Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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LEVELING BLADE, VIBRATING SCREED INCLUDING THE BLADE, AND KIT
FOR ASSEMBLING THE SAME
Field of the invention:
The present invention relates to a leveling blade and to a vibrating screed
provided with such a blade. More particularly, the present invention relates
to a
vibrating screed such as the ones used for surfacing concrete and other like
materials, and also relates to a kit for assembling the same, as well as to a
method
of use or operation associated thereto.
Background of the invention:
Vibrating screeds are very well known in the art. Indeed, they are generally
used for leveling off a horizontal surface such as a floor, typically made of
a
malleable material, such as concrete and the like, prior to the hardening
thereof.
Figure 1 of US patent No. 6,296,467 B1 shows an example of a conventional
vibrating screed. As can be easily understood from this figure, a blade is
passed
over the surface to be leveled off, a motor being used for transmitting a
vibratory
movement to the blade, and the apparatus being provided with suitable handle
bars
in order to operate the screed, with control means used for controlling the
extent of
vibratory movement to be transmitted from the motor to the leveling blade.
Also known to the Applicant are the following US patents and patent
application which describe similar and/or other related devices: 3,067,656;
4,340,351; 4,650,366; 4,798,494; 4,832,525; 4,838,730; 5,375,942; 5,857,803;
5,984,571; 6,089,787; 6,139,217; 6,200,065 B1; 6,223,495 B1; 6,231,331 B1;
6,267,532 B1; 6,322,286 BI; 6,374,569 B1; 6,705,799 B2; and 2005/0069385 Al.
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It is also known in the art that a substantial drawback associated with these
types of conventional vibrating screeds is that the profile of the blades used
is not
optimal (very often, they have a "segmented" profile), which results in an
undesirable rearwardly accumulation of material behind the blade as it is
passed
over the material to be leveled. Moreover, very often, the vibratory movement
which is transmitted to the blade is also transmitted to the handles of the
apparatus, and thus onto the hands of the user, which is undesirable for
obvious
reasons. Moreover, it can be seen that the handle bars of such a conventional
vibrating screed take up a lot of space, which is disadvantageous for storing
purposes, and/or cannot be easily adjusted to allow a more ergonomic use of
the
vibrating screed for each individual user that may present different physical
features or capabilities. Therefore, it would be useful to provide an improved
vibrating screed which would have components easily adjustable so as to be
better configured for a given user. Moreover, another substantial drawback
associated with vibrating screeds of the prior art is that the general design
is such
that the components thereof may not be easily interchanged in the event of
maintenance and/or repair.
Hence, in light of the above-discussed, there is a need for an improved
vibrating screed which would be able to overcome some of the aforementioned
prior art problems and drawbacks.
Summary of the invention:
The object of the present invention is to provide a leveling blade or a
vibrating screed which, by virtue of its design and components, satisfies some
of
the above-mentioned needs, and which is thus an improvement over other related
leveling blades or vibrating screeds known in the prior art.
In accordance with the present invention, the above object is achieved, as
will be easily understood, with a leveling blade or a vibrating screed such as
the
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,
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ones briefly described herein and such as the ones exemplified in the
accompanying drawings.
According to the present invention, there is provided a leveling blade for
mounting onto a support bracket of a vibrating screed, the leveling blade
comprising:
a substantially vertical portion for removably mounting onto the support
bracket of the vibrating screed, said substantially vertical portion having
front and
rear sides, and first and second ends;
a substantially slanted portion extending rearwardly from the second end of
the substantially vertical portion, said substantially slanted portion having
inner
and outer sides, and first and second ends; and
a substantially horizontal portion extending frontwardly from the second end
of the substantially slanted portion, said substantially horizontal portion
having top
and bottom sides, and first and second ends.
Indeed, according to an important aspect of the present invention, the
leveling blade has a particular profile so as to overcome various
disadvantages
associated with the conventional leveling blades of vibrating screeds of the
prior
art. Namely, and preferably, the outer side of the substantially slanted
portion is at
an angle of about 160 with respect to the rear side of the substantially
vertical
portion.
