Patent Application
20230203827
The present disclosure relates generally to brackets for tilt-up concrete wall construction, and more particularly to versatile multipiece tilt form bracket.
In tilt up concrete wall construction, the wall is formed in a horizontal position, typically atop a slab. After the concrete dries, the form is dismantled, and the wall is tilted up vertically and placed in its desired position as part of a building. The form for the wall construction often utilizes dimensional lumber that is held in place with brackets that may be connected to the lumber with screw type fasteners. Except for unusual circumstances, tilt up concrete walls are usually made in either a five or seven inch thickness. Existing brackets for tilt up construction suffer from a number of drawbacks, including a necessity to inventory brackets for both the thinner and thicker concrete walls. Currently available brackets may also lack in stiffness, thus requiring larger numbers of brackets for a given wall construction project, with increasing labor and supply costs.
The present disclosure is directed toward one or more of the problems set forth above.
In one aspect, a tilt-form bracket for tilt up concrete wall construction includes a one-piece plastic shoe plate having a slab contact surface opposite to a brace mating surface that includes a pair of spaced apart parallel mating grooves. A one-piece plastic dual triangle brace includes a plate mating surface and a height extension mating surface. The plate mating surface includes a pair of spaced apart parallel triangular braces separated by a vertical wall that defines a form connection through hole. The plate mating surface of the dual triangle brace mates with the brace mating surface of the shoe plate in exactly one configuration with each of the pair of spaced apart parallel triangular braces received in a respective one of the pair of spaced apart parallel mating grooves.
In another aspect, a tilt-form bracket for tilt up concrete wall construction consists of exactly three pieces, which are a shoe plate piece, a triangle brace piece that defines three form connection through holes, and a height extension piece that defines one form connection through hole. The triangle brace piece is mounted on the shoe plate piece, and the height extension piece is mounted atop the triangle brace piece.
Referring initially to
The dual triangle brace piece 30 may include first and second attachment wings 37 and 38 that flank opposite sides 39 and 40 of the pair of spaced apart parallel triangular braces 33 and 34. Each of the first and second attachment wings 37 and 38 defines a form connection through hole 41 or 42 that is outboard of respective left and right outside edges 25 and 26 of the shoe plate piece 20. Thus, the form connection through holes 41 and 42 are further apart than the outside edges 25 and 26. Each of the first and second attachment wings 37 and 38 may define a locating slot 44 or 45 that receives an upturned edge 27 or 28 of the shoe plate piece 20. The dual triangle brace piece 30 includes a form contact surface 46 that abuts a form piece of dimensional lumber (not shown), which is typically a wood board, when the tilt-form bracket 10 is in use.
When the tilt-form bracket 10 is changed from the thin wall configuration 12 to the thick wall configuration 14, a one-piece plastic height extension 50 is attached atop the dual triangle brace piece 30. The height extension piece 50 includes a brace mating surface 51 and a pair of brace extensions 52 and 53 separated by a wall extension 54 that defines exactly one form connection through hole 55. The brace mating surface 51 of the height extension piece 50 mates in exactly one configuration with the height extension mating surface 32 of the dual triangle brace piece 30. In the illustrated embodiment, brace mating surface 51 includes a plurality of locating dowels 57 that are received in counterpart dowel holes 43 defined in the triangle braces 33, 34 and the vertical wall 35 of dual triangle brace piece 30. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that different mating feature shapes could be substituted for the dowel/hole strategy shown, or the pieces having the holes and dowels could be reversed or mixed without departing from the intended scope of this disclosure. The height extension piece 50 may include its own form contact surface 56.
The thick configuration 14 of the tilt-form bracket 10 may be considered to consist of exactly three pieces: a shoe plate piece 20, a triangle brace piece 30 and a height extension piece 50. The triangle brace piece 30 defines exactly three form connection through holes 36, 41 and 42, and the height extension piece 50 defines exactly one form connection through hole 55. The triangle brace piece 30 is mounted on the shoe plate piece 20, and the height extension piece 50 is mounted atop the triangle brace piece 30. In this aspect, the triangle brace piece 30 may include a pair of spaced apart parallel triangular braces 33 and 34 that are separated by a vertical wall 35.
The tilt-form bracket 10 of the present disclosure finds application in bracing forms when pouring concrete in tilt up concrete wall construction applications. Different configurations 12 and 14 of the tilt-form bracket can be used for thin (maybe five inches) and thick (maybe seven inches) concrete walls. The present disclosure finds particular application for builders and suppliers that have a need to inventory parts suitable for both thin and thick wall construction applications.
After choosing a wall thickness, a practitioner selects a number of braces necessary to support the form lumber that outlines a given wall. The braces are assembled from individual pieces and attached to the form lumber with suitable fasteners, such as screws that penetrate the individual form connection though holes and thread into the form lumber when the lumber and shoe plate piece 20 are in contact with a slab onto which the concrete is poured. After the concrete dries, the forms are disconnected and the wall is tilted vertical and moved into place at the construction site. The individual tilt-form braces may be detached from the lumber forms for reuse, recycled or discarded. The dual triangle structure of the tilt-form bracket may allow for a lesser number of braces in a given job than prior art single triangle braces, thus saving labor and other costs. The optional height extension piece 50 permits builders and suppliers to inventory a lesser number of pieces parts while retaining the ability to meet needs for either thin or thick wall applications.
The present description is for illustrative purposes only, and should not be construed to narrow the breadth of the present disclosure in any way. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modification might be made to the presently disclosed embodiments without departing from the full and fair scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Other aspects, features and advantages will be apparent upon an examination of the attached drawings and appended claims.
