This disclosure relates to a shoring apparatus used in forming concrete structures and, more specifically to a clamp useful in interconnecting components of scaffolding or bearing structures for shoring posts. Concrete forming apparatus is in wide use in the construction of buildings, bridges, and other concrete structures. The formwork against which the concrete is formed is often held in place by shores and the like. In creating a shoring apparatus having the desired strength, it is common to interconnect vertical components of a shoring apparatus. Because of the variety of the size and shape of concrete structures formed using the shoring apparatus, it is advantageous to have the ability to interconnect various components of the showing apparatus, such as a beam, in a wide variety of configurations.
In one form, the disclosure is directed to a clamp configured to engage a shoring post. The shoring post may be circular or non-circular.
In one form, the disclosure is directed to a clamp having two arms, each arm having at least one finger that curves inwardly, which allows it to engage a shoring post.
In one form, the disclosure is directed to arms on a clamp, where the arms are at an acute angle to one another.
In one form, the disclosure is directed to a clamp that is configured to receive a wedge, wherein the wedge has a raised surface that prevents the wedge from coming out of engagement with the clamp.
In one form, the disclosure relates to a clamp used in a universal wedge clamp system, the universal wedge clamp system comprising a clamp, beam, wedge, and shoring pole. The universal wedge clamp system is configured to be arranged so that the beam is in a horizontal position relative to the ground surface. The universal wedge clamp system is also configured to be arranged so that the beam is in an angled position relative to the ground surface.
In yet another form, the disclosure provides a clamp. The claim includes first and second arms, each of the first and second arms having at least one finger extending at an angle from the respective arm whereby the finger is configured to engage a shoring post. A slot is defined in at least one of the first and second arms configured to receive a wedge therethrough.
In still another form, the disclosure provides a universal wedge clamp system. The system includes a rigid clamp formed to define first and second arms that extend from opposite ends of a central member. The first and second arms each comprise a finger that extends inwardly toward the finger extending inwardly from the opposite arm. At least one of the first and second arms comprises a slot defined through the arm along a portion of a length of the arm. A wedge extends through the slot, wherein the clamp and the wedge are collectively configured to removably retain a beam upon either one of a substantially cylindrical shoring post, or a substantially rectangular shoring post.
Advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the disclosure that have been shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the disclosed subject matter is capable of other and different embodiments, and its details are capable of modification in various respects. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
Turning now to
The clamp 10 is configured to be installed and removed from shoring posts 30 (
In one form, the first and second arms 14a, 14b may each be substantially straight along their length and may be arranged at an acute angle α with respect to each other as they extend from the central portion 12 (as best shown in
In some embodiments, the clamp 10 and wedge 60 may be sized and shaped such that they can collectively (along with a shoring post 30/130) support a beam 70 in a perpendicular relationship to a vertical shoring post 30/130 (
As best shown in
The wedge 60 may be generally wedge-like in shape. For example, in some embodiments, the wedge 60 may be shaped similar to a right triangle, normally with one base 61 proximate to the vertex 63 that is significantly longer than the opposite base 62. In some embodiments where the wedge 60 is a right triangle, the wedge 60 is disposed with respect to the clamp 10 such that the base 61 faces the central arm 12 and the hypotenuse 64 faces the opening between the opposed fingers 20 (although the wedge 60 may be disposed in the opposite configuration as well). In other embodiments, the wedge 60 may be an isosceles triangle, with the sides mutually contacting the vertex 63 with a significantly longer length than the base 62 opposite from the vertex 63.
The wedge 60 may be made of any suitable material, such as metal (e.g. steel) or plastic. In some embodiments, steel is preferred due to the large compressive loads that the wedge 60 may carry as the wedge 60 is pinned between the slots 50a, 50b in the first and second arms 14a, 14b and the shoring pole 30, with the beam 70 therebetween. The wedge 60 is also normally made from a strong material to be able to carry the impact forces delivered thereto by a hammer directed upon the base 62 when tightening the wedge 60 within the clamp 10 (and the beam 70 between the post 30/130 and the wedge 60), as well as the impacts upon the vertex 63 when releasing the wedge from compressive contact with the beam 70 (between the post 30/130 and the wedge 60).
The wedge 60 may include one or more raised portions 65. The raised portions 65 may be disposed proximate the vertex 63 and may be disposed proximate the second base 62 (opposite from the vertex 63). The raised portions 65 are configured so that when the wedge 60 is engaged with the clamp 10, by extending the wedge through one or both of slots 50a, 50b disposed within the first and second arms 14a, 14b, the wedge 60 will be prevented from inadvertent withdrawal from the slots 50a, 50b. In some embodiments, the raised portions 65 may be a dimple formed in the material of the wedge, such that the combined thickness of the raised portion 65 and the wedge 60 is wider than the width of the respective first or second slot 50a, 50b that neighbors the raised portion. In other embodiments, the raised portion 65 may be a projection that is fixed to the wedge 60.
