AU2007201886B2

AU2007201886B2 - Interlocking spacer arrangement

Info

Publication number: AU2007201886B2
Application number: AU2007201886A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Nicola Leonardis
Original assignee: Hunter Injection Moulding Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Hunter Injection Moulding Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2007-04-27
Filing date: 2007-04-27
Publication date: 2010-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 2027-04-27
Also published as: AU2007201886A1

Description

57082 HKS:JO P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT ORIGINAL Name of Applicant: NICOLA LEONARDIS Actual Inventor: NICOLA LEONARDIS Address for Service: COLLISON & CO.,1 17 King William Street, Adelaide, S.A. 5000 Invention Title: INTERLOCKING SPACER ARRANGEMENT Details of Associated Provisional Application: Australian Patent Application No. 2006902198 Dated 2 8 ' April 2006 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 2 This invention relates to an arrangement providing for a lost formwork to assist in providing footings for buildings, pods for such a purpose, spacers for such a purpose and a method of assembly for such a purpose It is currently known to provide pods which are of generally rectangular 5 external shape (and being square in plan view) and at least have an upper substantially planar surface and substantially planar sides which when placed in adjacent relationship to other pods will provide channels there between where concrete is subsequently poured to form a beam structure for a footing. 10 It is known to use pods made from expanded polystyrene where beads of the polystyrene are compressed together to form a retained shape. In order to save material, there are usually cavities projecting into a body of the pod from a bottom surface. In a business such as providing footings, other slight variations in general 15 shape can be accepted including bevel edges, and some incidental deviations from purely square shape such a rounded corners. Also, while reference is made to polystyrene, it is appreciated that there could well be other materials that in the future will provide for this purpose in an efficient and economic way and it is not intended that the invention 20 should be limited specifically to pods made from polystyrene except where expressly stated. I have previously described a spacer and an arrangement for holding box shaped members by having such a spacer engage each of meeting corners of the boxes. 25 The use of such a spacer has been found to be of great benefit but there is a further difficulty which is that when assembling an arrangement incorporating pods and such spacers, individual pods can be quite readily dislodged especially by incidental factors such as the wind. It can be somewhat frustrating and this results in increased expense that It has previously been disclosed but which disclosure is not known of to any extent sufficient for it to be common general knowledge., to have a spacer with portions which locate with respect to a corner of a pod but which have most of the portion in each case projecting substantially above 5 An alternate approach has been to provide a spacer and associated slots within respective pods where each spacer will be positioned across a channel area and engage with an interlocking engagement each of the respective sides of two pods. If one uses a system where an interlocking spacer is engaging a respective pod somewhere midway between its ends then, with pods that may be of a metre or so in 10 width and length there is a further difficulty for a person to be able to locate and effect an interlocking of the pods with current methods available. This has some difficulties in that if these are located at positions between the ends along each side or at spaced apart locations along each side of a pod it is a very laborious job to locate such interlocking spacers and they also ultimately have some 15 constraints in terms of holding the whole of an arrangement of many pods in a relative position which is best for the eventual purpose. An object of this invention then is to propose both a spacer, a method of assembly, a pod, and an arrangement where at least some of the above problems are reduced. In one instance, I propose that there be a spacer for use in a building footing 20 arrangement for holding respective corners of each of four pods of substantially rectangular shape located on and over a level base area to be used as lost formwork in a footing and held in spaced apart relations one from the other to define there between respective pods, a channel, the spacer having for each corner of each pod, a portion adapted to project fully into a slot within a body of the pod at or close to a 25 corner of a pod and such that all of the portion will be below an entrance of the slot in an upper surface of the pod In this way, the advantage of having a corner spacer which provides a stronger interlocking between respective pods is achieved but there is the additional advantage of having each of the pods further anchored by having the respective 30 member interlocking with or close to a corner of a respective pod. Accordingly the invention in one form could be said to reside in an arrangement of at least some formwork for a footing for a building comprising a plurality of pods of rectangular external proportions located on and over a level base area and held in spaced apart relation one from the other to define between each of adjacent pods, a channel with a spacer holding respective corners of each of at least three such pods at a channel crossing location, there being a slot in the pod at or close to each corner of a respective pod defining the channel crossing location with an entrance to the slot being in an otherwise generally planar top surface of the pod, and the spacer having 6 at least one interlocking portion for each pod which portion projects into said slot of each respective pod and so that all of said portion is below the entrance at the top of the pod whereby to effect a retention of the respective pod with respect to the other pods defining the channel crossing location thereby. In preference this arrangement is further characterized in that each engaged slot is 10 shaped, and has an entrance to the slot positioned so that with an appropriately shaped and positioned inserted respective portion of the spacer this will effect a holding down of a corner of each respective pod through the spacer in relation to the other pods. In preference, there is an interlocking shape firstly of the member with respect to the 15 slot to resist horizontal withdrawal of the member from the pod. In preference, the arrangement is further characterized in that the interlocking portion has two parts one of which is a support portion and a second of which is an insertion portion, the-insertion portion being shaped to be of transverse alignment with respect to the support portion. 