US20080031687A1 - Wet pad strike off system - Google Patents
Wet pad strike off system Download PDFInfo
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- US20080031687A1 US20080031687A1 US11/497,222 US49722206A US2008031687A1 US 20080031687 A1 US20080031687 A1 US 20080031687A1 US 49722206 A US49722206 A US 49722206A US 2008031687 A1 US2008031687 A1 US 2008031687A1
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F21/00—Implements for finishing work on buildings
- E04F21/20—Implements for finishing work on buildings for laying flooring
- E04F21/24—Implements for finishing work on buildings for laying flooring of masses made in situ, e.g. smoothing tools
Definitions
- the invention relates generally to concrete strike off devices and systems, and more particularly to concrete strike off system that can be used to create a small pad of wet concrete at a desired grade.
- the goal of a concrete strike off operation is to provide a smooth concrete surface at a desired grade plane.
- one or more “wet pads” of concrete e.g., typically a couple of square feet in area
- wet pads are manually struck off with the resulting wet pads forming reference or starting points for the larger concrete strike off operation.
- the creation of a wet pad is performed by a variety of manual means which can vary from wet pad to wet pad on a given job site. This is a time consuming process.
- the inconsistencies inherent in manual wet pad formation lead to inconsistent concrete finishing operations since the wet pad reference points may not all reside on the desired grade plane.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a wet pad strike off system that consistently forms wet pads at a desired grade level.
- a wet pad strike off system is provided.
- a frame has at least one support adapted to rest on a base structure on which a quantity of wet concrete is placed.
- a blade is coupled to and is suspended from the frame for relative rotation in a plane. Coupled to the blade is the means for sensing elevation of the blade relative to a grade plane. Coupled to the frame is the means for facilitating adjustment of the frame relative to the base structure so that the blade's rotational plane can be positioned parallel to the grade plane. Coupled to at least one of the blade and frame is means for positioning the blade's rotational plane coincident with the grade plane.
- FIG. 1 is a top-level schematic view of a wet pad strike off system in accordance with the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a schematic view of one embodiment of a wet pad strike off system
- FIG. 3 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a wet pad strike off system
- FIG. 4 is a side view of an exemplary construction of the wet pad strike off system embodiment schematically shown in FIG. 2 ;
- FIG. 5 is a head on view taken along line 5 - 5 in FIG. 4 ;
- FIG. 6 is a side view of an exemplary construction of the wet pad strike off system embodiment schematically shown in FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 7 is a head on view taken along line 7 - 7 in FIG. 6 ;
- FIG. 8 is a plan view of an S-shaped blade
- FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the blade taken along line 9 - 9 in FIG. 8 .
- wet pad strike off system 10 is a portable system that can be readily moved/operated by one person to generate a wet pad at a desired grade level at any desired location on a job site. At any given location, there will be a base structure 100 on which a quantity of unfinished and wet concrete 102 is deposited. Concrete 102 has a surface 104 that is higher than a desired finish grade level A-A or has areas above and below grade level A-A as shown.
- wet pad strike off operation is to make surface 104 coincide with grade level A-A over a relatively small area on the order of a couple of square feet.
- the resulting wet pad serves as a reference point for the larger concrete strike off operation.
- wet pad strike off system 10 has a frame 12 that includes a support 14 that rests on base 100 when system 10 is positioned for a wet pad strike off operation. Supported in a suspended fashion from frame 12 is a blade 16 , the lower edge of which is designated by 16 A. Further, blade 16 is mounted such that it can rotate as indicated by arrow 18 thereby rotating lower edge 16 A in a plane B-B. Blade 16 is coupled to frame 12 such that angular movement of frame 12 results in corresponding angular movement of plane B-B. Blade 16 is also mounted such that it can be moved in a direction perpendicular to plane B-B as indicated by two-headed arrow 20 .
- Frame 12 has one or more level sensor(s) 22 mounted thereon that provide indications of the orientation of frame 12 relative to a local datum. Since it is generally desirable for the concrete's grade level A-A to be parallel to or coincident with a local datum, the leveling of frame 12 (using sensor(s) 22 ) will position plane B-B of blade 16 parallel to grade level A-A.
