Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6397535
-
Patent Number
6,397,535
-
Date Filed
Friday, July 14, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, June 4, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
- Friedman; Carl D.
- Nguyen; Chi
Agents
- Lowe Hauptman Gilman & Berner, LLP
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 052 250
- 052 2933
- 052 274
- 052 713
- 052 715
- 249 18
- 249 24
- 249 25
- 249 29
- 249 30
- 248 55
- 248 295
- 248 296
- 248 298
-
International Classifications
-
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 |