SUBMERSIBLE VIBRATORY HEAD FOR CONSOLIDATING CONCRETE

Abstract

A vibratory head for a concrete vibrator includes elongate structures suitable for use to consolidate uncured concrete in a horizontal or flat application.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to powered concrete vibrators. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to concrete vibrators powered by power tools.

Power tools come in a variety of shapes and sizes and may be used for a variety of purposes. For example, there are concrete-finishing tools (e.g., screeds, edgers, groovers, floats, consolidators) and yard tools (e.g., edgers, hedge trimmers, weed cutters), to name just a few.

Concrete vibrators are powered by rotary power units. Effective vibration of concrete requires sufficient rotary speed to rotate a vibratory element, such as an eccentric, at a rate sufficient to develop vibration sufficient to consolidate concrete.

SUMMARY

The present application discloses one or more of the features recited in the appended claims and/or the following features which, alone or in any combination, may comprise patentable subject matter:

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a vibrator assembly for consolidating concrete comprises a power source, a vibratory head driven by the power source, the vibratory head operable to generate mechanical oscillation, and a submersible elongate member extending from the vibratory head, the elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete.

In some embodiments, the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete comprises an elongate member that extends laterally from the vibratory head.

In some embodiments, the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete is secured to a coupler securing the elongate member to the vibratory head.

In some embodiments, the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete comprises a pair of elongate members that extends laterally from each side of the vibratory head.

In some embodiments, the coupler comprises a clamp that secures an elongate member to the vibratory head.

In some embodiments, the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete further comprises a prong that extends from an elongate member, the prong having an a length that defines an axis, the axis of the prong intersecting the axis of the elongate member.

In some embodiments, the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete comprises a plurality of prongs that each extends from an elongate member, the prongs each having an a length that defines an axis, the axis of each prong intersecting the axis of the elongate member from which the prong extends.

In some embodiments, the coupler comprises a tee-clamp that secures an elongate member to the vibratory head.

In some embodiments, the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete is submergible in uncured concrete during operation.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a vibrator assembly for consolidating concrete comprises a power source, a vibratory head driven by the power source, the vibratory head operable to generate mechanical oscillation, and a pair of elongate rods that extend laterally from opposite sides of the vibratory head, the rods being mechanically oscillated by the vibratory head, the rods being configured to be fully submerged in uncured concrete to transfer the mechanical oscillation to the uncured concrete.

In some embodiments, each rod comprises a prong that extends from the rod, the prong having a length that defines an axis, the axis of the prong intersecting the axis of the elongate rod.

In some embodiments, the axis of the prong is perpendicular to the axis of the respective rod.

In some embodiments, each rod comprises a plurality of prongs that extend from the respective rod, each prong having a length that defines an axis, the axis of each prong intersecting the axis of the elongate rod.

In some embodiments, the axis of each prong is perpendicular to the axis of the respective rod.

In some embodiments, the power source has a variable speed and is configured to allow a user to vary the displacement of the rods by controlling a speed input.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a vibrator assembly for consolidating concrete comprises a vibratory head configured to be driven by a power source, the vibratory head operable to generate mechanical oscillation, a coupler secured to the vibratory head, and a pair of elongate rods secured to the coupler, the elongate rods extending laterally from opposite sides of the vibratory head, the rods each having an axis, with the axis of the two rods being generally parallel, the rods being mechanically oscillated by the vibratory head, wherein each rod comprises a plurality of prongs that extend from the respective rod, each prong having a length that defines an axis, the axis of each prong intersecting the axis of the elongate rod.

In some embodiments, the axis of each prong is perpendicular to the axis of the respective rod the rods being configured to be fully submerged in uncured concrete to transfer the mechanical oscillation to the uncured concrete.

