Construction opening plug and method
A construction opening plug has a template panel (1) with a perimeter that is predeterminedly congruent and sized to an outside periphery of a frame (11) that is selected to be positioned in a construction opening (9) and any furring thereof of a masonry building under construction. The template panel has edges on which form panels (2-5) are positioned pivotally between a use mode with the form panels being predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel and a non-use mode with the form panels being predeterminedly parallel to the template panel. The plug may have fold-out tabs (25) in side panels for placement between concrete blocks to deter the plug from being blown out during high wind conditions. Positioned and articulated for easy grasping on the template panel is at least one positioning handle proximate a center of the template panel. The form panels can include tolerance thicknesses that are predeterminedly equal to regulatory thicknesses of space for cementitious material (17) with which the frame is intended to be cemented to an inside periphery of the construction opening and any furring thereof that is formed against outside surfaces of the form panels in the use mode. The construction opening plug is removed from the construction opening and any furring thereof and replaced by the frame which then is centered in and cemented to the construction opening and any furring thereof when the masonry has hardened appropriately.
[0001] This invention relates to plugs for openings in concrete-block buildings under construction, especially window openings.
[0002] Since recent catastrophic losses from hurricanes to buildings with inadequate structure, building codes in the United States now require closer positioning of frames for window and other openings in concrete-block and other masonry buildings under construction. Although the prior art includes numerous bucks, templates, spacers, plugs and other devices and methods, none exists like the present invention.
[0003] Examples of most-closely related known but different devices are described in the following patent documents: 1 U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Date 5,843,324 Shirley Dec. 01, 1998 4,138,084 Reid Feb. 02, 1979 4,159,098 Wong Jun. 26, 1979 5,169,544 Stanfill, et al. Dec. 08, 1992 4,589,624 Jones May 20, 1986 3,769,769 Kohl Nov. 06, 1973 5,996,293 Anderson, et al. Dec. 07, 1999 3,995,843 Kasteler Dec. 07, 1976
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION[0004] Objects of patentable novelty and utility taught by this invention are to provide a construction opening plug which:
[0005] can be folded for a non-use mode in which it is easy to store, transport and carry wherever and whenever needed at a construction site;
[0006] can be unfolded quickly and easily for use;
[0007] can be positioned accurately and easily with one hand by a mason or other person;
[0008] can be held in position, leveled and repositioned by the mason or other user while concrete blocks and other masonry is being laid; and
[0009] can be removed easily from the masonry when cementitious material being used without damage to the masonry or to the construction opening plug.
[0010] This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with a construction opening plug having a template panel with a perimeter that has predeterminedly the same shape and size as an outside periphery of a frame that is selected to be positioned in a opening of a masonry building under construction. The template panel has edges on which form panels are positioned pivotally between a use mode with the form panels being predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel and a non-use mode with the form panels being predeterminedly parallel to the template panel. Positioned and articulated for easy grasping on the template panel is at least one positioning handle that can include hand-grasp apertures proximate a center of the template panel. The form panels include tolerance thicknesses that are predeterminedly equal to prescribed thicknesses of form cement with which the frame is intended to be cemented to an inside periphery of a construction opening and any furring thereof that is formed against outside surfaces of the form panels in the use mode. The construction opening plug is removed from the construction opening and replaced by the frame which then is centered in and cemented to the construction opening when the masonry has hardened appropriately.
