Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02577570 2007-02-08
This invention relates to bracing for use in construction and more
particularly to a bracing
for supporting a wall composed of blocks of preformed hollow foam plastic
while the blocks are
being layed in situ and while they are being filled with concrete.
Conventionally, walls composed of insulating concrete forms are supported by a
number
of adjustable steel rods which are propped against the walls at an angle of
approximately 45
degrees. The upper ends of the braces are attached to vertical bars which are
attached to the
exterior and interior faces of the forms while the lower ends of the rods are
anchored to the floors
of the building as each floor in turn is constructed.
Many problems are encountered from the use of such rods One problem is that
the rods
are a hazard to the unwary since they are all too easily tripped over. Serious
injuries can result
from such accidents. Another problem is that such rods impede the progress of
construction of a
building. Each floor must be constructed before the next floor above it can be
constructed. This is
because each floor is required to provide a base upon which the rods can be
attached before the
forms of the walls above that floor can be laid. A floor cannot be constructed
until the forms
beneath the floor are completely laid and the concrete poured into the
cavities of those forms.
Delays are inevitably encountered as the floors of a building are constructed.
Carpenters
are usually required to construct the floors while the walls are constructed
by other workmen.
Frequently, when the walls are being constructed, the carpenters are idle and
when the floors are
being constructed, the workmen building the walls are idle.
1
CA 02577570 2007-02-08
The bracing of the present invention overcomes many of the problems mentioned
above.
The bracing is not a hazard in the way that adjustable rods are since the
bracing projects out-
wardly from a wall the same distance at eye level as it does at its base. A
workman cannot miss
seeing the bracing by failing to look downward. Furthermore the bracing is
self-supporting and
provides support for the wall whether the floors are in place or not. The
entire exterior walls of a
building can be constructed without the delays encountered during construction
of the floors
according to conventional practices. The bracing of the invention accordingly
significantly
accelerates the pace of construction of a building while at the same time
reduces the likelihood of
injury from accidental encounters by workmen with conventional adjustable
rods.
Briefly the bracing of the invention includes a pair of uprights; a sleeve
slidable on each
upright; means for fixing the sleeve firmly to the upright at a number of
preselected elevations;
and a platform-supporting member connected to the sleeve on each upright and
extending
between the uprights. The platform-supporting member maintains the uprights in
a spaced apart
relationship and provides a support for a platform on which work can be
carried out. An angle
adjusting means associated with at least one upright is provided for adjusting
the angle of the
support.
The bracing the invention is described with reference to the accompanying
drawings in
which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the conventional way of supporting a wall
composed of
2
CA 02577570 2007-02-08
insulating concrete forms as construction of the wall is in progress;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bracing of the invention in conjunction
with two
platforms;
Figures 3 and 4 are elevations of a portion of the bracing showing the way in
which it is
levelled;
Figure 5 is an elevation of one entire bracing of the invention and a portion
of a second
bracing on opposite sides of a wall composed of insulating concrete forms
before concrete is
poured into the cavities of the blocks;
Figure 6 is the same as Figure 5 except that the cavities in the forms are
filled with
concrete;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a conventional insulating concrete form;
Figure 8 is an elevation of the form attached to an upright of the bracing;
Figure 9 is a portion of the form before concrete has been poured into its
cavity;
Figure 10 is a portion of the form after concrete has been poured into its
cavity;
Figure 11 is a perspective view of the bracing in conjunction with a platform
and a pair of
hand rails;
Figure 12 is a perspective view of the level-adjusting components of the
bracing;
Figure 13 is a perspective view of a flange for facilitating the attachment of
the bracing of
the invention to a wall;
3
CA 02577570 2007-02-08
Figure 14 is a perspective view of the bracing attached to a conventional
scaffold together
with a wall to which the bracing is attached ; and
Figure 15 is a perspective view of the means by which the bracing can be
attached to a
conventional scaffold.
Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of
the drawings.
With reference to Figure 1, a wall of insulating concrete forms 20 is
supported by steel
rods 22 on either side of the wall. The lower ends of the rods have threaded
bores which receive
externally threaded shafts 23. The shafts are swivally attached to basal
plates 24 which are bolted
to the floor 25. The upper ends of the rods are removably attached in any one
of a number of
openings 26a in vertical bars 26. The bars in turn are bolted to the
insulating concrete forms.
Handles 27 at the lower ends of the rods allow the rods to be rotated before
they are
attached to bars 26 so that the effective length of the rods can be adjusted
until the bars are
vertical.
Brackets 28 support planks for workmen to walk on. The brackets are attached
to any
adjacent pair of openings 26a of the bar to allow the level of the planks to
be adjusted.
It will be noted in Figure 1 that the lower ends of the rods and the basal
plates 24 extend
into the area of the floor in which workmen are engaged in their tasks and
constitute a hazard to
them if they are engrossed in what they are doing and are not careful to look
downward as they
move about the floor.
