Height-adjustable concrete mold supporting system and method for constructing concrete building

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6397535
  • Patent Number
    6,397,535
  • Date Filed
    Friday, July 14, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, June 4, 2002
    22 years ago
Abstract
Disclosed are a height-adjustable concrete mold supporting system and a method for constructing concrete floors and concrete walls, by which a concrete building can be easily and precisely constructed with enhanced cost-effectiveness. The system has a bottom bracket detachably disposed on a base member. First and second screw shafts are vertically assembled with the bracket. The first and the second screw shafts are movably inserted into first and second height adjusting tubes. A top mounting board is supported by the first and the second height adjusting tubes. The first and the second height adjusting tubes are fixed to the first and the second screw shafts so as to determine an adjusted space between the bracket and the mounting board.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a concrete mold supporting system and a method for constructing a concrete building through the use of the mold supporting system, and more particularly to a height-adjustable concrete mold supporting system and a method for constructing concrete floors and walls whereby a concrete building of precise size and configuration can be easily constructed with enhanced cost-effectiveness.




DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART




Referring first to

FIGS. 1



a


to


1




d


showing a conventional concrete building construction method by way of example, reinforcements


12


are disposed above a base member


10


, and then wet concrete is applied up to a predetermined reference level


14


. When the concrete is aged or dried so that a concrete floor body


16


is constructed, a fixing frame


18


for square timbers is disposed on the concrete floor body


16


by means of a plurality of pads such as pieces of plywood. Thereafter, a concrete wall mold


22


is uprightly mounted on the fixing frame


18


, and then concrete is applied into and allowed to dry in the concrete wall mold


22


.




When the concrete has been dried, the concrete wall mold


22


is detached to expose the hardened concrete wall body


24


. Then again, another base member


10


is disposed on the concrete wail body


24


, and then repeated is the above process including the steps of disposing reinforcements, and constructing the concrete floor body


16


and the concrete wall body


24


. This results in a concrete building with a plurality of stories.




However, in the conventional method of constructing a concrete building as described above, since the concrete is applied to the reference level based on an rough estimation by a workers eye-sight, the size and surface configuration of the concrete floor body tends to vary bitterly depending on the individual workers judgement and skill. Moreover, since the fixing frame is disposed by interposing pads thereunder with reference to a highest point of the concrete floor body, it is very difficult to dispose the fixing frame in an exact horizontal level.




In addition, the thickness of the concrete floor body becomes larger than the designed dimension, so that the height of each story of the concrete building is increased. There may be also a problem in that a crack or a declination may be generated in the concrete building due to an increased load and an increased stress.




Further, when the concrete is applied into the concrete wall mold, the concrete may leak out of the clearance between the concrete floor body and the fixing frame, which must be eliminated by a separate task. In the conventional method, the clearance between the concrete floor body and the fixing frame is blocked by sheets of plywood, etc. However, it has been very difficult to completely block the clearance, which means the conventional method fails to completely prevent the leakage of the concrete. Also, the conventional method requires considerable work force and expense for detaching and disposing the fixing frame, the pads, and the concrete wall mold.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




Accordingly, in view of the problems inherent in the related art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a concrete mold supporting system and a method for constructing concrete floors and concrete walls that assures precise and cost-effective construction of a concrete building with great ease.




In accordance with one aspect, the invention provides a height-adjustable concrete mold supporting system for use in constructing concrete floors and walls of a concrete building, the system comprising: a bracket detachably disposed on a base member; first and second screw shafts vertically assembled with the bracket; first and second height adjusting tubes into which the first and the second screw shafts are movably inserted; a mounting board supported by the first and the second height adjusting tubes; and means for fixing the first and the second height adjusting tubes to the first and the second screw shafts to determine an adjusted space between the bracket and the mounting board.




In accordance with another aspect, the invention provides a method for constructing a concrete building through the use of a height-adjustable concrete mold supporting device, the method comprising the steps of: a) attaching the concrete mold supporting device on a base floor; b) adjusting the height of the concrete mold supporting device into alignment with a target reference plane; and c) removably clamping a concrete mold on the concrete mold supporting device.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The above objects, and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent after a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:





FIGS. 1



a


to


1




d


are sectional views illustrating a conventional method for constructing concrete floors and concrete walls of a concrete building;





FIG. 2

is an exploded perspective view of a height-adjustable concrete mold supporting system according to an embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a side elevational section view of the mold supporting system shown in

FIG. 2

;





FIG. 4

is a view similar to

FIG. 3

but showing the inventive system which is fixedly attached at its bottom end to a base floor and removably holds concrete mold parts at its top end;





FIGS. 5



a


to


5




d


are partially enlarged sectional views illustrating a method for constructing concrete floors and concrete walls of a concrete building according to the present invention; and





FIG. 6

is a partially cut-away sectional view of a concrete building constructed by use of the system and method of the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.




