The present inventions relate to apparatuses and methods for fabricating pre-formed concrete elements, and more particularly to forms used in making pre-formed concrete elements.
Pre-formed concrete elements are widely used in building and industrial construction. For instance, pre-formed walls may be manufactured off-site and then shipped to a building site to be erected in the building construction. Other pre-formed elements include support walls, retention or barrier walls, and ground panels. The use of pre-formed concrete elements avoids uncertainties of pouring concrete at a jobsite, such as weather and temperature. Producing pre-formed elements off-site also allows for improved quality control.
Improvements in fabrication of pre-formed concrete elements are always desired, especially improvements that can reduce material usage and improve fabrication speed. Current forms used to shape pre-formed concrete elements typically include wooden frames that are nailed or screwed together. After a concrete element has set, these frames are broken apart to release the concrete element. Creating the form, breaking it apart and recreating the form is a time consuming process. Additionally, the mechanical wear on the frame members means that they must be replaced frequently, increasing the monetary cost of the process as well. It is therefore desirable to have concrete forms that allow for faster fabrication of pre-formed concrete elements while increasing the useable lifespan of the concrete forms.
In accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided a mold, comprising a casting bed, a liner configured to rest on a surface of the casting bed, a frame configured to rest on a surface of the liner opposite the surface of the casting bed, and a form attached to a surface of the frame opposite the surface of the liner. The form comprises a plurality of side-panel members, and each side-panel member includes ends which are complimentarily configured to fit together to create a closed perimeter. The plurality of side-panel members are in a closed position when the ends of each of the plurality of side-panels are engaged to create the closed perimeter.
At least one of the plurality of side-panel members includes at least one hinge that connects the side-panel member to the frame. The frame includes hinge eyelets and the hinge includes longitudinal openings. The hinge eyelets and the longitudinal openings are simultaneously engaged by a connector which allows the side-panel member to rotate about the connector relative to the frame. The hinged side-panels are in an open position when the side-panel members have been rotated about the connector and the ends of each of the side-panels are no longer engaged to create the closed perimeter.
At least one of the plurality of side-panel members includes at least one hold-down collar and the frame includes at least one corresponding hold-down pin. The hold-down collar is configured to engage the hold-down pin when the plurality of side-panels are in the closed position, and to disengage the hold-down pin to allow the side-panel members to be rotated to the open position. In some alternative embodiments, more than one of the plurality of side-panel members includes at least one hinge and at least one hold-down collar.
In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, the frame comprises at least one hold-down member, or in alternative embodiments, at least two hold-down members. Each of the hold-down members includes chamfered edges configured to enable the at least two hold-down members to fit together.
In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, there is provided a method comprising fastening a liner to a casting bed, fastening a frame to the liner, attaching a plurality of side-panel members to the frame (the side-panel members having ends which are configured to fit complimentarily together), engaging the ends of each of the side-panel members to form a closed perimeter, pouring a moldable material in the closed perimeter, allowing the moldable material to set, disengaging the ends of the side-panel members to create an opening in the perimeter, and removing the moldable material from the perimeter.
In an alternative embodiment, disengaging the ends of the side-panel members further comprises rotating the side-panel members about a hinge connected to the frame. In another alternative embodiment, removing the moldable material from the perimeter further comprises applying leverage on the moldable material through the opening in the perimeter.
In alternative embodiments, engaging the ends of each of the side-panel members to form a closed perimeter further comprises engaging hold-down pins on the frame with hold-down collars on the side-panel members to prevent disengaging of the ends of the side-panel members. Disengaging the ends of the side-panel members to create an opening in the perimeter further comprises disengaging hold-down pins from the hold-down collars to allow disengaging of the ends of the side-panel members. Disengaging the ends of the side-panel members to create an opening in the perimeter also further comprises rotating the side-panel members about a hinge connected to the frame and to the side-panel members. Removing the moldable material from the perimeter further comprises applying leverage on the moldable material through the opening in the perimeter.
In yet another alternative embodiment, fastening the frame to the liner further comprises fitting together frame elements which have chamfered corners.
The above described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. While it would be desirable to provide a pre-form mold that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features, the teachings disclosed herein extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-mentioned advantages.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and described in the following written specification. It is understood that no limitation to the scope of the invention is thereby intended. It is further understood that the present invention includes any alterations and modifications to the illustrated embodiments and includes further applications of the principles of the invention as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.