2q In preference, each of the slots have an upwardly open top projecting through an otherwise generally planar top surface of a pod. In preference, each of the slots is tapered to facilitate being formed from a mold where the taper facilitates extraction from the mold but is otherwise of similar cross sectional shape and size to the member. 25 In preference, each spacer at each corner includes also cheeks with a respective cheek engaging against a first side of a pod, and a second cheek engaging against the further side defining the corner of the pod. In preference, the spacer includes receptive shapes to support reinforcing steel. In a further form of the invention, this can be said to reside in a spacer for use in a 3o building footing arrangement for holding respective corners of each of four pods of substantially rectangular shape located on and over a level base area to be used as lost formwork in a footing and held in spaced apart relations one from the other to define there between respective pods, a channel, the spacer having for each corner of each pod, a portion adapted to project fully into a slot within a body of the pod at or close to a corner of a pod and such that all of the portion will be below an entrance of the slot in an upper surface of the pod. s In this case, in the broadest sense this could be three such corners but in practice in most cases would be four such corners. The various features described in relation to the arrangement are also applicable in so far that the various shapes of the member in each would be effective to provide an interlocking with a slot in the pod and in particular there is some advantage in having 10 for each member a first portion which is substantially vertically planar aligned and a portion at either end of such first portion which is of generally planar shape and which is aligned to be transverse to the said first planar alignment. In a further form, the invention could be said to reside in a pod providing some of formwork for a footing for a building where the pod is of substantially rectangular 15 proportions and is adapted to be used with other like pods to be located on and over a base area and be held in spaced apart relationships one from the other to define there between channels with each pod having a corner portion defining one part of a channel junction, the pod having at least one slot aligned, positioned and shaped so that it is accessible with an uppermost open entrance on an otherwise generally 20 planar upper surface of the pod and passing fully through from its top to bottom so that it is projecting from a corner or close to a corner of the pod into a body of the pod. In preference in these cases, the pod is made from expanded polystyrene but it is to be clear that while this is popular material for production of such pods, it is not 25 intended in the broader sense to be limited to such form of pods. In preference, each pod has substantially planar top and planar sides each of which are aligned in rectilinear alignment and where a pod from the slots, and some incidental variations in shape, the top and sides are substantially planar. In preference, each of the slots in the pod project so as to have at least an upwardly n open top and to be vertically aligned there from and to have a side opening accessible from a corner of the pod. In preference, the substantially vertical slot is formed so as to have a slight taper to facilitate molding with an extractive taper in the die and to also include a shape which provides an interlocking shape at least against horizontal relative withdrawal of the member from the pod. While we have referred to the location of the slot being at or close to the corner, in preference, the slot projects directly from the corner although it can be envisaged 5 -that there could be one or more slots which have there opening adjacent the corner in an alternate case. In a further form, the invention can be said to reside in a method for effecting some of formwork for a footing for a building comprising a plurality of pods of rectangular external proportions at least with respect to a top and to the sides, located on and 10 over a level base area and held in spaced apart relations one from the other to define there between adjacent pods a channel with one spacer holding respective corners of each of the four such pods, characterised in that there is a slot from each pod aligned, positioned and shaped so that it is accessible to the spacer, and the spacer has at least one member adapted to project into the slot of each of the pods so as to 15 effect a retention of the pod with respect to the other pods thereby, the method including the steps of locating each pod in and over the level base area so that they define between adjacent sides, channels, and then placing at a common corner location of four such pods the spacer and inserting into each slot in each corner of a pod the respective insertion portion of the interlocking portion of the spacer. 20 Again in this case and in relation to all of the others, the pod can in preference be made from expanded polystyrene. In further preference each of the slots is of vertical or substantially vertical alignment and has an uppermost end opening into an otherwise planar top with the respective pod and a lowermost end opening into a bottom of the pod. 25 In preference, each of the slots has an interlocking shape when viewed in plan. In preference, each said member has a shape adapted to effect an interlocking relationship with a respective slot. In preference, said shape includes a first portion and a second portion where the second portion is at an end of the said first portion and has a vertical part which is so transverse in alignment to the said first portion. The invention can also apply to footings and also buildings with these features having been used in the building or footing.

