CONSTRUCTION HANGER BRACE
A construction hanger comprises a brace including a first elongated member; an arm extending from one end of the first elongated member at an angle thereto, the arm and the elongated member cooperating to engage the surface of a construction support member; a guide at the end of the elongated member opposite the one end, the guide being capable of receiving a hanger member, the guide being positioned on or formed within the brace and at an angle thereto; the guide tying the hanging member to the construction support member by means of the brace.
This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/613,444 filed Sep. 13, 2012, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/534,630 filed on Sep. 14, 2011, the contents of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELDThe invention relates to a construction hanger for use in assembling concrete forms and, more particularly, tying the form members to a construction support member such as an I-beam. This invention provides an attachment of overhanging brackets, scaffolding, or other accessories to steel, concrete, or other bridge beams or construction support members.
BACKGROUNDIn order to construct concrete sections of roads, bridges, buildings, or other components, a form is provided into which the concrete is poured and allowed to harden. These forms may take on a variety of shapes and configurations according to the use that they're put.
In creating overpasses, standing walls, or other sections, a framework of steel girders, I-beams, or other supporting structure is assembled before pouring the concrete to provide a structure from which to assemble the form. The form is supported on the girders or I-beams by means of construction hangers that support the weight of the form and concrete by distributing the load into the girder. Because the hangers may support the forms from within the volume of the form, they are usually unrecoverable after the concrete has been poured and allowed to harden. Therefore, it is preferable to provide economical hangers that can be inexpensively replaced as hangers are consumed.
These hangers may also be used to support scaffolding or other accessories to support structure.
An example of one prior art hanger generally includes a brace and a guide welded together to form the hanger. The brace may be formed from a steel bar bent around a beam flange to form a hook while the guide, which may be formed from a piece of stamped and bent steel, is welded to the bar opposite the hook. A support rod may be inserted through the guide and a form is attached to the support rod. By way of example, the support rod may be a threaded rod held in place by a hex nut or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to a first aspect of the invention, a construction hanger comprises a brace or bracket formed or cut from a substantially flat metal plate and an arm extending from its distal end and a proximal end. where a guide having a channel is positioned and bonded or formed onto the brace. The term “brace” as used herein refers to that portion of the hanger 10 that engages the construction support member such as an I-beam. The term “hanger” refers to the brace in combination with the guide member that receives the hanger rod that ties the form to the support member. The term “hanger” does not include the rod itself.
According to one variation of the first aspect of the invention, the brace includes an arm that is shaped to receive and/or engage a beam profile. The beam profile may be the profile of any of a variety of construction elements such as a square or tapered I-beam, a C-channel beam, a square beam, an angle-beam, or other type of beam that is well known to those having skill in the art.
According to another variation, the guide member is bonded to the brace by means of welding, one or more fasteners, an interference fit, or other technique known to those having skill in the art. The guide member may have a variety of constructions, including but not limited to a round tube, a square tube, and a U-channel. The function of the guide is to retain the hanger rod by which form members are tied to the construction supports.
According to yet another variation, the guide includes a major axis that is at an angle to the brace. For example, the angle between the major axis and the brace may be at or about 45°. Other arrangements and angles are also anticipated, for example the angle between the clip and the brace may be 90°, and the brace and the guide need not be in the same plane.
According to yet another variation, the brace may include a bearing surface or extension that is typically triangular in shape at the proximal end of the brace to which the guide member is bonded.
In a second aspect of the invention the hanger includes one or more bearing plates. These bearing plates are optionally positioned on an underside of the brace and may be positioned between the distal and proximal ends. The bearing plates are positioned between the retainer or flange and the beam to provide surface area for load distribution. Alternatively, the bearing plates may be positioned on the upper surface of the arm forming the brace.
Another aspect of the invention is a novel method for forming the hanger in accordance with the above-described aspects. A substantially flat sheet of material, for example plate steel, is provided. A brace is cut from the material, the retainer having a distal end with a flange having a profile approximately complementary to a beam profile so that when attached to the beam profile the retainer fits accurately and tightly to the beam profile. A guide is provided and may include a circular, square, or U-shaped cross section. The guide is bonded to the brace at a proximal end of the retainer. The angle between the guide and retainer may be approximately 45°.
According to another variation, one or more bearing plates may be provided. These bearing plates are bonded to the brace in a perpendicular arrangement so as to distribute the load between the retainer and a beam to which the hanger may be attached. The bearing plates may be attached to the flange or directly to the brace and may either protrude to form a bearing surface corresponding to the beam profile or may be flush with a bearing surface of the brace.
Another aspect of the invention is a novel method for using the hanger in accordance with the above-described aspects. According to this aspect, a hanger is provided comprising a brace cut from a sheet of material and having an arm having a profile corresponding to a beam profile and a proximal end having a guide member. The hanger is provided on a beam having the beam profile such that the flange engages the beam profile to prevent movement along the length of the retainer or about an axis parallel to the major length of the beam. A support rod is provided that engages the guide. A load may then be applied to the support rod so that the force is transmitted axially through the support rod to the guide and subsequently to the retainer and beam.
Representative examples of construction support members with which hangers of the embodiments of the invention may be used include but are not limited to (a) an I- or T-beam; (b) a square or C-beam; (c) an I- or T-beam having a tapered top plate; and (d) any other type of beam having a square edge, including an I-beam, T-beam, C-beam, square beam, and angle beam. These variations are only proposed illustrations and are not intended to be limiting.
In
Having described the invention in detail and by reference to specific embodiments thereof it will be apparent that numerous variations and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
Claims
1. A construction hanger comprising:
- a plate having two side edges the plate being designed to stand on construction support member; and
- a guide on each of the two side edges of the plate, the guide being capable of receiving a hanger member.
2. The construction hanger of claim 1 wherein the hanger additionally includes at least one bearing plate on the lower edge of the plate.
3. The hanger of claim 2 wherein the hanger member is a rod member and a rod member extends through each of the guides.
4. The hanger of claim 3 wherein the plate includes a plurality of apertures therein.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 12, 2016
Publication Date: Aug 4, 2016
Inventors: Timothy J. Cormier (Cincinnati, OH), Andrew P. Magee (Centerville, OH), Richard G. Lindstrom (Lake Forest, IL)
Application Number: 15/096,408