Preferably also, the ratio between the length of the rear side of the
substantially vertical portion and the length of the bottom side of the
substantially
horizontal portion is about 0.4, while the ratio between the length of the
rear side
of the substantially vertical portion and the length of the substantially
slanted
portion is about 1.26, and the top side of the substantially horizontal
portion
preferably tapers off frontwardly with respect to the bottom side thereof at
an angle
of about two (2) degrees.
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Preferably also, transitions between adjacent portions of the leveling blade
and the second end of the substantially horizontal portion thereof are
substantially
rounded off, for allowing namely, but not limitedly, a smoother surfacing of a
malleable material (concrete, etc.) with the leveling blade, so as to overcome
undesirable accumulations and/or streaks known to occur with conventional
leveling
blades.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a
vibrating screed for leveling a surface of a substantially malleable material,
the
vibrating screed comprising:
a support bracket;
a leveling blade mounted on the support bracket;
a vibration-generating assembly, the vibration-generating assembly being
operatively mounted onto the support bracket for imparting vibrations to the
leveling
blade via the support bracket; and
a handling assembly, operatively connected to the support bracket via at least
one vibration-damping joint, for handling the vibrating screed, the handling
assembly
comprising a pair of handle bars, each handle bar having an end being
operatively
connected to the support bracket via at least one vibration-damping joint, the
ends of
the handle bars being each connected to a corresponding connecting plate, each
connecting plate being operatively connected to the support bracket via at
least one
vibration-damping joint.
Preferably also, each vibration-damping joint comprises a sleeve made of an
elastomeric material, and has an inner bore, each vibration-damping joint
being
connected between a given connecting plate and the support bracket via at
least one
corresponding fastener inserted into said inner bore and having an extremity
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in abutment with an outer portion of either one of the given connecting plate
and
support bracket.
Preferably also, each connecting plate is substantially rectangular and each
5 connecting plate is operatively connected to the support bracket via a pair
of
vibration-damping joints being mounted respectively onto corresponding
opposite
ends of each substantially rectangular connecting plate.
Preferably also, each handle bar comprises first and second sections
operatively connected to one another, the second section being adjustably
pivotable with respect to the first section.
Preferably also, the handling assembly comprises a cross-bar extending
between the first sections of the handle bars.
Preferably also, the cross-bar comprises a recessed segment in a
substantially middle portion of said cross-bar.
Preferably also, the second section of each handle bar is adjustably
pivotable with respect to the first section thereof along a substantially
vertical
plane.
Preferably also, the second section of each handle bar is adjustably
pivotable with respect to the first section thereof and against the cross-bar.
Preferably also, each handle bar comprises a third section operatively
connected to the second section thereof, the third section being adjustably
pivotable with respect to the second section along a substantially vertical
plane.
Preferably also, the vibrating screed comprises a control system for
controlling an extent of vibrations generated by the vibration-generating
assembly,
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and where an actuator linked to the control system for controlling the same is
provided adjacent to a handle of at least one handle bar.
Preferably also, at least one handle bar is removably provided with a
support leg for supporting the vibrating screed when not in use.
Preferably also, the vibration-generating assembly comprises a motor
cooperating with a shaft, the shaft being drivable by the motor and having an
extremity provided with an eccentric cam so as to impart vibrations when
rotatably
driven by the motor.
Preferably also, the vibrating screed comprises a control system for
controlling an extent of vibrations generated by the vibration-generating
assembly.
Preferably also, the support bracket is substantially L-shaped, having a
substantially horizontal portion with top and bottom sides, and a
substantially
vertical portion with front and rear sides.
Preferably also, the shaft of the vibration-generating assembly is a one-
piece shaft.
Preferably also, the substantially horizontal portion of the support bracket
is
provided with an orifice through which the shaft of the vibration-generating
assembly extends.
Preferably also, the eccentric cam is removably mountable onto the
extremity of the shaft, the eccentric cam comprising a bore for inserting into
the
extremity of the shaft, and a transversal hole for receiving a fastener for
securing
the cam onto the shaft.
Preferably also, the vibrating screed comprises at least one support bearing
for supporting a portion of the shaft of the vibration-generating assembly,
beneath
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the substantially horizontal portion of the support bracket, each support
bearing
having a hole through which the shaft extends, and being removably connected
to
a given side of the support bracket.
