GB2216154A

GB2216154A - Formwork units which fit together and swivel

Info

Publication number: GB2216154A
Application number: GB8814035A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mario Buttaci
Original assignee: MAGU FRANCE SARL
Current assignee: MAGU FRANCE SARL
Priority date: 1988-03-31
Filing date: 1988-06-14
Publication date: 1989-10-04
Also published as: EP0405040A1; FR2629503A1; GB8814035D0; FR2629503B1

Description

22 16 154 Title: UNITS, PARTICULARLY FORMWORK UNITS, ADAPTED, FOR EXAMPLE

FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS The present invention relates to units, particularly formwork units, adapted, for example, for the construction of walls, consisting mainly of at least one vertical wall and possibly of cross-members connecting the vertical walls to one another.

At present, formwork units are very often used for the construction of walls, mainly in the building field.

These formwork units are generally made of expanded polystyrene which has been subjected to a fireproofing treatment and generally comprise two vertical walls connected to one another by cross-members. The internal volume thus defined is filled with concrete, using a concrete pump for example.

The existing units have the disadvantage of not being suitable when it is a question of effecting a change of direction in the wall, that is to say when it is a question f forming angles in the wall, or rounded portions etc. The first idea was to design a specific formwork unit for'each angle corresponding to a desired change of direction, the result of which was that it was necessary to manufacture as many formwork units as there were changes of direction desired. Conventional formwork units were then used to produce these changes of direction but in spite of everything it was necessary to have recourse,, each time, to a specific additional part to close the opening created by the angle formed between the two formwork units, the size 2 and the shape of this specific part naturally depending on the desired opening. Further. it was likewise necessary to have recourse to specific parts in the form of corners when it was desired to form right angles between two walls of one and the same wall. For example, if there was a right angle in a wall where it was desired to have a rounding on the outside and a right angle at the inside, two additional parts were necessary, namely a right-hand part and a left-hand part.

Moreover, the joining together of such units is only effected with difficulty and without much reliability, particularly with regard to imperviousness. The most effective assembly device at present consists of pins situated on the upper face of each vertical wall, these pins fitting into apertures situated on the lower face of each vertical wall,, the size of each pin corresponding precisely to that of each aperture. Nevertheless, such a device does not enable the disadvantages described above to be mitigated and, in particular, does not enable the formwork units to be prevented from rising during the pouring of the concrete.

The general problem to be solved by the subject of the present invention is therefore to produce units enabling all the desired changes of direction to be effected without having recourse to any additional specific part, since the number of units of different structure should be as small as possible. Moreover, the units should join together perfectly without any risk of separation or leakage.

3 According to the present invention, there is provided a unit, particularly a formwork unit, adapted, for example, for the construction of walls, said unit comprising at least one vertical wall and being provided with at least one portion of a male element and a female element of a swivelling device arranged in such a manner that the unit can be j oined to another like unit either by the male element of said unit engaging in the female element of the other unit or by the female element of said unit engaging with the male element of said other unit such that relative rotation can take place between said units in order to effect changes of direction between the units.

Preferably, the unit comprises two spaced apart vertical walls which are interconnected by crossmembers.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a front view of a first type of unit according to the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the unit shown in Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a front view of a second type of unit according to the invention; Figure 4 is a plan view of the unit shown in Fig. 3; Figure 5 is a front view of a third type of unit according to the invention; 4 Figure 6 is a plan view of the unit shown in Fig. 5; Figure 7 is a right-hand side view of the unit shown in Figs. 5 and 6; Figure 8 is a partial plan view, on a different scale, of the upper face of a vertical wall of a unit according to the invention; Figure 9 is a section taken on the line A-A in Figure 8; Figure 10 is a partial plan view, on a different scale, of the lower face of a vertical wall of one and the same unit according to the invention; and Figure 11 is a section taken on the line B-B in Figure 10.

In the drawings, like parts are denoted by like reference numerals.

According to the invention, the units are each provided with at least one portion of one and the same swivelling device 12 in the form of a male element 14 and a female element 16, in such a manner that the joining together of two units actually enables a swivelling device 12 to be produced and thus permits the rotation, in relation to one another, of two juxtaposed units, in such a manner as to effect changes of direction between them.

