Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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CONCRETE WALL FORM AND CONNECTORS THEREFOR
FIELD OF THE Ih'IVENTION
The present invention relates generally to~ wall forms of the type comprising
pairs of opposed form walls each formed of a plurality of stacked rows of
plastic
foam panels for receiving flowable materials such as concrete. More
particularly,
it relates to connectors used to maintain said form walls in spaced and
parallel
relationship.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A number of different systems and methods currently exists for making
insulating forms for casting a concrete wall. Often, these systems comprise
pairs
of opposed foam panels generally made of a rigid foam like polystyrene which
define concrete-receiving cavities therebeM~een. Once the concrete is
solidified,
the form walls remain in place to insulate the wall. Those form walls are
typically
maintained in spaced and parallel relationship before the pouring of concrete
by means of connectors comprising a pair of parallel lateral attachment
flanges
each embedded in one of the two opposed foam panels, and a connecting web
interconnecting the flanges.
Known concrete forms with the desirable rigidity are conventionally
manufactured in the factory and are then slhipped on the site of construction
to
be installed onto the ground to be treated with the inherent risk of damage
during transportation or installation, particularly, since known pre-assembled
form walls are fragile due to the important empty volume existing between the
form walls.
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In other conventional methods, forms satisfying the requirements of rigidity
are
installed directly on the site. However, they are complex and expensive, since
the numerous components of the latter forms render assembly time consuming.
The following documents disclose examples of different prior art concrete
forming systems: US patent nos 5,459,971; 5,625,989; 5,709,060; 5,704,180;
5, 701, 710; 4, 730, 422; 5, 065, 561; 5, 740, 64 8; 5, 657, 600.
There is still presently a need for a wall forrn that will be easy to handle,
to ship
and to install on the site of construction and that will be low in cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to propose a wall form assembly that
will
satisfy the above-mentioned need, and more particularly to propose connectors
therefor which overcome the drawbacks of the presently available methods and
apparatus for making wall forms.
A further object is to provide a wall form which can be completely pre-
assembled
at the factory and which is as easy to transport to the site of construction
as
disassembled prior art wall forms.
In accordance with the present invention, these objects are achieved with a
connector for tying together opposed foam panels in spaced and parallel
relationship to make a form for receiving flowable materiel. The connector
comprises a pair of anchor members, one being devised to be embedded in one
of the foam panels and the other being devi;>ed to be embedded in the other
one
of the foam panels. Each anchor member has an elongated flange plate for
extending longitudinally and deep inside the foam panel and an elongated link
element connected longitudinally to the flange plate and having a projecting
end
devised to come out of the foam panel once the anchor member is embedded
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therein. The connector further comprises a web member for extending between
the foam panels, the web member having opposite longitudinal side ends, each
of the side ends being hingedly connectable to the projecting end of either
one
of the anchor members, whereby the foam panels are tied together by
connecting one side end of the web membE~r to the projecting end of one of the
anchor members and the other side end of the web member to the projecting
end of the other anchor member. Thus, the tied foam panels are movable
between an extended position where the foam panels are spaced-apart to make
the form and a collapsed position where the foam panels are brought close to
each other.
Preferably, the projecting end of each anchor member comprises a stabilising
plate parallel to the flange plate for extending flush with an inner surface
of the
foam panel and a plurality of aligned open slotted tube-like knuckles disposed
on the stabilising plate. Each tube-like knuckle forms an inner tube having a
pair
of longitudinal opposed edge portions defining a slot in registry with the
slots of
the other knuckles. In this case, each longitudinal side end of the web member
defines an enlarged end portion sized to be slidingly insertable in the open
tube-like knuckles and a strip portion connecting the enlarged end portion to
a
central portion of the web member. The stn~ip portion has a width sized so the
strip portion is slidingly insertable in the slots of the anchor members and
includes a plurality of aligned slits each adapted to receive an edge portion
of
the knuckles, thereby allowing the web member and the anchor member to pivot
with respect to each other.