- elevation sensor 24 that can sense the position of blade 16 relative to a local horizontal datum. More specifically, elevation sensor 24 is coupled to blade 16 to sense the position of plane B-B relative to grade level A-A. If plane B-B and grade level A-A are parallel to one another, elevation sensor 24 can be used to position plane B-B coincident with grade level A-A as will be explained further below.
- system 10 is transported to a location and support 14 is rested on base structure 100 where wet concrete 102 resides.
- level sensor(s) 22 the operator manipulates frame 12 until it is level, i.e., plane B-B is parallel to grade level A-A.
- blade 16 is moved perpendicular to plane B-B (e.g., manually or in a mechanical fashion as indicated by reference numeral 20 until plane B-B coincides with grade level A-A.
- blade 16 is rotated as indicated by reference numeral 18 so that blade 16 scrapes and/or pushes concrete 102 so that the area thereof under blade 16 is defined by surface 104 that is coincident with grade level A-A.
- Such rotation of blade 16 can be manual or mechanized.
- blade 16 is moved away from concrete 102 as indicated by reference numeral 20 and system 10 is transported to another location.
- wet pad strike off system 10 can be constructed in a variety of ways without departing from the scope of the present invention. Designs can range from entirely manual systems to partially/fully mechanized systems. Practically speaking, systems embodying the concepts of the present invention will typically be partially manual and partially mechanized. In this way, repeatable and affordable wet pad strike off operations can be achieved. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments described herein have both manual and mechanized elements.
- FIG. 2 an embodiment of a wet pad strike off system is referenced generally by numeral 30 .
- blade 16 and a laser receiver 32 are coupled to one another by coupling arrangement 34 so that they move correspondingly in direction 20 while frame 12 remains stationary.
- Coupling arrangement 34 is typically supported by frame 12 .
- a linear actuator 36 is coupled to/between frame 12 and coupling arrangement 34 .
- Linear actuator 36 is capable of bi-directional movement 38 that generates corresponding movement of blade 16 as indicated by direction arrow 20 .
- laser receiver 32 is capable of sensing a laser beam 200 indicative of grade level A-A. Such laser receivers and their use/operation are well known in the art.
- the output of laser receiver 32 is provided to linear actuator 36 to thereby automatically control and position blade 16 so that plane B-B can coincide with grade level A-A.
- FIG. 3 Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 3 as is referenced generally by numeral 40 .
- a linear actuator 42 is provided in line with support 14 .
- Laser receiver 32 and blade 16 are coupled to frame 12 such that frame 12 , blade 16 and laser receiver 32 move in correspondence in direction 20 when support/linear actuator 42 moves as indicated by direction arrow 44 . Similar to the previous embodiment, movement of linear actuator 42 in direction 44 is automatically controlled by laser receiver 32 .
- each of systems 30 and 40 an operator will manually position frame 12 and level same using level sensor(s) 22 .
- the systems will then automatically position blade 16 so that plane B-B coincides with grade level A-A.
- Rotation 18 of blade 16 can be a manual or mechanized operation.
- a motor (not shown) will be provided to rotate blade 16 .
- the operator can focus on keeping frame 12 level (using sensor(s) 22 ) as blade 16 rotates.
- the following two exemplary constructions utilize a motorized drive system to rotate blade 16 .
- FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a possible construction of system 30
- FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a possible construction of system 40
- FIGS. 4 and 5 two supports 14 are provided on either side of blade 16 .
- the frame in this embodiment is defined by (i) a horizontal cross-member 120 attachable to supports 14 by means of, for example, manually-operated screw clamps 122 so that the height of cross-member 120 relative to base structure 100 can be easily adjusted, and (ii) a vertical shaft housing 124 that can rotationally support a drive shaft 160 (coupled on one end to blade 16 ) in an orientation that is perpendicular to plane B-B.
- Cross-member 120 is rigidly coupled to shaft housing 124 .
- Level sensor 22 can be a spirit level mounted on cross-member 120 .
- a handle 126 can be provided on shaft housing 124 to facilitate manipulation of the system while an operator views level sensor 22 .
- Linear actuator 36 is coupled on one end thereof to shaft housing 124 and on the other end thereof to a bearing housing 162 fixedly attached to drive shaft 160 while allowing for rotation of drive shaft 160 therein.
- Laser receiver 32 is also attached to bearing housing 162 .
- laser receiver 32 can be mounted on a mast 320 so that laser receiver 32 can be adjusted in height via a clamp 164 provided on bearing housing 162 .