Additional features, which alone or in combination with any other feature(s), including those listed above and those listed in the claims, may comprise patentable subject matter and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool having submergible screed rods attached to a vibration head by a connector, the vibration head receiving power from an engine to transfer vibration to concrete to remove air pockets in the concrete layer;

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a portion of the vibration head and the submergible screed rods submerged in the concrete from the right side of the person operating the tool;

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a portion of the vibration head and the submergible screed rods submerged in the concrete when reinforcing bars are present in the concrete layer from the right side of the person operating the tool;

FIG. 4 is a side view similar to FIG. 2 showing a portion of the vibration head and the submergible screed rods submerged in the concrete from the right side of the person operating the tool, the clamp supporting the submergible screed rods being rotated about the vibration head to a different orientation;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a first embodiment of a releasable cross clamp for securing the ;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the first embodiment of the clamp of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of a second embodiment of a clamp (tee clamp);

FIG. 8 is an elevation view of a second embodiment of submergible screed rods having a prong; and

FIG. 9 is an elevation view of a third embodiment of submergible screed rods having a multiple prongs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to one or more illustrative embodiments shown in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.

As shown in FIG. 1, a tool 10 includes a vibratory power unit 12 and submergible elongate members embodied as screed rods 14 coupled to the vibratory power unit 12 by a releasable clamp 16. The vibratory power unit 12 further includes an internal combustion engine 18, a rigid shaft 20, a flexible shaft 22, and a vibration head 24. The rigid shaft 20 is coupled to the engine 18 at a proximal end 26 of the rigid shaft 20 and extends to the flexible shaft 22. The flexible shaft 22 is coupled to the rigid shaft 20 via a connector 28 at a distal end 30 of the rigid shaft 20. The flexible shaft 22 further extends to be coupled to the vibration head 24. The vibration head 24 encloses a vibrator 32 and is coupled to the submergible screed rods 14. Rotation is transferred from the engine 18 through the shafts 20, 22 to an eccentric in the vibrator 32 that induces vibration as the eccentric is rotated, as is known in the art. The vibration head 24 and the submergible screed rods 14 are configured to be submerged under concrete to vibrate concrete to remove air pockets formed in concrete layer. The screed rods 14 define an axis 15. The speed of the engine 18 is controlled by a throttle 38, as is known in the art. The variation of speed of engine 18 allows a user to vary the vibration imparted to the concrete. It should be understood that variations in the speed of the engine 18 causes variations in the speed of rotation of the eccentric, which, in turn, causes variations in the displacement of the screed rods 14. A user may tune the displacement of the screed rods 14 by controlling the speed, with the thickness and slump (viscosity) resisting displacement of the screed rods 14 when the tool 10 is used.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rigid shaft 20 and the flexible shaft 22 are hollow cylindrical tubes support a rotating flexible shaft that extends from the engine 18 to the vibrator 32. It should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the tool 10 may include one monolithic rigid shaft or one monolithic flexible shaft instead of the rigid shaft 20 and the flexible shaft 22.

A lever control lift handle 34 is removably coupled to the rigid shaft 20 to facilitate manipulation of the tool 10 by a user. It should be appreciated that other handles may be attached to the rigid shaft 20 to facilitate manipulation of the tool 10.

In some embodiments, the level control lift handler 34 may be permanently attached to the rigid shaft 20.

In some embodiments, the tool 10 may further include an isolation unit (not shown) along the flexible shaft 22 between the connector 28 and the vibration head 24. In such an embodiment, the isolation unit is configured to reduce the vibrations experience by the user directly grasping the tool 10. The isolation unit may also reduce vibrations experienced by the engine 18. The vibratory power tool having an isolation unit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,097,384, issued Aug. 29, 2006, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

In the illustrative embodiment, the tool 10 includes two submergible screed rods 14, one on each side of the vibration head 24. In some embodiments, the tool 10 may include one submergible screed rod, as shown in FIG. 7, which will be described in detail below.

In use, the vibration head 24 portion of the tool 10 and the submergible screed rods 14 are submerged under the concrete 40 above the ground 44 as shown in FIGS. 2-4. When the engine 18 is active, the vibrator 32 operates to generate vibration as is known in the art. As described above, vibration is then transferred to the vibration head 24 then to the attached submergible screed rods 14. Each screed rod 14 has an elongated rod shape to increase the contact surface area with concrete 40. As the submergible screed rods 14 are moved through the concrete 40 parallel to the ground 44, the concrete 40 is consolidated by the vibration.