Preferably also, each support bearing is provided with a pair of flanges
removably mounted onto to the given side of the support bracket by means of
fasteners.
Preferably also, the vibrating screed comprises a casing removably
mounted to the given side of the support bracket and being shaped and sized
for
encasing each support bearing so as to protect the same.
Preferably also, the casing is provided with a hole on a front portion of said
casing.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also
provided a method for operating the above-mentioned leveling blade and/or
vibrating screed.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also
provided a kit for assembling the above-mentioned vibrating screed.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also
provided a method for assembling components of the above-mentioned kit.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also
provided a surface having been surfaced with the above-mentioned leveling
blade
and/or vibrating screed.
The objects, advantages and other features of the present invention will
become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description
of
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preferred embodiments thereof, given for the purpose of exemplification only,
with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Brief description of the drawings:
Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a vibrating screed according to a
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vibrating screed being
shown
with at least one handle bar thereof being provided with a support leg for
supporting the vibrating screed when not employed by a user, as illustrated.
Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a leveling blade according to the
preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a front plan view of a vibrating screed according to another
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vibrating screed being
shown
with its handle bars in an operative configuration.
Figure 4 is another front plan view of what is shown in Figure 3, the handle
bars of the vibrating screed being now shown in a retracted configuration, and
the
vibration-generating assembly being removed so as to better illustrate a
reoessed
portion of a cross-bar according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the vibrating screed being also shown with a casing encasing the
support bearings of the vibrating screed.
Figure 5 is a partial side view of some components of a vibrating screed
according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, some of
the
components thereof being shown in a sectional view.
Figure 6 is an exploded view of other components of the vibrating screed
according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, said
exploded view better illustrating the support bracket, support bearings,
casing and
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eccentric cam of the vibrating screed according to this particular preferred
embodiment.
Figure 7 is a top view of a support bearing mounted onto a support bracket
of a vibrating screed according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
Figure 8 is a bottom view of an eccentric cam mounted onto a shaft of a
vibration-generating assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the
present
invention, said shaft and the fastener used for securing the eccentric shaft
thereon, as well as a portion of the cam, being shown in a sectional view.
Figure 9 is a side view of a vibration-generating assembly cooperating with
a support bracket according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present
invention, some of the components illustrated being shown in a sectional view.
Figure 10 is a partial view of an extremity of a handle bar according to a
preferred embodiment of the present invention, said extremity being shown with
a
third section of the handle bar in a first configuration.
Figure 11 is another view of what is shown in Figure 10, the extremity being
shown now with the third section of the handle bar in another adjusted
configuration.
Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention:
In the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar
elements. The embodiments, geometric configurations and dimensions shown in
the figures and/or presented herein, are preferred and for exemplification
purposes
only.
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Moreover, although the present invention was primarily designed for
leveling surface of concrete and the like, prior to hardening thereof, it may
be used
with other types of screeds and objects, and in other fields, as apparent to a
person skilled in the art. For this reason, expressions such as "concrete",
5
"leveling", "surfacing", "floor", "vibrating", etc. used herein should not be
taken as
to limit the scope of the present invention and includes all other kinds of
screeds,
blades or items, and all other purposes, with which the present invention
could be
used and may be useful.
10
Moreover, in the context of the present invention, the expressions "screed",
"blade", "device", "unit", "asembly", and any other equivalent expression
and/or
compound word thereof (e.g. "vibrating screed") known in the art will be used
interchangeably. Furthermore, the same applies for any other mutually
equivalent
expressions, such as "surfacing" and "leveling", "rivets", "bolts" and
"fasteners",
"vibrations", "vibratory movement" and "pulses", as well as "metal" and
"steel" for
example, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art.
In addition, although the preferred embodiments of the present invention as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprise various components and
although the preferred embodiments of the leveling blade 3 and corresponding
vibrating screed 1 as shown consist of certain geometrical configurations as
explained and illustrated herein, not all of these components and geometries
are
essential to the invention and thus should not be taken in their restrictive
sense,
i.e. should not be taken as to limit the scope of the present invention. It is
to be
understood, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art, that other
suitable
components and cooperations thereinbetween, as well as other suitable
geometrical configurations may be used for the vibrating screed 1 and
corresponding parts according to the present invention, as briefly explained
and
inferred herein, without departing from the scope of the invention.
