Reinforcing Bracket for Lifting Anchors in Reinforced Concrete Walls

Abstract

A reinforcing bracket has a planar central portion extending parallel to the reinforcing members with at least one central opening to receive a lifting anchor. Two V-shaped wings extend out of the plane of the central portion from the opposing ends of the central portion. Sets of aligned openings pass through these wings to receive reinforcing members.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of reinforced concrete. More specifically, the present invention discloses a reinforcing bracket for use with lifting anchors embedded in reinforced concrete walls and other reinforced concrete components.

2. Prior Art

Reinforced concrete has been used for many years in building construction. Reinforced concrete is typically cast by pouring concrete into forms having a desired shape and containing reinforcing members that become embedded in the concrete to increase its tensile strength. Steel reinforcing bars (or rebar) and steel cables are commonly used as reinforcing members, although other reinforcing materials are also sometimes employed.

For some construction jobs, reinforced concrete components are cast in place on the construction site. Larger concrete walls and planar concrete components are usually cast in a horizontal orientation, and then righted or lifted into position after the concrete has set. Lifting anchors are often embedded in the edges of the concrete to facilitate this operation.

Many reinforced concrete components are cast off-site and then shipped to the construction site. In particular, many construction projects require prestressed concrete components, in which at least some of the reinforcing members are tensioned while the concrete sets. This pre-tensioning is transferred to the finished concrete component and further increases is tensile properties. Prestressed concrete components are not usually produced at the construction site, but rather are produced at a central plant and then shipped to the construction site. Here again, lifting anchors are commonly embedded in prestressed concrete components to facilitate lifting and transportation.

The prior art includes a wide variety of lifting anchors for use with concrete components. Burke-style lifting anchors have a rectangular shaft with an eye at one end that remains exposed at the edge of the concrete to receive a cable or hook for lifting. Y-shaped legs at the opposing end of the shaft help to anchor the device in the concrete. Another type of lifting anchor is made of a U-shaped steel cable with its legs embedded in the concrete. The curved loop of the U-shaped cable remains exposed at the edge of the concrete for lifting purposes. Other types of lifting anchors are also used in the industry. It should be understood that the term “lifting anchor” should be broadly construed to encompass any such device for lifting concrete components.

In many reinforced concrete components, the lifting anchors are not mechanically tied into the reinforcing members embedded in the concrete. This has the advantages of simplicity and low cost, but significantly limits the ultimate strength of the assembly when the concrete component is lifted.

To address this shortcoming, lifting anchors are sometimes welded to the rebar. This may be acceptable if a skilled welder is readily available at the job site and the number of welds required is reasonably small. However, in many situations, welding can become expensive and time-consuming.

In addition, the prior art includes a number of mechanical devices for securing the lifting anchors to the reinforcing members. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,947 (Turner) discloses a twisted hanger clip that connects an anchor bolt to rebar embedded in the concrete. The hanger clip 36 is perhaps most clearly shown in FIG. 3 of the Turner patent. U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2004/0010984 (Wright) shows an anchoring device that has a lifting pin, a cup-shaped void former, and orthogonal attachment arms with slots for engaging rebar. U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,680 (Zambelli et al.) shows a lifting insert having a tubular insert, and a brace made of a steel strip with opposing wings that extend adjacent to the rebar. U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2010/0037536 (Schulze) discloses a lifting insert assembly for concrete panels that has a cup-shaped cap, a triangular insert, and an X-shaped foot with clips for engaging the rebar. However, the prior art devices in this field have limitations in terms of cost, complexity, assembly requirements, and/or load limitations. Therefore, a need continues to exist for a reinforcing bracket for use with lifting anchors that has the advantages of simplicity, low cost and ruggedness.

In particular, the present invention eliminates the need for costly welding operations to connect lifting anchors to the reinforcing members for the piece. The present invention is also very quick and easy to assemble, and does not require the use of tools for assembly. The present invention accommodates a variety of lifting anchors, such as Burke-style lifting anchors and loop lifting anchors. Finally, the present invention allows heavier pieces to be lifted with greater confidence. Testing has shown the present reinforcing bracket effectively distributes the weight of the concrete component over a greater area. The present invention increases the size of the resulting shear cone during lifting, thereby decreasing the risk of failure during lifting and increasing the safety of the side-lifting operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a reinforcing bracket for use with a lifting anchor embedded in a reinforced concrete wall. The reinforcing bracket has a planar central portion extending parallel to the reinforcing members with at least one central opening to receive a lifting anchor. Two V-shaped wings extend out of the plane of the central portion from the opposing ends of the central portion. Sets of aligned openings pass through these wings to receive reinforcing members.

These and other advantages, features, and objects of the present invention will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description and the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention can be more readily understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the reinforcing bracket 20.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the reinforcing bracket 20.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the reinforcing bracket 20.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the reinforcing bracket 20.

