Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for manually
repetitively imprinting a pattern, such as that of paving
bricks, in the surface of fresh concrete for example for a
sidewalk, driveway or the like.
To build a sidewalk or roadway out of cobblestones,
paving stones and the like these days is a very expensive
endeavour, because of the high cost of materials and high
labour costs. Consequently, asphalt or concrete us usually
used in such constructions, thereby foregoing the attractive
appearance of such a sidewalk or roadway which cobblestones or
bricks would provide.
Devices have been previously developed for imprinting
a surface pattern on fresh concrete or the like. This ~resents
no difficulties when, for example, the concrete is held in a
mould for example for forming patio slabs (see e.g. Canadian
Patent No. 1,107,484 of Fontana et al issued August 25. 1981).
U.S. Patents Nos. 4,135,840 of Puccini et al issued
January 23, 1979, 3,807,888 of Bowman issued April 30, 1974,
and 3,406,618 of Bowman issued October 2Z, 1968, and Canadian
Patent Wo. 1,133,273 of Roming issued October 12, 1982 describe
and illustrate imprinting tools comprising blades forming a
particular pattern, to be pressed into the surface of fresh
concrete. Some of these devices, such as that of Bowman, are
tools on which a worker walks to press the pattern in. None of
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these tools is designed for high speed multiple imprinting of
patterns along linear s~retches of concrete. Nor are such devices
practical for large scale commercial applications requiring
multiple, fast, repetitive impressions of patterns, in aligned,
regular fashion, for example to form longitudinally and laterally
aligned patterns in the surfaces of sidewalks or driveways.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a
manually operable device for forming repetitive, imprinted surface
patterns in fresh concrete which device is practical for large
scale commercial applications.
8UNNARY OF T~E INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention there is
provided such a device for manually, repetitively imprinting a
surface pattern in fresh concrete. A plurality of blades are
secured together to form an imprinting unit, the lower edges
thereof to form the desired pattern when pressed into the levelled
surface of fresh concrete. Bar handle means are secured to the
upper portions of the blades so as to permit lifting of the device
after imprinting and its transportation to an adjacent position for
further imprinting. They extend laterally beyond the perimeter of
the imprinting unit to facilitate manual operation of the device.
Levelling means are secured to and cooperate with the handle means
for adjustable vertical positioning of the blades of the device
with respect to the surface to be imprinted.
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In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the
bar handle means comprises a pair of spaced parallel bars having
sleeves secured to upper portions of the imprinting unit for
slidably receiving the bars therewithin. Lock means are associated
with the sleeve means to secure the sleeve means and imprinting
unit in position as desired on the bars. A pair of such imprinting
units are mounted on the bars.
The device according to the present invention is
particularly practical for imprinting a surface pattern in an
elongated strip of concrete poured between parallel forms,
delimiting the lateral edges of the concrete, for example, in the
construction of a sidewalk. For such applications, the device
preferably has an alignment means downwardly depending from the
handle means and slidably adjustable thereon to abut against one of
the forms and maintain lateral alignment of the imprinting unit in
the longitudinal direction.
If the surface pattern is of paving bricks or
cobblestones, and the concrete is dyed an appropriate colour, a
realistic, economical simulation of real paving stones or
cobblestones may be achieved. The device in accordance with the
present invention may be used, for example by a pair of workers
handling the device from each side of the forms of a sidewalk, to
provide a fast and efficient method of imprinting, in aligned
fashion, the pattern from the imprinting unit or units along the
sidewalk, after fresh concrete has been poured and levelled between
the forms.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other objects and advantages of the
invention will become apparent upon reading the following
detailed description and ueon referring to the drawings in
which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a concrete
imprinting device in accordance with the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is a partial section view of a portion of the
device of FIGURE 1 along lines II-II;
FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a vertical
adjustment means for the device of FIGURE l;
FIGURE 4 is a schematic view of an alternative
embodiment of the device of FIGURE 1, intended for multiple
impressions over larger areas: and
FIGURE 5 is a schematic view of a section of sidewalk
in which freshly poured, levelled concrete is being imprinted
with a pattern using the device of FIGURE 1.
While the invention will be described in conjunction
with example embodiments, it will be understood that it is not
intended to limit the invention to such embodiments. On the
contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives,
modifications and equivalents as may be included within the
spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended
claims.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the drawings similar features have been given
similar reference numerals.
Turning to FIGURE 1 there is illustrated an impression
device 2 in accordance with the present invention for manually
repetitively imprinting a surface pattern in fresh concrete.
The device comprises a plurality of blades 4 secured together
in vertical orientation, with their blade edges downwardly
oriented and preferably terminating in the same plane (FIGURE
2). As can be seen in FIGURE 2, the lower edges 5 of the
blades are V-shaped to assist in formation of the desired
pattern. The V, for example, may have an angle of 60. It is
preferred that at least that portion of the blade which is to
be impressed into fresh concrete be coated with, for example, a
paint to minimize the sticking of concrete to the blades and
create a more even pattern. The blades are preferably made of
a metal such as aluminum. These blades form, together, an
imprinting unit 6 which will leave the desired pattern (a brick
pattern forming squares in the illustrated embodiment) when
pressed into fresh concrete. A pair of such imprinting units 6
are slidably mounted, in the embodiment of FIGURE 1, on bars 8
by means of sleeves 10, through which sleeves are threadably
secured appropriate locking bolts 12. With locking bolts 12
loosened, im~rinting units 6 may be moved to appropriate
positions, relative to each other, on bars 8, and then secured
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on the b~rs in such positions by tightening lock bolts 12.
Bars 8, and corresponding sleeves 10, are aligned parallel to
each other. The ends 13 of bars 8 preferably extend outwardly
beyond the corresponding lateral perimeter of the adjacent
imprinting unit 6, each pair of ends on each side thereby
easily handled by an operator.
