Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
D~S~RIPTION
The invention relates to a groove and tongue
connecting assembly to join movably together parts o
frames in yeneral, and in particular, frames for rein-
forced concrete forms.
With particular reference to forms for rein-
forced concrete castings, where the invention has particular,
but not exclrsive application, the movabl~ coupling of
metal elements is required for frames secured to panels
which delimit the cavity for casting the concrete.
At present, in order to obtain concrete cast-
ings with plane, smooth surfaces, for obtaining forms,
panels of large dimensions and constituted by plywood and
by mixes based on wood fibre and similar materials are
used. While on the one hand the use of these panels
offers some advantages, on the other hand it gives rise
to certain drawbacks with regard to the structure of these
panels and their coupling to obtain forms with the desired
characteristics.
The scope of the present invention is to permit
joining and coupling of two or more panels along their
vertical and/or horizontal edge in order to obtain a com-
posite panel of the dimensions desired, extending longi-
tudinally and/or vertically.
A further scope of the present invention is to
simultaneously obtain with the coupling, the joining of
two or more elementary panels, also the alignment of said
panels in the sense that the composite panel obtained will
efficiently and satisfactorily withstand the pressure of
the concrete casting.
A still further scope of the present invention is to
secure to the composite panel any other such element as
may be necessary for making a concrete form or operating
same.
The connection assembly according to the invention
utilizes the actions and reactions characteristic of the
shifting of a load along an inclined plane, accounting
for attrition between the contact surfaces, such that the
orientation of said surfaces will provide angles charac-
teristic for the scope to be achieved.
According to the invention there is provided an
assembly to connect releasably the rods of metallic
frames, in particular for reinforced concrete forms,
characterized in that the assembly is provided, in
combination with at least two stiffening rods, with a
locking bracket, the arms of which terminate with opposed
tabs inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of
said bracket and which engage a series of ribs provided
longitudinally on at least one of the stiffening rods and
provided, in the proximity of said ribs, with surfaces
engaging with the middle part of the bracket to secure
to said rod the complementary rods of the frame.
Preferably, the pair of engagement ribs for the
inclined tabs of the bracket arms
:~.
~re ~rovided by thc op~,osite faces of a l~-shcl~ed (or
similar) rod to clamp to e~ch other and throucJh said
; bracket,one or more complementary rods overlapplng and
parallel to each other.
The coupling of the rods of the two adjacent
frames is effected by using the peri~netral rods along-
side each other and which have, on their opposite faces,
the elements of the pair of ribs with which the tabs of
the bracket engage; said rods, towards their longitudinal
extremity, are provided with opposite tabs which engage
the mid part of the bracket to ensure, in addition to
the reciproca] locking of the two rods, also the align-
ment of same.
The invention will now be explained by the
following description which refers to the annexed drawings,
which illustrate, by way of example, the connection
; assembly according to the invention.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a partial front view of the panels
of a form for molding reinforced concrete;
Figure 2 is a top view;
Figure 3 and 4 are sectional views on an enlarged
scale taken on lines III~III and IV-IV of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a schematic view of the longitudinal
section of the connection assembly of Figure 4.
With reference to the figures of the drawings,
letter A identifies the panels for the concrete casting,
lL3L`~Q'l~ ~
said panels being provided with a metal fr~m~ B forll!ed
by perirnetral rods s1 (vertical) and s2 (horizontal) and
by intermediate or stiffening rods B3.
In addition, are also provided rods C relating
to the supportin~ structure, which are intcnded to align
and stiffen panels A, while the containment of the cast
is ensured by tie-rods secured to said panels.
Figure 3 of the drawings shows two adjacent
panels A, each of which is provided with a frame B. The
frame comprises vertical and horizontal rods B1 and B2
and intermediate rods B3, each of which is U-shaped.
Arms 10 and 12 of each rod B1 and B2 terminate with squared
tabs 14 and 16 all folded in the same direction so that
the first; 14, of these form ledges to hold the edges of
panels A, while the second, 16, are folded towards the
cavity of the U-shaped rod in question.
Intermediate wall 18 of said U-shaped rods B1
and B2 is provided substantially in its mid part with
ribs 20, suitably sized and inclined with respect to the
longitudinal axis of their associated rod, so as to form
(Figure 5) with ths longitudinal axis x-x of the latter
an angle ~ comprised between 2~ and 8. Advantageously,
this angle is about 5 in relation also to what will be
stated hereinunder.