Broadly described, the vibrating screed 1 according to the present
invention, as shown in the accompanying drawings, is a screed device for
leveling
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surfaces made of a malleable material, such as concrete and the like, prior to
the
hardening thereof, so as to ensure a fairly smooth surface, in applications
well
known in the art (construction, renovation, etc.).
The vibrating screed 1 according to the present invention is particularly
advantageous in that it comprises a leveling blade 3 having a particular
profile,
enabling to overcome some of the disadvantages associated with leveling blades
known in the prior art. Indeed, as better shown in Figures 2-5, and according
to a
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the leveling blade 3 is used
for
mounting onto a support bracket 5 of a vibrating screed 1, and preferably
comprises a substantially vertical portion 7, a substantially slanted portion
9, and a
substantially horizontal portion 11. As better shown in Figures 2 and 5, the
substantially vertical portion 7 is preferably used for removably mounting
onto the
support bracket 5 of the vibrating screed 1, and preferably also has front and
rear
sides 7a,7b, as well as first and second ends 7c,7d. Preferably also, the
substantially slanted portion 9 extends rearwardly from the second end 7d of
the
substantially vertical portion 7, and has inner and outer sides 9a,9b, as well
as first
and second ends 9c,9d. Preferably also, the substantially horizontal portion
11
extends frontwardly from the second end 9d of the substantially slanted
portion 9,
and has top and bottom sides 11a,11 b, as well as first and second ends
11c,11d.
As can be easily understood when referring to Figure 2, it is worth
mentioning that the second end 7d of the substantially vertical portion 7
corresponds essentially to the first end 9c of the substantially slanted
portion 9,
and that the second end 9d of the substantially slanted portion 9 corresponds
essentially to the first end 11c of the substantially horizontal portion 11.
Preferably
also, transitions between adjacent portions 7, 9, 11 of the leveling blade 3
and the
second end lid of the substantially horizontal portion 11 thereof are
substantially
rounded off, as previously explained and as also better shown in Figure 2.
As discussed above, and according to the preferred embodiment of the
present invention, the leveling blade 3 has a particular profile which enables
it to
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obtain improved performances when compared to what is possible with leveling
blades known in the prior art. More particularly, and preferably, as also
better
shown in Figure 2, the outer side 9b of the substantially slanted portion 9 is
at an
angle e of about 160 degrees with respect to the rear side 7b of the
substantially
vertical portion 7. Preferably also, the ratio between the length of the rear
side 7b
of the substantially vertical portion 7 and the length of the bottom side 11 b
of the
substantially horizontal portion 11 is about 0.4, whereas the ratio between
the
length of the rear side 7b of the substantially vertical portion 7 and the
length of
the substantially slanted portion 9 is about 1.26, and preferably as well, the
top
side ha of the substantially horizontal portion 11 tapers off frontwardly with
respect to the bottom side lib thereof at an angle of about two (2) degrees,
as
can be easily understood when referring to Figure 2. According to yet a more
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wall thickness t1 of the
substantially vertical portion 7 is about 0.250 inches, whereas the horizontal
distance d between the outer side 7b of the substantially vertical portion 7
and an
outer corner 13 of the substantially slanted portion 9 is about 0.500 inches.
As also
better shown in Figure 2, the vertical rise r of said substantially slanted
portion 9 is
about 1.500 inches, and the length 11 of the outer side 7b of the
substantially
vertical portion 7 is about 2.000 inches, while the bottom side lib of the
substantially horizontal portion 11 preferably has a length 12 of about 5.000
inches.
Preferably also, the aforementioned outer corner 13 of the substantially
slanted
portion 9 has a ratio of curvature of about 0.031, whereas an inner corner 15
of
said substantially slanted portion 9 has a ratio of curvature of about 0.062.
