Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6322046
-
Patent Number
6,322,046
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, February 16, 199925 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, November 27, 200123 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
- Friedman; Carl D.
- Chavez; Patrick J.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 249 2191
- 249 47
- 249 25
- 249 33
- 248 22611
- 248 2236
- 248 2285
- 248 23171
- 248 23161
- 292 305
- 292 253
- 024 455
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A concrete form panel clamp includes a threaded rod having a first pin mounted at a first end generally perpendicular to the rod. A second pin spaced away from and generally parallel to the rod is slidably mounted on the rod. A nut threaded onto the rod selectively forces the second pin toward the first pin.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to concrete form panels for pouring walls, such as basement walls, and more particularly to a clamping system for such forms.
For pouring concrete walls, such as basement walls, a plurality of inner and outer concrete form panels are mounted around the inner and outer perimeter of the planned wall. Each of the form panels includes a flange extending away from the wall. Each of the flanges include a number of vertically spaced apertures which align with apertures in the flange of the adjacent form panel. Adjacent form panels are secured to each other via pins which are inserted through adjacent pairs of apertures. Each pin includes an elongated slot into which is inserted a wedge.
Usually, flanges on the inner form panels align with flanges on the outer form panels. Wire ties are secured between the flanges of the adjacent inner panels and drawn to the opposite pair of flanges on the outer panels to counteract the weight of the poured concrete and to prevent the inner or outer form panels from bowing out away from the wall. This technique works well for simply shaped basement walls; however, offsets or juts pose a particular problem. Many basement walls for current homes include short offsets in which a section of the wall is offset 8-14 inches. In this case, some of the short form panels utilized in forming the corners and short perpendicular section of the wall cannot be secured with the wire ties, because there is no directly opposite pair of flanges. As a result, large wooden braces are typically constructed to brace both the outer and inner form panels for example, from an eight foot high form panel. The construction of these extra braces is time consuming, and thus expensive.
After the inner and outer form panels are assembled, concrete is poured in between the inner and outer form panels. After the concrete cures, the form panels are disassembled and later reused.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a concrete form panel clamp which replaces the need for extra braces for offsets in concrete form panels.
Generally, the preferred clamp comprises a first pin mounted perpendicularly to a threaded rod at a first end of the rod. A second pin generally parallel to and spaced away from the rod is mounted to a tube slidably mounted on the rod. The tube is positioned between the first end and a nut threaded onto the rod. A handle extends radially from the nut.
In practice, for both the inner and outer form panels, there is a first form panel which is generally parallel to and laterally offset from a second form panel. A third form panel extends generally perpendicularly to the first and second form panels, joined by an inner corner and outer form panels to the first and second form panels, respectively. Each of the form panels includes a pair of perpendicularly extending flanges. The first pin of the clamp is inserted through adjacent apertures in the first form panel and inner corner form panel. The second pin is inserted through adjacent apertures in the flanges of the third form panel and outer corner form panel. The nut is then tightened to impart force on the tube and second pin toward the first end, thereby clamping the third form panel between the outer and inner corner form panels. The force on the first pin at the flanges of the first form panel and inner corner form panel is transferred via wire ties between the inner and outer form panels. Preferably, a plurality (three or four) clamps are utilized on each of the inner and outer form panels at each offset.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above, as well as other advantages of the present invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of the concrete form panel clamp of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of the clamp of
FIG. 1
installed on a concrete form panel system; and
FIG. 3
is a truncated, enlarged plan view of the clamp and form panels of FIG.
2
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1
illustrates a concrete form panel
20
according to the present invention. The clamp
20
includes an elongated threaded rod
22
which is preferably steel. A first pin
24
is mounted at a first end
26
generally perpendicular to the rod
22
. The first pin
24
may be secured to a first bracket
28
which is welded to the first end
26
of the rod
22
.
The clamp
20
further includes a second pin
30
generally spaced from, and parallel to, the rod
22
. The second pin
30
is preferably mounted to a second bracket
32
which includes a tube
34
slidably mounted on the rod
22
.
An internally threaded nut
38
is threaded onto the rod
22
and includes a handle
40
extending radially from the nut
38
. The tube
34
, bracket
32
and second pin
30
are normally between the nut
38
and first end
26
of the rod
22
. Rotation of the nut
38
via the handle
40
selectively forces the second pin
30
toward the first end
26
of the rod
22
.
Each of the pins,
24
,
30
includes an elongated slot
44
into which a wedge
46
can selectively be inserted. The pins
24
,
30
including the slots
44
and wedges
46
are generally similar to those currently utilized for securing concrete form panels.
FIG. 2
illustrates a concrete form panel system
47
including a plurality of inner concrete form panels
50
,
52
,
54
,
56
,
58
and outer concrete form panels
59
and an offset. The clamp
20
will be described with respect to its use on the inner form panels; however, its use on the outer form panels at the offset would be identical.
The inner form panels include a straight first form panel
50
generally parallel to annularly offset from a straight second form panel
52
. A straight third form panel
54
extends generally perpendicularly to the first and second form panels
50
,
52
. An inner corner form panel
56
joins the first form panel
50
to the third form panel
54
. An outer corner form panel
58
joins the third form panel
54
to the second form panel
52
. The first form panel
50
includes a flange
60
adjacent a first flange
62
of the inner corner form panel
56
. A second flange
64
of the inner corner form panel
56
abuts a flange
66
of the third form panel
54
. A second flange
68
of the third form panel
54
abuts a first flange
70
of the outer corner form panel
58
. A second flange
72
of the outer corner form panel
58
abuts a flange
74
of the second form panel
52
. Each of the flanges includes a plurality of vertically spaced apertures
78
. Apertures
78
on adjacent flanges are aligned. Connector pins
80
are inserted through many of the apertures
78
and adjacent flanges and secured with wedges
82
.
