US20190136521A1

US20190136521A1 - Metal skeleton for the reinforcement of concrete walls and floors

Info

Publication number: US20190136521A1
Application number: US15/968,908
Authority: US
Inventors: Milan Karakas
Original assignee: Kach Inc
Current assignee: Kach Inc
Priority date: 2017-11-09
Filing date: 2018-05-02
Publication date: 2019-05-09

Abstract

A pre-engineered metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure comprises a plurality of elongated primary beams and a plurality of interconnecting members each formed from flat sheets of metal. The interconnecting members frictionally interlock with co-operating receiving portions formed on the primary beams to thereby secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without requiring supplemental fastening means. The plurality of interconnecting members have both their major axis and their minor axis oriented substantially transversely to the major axis of the elongated central main body portion of the primary beams.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the reinforcement of concrete structures, and more particularly to the reinforcement of concrete wall and floor structures by a metal skeleton made of pre-metal components without the use of conventional rebar.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

When constructing a concrete structure, such as the walls and floors of a building, it is common to form the concrete structure by pouring concrete, or sometimes pumping concrete, into a hollow form structure. For the sake of cost reduction, the hollow form structure is typically made from of wood, but may also be made from one or more suitable materials such as steel or other metal materials, or possibly more than one of these materials used together.
In the case of a wall, the hollow form structure is generally defined by opposed generally planar vertical wall forms and side barriers that extend between the opposed generally planar vertical wall forms. In the case of a floor, the hollow form structure is generally defined by a horizontal bottom form and side barriers that extend upwardly from the horizontal bottom form. In any case, the top is open to permit the pouring of concrete into the hollow interior thereof.
Due to the structural characteristics of concrete, it is generally necessary to reinforce the concrete structure in order to maximize the strength and rigidity of the structure. The most common way used in the prior art to provide such reinforcement is to construct a metal skeleton from steel reinforcing rods, also known as re-bar. Re-bar typically comprises cylindrical steel rods having a faceted outer surface that precludes movement of the re-bar with respect to the concrete. Other cross-sectional shapes, such as an “L”-shape are also used.
Numerous problems arise from using re-bar as a reinforcement skeleton for concrete structures. Many of these problems stem from the fact that re-bar is typically shipped (like construction lumber) in bulk to a job site in standardized lengths (or as a continuous roll) that must be cut to size on the job site for subsequent use in assembling the reinforcement skeleton. As such, there substantially no significant pre-engineering that goes into the design or building of such re-enforcement structures, and much happenstance into how they are constructed on site. In short, quality control is substantially hit and miss, and dependent to an unacceptably large extent upon the experience and skill of the construction workers who form the skeleton from bulk materials on site.
Additionally, on-site cutting typically requires the use of cutting torches and/or high-powered metal cutting saws under the less than ideal conditions that typically exist at an open air construction site where structural concrete is being poured. Such tools are expensive to own and dangerous to operate, and are subject to theft, or damage, on construction sites.
Additionally, there is a need for at least semi-skilled labour to carry out the process of constructing the reinforcement structure, as such labour must be able to accurately read plans and to safely operate the cutting tools necessary to accurately cut the re-bar to the various lengths required by the plans for assembly of the reinforcement structure prior to its insertion into the hollow form structures used to retain the concrete. Such labour is expensive and not always readily available when needed.
Furthermore, after cutting to the required lengths, the required number of cut sections of re-bar must be assembled and connected together to form the internal reinforcement skeleton by means of supplemental fastening means, which can include, without limitation, clips, clamps, threaded fasteners, and/or welding. The need for supplemental fastening means not only significantly adds to the cost of producing prior art metal reinforcement skeletons from re-bar, but significantly lengthens the time to produce such skeletons. Moreover, the use of welding equipment to attach re-bar components one to the other is particularly expensive, is subject to explosive mishaps, to damage, and to theft from construction sites.
Even with the proper tools and labour on hand, the cutting and assembly of the components necessary to construct an internal reinforcement skeleton from re-bar at a construction site is slow and difficult, due in large part to the harsh and disruptive working conditions that typically exist at such open-air construction sites where concrete is being poured. These conditions commonly include the lack of cover from rain, wind and cold, and the lack of clear and even work surfaces and spaces for cutting and assembly of the metal skeleton. Such adverse conditions introduce the significant possibility of errors being made and/or shortcuts being taken.
Further, prior art metal skeletons made from re-bar can easily be bent, or otherwise deformed, from their intended shape either during or after assembly, and they lack means for quickly and accurately indicating that a minimum thickness and/or depth of concrete has been evenly and consistently poured therearound during the construction of a concrete floor or wall structure. There is thus a need in the prior art for increased consistency and quality control in the floors or walls produced using metal reinforcement skeletons.
Construction of metal reinforcement skeletons from re-bar also involves significant expense and logistics problems in procuring all of the necessary materials and assembly equipment from various sources and shipping same, in a secure and timely manner, to a construction site. These problems include, without limitation, the nearly inevitable chance of materials or assembly equipment not arriving at, or disappearing from, a construction site, the lack of protection from weather and other agents of metal materials stored at a construction site, the lack of ready access by workers to plans for assembling the metal skeleton.
For at least the above reasons, there exists in the prior art a need for pre-engineered metal reinforcement skeletons that are readily reproducible as full scale test mules for stress and quality control evaluation and testing in controlled environments prior to the skeletons being rolled out for use on a construction site.
Additionally, there exists in the prior art a need for metal reinforcement skeletons that provide enhanced strength and security to the concrete structures formed therearound. Such a need is particularly applicable to wall or floor structures intended for use in a security applications, such as bank vaults, prisons, court houses or other public, governmental or diplomatic buildings and facilities where the walls or floors of such structures may be subjected to destructive attack by vehicles, firearms, explosives, or other destructive devices, weapons or agents. Use of the applicant's internal reinforcement skeleton provides increased strength and security without proportionally increasing the overall thickness of the concrete wall or floor structure formed therearound.
Additionally, there is a need in the prior art for the steel or other metal cladding that serves as wall forms during pouring of the concrete around the reinforcement skeleton to be able to remain permanently attached to the reinforcement structure as an exterior surface of the concrete structure after curing of the concrete, thereby providing significant additional strength and security to the finished structure. In this latter regard, such metal cladding can present a wide variety of different surface treatments, coatings or other finishes on its exposed outer surfaces, thereby providing considerable additional aesthetic and functional utility over that available with prior art poured concrete walls and floors.
More recently, various types of reinforcement skeletons apart from re-bar skeletons have been made available, as can be found in the following prior art documents.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0248832 to Shidler, published Nov. 9, 2006, and is entitled Concrete Wall Form Tie. The disclosed concrete wall form system 10 includes a plurality of wall forms 12 which are arranged to form two series of coplanar walls held in opposing spaced-apart, generally parallel relationship to define a cavity into which concrete is poured and cured to form a concrete wall. The inwardly facing surfaces of the adjacent wall forms 12 are held in a coplanar relationship by connecting pins 14. The two spaced-apart forms 12 are held in the desired spaced-apart relationship by wall ties 16 that are typically fabricated from a strip of metal, such as steel or aluminium, or various other materials or combinations thereof, having a substantially uniform thickness. The wall ties 16 are cut or otherwise configured to define a plurality of notches 28 for positioning reinforcing rods or bars (also known as “re-bar”). Each wall form includes vertical frame members 17 that define a series of vertically spaced-apart apertures 18. The vertical frame members 17 also include a recess 20 adapted to receive an end 22 of wall tie 16. Typically, the depth of recess 20 is about equal to the thickness of wall tie 16 to allow adjacent vertical frame members 17 to about each other with end 22 of wall tie 16 sandwiched between the abutting vertical frame members. A pin 24 passes through a circular aperture 26 defined at each of opposite ends 22 of the wall tie 16 to securely retain wall tie 16 within recess 20 and thereby hold the opposing walls in the desired spaced relationship defining a cavity into which concrete is poured. Although U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2006/0248832 to Shidler may have some advantages over conventional prior art of re-bar skeletons, but does not teach the inventive concepts of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,516,589 to Messiqua et al., issued Apr. 14, 2009, and is entitled High-Strength Concrete Wall Formwork. The disclosed concrete wall formwork increases the rigidity of the integrated formworks at the time of their installation. FIG. 1 shows a part of a formwork for a concrete wall. The formwork includes two parallel formwork walls (1, 1′) oriented one facing the other. The formwork walls (1, 1′) are generally made up of relatively flexible latticed metallic panels. Each wall (1, 1′) has secured to it U-shaped vertical bars (2, 2′) with an open channel directed in towards the formwork. The U-shaped vertical bars (2, 2′) are spaced preferably at regular intervals along the entire length of the formwork walls (1, 1′). These stiffener bars (2, 2′) contribute to the stability of the formwork walls (1, 1′). The stiffener bars (2, 2′) are fixed to the mesh of the formwork walls (1, 1′) by welding, by hooking on the lugs or by tying with metallic wire means. Horizontal bars (3, 3′) extend through cooperating apertures in the vertical stiffener bars (2, 2′). The formwork walls (1, 1′) are maintained in spaced relation one from the other by a plurality of connection perpendicular connection bars whose lengths are just slightly less than the distance separating the formwork walls (1, 1′). The perpendicular connection bars have apertures (not specifically shown) at each end to receive horizontal bar (3, 3′) therethrough. The apertures in the ends of the connection bars are slightly bigger than the outside diameter of the horizontal bars (3, 3′) in order to allow for the free movement of the horizontal bar (3, 3′). This manner of free movement allows the connection bars to be articulated around the horizontal bars (3, 3′) so the formwork walls can be folded one against the other at the time of storage or transport. These connection bars are preferably positioned between the lateral sides of the U-shaped stiffener bars (2, 2′) in order to prevent the connection bars from moving along the horizontal bars either during the setting of the formwork or during the pouring of the concrete. U.S. Pat. No. 7,516,589 to Messiqua et al. may have some advantages over conventional prior art re-bar skeletons, but does not teach the inventive concepts or advantages of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,621,808 to Sharpe et al., issued Jan. 27, 2014, and is entitled Stud Frame and Formwork Panel Constructed Therefrom. The disclosed stud frame 10 is for constructing a formwork panel unit 12 and comprises a first side member 14 connected to and spaced apart in parallel relation from a second side member 16 by a plurality of interconnecting members 18 formed from a suitable metal such as steel. Each of the side members 14 and 16 comprises an elongate planar member (not numbered) having transversely extending flanges 19 along longitudinal edges thereof. The flanges 19 of the first side member 14 are directed inwardly towards the second side member 16 and the flanges of the second side member 16 are directed inwardly towards the first side member 14. The formwork panel unit 12 is constructed by securing a first side panel 20 to the first side members 14 of a plurality of stud frames 10 and securing a second side panel 22 to the second side members 16 of said plurality of stud frames 10. U.S. Pat. No. 8,621,808 to Sharpe et al. may have some advantages over conventional prior art re-bar skeletons, but does not teach the inventive concepts or advantages of the present invention.
According to one object of the present invention there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure, such as a wall or a floor of a building, to be formed therearound, which metal skeleton overcomes one or more of the problems associated with the prior art by providing a metal skeleton that is capable of being pre-engineered to exacting standards of rigidity and strength and quality control
According to another object of the present invention, there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, wherein use of the metal skeleton substantially lessens the need for skilled or semi-skilled labour for construction of the skeleton.
According to another object of the present invention, there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound that is readily reproducible and that is easily and quickly assembled by unskilled labour interlocking together the components thereof, one to the other, without the need for expensive or dangerous tools, such as cutting torches, cutting saws or welding equipment, and without the need for supplemental fastening means, such as, for example, clips, clamps, threaded fasteners or welded connections.
According to another object of the present invention, there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, wherein assembly of the metal skeleton can be carried out relatively quickly and easily at a construction site without the need for measuring and cutting tools, requiring only simple hand tools, such as hammers, U-shaped bending channels, and/or a pair of Vice-Grip™, or the like.
According to another object of the present invention, there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, wherein the metal skeleton is substantially quicker and easier to assembly than prior art metal skeletons and may be substantially self-supporting when assembled, as compared to prior art metal skeletons constructed from re-bar.
According to another object of the present invention, there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, wherein the skeleton may be at least partially pre-assembled by unskilled labour in a factory or other sheltered assembly facility under more controlled conditions as compared to the construction site where the concrete structure will be poured.