According to this particular and preferred embodiment of the leveling blade 3,
the
second end lid of the substantially horizontal portion 11 would have a
thickness 12
of about 0.125 inches, and a bottom corner 17 thereof would have a ratio of
curvature of about 0.015, whereas an upper corner 17 thereof would have a
ratio
of curvature of about 0.125.
It is of course to be understood that these particular dimensions and
geometrical configurations are given as way of an example only, so as to
illustrate
what a preferred profile of the leveling blade 3 according to the present
invention
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would look like, but it is also to be understood that several other
modifications
could be made thereto, while carrying out essentially the same functions and
obtaining substantially the same resulting advantages, and without departing
from
the scope of the present invention, as apparent to a person skilled in the
art.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a vibrating screed
1 for leveling or surfacing a surface of a substantially malleable material,
such as
concrete and the like, and the vibrating screed 1 preferably comprises a
support
bracket 5, a leveling blade 3 such as the aforementioned or other, being
mounted
on the support bracket 5, and a vibrating-generating assembly 21, the
vibrating-
generating assembly 21 being operatively mounted onto the support bracket 5
for
imparting vibrations to the leveling blade 3 via the support bracket 5, as can
be
easily understood when referring to Figures 1-5 and 9.
Preferably also, and as better shown in Figures 1, 3, 5, 10 and 11, the
vibrating screed 1 further comprises a handling assembly 23, operatively
connected to the support bracket 5 via at least one vibration-damping joint
25, for
handling the vibrating screed 1. Even more preferably, the handling assembly
23
comprises a pair of handle bars 27, each handle bar 27 having an end
operatively
connected to the support bracket 5 via at least one vibration-damping joint
25, as
better shown and as can be easily understood from Figures 3-5. Preferably
also,
the ends of the handle bars 27 are each connected to a corresponding
connecting
plate 29, each connecting plate 29 being operatively connected to the support
bracket 5 via at least one vibration-damping joint 25, as better shown in
Figures 3
and 5. Preferably also, and as better shown in Figure 5, each vibration-
damping
joint 25 comprises a sleeve made of an elastic material, and having an inner
bore,
each vibration-damping joint 25 being connected between a given connecting
plate 29 and the support bracket 5 via a corresponding fastener extending
through
said inner bore of the vibration-damping joint 25 and having extremities in
abutment with outer portions of the given connecting plate 29 and the support
bracket 5. It is worth mentioning that several different types of fasteners
could be
used in order to achieve the above-mentioned end result and advantages, a bolt
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assembly with a conventional bolt and corresponding nut being illustrated in
the
embodiment of Figure 5, as way of example. Obviously, other suitable fasteners
may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention, as
apparent to a person skilled in the art.
Furthermore, and according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, each connecting plate 29 is substantially rectangular and is
preferably
operatively connected to the support bracket 5 via a pair of vibration-damping
joints 25 being mounted respectively to corresponding opposite ends of each
substantially rectangular connecting plate 29, as better shown in Figures 1
and 5.
It is worth mentioning also that instead of having a single connecting plate
29 for a given end of a handle bar 27, other configurations could be employed
for
the present invention, namely by providing a unique and transversely elongated
connecting plate 29 onto which both ends of the handle bars 27 would be
appropriately connected, said unique connecting plate 29 being then
appropriately
mounted onto the support bracket 5 of the vibrating screed 1 via a suitable
number
of vibration-damping joints 25, as can be easily understood by a person
skilled in
the art.
Preferably also, and according to another preferred aspect of the present
invention, each handle bar 27 comprises first and second sections 27a,27b
operatively connected to one another, the second section 27b being adjustably
pivotable with respect to the first section 27a, as can be easily understood
when
comparing Figures 3 and 4. Preferably also, and as better shown in Figures 1
and
4, the handling assembly 23 comprises a cross-bar 31 extending between the
first
sections 27a of the handle bars 27, and preferably also, the cross-bar 31
comprises a recessed segment 33 in a substantially middle portion of said
cross-
bar 31, as better shown in Figure 4, so as to facilitate a grasping and
handling of
the vibrating screed 1, when not in use, for example.