- the output of laser receiver 32 is provided to a controller 322 which can be incorporated with laser receiver 32 that, in turn, is coupled to linear actuator 36 .
- laser receiver 32 /controller 322 govern the operation (i.e., extension or retraction) of linear actuator 36 and, therefore, the positioning of blade 16 relative to grade level A-A.
- an operator positions the system and levels same using level sensor 22 .
- Laser receiver 32 /controller 322 are then operated to automatically position plane B-B of blade 16 on grade level A-A.
- the operator then activates motor 166 to rotate blade 16 to thereby create a wet pad of concrete at grade level A-A.
- FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a possible construction of system 40 ( FIG. 3 ).
- two supports 14 are again provided on either side of blade 16 while the system's frame is defined by (i) two parallel cross-members 120 A and 120 B, and (ii) a shaft housing 124 rotationally supporting drive shaft 160 coupled to blade 16 .
- Cross-members 120 A and 120 B are rigidly coupled to shaft housing 124 .
- Lower cross-member 120 B defines sleeves 120 BS at its outboard ends through which supports 14 pass.
- Upper cross-member 120 A defines mounts 120 AM at its outboard ends to provide for the mounting of individually controllable linear actuators 42 A and 42 B thereto.
- the extensible/retractable arms 43 A and 43 B of actuators 42 A and 42 B, respectively, are rigidly coupled to a corresponding one of supports 14 .
- a first level sensor 22 A is provided on upper cross-member 120 A. Sensor 22 A is used to provide an indication of lateral tilt so that plane B-B of blade 16 can be positioned laterally parallel to grade level A-A. More specifically, level sensor 22 A (e.g., an inclinometer) produces an electronic indication of lateral tilt that is passed to a controller 222 that is coupled to linear actuators 42 A and 42 B. Thus, once the system is in place on base structure 100 , level sensor 22 A/controller 222 operate to automatically controls actuators 42 A and 42 B to laterally level the frame that positions drive shaft 160 /blade 16 .
- level sensor 22 A/controller 222 operate to automatically controls actuators 42 A and 42 B to laterally level the frame that positions drive shaft 160 /blade 16 .
- a mounting mast 320 to support the attachment of laser receiver 32 , controller 322 and a second level sensor 22 B (e.g., a spirit level) used to plumb the system fore and aft.
- controllers 222 and 322 can be embodied in the same controller apparatus.
- laser receiver 32 /controller 322 control the simultaneous extension of linear actuators 42 A and 42 B to automatically position plane B-B of blade 16 on grade level A-A.
- motor 166 is operated to rotate blade 16 and create a wet pad.
- Blade 16 can be configured in a variety of ways without departing from the scope of the present invention. That is, blade 16 could be a simple straight edge or could be shaped. One such shaped blade is illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 where FIG. 8 is a plan view of blade 16 and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view thereof. More specifically, blade 16 is S-shaped with its convex portions 16 C forming the leading edge thereof as blade 16 rotates in direction 18 . Blade 16 can also have a wing 16 W coupled to the trailing edge thereof where wing 16 W extends angularly away from blade 16 ( FIG. 9 ).
- wing 16 W extends below grade level A-A and into concrete 102 .
- wing 16 W smoothes and closes the surface of concrete 102 in the fashion of a trowel.
- a wet pad of concrete is quickly and easily formed using a system that will generate repeatable results.
- the system lends itself to a variety of manual and semi-automatic configurations so that even lower budget construction operations can achieve consistent wet pad formation.
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Abstract
A wet pad strike off system includes a frame adapted to rest on a base structure on which a quantity of wet concrete is placed. A blade is suspended from the frame for relative rotation in a plane. Coupled to the blade is the means for sensing elevation of the blade relative to a grade plane. Coupled to the frame is the means for facilitating adjustment of the frame relative to the base structure so that the blade's rotational plane can be positioned parallel to the grade plane. Coupled to at least one of the blade and frame is means for positioning the blade's rotational plane coincident with the grade plane.
Description
- The invention relates generally to concrete strike off devices and systems, and more particularly to concrete strike off system that can be used to create a small pad of wet concrete at a desired grade.
