Patent Grant
9765541
The present invention relates in general to a method and apparatus for filling and fire-proofing holes in concrete floors, and more specifically, to a method for utilizing an apparatus or precast plug to repair and restore holes.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent application may contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.
Certain marks referenced herein may be common law or registered trademarks of third parties affiliated or unaffiliated with the applicant or the assignee. Use of these marks is by way of example and should not be construed as descriptive or to limit the scope of this invention to material associated only with such marks.
Typically, a condition in a lease contract between a commercial building owner and a tenant is that at the end of the lease the tenant must return the leased premises in the same condition that it was in at the time the tenant took possession, save for normal wear and tear. During the course of a tenancy, a lessee will typically cause numerous holes to be drilled into the concrete floor and/or ceiling of his suite to accommodate the routing of electrical wires, plumbing pipes, voice cables, and other such items that run through the floors. In the great majority of mid and high rise office buildings, these floors are constructed of a lightweight aggregate poured on a metal underlayment or pan. This flooring assembly provides a fire break between floors. When the tenant vacates the premises, the drilled holes during the tenancy are left wide open as a result of the removal of the wiring, plumbing, etc. that had been previously installed. This is potentially a breach of the fire control properties of the flooring assembly. These holes are typically three to four inches in diameter, but can range up to twelve inches or larger. Until recently, most property owners did not recognize this as a problem, and as a result did not require the vacating tenant to repair and restore these holes. More recently, it has been recognized, however, as an issue that must be remedied before a new tenant can take possession of the property.
There are several products on the market that can be used to restore the fire break properties of the flooring assembly. Most utilize a mechanical closure of the hole by installing an expandable metal plug or cap, and require that they be installed through the bottom of the hole. This solution often requires that access to the underside of the floor be granted by another tenant or the owner. Such access may be disruptive, cause security and liability issues, necessitate that the repair work be performed after normal working hours, and cause possible damage to another tenant's property. The parts and labor associated with these products tend to be rather expensive as well.
Another problem with other products is that the final repair results in a protruding floor surface. This is a design flaw that complicates future use of the floor where the protrusion is located.
Yet another problem related to repairing holes after a lease has expired is shoddy repair work. To honor the lease, a tenant may merely stuff a rag or other such material in the hole and then fill it with a plaster, such as FIX-IT-ALL™. Such a repair is insufficient, as there is nothing to keep the rag and plaster from falling through the floor into the suite below. Moreover, such a repair may be prone to water leaks and likely does not conform to the fire code, and testing these properties would be overly burdensome, defeating the purpose of the repair in the first place.
Therefore, there are several problems with the current state of the art, which have not been adequately addressed. The problems persist because a need to provide a method and apparatus for filling & fire-proofing holes in concrete floors has not been adequately met. It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.
To minimize the limitations in the prior art, and to minimize other limitations that will be apparent upon reading and understanding the present specification, the present invention describes a method and apparatus (or precast plug) for sealing a hole in a floor comprising a concrete housing and at least one rod whereby the distal end of said at least one rod makes at least one protrusion from at least one edge of said concrete housing.
An apparatus, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a concrete housing configured to substantially seal a hole in the floor of a building; a rod situated within the concrete housing, the rod including a first and second portions protruding from the concrete housing, wherein the first and second portions are configured to register with one or more grooves on the surface of the floor and adjacent to the hole; and a support component coupled to the rod, the support component embedded within the concrete housing.
A method, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, comprises: dry-fitting a precast plug into a hole of a floor assembly; drawing an outline of one or more rods that extend from the concrete housing of the precast plug; creating grooves adjacent to he hole, the grooves configured to receive portions of the rod external to the concrete housing; applying a sealant to the interior surface of the hole; applying sealant to the concrete housing of the precast plug; and inserting the precast plug into the hole in a manner so that: the external portions of the rod register with the grooves adjacent to the hole, and the external portions of the rod are substantially flush with the surface of the floor.
Another method, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, comprises: preparing a wet cement mixture; pouring said wet cement mixture into a form mold housing; installing into said form mold housing a first rod whereby the distal end of said first rod makes a first protrusion from a first edge of said form mold housing and the proximal end of said first rod makes a second protrusion from a second edge of said form mold housing; allowing said mixture to cure with said first rod in place, thereby creating said pre-cast plug; grinding a first and second groove into said floor to house said distal and proximal ends of said first rod; coating said precast plug's edges with said sealant; placing said precast plug into said hole such that the distal and proximal ends of said first rod rest in said first and second grooves; and allowing said sealant to cure.
It is an objective of the present invention to seal a hole in a floor such as to make it fire resistant, water resistant, and structurally sound.
It is another objective of the present invention to allow for ease of installation, making a repair job quick and efficient.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to repair a hole in a floor, such that the apparatus is flush with the floor's surface.
These and other advantages and features of the present invention are described herein with specificity so as to make the present invention understandable to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Elements in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale in order to enhance their clarity and improve understanding of these various elements and embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, elements that are known to be common and well understood to those in the industry are not depicted in order to provide a clear view of the various embodiments of the apparatus and method.
