BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other details of my invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention, and in which drawings:
FIG. 1 is a partial side elevational view of in intersection of two modular reinforcing panels showing a wire tie end on an edge reinforcing member of one modular reinforcing panel wrapped around an edge reinforcing member of an adjacent modular reinforcing panel;
FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view of a pair of modular reinforcing panels of the present invention showing a peel and stick edge extension of the base layer of one modular reinforcing panel aligned to be adhered to an edge extension of the base layer of an adjacent modular reinforcing panel;
FIG. 3 is a partial side cross-sectional view taken through a poured concrete slab showing a portion of a modular reinforcing panel resting on the ground under the concrete slab;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an intersection point of the reinforcing members welded together in the wire mesh showing the support leg welded to the lower reinforcing member and the base of the support leg locked into the thick support structure of the base layer by the ring shank barbs at the base of the support leg;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the support leg and base layer of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a poured concrete slab formed on a curved slope with the base layer cut and overlapping in alternate sections of the base layer between alternate rows of support legs;
FIG. 7A is a partial perspective view in partial section of a poured concrete slab cut away to show the interconnected modular reinforcing panels with vapor barrier;
FIG. 7B is a partial perspective view in partial section of a poured concrete slab cut away to show the interconnected modular reinforcing panels with perforations in the base layer;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a stack of one and a half inch thick modular reinforcing panels shrink wrapped together on a pallet for transportation and storage;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a stack of three inch thick modular reinforcing panels shrink wrapped together on a pallet for transportation and storage;
FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view showing a slab using the reinforcing panels laid flat and a connected footing using bent reinforcing panels following the cutting of the plastic bases to allow bending the panels in two right angle bends to conform to the rectangular footing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In FIGS. 1-10, a modular concrete slab reinforcing panel system comprises a series of modular reinforcing panels 20 each having a bottom base layer 24 and a top reinforcing mesh layer 21 interconnected by a series of support legs 22 all interconnected to form relatively light weight modular reinforcing panels.
The modular reinforcing panels are interconnected to form an entire reinforcing structure for a poured concrete slab. Each of the modular reinforcing panels comprises a reinforcing mesh 21 that has one series of spaced reinforcing members all in parallel alignment in a horizontal plane in one direction interconnected with at least one second series of spaced reinforcing members all in parallel alignment in the same horizontal plane in at least one other direction different from the first series, forming a grid. All of the spaced reinforcing members of the first series are interconnected with all of the spaced reinforcing members of the second series at interconnected intersection points spaced apart by at most four inches to form a grid pattern of reinforcing members to reinforce a poured concrete slab.
A base layer 24 is positioned below the reinforcing members and spaced apart from the reinforcing members by half the thickness of the poured concrete slab. The base layer comprises a rectangular sheet of rigid waterproof material that is reinforced by a support structure 23 of greater thickness at spaced intervals in a pattern mating with the interconnected intersection points of the reinforcing members. A series of rows of support legs 22, all of equal height, each attaches rigidly between one of the support structures 23 and an interconnected intersection point of the reinforcing mesh directly above the support structure, so that the series of support legs elevates the reinforcing mesh above the base layer in a horizontal plane midway between the top and the bottom of the poured concrete slab. This forms a rigid panel that may be lifted by a single person for positioning on the bottom of a recessed area in the ground for receiving a poured concrete slab reinforced by the rigid panel.
In FIGS. 4 and 5 each support leg 22 further comprises ring shank barbs 26 at the base of the support leg to provide a lock into the support structure 23 that would be difficult to pull out even in rough installation and handling. A hollow recess 11 in the top of each leg 22 receives a lower reinforcing member 21 secured by a weld 19 to the top of the leg at the intersection of the upper reinforcing member 21. The reinforcing members are connected together by a weld 19.
In FIGS. 1 and 2, a series of wire tie ends 25 extends from an end reinforcing member of the wire mesh 21 along each of two adjacent sides of each modular reinforcing panel. Each of the wire tie ends 25 encircles an end reinforcing member of the wire mesh 21 on an adjacent modular reinforcing panel to interconnect the two modular reinforcing panels, as shown in FIG. 1, forming an interconnected series of modular reinforcing panels covering an entire area. This creates a form for a poured concrete slab with concrete poured over the interconnected series of modular reinforcing panels to a depth of twice the height of the modular reinforcing panels.
Each modular reinforcing panel is fabricated of a size and weight to enable carrying and placing the modular reinforcing panel by a single worker.
In FIGS. 1 and 7B, in one embodiment, the base layer 24B has a series of spaced openings 27 therein to allow some of the poured concrete to come in contact with the ground surface underneath the modular reinforcing panel 20.