Again with reference to Figure 3 of the drawings,
frame B relating to the panel adjacent to that considered,
consists of rods B1 of equal profile and in this figure
the cquivalent parts to those previously considered are
identified by odd numbers. Rods B1 are so arran~e that
the beginning and end of ribs 20 and 21 are coincident
: and aligned.
For this purpose, and if required - especi.ally
when it is not possible to use locking elements D on
certain parts of frame B - rods s1 are provided in suitable
positions with pairs of holes into which alignment pins 22
can slot. The connecting and locking assembly D for
rods B1 lS formed by a bracket 30, the arms 32 and 33 of
which are inclined so as to diverge upwardly and terminate
at their ends with tabs 34 and 35, inclined as shown in
Flgure 3 so as to converge in the upward direction.
The inclination angle ~ formed by tabs 34 and 35
with the mid part 36 of bracket 30 is approximately 45 and
said tabs thus engage with ribs 20~21, the association of
whlch has a semi-circular or similar profile so that
during the tightening phase forces W are developed, the
` components of which lock both the right angle tabs 14-15
and 16-17 and the mid part 36 against arms 10~12 of
rods B1.
Furthermore, said tabs 34-35 are lnclined with
respect to the longitudinal axis of bracket 30, the angle
of which is substantially equal to the angle of ribs 20-
21 (see Figure 5), whlle the mid part 36 of bracket 30 is
plane to cooperate face to face with arms 12 and 13 of
rods B1 of frame B.
'
13 '~
Lastly, bracket 30 is provided a~ its rnid part
36 with enlargements 3~ forming percussion edges apt to
forcibly engage tabs 34-35 of said bracket with the
previously mentioned inclined rihs 20-21.
In the light of what stated above, it is evident
that the coupling and locking of the two panels provided
with a frame B is effected by inserting two or more
brackets D on rods B1 of the two adjacent frames, so that
the inclined tabs 34-35 of each bracket engage with ribs
21 and 21 provided by the two opposite rods B1 of the two
frames.
The above operations, if required, can be pre-
ceded by insertion of pins 22 into the holes in said
rods B1; however, in practice and without effecting further
connections, the mounting of panels A is effected by
sliding, for example by percussion, bracket D in the
direction of arrows y (Figure 5). In thls manner, one
obtains face to face engagement of tabs 14-15 and 16 17,
as well as alignment of arms 12-13 in relation to the en-
gagement of the faces of said arms with lntermediate
: part 36 of bracket 30.
The co-planar arrangement of the panels relat-
ing to the frames in consideration is also achieved
since these are secured to the square edges formed by
arms 10 and 11 and their associated tabs 14 and 15.
With reference to Figure 4, alike or equivalent
parts to those of Figure 3 are identified by the same
reference symbols. In this case, the connection between
intermediate rods B3 and alignmcnt uprights C is obtaincd
by means of bracket D in the same manner as in Figure 3.
Rod B3 in th s case is U-shaped and the ends of its
arms 18a and 19a are folded at ri.ght ang].es and secured
in a suitable ~Jay to panel A under consideration. Said
arms, in the proximity of intermediate wall 40, are provided
with inclined ribs 20a and 21a which engage with inclined
tabs 34-35 of bracket 30, previously considered.
In this case, the intermediate part 36 of said
bracket engages with upright C which is thus locked against
intermediate wall 40 of rod B3. Also in this case, the
coupling and locking of rods B3 and uprights C are obtained
by the en~agement of bracket D with ribs 20a - 21a of
rod B3.
In Figure 5, which is a longitudinal cross sec-
tion of ~igure ~, letter ~ identifies the wood conglomerate
panel, B3 the intermediate rod, C the upright of the frame
(for alignment), D the bracket, 20-21 the rib comprised
by rod B3 inclined at an angle comprised between 2'and 8,
- preferably 5 with respect to the longitudinal axis x-x of
rod B3; it is clear from the figure that bracket D (slidably
engaged with its tabs 3~-35 on ribs 20-21), when pushed in
the direction of arrow y, tends to tighten its mid part 36
against intermediate Fod C and in turn the latter against
. rod B3.
It is understood that the connecting assembly
as described and illustrated may be modified dependin~ on
~,t7~ t~;~
application requircments, in particular ~ith re~ard to
the charactcristics of fram~ B, comprised by p~nels A,
to allow easy and rapid realisation of the concrete forms.
+ + + + +
