Concrete form brace

Abstract

A brace for concrete forms employing first and second form elements includes at least one attachment member adapted and constructed to secure the brace to at least one of the form elements. A span member is connected to the at least one attachment member, and has a length sufficient to hold the first and second form elements apart. At least one article securing mechanism is movable between a first position in which the securing mechanism receives an article associated with the concrete form, and a second position in which the securing mechanism secures the article associated with the concrete form to the brace.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to building construction, and particularly to braces useful in erecting concrete forms.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

According to Lambert and MacDonald in their 1998 monograph titled “Reinforced Concrete—History, Properties & Durability” (published by the Corrosion Prevention Association, Surrey, U.K.), the oldest known surviving concrete is to be found in the former Yugoslavia and was thought to have been laid in 5,600 BC using red lime as the cement. The first major concrete users were the Egyptians in around 2,500 BC and the Romans from 300 BC The Romans found that by mixing a pink sand-like material which they obtained from Pozzuoli with their normal lime-based concretes they obtained a far stronger material. The pink sand turned out to be fine volcanic ash and they had inadvertently produced the first ‘pozzolanic’ cement. Pozzolana is any siliceous or siliceous and aluminous material which possesses little or no cementitious value in itself but will, if finely divided and mixed with water, chemically react with calcium hydroxide to form compounds with cementitious properties.

The Romans made many developments in concrete technology including the use of lightweight aggregates as in the roof of the Pantheon, and embedded reinforcement in the form of bronze bars, although the difference in thermal expansion between the two materials produced problems of spalling. It is from the Roman words ‘caementum’ meaning a rough stone or chipping and ‘concretus’ meaning grown together or compounded, that we have obtained the names for these two now common materials.

Since the Romans had no powered cement mixers, they prepared small batches of concrete, and layered these batches either between wooden forms, or between facings of stone or brick already assembled. The Roman practice of pouring liquid concrete into wooden forms was rediscovered by the architect Bramante in the 15^th century A.D., and incorporated into his early work on the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rome.

The use of concrete forms continued to progress, with important developments including iron-reinforced structures in the 18^th century and steel-reinforced concrete as a building material the mid-19th century. Reinforced concrete is often used in the construction of foundation footings, which provide a base for the foundation of a structure. Footings are typically fabricated by placing opposed form elements, spaced 8″-48″ apart, around the design perimeter of the structure below the frostline. Form elements are usually elongate, and can be provided as removable wood or steel planks or permanently-installed foraminous drain elements. When planks are used, dimensional lumber, ranging from 1×4's and 2×4's through 1×12's and 2×12's, are often used for this purpose. The planks are usually secured together by a series of braces, such as 1×2's, to maintain the planks at a consistent distance from one another. Rebar or other reinforcing materials, such as mesh, can be secured within the form. Once the form is ready, concrete is poured to a desired depth and allowed to cure, after which the forms are removed.