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According to one preferred aspect of the present invention, the second
section 27b of each handle bar 27 may be adjustably pivotable with respect to
the
first section 27a thereof along a substantially vertical plane, so as to for
example,
adjust the degree of tilt of the second section 27b of a given handle bar 27
with
5 respect to the ground surface onto which the vibrating screed 1 is to be
displaced,
and thereby enabling for a more ergonomic handling and use of an operator.
However, and according to another preferred aspect of the present invention,
the
vibrating screed 1 may be provided with suitable means so that the second
section
27b of each handle bar 27 may be adjustably pivotable with respect to the
first
10 section 27a thereof and against the cross-bar 31, as can be better
understood
when referring to Figures 3 and 4, so as to minimize the space taken up by the
handling assembly 23 (i.e. handle bars 27, etc.) when the vibrating screed 1
is not
in use, and thereby minimizing space taken up by the vibrating screed 1 when
not
in use, which is advantageous for storing purposes.
Preferably also, each handle bar 27 could be provided with a third section
27c, as can be easily understood when referring to Figures 10 and 11, which
would be operatively connected to the second section 27b of a given handle bar
27, the third section 27c being adjustably pivotable with respect to the
second
section 27b along a substantially vertical plane, so that said third section
27c of
the handle bar 27 could be adjustably tilted with respect to the second
section 27b,
or indirectly, with respect to the ground surface onto which the vibrating
screed 1
is to be operated on, thereby enabling for any easier and more ergonomic use
for
a given operator of the vibrating screed 1, depending on the physical features
or
capabilities thereof.
Preferably also, and as can be easily understood when referring to Figures
1, 10 and 11, the vibrating screed 1 preferably comprises a control system 35
for
controlling an extent of vibrations being generated by the vibration-
generating
assembly 21, and said control system 35 can be conveniently mounted onto a
corresponding component of the vibrating screed 1, namely on or adjacent to a
motor driving the same, and being preferably linked to a corresponding
extremity
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of the handle bar 27, and preferably also, to a third section 27c thereof,
said third
section 27c being preferably provided with a corresponding actuator 37 so as
to
remotely be able to control the control system 35 by a simple operation of the
actuator 37 being positioned conveniently adjacent to the handle 39 of the
extremity of the handle bar 27, as better shown in Figures 10 and 11.
According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, at least one
handle bar 27 or other suitable component of the vibrating screed 1 could be
provided with a corresponding support leg 41 for supporting the vibrating
screed 1
when not in use, that is, for enabling the vibrating screed Ito be balanced or
kept
in a substantially upright configuration as a result of the support leg 41
appropriately acting as a support between said corresponding at least one
handle
bar 27 and a ground surface, for example. In such a preferred embodiment, an
extremity of the support leg would be provided with a corresponding joint
being
removably insertable into a corresponding component of said at least one given
handle bar 27, and a corresponding section 27a,27b,27c thereof, as can be
easily
understood by a person skilled in the art.
Referring now to Figures 1-4 and 9, one can easily understood that
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vibration-
generating assembly 21 comprises a motor cooperating with a shaft 43, the
shaft
43 being drivable by the motor and having an extremity provided with an
eccentric
cam 45 so as to impart vibrations to the system, and ultimately, to the
leveling
blade 3, when rotatably driven by the motor. As previously mentioned, the
vibrating screed preferably comprises a control system 35 for controlling an
extent
of vibrations being generated by the vibration-generating assembly 21, and
said
control system 35 could be controlled directly or remotely, via a suitable
linkage,
for example, with corresponding actuator 37 being preferably provided on a
corresponding handle 39 of a handle bar 27, as previously explained, or
ultimately,
could be remotely controlled via other suitable means, such as with a remote
control for example, as can be easily understood by a person skilled in the
art.
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Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, there is shown how the preferred
embodiment of the support bracket 5 of the vibrating screed 1 according to the
present invention is preferably substantially L-shaped, having a substantially
horizontal portion 47 with top and bottom sides 47a, 47b, and a substantially
vertical portion 49 with front and rear sides 49a, 49b, the front side 7a of
the
substantially vertical portion 7 of the leveling blade 3 being removably
connectable
onto the rear side 49b of the substantially vertical portion 49 of the support
bracket
5 via suitable fasteners, such as bolts and the like, or other suitable means,
cooperating with corresponding holes or components provided on the leveling
blade 3 and support bracket 5 respectively, as apparent to a person skilled in
the
art.
