Formwork panel assemblies and clamp
A formwork panel assembly for concrete building construction has a pair of formwork panels with parallel walls, an elongate support member extending between the walls and a clamp securing the walls of the formwork panels to the support member. The support member has a substantially U-shaped cross-section with a pair of opposite sides and an opening between the opposite sides. The clamp has a pair of clamp jaws each having a first projecting portion, the support member and the parallel walls extending between the first projecting portions of the jaws, and a second projecting portion, the second portions extending into the opening between the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section. A wedge displaces the clamp jaws relative one another to cause the first portions to exert a clamping pressure urging the pair of parallel walls against the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section and simultaneously urging the second portions apart from one another against the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section to counteract distortion of the opposite sides by the clamping pressure.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to formwork panel assemblies for use in casting concrete building construction and to formwork panel clamps.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the construction of concrete buildings, wallforms made of formwork panels secured in position by clamps are employed for the casting of walls. The formwork panels are made of boards, for example plywood boards, of rectangular shape, which are mounted in frames formed by elongate metal extrusions, and clamps secure the metal extrusions to elongate support members, for example hollow extrusions, to hold the formwork panels in position while they are employed as forms for the casting of the concrete walls.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,716, issued Nov. 21, 1989 to Gerhard Dingler, there is disclosed a clamp or lock for securing together a pair of frame arms which form parts of formwork panels. The frame arms are each of hollow closed cross-section, and the clamp has projections which engage in corrugations in opposite sides of the frame arms to secure the frame arms together and thereby to secure the formwork panels to one another. However, the clamp disclosed by Dingler does not provide means to counteract any excessive clamping force which may deform the opposed walls of a support member which has a substantially U-shaped transverse cross section and hollow interior. There is therefore a need for an improved clamp for use in holding formwork panels in position when there is a support member having a substantially U-shaped transverse cross-section and hollow interior extending between the walls of the formwork panel.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a formwork panel assembly comprising a pair of formwork panels having parallel walls, an elongate support member extending between the walls of the formwork panels, and a clamp securing the walls of the formwork panels to the support member. The support member has a substantially U-shaped cross-section and the U-shaped cross-section has a pair of opposite sides and an opening between the opposite sides. The clamp comprises a pair of clamp jaws with the clamp jaws each having a first projecting portion, the support member and the parallel walls of the formwork panels extending between the first projecting portions of the jaws, and a second projecting portion, the second portions extending into the opening between the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section. A wedge displaces the clamp jaws towards one another causing the first portions to exert a clamping pressure urging the pair of parallel walls of the formwork panels against the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section and simultaneously urging the second portions apart from one another to exert pressure on the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section to counteract distortion of the opposite sides by the clamping pressure.
The opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section may have C-shaped edge portions defining T-shaped recesses and the clamping surfaces may be in clamping engagement with the C-shaped edge portions. The parallel walls of the formwork panels may have longitudinal recesses and the first projecting portions of the jaws may extend into the recesses and the parallel walls may have flat inner surfaces in the vicinity of the recesses, the inner surfaces may be in surface-to-surface clamping contact with the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a formwork panel assembly comprising a pair of formwork panels and a clamp securing the formwork panels to an elongate support member extending between the formwork panels. The support member has opposite sides, spaced apart edge portions and a hollow interior between the opposite sides. The hollow interior is open to the exterior of the support member between the spaced apart edge portions of the opposite sides. The formwork panels have respective parallel walls at opposite sides of the support member and the walls are parallel to one another. The clamp comprises a pair of jaws and a wedge engages in wedge openings in the jaws. The jaws each having a first projecting portion at one side of the support member and abutting a respective one of the walls at the exterior of the support member, and a second projecting portion in the interior of the support member and abutting the opposite side of the support member.
The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof given, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:—
Referring to the drawings, and first to
In other embodiments of the present invention, the formwork panel assemblies 12a and 12b further include filler panels (not shown). Filler panels are thicker and are therefore able to span widths greater than the modular widths of the formwork panels 20.
The formwork panels 20 each have, at opposite sides, parallel walls in the form of extrusions 26 which are secured to edge portions of the formwork panels 20. The extrusions 26 along with spaced-apart transverse struts 16, which are shown in
The extrusions 26, one of which is best shown in
An alternate embodiment of the extrusion, indicated by reference numeral 26.1, is shown in
The elongate support members 22, one of which is shown in cross-section in
The opposed walls 42 and 44 of the elongate support member 22 are formed, at their exteriors, with longitudinal recesses 58 adjacent the edge portions 52a and 52b, and with longitudinal shoulder-shaped recesses 60 adjacent opposite ends of the intermediate wall 46. As can be seen in
As best shown in
The second projecting portions 71a and 71b are located between the first projecting portions 68a and 68b. The first projecting portion 68a of the first clamp jaw 64 is opposed to the second projecting portion 71b of the second clamp jaw 66 to form a first clamp gap therebetween which engages the C-shaped edge portions 52b of opposed wall 44. The first projecting portion 68b of the second clamp jaw 66 is opposed to the second projecting portion 71a of the first clamp jaw 64 to form a second clamp gap therebetween which engages the C-shaped edge portion 52a of opposed wall 42.