FIG. 5 is a left side elevational view of the reinforcing bracket 20.

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the reinforcing bracket 20 assembled with reinforcing members 12, 14 and a Burke-style lifting anchor 50.

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view showing the assembly in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly in FIG. 6 embedded in a concrete wall 10.

FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the reinforcing bracket 20 assembled with reinforcing members 12, 14 and a loop lifting anchor 60.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly in FIG. 9 embedded in a concrete wall 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning to FIG. 1, a perspective view is provided of a reinforcing bracket 20 embodying the present invention. A corresponding front elevational view is shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view. FIGS. 4 and 5 show rear and left side elevational views of the reinforcing bracket 20, respectively. The major components of the reinforcing bracket 20 include a substantially planar central portion 26 with a generally rectangular shape. This central portion 26 runs parallel to the reinforcing members adjacent to the edge of the concrete component after assembly. Its width is slightly less than the width of the concrete component in which the reinforcing bracket 20 is to be embedded, so that the reinforcing bracket 20 will be entirely encased in concrete. The plane of the central portion 26 of the reinforcing bracket 20 will also be generally parallel to the plane of the edge of the concrete component.

Two wings 30, 31 and 40, 41 wings protrude out of the plane of the central portion 26 from the opposing ends of the central portion 26. In the embodiment of the present invention shown in the accompanying drawings, these wings 30, 31 and 40, 41 have a generally V-shaped cross-section. Alternatively, the wings could be U-shaped or any of a variety of other configurations.

At each wing, a first wing portion 30, 40 continues from the end of the central portion 26 and extends out of the plane of the central portion 26. A second wing portion 31, 41 continues from the first wing portion 30, 40 and returns toward the plane of the central portion 26. Both the first wing portions 30, 40 and second wing portions 31, 41 can be substantially planar and rectangular in shape. In particular, the central portion 26 and wings 30, 31 and 40, 41 can be formed from a single flat, rectangular piece of steel by conventional bending operations.

Reinforcing members are typically placed to run in a variety of directions within concrete components. For example, reinforcing members often form cages or frames within concrete components. Of these, some segments of the reinforcing members run parallel to the surface of the edge of the concrete component, but at a depth of a few inches within the concrete.

A number of sets of aligned holes or openings 32-35 and 42-45 pass through the wings 30, 31 and 40, 41 to receive these reinforcing members (e.g., rebar 12, 14). Assuming at least these segments of the reinforcing members are straight, a first rebar 12 can be inserted through openings 33, 32, 42 and 43, and a second rebar 14 can be inserted through openings 35, 34, 44 and 45 as shown for example in FIGS. 6-9. Typically, these rebars 12, 14 run parallel to the edge of the concrete component 10 at a depth of a few inches below the surface of the concrete as shown in FIG. 8. In other words, the rebars 12, 14, the central portion 26 of the reinforcing bracket 20, and the edge of the concrete component 10 are all parallel to one another when assembled.

FIGS. 6-8 illustrate use of the reinforcing bracket 20 in conjunction with a Burke-style lifting anchor 50. FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the reinforcing bracket 20 assembled with rebars 12, 14 and a Burke-style lifting anchor 50. FIG. 7 is a corresponding front perspective view showing this assembly. A Burke-style lifting anchor 50 commonly has Y-shaped legs 51, 52 at its distal end and a lifting hole or eye 54 near the proximal end of the shaft to receive a cable or hook for lifting the concrete component 10. The proximal end of the shaft and the eye 54 are remain exposed in a cup-shaped recess 16 at the edge of the concrete component 10 as shown in FIG. 8. Many Burke-style lifting anchors 50 also include a pair of side notches 53 in the edges of the shaft.

The central portion 26 of the reinforcing bracket 20 includes a large central opening 21 to receive the shaft of the Burke-style lifting anchor 50. Optionally, the central opening 21 can be key-shaped to allow insertion of the shaft of a lifting anchor 50 through the central portion in a first rotational orientation, but engage the lifting anchor 50 to the reinforcing bracket 20 when the lifting anchor 50 is rotated to a second rotational orientation. For example, the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings has a central opening 21 that is generally oval in shape with vertical extensions 22, 23 for holding the lifting anchor 50 in a vertical orientation.

The following is a description of the stops involved in used the present invention. Lifting anchors are typically installed at intervals along at least one edge of the concrete component 10 as depicted in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 8. First, the reinforcing bracket 20 is embedded into the internal reinforcing cage or frame. A lifting anchor 50 is then attached to the reinforcing bracket 20. The concrete is then poured and allowed to cure. Once the concrete has cured and reached its release strength, the form is removed from around the concrete component 10. Lifting hooks are then snapped into each of the lifting anchors 50 embedded along the sides of the piece 10. An overhead crane then lifts the piece 10 out of the form. The concrete component 10 is then moved to a tilt table where the piece is stood upright, or the piece 10 can be stood up in place.