[0011] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS[0012] This invention is described by appended claims in relation to description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the following drawings which are explained briefly as follows:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side elevation view of a construction opening plug having a template panel affixed centrally between opposite edges of form panels;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway edge view of the FIG. 1 illustration;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway top view of the FIG. 1 illustration;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side elevation view of the construction opening plug having the template panel affixed proximate common edges of the form panels;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway edge view of the FIG. 4 illustration;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway top view of the FIG. 4 illustration;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway side elevation view of the construction opening plug with the template panel having form templates which are pivotal between use and non-use modes on bolt hinges;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a partially cutaway edge view of the FIG. 7 illustration;
[0021] FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway top view of the FIG. 7 illustration;
[0022] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway side elevation view of the construction opening plug with the template panel having form templates which are pivotal between use and non-use modes on flexible hinges;
[0023] FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway edge view of the FIG. 10 illustration;
[0024] FIG. 12 is a partially cutaway top view of the FIG. 10 illustration;
[0025] FIG. 13 is a partially cutaway side elevation view of the construction opening plug with the template panel having panel braces for orthogonally bracing form templates in the use modes;
[0026] FIG. 14 is a partially cutaway edge view of the FIG. 13 illustration;
[0027] FIG. 15 is a partially cutaway top view of the FIG. 13 illustration;
[0028] FIG. 16 is a partially cutaway first-side elevation view of the construction opening plug with the template panel on which the form plates are pivoted to the non-use mode on the first side of the template panel;
[0029] FIG. 17 is a partially cutaway edge view of the FIG. 16 illustration;
[0030] FIG. 18 is a partially cutaway second-side elevation view of the construction opening plug with the template panel on which the form plates are pivoted to the non-use mode on the first side of the template panel;
[0031] FIG. 19 is a partially cutaway edge view of the FIG. 18 illustration;
[0032] FIG. 20 is a partially cutaway first-side elevation view of the construction opening plug with the template panel on which top and bottom form panels are pivoted to the first side of the template panel in the non-use mode and first-side and second-side form panels are pivoted to the non-use mode on the second side of the template panel;
[0033] FIG. 21 is a partially cutaway first-edge view of the FIG. 20 illustration;
[0034] FIG. 22 is a partially cutaway first-edge view of the FIG. 21 illustration in which the top and bottom form panels are pivoted from the non-use mode on the first side of the template panel to the use mode and the first-side and second-side form panels are pivoted from the non-use mode on the second side of the template panel to the use mode;
[0035] FIG. 23 is a partially cutaway second-side elevation view of the construction opening plug with the template panel on which top and bottom form panels are pivoted to the non-use side of the template panel in the non-use mode and first-side and second-side form panels are pivoted to the non-use mode on the second side of the template panel;
[0036] FIG. 24 is a partially cutaway second-edge view of the FIG. 23 illustration;
[0037] FIG. 25 is a partially cutaway second-edge view of the FIG. 23 illustration in which the top and bottom form panels are pivoted from the first side of the template panel to the use mode and the first-side and second-side form panels are pivoted from the second side of the template panel to the use mode;
[0038] FIG. 26 is a side view of a bottom portion of a masonry wall, represented by a concrete-block wall, on which the construction opening plug can be positioned for a first use-method step;
[0039] FIG. 27 is a side view of the masonry wall constructed against outside edges of the construction opening plug;
[0040] FIG. 28 is a front view of a window frame for which the construction opening in the masonry wall has been made with the aid of the construction opening plug;
[0041] FIG. 29 is a side view of the masonry wall having the construction opening;
[0042] FIG. 30 is an enlarged side view of an angled spacer that can be positioned on bottom corners of the construction opening for centering the window frame after cementitious material has been applied to outside surfaces of the window frame and/or to inside surfaces of the construction opening;
[0043] FIG. 31 is an enlarged front view of the FIG. 30 illustration;
[0044] FIG. 32 is a side view of a representation of an approximate actual size of the angled spacer in accordance with building-code requirements for widths of spacing for thickness of cementitious material between window frames and construction openings; and
[0045] FIG. 33 is a side view of the masonry wall having the construction opening in which the window frame is positioned.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT[0046] Listed numerically below with reference to the drawings are terms used to describe features of this invention. These terms and numbers assigned to them designate the same features throughout this description. 2 1. Template panel 14. Second leg 2. Top form panel 15. First-side wall 3. Bottom form panel 16. Second-side wall 4. First-side form panel 17. Cementitious material 5. Second-side form panel 18. Top-panel brace 6. Hand-grasp portion 19. Bottom-panel brace 7. Raised member 20. First-side panel brace 8. Base portion 21. Second-side panel brace 9. Construction opening 22. Brace apertures 10. Masonry construction 23. Bolt hinges 11. Window frame 24. Flexible hinges 12. Angled spacers 25. Fold-out holding tabs 13. First leg
[0047] 13. First leg
[0048] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the construction opening plug has a template panel 1 with a perimeter having shape and size for shaping and sizing a construction opening and any furring thereof for a selected window frame in a masonry building under construction. The template panel 1 has a top edge, a bottom edge, a first-side edge and a second-side edge. A top form panel 2 is affixable orthogonally to the top edge. A bottom form panel 3 is affixable orthogonally to the bottom edge. A first-side form panel 4 is affixable orthogonally to the first-side edge. A second-side form panel 5 is affixable orthogonally to the second-side edge.