These units are generally made of expanded polystyrene with a bulk density of between 28 and 30 kg/m3.

A first type of unit comprises, on the upper surface 13 of a portion which is lowered in relation to the upper face 5 of each vertical wall 1, the male element 14 of a swivelling device 12 which extends over the whole width of said unit (Figures 1 and 2).

According to one feature of the invention, the lower face S' of each vertical wall 1 is further provided with a female element 16 permitting the joining together of two superimposed units.

A second type of unit comprises, on the lower surface 15 of a portion which is raised in relation to the lower face 5' of each vertical wall 1, the female element 16 of a swivelling device 12 which extends over the whole width of said unit (Figures 3 and 4).

According to another feature of the invention, the upper face 5 of each vertical wall 1 is further provided with a male element 14 permitting the joining together of two superimposed units.

The upper 13 and lower 15 surfaces may advantageously be situated at midheight in relation to the total height of the associated units.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, each male element 14 takes the form of a continuous or discontinuous ring and each female element 16 takes the form of a continuous or discontinuous groove, the ends of the units being rounded.

6 Each ring 14 may be provided with at least one aperture 7 enabling air to escape when the units are fitted together.

The f irst type of unit consequently corresponds to a right-hand end unit and the second type of unit to a left-hand end unit. When a relatively abrupt change of direction is desired for example, the right-hand end unit would be disposed following conventional units constituting a rectilinear wall. Then the left-hand end unit would be fitted into the right-hand end unit, this operation being effected simply by fitting the ring 14 into the groove 16, the ring 14 being able to slide easily in the groove 16 according to the angle desired. Moreover, the circular shape of the ring 14 on the one hand and of the groove 16 on the other hand avoids any sharp angle in the wall on such a change in direction, the actual shape of the end of the unit being rounded at the level of the ring 14 and of the groove 16.

It would, of course, also be possible to make the ring 14 and the groove 16 discontinuous in which case the ring 14 would not slide in the groove 16 but would fit into it to define a certain predetermined number of possible changes in direction.

A third type of unit comprises. on the upper surface 13 of a portion which is lowered in relation to the upper face 5 of each vertical wall 1, a male element 14 of a swivelling device 12 which extends over the whole width of said unit and, on the lower surface 15 of a portion which is raised in relation to the lower face 5' of # 1 1 1 each vertical wall 1, a female element 16 of a swivelling device 12 which extends over the whole width of said unit (Figures 5 to 7).

These units corresponding to this third type serve as intermediate units in the event of a change in direction in the wall which has to be less abrupt (for example a rounding in the wall). This third type of unit would then be disposed between a right-hand end unit and a left-hand end unit, the number of units of this third type to be inserted depending on the rounding desired in the wall. It goes without saying that the more intermediate units there are inserted, the less abrupt the change in direction in the wall will be and the less pronounced the rounding in the wall will be.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, in this type of unit, the lower face 5' may be provided with a further female element 16 and the upper face 5 may be provided with a further male element 14, the fitting of such a male element 14 into a female element 16 likewise enabling two superimposed units to be assembled. The rounded end portions of the first and second or third units stacked one on top of the other will thus form a hollow vertical cylinder into which the concrete can be poured thus forming a sort of pillar.

The advantage of these three types permitting changes of direction lies mainly in the fact that the ring 14 and the groove 16 are disposed over the whole width of the unit as a result of which any additional element becomes superfluous, the changes in angle being able to, be effected directly with the units themselves without 8 sharp angles resulting and all desired degrees of curvature being able to be obtained simply by swivelling one unit in relation to another, simply causing the ring 14 to slide in the groove 16. it should be noted that the units can be handled very easily, even when already fitted into one another before the pouring of the concrete which is normally effected in groups of ten units, by means of a concrete pump under a pressure of about four bars, the units resisting bursting up to at least six bars.

Naturally, it would likewise be possible to make the elements 14 and 16 of the swivelling device 12 partially or totally hollow in such a manner that, during the pouring, the concrete exerts a pressure on the ring 14 thus leading to a locking effect.

