Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING A RECESSED RAIL TRENCH
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[00011 This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser.
No. 63/105,113 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Forming a Recessed Rail,"
filed on
October 23, 2020, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[00021 The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming
recessed
rail in a cementitious foundation.
BACKGROUND
[00031 As illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, conventionally, recessed
rails, such as
recessed crane rails as are commonly used at facilities such as container
terminals, are
constructed by hand forming a trench in cementitious material, allowing the
cementitious
material to cure, drilling apertures in the cured cementitious material (see
Figure 3), installing
anchor bolts for the rail in the pre-drilled apertures and then securing the
anchor bolts using a
high-strength epoxy grout (see Figures 2 and 3). The remaining parts of the
rail assembly,
including the rail pad, clips, etc., are then installed and leveled (see
Figure 1). As such, the
forming and implementation processes are labor-intensive, time-prohibitive,
and prone to
errors and excessive material and labor costs during construction.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[00041 The following presents a simplified summary of one or more
embodiments of
the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments.
This summary
is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments and is intended
to neither
identify key or critical elements of all embodiments, nor delineate the scope
of any or all
embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more
embodiments in a
simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is
presented later.
[00051 Embodiments of the present invention address the above needs and/or
achieve
other advantages by providing apparatuses and methods for forming a recessed
rail.
[00061 Currently, recessed rails are constructed by hand-forming a trench
in
cementitious material, wherein the cementitious material is allowed to cure
and thereafter
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drilled for apertures. The apertures are subsequently filled with anchor bolts
and high-
strength epoxy grout and allowed to cure. Once cured, the rail pad, clips,
etc., are installed
and leveled.
[00071 Embodiments of the present invention utilize one or more forms
supported
along the upper surface of a trench by a series of support boards such that
each form is
suspended with respect to the trench and does not make contact with the lower
surface of the
trench. The form is configured to receive one or more anchor members within
apertures of
the form, allowing the anchor members to be suspended with respect to the
trench. Each
anchor member is coupled to the form by a fitting comprising a first nut and a
second nut.
Each of the one or more anchor members comprises one or more flanges
configured to limit
the movement of the anchor member after the recessed rail is constructed.
[00081 The apparatus is thus configured to allow for cementitious material
to be
applied within a void to the bottom surface of the trench until it reaches an
appropriate height
to partially secure the anchor members on one end with the cementitious
material. The
presence of the form prevents the cementitious material from fully securing
the anchor
members on both ends, and thus a partial length of each anchor member remains
exposed to
allow mechanical coupling or attachment to the anchor members to occur after
the rail is
formed. The presence of the form also allows the cementitious material to take
the shape of
the portion of the form that the cementitious material comes into contact
with, and in some
embodiments described herein, the shape generally forms a channel-like
geometry recess,
offset from the ground surface height.
[00091 After the cementitious material is applied, the anchor members may
be
decoupled from the form. In some embodiments, decoupling comprises removing
the first
and second nuts, or in some embodiments only the second nut. In yet additional
embodiments, decoupling comprises sliding the anchor members through the
fitting.
Decoupling allows for the anchor members to remain secured by the cementitious
material
once the form is removed from the cementitious material.
[00101 Notably, the geometry of the form is configured such that a similar
geometric
impression remains in the cementitious material, and the cementitious material
is not
permitted to enter the cavity of the form. The geometry of the form is such
that it may be
removed from the cementitious material (either before, during, or after the
curing of the
cementitious material) with minimal disturbance to the surrounding
cementitious material or
the form itself As such, the form may be re-used for subsequent formation of
recessed rails.
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[00111 Embodiments of the invention are directed to an apparatus and method
for
forming a recessed rail trench, the invention comprising a plurality of anchor
members, and a
form, the form comprising a plurality of apertures, each aperture structured
to receive one of
the plurality of anchor members.
[00121 In some embodiments or in combination with any of the of the
previous
embodiments, the embodiment comprises a plurality of forms, each of the
plurality of forms
arranged adjacent to at least one of the other of the plurality of forms.
[00131 In some embodiments or in combination with any of the of the
previous
embodiments, the form comprises at least two lateral sides.
[00141 In some embodiments or in combination with any of the of the
previous
embodiments, the form comprises at least one end wall.
[00151 In some embodiments or in combination with any of the of the
previous
embodiments, the at least one end wall comprises at least one aperture.
[00161 In some embodiments or in combination with any of the of the
previous
embodiments, each of the plurality of anchor members comprises an end member
at a first
end of the anchor member.