4
CA 02577570 2007-02-08
With reference to Figure 2, the bracing of the invention, generally 30,
includes inner and
outer uprights 32 a,b, a platform-supporting member 34 and a lower spacer 36.
The uprights
serve to support the platform-supporting member while the spacer interconnects
the two uprights.
The platform-supporting member is rectangular and is composed of upper and
lower bars
34a,b interconnected and spaced apart by side bars 34c. A pair of vertically
spaced sleeves 38 is
attached to each side bar and the uprights are received in the openings in the
sleeves. A spring
loaded pin 40 passes through an opening in each sleeve and into a selective
opening 42 in the
uprights for securing the platform-supporting member to the uprights. The
level of the member
can be adjusted by withdrawing the pins from the openings in the uprights and
either raising or
lowering the level of the member to the required elevation.
A column 45 is attached to the inner upright 32a by means of plate 46 at the
lower ends of
the uprights. The plate separates the inner upright from the colunm
sufficiently so that there is
enough room for sleeves 38 to slide up and down on the inner upright without
interference from
the column. A number of vertically spaced flanges 47 are attached to the
column and serve as a
means for attaching the column to the wall. The flanges are described in
detail below.
A vertical rod 48 is attached to the outer upright and a number of vertically
spaced U-
shaped holders 50 are attached to the outer wall of the vertical rod for
removable receipt of
railings 51 illustrated in Figures 6 and 11.
With reference to Figures 3 , 4 and 12, a threaded rod 52 is threadably
received in an
CA 02577570 2007-02-08
opening in the lower wall of the outer upright 32b. The rod extends downwardly
and into a
threaded opening in a cylinder 54 which is welded or otherwise attached to a
basal plate 56.
Openings are formed in the plate so that it can be nailed to a floor. A handle
58 is welded to the
rod so that the rod can be manually rotated. Rotation of rod 52 will either
lengthen or shorten its
effective length between the lower end of upright 32b and the basal plate so
that the bracing can
be levelled from the unstable position illustrated in Figure 3 to the stable
position illustrated in
Figure 4.
With reference to Figures 2, 14 and 15, a tube 60 is attached to the lower end
of the inner
upright 32a. The tube removable receives a connector 62 for removably
attaching the upright to a
conventional scaffold, generally 64. As illustrated in Figure 15, the
connector has upper and
lower portions 62a,b separated by an annulus 62c of larger diameter. The upper
portion of the
connector fits into tube 60 while the lower portion fits into the inner leg 66
of the scaffold. The
outer upright 32b is attached to a horizontal bar 68 of scaffold 64 by means
of a pair of
conventional collars 70 and U-bolts 71.
It will be obvious that the level of the bracing of the invention can be
raised from the
level illustrated in Figure 14 by adding additional scaffolds to the one
illustrated in Figure 14.
With reference to Figures 5 and 6, two bracings of the invention are adjacent
to wall 72,
one adjacent to its inner face 72a and the other adjacent to its outer face 72
b. The level of the
platform supporting members 34 can be raised as the level of the forms rises.
In Figure 6, and
6
CA 02577570 2007-02-08
also in Figure 11, two planks 74 are attached to the upper surface of upper
bars 34a adjacent to
the inner upright 32a while two more planks 75 are attached to the upper
surface of lower bars
34b adjacent to the outer upright 32b.
The upper surfaces of the two bars 34a,b constitute supporting surfaces for
the planks
Both sets of planks may support a workman at different elevations.
Alternatively the upper
planks may support a workman's tools while he stands on the lower planks.
In Figure 5, the space 76 between the inner and outer components 78,80 of the
forms
which make up the wall is empty while in Figure 6, the space is filled with
concrete.
In Figures 7 and 8, the inner and outer components of the forms are spaced
apart by a
number of vertically spaced bridging elements 82. The ends of the bridging
elements are attached
to vertical elements 84 embedded in the inner and outer components. The
bridging and vertical
elements are composed of high-strength plastic to ensure that the form remains
intact as the
concrete is poured into the cavity between the inner and outer components.
With reference to Figures 8 and 13, the column 45 of the bracing is attached
to the outer
component 80 of the blocks by means of one or more nails 86. Flanges 47 offer
various possible
locations for the nail in order to ensure that the nail penetrates a
relatively strong vertical element
for maximum holding strength and not weaker areas of the outer component on
opposite sides of
the vertical element. With reference to Figure 7, a groove 88 on the outer
wall of the outer
component indicates where the vertical element is located.
7
CA 02577570 2007-02-08
In Figure 9, nail 86 interconnects column 45 with block 90 before the cavity
in the form is
filled with concrete and in Figure 10, the cavity is filled with concrete. It
will be noted in Figure
that the form under the weight of the concrete has descended from the position
illustrated in
Figure 9.
It will be understood of course that modifications can be made to the
structure of the
bracing of the invention illustrated and described herein without departing
from the scope and
purview of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
8