The clamp jaws 64 and 66, which are best shown in
The inside edge 69a of the body portion 70a of the first clamp jaw 64 abuts the underside of the C-shaped edge portion 52a. Recess 75a allows for rotation of clamp jaw 64 about the C-shaped edge portion 52a of opposed wall 42 in the direction generally indicated by arrows B, thereby allowing the clamp 24 to secure the formwork panels 20 to the support members 22 despite imperfections in machining or alignment.
When the components are assembled, as shown in
Recess 75b of the second clamp jaw 66 may partially receive either the C-shaped edge portion 52b of opposed wall 44 or the body portion 70a of the first clamp jaw 64, while the flat clamping surface 67b of the first projecting portion 68b of the second clamp jaw 66 abuts both one side of the C-shaped edge portion 52b of opposed wall 44 and the second projecting portion 38 of the extrusion 26. The inside edge 69a of the body portion 70a of the first clamp jaw 64 abuts both the underside of the C-shaped edge portion 52b. Recess 75b allows for increased movement of the second clamp jaw 66 relative to the first clamp jaw 64 in the direction generally indicated by arrows A, thereby allowing the clamp 24 to secure the formwork panels 20 to the support members 22 of varying dimensions.
Referring now to
The body portions 70a and 70b of the clamp jaws 64 and 66 are also formed with rectangular slots or wedge openings 74a and 74b through which a wedge 76 is inserted to cause movement of the first projecting portions 68a and 68b towards one another and movement of the second projecting portions 71a and 71b away from one another.
In use of the above-described clamp 24, and when the formwork panels have been installed on the support members 22, the clamp 24 is engaged around the support members 22 as best shown in
The flat clamping surfaces 67a and 67b of the first projecting portions 68a and 68b of the clamp jaws 64 and 66 resist forces resulting from the pressure of the concrete acting on the formwork assemblies 12a and 12b, which tend to urge the opposed walls 42 and 44 away from each other.
Referring now to
An outer surface 139 of intermediate wall 138 of the first portions 132 of the support members 130 is interrupted by longitudinal recess in the form of an indentation 144 extending longitudinally of the exterior of the intermediate walls 138. The first portion 132 of the support member 130 also have, at the opposite wall 134 remote from the second portion 140, a laterally projecting longitudinal edge portion 144, extending at a right angle to the opposite wall 134, in surface-to-surface clamping contact with the inner surfaces 30.1 of the respective parallel extrusions 26.2. A first side 145 of the second portion 140 of the support members 130 is also in surface-to-surface contact with the respective parallel extrusions 26.2. In a more preferred embodiment of the invention, the laterally projecting edge portion 144 of the first portion 132 of the support members 130 and the first side 145 of the second portion 134 of the support members 130 are welded to the parallel extrusions 26.2.
In the embodiment of the invention shown in
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various modifications may be made in the above-described embodiment of the present invention within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A formwork panel assembly, comprising a pair of formwork panels having parallel walls, an elongate support member extending between the walls of the formwork panels, and a clamp securing the walls of the formwork panels to the support member;
- the support member having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, the U-shaped cross-section having a pair of opposite sides and an opening between the opposite sides;
- the clamp comprising a pair of clamp jaws;
- the clamp jaws each having a first projecting portion, the support member and the parallel walls of the formwork panels extending between the first projecting portions of the jaws, and a second projecting portion, the second projecting portions extending into the opening between the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section;
- a wedge for displacing the clamp jaws towards one another to cause the first projecting portions to exert a clamping pressure urging the pair of parallel walls of the formwork panels against the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section and simultaneously urging the second projecting portions apart from one another to exert pressure on the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section to counteract distortion of the opposite sides by the clamping pressure.
2. A formwork assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first projecting portions of the jaws include end portions on the jaws provided on ends of the first projecting portions and contacting the parallel walls and wherein the first projecting portions include clamping surfaces in surface-to-surface contact with the walls of the formwork panels and the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section.
3. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section have C-shaped edge portions defining T-shaped recesses, the clamping surfaces being in clamping engagement with the C-shaped edge portions.
4. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the parallel walls of the formwork panels have laterally projecting longitudinal edge portions in clamping contact with the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section.
5. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the longitudinal end portions abut the C-shaped edge portions.
6. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parallel walls of the formwork panels have longitudinal recesses, the first projecting portions of the jaws extending into the recesses, and the parallel walls have flat inner surfaces in the vicinity of the recesses, the inner surfaces being in surface-to-surface clamping contact with the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section.
7. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claims 1, wherein the parallel walls of the formwork panels have laterally projecting longitudinal edge portions in clamping contact with the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section.
8. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the opposite sides of the U-shaped cross-section are formed with longitudinal recesses receiving the longitudinal edge portions of the walls of the formwork panels.