[0049] For being affixable orthogonally, bolt-hinged pivotal attachment, flexible-hinged pivotal attachment and other detachable attachments can be employed as described in relation to FIGS. 7-25.
[0050] The template panel 1 includes at least one operative handle that is preferably two elongate hand apertures spaced apart on opposite sides of a hand-grasp portion 6 proximate a center of the template panel 1.
[0051] The construction opening plug with the top form panel 2, the bottom form panel 3, the first-side form panel 4 and the second-side form panel 5 affixable to the template panel 1 in an use form have an external periphery with shape and size that are predeterminedly equal to shape and size of the construction opening and any furring thereof for the selected window frame.
[0052] The template panel 1 is positioned preferably intermediate form first edges and form second edges of the top form panel 2, the bottom form panel 3, the first-side form panel 4 and the second-side form panel 5 in the use mode.
[0053] Referring to FIGS. 4-6, the template panel 1 can be positioned predeterminedly proximate common edges of the top form panel 2, the bottom form panel 3, the first-side form panel 4 and the second-side form panel 5. The operative handle can include a raised member 7 on at least one face of the template panel 1.
[0054] Referring to all FIGS., a major feature of the construction opening plug is its suitability to being made of predeterminedly lightweight and stiff materials for being positioned and hand-held by a single hand of a user. This allows a user to handle it with one hand intermittently when needed and to work with both hands intermittently for forming masonry about it.
[0055] Referring to FIGS. 26-33, a method for using the construction opening plug includes the steps of:
[0056] constructing at least a base portion 8 of a masonry wall on which the bottom form panel 3 of the construction opening plug in the use form can be positioned while a portion of the masonry wall having a construction opening 9 is being built about the construction opening plug with interior surfaces of the construction opening and any furring thereof in butting contact with external periphery of the construction opening plug;
[0057] positioning the construction opening plug on the base portion 8 of the masonry wall predeterminedly proximate the intended construction opening 9 and any furring thereof;
[0058] handling the construction opening plug with the hand-grasp portion 6 or other operative handle with a first hand of a user intermittently as needed and using both hands of the user as needed intermittently for achieving intended masonry construction 10 of the intended construction opening and any furring thereof about the construction opening plug;
[0059] allowing the masonry construction 10 to harden selectively; and
[0060] removing the construction opening plug with the hand-grasp portion 6 or other operative handle.
[0061] Achieving intended masonry construction 10 includes applying predetermined cementitious material 17 to outside surfaces of the window frame 11 and to inside surfaces of the construction opening 9 and any furring thereof selectively; and
[0062] positioning the window frame 11 equably centralized in the construction opening 9 and any furring thereof.
[0063] Positioning the window frame 11 equably centralized in the construction opening 9 and any furring thereof includes placing at least two angled spacers 12 in the cementitious material 17 with one of the angled spacers 12 being in each of two bottom corners of the construction opening 9 and any furring thereof after the cementitious material has been applied selectively;
[0064] the two angled spacers 12 being oppositely disposed on opposite sides of the construction opening 9;
[0065] a first of the at least two angled spacers 12 having a first leg 13 resting orthogonally on a bottom wall of the construction opening 9 and having a second leg 14 positioned uprightly against a first-side wall 15 of the construction opening 9;
[0066] a second of the at least two angled spacers 12 having the first leg 13 resting orthogonally on the bottom wall of the construction opening 9 and having the second leg 14 positioned uprightly against a second-side wall 16 of the construction opening 9; and
[0067] placing the window frame 11 to rest on the first leg 13 of the first angled spacer 12 and on the first leg 13 of the second angled spacer 12 intermediate the second leg 14 of the of the first angled spacer 12 and the second leg 14 of the second angled spacer 12.