We have described thus far features of the invention but for a better understanding it will now be described with some alternative embodiments which shall be described with the assistance of drawings wherein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 5 For a better understanding of this invention it will now be described with the assistance of drawings wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of an arrangement according to a first embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of a spacer according to this first embodiment, 10 Figure 3 is a side elevation of the spacer as shown in Figure 2, Figure 4 is a perspective view of a spacer according to the first embodiment, Figure 5 is a perspective view of an arrangement also according to the first embodiment, Figure 6 is a perspective view of a spacer according to a second embodiment, 15 Figure 7 is a plan view of the same spacer as in the second embodiment, Figure 8 is a side elevation of the spacer as in the second embodiment, Figure 9 is a perspective view of a spacer according to a third embodiment, Figure 1 0is a plan view of the same spacer as in Figure 9 according to the third embodiment, 20 Figure 11 is a side elevation of the same spacer as in Figures 9 and 10 according to the third embodiment, Figure 12 is a perspective view of a pod showing relative locations and shape of slots entering from respective corners but leaving further potential details such as hollow cavities out of the drawing for the sake of simplicity, 25 Figure 13 is a perspective view of a pod again showing in this case slots which only pass from the corner and top in respect of each corner of a pod, and Figure 14 is a cross sectional view along the lines 13-13 in Figure 1. Now referring to the drawings in detail, the embodiments in each case are directed to an arrangement, a spacer, and a method of assembly for providing formwork for a S footing for a building. There are individual elements which have unique design which are effective for this purpose and in the first instance as shown in Figure 1, there is the assembly where there is a spacer 1 which is located at the meeting junction of four pods shown as 2, 3, 4 and 5 each of which have generally linear sides which are parallel one with the ic other but in any event so that when they are brought together in the manner shown in Figure 1, a respective corner is positioned and aligned with the others so that there are positioned between the respective pods 2 through 5 a channel such as at 6, 7, 8, and 9. Such channels are subsequently filled with concrete and in order to reinforce such 15 concrete which is conventionally weak in tension, and there are provided reinforcing rods and the spacer 1 typically includes a central turret 10 which includes slots 11 and 12 to support rods in one direction passing along the channels 7 and 9, and slots 13 and 14 for supporting rods along the direction of channels 6 and 8. The spacer 1 includes further frame members 15 and 16 typically the purpose of 20 which are to hold the respective pods in their relative relationship as shown. In order to interengage however with the pods, there are cheeks 17 and 18 typically which engage on each respective side of a pod which is shown in this case in a typical instance in relation to pod 2 but in addition there is a member 19 which is a portion of the spacer with a support portion 21 and an insertion portion 22 which 25 projects directly into a slot 20 in the corner of the spacer 2. The second portion 22 is of planar shape and is aligned to extend transversely to a planar shape of the first portion 21. The slot in the corner of the pod 2 matches this interlocking shape at least substantially and in this particular case, the slot extends only partway down from an 30 otherwise open top. The slot 20 will be conventionally formed by being molded into a compressed body of expanded polystyrene beads. To allow for retraction of a die in such a molding process, there is conventionally Provided a taper of approximately 7' and the width and length of the slot is selected so that the respective portions 21 and 22 can be readily located at a top of the slot .5 and then simply pushed into the slot so as to be positioned in a fully interlocking and to some extent jammed position as shown in Figure 14. This arrangement then helps provide for a preliminary alignment and holding of pods and only when they are all in position will the pods then be fully pushed downwardly into a fully interlocking position. 10 This has the effect then of holding the corner of the pod in this case pod 2 from being accidentally lifted for instance by wind lift and as well, because the spacer will be likewise connected through the same mechanism to each of the other three pods, this will then keep the pods all together. The result of this is that they will act and be maintained collectively and it means that 15 construction of the formwork on site is made much easier than techniques previously provided. If the pod is made from compressed expanded polystyrene beads, the strength of portions of such material may not be great and as such, it has been found to be of advantage to provide external adjacent cheeks such as at 17 and 18 which thereby 21 in one sense holds the whole corner not only more securely but will have a tendency to protect otherwise more vulnerable portions between the slot and its outer wall of the respective parts of a pod. This same arrangement then is replicated so that there are further members 23 and 24 interlocking with a corner slot 25 with respect to pod 3, members 26 and 27 25 intersecting with corner slot 28 with respect to pod 4 and members 30 and 31 intersecting with slot 32 in respect of pod 5. Now in relation to the invention, the features of the spacer as described in relation to this first embodiment can be very substantially changed, as can the features of the pods while still being within the scope of the invention. Mr An example of this is now given in Figure 6 in which there are no longer side cheeks, and the outermost projecting member extends to a lowermost edge which would match a correspondingly shaped slot within a corner of the pod where the slot passes fully through the pod.