9. A formwork panel assembly, comprising:
- a pair of formwork panels; and
- an elongate support member extending between the formwork panels;
- a clamp securing the formwork panels to the support member;
- the support member having opposite sides, spaced apart edge portions and a hollow interior between the opposite sides, and the hollow interior being open to the exterior of the support member between the spaced apart edge portions of the opposite sides;
- the formwork panels having respective parallel walls at opposite sides of the support member, the walls being parallel to one another;
- the clamp comprising a pair of jaws;
- the jaws having wedge openings; and
- a wedge engaging in the wedge openings in the jaws;
- the jaws each having a first projecting portion at one side of the support member and abutting a respective one of the walls at the exterior of the support member and a second projecting portion in the interior of the support member and abutting the opposite side of the support member.
10. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first projecting portions include clamping surfaces in surface-to-surface contact with the walls of the formwork panels and with the edge portions of the opposite sides of the support member.
11. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second projecting portions are in surface-to-surface contact with the edge portions of the opposite sides of the support member within the interior of the support member.
12. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the walls of the formwork panels and the opposites sides of the support member are formed with interengaged, longitudinally extending lateral recessed and projecting portions.
13. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the walls of the formwork panels have longitudinally extending, laterally protruding portions formed with clamping surfaces in surface-to-surface contact with the opposite sides of the support member.
14. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein the laterally protruding portions are formed by longitudinal indentations in the walls of the formwork panels and the first projecting portions of the jaws engage in recesses formed by the indentations.
15. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the edge portions of the opposite sides of the support member are channel-shaped with openings facing away from the formwork panels.
16. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the edge portions are of C-shaped cross-section defining T-shaped hollow interiors in the edge portions.
17. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the clamp jaws comprise a first clamp jaw formed with an opening extending through a body portion of the first clamp jaw and a second clamp jaw extending through the opening in the first clamp jaw, the first clamp jaw having a pair of the second projecting portions.
18. A formwork panel assembly, comprising a pair of formwork panels, the formwork panels having mutually abutting parallel walls, a pair of support members adjacent the parallel walls of the formwork panels, and a clamp securing the parallel walls of the formwork panels to the support members;
- the support members each having a first portion, the first portion having a substantially U-shaped cross-section defined by a pair of opposite walls and an intermediate wall extending between the opposite walls, and a second portion, the second portion having a substantially C-shaped cross-section defining a T-shaped recess;
- the clamp comprising a pair of clamp jaws;
- the jaws each having a first projecting portion;
- the support members and the abutting walls of the formwork panels extending between the first projecting portions of the jaws; and
- a wedge urging the clamp jaws towards one another to cause the first projecting portions to exert a clamping pressure urging the support members against the parallel walls and thereby urging the abutting parallel walls against one another.
19. A formwork assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein the first projecting portions of the jaws include end portions on the jaws provided on ends of the first projecting portions and contacting the intermediate walls of the first portions of the support members and wherein the first portions of the jaws include clamping surfaces in surface-to-surface clamping contact with the second portions of the support members.
20. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claims 18, wherein the support members have laterally projecting longitudinal edge portions remote form the second portions of the support members and in surface-to-surface clamping contact with the corresponding parallel walls.
21. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein the intermediate walls of the support members have a longitudinal recesses, the first projecting portions of the jaws extending into the recesses.
22. A formwork panel assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein the second portions of the support members are in surface-to-surface clamping contact with the corresponding parallel walls of the formwork panels.
23. A formwork panel comprising:
- first and second clamp jaws;
- a wedge;
- the clamp jaws each having a body portion, a first projecting portion and a second projecting portion;
- the second projecting portions being located between the first projecting portions and the first projecting portion of the first clamp jaw being opposed to the second projecting portion of the second clamp jaw to form a first clamp gap therebetween and the first projecting portion of the second clamp jaw being opposed to the second projecting portion of the first clamp jaw to form a second clamp gap therebetween; and
- the clamp jaws being displaceable relative to one another by the wedge to simultaneously displace the first projecting portions towards one another and the second projecting portions away from one another.
24. The formwork panel as claimed in claim 23, wherein each of the body portions has a wedge opening and the wedge extends through the wedge opening for displacing.
25. The formwork panel as claimed in claim 23, wherein the first clamp jaw is formed with an opening through the body portion of the first clamp jaw and the second clamp jaw extends through the opening in the first clamp jaw.
26. The formwork panel as claimed in claim 23, wherein the first projecting portion of the first clamp jaw has a flat clamping surface opposed to the second projecting portion of the second clamp jaw and the first projecting portion of the second clamp jaw has a flat clamping surface opposed to the second projecting portion of the first clamp jaw.
27. The formwork panel as claimed in claim 23, wherein the second projecting portion of the first clamp jaw has a flat clamping surface opposed to the first projecting portion of the second clamp jaw and the second projecting portion of the second clamp jaw has a flat clamping surface opposed to the first projecting portion of the first clamp jaw.
28. The formwork panel as claimed in claim 23, wherein the first projecting portions of the jaws include rounded end portions.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 20, 2006
Publication Date: Jan 24, 2008
Applicant:
Inventor: Peter Vanagan (Vancouver)
Application Number: 11/489,456
International Classification: E04G 9/00 (20060101);