According to another object of the present invention, there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete wall or floor structure to be formed therearound which can be manufactured according to very high pre-engineered standards of strength and durability and that is easily reproducible for pre-testing purposes, and for the purposes of building similar concrete structures in the future.
According to another object of the present invention, there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound which can be assembled with greater speed and accuracy than prior art reinforcement skeletons.
According to another object of the present invention, there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound which significantly reduces the likelihood of dimensional errors in the concrete structure formed therearound.
According to another object of the present invention, there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, wherein the metal skeleton provides means indicating that a minimum thickness and/or depth of concrete has been evenly and consistently poured therearound during the construction of a concrete floor or wall structure.
According to another object of the present invention, there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, wherein the components of the metal skeleton can be readily procured and securely shipped from a single source to a construction site in a standard shipping container.
According to another object of the present invention, there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound whose unassembled components are more readily protected from theft, damage and exposure to adverse weather conditions on a construction site than are the components of unassembled re-bar reinforcement skeletons.
According to another object of the present invention, there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, wherein more accurately dimensioned and more complicated concrete structures can be more easily formed therearound than is possible with conventional re-bar reinforcement skeletons.
According to another object of the present invention, there is provided a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, wherein weather resistant instructions may be provided with the components of the metal skeleton in a manner in which they are not easily lost or ruined at an open-air construction site.
There is thus disclosed according to one embodiment of the present invention a novel metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound. The metal skeleton comprises a plurality of primary beams, each having a central main body portion with a major axis defining the orientation of the length of the central main body portion and a minor axis defining the orientation of the width of the central main body portion, with the minor axis being transverse to the major axis. Each of the plurality of primary beams is formed from a substantially flat sheet of metal material. There is also a plurality of interconnecting members, each having a major axis defining the orientation of its length and a minor axis defining the orientation of its width, the minor axis being transverse to the major axis. The interconnecting members interlock with co-operating receiving portions formed on the primary beams to thereby secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means, and with the plurality of interconnecting members have both their major axis and their minor axis oriented substantially transversely to the major axis of the central main body portion of the primary beams.
There is also disclosed according to another embodiment of the present invention a novel metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound. The metal skeleton comprises a plurality of primary beams, each having a major axis defining the orientation of its length and a minor axis defining the orientation of its width, with the minor axis being transverse to the major axis. There is also a plurality of interconnecting members, each having a major axis defining the orientation of its length and a minor axis defining the orientation of its width, with the minor axis being transverse to the major axis. A plurality of major receiving notches is disposed along the length of each of the primary beams, wherein the major receiving notches each have a narrow throat portion and a wide rear portion open to the narrow throat portion. The interconnecting members interlock with the major receiving notches formed on the primary beams to thereby secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means. The plurality of interconnecting members each have both their major axis and their minor axis oriented substantially transversely to the major axis of the primary beams.
There is also disclosed according to another embodiment of the present invention a novel metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound. The metal skeleton comprises a plurality of primary beams, each having a major axis defining the orientation of its length and a minor axis defining the orientation of its width, and wherein the minor axis is transverse to the major axis. The skeleton also comprises a plurality of interconnecting members, each having a major axis defining the orientation of its length and a minor axis defining the orientation of its width, the minor axis being transverse to the major axis. A plurality of major receiving notches is disposed along the length of each of the primary beams. The major receiving notches each have a narrow throat portion defined by first and second facing throat edges. An open space is disposed adjacent the first throat edge of the narrow throat portion of the major receiving notches so as to define a locking clip between the narrow throat portion and the open space. The locking clip is movable between a support passing position and a support locking position. In the support passing position, the interconnecting members can pass through the narrow throat portion and into the wide rear portion. In the support locking position, the interconnecting member is precluded from passing through the narrow throat portion and is thereby retained in place in the wide rear portion. The interconnecting members interlock with the major receiving notches formed on the primary beams, as locked in place by the locking clips, to thereby secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means. The plurality of interconnecting members have both their major axis and their minor axis oriented substantially transversely to the major axis of the primary beams.
There is also disclosed according to another embodiment of the present invention a novel metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, the concrete structure having a thickness defined between first and second opposed surfaces positioned on opposite sides of a medial plane of the metal skeleton. The metal skeleton comprises a plurality of primary beams, each having a central main body portion with a major axis defining the orientation of the length of the central main body portion and a minor axis defining the orientation of the width of the central main body portion, with the minor axis being transverse to the major axis. Each of the plurality of primary beams is formed from a substantially flat sheet of metal material. There is also a plurality of interconnecting members, each having a major axis defining the orientation of its length and a minor axis defining the orientation of its width, with the minor axis being transverse to the major axis. The interconnecting members interlock with co-operating receiving portions formed on the primary beams to thereby secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means, and with the plurality of interconnecting members have both their major axis and their minor axis oriented substantially transversely to the major axis of the primary beams, and such that the primary beams are oriented with their major axis arranged substantially parallel one to the next and with their minor axis arranged substantially transverse to the medial plane, with their widths extend between the first and second opposed surfaces.
There is also disclosed according to another embodiment of the present invention a novel method of producing a flat-shippable three-dimensional concrete reinforcement skeleton for assembly at a site remote from the production site without the need of supplemental cutting or fastening means. The method comprises the steps of: a) forming from one or more flat sheets of metal a first plurality of primary beams and a second plurality of interconnecting members substantially pre-cut therein so as to be retained in place within the sheets by frangible connection points left uncut in a remainder of the flat sheets of metal material, with each of the primary beams having a third plurality of mechanical interlocking means integrally formed thereon adjacent lateral edges of the primary beams; b) loading the flat sheets into one or more shipping containers; c) relocating the one or more shipping containers to the assembly site; d) removing the flat sheets of metal material from the one or more shipping containers; e) breaking the frangible connection points; f) separating the primary beams and the interconnecting members from the remainder of the corresponding flat sheets of metal material; g) arranging the second plurality of interconnecting members adjacent the first plurality of primary beams with respective ones of the mechanical interlocking means in operatively close proximity to the second plurality of interconnecting members; and, h) fitting the plurality of interconnecting members within respective ones of the plurality of mechanical interlocking means to secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means.
There is also disclosed according to another embodiment of the present invention a novel kit for assembling a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound. The kit comprises a plurality of primary beams, each having a central main body portion with a major axis defining the orientation of the length of the central main body portion and a minor axis defining the orientation of the width of the central main body portion, with the minor axis being transverse to the major axis. Each of the plurality of primary beams is formed from a substantially flat sheet of metal material. A plurality of interconnecting members each have a major axis defining the orientation of its length and a minor axis defining the orientation of its width, with the minor axis being transverse to the major axis. The interconnecting members are dimensioned and otherwise adapted to interlock with co-operating receiving portions integrally formed on the primary beams to secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means. The plurality of interconnecting members each having both their major axis and their minor axis oriented substantially transversely to the major axis of the central main body portion of the primary beams upon assembly of the metal skeleton.
There is also disclosed according to another embodiment of the present invention a novel kit used for assembling a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound. The kit comprises a plurality of flat sheets of metal material having a plurality of primary beams and a plurality of interconnecting members substantially pre-cut therein so as to be retained in place by frangible connection points left uncut in the substantially flat sheets of metal material to thereby be subsequently separable from the remainder of the corresponding one of the flat sheets of metal material after shipping to an assembly site. The interconnecting members interlock with co-operating receiving portions formed on the primary beams to thereby secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means.
There is also disclosed according to another embodiment of the present invention a novel method of providing the components of a flat-shippable three-dimensional concrete reinforcement skeleton for assembly at a site remote from the production site without the need of supplemental cutting or fastening means. The method comprises the steps of a) forming from one or more flat sheets of metal a first plurality of primary beams and a second plurality of interconnecting members substantially pre-cut therein so as to be retained in place within the sheets by frangible connection points left uncut in a remainder of the flat sheets of metal material, with each of the primary beams having a third plurality of mechanical interlocking means integrally formed thereon adjacent lateral edges of the primary beams; b) loading the flat sheets into one or more shipping containers; and c) relocating the one or more shipping containers to the assembly site.
There is also disclosed according to another embodiment of the present invention a novel method of assembling a metal skeleton from a plurality of flat sheets of metal material having a plurality of primary beams and a plurality of interconnecting members substantially pre-cut therein so as to be retained in place by frangible connection points left uncut in the substantially flat sheets of metal material to thereby be subsequently separable from the remainder of the corresponding one of the flat sheets of metal material after shipping to an assembly site, for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound. The method comprises the steps of a) separating the plurality of primary beams and the plurality of interconnecting members from the remainder of the corresponding one of the flat sheets of metal material; and b) interlocking the plurality of interconnecting members with co-operating receiving portions formed on the primary beams to thereby secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means.
The above and other aspects, objects, advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, the latter of which is briefly described hereinbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the present invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated by way of example. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton according to the present invention being assembled at an assembly site, showing metal wall forms in place supported by the metal skeleton, and with concrete being poured into one section of the metal skeleton;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the first illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton as shown in FIG. 1, prior to the metal wall forms being put in place on both the first side and the second side of the metal skeleton to be supported by the metal skeleton;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton of FIG. 2, showing a single longitudinal section for the sake of ease of illustration and explanation;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the one longitudinal section of FIG. 3, additionally showing the end caps in place on the ends of the metal skeleton and supported by the metal skeleton;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the one longitudinal section of FIG. 4, and additionally showing some of the metal wall forms in place on the first side of the metal skeleton and supported by the metal skeleton;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the one longitudinal section of FIG. 5, and additionally showing all of the wall forms in place on the second side of the metal skeleton and supported by the metal skeleton, as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a top corner portion of the one longitudinal section of the first illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a vertically central portion of the one longitudinal section of the first illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton and metal wall forms of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the one longitudinal section of the first illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the one longitudinal section of the first illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view from the back of one of the primary beams of the first illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view from the front of the primary beam of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of the primary beam of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged front elevational view of a top portion of the primary beam of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a rear elevational view of the primary beam of FIG. 11;