It can be appreciated in

FIGS. 2 and 3

that a concrete mold supporting system


30


according to the invention includes a bottom anchor bracket


32


which has a fixed plate


34


and a supporting plate


36


assembled above the fixed plate


34


. The fixed plate


34


has a plurality of engaging protuberances


34




b


fixed on and protruding upward from the upper surface of the fixed plate


34


, each of which has a through hole


34




a


vertically extending through the engaging protuberance


34




b.


Preferably, the fixed plate


34


may be formed from material such as rubber or resin, which is capable of insulating heat conduction.




The supporting plate


36


has a plurality of engaging holes, each of which has a plurality of engaging snaps


36




a


arranged around each engaging hole. Each of the engaging protuberances


34




b


of the fixed plate


34


is inserted through each engaging hole and fixedly held by the engaging snaps


36




a.






At an upper surface of the supporting plate


36


are formed first and second elongated holes


36




b


and


36




c


aligned in line with each other, through which first and second screw shafts


38


and


40


are respectively inserted. The first and the second screw shafts


38


and


40


respectively have first and second shaft heads


38




a


and


40




a


received under the first and the second elongated holes


36




b


and


36




c.


First and second nuts


42


and


44


are respectively fitted around the first and the second screw shafts


38


and


40


, and are screwed to abut on upper surfaces of the first and the second elongated holes


36




b


and


36




c,


thereby maintaining the first and the second shaft heads


38




a


and


40




a


to abut on lower surfaces of the first and the second elongated holes


36




b


and


36




c.


Therefore, the main portions of the first and the second screw shafts


38


and


40


are disposed vertically above the first and the second elongated holes


36




b


and


36




c.






Further, the concrete mold supporting system


30


includes first and second height adjusting tubes


46


and


48


respectively having first and second tube holes


46




a


and


48




a


into which are inserted the first and the second screw shafts


38


and


40


. Inner diameters of the first and the second tube holes


46




a


and


48




a


are larger than outer diameters of the first and the second screw shafts


38


and


40


. The first and the second height adjusting tubes


46


and


48


respectively have first and second adjusting screw holes


46




b


and


48




b


penetrating through the cylindrical walls of the first and the second height adjusting tubes


46


and


48


. First and second adjusting screws


50


and


52


are respectively screwed through the first and the second adjusting screw holes


46




b


and


48




b


up to the outer surfaces of the first and the second screw shafts


38


and


40


, so as to firmly hold the first and the second screw shafts


38


and


40


in the first and the second height adjusting tubes


46


and


48


. Lower ends of the first and the second height adjusting tubes


46


and


48


are held by third and fourth nuts


54


and


56


screwed around the first and the second screw shafts


38


and


40


.




The first and the second height adjusting tubes


46


and


48


respectively have first and second assembling screw holes


46




c


and


48




c


formed at upper ends thereof to hold thereon a top mounting board


62


with a bearing surface. The mounting board


62


has first and second recesses


62




a


and


62




b


through the bottom of which are formed first and second recess holes


62




c


and


62




d


respectively. First and second assembling screws


58


and


60


are screwed through the first and the second recess holes


62




c


and


62




d


into the first and the second assembling screw holes


46




c


and


48




c


so that the mounting board


62


is firmly held on the first and the second height adjusting tubes


46


and


48


. The first and the second assembling screws


58


and


60


are completely screwed against the bottoms of the first and the second recesses


62




a


and


62




b


so that they do not protrude above the first and the second recesses


62




a


and


62




b.


The second assembling screw


60


has a center screw hole


60




a


formed longitudinally through the center axis thereof.




The mounting board


62


has a holding protuberance


62




e


formed at one end thereof. A clamp


66


is detachably assembled on the mounting board


62


by a bolt


64


. The clamp


66


has first and second bolt holes


66




a


and


66




b


aligned with each other. The bolt


64


is inserted through the first and the second bolt holes


66




a


and


66




b


and then screwed into the center screw hole


60




a


so as to firmly assemble the clamp


66


with the mounting board


62


.