The amount of material of a member engaging the slot surfaces is such that the effect would also be then to hold the respective surfaces relatively tightly together and would then also facilitate holding the pods with a corner spacer in a one way that restricts their liftaway freedom. 5 Accordingly these includes a central turret cradle shapes such as 42 and frame members holding respective projecting members 44 where each of the projecting members 44 includes a first portion 45 which is arranged to project directly through a slot and is of generally planar proportions and has a transverse planar portion at its end. 10 This outermost projecting portion 46 is of rectangular external dimensions and is arranged so that it has a lowermost edge 47 which is also then used to support the rest of the spacer body above a ground engaging position to allow for ample concrete flow there beneath. It is of relevance to point out that a big advantage of the embodiments being 15 described is that they facilitate being able to hold the pods especially in windy conditions by the use of a single unit at a respective corner. This is much more efficient then than having to put individual spacers at intermediate locations along respective walls of pods. Now looking at a third embodiment, while in the first embodiment we have described S 01cheeks and these in each case have been of planar inner surface and have been aligned to engage against respective sides of a generally rectangular shaped pod, it is eminently possible to provide that, while keeping within a generally rectilinear shape, corners can be rounded. However, in this case, the spacer 50 uses the same projecting portions such as at 51 25 and 52 and provides the other facilities including a central turret as at 53 but at each of four corners includes a curved engaging cheek structure 54 which as appropriate will be shaped so as to match a correspondingly matched curve of a corner portion of a pod. The spacer is otherwise the same in so far that it includes subsidiary frame members 30 such as at 55 and 56 and supplementary reinforcing rod location supports at typically 57 and 58. The details of the inner parts of a spacer providing a corner interengagement for pods can be widely varied and, as might generally exist, various means of holding the projecting portions or members in relation to pods and some form of support for reinforcing rods in appropriate cases, enables the invention to be carried out. In fact, while it is of advantage to provide reinforcing rod interlocking support, this 5 function could be supplied by a separate chair although it is certainly more convenient to integrate this with an existing spacer. The method of effecting some of formwork for footing for a building includes taking each of four pods and locating these approximately so as to be separated by an appropriate distance apart defining a channel, then taking a spacer and pushing this 10 so that its respective members each are pushed into a respective one for each slot at a corner of each pod whereby to hold the pods in this spaced apart position. The pods to facilitate the invention shall have in at least one embodiment a slot which defines an essentially planar alignment passing from an edge of the corner to within a body of the pod and then a connected portion again generally defining a 15 planar area which is transverse to the first said planar alignment. This is shown typically now in Figure 12 where the pod 60 includes at each corner a slot shown at 61, 62, 63 and 64. In each case, the shape and orientation of the slot is the same in this instance where there is a first slot portion which shown typically at 65 this is open to all of the vertical 20 corner portion 66 of the pod 60 and the slot which is open to a top 67 of the pod 60 and a bottom 68 of the pod 60 ends at an inner end with a transverse slot aligned so as to define generally a planar shape at 69 and this is located so as to be supported or connected in this case at a mid position with respect to the first slot portion 65. This same shape is replicated in each of the other corners. 25 The pod as such then is unique and can either be used as a conventional pod but if it is desired to be used in conjunction with the inventive concept, then it is appropriate for this purpose. It is envisaged that there could be various shapes facilitating capture of a projecting portion within a corner spacer and simply to show as a further example this, the pod a in this case 70 includes at each corner an interlocking slot shape 71 but in this case the slot only extends partway down the full depth of the thickness of the pod 70.