In case where the concrete 40 is poured over reinforcing bars 46, the tool 10 is placed in the concrete 40 such that the vibration head 24 and the submergible screed rods 14 are positioned between the reinforcing bar 46 and the surface 42 as shown in FIG. 3. The submergible screed rods 14 vibrate and move through the concrete 40 parallel to the reinforcing bars 46 to consolidate the concrete 40.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the submergible screed rods 14 are attached to the vibration head 24 via the releasable clamp 16. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5-6, each of the submergible screed rods 14 is attached on each side of the vibration head 24 via a cross-clamp 116. The cross-clamp 116 includes a central opening 118 and two chambers 120, 122. A first chamber 120 is positioned opposite a second chamber 122. Each chamber having a radius for mating against an outer surface of one end of the submergible screed rod 14 as shown in FIG. 6.

The central opening 118 has a radius bigger than a radius of the vibration head 24 and is configured to slide over the vibration head 24. The central opening 118 of the cross-clamp 116 is moveable along the vibration head 24 to position the submergible screed rods 14 relative to the distal end 36 of the vibration head 24. An initial position of the submergible screed rods 14 may depend on the depth of the concrete 40 and may change throughout the process because the air pockets move in the direction from the ground 44 to the top surface 42 of the concrete. If a large volume of concrete 40 is poured at once, the weight of the deep concrete 40 may prevent the air pockets from escaping to the surface 42 and trap the air pockets. The submergible screed rod 14 may be initially positioned close to the distal end 36 of the vibration head 24, which will place the submergible screed rod 14 near the ground 44 to transfer vibration at the bottom portion of the concrete to facilitate the air pockets to rise to the upper portion of the concrete. After a sweep across the bottom portion of the concrete, the submergible screed rod 14 may be repositioned on the vibration head 24 such that the submergible screed rod 14 is in the middle portion of the concrete to facilitate the air pockets in the middle portion to rise to the surface 42.

The central opening 118 further includes a slit 124 that allows the central opening 118 to be tightened when a desirable position of the submergible screed rods 14 on the vibration head 24 is achieved. The cross-clamp 116 is fixed by tightening bolts 126 of the slit 124. In some embodiments, the cross-clamp may have two clamp members created by two slits in the central opening. Each clamp member includes a chamber to receive one end of the submergible screed rod 14. Each clamp member is coupled to the vibration head 24 by aligning two slits and tightening the bolts on each slit.

In an alternative embodiment, the releasable clamp 16 may be a tee clamp 216 as shown in FIG. 7. The tee clamp 216 includes two clamping members 218, 220 that are coupled to the vibration head 24. Each clamping member 218, 220 includes a horizontal groove and a vertical groove. The horizontal groove has a generally semicircular cylindrical shape and is configured to receive a portion of the submergible screed rod 14. The vertical groove also has a generally semicircular cylindrical shape and is configured to receive the distal end 36 of the vibration head 24. When two clamping members 218, 220 are aligned, the submergible screed rod 14 is positioned between the two horizontal grooves of the clamping members 218, 220 and the rotational head 24 is positioned between the two vertical grooves of the clamping members 218, 220. In such an embodiment, the tool 10 includes one submergible screed rod 14 that extends through the tee clamp 216. It should be appreciated that the tee clamp that are commonly used and known in the art, such as a socket tee, may be used.

Referring now to FIGS. 8-9, alternative embodiments of the submergible screed rod 114, 214 are shown. Both types of submergible screed rod 114, 214 are compatible with all of the releasable clamps 16, 116, 216 described above.

As shown in FIG. 8, a submergible screed rod 114 includes an elongated rod 130 having a prong 132 extending from a free end 134 of the elongated rod 130 towards the ground 44. The opposite end 136 of the elongated rod 130 is configured to be received in one of the releasable clamp 16, 116, 216. The prong 132 defines an axis 117 that intersects an axis 115 of the screed rod 114.