In FIGS. 2 and 7A, in another embodiment, the base layer 24A is a solid sheet of water proof material forming a vapor barrier over a section of ground covered by the modular reinforcing panel.
In FIG. 6, the base layer 24 may be cut across a width of the modular reinforcing panel between alternating rows of support legs 22 and the cut edges 24C and 24D of the base layer overlapped so the modular reinforcing panel is bent to conform to a curved sloping surface. The overlapping edges of the base layer may be sealed together to form a vapor barrier.
In a preferred embodiment, each modular reinforcing panel is four feet wide and eight feet long (32 square feet each). Each panel will weigh approximately 20 pounds or less for the perforated panel and 35 to 40 pounds for vapor barrier type.
In FIGS. 89, the modular reinforcing panels 20A, 20B may be stacked 40A, 40B together and wrapped with shrink wrap to store and transport the modular reinforcing panels together.
In FIG. 8, in one embodiment, the modular reinforcing panel 20A is one and a half inches in height to be used in a four inch deep poured concrete slab.
In FIG. 9, in another embodiment, the modular reinforcing panel 20B is three inches in height to be used in a six inch deep poured concrete slab.
In FIGS. 2 and 7A, the base layer 24A further comprises an edge extension 15 of one edge on two sides of a modular reinforcing panel to rest on the ground with the adhesive layer 14 up and the peel off sheet 16 lifted from the adhesive layer 14 so that an adjacent modular reinforcing panel edge can overlap and adhere to the edge extension to form a continuous vapor seal between the two adjacent modular reinforcing panels. The adhesive layer preferably allows for repositioning of the adjacent panel.
In FIG. 10, a concrete slab 30A uses the reinforcing panels 20 laid flat and a connected footing 30B uses bent reinforcing panels 20 following the cutting of the plastic bases 20 at two bottom corners to allow bending the panels in two right angle bends to conform to the rectangular footing.
In a preferred embodiment, the base layer is formed of recycled plastic formed into sheets of at least four mil thickness, preferably thicker for the solid vapor barrier base layer 24A, in FIG. 7A.
In a preferred embodiment, each series of reinforcing members comprises a spaced parallel series of at least eight-gauge steel wires welded to the other series of reinforcing members at intersecting points of the two series of reinforcing members. The eight-gauge wire is strong enough to support worker foot traffic and many other materials that happen to lie upon the dropped panels. The wire may be galvanized for coastal job sites or bright for inland job sites.
In use, almost any truck with or without a rack could carry up to 1000 square feet of modular reinforcing panels of the 1½″ thickness (totaling 32 panels) either standing on its side or lying flat stacked. The same truck bed will carry 512 square feet of 3″ panels (totaling 16 panels).
In FIGS. 8 and 9, these packs of modular reinforcing panels can be shrink-wrapped and forklift loaded onto the bed of a standard long bed or short bed with the tailgate down.
One laborer can unload, lay down, cut to size the modular reinforcing panels without tie wired needed since the modular reinforcing panels come to the consumer ready to drop, lock, and tie with a twist of the wrist with standard pliers or a tie tool. This product cuts with standard small bolt cutters and quality tin snips or better (to cut plastic), or use standard 7¼″ saw with diamond blade and 10″ saw for 3″ panels. Again, this eliminates all pull men whatsoever for great savings in labor.
In FIGS. 7A and 7B, the modular reinforcing panels come either in a perforated sheet base layer 24B, in FIG. 7B with spaced perforations 27 to allow the concrete to contact the ground through the perforations (which perforated type actually bridges and stiffens concrete due to its panel design) or a solid vapor barrier sheet base layer 24A, in FIG. 7A, under the panel much thicker than 4 mil to protect the concrete slab from moisture in the ground that will sometimes leach up to the concrete surface during rains and sometime after and to resist puncture by foot traffic and debris in prepped slab. To interconnect the base layers 24A to form a solid vapor barrier under the slab the peel off sheet 16 is peeled off of the adhesive layer 14 on the edge extension 15 of the base layer 24A and the adjacent modular reinforcing panel edge placed over and adhered to the edge extension.
A small layer of sand before the panels are put down will act as a buffer for small rocks and debris and assist in hardening times for the perforated design. (Speed up drying.)
The vapor barrier design will dry at the same rate as existing time with the use of 4 mil rolled sheet plastic, due or moisture to escape from surface only. The chemical reaction below will still harden as normal.
In FIG. 6, the concrete slab modular reinforcing panels are able to bend to follow slopes or ramps by simply cutting the base layer 24 under plastic in line or lines and overlapping the cut edges 24C and 24D as necessary to allow the modular reinforcing panel to bend to create the slope needed.
It is understood that the preceding description is given merely by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention and that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.
Patent Application
20080060294