Otherwise the shape matches the shape as in the earlier described embodiment in Figure 12. It would be also understood that the further examples for instance the use of an inner portion which is curved, or other cheek shape or cheeks would be matched by 5 appropriately shaped that is to say pods having matching shapes to these members. What we have described then in relation to the various embodiments is an arrangement, and specific elements which facilitate this interlocking effect. While it has not been specifically described, there can also be provided spacers with portions which form their own indented or engaging shape or capture shape with 10 respect to a corner of the spacer. The pods themselves are described so as not to be exclusively with such slots but they may also include such interlocking slots or shapes which can facilitate use in other arrangements and in connection with other inventive features. The concept however in this case is to introduce an interlocking effect which will hold 15 spacers collectively and to this extent they intersect a corner portion of a pod and can be used for any situation where there are corners of pods meeting at a common corner location but defining in each case channels between respective sides. Throughout this specification the term "pod" has been used on the basis that this has become a recognised term in the industry. Another description that is also used is "a 20 void former".

Claims

1. An arrangement of at least some formwork for a footing for a building comprising: a. a plurality of pods of rectangular external proportions located on and over a level base area and held in spaced apart relation one from the other to define between each of adjacent pods; b. a channel with a spacer holding respective corners of each of at least three such pods at a channel crossing location, there being a slot in the pod at or close to each corner of a respective pod defining the channel 10 crossing location with an entrance to the slot being in an otherwise generally planar top surface of the pod, c. the spacer having at least one interlocking portion for each pod, the interlocking portion projecting into said slot of each respective pod; d. so that all of the interlocking projecting portion is below the entrance 15 level of the slot in the pod whereby to effect retention of the respective pod with respect to the other pods defining the channel crossing location thereby.

2. An arrangement as in claim 1 further characterised in that each engaged slot is shaped, and has its entrance to the slot positioned so that with an appropriately zn shaped and positioned inserted respective portion of the spacer this will effect a holding down of a corner of each respective pod through the spacer in relation to the other pods.

3. An arrangement as in either one of claims 1 or 2 further characterised in that the interlocking portion has two parts one of which is a support portion and a second 25 of which is an insertion portion, the insertion portion being shaped to be of transverse alignment with respect to the support portion.

4. An arrangement as in as in any one of preceding claims 1, 2, 3, or 3 further characterised in that each of the slots is tapered to facilitate being formed as a method of manufacture from a mold. 30

5. An arrangement as in as in any one of preceding claims 1, 2, 3, or 4 further characterised in that each slot has an open side located at a corner of its respective pod.

6. An arrangement as in any one of preceding claims 1 through 5 further characterised in that each spacer at each corner engaging a corner of a respective pod includes a cheek engaging against a first side of a respective corner of a pod, and a second cheek engaging against the further side of the respective corner of the 5 same pod.