FIG. 16A is a rear elevational view of a top portion of the primary beam of FIG. 15;

FIG. 16B is an enlarged view of the encircled area 16B shown in FIG. 16A;

FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of one of the interconnecting members of the first illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton as shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of the interconnecting member of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19A is a perspective view from the back of one of the metal wall forms of the first illustrated embodiment;

FIG. 19B is an enlarged view of the encircled area 19B shown in FIG. 19A;

FIG. 19C is a perspective view similar to FIG. 19, but of an alternative embodiment of metal wall form according to the invention;

FIG. 19D is an enlarged view of the encircled area 19D shown in FIG. 19C;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged perspective view from the front of a top portion of the primary beam of FIG. 12, with the primary beam at an assembly site and ready to receive the interconnecting members in the major receiving notches of the primary beam;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged perspective view similar to FIG. 20, but also showing an interconnecting member about to be inserted into one of the major receiving notches of the primary beam;

FIG. 22A is an enlarged perspective view similar to FIG. 21, but additionally showing the interconnecting member partially inserted into one of the major receiving notches of the primary beam;

FIG. 22B is an enlarged front elevational view of the primary beam and interconnecting member as shown in FIG. 22A;

FIG. 23A is an enlarged exploded perspective view similar to FIG. 22A, but with the interconnecting member further inserted into one of the major receiving notches of the primary beam, and showing the interconnecting member about to deflect the locking clip upwardly upon further insertion into the notch;

FIG. 23B is an enlarged front elevational view of the primary beam and interconnecting member as shown in FIG. 23A;

FIG. 24A is an enlarged exploded perspective view similar to FIG. 23A, but with the interconnecting member even further inserted into one of the major receiving notches of the primary beam, and showing the locking clip deflected upwardly by the interconnecting member from the support passing position and the support locking position, to thereby permit the interconnecting member to be fully inserted into the major receiving notch;

FIG. 24B is an enlarged front elevational view of the primary beam and interconnecting member as shown in FIG. 24A;

FIG. 25A is an enlarged exploded perspective view similar to FIG. 24A, but with the interconnecting member fully inserted into one of the major receiving notches of the primary beam;

FIG. 25B is an enlarged front elevational view of the primary beam and interconnecting member as shown in FIG. 25A;

FIG. 26 is an enlarged side elevational view of a top portion of the primary beam of FIG. 11, showing a connector tab and connector fingers that interconnect each of the first side wing portion and the second side wing portion to the central main body portion;

FIG. 27 is a front elevational view of the primary beam of FIG. 12, before the first side wing portion and the second side wing portion are folded at right angles with respect to the central main body portion at an assembly site;

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the primary beam of FIG. 27, but showing the first side wing portion being bent into place with respect to the central main body portion at an assembly site;

FIG. 29 is a top plan view of a substantially flat sheet of metal material used to form therein the various components of the first illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton;

FIG. 30A is a top plan view of the substantially flat sheet of metal material of FIG. 29, but with the primary beams in a flat configuration and interconnecting members formed therein by laser cutting, thereby producing a substantially flat formed sheet of metal material;

FIG. 30B is an enlarged view of the encircled area 30B shown in FIG. 30A;