Not surprisingly, various supports for concrete forms and associated systems have found their way into the patent literature. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,799 to Parker is directed to a permanently-installed form-drain including hollow, foraminous planks and connectors for joining two or more of the planks in a continuously arranged concrete barrier. The instant improvements include an adapter, which serves as a straight connector, grooved plank with interlocking stake, integral connector-stake and adapter-stake device and a tri-functional, generally rigid bracket and bracket-stake element, used to space and restrain/constrain the planks and/or to hold (support) reinforcement bars.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,697 to Moore sets forth a connector link component for use in an insulated concrete form system having first and second side panels and at least two connectors, each side panel having an exterior surface, an opposed interior surface, and at least one attachment coupling, the panels arranged in spaced parallel relationship with their interior surfaces and attachment couplings facing each other so that a cavity is formed therebetween, each connector having a first end and a distal second end, a first length extending therebetween, and a pair of opposed connector couplings, one connector coupling formed in the first end and the other connector coupling formed in the second end, so that the each connector coupling of each connector is adapted to engage one attachment coupling of the side panel, the connector link having a proximal end, having a first link coupling for engagement to the connector coupling of one connector of the concrete form system, a distal end, having a second link coupling for engagement to the connector coupling of one other connector of the concrete form system, and a substantially rigid body portion extending between the proximal end and the distal end of the connector link so that the connector link may be operatively engaged to the opposed connectors to structurally connect one attachment coupling on one side panel to one other attachment coupling on the other side panel.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,114 to Zelinsky deals with an apparatus for providing an insulated, poured concrete wall which will result, when the concrete is poured, in a wall having internal and external insulation, drywall or other surface preparation connecting areas which are continuous of and extending the entire or selected lengths of the wall and apparatus for the provision of windows into the wall. The apparatus includes a pair of U-shaped lower members attachable to foundation footings to establish the sides of the wall and receive insulating or other material panels, a plurality of H-shaped intermediate members to receive insulating or other material panels which form the pouring area, a pair of U-shaped top members capping the uppermost tier of insulating or other material panels which members may also be utilized to form window openings, a plurality of tie bars frictionally attachable to the H members which provide cross connectors between tiers of the panel sections and U-shaped, corner members for both the bottom and top of the wall.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,604 to Bowron, a concrete forms wall spacer is provided in the configuration of a truss having top and bottom horizontal frame members interconnected by angularly extending reinforcing struts. The top frame member is configured to rest upon the upper edges of a pair of spaced concrete form walls, and end portions of the top frame member are extended downward for abutment by the outer sides of the spaced concrete form walls, to define the desired spacing between the walls. Supported by the bottom frame member are a pair of spaced clip members each configured to removably support a pair of lengths of rebar which extend horizontally in opposite directions to other longitudinally spaced form wall spacers. A pair of vertically spaced rebar supports are mounted on the top and bottom frame members for frictionally securing a vertically extending length of rebar for forming a structural tie between a concrete footing and a vertically extending concrete wall. In a second embodiment of the invention, a plurality of pairs of vertically spaced rebar supports for vertical rebar are provided as detachable components.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,050 to Jacobus is directed to a thermoplastic sidewall forming one surface of a concrete form. The sidewall incorporates a drainage tile as an integral unit. Two of the sidewalls combined can provide a form for a concrete footer to be poured and remain as a permanent part of the structure.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,561 to Mason deals with a concrete wall form system including a plurality of first and second panels each preferably having grooved portions extending along corresponding top side edges and complementary mating tongue portions extending along corresponding bottom side edges, and having regularly spaced transverse slots extending into the top and bottom side edges thereof. The form system also includes a plurality of ties each having a bridging web portion, interior flanges formed at the opposite extremities of the web portions, and fastening portions also formed at each end of the web portion and including an outwardly extending shank terminating in an outer flange, the shanks of the fastening portions being adapted for disposition in the aligned transverse slots in vertically adjacent form panels, the interior flanges engaging an interior wall of the panels, and the exterior flanges engaging an outer side wall of the panels. In accordance with the present invention each horizontal row of ties holds together both the top edges of one course of panels and the bottom edges of another course of panels disposed immediately thereabove.

It can thus be seen from the foregoing that several attempts have been made to provide structural reinforcements for concrete forms, some of which address the problem of retaining rebar within the form. The patent to Parker, in particular, shows dimpled grooves in which rebar may be constrained or retained. Unfortunately, none of the known apparatus provide for positive retention of reinforcing materials. Consequently, reinforcing material such as rebar is subject to undesirable movement either before or during the concrete pour. Improper concrete reinforcing can lead to failure of the completed structure. Clearly, the need exists for a simple, inexpensive mechanism associated with a form brace for positively retaining reinforcing materials within a concrete form without diminishing the effectiveness of the functionality of the brace itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A brace for concrete forms employing first and second form elements includes at least one attachment member adapted and constructed to secure the brace to at least one of the form elements. A span member is connected to the at least one attachment member, and has a length sufficient to hold the first and second form elements apart. At least one article securing mechanism is movable between a first position in which the securing mechanism receives an article associated with the concrete form, and a second position in which the securing mechanism secures the article associated with the concrete form to the brace.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a brace in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side elevational view of the FIG. 1 brace.

