted that the combined height of the foam block and the height of the vertical edge
226
together correspond to the predetermined thickness of the slab to be poured. One or more spikes
228
can be driven through the horizontal plate portion
224
and the block
212
for the purpose of anchoring the form to the ground. The spike also serves to hold the plastic angle plate
222
relative to the foam block.
The manner in which the concrete form illustrated in
FIG. 4
is used is similar to that described above in connection with FIG.
1
. Thus, after the concrete form has been poured, with a temporary extended portion supported on the plastic plate
222
, the concrete is surface finished utilizing a conventional surface finishing machine. Then, a saw cut is made similar to that described above in connection with cut
34
. Thereafter, the form can be separated from the slab, removing the temporary extended border portion along with it.
It will also be appreciated that a dowel similar to dowel
28
may be employed with this preferred embodiment of the form. In addition, it will be appreciated that the length of the form will be dictated by the slab length.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A process for pouring and finishing a concrete slab having at least one peripheral edge and a predetermined thickness, the process comprising:a) providing one or more concrete forms in an arrangement defining a periphery of the slab, the form having a recessed top wall providing a support area for a temporary extended border portion of the slab having a thickness less than said predetermined thickness; b) pouring the concrete within the area defined by the form to a height determined by an upper edge of the form, and so that the temporary extended border portion of the slab is supported on the recessed top wall; c) surface finishing the concrete slab across the top surface thereof, extending outwardly at least to the innermost portion of the temporary extended border portion of the slab; and d) after the concrete has hardened, removing the form along with the temporary extended border portion.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein step a) is carried out such that an upper surface of the slab including the temporary extended border portion is substantially flat and continuous.
US Referenced Citations (12)