FIG. 31 is a top plan view of the substantially flat formed sheet of metal material of FIG. 30A, but with one of the primary beams being angularly rotated to thereby be removed from the substantially flat sheet of metal material;

FIG. 32 is a top plan view of the substantially flat formed sheet of metal material of FIG. 31, but with one of the primary beams and one of the interconnecting members each fully removed and set off to the side;

FIG. 33 is a perspective view from the first end of a second illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton according to the present invention;

FIG. 34 is a side elevational view of the second illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton as shown in FIG. 33;

FIG. 35 is an enlarged perspective view from the first end of a portion of the second illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton as shown in FIG. 33;

FIG. 36 is a perspective view from the second end of a portion of the second illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton as shown in FIG. 33;

FIG. 37 is a perspective view from the second end of a portion of the second illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton as shown in FIG. 36, and additionally with six first interconnecting members, four second interconnecting members, and two third interconnecting members installed in place;

FIG. 38 is an enlarged perspective view from the second end of a portion of the second illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton as shown in FIG. 37, showing two third interconnecting members being installed in place;

FIG. 39 is a partially exploded perspective view similar to FIG. 37, but showing two first interconnecting members, one second interconnecting member, and two third interconnecting members about to be installed in place;

FIG. 40 is a front elevational view of the primary beam as shown in FIGS. 33 through 39;

FIG. 41 is a perspective view of a first interconnecting member of the second illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton as shown in FIG. 33;

FIG. 42 is a perspective view of a second interconnecting member of the second illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton as shown in FIG. 33;

FIG. 43 is a perspective view of a third interconnecting member of the second illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton as shown in FIG. 33;

FIG. 44 is a perspective view of a metal wall form of the second illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton as shown in FIG. 33;

FIG. 45 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 33, but with a plurality of metal wall forms in place supported by the metal skeleton;

FIG. 46 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the metal skeleton and metal wall forms of FIG. 45, with some of the securing wedges having been inserted into the wedge-receiving apertures in the weight-carrying tabs and with some of the securing wedges about to be inserted into the wedge-receiving apertures in the weight-varying tabs;

FIG. 47 is an enlarged perspective view similar to FIG. 46, with all of the securing wedges having been inserted into the wedge-receiving apertures in the weight-carrying tabs and with some of the outer frangible portions of the weight-bearing tabs having been removed after the pouring of concrete;

FIG. 48 is a further enlarged perspective view of a portion of FIG. 47;

FIG. 49 is a top plan view of a substantially flat sheet of metal material used to form therein the various components of the second illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton;

FIG. 50A is a top plan view of the substantially flat sheet of metal material of FIG. 49, but with primary beams in a flat configuration and interconnecting members formed therein by laser cutting, thereby producing a substantially flat formed sheet of metal material;

FIG. 50B is an enlarged view of the encircled area 50B FIG. 50A;

FIG. 51 is a top plan view of the substantially flat formed sheet of metal material of FIG. 50A, but with one of the primary beams being angularly rotated to thereby be removed from the substantially flat sheet of metal material;

FIG. 52 is a top plan view of the substantially flat formed sheet of metal material of FIG. 51, but with one of the primary beams and one of the interconnecting members each fully removed and set off to the side;

FIG. 53 is a side elevational view of one of the primary beams of a third illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton according to the present invention;

FIG. 54 is a perspective view of the third illustrated embodiment primary beam of FIG. 53;

FIG. 55 is top plan view of one of the interconnecting members of the third illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton according to the present invention;

FIG. 56 is a perspective view of the third illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton according to the present invention, shown partially assembled in a generally vertical orientation;

FIG. 57 is a perspective view of a top portion of the third illustrated embodiment metal skeleton of FIG. 56;

FIG. 58 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 56, but also showing some of the interconnecting members about to be received by the primary beams for subsequent interlocking therewith;

FIG. 59 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 58, but with the interconnecting members interlocked to the primary beams at both the first and second side edges of the primary beams, to complete assembly of the third embodiment of metal skeleton;

FIG. 60A is a perspective view similar to FIG. 59, but with the metal skeleton being moved to a generally horizontal orientation, and showing an enlarged portion with the bendable tabs bent to a securing position to keep the interconnecting member lattice in place;

FIG. 60B is an enlarged view of the encircled area 60B shown in FIG. 60A;

FIG. 61 is a top plan view of a portion of the third illustrated embodiment of metal skeleton shown in FIG. 60A rotated through approximately 90 degrees;

FIG. 62 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the primary beam of FIG. 53, but also showing a weight-bearing metal clip being secured in place thereon;

FIG. 63 is an enlarged perspective view similar to FIG. 62, but also showing a metal wall form (partially shown) locked in place by a securing wedge engaged in the weight-bearing metal clip of FIG. 62; and,

FIG. 64 is a flow chart depicting a method according to the present invention of producing the flat-shippable three-dimensional concrete reinforcement skeleton.

PARTS LIST

100 metal skeleton (first illustrated embodiment)
100 a top
100 b bottom
100 c first end
100 d second end
100 e first side
100 f second side
101 first opposed surface
102 second opposed surface
103 production site
104 construction site
106 concrete
107 kit
108 shipping container
109 pair of pliers
110 concrete structure
110 w concrete wall structure
120 primary beams
121 first side edge
122 second side edge
123 first end
124 second end
125 central main body portion
126 a generally circular apertures
126 b generally rectangular apertures
127 frangible connection points
128 depth indicators
129 a first side wing portion
129 b second side wing portion
130 interconnecting member
131 top edge
132 bottom edge
133 first end
134 second end
136 contact portion
138 minor notches
150 metal wall forms
151 top
152 bottom
153 first end
154 second end
155 hook-engaging portions
155 a outwardly-and-downwardly projecting “L”-shaped flanges
155 b outwardly-and-upwardly projecting “L”-shaped flanges
156 a vertically oriented slots
156 b vertically oriented slots
150′ metal wall forms
158′ inwardly oriented projections
160 end caps
161 first side edge
162 second side edge
163 first end
164 second end
170 sheet of metal material
171 remainder of flat formed sheets
172 formed sheets of metal material
173 assembly instructions
180 receiving portions/major receiving notches
181 a first facing throat edge
181 b second facing throat edge
182 narrow throat portion
184 wide rear portion
185 b bottom end
186 open space
188 locking clip
190 connector tabs
192 bendable connector finger
194 upwardly projecting hooks
196 extension tab
“A” major axis of primary beams 120
“B” minor axis of primary beams 120
“C” major axis of interconnecting members 130
“D” minor axis of interconnecting members 130
“F” arrow
“G” arrow
“H” arrow
“I” arrow
“J” arrow
“K” arrow
“L” arrow
“LI” width of interconnecting members 130
“LM” length of central main body portion 125
“LP” length of primary beams 120
“LR” length of wide rear portion 184
“LT” length of narrow throat portion 182
“LW” length of concrete wall structure 110 w
“M” medial plane
“R1” angularly rotated
“T” thickness of concrete structure 110
“TI” thickness of interconnecting members 130
“WM” width of central main body portion 125
“WI” width of interconnecting members 130
“WR” width of wide rear portion 184
“WT” width of narrow throat portion 182
“V” arrow
200 metal skeleton (second illustrated embodiment)
220 primary beams
221 first side edge
222 second side edge
223 first end
224 second end
225 central main body portion
227 frangible connection points
228 depth indicators
230 first interconnecting members
231 top edge
232 bottom edge
233 first end
233 h co-operating flat hooks
234 second end
234 h co-operating flat hooks
240 second interconnecting members
241 top edge
242 bottom edge
243 first end
243 h co-operating flat hooks
244 second end
244 h co-operating flat hooks
245 third interconnecting members
246 top edge
247 bottom edge
248 first end
248 h co-operating flat hooks
249 second end
249 h co-operating flat hooks
250 metal wall forms
251 top
252 bottom
253 first end
254 second end
258 vertically oriented co-operating slots
270 sheets of metal material
271 remainder of the formed sheet of metal material
272 formed sheets of metal material
273 assembly instructions
280 co-operating receiving portions
290 weight-bearing tabs
292 inner base portion
294 outer frangible portion
296 “V”-notches
298 wedge-receiving aperture
299 securing wedge
“N” major axis of primary beams 220
“O” minor axis of primary beams 220
“P” major axis of interconnecting members 230, 240, 245
“Q” minor axis interconnecting members 230, 240, 245
“R2” angularly rotated
300 metal skeleton (third illustrated embodiment)
320 primary beams
321 first side edge
322 second side edge
323 first end
323 a receiving slots
324 second end
324 a receiving slots
325 central main body
330 interconnecting members
331 first side edge
332 second side edge
333 first end
334 second end
336 tab-receiving apertures
340 second interconnecting members
345 third interconnecting members
350 wall forms
360 first and second end-contacting members
361 first side edge
362 second side edge
363 first end
364 second end
365 securing flanges
380 receiving portions (bendable tabs)
390 weight-bearing metal clip
391 aperture
392 inner base portion
394 outer frangible portion
396 “V”-notches
398 wedge-receiving aperture
399 securing wedge
“R” major axis of primary beams 320
“S” minor axis of primary beams 320
“T” major axis of interconnecting members 330
“U” minor axis of interconnecting members 330