Preferably also, and as better shown in Figure 9, an important aspect of the
present invention resides in that the shaft 43 of the vibrating-generating
assembly
21 is a one-piece shaft 43, also referred to here as a "monoshaft" 43, and
preferably also, the substantially horizontal portion 47 of the support
bracket 5 is
provided with a corresponding orifice 51 through which the shaft 43 of the
vibration-generating assembly 21 extends, as better illustrated in Figure 6.
Furthermore, in order to be able to generate vibrations or pulses, and to
transmit them to the vibrating screed 1, and more particularly to the leveling
blade
3 thereof, so as to be able to carry out a proper leveling or surfacing of a
malleable
material with the leveling blade 3 being imparted such vibrations, this is
preferably
carried out by having an eccentric cam 45 being removably mountable onto the
extremity of the shaft 43, as better shown in Figures 3, 6, 8 and 9.
Preferably also,
and so as to facilitate the interchangeability and ease of repair and
maintenance of
the components, the eccentric cam 45 preferably comprises a bore 53 for
removably inserting the cam 45 into the extremity of the shaft 43 and a
transversal
hole 55 for receiving a corresponding fastener 56 for removably securing the
cam
45 onto said shaft 43, as can be easily understood when referring to Figures 8
and
9. Preferably also, and in continuing with a desire to facilitate
interchangeability of
components, and facilitate a maintenance and/or a repair thereof, the
vibrating
CA 02551264 2006-06-28
18
screed 1 also comprises at least one support bearing 57 for supporting a
portion of
a shaft 43 of the vibration-generating assembly 21, beneath the substantially
horizontal portion 47 of the support bracket 5, each support bearing 57 having
a
corresponding hole 59 through which the shaft 43 extends, and being removably
connectable to a given side of the support bracket 5, as better shown in
Figure 3,
and as can be easily understood from Figure 6. Preferably also, this is
conveniently carried out in that each support bearing 57 is preferably
provided with
a pair of flanges 61 removably mounted onto the given side of the support
bracket
5 by means of corresponding fasteners, such as bolts and the like, as well as
other
corresponding means, as apparent to a person skilled in the art.
Preferably also, and as can also be easily understood from Figure 9, each
support bearing 57 preferably comprises a one-piece component where a recess
is defined therein for inserting the corresponding bearing and said piece
being
integrally provided with the above-mentioned corresponding flanges 61.
Preferably also, the vibrating screed 1 according to a preferred embodiment
of the present invention comprises a casing 63 being removably mounted to the
given side of the support bracket 5 and being shaped and sized for encasing
each
support bearing 57 so as to protect the same, as can also be easily understood
when referring to Figure 9, and the casing 63 is preferably provided with a
hole 65
on the front portion of said casing 63, so as to namely, be able to visualize
the
inner content thereof, and more particularly be able to visualize the support
bearings 57 encased within said casing 63, as better shown in Figure 4.
As better shown in the accompanying drawings, the vibrating screed 1
comprises a main mounting bracket (i.e. "support" bracket 5), which is
preferably
L-shaped. Preferably also, the leveling blade 3 to be used for leveling off a
surface
is removably connectable onto the substantially vertical portion 49 of the
support
bracket 5 by means of suitable fasteners, such as screws, bolts, rivets,
washers,
and the like, and the substantially horizontal portion 47 of the support
bracket 5 is
destined to transmit a vibratory movement from the motor to the leveling blade
1,
CA 02551264 2006-06-28
19
and also destined for receiving handle bars 27 in order to handle, guide and
operate the vibrating screed 1. As better shown in Figures 3, 4, 6 and 9, and
as
can be easily understood therefrom, a shaft 43 of the motor passes through a
corresponding orifice 51 of the second flange of the support bracket 5, said
shaft
43 being preferably provided with a cam 45 mounted eccentrically at the end
thereof, said shaft being rotated by the motor so as to impart the above-
mentioned
vibratory movement to the apparatus and thus the leveling blade 3. An actuator
37
provided on one of the handle bars 27 may be activated in order to control the
force provided by the motor to the shaft 43, and thus in order to control the
vibratory movement to be imparted to the blade 3.