[00171 In some embodiments or in combination with any of the of the
previous
embodiments, the end member comprises a flange.
[00181 In some embodiments or in combination with any of the of the
previous
embodiments, the embodiment further comprises a fitting for securing the
anchor members
with the apertures of the form
[00191 In some embodiments or in combination with any of the of the
previous
embodiments, the fitting comprises a first nut and a second nut, wherein the
first nut and the
second nut are threaded onto the anchor member, the first nut and the second
nut positioned
on opposite sides of the aperture of the form.
[00201 In some embodiments or in combination with any of the of the
previous
embodiments, the fitting comprises a plastic insert.
[00211 In yet other embodiments of the invention, alone or in combination
with any
of the previous embodiments, the embodiment comprises a plurality of supports.
[00221 The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed may
be
achieved independently in various embodiments of the present invention or may
be combined
with yet other embodiments, further details of which can be seen with
reference to the
following description and drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[00231 The apparatus and method of the present invention alleviates the
forgoing
deficiencies of conventional apparatuses and methods for forming a recessed
rail and also
provides additional advantages. The advantages and features of the invention,
and the
manner in which the same are accomplished, will become more readily apparent
upon
consideration of the following detail description of the invention taken in
conjunction with
the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred and exemplary
embodiments and
which are not necessarily drawn to scale, wherein:
[00241 Figure 1 is a cutaway view illustrating a crane rail installation
constructed
according to the conventional method illustrated in Figures 2 and 3;
[00251 Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the anchor members
secured within
the pre-drilled apertures of Figure 3;
[00261 Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the anchor members
secured
within the pre-drilled apertures of Figure 3 using an epoxy grout;
[00271 Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating a rail forming
apparatus, according
to one embodiment of the present invention, installed prior to pouring of
cementitious
material;
[00281 Figure 5 is a perspective view of the form of the railing forming
apparatus of
Figure 4;
[00291 Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 4;
[00301 Figure 7 is a perspective view of the rail forming apparatus of
Figure 4
subsequent to pouring and curing of cementitious material; and
[00311 Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[00321 The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter
with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments
of the
invention are shown. This invention may be embodied in many different forms
and should
not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these
embodiments
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are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will
fully convey the
scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like
elements
throughout.
[00331 As used herein, "cementitious material" may refer to any structural
material
capable of forming a sufficiently strong joint between a mechanical attachment
point such as
a threaded bolt, and a surrounding trench. Examples of cementitious materials
include, but
are not limited to: cement, quick-set cement, cement replacement materials,
construction
aggregates, asphalt, composites using any number of aggregates and binders,
slag, sand,
geopolymers, polymers, volcanic materials, and the like.
[00341 As illustrated in Figure 5, a form 10 is provided that includes a
plurality of
apertures 12 each for locating and securing an end of one of a plurality of
anchor members
14. In one embodiment, the anchor members 14 comprise threaded bolts. In other
embodiments, the anchor members 14 may comprise threaded-studs, non-threaded-
studs,
rods, internally threaded rods, turnbuckles, standoffs, captive nuts, and the
like. Any
commonly used mechanical coupling mechanism may benefit from the use of the
invention.
The form 10 can be constructed of any material that provides sufficient
rigidity, including
metal, wood, plastic, etc. The form 10 may also benefit from surface treatment
to the
material it is constructed from, such that the form 10 can be easily removed
with limited
friction from the trench of which it forms and sustain minimal wear. Examples
of such
surface treatment may include paint, powder coating, anodizing, hard
anodizing, rubberized
coatings, Teflon coatings, lubricant coating, mold release, and the like. The
configuration of
the form 10 can vary. In one embodiment, as illustrated in the non-limiting
examples shown
in Figure 5, the form 10 is rectangular. In other embodiments, the form 10 is
square. The
form 10 has at least two lateral side walls. The form may have one or two end
walls. In one
embodiment, the form 10 has side walls around the entire perimeter of the
form. Lateral side
walls and/or end walls may be configured with geometric angles (commonly
referred to as
"draft angles") such that the lateral side walls or end walls may be angled
relative to the
direction of removal of the form 10. In this way, form 10 may be removed with
minimal
disturbance to the surrounding material and/or the form itself As illustrated
in Figure 4,
multiple forms 10 can be provided to extend the length of the form depending
on the length
of the required rail and the form 10 can include one or more connection
apertures 15 in the
end walls for securing the adjacent forms 10 end to end. In this way, the
recessed rail formed
by the apparatus can be any length required. The connection apertures 15 in
each form may
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be used in conjunction with a coupling device such as wire, string, rope,
screws, bolts, nuts,
and the like, in order to connect a form to the adjacent form(s).