As discussed above, vibration of the concrete layer 40 from the bottom to top facilitates the removal of air pockets in the concrete layer 40. Having the downward prong 132 ensures to transfer vibration to the bottom portion of the concrete layer 40 to facilitate air pockets that may be otherwise trapped in the bottom of the concrete layer 40. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 9, a submergible screed rod 214 includes an elongated body 230 having a multiple prongs 232 projecting downwardly from the elongated body 230 to the ground 44. Similarly, the multiple prongs 232 facilitate to transfer vibration more evenly throughout the concrete layer 40. The prongs 232 each define an axis 217 that intersects the axis 215 of the screed rod 214.

Although certain illustrative embodiments and graphical illustrations have been described in detail above, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of this disclosure as described and as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A vibrator assembly for consolidating concrete comprises a power source,a vibratory head driven by the power source, the vibratory head operable to generate mechanical oscillation, anda submersible elongate member extending from the vibratory head, the elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete.

2. The vibrator assembly of claim 1, wherein the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete comprises an elongate member that extends laterally from the vibratory head.

3. The vibrator assembly of claim 2, wherein the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete is secured to a coupler securing the elongate member to the vibratory head.

4. The vibrator assembly of claim 3, wherein the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete comprises a first elongate member that extends laterally from one side of the vibratory head.

5. The vibrator assembly of claim 4, wherein the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete comprises a pair of elongate members that extends laterally from each side of the vibratory head.

6. The vibrator assembly of claim 3, wherein the coupler comprises a clamp that secures an elongate member to the vibratory head.

7. The vibrator assembly of claim 3, wherein the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete further comprises a prong that extends from an elongate member, the prong having an a length that defines an axis, the axis of the prong intersecting the axis of the elongate member.

8. The vibrator assembly of claim 7, wherein the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete comprises a plurality of prongs that each extends from an elongate member, the prongs each having an a length that defines an axis, the axis of each prong intersecting the axis of the elongate member from which the prong extends.

9. The vibrator assembly of claim 8, wherein the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete is submergible in uncured concrete during operation.

10. The vibrator assembly of claim 3, wherein the coupler comprises a tee- clamp that secures an elongate member to the vibratory head.

11. The vibrator assembly of claim 10, wherein the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete is submergible in uncured concrete during operation.

12. The vibrator assembly of claim 1, wherein the submersible elongate member transferring the mechanical oscillation from the vibratory head to uncured concrete is submergible in uncured concrete during operation.

13. A vibrator assembly for consolidating concrete comprises a power source,a vibratory head driven by the power source, the vibratory head operable to generate mechanical oscillation, anda pair of elongate rods that extend laterally from opposite sides of the vibratory head, the rods being mechanically oscillated by the vibratory head, the rods being configured to be fully submerged in uncured concrete to transfer the mechanical oscillation to the uncured concrete.

14. The vibrator assembly of claim 13, wherein each rod comprises a prong that extends from the rod, the prong having a length that defines an axis, the axis of the prong intersecting the axis of the elongate rod.

15. The vibrator assembly of claim 14, wherein the axis of the prong is perpendicular to the axis of the respective rod.

16. The vibrator assembly of claim 13, wherein each rod comprises a plurality of prongs that extend from the respective rod, each prong having a length that defines an axis, the axis of each prong intersecting the axis of the elongate rod.

17. The vibrator assembly of claim 16, wherein the axis of each prong is perpendicular to the axis of the respective rod.

18. The vibrator assembly of claim 17, wherein the power source has a variable speed and is configured to allow a user to vary the displacement of the rods by controlling a speed input.

19. A vibrator assembly for consolidating concrete comprises a vibratory head configured to be driven by a power source, the vibratory head operable to generate mechanical oscillation,a coupler secured to the vibratory head, anda pair of elongate rods secured to the coupler, the elongate rods extending laterally from opposite sides of the vibratory head, the rods each having an axis, with the axis of the two rods being generally parallel, the rods being mechanically oscillated by the vibratory head, wherein each rod comprises a plurality of prongs that extend from the respective rod, each prong having a length that defines an axis, the axis of each prong intersecting the axis of the elongate rod.

20. The vibrator assembly of claim 19, wherein the axis of each prong is perpendicular to the axis of the respective rod the rods being configured to be fully submerged in uncured concrete to transfer the mechanical oscillation to the uncured concrete.