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 64 of the drawings, it will be noted that FIGS. 1 through 32 illustrate a first illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton according to the present invention, FIGS. 33 through 52 illustrate a second illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton according to the present invention, FIGS. 53 through 63 illustrate a third illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton according to the present invention, and FIG. 64 illustrates a method according to the present invention.
Reference will now be made to FIGS. 1 through 32, which show a first illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton 100 according to the present invention, as indicated by the general reference numeral 100. The first illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 100 is for the reinforcement of a concrete structure, as indicated by the general reference numeral 110, to be formed therearound. As illustrated, the concrete structure 110 comprises at least one of a concrete wall structure 110 w (as shown) and a concrete floor structure (not specifically illustrated). The concrete structure 110 could also be any one of several forms and/or shapes of structures, such as a barrier, a piece of outdoor furniture, a retaining wall, and so on.
It is contemplated that the metal skeleton 100 according to at least some embodiments enclosed herein could be used with conventional wall forms, which are typically made from wood, or any other suitable type of wall forms, including the specific wall forms disclosed in the present invention. Notwithstanding this flexibility, at least the first illustrated embodiment provides its own metal wall forms 150, that are designed to be left attached to the metal skeleton 100 after the concrete structure 110 is cured, to provide a finished surface of metal material, for added strength and durability (see, for example, FIG. 6).
As best seen in FIGS. 3-6, the first illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 100 extends between a top 100 a, a bottom 100 b, a first end 100 c, a second end 100 d, a first side 100 e and a second side 100 f. It should be understood that these terms have been chosen for the sake of clarity of explanation and are not necessarily absolute. For instance, the concrete wall structure 110 w as shown is a wall and is generally vertically oriented. Alternatively, the same structure or an analogous structure or a similar structure could be oriented horizontally so as to be utilized as a concrete floor structure or a concrete ceiling structure.
The metal skeleton 100 comprises a plurality of primary beams 120, each having a first side edge 121, a second side edge 122, a first end 123 and a second end 124, a plurality of interconnecting members 130, each having a top edge 131, a bottom edge 132, a first end 133 and a second end 134, metal wall forms 150, each having a top 151, a bottom 152, a first end 153 and a second end 154, and, optional end caps 160 (see, for example, FIG. 4), each having a first side edge 161, a second side edge 162, a first end 163 and a second end 164. The above terms have been selected according to the orientation of the assembled metal skeleton 100 as shown in the Figure illustrated in the first embodiment, with the primary beams 120 being oriented generally vertically, the interconnecting members 130 being oriented generally horizontally, the metal wall forms 150 being oriented generally vertically on atop the other, and with the end caps 160 being oriented generally vertically. The first illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 100 according to the present invention will now be described in greater detail below.
Reference will now be made to FIGS. 1 and 2 which show the present invention being installed at a construction site 104. For ease of illustration, only a portion of a complete concrete wall structure 110 w is shown as being installed.
More specifically, FIG. 1 shows an assembled portion of the metal skeleton 100 with all wall forms 150 installed thereon, having been installed at the construction site 104. It should be understood that the wall forms 150, which are shown separately in FIGS. 19 and 19A, are preferably made from a metal material such as stainless steel, but alternatively could be made from any other suitable material. Moreover, the wall forms 150 may be finished on the outer viewable surface with decorative coating or treatment, colored plastic coatings, vinyl anti-graffiti finishes, etc., to provide flexibility for finishing concrete walls not previously available in the prior art. The assembled portion of the metal skeleton 100 is shown in FIG. 2 prior to the metal wall forms 150 being installed thereon. The metal wall forms 150 are installed on both the first side 100 and the second side 100 f of the metal skeleton 100 to thereby act as wall forms to encase the concrete 106 that is being poured from the concrete-supplying truck 105 into and around the metal skeleton 100 and in between the opposed metal wall forms 150, as shown in FIG. 1.
The metal skeleton 100 can be assembled at either the construction site 104 as shown, or remotely from the construction site 104, at an independent assembly site. It is also possible that the metal skeleton 100 can be assembled at the production site 103, or in other words the factory where the components of the metal skeleton 100 are fabricated. Most commonly, the metal skeleton 100 will be assembled at the construction site 104 in order to minimize transportation costs and transportation effort, and also for the sake of overall convenience. In this case, the construction site 104 and the assembly site would be one and the same.
FIG. 3 shows one exemplary section of the metal skeleton 100 of FIG. 2, for the reinforcement of a concrete structure 110 to be formed therearound. The exemplary section is configured and oriented to help form a concrete structure 110, specifically shown in FIG. 1 as a concrete wall section that is of arbitrary height an arbitrary length. The concrete structure 110 has a thickness “T” defined between first 101 and second 102 opposed surfaces positioned on opposite sides of a medial plane “M” (see FIG. 7) of the metal skeleton 100, which surfaces 101,102 are physically defined by the exterior surfaces of the metal wall forms 150. The illustrated section of the first embodiment of the metal skeleton 100 includes a plurality of primary beams 120 and a plurality of interconnecting members 130, and also includes two optional end caps 160, as seen in FIG. 4. The end caps 160 would typically be used to close off an open end of the metal skeleton 100 that is not being joined to, or otherwise being continuous with, another portion of the metal skeleton 100.
As seen in the first illustrated embodiment, the plurality of primary beams 120 are preferably, but not necessarily, oriented substantially parallel one to the next and, more specifically, are generally vertically disposed in order to be aligned with the force of gravity. Also, the plurality of interconnecting members 130 are oriented substantially transversely to the primary beams 120 and are generally parallel one to the next. In this manner, any horizontally longitudinal forces, whether compressive or tensile, along the length of the concrete wall structure 110 w are transmitted generally along the major axes of the interconnecting members 130.
One of the advantages of the present invention is that its components, such as the primary beams 120, the interconnecting members 130, the metal wall forms 150, and the end caps 160, can all be fabricated from substantially flat sheets of metal material 170, as will be discussed in greater detail subsequently. Once the substantially flat sheets of metal material 170 have had the aforementioned components formed therein, they become formed sheets of metal material 172.
The substantially flat sheets of metal material 170 typically may be made from mild steel sheet or plate, stainless steel sheet or plate, aluminum sheet or plate, copper or brass sheet or plate, and would typically have a relatively thin gauge (e.g. about 0.1 mm to 19.0 mm), but can be made from any other suitable metal material appropriate for the intended application. Accordingly, the metal skeleton 100 may be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and requires only simple manually operable tools to work with. Further, it is relatively easy to cut, or otherwise remove, the components (such as the primary beams 120, the interconnecting members 130, the metal wall forms 150, and the end caps 160) of the metal skeleton 100 from the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172, and also relatively easy to bend the various components, as necessary.
It will be appreciated FIG. 29-32, that the plurality of primary beams 120, the interconnecting members 130, the metal wall forms 150, the end caps 160, and any one or more of the various other components used in the present invention may be formed from substantially flat sheets of metal material 170 such as that shown in FIG. 29.
More particularly, the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 are substantially pre-cut so as to be retained in place by frangible connection points 127 left uncut in the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172, as can be seen in FIG. 30A, which is a top plan view of a formed sheet of metal material 172, to thereby be subsequently separable from the remainder of the corresponding one of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 after shipping to an assembly site. The primary beams 120, which are in an initial flat configuration, and the interconnecting members 130 are formed therein. Each of the plurality of primary beams 120 and each of the interconnecting members 130 formed therein is cut, preferably by computer-controlled laser cutting, in the substantially flat sheet of metal material 170 to form the formed sheet of metal material 172. Preferably, the primary beams 120 and the plurality of interconnecting members 130, and any other components that might be in the substantially flat sheets of metal material 170, are cut using a computer numerical controlled (“CNC”) laser cutter in order to provide extreme accuracy, and to accommodate the cutting of complicated parts at reasonable cost and production rates. Such a CNC laser cutter may be, for example, an Amada™ Model LCG-3015 laser cutter, available from Amada Engineering Co., Ltd., of Kanagawa, Japan. The laser cutter is preferably programmed to maximize material usage and to minimize material waste by selecting optimized arrangements of the components to be cut on each flat sheet of metal material 170.