[00351 As illustrated in Figures 4 and 6, a trench 18 is constructed in the
ground or
existing surface structure (e.g., concrete or asphalt pavement, tarmac,
roadway, etc.) having a
relatively planar bottom structure 20. In some embodiments, it may be
advantageous to
provide a trench 18 with a bottom structure that is not entirely planar, but
rather rounded,
notched, angled, or the like.
[00361 The dimensions of the trench 18 and dimensions of supports 28 are
such that
the supports 28 are positioned along the outermost ground-level surface of the
trench 18 as to
provide mechanical attachment points for the form 10 to allow form 10 and
components
attached thereto the ability to be suspended above planar bottom structure 20.
The anchor
members 14 are positioned within the trench 18. In some embodiments described
herein, the
anchor members 14 are positioned such that there is a gap between the anchor
members 14
and the planar bottom structure 20. In other embodiments, the anchor members
14 may be
positioned such that they make contact with, or recede below, planar bottom
structure 20.
[00371 Multiple forms 10 may be aligned end to end as illustrated in Figure
4.
According to this embodiment, ties (not shown), such as metal or plastic ties,
may be used to
secure the ends of the forms 10 together. According to other embodiments,
screws, bolts,
welds, latches, or the like, may be used to secure the ends of the forms 10
together.
Additionally, as shown in Figure 4, the ties and apertures 16 may also be used
secure the
forms 10 to supports 28 that will hold the form structure in place against the
force caused by
the buoyancy of the form when the form is residing in the cementitious
material after pouring
and prior to curing. Screws, bolt, welds, and other mechanical fastening
features may also be
used with apertures 16 to secure the forms 10 to supports 28. The supports 28
may comprise
metal, wood or plastic and may be anchored to the surrounding structure to
provide additional
support and stability.
[00381 As illustrated in Figures 4 and 6, the end of the anchor members 14
positioned
within the trench 18 may comprise an end member 22, which may comprise a
flange 24 to
support and stabilize the end of the anchor member on the bottom of the
trench. The
configuration of the flange 24 may vary. In one embodiment, the flange 24 is
circular and in
another embodiment the flange is square or rectangular. The end member 22 may
be attached
to the anchor member 14 or may be formed unitary with the anchor member.
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[00391 Each of the opposite ends of the anchor members 14 are then inserted
through
the respective aperture 12 in the form 10. As illustrated in Figure 6, the
anchor members 14
may be received within the aperture 12 of the form using a fitting 26 that is
structured to
frictionally secure the form 10 on the anchor member. The fitting 26 can
comprise any
material that will provide a sufficient frictional fit to support the form 10
on the anchor
members 14 and prevent the form 10 from slipping down due to the weight of the
form or
slipping up due to the upward force caused by the buoyancy of the form when
the form is
residing in the cementitious material after pouring and prior to curing. In
one embodiment,
the fitting 26 may comprise flanges formed integrally with the form that have
an opening that
creates a frictional fit with the anchor member. Alternative, the fitting 26
may comprise an
insert, such as a plastic insert. In another embodiment, the fitting comprises
a first nut 26a
threaded on the anchor member 14 prior to inserting the anchor member through
the aperture
12 and a second nut 26b threaded on the anchor member after inserting the
anchor member
through the aperture so that the form is secured between the first and second
nuts.
[00401 As illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, the cementitious material 30 is
poured into
the trench 18 and allowed to cure. Thereafter, the form(s) 10 are removed.
Advantageously,
according to the present invention, a recessed rail trench is provided that
has secured anchor
members to which the rails may be secured. It should be understood that
form(s) 10 are
capable of being reused for further formation of additional recessed rail
trenches. In some
embodiments, form(s) 10 may be configured and optimized for one-time use.
[00411 Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth
herein
will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain
having the
benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the
associated drawings.
Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to
the specific
embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are
intended to be
included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are
employed
herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for
purposes of
limitation. In addition, where possible, any terms expressed in the singular
form herein are
meant to also include the plural form and/or vice versa. As used herein, "at
least one" shall
mean "one or more" and these phrases are intended to be interchangeable.
Accordingly, the
terms "a" and/or "an" shall mean "at least one" or "one or more," even though
the phrase
"one or more" or "at least one" is also used herein.
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