The present invention is also directed to a wall form assembly comprising
opposed foam panels disposed in spaced and parallel relationship to make a
form for receiving a flowable material such as concrete and a plurality of
connectors as described above tying the opposed foam panels together. More
particularly, the form wall assembly comprises:
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- a first and a second opposed foam panels in spaced and parallel
relationship; and
- a plurality of connectors tying together the first and second foam
panels, each connector comprising:
- a pair of anchor members, a first one embedded in the first foam
panel and the second one embedded in the second foam panel, each
anchor member having:
an elongated flange plate extending longitudinally and
deep inside the foam panel; and
an elongated link element connected longitudinally to the
flange plate and having a projecting end coming out of the foam
panel, and
- a web member extending between said foam panels, the web
member having a first longitudinal side end opposite a second
longitudinal side end, said first longitudinal side end being hingedly
connected to the projecting end of the first anchor member and the
second longitudinal side end being hingedly connected to the projecting
end of the second web member;
whereby the tied foam panels are movable between an extended position where
the foam panels are spaced-apart to makE: the form and a collapsed position
where the foam panels are brought close t~o each other.
A wall form assembly according to the present invention can be easily
manufactured, compacted and stored without requiring a lot of space or
transported to the site of construction. DuE; to the relatively light weight
of the
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material used for the manufacture of the elements of the wall form assembly
and
due to the fact that these elements can bE; packed in a compact form, a wall
form assembly according to the present invention is a lot less fragile during
shipping than prior art pre-assembled wall forms, the freight costs for
5 transportation are significantly reduced and' the time required to install
the form
on the site is also significantly reduced as the form is already assembled.
Other features and objects of the present invention will become more apparent
from the description that follows of a prefen~red embodiment, having reference
to the appended drawings and given as ex;~mples only as to how the invention
may be put into practice.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective fragmentary view of a form wall assembly according
to a preferred embodiment of the present iinvention;
Figure 2 is a top view of the left side foam panel of the form wall assembly
of
figure 1 showing the relief of the top surface of the foam panel;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of the form wall assembly
of
figure 1 showing also an upper and a lower row of stacked foam panels;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the connecaor shown in figure 3 without its
right
anchor member;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a pre-assembled form wall assembly
substantially similar to the form wall assembly of figures 1 and 3, and
showing
the foam panels in an extended position;
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Figure 6 is a top view of the form wall assembly of figure 5 showing the
panels
folded on each other for transportation purposes;
Figure 7 is aside elevation view of the web member of the connector of figure
1;
Figure 8 is a top view of the web member of figure 7;
Figure 9 is an enlarged top view of a joint between a web member and an
anchor member in an extended position (fic,~ure 9A), and a compacted position
(figure 9B);
Figure 10A is a perspective view of two mating anchor members showing the
fastener provided at the end portion of the stabilising plate; and
Figure 10B is the same view as figure 10A, showing the two anchor members
linked together;
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to figure 1, a form wall assembly (10) according to the present
invention is suitable to make a form for rE~ceiving flowable materiel such as
concrete. The form obtained is of the typE: comprising a plurality of stacked
horizontal rows of coplanar substantially rectangular foamed plastic panels
(14)
abutting one another along horizontal and vertical edges thereof, as shown in
figure 3. More particularly, the form wall assembly (10) comprises a first
foam
panel (14a) opposed to a second foam panel (14b) in spaced and parallel
relationship, and tied together by means of a plurality of connectors (16), as
best seen in figure 5.
The foam panels (14) each have a top surface (15) opposite a bottom surface
(17) and, as illustrated in figures 1 and 2, each of the top surface (15) and
the
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bottom surface (17) has a checkerboard-type relief including alternating
protrusions (18) and cavities (19). The checkerboard-type relief of the top
surface (15) is in mirror symmetry with the checkerboard-type relief of the
bottom surface (17) such that the top surface (15) is adapted to fit together
with
the bottom surface (17) of an upwardly adjacent similar foam panel (14), as
shown in figure 5, and the bottom surface (17) is adapted to fit together with
a
downwardly adjacent similar foam panel (14).