The first pin
24
of the clamp
20
is inserted through the flange
62
of the inner corner form panel
56
and the flange
60
of the first form panel
50
and secured with a wedge
46
. The second pin
30
of the clamp
20
is inserted through the flange
70
of the outer corner form panel
58
and the second flange
68
of the third form panel
54
and secured with a wedge
46
. The nut
38
is then tightened via handle
40
to force the second pin
30
, the flange
70
and flange
68
toward the first end
26
of the rod
22
. Although only one is shown, a plurality of these clamps
20
are preferably utilized spaced below the clamp
20
shown in
FIG. 2. A
plurality of wire ties
86
are secured between flanges
60
,
62
, between flanges
64
,
66
, to opposing pairs of flanges on the outer panels. By forcing the second pin
30
toward the first end
26
of the rod
22
, the third form panel
54
is clamped between the outer and inner corner portions
58
,
56
preventing the outer corner form panel
58
and third form panel
54
from bowing outwardly from the force of the poured concrete. The force on the second pin
30
toward the first end
26
of the rod
22
is transferred to the nut
38
, then to the rod
22
, to the first pin
24
through flanges
60
,
62
to the wire tie
86
which is secured to an adjacent pair of flanges on the outer panels.
FIG. 3
illustrates a truncated view of the clamp
20
from FIG.
2
. As can be seen in
FIG. 3
, the first pin
24
is inserted through the flanges
60
,
62
and secured by wedge
46
. The wire tie
86
is secured between the flanges
60
,
62
and extends inward from the panels
50
,
56
. The second pin
30
is inserted through the flanges
68
,
70
and secured by a wedge
46
.
In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes and jurisprudence, exemplary configurations described above are considered to represent a preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.
Claims
- 1. A concrete form panel clamp comprising:an elongated rod having a first axial end; a first pin extending generally perpendicularly to said rod adjacent said first axial end and fixed generally perpendiculary to said rod; a second pin spaced away from and generally parallel to said rod, said second pin selectably axially movable relative to said rod and selectively securable to said rod at a selected axial position relative to said first end.
- 2. The clamp of claim 1, wherein said rod is threaded.
- 3. The clamp of claim 2, further including a nut threaded onto said rod to selectively move said second pin toward said first pin.
- 4. The clamp of claim 3, wherein each of said pins includes an elongated slot, said clamp further including a wedge disposed in each said slot.
- 5. The clamp of claim 3, further including a handle extending radially from said nut.
- 6. The clamp of claim 1, further including a tube slidably mounted on the rod, said second pin mounted on said tube.
- 7. In combination:a first form panel; a second form panel, generally parallel to and laterally offset from said first form panel; an inner corner form panel abutting said first form panel; an outer corner form panel abutting said second form panel; each of said first, inner corner and outer corner form panels including a perpendicularly extending flange, said inner corner and outer corner form panels positioned between the first form panel and second form panel; and a clamp having a first end secured to the flanges of the first and inner corner form panel and a second end secured to the flange of the outer corner form panel, said clamp imparting a force on the flange of the outer corner form panel toward the first end of the clamp.
- 8. The combination of claim 7, wherein each of the flanges includes at least one aperture, the clamp including a first pin at the first end and a second pin, the first pin disposed in apertures of the first and inner corner form panels, the second pin disposed in an aperture of the outer corner form panel.
- 9. The combination of claim 8, wherein each of the flanges include the plurality of apertures, the combination further including a plurality of the clamps, each disposed in apertures in the flanges.
- 10. A method for installing concrete form panels including the steps of:installing a first form panel; installing a second form panel, generally parallel to and laterally offset from a first form panel; installing an inner corner form panel abutting the first form panel and between the first form panel and the second form panel; installing an outer corner form panel abutting the second form panel and between the inner corner form panel and the second form panel; securing the outer corner form panel to at least one of the inner corner form panel and the first form panel; and drawing the outer corner form panel toward the inner corner form panel.
- 11. The method of claim 10 further including the steps of:securing the first end of a clamp to a flange on the first form panel and a flange on the inner corner form panel; securing a second end of the clamp to a flange on the outer corner form panel; and drawing the flange of the outer corner form panel toward the first end of the clamp.
- 12. The method of claim 11 further including the steps of:inserting a first pin at the first end of the clamp into an aperture in the first form panel and an aperture in the inner corner form panel; and inserting a second pin into an aperture in the outer corner form panel.
- 13. The method of claim 12 further including the step of threading a nut on the clamp to selectively move the second pin toward the first pin.
- 14. The concrete form panel clamp of claim 1 wherein the first pin extends from the rod in a first direction and the second pin is spaced away from the rod in a second direction generally opposite the first direction.
- 15. The concrete form panel clamp of claim 1 wherein the second pin is generally cylindrical.
- 16. The concrete form panel clamp of claim 1 wherein an outer end of the first pin is generally cylindrical.
US Referenced Citations (19)