[0068] A plurality of the angled spacers 12 have the first leg 13 orthogonal to the second leg 14. The first leg 13 and the second leg 14 have equal orthogonal thicknesses that are predeterminedly proximate regulatory thicknesses of space between inside surfaces of the construction opening 9 and outside surfaces of the window frame 11 for receiving cementitious material 17 with which the window frame 11 is intended to be cemented to the inside periphery of the construction opening 9 and any furring thereof.
[0069] The orthogonal thicknesses of the first leg 13 and the second leg 14 are preferably equal to thicknesses of the top form panel 2, the bottom form panel 3, the first-side form panel 4 and the second-side form panel 5.
[0070] The top form panel 2, the bottom form panel 3, the first-side form panel 4 and the second-side form panel 5 can have form-panel thicknesses that are predeterminedly equal and that are predeterminedly equal to predetermined regulatory thicknesses of space between inside peripheries of construction openings 9 and outside peripheries of window frames 11 for receiving cementitious material 17 with which the window frames 11 are intended to be cemented to the inside peripheries of construction openings 9 and any furring thereof.
[0071] The construction opening plug with the top form panel 2, the bottom form panel 3, the first-side form panel 4 and the second-side form panel 5 affixed orthogonally to the template panel 1 has an external periphery that is congruent to a construction opening 9 and any furring thereof to be formed about the construction opening plug.
[0072] The external periphery of the construction opening plug is congruent to a predetermined window frame 11 and there is a regulatory space for receiving the cementitious material 17 and for assuring structural integrity intermediate the external periphery of the predetermined window frame 11 and an internal periphery of the construction opening 9.
[0073] Referring to FIGS. 7-25, a foldable embodiment, the template panel 1 can include the top form panel 2 attached pivotally to the top edge; the bottom form panel 3 attached pivotally to the bottom edge; the first-side form panel 4 attached pivotally to the first-side edge; and the second-side form panel 5 attached pivotally to the second-side edge. Preferably, the top form panel 2 has a pivot axis that is parallel to the top edge. The bottom form panel 3 has a pivot axis that is parallel to the bottom edge. The first-side form panel 4 has a pivot axis that is parallel to the first-side edge. The second-side form panel 5 has a pivot axis that is parallel to the second-side edge.
[0074] Preferably further for this foldable embodiment, the top form panel 2 is pivotal intermediate a use mode in which the top form panel 2 is predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel 1 and a non-use mode in which the top form panel 2 is predeterminedly parallel to the template panel 1. The bottom form panel 4 is pivotal intermediate the use mode in which the bottom form panel 3 is predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel 1 and the non-use mode in which the bottom form panel 3 is predeterminedly parallel to the template panel 1. The first-side form panel 4 is pivotal intermediate the use mode in which the first-side form panel 4 is predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel 1 and the non-use mode in which the first-side form panel 4 is predeterminedly parallel to the template panel 1. The second-side form panel 5 is pivotal intermediate the use mode in which the second-side form panel 5 is predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel 1 and the non-use mode in which the second-side form panel 5 is predeterminedly parallel to the template panel 1.
[0075] Also for the foldable embodiment, the top form panel 2 is positioned on the top edge of the template panel 1 in the use mode; the bottom form panel 3 is positioned on the bottom edge of the template panel 1 in the use mode; the first-side form panel 4 is positioned on the first-side edge of the template panel 1 in the use mode; and the second-side form panel 5 is positioned on the second-side edge of the template panel 1 in the use mode.