In the following discussion that addresses a number of embodiments and applications of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part thereof, where depictions are made, by way of illustration, of specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While embodiments of the disclosure may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure. Instead, the proper scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims.
Precast plug 101 may be constructed off site, i.e., from where the hole it intends to repair is located. However, this is not to limit the scope of precast plug 101. If a particular location required precast plug 101 to be made on site, such as a remote location and time was of the essence, this could be accomplished by making precast plug 101 at the site of hole 102.
In either case, precast plug 101 may be constructed of the same material as floor 103, which in the typical scenario will be a lightweight aggregate or other cement, which has fire and water resistant properties in addition to structural integrity, similar to floor 103. For example, Rapid Set® Cement All™ may be used to construct precast plug 101, but this is not to limit the scope of the apparatus and method. In another embodiment, precast plug 101 may be constructed of plastic, steel, or any other material suitable for filling a hole or cavity. Where a cement-like material is used to prepare precast plug 101, it may be mixed with the requisite amount of water (and coloring if desired) to form a wet mixture. This mixture may then be poured into a form mold.
The shape and size of form mold, and therefore precast plug 101, may vary depending upon the type of repair job—for example, this may depend on the thickness of the floor assembly needing repair. The embodiment depicted in
Before the cement mixture cures in the properly sized form mold, an appropriately sized rod 104 may be inserted into the wet cement housing of precast plug 101. Rod 104 may be comprised of any number of materials, including steel, plastic, multiples of rods, etc., as will be further discussed below. As depicted in
Precast plug 101 may also be embossed as depicted in
Precast plug 101 may also be stamped, as depicted in
Logo 105 and size indicator 106 may also be used to communicate other desirable information, such as implied information. Implied information may be apprised from both logo 105 and size indicator 106 to indicate to appropriate authorities, such as a fire marshal, that the plug that is going to be installed or already has been installed into floor 103 is of such a quality and design that it meets appropriate fire codes and/or other safety regulations. Accordingly, information that may be stamped, embossed, or otherwise applied to the housing of precast plug 101 may include a batch control number, a date of manufacture, or any other pertinent information that may be useful to an installer, inspector, or user of the apparatus.
Further depicted in
In another embodiment, rather than utilizing the technique of grooves 107, holes may be drilled in either side of the wall of hole 102, beneath the surface of floor 103. Similar tools may be employed as may be used to carve out grooves 107, including a right angle drill. Utilizing this technique, it would be possible not only to repair a hole in a floor below one's feet, but also a floor above one's head, i.e. a ceiling. In such a case, various embodiments of precast plug 101 may include logo 105 and size indicator 106 embossed or otherwise marked on the bottom side of precast plug 101, or rather on both ends of precast plug 101 to make it visible to one viewing precast plug 101 from above or below. The “wings” of rod 104 may also extend from a more central portion of precast plug 101 rather than being substantially flush with the top of precast plug 101. To accommodate the “wings” of rod 104 it may be necessary to drill deeper holes on either side of hole 102. After drilling the holes, one “wing” of rod 104 may be fully inserted into said drilled hole such that the side of precast plug 101 and interior of hole 102 are flush and the other “wing” of rod 104 is fully within hole 102 and extended in the direction of the drilled hole that it is to occupy. The entirety of precast plug 101 may then be laterally moved in that direction such that it is centered in hole 102 and both “wings” of rod 104 come to rest in either drilled hole.
Before appropriately sized precast plug 101 is fitted into hole 102, however, sealant 201 may be beaded around the exterior wall of precast plug 101 and the interior wall of hole 102, after which precast plug 101 may be fitted into hole 102. Once the wings of rod 104 are snugly within grooves 107, sealant 201 may be inserted into any voids such that hole 102 is completely full and/or excess sealant 201 may be wiped away from the area of hole 102. Sealant 201 may also be applied over the top of the wings of rod 104 to further secure rod 104 in place. After sealant 201 cures, what is left is a fire resistant, water resistant, and structurally sound repair job, which may be impliedly indicated by logo 105 as discussed above. As an example, 3M™ Fire Barrier Sealant IC 15WB+ or CP 25WB+ may be used as sealant 201, however, this is not to limit the scope of the invention. Other products with similar properties may be employed in lieu of said brand. Typically, the sealant used should comply with fire stop properties in accordance with jurisdictional codes or well-known standards (for example as set forth in ASTM E 814-13a).
In yet another embodiment, four separate rods 104 similar to the rods 104 depicted in
Size indicator 106 depicts a “#112”. As explained above, this may indicate that either hole 102 or precast plug 101 may be eleven point two inches wide for example.
Turning to the next figure,
Support component 151 may be a rod with a smaller diameter than rod 150, and which is shaped in a manner so that support component 151 may couple with rod 150—for example at the bend or dip of rod 150. Furthermore, rod 151 may be shaped in a variety of forms in order to provide a keyway that will lock the support component into the concrete housing, thereby providing support for precast plug 101.