FIG. 3 illustrates a top plan view of the FIG. 1 brace.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of a brace in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side elevational view of the FIG. 4 brace.

FIG. 6 illustrates a top plan view of the FIG. 4 brace.

FIG. 7 illustrates a side elevational view of the FIG. 1 brace with rebar in place.

FIG. 8 illustrates a side elevational view of the FIG. 4 brace with rebar in place.

FIG. 9 illustrates a side elevational view of another embodiment of a brace in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of a brace in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates a side elevational view of the FIG. 10 brace, top-mounted and with rebar in place.

FIG. 12 illustrates a side elevational view of the FIG. 10 brace, bottom-mounted and with rebar in place.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 through 3 illustrate a brace 10 in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The brace 10 includes at least one attachment member, here shown as a pair of opposed attachment members 12, 14. In the illustrated configuration, each of the attachment members 12, 14 is generally rectilinear, and encompasses a connection portion 16, a cross portion 18, and a support portion 20. Fastener apertures 22 can be provided in the connection portion 16 and the cross portion 18 to accommodate the installation of fasteners. The attachment members 12, 14 are adapted and constructed to secure the brace 10 to concrete form elements such as planks. Score lines 23 are provided to permit breaking off of the attachment members 12, 14 after the concrete form has cured, if desired.

A span member 24 extends between the attachment members 12, 14. The span member 24 has a length sufficient to hold the first and second form elements apart for standard concrete form widths. For example, with foundation footings, the distance can range from 4″ to 48″ or more. With sidewalk or patio slabs, the width can be up to 10 feet or more. A pair of brackets 26 are secured to the attachment members 12, 14 and the span member 24 to enhance the structural integrity of the brace 10.

A plurality of article securing mechanisms 28 extend from a generally horizontal planar surface 29 of the span member 24. In the illustrated example, the article securing mechanisms 28 are shown in a first position in which the securing mechanism 28 receives an article associated with the concrete form. Such articles can include, but are not limited to, rebar, mesh, conduits, or other articles that may be desirable to embed into the concrete structure being formed.

The brace 10 can be formed in any suitable manner from any suitable material. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the brace 10 can be fabricated from a single elongated blank of relatively malleable yet rigid material, such as galvanized steel. The attachment members 12, 14 and span member 24 can be formed by bending and/or stamping the blank at right angles as shown. The securing mechanisms 28 can be formed by first stamping or cutting a “horseshoe” shape from the blank, then bending the inside portion of the horseshoe into a shape as shown. It is also contemplated that the brace 10 could be fabricated using other techniques, such as casting or injection molding, and fabricated from a variety of materials, such as plastic.

FIGS. 4 through 6 illustrate another embodiment of a brace 30 in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The brace 30 includes at least one attachment member, here shown as a pair of opposed attachment members 32, 34. In the illustrated configuration, each of the attachment members 32, 34 is generally rectilinear, and encompasses a connection portion 36, a cross portion 38, and a support portion 40. Fastener apertures 42 can be provided in the connection portion 36 and the cross portion 38 to accommodate the installation of fasteners as desired. The attachment members 32, 34 are adapted and constructed to secure the brace 30 to concrete form elements such as planks, as will be described in detail.

A span member 44 extends between the attachment members 32, 34. The span member 34 has a length sufficient to hold the first and second form elements apart for standard concrete form widths, as described previously.

A plurality of article securing mechanisms 46 extend from a generally vertical planar surface 48 of the span member 44. In the illustrated example, the article securing mechanisms 46 are shown in a first position in which the securing mechanism 46 receives an article associated with the concrete form. Such articles can include, but are not limited to, rebar, mesh, conduits, or other articles that may be desirable to embed into the concrete structure being formed.