[0076] Referring to FIGS. 13-15 and 27, horizontal integrity of the foldable embodiment can be aided by at least one top-panel brace 18 that is affixable proximate the top edge for affixing the top form panel 2 predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel 1; at least one bottom-panel brace 19 that is affixable proximate the bottom edge for affixing the bottom form panel 3 predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel 1; at least one first-side-panel brace 20 that is affixable proximate the first-side edge for affixing the first-side form panel 4 predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel 1; and at least one second-side-panel brace 21 that is affixable proximate the second-side edge for affixing the second-side form panel 5 predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel 1.
[0077] The panel braces 18-21 can be made to pivot in and out of brace apertures 22 in the template panel 1. Pivoted into the brace apertures 22, they are in a non-use mode. Pivoted out of the brace apertures 22, they are in a use mode with top edges supporting the top form panel 2, the bottom form panel 3, the first-side form panel 4 and the second-side form panel 5.
[0078] For affixing the top form panel 2, the bottom form panel 3, the first-side form panel 4 and the second-side form panel 5 pivotally orthogonal to the template panel 1, bolt-hinges 23 shown in FIGS. 7-9, 21-22 and 24-25 or flexible hinges 24 shown in FIGS. 10-15 can be employed. Piano hinges, hook hinges, strap-like hinges, cloth-like hinges and other hinges also can be employed.
[0079] Further, as shown in FIG. 27, the plug may have holding tabs 25 in the sides 4 and 5 which fold-out for placement between concrete blocks in an opening as a wall is being built. The tabs 25 prevent or at least deter the plug from being blown out by high winds.
[0080] A new and useful construction opening plug and method having been described, all such foreseeable modifications, adaptations, substitutions of equivalents, mathematical possibilities of combinations of parts, pluralities of parts, applications and forms thereof as described by the following claims and not precluded by prior art are included in this invention.
Claims
1. A construction opening plug comprising:
- a template panel with a perimeter having shape and size for shaping and sizing a construction opening and any furring thereof for a selected frame in a masonry building under construction;
- the template panel having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first-side edge and a second-side edge;
- a top form panel affixable orthogonally to the top edge;
- a bottom form panel affixable orthogonally to the bottom edge;
- a first-side form panel affixable orthogonally to the first-side edge;
- a second-side form panel affixable orthogonally to the second-side edge;
- the template panel includes at least one operative handle;
- the construction opening plug with the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel affixed orthogonally to the template panel in a use form; and
- the use form having an external periphery with shape and size that are predeterminedly equal to shape and size of the construction opening and any furring thereof.
2. The construction opening plug of claim 1 wherein:
- the template panel is positioned predeterminedly intermediate form first edges and form second edges of the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel in the use mode.
3. The construction opening plug of claim 1 wherein:
- the template panel is positioned predeterminedly proximate common edges of the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel.
4. The construction opening plug of claim 1 wherein:
- the construction opening plug in the use form being made of predeterminedly lightweight and stiff materials for being positioned and hand-held by a single hand of a user.
5. The construction opening plug of claim 1 wherein:
- the operative handle includes two elongate hand apertures spaced apart on opposite sides of a hand-grasp portion proximate a center of the template panel.
6. The construction opening plug of claim 1 and further comprising:
- a plurality of angled spacers having a first leg orthogonal to a second leg;
- the first leg and the second leg having equal orthogonal thicknesses that are predeterminedly proximate regulatory thicknesses of space between inside surfaces of the construction opening and outside surfaces of the frame for receiving cementitious material with which the frame is intended to be cemented to an inside periphery of the construction opening and any furring thereof.
7. The construction opening plug of claim 1 wherein:
- the orthogonal thicknesses of the first leg and the second leg are predeterminedly equal to thicknesses of the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel.
8. The construction opening plug of claim 1 wherein:
- the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel have form-panel thicknesses that are predeterminedly equal and that are predeterminedly equal to predetermined regulatory thicknesses of space between inside peripheries of construction openings and outside peripheries of frames for receiving cementitious material with which the frames are intended to be cemented to the inside peripheries of construction openings and any furring thereof.