Referring now to figures 3 and 4, each connector (16) comprises a pair of
anchor members (20a, 20b) , a first one (20a) embedded in the first foam panel
(14a) and the second one (20b) embedded in the second foam panel (14b).
Each anchor member (20) has an elongated flange plate (22) extending
longitudinally and deep inside the foam panel (14) and an elongated link
element (24) connected longitudinally to i:he flange plate (22) and having a
projecting end (26) coming out of the foam panel (14). Preferably, the
projecting
end (26) of each anchor member (20) comprises a stabilising plate (28)
parallel
to the flange plate (22) and extending flush with the inner surface (30) of
the
foam panel (14).
In order to lighten the foam panel assemblyr, the link element (24) comprises
a
plurality of holes (25) therealong. However, the link element might have been
solid.
It has to be noted that by saying that the anchor member is embedded in the
foam panel, a person in the art will understand that in the making of the foam
panel (14) in the manufacturing plant, thE~ plastic foam material forming the
panel (14) is injected to surround the anchor member (20), thereby
strengthening the joint between the panel (14) and the anchor member (20)
which thus act as an anchor forming part of the foam panel (14). More
specifically and as best seen in figure 3, the plastic foam material, which is
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preferably a polystyrene, is injected to surround the anchor member (20) such
that the stabilising plate (28) of the anchor member (20) is flush with the
inner
surface (30) of the foam panel (14).
Referring also to figure 7, the connector (16) further comprises a web member
(32) extending between the foam panels ('14). The web member (32) which is
preferably made of a relatively flexible plastic comprises a central portion
(44)
having a shape adapted to receive and hold metal rods used to reinforce the
concrete. The web member (32) further has a first longitudinal side end (34a)
hingedly connected to the projecting end (26) of the first anchor member (20a)
and a second longitudinal side end (34b) opposed to the first longitudinal
side
end (34a). The second longitudinal side end (34b) is hingedly connected to the
projecting end (26) of the second web member (20b). The foam panels (14) are
movable between an extended position, as. shown in figure 5, where the foam
panels (14) are spaced-apart to make the form and a collapsed position, as
shown in figure 6, where the foam panels (14) are brought close to each other.
In order to hingedly connect the web member (32 ) to the anchor members (20),
the connector (16) preferably comprises a plurality of aligned open slotted
tube-
like knuckles (36) positioned on the stabilising plate (28), as shown in
figure 4,
which hingedly cooperate with an enlarged end portion (37) of the web member
(32). As best seen in figures 9A and 9B, e<~ch tube-like knuckle (36) forms an
inner tube (38) having a pair of longitudinal opposed edge portions (40)
defining
a slot (42) in registry with the slots of the other knuckles, as shown in
figure 4.
Each longitudinal side end (34) of the web member (32) defines the enlarged
end portion (37) which is sized to be slidingly insertable in the open tube-
like
knuckles (36). Referring to figures 9A and 9B, each longitudinal side end (34)
of the web member (32) further defines a strip portion (43) connecting the
enlarged end portion (37) to a central portion (44) of the web member (32).
The
width of the strip portion (43) is such that the strip portion (43) is
slidingly
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insertable in the slots (42) of the anchor members (20). As best seen in
figure
4 or 7, the strip portion (43) also includes <~ plurality of aligned slits
(46) each
adapted to receive an edge portion (40) of the knuckles (36) to thereby allow
the
web member (32) and the anchor member' (20) to pivot with respect to each
other, as shown in figures 9A and 9B. Preferably, the enlarged end portion
(37)
is also provided therealong with a plurality of small holes (39) to lighten
the web
member (32). As can be appreciated, the preferred embodiment of the present
invention illustrated comprises six of thoae knuckles (36) on each anchor
member (20) having six corresponding slits (46) provided on the web member
(32). Another embodiment of the present invention may have a different number
of those knuckles and slits.