Also, as can be seen in FIGS. 30 through 32, the remainder 171 of the formed sheet of metal material 172 may optionally include instructions 173 related to the assembly of the metal skeleton 110 laser etched thereon. In this manner, wherever the metal skeleton 110 is assembled, detailed assembly instructions 173 may be readily available, thereat to facilitate assembly of the metal skeleton 110 by relatively unskilled labor. Moreover, as these instructions are laser etched into the sheet of metal material 172, they are substantially impervious to being destroyed by rain or other weather elements, and much less likely to being misplaced, lost or inadvertently destroyed, as with instructions provided on paper or other less durable media.
Another significant aspect of the present invention is that a relatively large number of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 can be readily packed into shipping containers, as stacked sheets one atop the other, including conventional shipping containers 108, as shown in FIG. 2, with little or no wasted space, or the need for individual handling of the components 120, 130, 150, and 160, thereby permitting cost-efficient loading and transportation to an assembly site, such as the construction site 104, and efficient unloading and handling at such site 104. Once at the assembly site or construction site 104, the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 can be quickly unloaded as sheets of components, from the shipping containers 108, and the separate components can thereafter be separated from the remainder 171 of the corresponding one of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172. Further, proper planning of the order in which the various components are formed in each flat sheet of metal material 170 can further simplify assembly of the metal skeleton 100 at an assembly site by ensuring that components to be connected one to another to form the skeleton 100 are in close proximity to one another on the same or adjacent sheets 172, once the flat formed sheets of metal material 172 are unloaded at, or otherwise ship to, an assembly site.
Further, as will be appreciated from FIG. 31, which is a top plan view of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172, one of the primary beams 120 and one of the interconnecting members 130 may be securely gripped by a pair of Vice-Grips™ 109, a U-shaped bending channel (not shown) or the like, and thereafter be angularly rotated, as indicated by arrow “R1”, to thereby be removed from the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172. FIG. 32 is a top plan view of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172, but with the one removed primary beam 120 and the one removed interconnecting member 130 each fully removed and set off to the side ready for assembly. The other primary beams 120 and interconnecting members 130 are removed from the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 in the same general manner, or in an analogous manner, or in any other suitable manner.
Preferably, but not necessarily, as discussed above, each of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 may contain a plurality of primary beams 120 and a plurality of interconnecting members 130. The exact number of primary beams 120 and interconnecting members 130 in any given substantially flat formed sheet of metal material 172 can be optimized for a particular job. For instance, in a given wall portion such as is shown in FIG. 3, there are ten primary beams 120 shown and seventy-two interconnecting members 130 shown, with thirty-six of the interconnecting members 130 being full length and thirty-six of the interconnecting members 130 being a shorter length. As can be readily seen, half of the interconnecting members 130 are disposed on one side of the medial plane and the other half of the interconnecting members 130 disposed on the opposite other side of the medial plane “M”.
As illustrated in FIGS. 20 through 25B, each full-length interconnecting member 130 and each shorter length interconnecting member 130 may be joined one to another to produce thirty-six multi-piece interconnecting members 130. For any given concrete wall structure 110 w, or for any given building, the optimal number of primary beams 120 and interconnecting members 130 to include on each of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 that are provided to the assembly site, or the construction site 104, can readily be calculated and be programmed for cutting into appropriate sheets 172 by a CNC laser cutter, as aforesaid.
The primary beams 120 as illustrated, are elongate and are shown in the first illustrated embodiment, as being vertically oriented to form the metal skeleton 100. The primary beams 120 each have a central main body portion 125 with a major axis as indicated by the reference character “A” and a minor axis as indicated by the reference character “B” (see FIGS. 11, 12 and 28). The major axis “A” defines the orientation of the length “LM” of the central main body portion 125 and the minor axis “B” defines the orientation of the width “WM” of the central main body portion 125. As can readily be seen, the minor axis “B” is transverse to the major axis “A”.
The central main body portion 125 defines a plurality of generally circular apertures 126 a and a plurality of generally rectangular apertures 126 b therein. The plurality of circular apertures 126 a and plurality of generally rectangular apertures 126 b in the central main body portion 125 are preferably spaced along the major axis “A” at regular intervals one from the next along the length “LP” of the primary beams 120. The apertures are included in the central main body portion 125 purposes of weight reduction, to permit concrete to flow therethrough during pouring thereof as illustrated in FIG. 1, and also to permit the passage of monitoring wires, electrical supply cables, pipes, and so on, through the concrete wall structure 110 w, or other concrete structures formed using the metal skeleton 100.
The primary beams 120 also each comprise depth indicators 128 extending horizontally outwardly beyond the first 121 and second 122 side edges of the primary beams 120. Each depth indicator 128 is preferably narrower at its outer end and wider at its base, but could be any other suitable and useful shape. The depth indicators 128 extend outwardly a pre-determined distance from the first side edge 121 and the second side edge 122 of the central main body portion 125 of the primary beam to indicate whether the concrete formed around the metal skeleton 100 has been poured to an appropriate thickness; in other words, if no depth indicators are visible in the finished concrete structure 110, this indicates that it has been formed to an appropriate horizontal thickness in the case of a concrete wall structure 110 w, or formed to the appropriate vertical thickness in the case of a concrete floor structure. This is done for the sake of quality control and safety, so as to ensure that the concrete structure 110 formed is of sufficient thickness and strength along the entire length “LP” of the primary beam 120.
As can be readily seen in the Figures, the first side edge 121 and the second side edge 122 of the primary beams 120 are disposed on the central main body portion 125 on opposite sides of the major axis “A”. Preferably, but not necessarily, the first side edge 121 and the second side edge 122 are substantially straight and are substantially parallel one to the other.
Receiving portions 180 are formed in at least one of the first side edge 121 and the second side edge 122 of each of the primary beams 120. In the first illustrated embodiment, but not necessarily, and as can be best seen in FIGS. 7, 8, 11 to 16, and 18 to 24, the receiving portions 180 comprise a plurality of major receiving notches 180 disposed along the length of at least one of the first side edge 121 and the second side edge 122 of each of the primary beams 120. The major receiving notches 180 disposed along the length of the first side edge 121 are laterally aligned with the major receiving notches 180 disposed along the length of the second side edge 122. Further, since the primary beams 120 are all preferably dimensioned and formed the same as each other, at least for a defined section of the metal skeleton 100, the interconnecting members 130 will readily align with the major receiving notches 180 on adjacent primary beams 120.
The major receiving notches 180 each have a narrow throat portion 182 defined by first 181 a and second 181 b facing throat edges and open to the corresponding one of the first side edge 121 and the second side edge 122 of the primary beams 120, and a wide rear portion 184 open to the narrow throat portion 182. The major receiving notches 180 are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of at least one of the first side edge 121 and the second side edge 122, and in the first illustrated embodiment, are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of both the first side edge 121 and the second side edge 122.
The overall shape, size and functionality of the major receiving notches 180 have been shaped, dimensioned and otherwise predetermined to properly receive and retain the interconnecting members 130, and to permit the interconnecting members 130 to be readily inserted firmly and securely into the major receiving notches 180. As best seen in FIG. 16B, the narrow throat portion 182 of each major receiving notch 180 has a length “LT” and a width “WT” and the wide rear portion 184 has a length “LR” defined by ends 185 a and 185 b and a width “WR”. It has been found that having the ratio of the width to the length of the narrow throat portion 182 between 4:1 and 1:1 is quite suitable, and that having the ratio of the width “WT” to the length “LT” of the narrow throat portion 182 about 2:1 works very well.
Further, it has been found that having the ratio of the width “WR” to the length “LR” of the wide rear portion 184 between 10:1 and 5:1 is quite suitable, and that having the ratio of the width “WT” to the length “LT” of the narrow throat portion 182 about 22:5 works very well.
There is also an open space 186 disposed adjacent the first throat edge 181 a of the narrow throat portion 182 of the major receiving notch 180 so as to define a locking clip 188 between the narrow throat portion 182 and the open space 186. The locking clip 188 is resiliently movable between a support passing position, as is best seen in FIGS. 24A and 24B, and a support locking position, as is best seen in FIGS. 20, 21, 22A, 22B, 23A, 23B, 25A and 25B. The interconnecting members 130 are designed to have a width “WI” and thickness “TI” that allows it to pass through the narrow throat portion 182 yet be retained in the wide rear portion 184.