- The goal of a concrete strike off operation is to provide a smooth concrete surface at a desired grade plane. To do this over a large area, one or more “wet pads” of concrete (e.g., typically a couple of square feet in area) at the desired grade plane are manually struck off with the resulting wet pads forming reference or starting points for the larger concrete strike off operation. Currently, the creation of a wet pad is performed by a variety of manual means which can vary from wet pad to wet pad on a given job site. This is a time consuming process. Furthermore, the inconsistencies inherent in manual wet pad formation lead to inconsistent concrete finishing operations since the wet pad reference points may not all reside on the desired grade plane.
- Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system for performing a wet pad strike off.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a wet pad strike off system that consistently forms wet pads at a desired grade level.
- Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious hereinafter in the specification and drawings.
- In accordance with the present invention, a wet pad strike off system is provided. A frame has at least one support adapted to rest on a base structure on which a quantity of wet concrete is placed. A blade is coupled to and is suspended from the frame for relative rotation in a plane. Coupled to the blade is the means for sensing elevation of the blade relative to a grade plane. Coupled to the frame is the means for facilitating adjustment of the frame relative to the base structure so that the blade's rotational plane can be positioned parallel to the grade plane. Coupled to at least one of the blade and frame is means for positioning the blade's rotational plane coincident with the grade plane.
- Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reference to the following description of the preferred embodiments and to the drawings, wherein corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings and wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is a top-level schematic view of a wet pad strike off system in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of one embodiment of a wet pad strike off system; -
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a wet pad strike off system; -
FIG. 4 is a side view of an exemplary construction of the wet pad strike off system embodiment schematically shown inFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 5 is a head on view taken along line 5-5 inFIG. 4 ; -
FIG. 6 is a side view of an exemplary construction of the wet pad strike off system embodiment schematically shown inFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 7 is a head on view taken along line 7-7 inFIG. 6 ; -
FIG. 8 is a plan view of an S-shaped blade; and -
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the blade taken along line 9-9 inFIG. 8 . - Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to
FIG. 1 , a wet pad strike off system in accordance with the present invention is shown schematically and is referenced generally bynumeral 10. Wet pad strike offsystem 10 is a portable system that can be readily moved/operated by one person to generate a wet pad at a desired grade level at any desired location on a job site. At any given location, there will be abase structure 100 on which a quantity of unfinished andwet concrete 102 is deposited. Concrete 102 has asurface 104 that is higher than a desired finish grade level A-A or has areas above and below grade level A-A as shown. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the goal of a wet pad strike off operation is to makesurface 104 coincide with grade level A-A over a relatively small area on the order of a couple of square feet. The resulting wet pad serves as a reference point for the larger concrete strike off operation. - At its most basic level, wet pad strike off
system 10 has aframe 12 that includes asupport 14 that rests onbase 100 whensystem 10 is positioned for a wet pad strike off operation. Supported in a suspended fashion fromframe 12 is ablade 16, the lower edge of which is designated by 16A. Further,blade 16 is mounted such that it can rotate as indicated byarrow 18 thereby rotatinglower edge 16A in a plane B-B.Blade 16 is coupled toframe 12 such that angular movement offrame 12 results in corresponding angular movement of plane B-B.Blade 16 is also mounted such that it can be moved in a direction perpendicular to plane B-B as indicated by two-headed arrow 20. -
Frame 12 has one or more level sensor(s) 22 mounted thereon that provide indications of the orientation offrame 12 relative to a local datum. Since it is generally desirable for the concrete's grade level A-A to be parallel to or coincident with a local datum, the leveling of frame 12 (using sensor(s) 22) will position plane B-B ofblade 16 parallel to grade level A-A. - Coupled to
blade 16 is anelevation sensor 24 that can sense the position ofblade 16 relative to a local horizontal datum. More specifically,elevation sensor 24 is coupled toblade 16 to sense the position of plane B-B relative to grade level A-A. If plane B-B and grade level A-A are parallel to one another,elevation sensor 24 can be used to position plane B-B coincident with grade level A-A as will be explained further below. - In operation,