7. An arrangement as in any one of the preceding claims 1 through 6 further characterised in that the spacer includes receptive shapes to support reinforcing steel extending along channels defined by adjacent pods.

8. An arrangement as in any one of preceding claims 1 through 7 further 10 characterised in that there are four pods defining there between the meeting of channels and the spacer has its respective portion projecting into a respective corner of each respective pod.

9. An arrangement as in as in any one of preceding claims 1 through 8 further characterised in that for, at least one spacer, there is, for each corner of the spacer, 15 a or the interlocking portion with a or the first support portion being substantially planar, and an insertion portion at an end of such first portion which insertion portion is of generally planar shape with the plane being aligned to be transverse to the support portion.

10. A spacer for use in a building footing arrangement for holding respective 20 corners of each of four pods of substantially rectangular shape located on and over a level base area to be used as lost formwork in a footing and held in spaced apart relations one from the other to define there between respective pods, a channel, the spacer having for each corner of each pod, a portion adapted to project fully into a slot within a body of the pod at or close to a corner of a pod and such that all of the 25 portion will be below an entrance of the slot in an upper surface of the pod.

11. A spacer as in the immediately preceding claim further characterised in that the spacer has for each corner an interlocking portion which includes a support portion supporting at its end an insertion portion which has its shape and supported position to be such that all of the portion will be below an entrance of the slot in an 30 upper surface of the pod.

12. A pod for use in the arrangement as in claims 1 through 9 providing some of formwork for a footing for a building where the pod is of substantially rectangular external proportions and is adapted to be used with other like pods on and over a level base area and be held in spaced apart relationships one from the other to define there between channels with each pod having a corner portion defining one part of a channel junction, the pod having at least one slot passing fully through from a top to a bottom of the pod and being adapted to be entered by an insertion portion of a spacer to hold the pod thereby with respect to adjacent pods. 5

13. A pod as in preceding claim 12 characterised in that it is formed of expanded polystyrene.

14. A pod as in either one of preceding claims 12 or 13 further characterised in that it has a substantially planar top and substantially planar sides each of which sides is aligned in rectilinear alignment one to the other with the top and sides being 10 substantially planar.

15. A pod as in any one of preceding claims 12 through 14 further characterized in that each of the slots in the pod is aligned so as to have at least an upwardly open top with an entrance in its generally planar upper surface and to be vertically aligned when a pod is on a level base and have a side opening accessible from a corner of 15 the pod.

16. A pod as in preceding claim 15 further characterized in that the vertical slot in each case is tapered.

17. A method for effecting some of formwork for a footing for a building comprising a plurality of pods of rectangular external proportions at least with respect to a top 20 and to the sides, located on and over a level base area and held in spaced apart relations one from the other to define there between adjacent pods a channel with one spacer holding respective corners of each of the four such pods, characterised in that there is a slot from each pod aligned, positioned and shaped so that it is accessible to the spacer, and the spacer has at least one member adapted to project 25 into the slot of each of the pods and to be all of it below an uppermost entrance in a generally planar top of the pod and so as to effect a retention of the pod with respect to the other pods thereby, the method including the steps of locating each pod in and over the level base area so that they define between adjacent sides, channels, and then placing at a common corner location of four such pods the spacer and inserting 30 into each slot in each corner of a pod the respective insertion portion of the interlocking portion of the spacer so that these are in each case then fully below an entrance in the otherwise generally planar top of the respective pod.

18. A method as in the immediately preceding claim further characterized in that said insertion portion is comprised of a first portion and a second portion where the second portion is at an end of the said first portion and has a vertical part which is transverse in alignment to the said first portion and where then it is the second portion that is fully within the .

19. A footing where an arrangement embedded within the footing is as 5 characterised in any one of the claims 1 to 10 herein or having a spacer as in claim 10 or 11 herein or a pod as in claims 12 to 16 herein.

20. A building having a footing as in the immediately preceding claim.

21. An arrangement substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by one or more of the accompanying drawings. 10

22. A spacer substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by one or more of the accompanying drawings.