According to a modified embodiment of the invention, the units are each further provided with assembly elements 3 each in the f arm, on the one hand of two male elements of which the one 9 is disposed on the upper face 5 and the other 8 on the lower face 5' of each vertical wall 1. and, on the other hand, of two female elements of which the one 4 is disposed on the upper f ace 5 and the other 6 on the lower f ace 5' of each vertical wall 1, in such a manner as to permit the f itting and locking together of the superimposed and juxtaposed units, thus achieving a double-acting locking.

The male element disposed on the upper face 5 may take - the form of a ring 9 defining in its central portion a cylindrical aperture 4 which corresponds to the female element, likewise disposed on the upper face 5, the female element disposed on the lower face S' being in 9 the form of a groove 6 defining in its central portion a pin 8 which corresponds to the male element likewise _disposed on the lower face S', said pin 8 fitting into the aperture 4 and the ring 9 f itting into the groove 5 6.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, the pin 8 has a tapered section, the size of its base being slightly larger than that of its upper portion which corresponds precisely to the internal diameter of the ring 9 in such a manner that the pin 8 is f itted into the aperture 4 formed by the ring 9 by force just like the ring 9 in the groove 6, of which the size of the base, because of the taper of the pin 8, is slightly smaller than the thickness of the ring 9, thus leading to a locking effect when said units are fitted together.

According to a modified embodiment, this tapered pin 8 is provided over its whole height with a slit 10 enabling the air to escape when the units are f itted together (see Figure 10). Naturally, it is also possible for the ring 9 to be provided with a slit 10 over the whole height of its internal wall.

As can be seen in Figure 10, the groove 6 has an opening 11 situated on the internal face of the lower face 51 of each vertical wall 1, which enables the concrete, during the pouring, to exert a pressure against a portion of the ring 9 in which the pin 8 is fitted, the pressure thus exerted on the assembly elements 3 permitting a second locking effect when said units are fitted together. In fact. this pressure is sufficiently high to permit such a locking effect, being of the order of 1.33 newton/cm2.

In one example of embodiment which is non-limiting. the pin 8 may advantageously have a height of 15mm, an upper diameter of 20mm, a lower diameter of 2lmm, a slit 10 which is lmm in depth and 2mm in width, and the groove 6 may have an external diameter of 40mm, its internal diameter being determined by the pin 8, and an opening 11 of rectangular shape which is 20mm wide and 15mm high, the ring 9 advantageously having an external diameter of 40mm and an internal diameter of 20mm, identical to the diameter of the upper portion of the pin 8.

The rings 9 are therefore disposed on the upper face 5 of the vertical walls 1 of the units, side by side, occupying practically the whole width of the upper face 5, said rings 9 being spaced apart by a distance of about 1Omm. The same applies to the grooves 6 which are disposed on the lower face 5' of the vertical walls 1.

Consequently, the perfect joining together of the units, without any risk of one unit becoming separated from another is obtained. on the one hand thanks to the taper of the pins 8 and on the other hand thanks to the openings 11 enabling the concrete to exert a pressure on the assembly elements 3. Moreover, the upper face 5 has a male element 9 and a female element 4 and the 1 1 1 -1 lower face 5' likewise has a male element 8 and a female element 6, which leads, when the units are _joined together, to a double fitting, on the one hand, of the male element 9 in the female element 6 and,, on the other hand, of the male element 8 in the female element 4. This double fitting naturally increases the reliability of the joining of two units together.

Finally,, the units are assembled side by side, their lateral walls being provided with assembly elements in the form of a male element 18 and of a female element 19.

Thanks to the invention, it is therefore possible to produce walls, for example, having any profile with a total of four different types of unit, the one serving to produce the rectilinear walls of the wall and the other three serving to effect the desired changes in direction in this wall.

It,goes without saying that the units according to the invention may be adapted to other applications than those of the formwork of a wall and even in fields other than that of building. By way of example, which is naturally non-limiting, these units could be miniaturized and be made of synthetic material or the like, in such a manner as to serve as construction elements for children's games, the swivelling device 12 permitting all the desired changes of direction there, too.