system 10 is transported to a location andsupport 14 is rested onbase structure 100 wherewet concrete 102 resides. Using level sensor(s) 22, the operator manipulatesframe 12 until it is level, i.e., plane B-B is parallel to grade level A-A. Next, usingelevation sensor 24,blade 16 is moved perpendicular to plane B-B (e.g., manually or in a mechanical fashion as indicated byreference numeral 20 until plane B-B coincides with grade level A-A. Then,blade 16 is rotated as indicated byreference numeral 18 so thatblade 16 scrapes and/or pushesconcrete 102 so that the area thereof underblade 16 is defined bysurface 104 that is coincident with grade level A-A. Such rotation ofblade 16 can be manual or mechanized. Finally,blade 16 is moved away fromconcrete 102 as indicated byreference numeral 20 andsystem 10 is transported to another location. - It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that wet pad strike off
system 10 can be constructed in a variety of ways without departing from the scope of the present invention. Designs can range from entirely manual systems to partially/fully mechanized systems. Practically speaking, systems embodying the concepts of the present invention will typically be partially manual and partially mechanized. In this way, repeatable and affordable wet pad strike off operations can be achieved. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiments described herein have both manual and mechanized elements. - Referring now to
FIG. 2 , an embodiment of a wet pad strike off system is referenced generally bynumeral 30. Those elements that are common withsystem 10 are designated with the same reference numerals and will not be described further. Insystem 30,blade 16 and alaser receiver 32 are coupled to one another bycoupling arrangement 34 so that they move correspondingly indirection 20 whileframe 12 remains stationary.Coupling arrangement 34 is typically supported byframe 12. Alinear actuator 36 is coupled to/betweenframe 12 andcoupling arrangement 34.Linear actuator 36 is capable ofbi-directional movement 38 that generates corresponding movement ofblade 16 as indicated bydirection arrow 20. In this embodiment,laser receiver 32 is capable of sensing alaser beam 200 indicative of grade level A-A. Such laser receivers and their use/operation are well known in the art. The output oflaser receiver 32 is provided tolinear actuator 36 to thereby automatically control andposition blade 16 so that plane B-B can coincide with grade level A-A. - Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
FIG. 3 as is referenced generally bynumeral 40. In this embodiment, alinear actuator 42 is provided in line withsupport 14.Laser receiver 32 andblade 16 are coupled to frame 12 such thatframe 12,blade 16 andlaser receiver 32 move in correspondence indirection 20 when support/linear actuator 42 moves as indicated bydirection arrow 44. Similar to the previous embodiment, movement oflinear actuator 42 indirection 44 is automatically controlled bylaser receiver 32. - In each of
systems frame 12 and level same using level sensor(s) 22. The systems will then automatically positionblade 16 so that plane B-B coincides with grade level A-A.Rotation 18 ofblade 16 can be a manual or mechanized operation. Typically, a motor (not shown) will be provided to rotateblade 16. In this way, the operator can focus on keepingframe 12 level (using sensor(s) 22) asblade 16 rotates. Accordingly, the following two exemplary constructions utilize a motorized drive system to rotateblade 16. - In the following examples,
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a possible construction ofsystem 30, andFIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a possible construction ofsystem 40. Once again, common reference numerals will be used where appropriate. Referring first toFIGS. 4 and 5 , twosupports 14 are provided on either side ofblade 16. The frame in this embodiment is defined by (i) ahorizontal cross-member 120 attachable tosupports 14 by means of, for example, manually-operated screw clamps 122 so that the height ofcross-member 120 relative tobase structure 100 can be easily adjusted, and (ii) avertical shaft housing 124 that can rotationally support a drive shaft 160 (coupled on one end to blade 16) in an orientation that is perpendicular to plane B-B.Cross-member 120 is rigidly coupled toshaft housing 124.Level sensor 22 can be a spirit level mounted oncross-member 120. Ahandle 126 can be provided onshaft housing 124 to facilitate manipulation of the system while an operator viewslevel sensor 22. -
Linear actuator 36 is coupled on one end thereof toshaft housing 124 and on the other end thereof to a bearinghousing 162 fixedly attached to driveshaft 160 while allowing for rotation ofdrive shaft 160 therein.Laser receiver 32 is also attached to bearinghousing 162. For example,laser receiver 32 can be mounted on amast 320 so thatlaser receiver 32 can be adjusted in height via aclamp 164 provided on bearinghousing 162. The output oflaser receiver 32 is provided to acontroller 322 which can be incorporated withlaser receiver 32 that, in turn, is coupled tolinear actuator 36. In this way,laser receiver 32/controller 322 govern the operation (i.e., extension or retraction) oflinear actuator 36 and, therefore, the positioning ofblade 16 relative to grade level A-A. - As disclosed previously,