As shown in

FIG. 4

, the bottom bracket


32


of the inventive system


30


is fixed onto a base member


68


by driving nails


70


through the through holes


34




a


of engaging protuberances


34




b


into the base member


68


. Then, in a state that the first and the second adjusting screws


50


and


52


and the third and the fourth nuts


54


and


56


are released, the height of the first and the second height adjusting tubes


46


and


48


is so adjusted that the upper surface of the mounting board


62


becomes level with a predetermined reference level


72


.




When the upper surface of the mounting board


62


is level with the reference level


72


, the first and the second adjusting screws


50


and


52


are tightly screwed into the first and the second adjusting screw holes


46




b


and


48




b


so that the first and the second height adjusting tubes


46


and


48


are fixed to the first and the second screw shafts


38


and


40


. Thereafter, the third and the fourth nuts


54


and


56


are firmly tightened on the first and the second screw shafts


38


and


40


against the lower ends of the first and the second height adjusting tubes


46


and


48


to aid the supporting or the fixing of the first and the second height adjusting tubes


46


and


48


.




Hereinafter, described will be a method for constructing concrete floors and walls of a concrete building according to the present invention, with reference to

FIGS. 5



a


through


5




d


and


6


.




At first, as shown in

FIG. 5



a,


the concrete mold supporting system


30


is fixedly secured on the base floor or member


68


in such a manner that the top bearing surface of the mounting board


62


is flush with the reference level


72


as described above with regard to FIG.


4


. When it becomes necessary to adjust the distance between the bottom bracket


32


and the top mounting board


62


, the first and the second screw shafts


38


and


40


are moved along the first and the second elongated holes


36




b


and


36




c


of the supporting plate


36


after the first and the second nuts


42


and


44


are released. Then, the first and the second nuts


42


and


44


are tightened again.




Thereafter, as shown in

FIG. 5



b,


concrete reinforcing members


74


, e.g., elongated steel bars, are disposed between the base member


68


and the reference level


72


, and then, as illustrated in

FIG. 5



c,


wet concrete is injected or applied between the upper surface of the base member


68


and the reference level


72


. The concrete is allowed to be hardened for a sufficient period of time so that a concrete floor body


78


is constructed consequently. When the concrete has been applied up to the reference level


72


, the inventive mold supporting system


30


is buried into the concrete floor body


78


with only the upper surface of the mounting board


62


being exposed to the outside.




A fixing frame


76


of square shape and a wall-forming mold


80


, as concrete mold parts, are so fixed to the mold supporting system as to be firmly held by the holding protuberance


62




e


of the top mounting board


62


which serves as a clamp. When the fixing frame


76


has been fixed on the upper surface of the mounting board


62


, the lower surface of the fixing frame


76


is flush with the reference level


72


.




As clearly shown in

FIGS. 5



d


and


6


, the wall-forming mold


80


includes an inner plate


80




a


disposed on the upper surface of the fixing frame


76


and an outer plate


80




b


spaced a predetermined distance apart from the inner plate


80




a.


The lower end of the inner plate


80




a


is placed on the upper surface of the fixing frame


76


, and the bolt


64


is tightened through the first and the second bolt holes


66




a


and


66




b


of the clamp


66


into the center screw hole


60




a


of the second assembling screw


60


, so that the clamp


66


is fixedly assembled on the mounting board


62


with clamping the concrete wall mold


80


on the fixing frame


76


.




When the wall-forming mold


80


has been completely assembled, wet concrete is injected into the inner space of the wall-forming mold


80


and allowed to dry therein, so that a concrete wall body


82


is constructed. At the end of hardening process of the wall body


82


, the fixing frame


76


and the wall-forming mold


80


are removed. By reiterating the process of forming the concrete floor body


78


and the concrete wall body


82


as described above, a concrete building having a plurality of stories can be constructed.




Although the combination of tube and screw shaft is illustrated and described hereinabove as an example of the height-adjustor of the inventive mold supporting system, the invention shall not be limited thereto and other types of height-adjusting mechanism, for instance, pantograph lifter may equally be employed in place of the illustrated screw-type height adjustor.