9. The construction opening plug of claim 1 wherein:
- the construction opening plug with the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel affixed orthogonally to the template panel has an external periphery that is congruent to a construction opening and any furring thereof to be formed about the construction opening plug;
- the external periphery of the construction opening plug is congruent to a predetermined frame; and
- there is a regulatory space for receiving cementitious material and for assuring structural integrity intermediate the external periphery of the predetermined frame and an internal periphery of the construction opening.
10. A construction opening plug comprising:
- a template panel with a perimeter having shape and size for shaping and sizing a construction opening and any furring thereof for a selected frame in a masonry building under construction;
- the template panel having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first-side edge and a second-side edge;
- a top form panel attached pivotally to the top edge;
- a bottom form panel attached pivotally to the bottom edge;
- a first-side form panel attached pivotally to the first-side edge;
- a second-side form panel attached pivotally to the second-side edge;
- the top form panel having a pivot axis that is parallel to the top edge;
- the bottom form panel having a pivot axis that is parallel to the bottom edge;
- the first-side form panel having a pivot axis that is parallel to the first-side edge;
- the second-side form panel having a pivot axis that is parallel to the second-side edge;
- the top form panel being pivotal intermediate a use mode in which the top form panel is predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel and a non-use mode in which the top form panel is predeterminedly parallel to the template panel;
- the bottom form panel being pivotal intermediate the use mode in which the bottom form panel is predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel and the non-use mode in which the bottom form panel is predeterminedly parallel to the template panel;
- the first-side form panel being pivotal intermediate the use mode in which the first-side form panel is predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel and the non-use mode in which the first-side form panel is predeterminedly parallel to the template panel;
- the second-side form panel being pivotal intermediate the use mode in which the second-side form panel is predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel and the non-use mode in which the second-side form panel is predeterminedly parallel to the template panel;
- the top form panel being positioned on the top edge of the template panel in the use mode;
- the bottom form panel being positioned on the bottom edge of the template panel in the use mode;
- the first-side form panel being positioned on the first-side edge of the template panel in the use mode;
- the second-side form panel being positioned on the second-side edge of the template panel in the use mode; and
- the template panel includes at least one operative handle.
11. The construction opening plug of claim 10 wherein:
- the template panel is positioned predeterminedly intermediate form first edges and form second edges of the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel in the use mode.
12. The construction opening plug of claim 10 wherein:
- the operative handle includes two hand apertures spaced apart on opposite sides of a hand-grasp portion proximate a center of the template panel.
13. The construction opening plug of claim 10 wherein:
- the operative handle includes a raised member on at least one face of the template panel.
14. The construction opening plug of claim 10 wherein:
- the template panel is positioned predeterminedly proximate common edges of the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel.
15. The construction opening plug of claim 10 and further comprising:
- at least one top-panel brace that is affixable proximate the top edge for affixing the top form panel predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel.
16. The construction opening plug of claim 10 and further comprising:
- at least one bottom-panel brace that is affixable proximate the bottom edge for affixing the bottom form panel predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel.
17. The construction opening plug of claim 10 and further comprising:
- at least one first-side-panel brace that is affixable proximate the first-side edge for affixing the first-side form panel predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel.
18. The construction opening plug of claim 10 and further comprising:
- at least one second-side-panel brace that is affixable proximate the second-side edge for affixing the second-side form panel predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel.
19. The construction opening plug of claim 10 wherein:
- the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel are made of lightweight durable material that is easy to carry and to clean for repeated reuses.
20. The construction opening plug of claim 10 wherein:
- the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel are made of lightweight disposable material that is easy to discard after one-to-several uses.
21. The construction opening plug of claim 10 and further comprising:
- a plurality of angled spacers having a first leg orthogonal to a second leg;
- the first leg and the second leg having equal orthogonal thicknesses that are predeterminedly proximate regulatory thicknesses of the space between inside surfaces of the construction opening and outside surfaces of the frame for receiving the cementitious material with which the frame is intended to be cemented to an inside periphery of the construction opening and any furring thereof.