drive shaft 160/blade 16 can be rotated (as indicated by arrow 18) manually or in a mechanized fashion. In the embodiment ofFIGS. 4 and 5 , amotor 166 is coupled to driveshaft 160 to provide mechanized rotation.Motor 166 can have an on/off switch (“SW”) 168 to allow for on-demand operation ofmotor 166. Further,motor 166 could be an attached/detachable unit to allow for the re-charging thereof if battery powered. For example,motor 166 might be embodied in a conventional rechargeable hand-held drill that couples to the end ofdrive shaft 160. - In operation of this embodiment, an operator positions the system and levels same using
level sensor 22.Laser receiver 32/controller 322 are then operated to automatically position plane B-B ofblade 16 on grade level A-A. The operator then activatesmotor 166 to rotateblade 16 to thereby create a wet pad of concrete at grade level A-A. -
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a possible construction of system 40 (FIG. 3 ). In this embodiment, twosupports 14 are again provided on either side ofblade 16 while the system's frame is defined by (i) twoparallel cross-members shaft housing 124 rotationally supportingdrive shaft 160 coupled toblade 16. Cross-members 120A and 120B are rigidly coupled toshaft housing 124. Lower cross-member 120B defines sleeves 120BS at its outboard ends through which supports 14 pass.Upper cross-member 120A defines mounts 120AM at its outboard ends to provide for the mounting of individually controllablelinear actuators retractable arms actuators - In this embodiment, a
first level sensor 22A is provided onupper cross-member 120A.Sensor 22A is used to provide an indication of lateral tilt so that plane B-B ofblade 16 can be positioned laterally parallel to grade level A-A. More specifically,level sensor 22A (e.g., an inclinometer) produces an electronic indication of lateral tilt that is passed to acontroller 222 that is coupled tolinear actuators base structure 100,level sensor 22A/controller 222 operate to automatically controlsactuators shaft 160/blade 16. - Rigidly coupled to the frame (e.g.,
shaft housing 124 in the illustrated example) is a mountingmast 320 to support the attachment oflaser receiver 32,controller 322 and a second level sensor 22B (e.g., a spirit level) used to plumb the system fore and aft. (Note that the functions ofcontrollers laser receiver 32/controller 322 control the simultaneous extension oflinear actuators blade 16 on grade level A-A. Then, as in the previous example,motor 166 is operated to rotateblade 16 and create a wet pad. -
Blade 16 can be configured in a variety of ways without departing from the scope of the present invention. That is,blade 16 could be a simple straight edge or could be shaped. One such shaped blade is illustrated inFIGS. 8 and 9 whereFIG. 8 is a plan view ofblade 16 andFIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view thereof. More specifically,blade 16 is S-shaped with itsconvex portions 16C forming the leading edge thereof asblade 16 rotates indirection 18.Blade 16 can also have awing 16W coupled to the trailing edge thereof wherewing 16W extends angularly away from blade 16 (FIG. 9 ). Thus, whenblade 16 is positioned such that plane B-B is coincident with grade level A-A,wing 16W extends below grade level A-A and intoconcrete 102. Asblade 16 rotates,wing 16W smoothes and closes the surface ofconcrete 102 in the fashion of a trowel. - The advantages of the present invention are numerous. A wet pad of concrete is quickly and easily formed using a system that will generate repeatable results. The system lends itself to a variety of manual and semi-automatic configurations so that even lower budget construction operations can achieve consistent wet pad formation.
- Although the invention has been described relative to a specific embodiment thereof, there are numerous variations and modifications that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.
Claims (24)
1. A wet pad strike off system, comprising:
a frame including at least one support adapted to rest on a base structure on which a quantity of wet concrete is placed;
a blade coupled to and suspended from said frame for relative rotation in a plane;
first means, coupled to said blade, for sensing elevation of said blade relative to a grade plane;
second means, coupled to said frame, for facilitating adjustment of said frame relative to the base structure so that said plane can be positioned parallel to the grade plane; and
third means, coupled to at least one of said blade and said frame, for positioning said plane of said blade coincident with the grade plane.
2. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 1 wherein said at least one support comprises two supports disposed on either side of said blade.
3. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 1 wherein a leading edge of said blade defines an S-shape in said plane.
4. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 1 further comprising a wing coupled to a trailing edge of said blade, said wing extending angularly away from said trailing edge and terminating beneath the grade plane when said plane of said blade is coincident with the grade plane.
5. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 1 wherein said first means comprises a laser receiver.
6. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 1 wherein said second means comprises at least one level sensing device coupled to said frame.
7. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 1 further comprising a shaft fixedly coupled to said blade with a longitudinal axis of said shaft being perpendicular to said plane, said shaft being supported by said frame to permit rotation of said shaft about said longitudinal axis resulting in rotation of said blade in said plane.
8. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 7 further comprising a motor coupled to said shaft for generating said rotation thereof.
9. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 1 wherein said third means comprises at least one linear actuator.
10. A wet pad strike off system, comprising:
a frame including at least one support adapted to rest on a base structure on which a quantity of wet concrete is placed;
a blade coupled to and suspended from said frame for relative rotation in a plane;
first means, coupled to said blade, for sensing elevation of said blade relative to a grade plane;
second means, coupled to said blade, for generating on-demand rotation of said blade;
third means, coupled to said frame, for facilitating adjustment of said frame relative to the base structure so that said plane can be positioned parallel to the grade plane; and
fourth means, coupled to at least one of said blade and said frame, for positioning said plane of said blade coincident with the grade plane, wherein subsequent rotation of said blade can strike off a wet pad of concrete coincident with the grade plane.
11. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 10 wherein said at least one support comprises two supports disposed on either side of said blade.
12. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 10 wherein a leading edge of said blade defines an S-shape in said plane.
13. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 10 further comprising a wing coupled to a trailing edge of said blade, said wing extending angularly away from said trailing edge and terminating beneath the grade plane when said plane of said blade is coincident with the grade plane.
14. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 10 wherein said first means comprises a laser receiver.
15. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 10 wherein said second means comprises a motor.
16. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 15 wherein said motor is detachable from said blade.
17. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 10 wherein said third means comprises at least one level sensing device coupled to said frame.
18. A wet pad strike off system, comprising:
a frame including at least one support adapted to rest on a base structure on which a quantity of wet concrete is placed;
a rotatable blade assembly coupled to and suspended from said frame, said rotatable blade assembly including a blade that is rotatable in a plane;
an elevation sensor coupled to said blade for sensing elevation of said blade relative to a grade plane;
a motor coupled to said rotatable blade assembly for generating on-demand rotation of said blade in said plane;
at least one level sensing device coupled to said frame and referenced to said plane of said blade for generating indications of a position of said plane relative to the grade plane wherein said frame can be adjusted in position relative to the base structure so that said plane can be positioned parallel to the grade plane; and
at least one linear actuator coupled to at least one of said blade and said frame for positioning said blade such that said plane of said blade is coincident with the grade plane.
19. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 18 wherein said at least one support comprises two supports disposed on either side of said blade.
20. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 18 wherein a leading edge of said blade defines an S-shape in said plane.
21. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 18 further comprising a wing coupled to a trailing edge of said blade, said wing extending angularly away from said trailing edge and terminating beneath the grade plane when said plane of said blade is coincident with the grade plane.
22. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 18 wherein said elevation sensor comprises a laser receiver.
23. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 18 wherein said indications generated by said at least one level sensing device are selected from the group consisting of visual and electronic indications.