Optionally, the present invention can be used in combination with a loop lifting anchor, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the reinforcing bracket 20 assembled with a loop lifting anchor 60. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly in FIG. 9 embedded in a concrete wall 10. The loop lifting anchor 60 is generally U-shaped with two legs 61, 62 that can be inserted through smaller openings 24, 25 in the central portion 26 of the reinforcing bracket 20.

The above disclosure sets forth a number of embodiments of the present invention described in detail with respect to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in this art will appreciate that various changes, modifications, other structural arrangements, and other embodiments could be practiced under the teachings of the present invention without departing from the scope of this invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A reinforcing bracket for use with a lifting anchor embedded in a concrete component having a substantially planar edge and reinforcing members running parallel to the edge, said reinforcing bracket comprising:

a substantially planar central portion extending between opposing ends parallel to the reinforcing members, with the plane of the central portion extending parallel to the planar edge of the concrete component;

at least one central opening through the central portion to receive a lifting anchor;

two substantially planar wings extending out of the plane of the central portion from the opposing ends of the central portion; and

at least one set of reinforcing member openings through the wings aligned to receive a reinforcing member.

2. The reinforcing bracket of claim 1 wherein at least one of the wings has a V-shaped cross-section comprising:

a substantially planar first wing portion extending out of the plane of the central portion;

a substantially planar second wing portion continuing from the first wing portion and returning toward the plane of the central portion; and

at least one set of reinforcing member openings through the first wing portion and second wing portion aligned to receive a reinforcing member.

3. The reinforcing bracket of claim 1 wherein the central portion and wings are formed from a single rectangular piece of material.

4. The reinforcing bracket of claim 1 wherein the central opening comprises a keyed shape allowing insertion of a lifting anchor through the central portion in a first rotational orientation, and engaging the lifting anchor to the lifting bracket when the lifting anchor is rotated to a second rotational orientation.

5. The reinforcing bracket of claim 1 wherein the central portion comprises a plurality of openings to receive the legs of a loop lifting anchor.

6. A reinforcing bracket for use with a lifting anchor embedded in a concrete component having a substantially planar edge and reinforcing members running parallel to the edge, said reinforcing bracket comprising:

a substantially planar central portion extending between opposing ends parallel to the reinforcing members, with the plane of the central portion extending parallel to the planar edge of the concrete component;

at least one central opening through the central portion to receive a lifting anchor;

two V-shaped wings extending out of the plane of the central portion from the opposing ends of the central portion; and

at least one set of reinforcing member openings through the wings aligned to receive a reinforcing member.

7. The reinforcing bracket of claim 6 wherein at least one of the wings comprises:

a substantially planar first wing portion extending out of the plane of the central portion; and

a substantially planar second wing portion continuing from the first wing portion and returning toward the plane of the central portion.

8. The reinforcing bracket of claim 6 wherein the central portion and wings are formed from a single rectangular piece of material.

9. The reinforcing bracket of claim 6 wherein the central opening comprises a keyed shape allowing insertion of a lifting anchor through the central portion in a first rotational orientation, and engaging the lifting anchor to the lifting bracket when the lifting anchor is rotated to a second rotational orientation.

10. The reinforcing bracket of claim 6 wherein the central portion comprises a plurality of openings to receive the legs of a loop lifting anchor.

11. A reinforcing bracket for use with a lifting anchor embedded in a concrete component having a substantially planar edge and reinforcing members running parallel to the edge, said reinforcing bracket comprising:

a substantially planar central portion extending between opposing ends parallel to the reinforcing members, with the plane of the central portion extending parallel to the planar edge of the concrete component

at least one central opening through the central portion to receive a lifting anchor;

two wings extending from the opposing ends of the central portion, each wing having:

(a) a substantially planar first wing portion extending out of the plane of the central portion; and

(b) a substantially planar second wing portion continuing from the first wing portion and returning toward the plane of the central portion; and

at least one set of reinforcing member openings through the wings aligned to receive a reinforcing member.

12. The reinforcing bracket of claim 11 wherein the first wing portion and second wing portion form a structure having a substantially V-shaped cross-section.

13. The reinforcing bracket of claim 11 wherein the central portion and second wings are formed from a single rectangular piece of material.

14. The reinforcing bracket of claim 11 wherein the central opening comprises a keyed shape allowing insertion of a lifting anchor through the central portion in a first rotational orientation, and engaging the lifting anchor to the lifting bracket when the lifting anchor is rotated to a second rotational orientation.

15. The reinforcing bracket of claim 11 wherein the central portion comprises a plurality of openings to receive the legs of a loop lifting anchor.