- 12 Naturally, the invention is not restricted to the embodiments described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Modifications remain possible, par ticularly from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without therefore departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

-tx 13 -

Claims

1 A unit, particularly a formwork unit. adaptedi for example, for the construction of walls, said unit comprising at least one vertical wall and being provided with at least one portion of a male element and a female element of a swivelling device arranged in such a manner that the unit can be joined to another like unit either by the male element of said unit engaging in the female element of the other unit or by the female element of said unit engaging with the male element of said other unit such that relative rotation can take place between said units in order to effect changes of direction between the units.

2. A unit according to claim 1. wherein said unit comprises two spaced apart vertical walls which are interconnected by cross-members.

3. A unit according to claim 2, wherein the male element is provided on the upper surface of a portion of the unit which is lowered in relation to the upper face of each vertical wall, the male element extending over the whole width of said unit.

4. A unit according to claim 3, wherein the female element is provided on the lower face of each vertical wall of the unit.

5. A unit according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the female element is provided on the lower surface of a portion of the unit which is raised in relation to the lower face of each vertical wall, the female element extending over the whole width of said unit.

:1

6. A unit according to claim 5, wherein the male element is provided on the upper face of each vertical wall of the unit.

7. A unit according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the upper and/or lower surfaces of said portions of the units are situated at mid-height in relation to the total height of said units.

8. A unit according to any preceding claim, wherein each male element takes the form of a continuous or discontinuous ring and each female element takes the form of a continuous or discontinuous groove, the end of the unit being rounded.

9. A unit according to claim 8, wherein each ring is provided with at least one aperture enabling air to escape when the unit is fitted to another like unit.

10. A unit according to any preceding claim, wherein said unit is further provided with assembly elements each in the form, on the one hand, of two male elements of which one is disposed on the upper face and the other on the lower f ace of the or each vertical wall and, on the other hand, of two female elements of which one is disposed on the upper face and the other on the lower face of the or each vertical wall, in such a manner as to permit the fitting and locking together of superimposed and juxtaposed units, thus providing a double-acting locking.

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11. A unit according to claim 10. wherein the male element of each assembly element disposed on the upper face is in the form of a ring defining. in its central portion, a cylindrical aperture which corresponds to the female element, likewise disposed on the upper face and wherein the female element of each assembly element disposed on the lower face is in the form of a groove defining in its central portion a pin which corresponds to the male element likewise disposed on the lower face, said pin fitting into the aperture and the ring fitting in to the groove.

12. A unit according to claim 11. wherein each pin has a tapered section, the size of its base being slightly larger than that of its upper portion which corresponds precisely to the internal diameter of the ring in such a manner that the pin f its into the aperture formed by the ring, by force, just like the ring in the groove. of which the size of the base. because of the taper of the pin is slightly smaller than the thickness of the ring thus leading to a first locking effect when said unit is fitted to another like unit.

13. A unit according to claim 12, wherein each tapered pin is provided, over its whole height, with a slit enabling air to escape when the unit is fitted to another likeunit.

16

14. A unit according to claim 13, wherein each pin has a height of 15mm, an upper diameter of 20mm, a lower diameter of 2lmm. a slit with a depth of lmm and a width of 2mm, and each groove has an outer diameter of 40mmi its internal diameter being determined by the pin and an opening of rectangular shape with a width of 20mm and a height of 15mm, each ring having an external diameter of 40mm and an internal diameter of 20mm, identical to the diameter of the upper portion of the 10 pin.

15. A unit according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein each ring is provided with a slit over the whole height of its internal wall.

16. A unit according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein each groove has an opening situated on the internal face of the lower face of each vertical wall which enables concretei during pouring, to exert a pressure against a portion of the ring into which the pin is fitted. the pressure thus exerted on the assembly device permitting a second locking effect when said units are fitted together.

17. A unit according to any preceding claim, wherein the rectilinear lateral walls of said units are provided with assembly units in the form of a male element and of a female element.

18. A unit according to any preceding claimi and consisting of expanded polystyrene with a bulk density of between 28 and 30 kg/m3.

1 ' 17 -

19. A uniti particularly a formwork unit,, substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

1 PubUBbbdID89atThePa;tentOMoe,StateHouse,66'71HI&Holbom,LondonWClR4TP. Furth 'COPlesmaYbeobtalnedftmTheP&Ient0fdce. Wes Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington., Kent BRB M. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent, Con. 1187