24. A wet pad strike off system as in claim 18 wherein said motor is detachable from said rotating blade assembly.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/497,222 US20080031687A1 (en) | 2006-08-01 | 2006-08-01 | Wet pad strike off system |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
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US11/497,222 US20080031687A1 (en) | 2006-08-01 | 2006-08-01 | Wet pad strike off system |
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US20080031687A1 true US20080031687A1 (en) | 2008-02-07 |
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US11/497,222 Abandoned US20080031687A1 (en) | 2006-08-01 | 2006-08-01 | Wet pad strike off system |
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Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20090226257A1 (en) * | 2008-03-10 | 2009-09-10 | Lindley Joseph W | Screed system |
US20100183369A1 (en) * | 2009-01-22 | 2010-07-22 | Lindley Joseph W | Automatically adjustable rolling screed |
US20110135388A1 (en) * | 2008-02-27 | 2011-06-09 | Somero Enterprises, Inc. | Concrete finishing apparatus |
ITVI20110084A1 (en) * | 2011-04-05 | 2012-10-06 | Lomar S R L | MACHINE AND METHOD FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOOR SUBSTRATES |
RU2588266C2 (en) * | 2011-04-05 | 2016-06-27 | Ломар С.Р.Л | Concrete finishing machine and method of levelling underlay |
US10539416B2 (en) * | 2015-03-17 | 2020-01-21 | Christopher A. Bennett | Sensor positioning device |
US20210010211A1 (en) * | 2019-07-11 | 2021-01-14 | Wirtgen Gmbh | Slip Form Paver |
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US4371287A (en) * | 1980-06-18 | 1983-02-01 | Leif Johansson | Surface trowelling device |
US4848960A (en) * | 1987-04-15 | 1989-07-18 | Shimizu Construction Company Limited | Finishing machine for a concrete surface |
US5039249A (en) * | 1989-08-18 | 1991-08-13 | Hansen Joel D | Apparatus for screening and trowelling concrete |
US5288166A (en) * | 1992-06-26 | 1994-02-22 | Allen Engineering Corporation | Laser operated automatic grade control system for concrete finishing |
US5328295A (en) * | 1992-06-26 | 1994-07-12 | Allen Engineering Corporation | Torsional automatic grade control system for concrete finishing |
US6264397B1 (en) * | 1999-12-28 | 2001-07-24 | Charles Majewski | Dual trowel blade assembly |
US7104725B1 (en) * | 2004-04-22 | 2006-09-12 | Kelly Kipp | Concrete finishing attachment |
US7144194B2 (en) * | 2004-04-22 | 2006-12-05 | Kipp Jr John H | Surface finisher |
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US4371287A (en) * | 1980-06-18 | 1983-02-01 | Leif Johansson | Surface trowelling device |
US4848960A (en) * | 1987-04-15 | 1989-07-18 | Shimizu Construction Company Limited | Finishing machine for a concrete surface |
US5039249A (en) * | 1989-08-18 | 1991-08-13 | Hansen Joel D | Apparatus for screening and trowelling concrete |
US5288166A (en) * | 1992-06-26 | 1994-02-22 | Allen Engineering Corporation | Laser operated automatic grade control system for concrete finishing |
US5328295A (en) * | 1992-06-26 | 1994-07-12 | Allen Engineering Corporation | Torsional automatic grade control system for concrete finishing |
US6264397B1 (en) * | 1999-12-28 | 2001-07-24 | Charles Majewski | Dual trowel blade assembly |
US7104725B1 (en) * | 2004-04-22 | 2006-09-12 | Kelly Kipp | Concrete finishing attachment |
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Cited By (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20110135388A1 (en) * | 2008-02-27 | 2011-06-09 | Somero Enterprises, Inc. | Concrete finishing apparatus |
US8075222B2 (en) * | 2008-02-27 | 2011-12-13 | Somero Enterprises, Inc. | Concrete finishing apparatus |
US20090226257A1 (en) * | 2008-03-10 | 2009-09-10 | Lindley Joseph W | Screed system |
US20100183369A1 (en) * | 2009-01-22 | 2010-07-22 | Lindley Joseph W | Automatically adjustable rolling screed |
US8322946B2 (en) | 2009-01-22 | 2012-12-04 | Lindley Joseph W | Automatically adjustable rolling screed |
ITVI20110084A1 (en) * | 2011-04-05 | 2012-10-06 | Lomar S R L | MACHINE AND METHOD FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF FLOOR SUBSTRATES |
WO2012137232A1 (en) * | 2011-04-05 | 2012-10-11 | Lomar S.R.L. | Screeding machine and method for leveling floor bases |
RU2588266C2 (en) * | 2011-04-05 | 2016-06-27 | Ломар С.Р.Л | Concrete finishing machine and method of levelling underlay |
US10539416B2 (en) * | 2015-03-17 | 2020-01-21 | Christopher A. Bennett | Sensor positioning device |
US20210010211A1 (en) * | 2019-07-11 | 2021-01-14 | Wirtgen Gmbh | Slip Form Paver |
US10982396B2 (en) * | 2019-07-11 | 2021-04-20 | Wirtgen Gmbh | Slip form paver |
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