In other embodiments, and shown specifically in
In some embodiments, the first and second arms 14a, 14b and the central portion 12 may be formed with the same cross-section along their length, such that the entire clamp 10 is initially formed from an elongate stock that is bent into the final configuration. In some embodiments, the clamp may include a flat profile, a round profile, or a C-shaped (
The clamp 10 is configured to receive a beam 70 (such as a 2×4 or another elongate beam of another profile) through an internal volume 10a of the clamp 10. As mentioned above, the combination of the clamp 10 and the wedge 60 provide for compression of a beam 70 between a side surface of the wedge 60 (either the base 61 or the hypotenuse 64) and the shoring post 30/130. The compression of the beam 70 may be activated by urging the wedge 60 further into the clamp 10, normally by impacts upon the base 62 by a hammer or mallet. The compressive forces upon the beam 70 from the post 30/130 and the side of the wedge 60 establishes a significant normal force upon the opposite surfaces of the beam (contacting the post 30/130 and the wedge 60, respectively) which establishes a large frictional force therebetween to prevent sliding between the post 30, the beam 70, and the wedge 60.
As shown in
It has been found that certain dimensions of the clamp aid in working with a plurality of different types of shoring posts 130, and in particular rectangular posts, with a plurality of elongate recesses 132. For example, the opening 26 between the opposing fingers 20 of about 115 to about 120 mm has been found to be a suitable size, with the tips 22 extending about 2 or 3 mm inward from the inner surface of the finger 20 has been found to suitably engage the recesses 132 within typical shoring posts 130.
As shown in
While the preferred embodiments of the disclosed have been described, it should be understood that the invention is not so limited and modifications may be made without departing from the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims, and all devices that come within the meaning of the claims, either literally or by equivalence, are intended to be embraced therein.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/781,412, filed on Mar. 14, 2013, the entirety of which is hereby fully incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1778350 | Bosco | Oct 1930 | A |
2328167 | Ratigan | Aug 1943 | A |
2743657 | Kriegbaum | May 1956 | A |
3179212 | Gostling | Apr 1965 | A |
3350750 | Scarr | Nov 1967 | A |
3385556 | Pauli, Jr. | May 1968 | A |
3420557 | Francis | Jan 1969 | A |
4015399 | Prins | Apr 1977 | A |
4044523 | Layher | Aug 1977 | A |
4083640 | Lovering | Apr 1978 | A |
4348128 | Gostling | Sep 1982 | A |
4405254 | Tooley | Sep 1983 | A |
4430019 | D'Alessio | Feb 1984 | A |
4493578 | D'Alessio | Jan 1985 | A |
4522527 | Grandpierre | Jun 1985 | A |
4525096 | Green | Jun 1985 | A |
4530616 | Roux | Jul 1985 | A |
4566819 | Johnston | Jan 1986 | A |
4587786 | Woods | May 1986 | A |
4619541 | Lovering | Oct 1986 | A |
4840513 | Hackett | Jun 1989 | A |
4867274 | Langer | Sep 1989 | A |
4958702 | Langer | Sep 1990 | A |
4976566 | Yeomans | Dec 1990 | A |
5024037 | Ono | Jun 1991 | A |
5127757 | Langer | Jul 1992 | A |
5207527 | Duncan | May 1993 | A |
5217314 | Perruelle | Jun 1993 | A |
5315805 | Harsch | May 1994 | A |
5411113 | Lubinski | May 1995 | A |
5649404 | Reinklou | Jul 1997 | A |
5730432 | Gendreau | Mar 1998 | A |
5961240 | Bobrovniczky | Oct 1999 | A |
6179511 | Gassler | Jan 2001 | B1 |
6244581 | Arnhold | Jun 2001 | B1 |
6283251 | Merkel | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6322277 | Jennings | Nov 2001 | B1 |
7530540 | Long | May 2009 | B2 |
8048127 | Moulin | Nov 2011 | B2 |
8303207 | Thacker | Nov 2012 | B2 |
20060206182 | Pyles | Sep 2006 | A1 |
20060208152 | McCracken | Sep 2006 | A1 |
20120039686 | Miller | Feb 2012 | A1 |
20120186910 | Thacker et al. | Jul 2012 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
11-350728 | Dec 1999 | JP |
2001-304210 | Oct 2001 | JP |
2009-264072 | Nov 2009 | JP |
Entry |
---|
International Search Report for PCT/US2014/023974, dated Jul. 21, 2014, 3 pp. |
International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT/US2014/023974, dated Jul. 21, 2014, 11 pages. |
International Preliminary Report on Patentability and Written Opinion for PCT/US2014/023974, dated Sep. 15, 2015, 9 pp. |
Office Communication for CA 2,905,908, with Examination Search Report dated Aug. 3, 2016, 4 pp. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20140270920 A1 | Sep 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61781412 | Mar 2013 | US |