The brace 30 can be formed in any suitable manner from any suitable material. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4-6, the brace 30 can be fabricated from a single elongated blank of relatively malleable yet rigid material, such as galvanized steel. The attachment members 32, 34 and span member 44 can be formed by bending and/or stamping the blank at various angles as shown. The span member 44 is bent or otherwise formed so as to present its vertical surface 48. The securing mechanisms 46 can be formed by first stamping or cutting a “horseshoe” shape from the blank, then compoundly bending the inside portion of the horseshoe into a shape as shown. It is also contemplated that the brace 30 could be fabricated using other techniques, such as casting or injection molding, and fabricated from a variety of materials, such as plastic.

As shown in FIG. 7, the brace 10 is secured between a pair of form elements E1, E2 with a plurality of fasteners F1, such as duplex nails. In most applications, it will be desirable to employ a plurality of braces to secure the forms around the entire structure. Withe the brace 10 secured, the securing mechanisms are in their first positions, shown in broken line. Articles such as rebar R are placed in the securing mechanisms 28, which are then moved in the direction of arrow A to their second, securing positions, shown in solid line. The rebar R is thus secured against undesirable displacement before, during, and after the concrete pour.

FIG. 8 shows the brace 40 secured between a pair of form elements E3, E4 with a plurality of fasteners F3, such as duplex nails. In most applications, it will be desirable to employ a plurality of braces to secure the forms around the entire structure. Withe the brace 40 secured, the securing mechanisms are in their first positions, shown in broken line. Articles such as rebar R2 are placed in the securing mechanisms 46, which are then moved in the direction of arrow B to their second, securing positions, shown in solid line. The rebar R2 is thus secured against undesirable displacement before, during, and after the concrete pour.

In FIG. 9, another embodiment of a brace 50 in accordance with the principles of the present invention is shown. The brace 50 includes at least one attachment member, here shown as a pair of opposed attachment members 52, 54. A span member 56 extends between the attachment members 52, 54. A plurality of article securing mechanisms 58, 60 extend from a generally vertical planar surface 62 of the span member 56. In the illustrated example, the article securing mechanisms 58 extend in a first direction above the span member 56, and the article securing mechanism 60 extends in a second direction, below the span member 56. In this way, diverse articles can be secured in diverse locations on the brace 60. It is also contemplated that a brace can be constructed similar to that shown in FIGS. 1-3, with the addition of one or more vertically oriented planar surface extending either downwardly or upwardly from the edges of the span member. In such a configuration, securing mechanisms could be formed in both vertical and horizontal surfaces, depending on the articles to be retained. Further, securing mechanisms can also be provided on other portions of the brace, for example, stake holder extensions can be provided on the attachment members to help secure the form elements.

FIGS. 10 through 12 illustrate another embodiment of a brace 70 in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The brace 70 includes at least one attachment member, here shown as a pair of opposed attachment members 72, 74. In the illustrated configuration, each of the attachment members 72, 74 is generally rectilinear, and encompasses a connection portion 76, a cross portion 78, a support portion 80, and an angled portion 82. Fastener apertures 84, 86 are provided on the attachment members 72, 74 to accommodate the installation of fasteners, as previously described. A span member 88 extends between the attachment members 72, 74. A plurality of article securing mechanisms 90, 91 extend from opposing surfaces of a generally horizontal planar surface of the span member 88. This placement allows the brace 70 to be “reversible”, as will be described. A pair of brackets 92 extend outwardly from the attachment members 72, 74. Each of the brackets 92 includes a stake aperture 94. The brackets 92 can extend from the attachment members 72, 74 at any desired angle. It is contemplated that configuring the brackets 92 at an acute angle will assist in retaining stakes within the brackets 92. As with the previously-described embodiments, the brace 70 can be formed in any suitable manner from any suitable material.

As shown in FIG. 11, the brace 70 is secured between a pair of form elements E5, E6 with a plurality of fasteners F3, such as duplex nails. In most applications, it will be desirable to employ a plurality of braces to secure the forms around the entire structure. Articles such as rebar R3 are shown within the securing mechanisms 90 of the brace 70 in their securing positions, shown in solid line. A pair of stakes S extend through the brackets 92 to provide additional stability to the form.