An improved mold 100 for forming concrete elements is depicted in
Mold 100 includes a casting bed 104 that provides a stable and level foundation to support the mold 100 and the concrete during the setting and curing process. Casting bed 104 may be primarily composed of one or more plywood sheets. Form liner 108 is set above casting bed 104. Concrete poured into mold 100 rests on form liner 108 during the setting process. Form liner 108 may include a variety of shapes, patterns or contours in its surface that are transferred into the surface of the hardened concrete. Form liner 108 primarily consists of a material that is easily separated from the cured concrete. Plastic liners, for example, are commonly used for this purpose.
Mold 100 further includes a hold-down frame assembled above form liner 108. The hold-down frame shown in
Hold-down members 112A-C are locked together as shown in
Side-panel members 116A, 116B, and 116C are secured above the hold-down frame. As shown in
The main body of each side-panel member 116A-C is primarily composed of a material that is easily separated from cured concrete, such as wood. The exemplary side-panel members 116A-C fit together with chamfered edges as seen at side-panel member joint 128. The chamfering provides a secure seal at side-panel member joints 128 to contain concrete poured in the mold 100. In alternative embodiments, side-panel member joints 128 may include perpendicular edges or any other configuration which provides a secure seal at side-panel member joints 128. In another alternative embodiment, alternative joint shapes and structures such as gaskets or elastic seals may be used to seal side-panel member joints 128.
Side-panel members 116A and 116B each include at least one hinge member 120. One embodiment of a hinge member 120, which will be discussed below in more detail, is shown in
When the hold-down frame is assembled, as depicted in
To ensure that the concrete mold 100 remains in a closed position during pouring and curing of concrete, the side-panel members 116A and 116B are locked relative to the hold-down members 112A and 112B with hold-down arrangements 150. Each hold-down arrangement 150 may include a hold-down pin 134, or a similar element, which locks the position of a side-panel 116A or 116B relative to the corresponding hold-down frame member 112A or 112B by simultaneously engaging the hold-down collar 122 and the hold-down post 123. The hold-down pins 134 secure the hold-down collars 122 included on the hinge members 120 of the side-panel members 116A-B to the corresponding hold-down posts 123 included on the hold-down members 112A-B. One embodiment of this relationship is shown in
While
Additionally, in alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, the side-panel members 116A-B may be locked in position relative to the hold-down members 112A-B by any other method which will prevent the side-panel members 116A-B from rotating outwardly relative to the hold-down members 112A-B. For example, latching the joints 128 of side-panel members 116A-C together or applying diagonal cross-braces over the joints 128 between side-panel members 116A-C may accomplish locking the side-panel members 116A and 116B in position relative to the hold-down members 112A and 112B to ensure that the side-panel members 116A-B remain in the closed position against the lateral force applied by the poured concrete.
As depicted in
The cured concrete member 144 may be pried from mold 100 while leaving side-panel members 116A-C in their respective positions depicted in
In operation, the side-panel members 116A-C are affixed to the hold-down frame of the mold 100. When the hinged side-panel members 116A-B are locked into a closed position relative to the hold-down members 112A-C, the mold 100 is configured to contain poured concrete to form a concrete member 144. After the concrete member 144 has cured within the mold 100, the side-panel members 116A-C can be unlocked relative to the hold-down members 112A-C and moved into the open position. This allows the concrete member 144 to be removed quickly and easily from the mold 100 without the need to break-down the frame surrounding the concrete member 144. After removing the concrete member 144, the side-panel members 116A-C may be returned to the closed position and re-locked relative to the hold-down members 112A-C. The mold 100 may then be reused to cure another concrete member 144 without the need to rebuild the frame around the mold 100.
The foregoing detailed description of one or more embodiments of the concrete mold has been presented herein by way of example only and not limitation. It will be recognized that there are advantages to certain individual features and functions described herein that may be obtained without incorporating other features and functions described herein. Moreover, it will be recognized that various alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements of the above-disclosed embodiments and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different embodiments, systems or applications. Presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the appended claims. Therefore, the spirit and scope of any appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/325,439, which is entitled “Hinged Mold for Pre-Formed Concrete Elements” and was filed on Apr. 19, 2010, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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