To the device 2, preferably downwardly depending from
bars 8 are means for vertically adjusting the height of device
2 with respect to the surface of concrete, and hence the depth
of impression made by blades 4 in the concrete surface. These
adjustment means may be in the form of vertical adjustment foot
means or bars 14. These bars are slidably mounted on bars 8 by
means of sleeves 16 and may be secured in a earticular position
on bar 8 by means of threaded lock bolt 17. ~ plurality of
holes 18 are vertically aligned within each of the bars 14, to
removably receive a bolt 20. By placing bolts 20 in
predetermined holes 18 on bars 14 at the end of each of arms 8,
and resting these bolts on the upper edge of forms 22 on either
side of parallel forms 22 between which fresh concrete 24 has
been poured (FIGURE 5). the depth of impression of blades 4 in
~he upper surface of cement 24 may be appropriately varied.
~lternatively and preferably, to adjust the depth of the
impression, bolts 26 (FIGURES 1, 3) threaded through flanges 28
in or portions of sleeves 16 slidably mounted on the ends of
bars 8 may be positioned so that their ends rest on the upper
edges of forms 22 to provide the proper depth of impression of
units 6 in cement 30.
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Also slidably securable on the ends of bars 8 are
cooperating pairs of alignment means 34, these alignment means
being bars vertically downwardly extending from sleeves 36 slidably
mounted on bars 8 and lockable in position by means of lock bolts
40 threaded through sleeves 36 to bear against bars 8. By aligning
corresponding pairs of bars 34, and ensuring that bars 34 bear
against the corresponding outer edge of a form 22 beside a sidewalk
with the fresh concrete to be imprinted, alignment of the
impressions formed by imprinting units 6 in the longitudinal
direction of the sidewalk can be ensured. In the illustrated
embodiment, adjustment bars 14 double as alignment means 34.
To assist in appropriate spacing of the impressions
formed by imprinting units 6 in placing consecutive impressions
linearly along the surface of cement 30 in the direction of the
sidewalk, a linear spacing means 42 consisting of one or more wires
44 mounted on outwardly extending rods 46, which rods are removably
mounted on the sides of outer blades 4. Wires 44, positioned
normal to the line formed by aligned bars 34, are provided. In
this manner, in the illustrated embodiment, the wires 44 are
positioned with respect to the adjacent edge of imprinting units 6,
so that when the wires are lined up, for example with an expansion
joint or line of a previously made impression in an adjacent space
extending transversely across the sidewalk being built, the units
6 will be properly positioned (in the longitudinal direction) with
respect to such joints or adjacent impressions previously made for
the next impression. Each wire 44 may be used for alignment with
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specific, different transverse lines in the sidewalk being
imprinted.
It has been found that the impression left by units 6, in
some instances, may be too rounded, for example for elderly persons
walking on the sidewalk surface or for wheelchairs. In this
instance, by mounting a vibrator 48 on the top of the device 2,
vibrations thereby generated create a sharper, less rounded
impression, and hence smoother upper surface which facilitates the
passage of wheelchairs and the like over such surface.
In the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 4, a
further set of sleeves 50 are mounted, normal to the first set of
sleeves 10, these sleeves 50 to receive bars 52 which in turn
support a similar pair of imprinting units 6 mounted as illustrated
in FIGURE 1. This enables two pairs of units 2 to be assembled, in
square fashion, to be used at once, each of the pairs of units
being adjustable, with respect to each other, by sliding sleeves 50
upon bars 52. Indeed, it will be understood that imprinting
devices having more than two imprinting units transversely aligned,
or more than two pairs of such units linearly aligned (with respect
to the longitudinal direction of the sidewalk in question) may be
formed by suitable, corresponding modifications to the sleeve and
bar structure supporting the units.
Bars 8 having offset handles 54 (phantom FIGURE 1) may be
used as required, for example, where it is needed to avoid
obstructions beside the forms 22 such as telephone poles, hydrants,
etcetera.
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In operation, as can be seen in FIGURE 5, alignment bars
34 are locked at appropriate corresponding lateral positions on at
least one side of arms 8, so that they are aligned in the
longitudinal direction of the sidewalk to be imprinted. Units 6
are appropriately laterally positioned on arms 8 and locked in such
position by means of lock bolts 12. An appropriate impression
depth is ascertained by placing bolts 20 in appropriate holes 18
(or providing bolts 26 in flanges 28 with the appropriate depth),
so that bolts 20 (or the ends of bolts 26), when resting on the
tops of forms 22 with arms 8 extending transversely across the
sidewalk to be imprinted. The device is now ready to provide
repetitive imprinting of the pattern provided by blades 4 in the
surface of fresh concrete which has been levelled.
The operators, one on either side of the device, merely
lift the device vertically so that the blades clear the levelled
concrete surface after each impression, and move the device
longitudinally along the forms to the next linearly adjacent
location of concrete 24. By pressing the alignment bars 34 against
the outer surface of forms 22, the same lateral alignment of
imprinting units 6 is achieved. By appropriate alignment of wire
44 with a joint or the like in the transverse
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direction, an appropriate desired regular linear alignment of
unit 6 may be achieved.
While the device according to the eresent invention
has been described in particular in conjunction with the
construction of a sidewalk, similar erinciples would apply in
the construction of, for example, a driveway or a roadway
surface with the desired eattern imerinted therein.
Thus it is apparent that there has been provided in
accordance with the invention a device for manually
repetitively imprinting a surface pattern that fully satisfies
the objects, aims and advantages set forth above. While the
invention has been described in conjunction with specific
embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives,
modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled
in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly,
it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications
and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the
invention.