FIG. 12 illustrates the brace 70 secured between a pair of form elements E6. As opposed to the previous embodiments in which the braces are mounted on the tops of the form elements, the brace 70 is shown mounted on the bottoms of the form elements E6. This mounting arrangement may be desirable due to dimensional constraints or other concerns. The brace 70 is secured with a plurality of fasteners F4, such as duplex nails. Rebar R4 is secured within the securing mechanisms 91 as with the previous embodiments. A pair of stakes S1 extend through the brackets 92 to provide additional stability to the form.

It is contemplated that various features and details are interchangeable within the context of the disclosed invention. For example, any of the embodiments can be provided with stake brackets, or mounted on the bottoms of the form elements. Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, those of skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A brace for concrete forms employing first and second form elements, the brace comprising the following:

at least one attachment member adapted and constructed to secure the brace to at least one of the form elements;

a span member connected to the at least one attachment member, the span member having a length sufficient to hold the first and second form elements apart; and

at least one article securing mechanism movable between a first position in which the securing mechanism receives an article associated with the concrete form, and a second position in which the securing mechanism secures the article associated with the concrete form to the brace.

2. A brace in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one article securing mechanism comprises a plurality of article securing mechanisms.

3. A brace in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one article securing mechanism is located in a generally horizontally oriented planar surface of the brace.

4. A brace in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one article securing mechanism is located in a generally vertically oriented planar surface of the brace.

5. A brace in accordance with claim 4, wherein the brace is fabricated from a rigid material.

6. A brace in accordance with claim 5, wherein the brace is fabricated from a metallic material.

7. A brace in accordance with claim 6, wherein the brace is fabricated from steel.

8. A brace in accordance with claim 6, wherein the brace is fabricated from galvanized steel.

9. A brace in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one attachment member comprises a pair of attachment members on respective ends of the span member.

10. A brace in accordance with claim 9, wherein each of the attachment members further comprises a fastener aperture.

11. A brace in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one structural reinforcing member securing the at least one attachment member to the span member.

12. A method for bracing concrete forms employing first and second form elements, the method comprising the following steps:

providing at least one attachment member adapted and constructed to secure the brace to at least one of the form elements;

providing a span member connected to the at least one attachment member, the span member having a length sufficient to hold the first and second form elements apart;

providing at least one article securing mechanism movable between a first position in which the securing mechanism receives an article associated with the concrete form, and a second position in which the securing mechanism secures the article associated with the concrete form to the brace

securing the brace to at least one of the form elements;

placing an article in the at least one article securing mechanism; and

moving the at least one article securing mechanism to its second position to secure the article to the brace.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step providing of at least one article securing mechanism comprises providing a plurality of article securing mechanisms.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step of providing at least one article securing mechanism comprises providing at least one article securing mechanism located in a generally horizontally oriented planar surface of the brace.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the step of providing at least one article securing mechanism comprises providing at least one article securing mechanism located in a generally vertically oriented planar surface of the brace.

16. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step of providing at least one attachment member comprises providing a pair of attachment members on respective ends of the span member.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising the step of providing a fastener aperture in each of the attachment members.

18. A method for forming a brace for concrete forms employing first and second form elements, the method comprising the following steps:

providing a generally flat, elongate blank of a malleable material;

forming from the blank at least one attachment member on the blank, the attachment member being adapted and constructed to secure the brace to at least one of the form elements;

forming from the blank a span member connected to the at least one attachment member, the span member having a length sufficient to hold the first and second form elements apart; and

forming from the blank at least one article securing mechanism movable between a first position in which the securing mechanism receives an article associated with the concrete form, and a second position in which the securing mechanism secures the article associated with the concrete form to the brace.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein the steps of forming the at least one attachment member and span member comprise bending the blank.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein the step of forming at least one article securing mechanism further comprises the following steps:

cutting the at least one article securing mechanism in a predetermined size from the span member; and

bending the at least one article securing mechanism into its first position.