A top portion of support component 151 may be configured to wrap around or hook onto a portion of rod 150 that is within concrete housing 101a of precast plug 101. In exemplary embodiments, a top portion of support component 151 may be hooked or wrapped around, or otherwise coupled to a middle bent portion of rod 150. Of course, other means of coupling the two components may be implemented, including gluing, soldering, or any other manner of securely coupling the support component to the rod. Further, support component 151 may be typically coupled in a manner so that it is substantially perpendicular to rod 150. Of course, other variations may include configurations in which rod 150 and support component 151 are not substantially perpendicular but at other angles in relation to each other. Whatever the configuration, it may be desirable that support component 151 is embedded within an internal portion of the concrete housing of precast plug 101 the will provide the most support—to these ends, in exemplary embodiment, support component 151 may be embedded within a middle portion of the concrete housing.
Turning now to the last set of figures,
In step 2001, an apparatus in accordance with the present invention such as a precast plug may be dry fit into a hole of a floor assembly from above. For example, a precast plug comprising of a concrete housing and a rod partially situated within the concrete housing, may be simply placed inside the hole to make sure that the correct size housing is being utilized.
In step 2002, outlines of the rods that extend beyond the concrete housing may be drawn so as to determine the location of the grooves to be carved adjacent to the hole. Once marked, the precast plug may be removed and set aside. In this step, an installer may desire to install temporary material within the hole in order to prevent grinding dust or debris from falling through the empty hole. Notably, step 2001 may not be necessary for several reasons—for example, a template or other guidelines for outlining where the grooves may be placed on the floor surface adjacent to the hole may be used so that a dry fit is unnecessary.
In step 2003, a grinder or other tools may be used to grind or carve the grooves or slots for receiving the outer portions (or wings) of the rod (or rods) external to the concrete housing. In some embodiments, this step may include grinding slots in the floor that are approximately 5/16 of an inch deep and of sufficient length to allow the precast plug to rest slightly below the surface of the floor or in a manner so that installation of the precast plug results in a top surface of the apparatus being flush with the surface of the floor. Removal of the temporary material used to plug the hole may be required if this precaution was taken in step 2002.
Moreover, this step may further include dry fitting the precast plug again to be sure the entire apparatus rests below surface of floor or is otherwise flush with the surface of the floor adjacent to the hole. Afterwards, the precast plug may be removed and the interior walls of the floor's hole may be wiped cleaned with a damp sponge, rag or paper towel to remove debris.
In step 2004, sealant may be applied. In exemplary practice, a bead of sealant (of approximately on-half inch thickness) may be applied below the top of the hole. In some embodiments, a spreader may be used to spread the sealant around the entire internal circumference of the hole. Furthermore, a similar thickness of sealant may be applied to the circumference of the concrete housing of the precast plug, particularly to the bottom circumference of the concrete housing then spreading throughout the entire circumference or outer walls of the concrete housing.
In step 2005, the precast plug may be inserted into the hole using a twisting motion into the concrete housing so that the protruding portions of the rod (or rods) rest in the previously carved out grooves or slots, allowing the entire precast plug to rest slightly below the surface of the floor. A spreader may be used in this step to level and remove any sealant that protrudes above the surface of the floor. In order to facilitate installation inspection, an installer may desire to keep the top surface of the precast plug clean (especially when the top portion may include a logo and other information relevant for inspection).
Now turning to the last figure,
In step 2001, a wet cement mixture may be prepared. In step 2002, the wet cement mixture may be poured into a form mold housing for creating the concrete housing of the precast plug.
In step 2003, one or more rods may be installed into the form mold housing whereby a distal end of one of the one or more rods makes a first protrusion from a first edge of said form mold housing and the proximal end of the rod makes a second protrusion from a second edge of the form mold housing. This step may be repeated depending on whether a single or multiple rods will be implemented with the precast plug being created. In alternative embodiments, the one or more rods may be positioned on the form mold housing prior to pouring the wet cement mixture.
In step 2004, the mixture may be allowed to cure with said the one or more rods in place, thereby creating said precast plug. This step may also include embossing the precast plug with a logo and or a size indicator, or stamping the precast plug with a logo and a size indicator, or otherwise including any pertinent inspection-relevant information onto the concrete housing as the cement mixture cures.
Naturally, the steps above should not be limiting, and these steps and additional steps may be performed in the same sequence or alternative sequence without deviating from the scope of the present invention. As may be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art, one of the advantages of the present invention is that an apparatus to fill and fire-proof a hole in a concrete floor may be achieved with installation from above. Typically, in order to meet the requirements under well-known standards access from below a floor assembly is required. As described above, an apparatus in accordance with the present invention may be simply placed inside the hole, sealed using certain sealants, and adjusted so that it is flushed with the surface of the floor adjacent to the hole.
A method and apparatus for filling and fire-proofing holes in concrete floors has been described. The foregoing description of the various exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and disclosure. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching without departing from the spirit of the invention.
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/584,981, filed on Dec. 29, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/854,795, filed on Apr. 1, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,959,863, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/650,179, filed on May 22, 2012, the disclosures of each incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
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| Child | 14584981 | US |
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| Parent | 14584981 | Dec 2014 | US |
| Child | 15153673 | US |