It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without departing from the true scope of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A height-adjustable concrete mold supporting system for use in constructing concrete floors and walls of a concrete building, the system comprising:a bottom bracket detachably disposed on a base member; first and second screw shafts vertically assembled with the bracket; first and second height adjusting tubes into which the first and the second screw shafts are movably inserted; a top mounting board supported by the first and the second height adjusting tubes; and fixing elements for fixing the first and the second height adjusting tubes to the first and the second screw shafts to determine an adjusted space between the bracket and the mounting board; wherein the bracket comprises a fixed plate and a supporting plate assembled above the fixed plate, the supporting plate having first and second elongated holes formed aligned in line with each other at an upper surface of the supporting plate, the first and the second screw shafts being inserted in and slidably held on the first and the second elongated holes, so that a distance of the mounting board from an adjacent mounting board can be adjusted by sliding the first and the second screw shafts along the first and the second elongated holes.
  • 2. A height-adjustable concrete mold supporting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and the second screw shafts respectively have first and second shaft heads formed at lower ends thereof, and first and second nuts are respectively fitted around the first and the second screw shafts, and are screwed to abut on upper surfaces of the first and the second elongated holes, thereby maintaining the first and the second shaft heads to abut on lower surfaces of the first and the second elongated holes.
  • 3. A height-adjustable concrete mold supporting system for use in constructing concrete floors and walls of a concrete building, the system comprising:a bottom bracket detachably disposed on a base member; first and second screw shafts vertically assembled with the bracket; first and second height adjusting tubes into which the first and the second screw shafts are movably inserted; a top mounting board supported by the first and the second height adjusting tubes; and fixing elements for fixing the first and the second height adjusting tubes to the first and the second screw shafts to determine an adjusted space between the bracket and the mounting board; wherein the fixed plate has a plurality of engaging protuberances fixed on and protruding upward from an upper surface of the fixed plate, and the supporting plate has a plurality of engaging snaps, each of the engaging protuberances of the fixed plate being fixedly held by the engaging snaps.
  • 4. A height-adjustable concrete mold supporting system for use in constructing concrete floors and walls of a concrete building, the system comprising:a bottom bracket detachably disposed on a base member; first and second screw shafts vertically assembled with the bracket; first and second height adjusting tubes into which the first and the second screw shafts are movably inserted; a top mounting board supported by the first and the second height adjusting tubes; and fixing elements for fixing the first and the second height adjusting tubes to the first and the second screw shafts to determine an adjusted space between the bracket and the mounting board; wherein the first and the second height adjusting tubes respectively have first and second adjusting screw holes penetrating through cylindrical walls of the first and the second height adjusting tubes, and said fixing means comprises first and second adjusting screws, and third and fourth nuts, the first and the second adjusting screws being respectively screwed through the first and the second adjusting screw holes up to outer surfaces of the first and the second screw shafts, and the third and the fourth nuts being respectively screwed around the first and the second screw shafts to support lower ends of the first and the second height adjusting tubes, so that the first and the second screw shafts are firmly held in the first and the second height adjusting tubes.
  • 5. A height-adjustable concrete mold supporting system for use in constructing concrete floors and walls of a concrete building, the system comprising:a bottom bracket detachably disposed on a base member; first and second screw shafts vertically assembled with the bracket; first and second height adjusting tubes into which the first and the second screw shafts are movably inserted; a top mounting board supported by the first and the second height adjusting tubes; and fixing elements for fixing the first and the second height adjusting tubes to the first and the second screw shafts to determine an adjusted space between the bracket and the mounting board; and a clamp detachably assembled on the mounting board to clamp a concrete wall mold; wherein the first and the second height adjusting tubes respectively have first and second assembling screw holes formed at upper ends thereof, the mounting board has first and second recesses through bottoms of which are formed first and second recess holes respectively, and first and second assembling screws are screwed through the first and the second recess holes into the first and the second assembling screw holes so that the mounting board is firmly held on the first and the second height adjusting tubes.
  • 6. A height-adjustable concrete mold supporting system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second assembling screw has a center screw hole formed longitudinally through a center axis thereof, and the clamp has first and second bolt holes aligned with each other, the clamp being firmly assembled on the mounting board by inserting a bolt through the first and the second bolt holes and then screwing the bolt into the center screw hole.
  • 7. A height-adjustable concrete mold supporting system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mounting board has a holding protuberance formed at one end thereof to hold a fixing frame, and the bolt is screwed through the first and the second bolt holes of the clamp into the center screw hole of the second assembling screw, so that the clamp is fixedly assembled on the mounting board with clamping the concrete wall mold on the fixing frame.
  • 8. A height-adjustable concrete mold supporting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the concrete wall mold comprises an inner plate and an outer plate spaced with a predetermined gap from the inner plate, the inner plate having a lower end placed on an upper surface of the fixing frame.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number Name Date Kind
4123031 Hyre Oct 1978 A