When the locking clip 188 is in the support passing position, the selected interconnecting member 130 can pass through the narrow throat portion 182 and pass by the locking clip 188 and enter into the wide rear portion 184. After the selected interconnecting member 130 fully enters the wide rear portion 184, the locking clip 188 resiliently returns, at least part way, to its support locking position. In the support locking position, the interconnecting member 130 is precluded from passing back through the narrow throat portion 182 and is thereby securely and snugly retained and locked in place in the wide rear portion 184 by the locking clip 188. It has been found that the ratio of the width to the length of the locking clip 188 of about 5:1 works well.
The major receiving notch 180 are disposed along the length of both of the first side edge 121 and the second side edge 122 of each of the primary beams 120 such that the major receiving notch 180 disposed along the length of the first side edge 121 are substantially longitudinally aligned with the major receiving notch 180 disposed along the length of the second side edge 122. Such lateral alignment of the major receiving notch 180 along the first side edge 121 and the second side edge 122 of the primary beams 120 causes the interconnecting members 130 inserted into the laterally aligned pairs of the major receiving notch 180 to be at substantially the same elevation one as the other.
Each of the primary beams 120 further comprises a first side wing portion 129 a and a second side wing portion 129 b extending transversely outwardly from the central main body portion 125. More specifically, the first side wing portion 129 a extends outwardly from the central main body portion 125 at the first side edge 121 thereof and the second side wing portion 129 b extends outwardly from the central main body portion 125 at the second side edge 122 thereof. As can be readily seen in the Figures, the first side wing portion 129 a and a second side wing portion 129 b are substantially transverse to the central main body portion 125. Further, the first side wing portion 129 a and a second side wing portion 129 b are substantially parallel one to the other and the first side wing portion 129 a and the second side wing portion 129 b extend outwardly in the same direction one as the other. The first side wing portion 129 a and the second side wing portion 129 b together serve various purposes including permitting the primary beam 120 to be self standing, especially useful during assembly, which are especially useful during assembly, and increasing the rigidity and strength of the primary beam 120.
Preferably, but not essentially, and as shown in the Figures, the first side wing portion 129 a is disposed inwardly from the first side edge 121 of the central main body portion 125 and the second side wing portion 129 b is disposed inwardly from the second side edge 122 of the central main body portion 125. This inward disposition of the first side wing portion 129 a and the second side wing portion 129 b permits the inward movement of the interconnecting members 130 as they are being inserted into the major receiving notch 180 so as to not block such inward movement.
The primary beams 120 further comprise a plurality of connector tabs 190 interconnecting the first side wing portion 129 a and the second side wing portion 129 b to the central main body portion 125 of the primary beam 120. Also, as is best seen in FIG. 26, the primary beams 120 further comprise at least one bendable connector finger 192 interconnecting each of the connector tabs 190 with the central main body portion 125 of the primary beam 120. Each of the bendable connector fingers 192 is joined to the central main body portion 125 of the primary beam 120 at the narrow throat portion 182 of a corresponding one of the major receiving notch 180. As can be readily seen, the connector tabs 190 and connector fingers 192 interconnect each of the first side wing portion 129 a and the second side wing portion 129 b to the central main body portion 125 of the primary beam 120. Accordingly, the primary beam is formed by bending the first side wing portion 129 a at the bendable connector fingers 192 into place with respect to the central main body portion 125 and by bending the second side wing portion 129 b at the bendable connector fingers 192 into place with respect to the central main body portion 125. As can be clearly seen in FIG. 28, a pair of conventional Vice-Grips™ 109 can be used to bend the first side wing portion 129 a (as indicated by arrow “F”) and the second side wing portion 129 b form a flat configuration as shown in FIG. 27, into place as shown in FIG. 28.
As seen in FIGS. 25A and 25B, the first side wing portion 129 a and the second side wing portion 129 b are disposed to support the interconnecting members 130 when the interconnecting members 130 are locked in place in the wide rear portion 184 of the major receiving notch 180. Further, when the interconnecting member 130 is in place as described, a contact portion 136 of the interconnecting member 130 rests against the connector tab 190 at the corresponding major receiving notch 180. Accordingly, such support of the interconnecting member 130 by the first side wing portion 129 a or second side wing portion 129 b and such resting by the contact portion 136 of the interconnecting member 130 against the connector tab 190 at the corresponding major receiving notch 180 provides additional strength and rigidity for the metal skeleton 100.
The interconnecting members 130 are elongate and are shown in the first illustrated embodiment as being horizontally oriented to form the metal skeleton 100. The interconnecting members 130 each have a major axis “C” defining the orientation of its length “LI” and a minor axis “D” defining the orientation of its width “WI” (see FIGS. 17 and 18). The minor axis “D” is transverse to the major axis “C”. Preferably, but not essentially, the interconnecting members 130 are each substantially straight, and top edge 131 and bottom edge 132 are also each substantially straight and are substantially parallel one to the other.
As can be readily seen in FIG. 17, the interconnecting members 130 each further comprise a plurality of minor notches 138 disposed along the length of each the top edge 131 and the bottom edge 132 of the interconnecting member 130. Preferably, the minor notches 138 are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length “LI” of the interconnecting member 130, and are rectangular in shape, and even more specifically are square in shape.
Further, in the first illustrated embodiment, and as best seen in FIGS. 15 and 16A and 16B, each primary beam 120 further comprises a plurality of upwardly projecting hooks 194, 194 a, 194 b connected to the central main body portion 125 and disposed along the length of each of the first side edge 121 and the second side edge 122 of the central main body portion 125, in outwardly spaced relation therefrom. The upwardly projecting hooks 194, 194 a, 194 b are adapted for supporting the metal wall forms 150, as will be described in greater detail immediately below. It should be noted that, at the top end 123 of each primary beam 120, the upwardly projecting hook 194 a is shorter than the other upwardly projecting hooks 194 and, at the bottom end 124 of each primary beam 120, the upwardly projecting hook 194 b is shorter than the other upwardly projecting hooks 194. Preferably, but not necessarily, there is an upwardly projecting hook 194 between each adjacent pair of the major receiving notch 180. Preferably, but not necessarily, the upwardly projecting hooks 194, 194 a and 194 b are in substantially the same plane as the central main body portion 125.
As discussed briefly above, the present invention also comprises a plurality of metal wall forms 150, as can be best seen in FIGS. 1, 18, 19 and 19A. Each of the metal wall forms 150 preferably has at least one hook-engaging portion 155 so as to be securely hangable on the upwardly projecting hooks 194, 194 a, 194 b of the primary beams 120. In the first illustrated embodiment, the at least one hook-engaging portion 155 comprises a plurality of engaging portions 155. As can be best seen in FIG. 19, more specifically, the plurality of engaging portions 155 comprise outwardly-and-downwardly projecting “L”-shaped flanges 155 a disposed at the top 151 of the metal sheet member 150 and outwardly-and-upwardly projecting “L”-shaped flanges 155 b disposed at the bottom 152 of the metal sheet member 150, and also vertically oriented slots 156 a, 156 b in the outwardly-and-downwardly projecting “L”-shaped flanges 155 a and outwardly-and-upwardly projecting “L”-shaped flanges 155 b, respectively. The outwardly-and-downwardly projecting “L”-shaped flanges 155 a and the vertically oriented slots 156 a therein engage the lower portion of the upwardly projecting hooks 194, and also engage the upwardly projecting hooks 194 a. In other words, the upwardly projecting hooks 194, 194 a extend in close-fitting relation through the vertically oriented slots 156 a in the outwardly-and-downwardly projecting “L”-shaped flanges 155 a. Similarly, the outwardly-and-upwardly projecting “L”-shaped flanges 155 b and the vertically oriented slots 156 b therein engage the upper portion of the upwardly projecting hooks 194, and also engage the upwardly projecting hooks 194 b. In other words, the upwardly projecting hooks 194, 194 b extend in close-fitting relation through the vertically oriented slots 156 b in the outwardly-and-upwardly projecting “L”-shaped flanges 155 b. It should be noted that the vertically oriented slots 156 a, 156 b in each metal sheet member 150 are positioned so as to be aligned with cooperating ones of the upwardly projecting hooks 194, 194 a, 194 b on the primary beams 120.
The metal wall forms 150 are in this manner supported by the primary beams 120 of the metal skeleton 100, and act as wall forms when in place on the upwardly projecting hooks 194, 194 a, 194 b. The metal wall forms 150 can be removed from the metal skeleton 100 by lifting the metal wall forms 150 off the upwardly projecting hooks 194, 194 a, 194 b.
Alternatively, the metal wall forms 150 remain in place on the metal skeleton 100 after pouring and curing of the concrete therebetween (as shown in FIG. 1) supported by the upwardly projecting hooks 194, 194 a, 194 b and also as adhered to and held in place by the concrete 106 after it cures. In such case, the metal wall forms 150 become exterior cladding members of the concrete structure. To enhance such adherence, and as illustrated in FIG. 19A, the metal wall forms may be modified as shown in FIG. 19A to further comprise inwardly oriented projections 158′ (sometimes referred to as Thompson studs) affixed to the interior of metal wall forms 150′ for enhancing permanent engagement with the poured concrete 106. The inwardly oriented projections 158′ become encased within the concrete 106 to securely retain the metal wall forms 150′ in place once the concrete 106 has cured.