22. The construction opening plug of claim 10 wherein:
- the orthogonal thicknesses of the first leg and the second leg are predeterminedly proximate to equal thicknesses of the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel.
23. The construction opening plug of claim 10 wherein:
- the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel have form-panel thicknesses that are predeterminedly equal and that are predeterminedly equal to predetermined regulatory thicknesses of space between inside surfaces of construction openings and outside surfaces of frames for receiving cementitious material with which the frames are intended to be cemented to inside peripheries of construction openings and any furring thereof.
24. The construction opening plug of claim 10 wherein:
- the construction opening plug with the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel affixed orthogonally to the template panel has an external periphery that is congruent to a construction opening and any furring thereof to be formed about the construction opening plug;
- the external periphery of the construction opening plug is congruent to and predeterminedly larger than a predetermined frame; and
- there is a regulatory space for receiving cementitious material and for assuring structural integrity intermediate the external periphery of the predetermined frame and an internal periphery of the construction opening that results from the larger external periphery of the construction opening plug than the external periphery of the predetermined frame.
25. A method having steps for using a construction opening plug having a template panel with a perimeter having shape and size for shaping and sizing a construction opening and any furring thereof for a selected frame in a masonry building under construction; the template panel being rectangular with a top edge, a bottom edge, a first-side edge and a second-side edge; a top form panel affixable orthogonally to the top edge; a bottom form panel affixable orthogonally to the bottom edge; a first-side form panel affixable orthogonally to the first-side edge; a second-side form panel having at least one fold-out tab affixable orthogonally to the second-side edge; the template panel including at least one operative handle; the construction opening plug with the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel affixable to the template panel in a use form having an external periphery that is congruent to a construction opening and any furring thereof intended to be formed about the construction opening plug,
- the steps comprising:
- constructing at least a base portion of a masonry wall on which the bottom form panel of the construction opening plug in the use form can be positioned while a portion of the masonry wall having a construction opening is being built about the construction opening plug with interior surfaces of the construction opening and any furring thereof in butting contact with external periphery of the construction opening plug;
- positioning the construction opening plug on the base portion of the masonry wall predeterminedly proximate the intended construction opening and any furring thereof;
- handling the construction opening plug with the operative handle with a first hand of a user intermittently as needed and using both hands of the user as needed intermittently for achieving intended masonry construction of the intended construction opening and positioning the at least one tab in the first-side form panel and second-side form panel between concrete blocks about the construction opening plug;
- allowing the masonry construction to harden selectively; and
- removing the construction opening plug with the operative handle.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein:
- achieving intended masonry construction includes applying predetermined cementitious material to outside surfaces of the frame and to inside surfaces of the construction opening and any furring thereof selectively; and
- positioning the frame equably centralized in the construction opening and any furring thereof.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein:
- positioning the frame equably centralized in the construction opening and any furring thereof includes placing at least two angled spacers in the cementitious material with one of the angled spacers being in each of two bottom corners of the construction opening and any furring thereof after the cementitious material has been applied selectively;
- the two angled spacers being oppositely disposed on opposite sides of the construction opening;
- a first of the at least two angled spacers having a first leg resting orthogonally on a bottom wall of the construction opening and having a second leg positioned uprightly against a first-side wall of the construction opening;
- a second of the at least two angled spacers having the first leg resting orthogonally on the bottom wall of the construction opening and having the second leg positioned uprightly against a second-side wall of the construction opening; and
- placing the frame to rest on the first leg of the first angled spacer and on the first leg of the second angled spacer intermediate the second leg of the of the first angled spacer and the second leg of the second angled spacer.
28. The construction opening plug of claim 1 having fold-out tabs in the first-side form panel and the second-side panel for placement between concrete blocks during wall construction to deter the plug from being blown out by wind.
29. The construction opening plug of claim 11 having fold-out tabs in the first-side form panel and the second-side panel for placement between concrete blocks during wall construction to deter the plug from being blown out by wind.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 8, 2002
Publication Date: Apr 8, 2004
Inventor: Roger Kelly (Winter Garden, FL)
Application Number: 10268601
International Classification: E04B001/16;