As may now be better appreciated from the above-discussed, several
improvements have been incorporated into the present leveling blade 3 and
corresponding vibrating screed 1 in order to overcome several of the prior art
disadvantages mentioned above.
For example, the particular profile of the leveling blade 3, better
exemplified
in Figure 2, allows for a smoother leveling off of a material to be spread
over a
given floor surface, as contrasted with the segmented profile of a
conventional
leveling blade.
Furthermore, the vibration-damping joints 25 ("vibrating dampers" or "shock
absorbers"), preferably made of an elastomeric material, are preferably used
for
operatively connecting the extremity of the handle bars 27 to the mounting
flange
of the support bracket 5, in order to minimize vibration transmission
thereinbetween. It is important to note that a fastener (e.g. bolt) is used to
connect
a given vibration-damping joint 25 to a corresponding handle bar extremity and
that another fastener (e.g. bolt) is preferably used for connecting the same
vibration-damping joint 25 to the second flange of the support bracket 5, but
that
said two (2) fasteners preferably do not touch each other within the vibration-
damping joint 25, preferably made of an elastomeric material as mentioned
above,
so as to minimize vibration transmission.
CA 02551264 2006-06-28
Moreover, the handle bars 27 of the vibrating screed 1 are preferably
foldable inwardly towards a common transversal support or cross-bar 31, as can
be easily understood by the representation better exemplified in Figure 4, so
as to
5 minimize the space occupied by the apparatus when it is not used and kept in
storage. It is worth mentioning also that the handle bars 27 may be devised
differently so as to enable other different folding configurations, whether
towards
the common transversal cross-bar 31, or whether towards other components of
the vibrating screed 1, so as to enable for example the handle bars 27 to be
10 positioned at a corresponding tilted configuration with respect to the
surface to be
leveled, and thus enable a user of the vibrating screed 1 a more ergonomic
control
and use of the device, as aforementioned.
Also, the motor for imparting vibratory movement to the leveling blade 3 is
15 preferably provided with a single and integral shaft 43 ("monoshaft")
provided at its
extremity, as previously explained and as better exemplified in Figure 9, with
an
eccentrically mounted cam 45, for generating the vibratory movement, such as
monoshaft providing greater rigidity to the apparatus and being more easily
interchangeable.
Finally and preferably, two (2) distinct pieces, namely the support bearings
571 better exemplified in Figure 6, are removably mountable onto the
corresponding support bracket 5 (i.e. "the third component"), replacing thus
the
use of a conventional monoblock, by enabling to interchange either one of
these
three (3) pieces in the event of repair and/or maintenance. Furthermore, the
preferred provision of a casing 63 helps to protect these components, while
still
being easily interchangeable.
It is worth mentioning also that the vibrating screed 1, and the different
components thereof, as exemplified hereinabove, are preferably made of
suitable
materials, such as metallic materials, composite materials, and the like,
which are
preferably rigid enough to withstand the loads to which the vibrating screed 1
may
CA 02551264 2006-06-28
21
be subjected to, depending on the particular applications therefor, as
apparent to a
person skilled in the art. Preferably also, these materials are provided with
suitable
features, such as corrosion resistant properties, so as to enable the
vibrating
screed 1 and the different components thereof to be subjected to water
conditions
and the like, so as to enable a proper cleaning thereof after operation with a
malleable material, such as concrete and the like.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided
a kit comprising different components for assembling a vibrating screed
according
to the present invention, such as the ones briefly described herein and such
as the
ones exemplified in the accompanying drawings.
As may now also be better appreciated, the present invention is also a
substantial improvement over the prior art in that, by virtue of its design
and
components, the vibrating screed 1 is very simple and easy to use, as well as
is
very simple and easy to manufacture and/or assemble, without compromising the
reliability of its functions. Hence, it may now be appreciated that the
present
invention represents important advantages over other related vibrating screed
devices known in the prior art, in terms of performance, manoeuvrability,
ergonomics, transportation, and costs.
Of course, numerous modifications could be made to the above-described
embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in
the
appended claims.