The inner tube (38) and the enlarged end portion (37) may have a circular
shape. However, as illustrated in figures 8, 9A and 9B, in order to prevent
the
panels (14) from moving like a jumping jack during the shipping or the
installation on the site, the inner tube (38) and the enlarged end portion
(37),
which are preferably made of a slightly flexible plastic, preferably have a
shape
which allows those elements to be somewhat locked in the extended or
collapsed position. More preferably, the inner tube (38) and the enlarged end
portion (37) both have a rectangular section with rounded corners. As can be
appreciated, that particular shape prevent; the enlarged end portion (37) from
pivoting freely in the inner tube (38) of the. knuckle (36). Therefore, a
certain
force has to be applied to the assembly to bring it from the collapsed
position,
as in figure 6, to the extended position, as in figure 1 or 5, or vice versa.
Referring more particularly to figure 7, the connector (16) preferably
comprises
a stopper (48) to prevent the web membE:r (32) from sliding out upwardly of
downwardly of the knuckles (36) of the anchor member (20). More preferably ,
each enlarged end portion (37) of the web member (32) has an upper extremity
portion (50) and a lower extremity portion (52) both comprising a biasing
stopper
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(48) to prevent the side end (34) from sliding out of the tube-like knuckles
(36)
once inserted therein. The biasing stopper (48} comprises an elongated leaf
element (49) with a first end (51 ) secured to the extremity portion (52) and
a free
second end (53) pointing opposite the extremity (52). The leaf element (49) is
5 pivotable around the first end (51 ) thereof between a compressed position
where the leaf element (49} is brought close along the outer surface of the
enlarged portion (37) to let the knuckles (~~6) of an anchor member (20) slide
over and a relaxed position, as shown in figure 7, where the second end (53)
biases away from the outer surtace of the enlarged portion (37) to prevent the
10 knuckles (36) from coming out.
Referring to figures 3, 4, 10A and 10B, the stabilising plate (28) of each
anchor
member (20) preferably comprises an upper end (54) and a lower end (56) both
comprising a fastener (58) to link the anchor member (20) to a mating anchor
member (20), as best seen in figures 10A and 10B. More preferably, the
fastener (58) is a grapnel-type fastener moh~ed on the stabilising plate (28}
with
an extremity (60) projecting from the corresponding end of the stabilising
plate
(28). As best seen in figures 10A and 10B, the fastener (58) of the upper end
(54) of a single stabilising plate (28) is in mirror symmetry with the
fastener (58)
of the lower end (56) of that stabilising plate (28) and comprises a side (62)
provided with three pointed teeth (64) adapl:ed to link with the pointed teeth
(64}
of a mating anchor member (20).
Therefore, thanks to both the checkerboard-type relief of the top and bottom
surfaces of the panels (14) and the fasteners (58), the wall form assemblies
according to the illustrated preferred embodiment of the present invention can
be easily stacked over each other and linked together, as shown in figure 3.
Referring more particularly to figure 1, eaclh fastener (58) of a foam panel
(14)
is preferably sized so the extremity (60) thereof is flush with either the top
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surface (15) or the bottom surface (17) of i:he foam panel (14) to prevent
that
fastener (58) from being in the way.
As can be appreciated from figures ~~ and 6, thanks to the specific
characteristics of the connector (18) according to the present invention, the
panels (14) once tied with the help of those connectors (18} are easily
foldable
with respect to one another and thus can be shipped to the site of
construction
in a well compacted form.
Once a form for receiving flowable material is mounted using a plurality of
stacked horizontal rows of form wall assemblies, the empty cavity (64}
existing
between the form wall made of isolating and rigid panels (14) is filled with
concrete or with cement based grout. After hardening of the filling material,
a
composite wall is obtained with the isolating panels firmly attached through
the
connectors to the concrete inside-wall.
Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail
herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood
that
the invention is not limited to this precise embodiment and that various
changes
and modifications may be effected therein without departing from the scope or
spirit of the invention.