Reference will now be made to FIGS. 20 through 25B, which show a metal skeleton 100 according to the present invention being assembled. In order to assemble the metal skeleton 100, a plurality of interconnecting members 130 must be interlocked with the primary beams 120, without supplemental fastening means. More specifically, the interconnecting members 130 become interlocked with co-operating receiving portions 180 formed on the primary beams 120 in the manner as will now be described.
As illustrated, the primary beams 120 are oriented generally vertically and the interconnecting members 130 are oriented generally horizontally. It has been found that during assembly of the metal skeleton 100, it is useful to arrange a plurality of primary beams 120 on the ground in generally parallel spaced-apart relation, with the spacing being about the same as the distance between adjacent minor notches 138 on the interconnecting members 130. The primary beams 120 can be oriented on the ground or other flat surface such that the first side edge 121 of each of the primary beams 120 is facing upwardly, and therefore is readily accessible, and the second side edge 122 of each of the primary beams 120 is facing downwardly in contacting the ground.
The interconnecting members 130 can then be placed horizontally on the primary beams 120, so as to be oriented perpendicularly to the primary beams 120, and adjacent the co-operating receiving portions 180 formed on the first side edges 121 of the primary beams 120. Next, the interconnecting members 130 can then interlocked with co-operating receiving portions 180 formed on the first side edges 121 the primary beams 120 to secure the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 one to the other without supplemental fastening means. The partially assembled interlocked primary beams 120 and interconnecting members 130 can then be tilted upwardly as a unit, and the interconnecting members 130 can then be introduced to the co-operating receiving portions 180 along the second side edges of the primary beams 120, and then can be interlocked with the co-operating receiving portions 180 on the second side edge 122 of each of the primary beams 120.
It should also be noted that once the metal skeleton 100 is in an upright orientation, or in other words where the metal skeleton 100 is generally vertically oriented, the metal wall forms 150 can be positioned and supported thereon as previously described.
The above-described method of assembling of the metal skeleton 100 is merely one example of the possible steps used in the assembly of the metal skeleton 100. Other permutations of the assembly steps, or additional assembly steps or alternative assembly steps, can readily be used.
As best seen in FIG. 20, one or more interconnecting member 130 located at an assembly site, for example construction site 104, are oriented substantially vertically in aligned relation one to the other, ready to receive plurality of interconnecting members 130. As can be best seen in FIG. 21, each selected interconnecting member 130 is moved laterally to align with the major receiving notch 180. As best seen in FIGS. 22A and 22B, the selected interconnecting member 130 is slanted at a slight angle and is moved laterally into the major receiving notch 180, as indicated by arrow “G”. As best seen in FIGS. 23A and 23B, the selected interconnecting member 130 is partially inserted into the wide rear portion 184 of the major receiving notch 180, as indicated by arrow “H”, with the bottom edge 132 of the selected interconnecting member 130 received at the bottom end 185 b of the wide rear portion 184. The locking clip 188 is in its support locking position. Accordingly, further lateral movement of the selected interconnecting member 130 is needed to deflect the resilient locking clip 188 to its support passing position. As best seen in FIGS. 24A and 24B, the selected interconnecting member 130 is even further inserted into the major receiving notch 180, as indicated by arrow “I”, with the resilient locking clip 188 having been moved to its support passing position, as indicated by arrow “J”. Finally, and as can be best seen in FIGS. 25A and 25B, the selected interconnecting member 130 is fully inserted into the wide rear portion 184 of the major receiving notch 180, as indicated by arrow “K”. Correspondingly, a small portion of the material of the central main body portion 125 at the bottom end 185 b of the wide rear portion 184 of the major receiving notch 180 engages the co-operating minor notch 138 in the selected interconnecting member 130, to thereby prevent lateral sliding of the interconnecting member 130 and to provide a very secure mechanical interconnection. Also, the resilient locking clip 188 has returned to its support locking position, as indicated by arrow “L” in FIG. 25B.
It can therefore readily be seen that once each selected interconnecting member 130 is fully inserted into the wide rear portion 184 of the major receiving notches 180 and is thereafter locked in place by the locking clip 188, that the interconnecting members 130 each interlock with the co-operating receiving portions 180, specifically the major receiving notches 180, formed on the primary beams 120 to thereby secure the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 one to the other without supplemental fastening means. To this end, and more specifically, as can be seen on an overall basis in FIGS. 1 through 3, the metal skeleton 100 is a substantially self-supporting structure for the reinforcement of a concrete structure 110, specifically a concrete wall structure 110 w, to be formed therearound. The concrete structure 110 has a thickness defined between first 101 and second 102 opposed surfaces positioned on opposite sides of a medial plane “M” (see FIG. 7) of the metal skeleton 100, and as defined by the metal wall forms 150.
The interconnecting members 130 interlock with co-operating receiving portions 180 formed on the primary beams 120 to secure the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 one to the other without supplemental fastening means, such as welding or threaded fasteners, and also with the plurality of interconnecting members 130 having both their major axis “C” and their minor axis “D” oriented after assembly substantially transversely to the major axis “A” of the primary beams 120. Further, the interconnecting members 130 interlock with co-operating receiving portions 180, as aforesaid, such that the primary beams 120 are oriented with their major axis “A” arranged after assembly substantially parallel one to the next and with their minor axis “B” arranged substantially transverse to the medial plane “M” (see FIG. 7), with their widths “WI” extending between the first 101 and second 102 opposed surfaces.
It should be understood that the metal skeleton 100 according to the present may be assembled in a sequential manner, or in other words, not all of the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 are interlocked at the same time. More specifically, the assembly of the metal skeleton 100 may happen as follows. A primary beam 120 is put in place at the assembly site, in a vertical orientation, or lying flat on the ground or other work surface, to be later raised when sections of the metal skeleton 100 are assembled, and an interconnecting member 130 is interlocked to the primary beam 120. Next, another primary beam 120 is put in place in a vertical orientation and the same interconnecting member 130 is interlocked to the second primary beam 120. The second primary beam 120 may be adjacent the first primary beam 120 or alternatively may be interlocked with the interconnecting member 130 at the opposite other end of the interconnecting member 130, or anywhere in between. Typically, once two, or perhaps three or four, primary beams 120 are put in place and interlocked with the interconnecting member 130, whereafter more interconnecting members are interlocked with the selected primary beams 120. This process continues until all of the primary beams 120 and interconnecting members 130 are in place and interlocked together, to thereby assemble a section of the metal skeleton 100. The preferable method of assembling the metal skeleton 100 is to introduce the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 one to another, and then interlock the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130, as described above, and subsequently raise the metal skeleton 100 in sections, either manually, or with the use of a crane or the like, much as is done in the conventional wood framing of residential home construction. The interconnecting members 130 of one section may then be interconnected to the end ones of the primary beams 120 of the adjacent section to join the previously assembled sections together.
Reference will now be made to FIGS. 33 through 52, which show a second illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton 200 according to the present invention, as indicated by the general reference numeral 200. The second illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 200 is also for the reinforcement of a concrete structure, such as the concrete structure 110 as shown with reference to the first illustrated embodiment, to be formed therearound.
It is contemplated that the second illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 200 according to the present invention could be used with conventional wall forms, which are typically made from wood, or with any other suitable type of wall forms, including the specific metal wall forms disclosed in the present specification and drawings.
Further, the second illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 200 is similar to the first illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 100, except that in the second illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 200, the primary beams 220 (shown separately in FIG. 40) are formed with modified features as compared to the primary beams 120 of the first illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 100. Moreover, the first interconnecting members 230 (shown separately in FIG. 41) and the second interconnecting members 240 (shown separately in FIG. 42) and the third interconnecting members 245 (shown separately in FIG. 43) are each different from the interconnecting members 130 of the first illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 100. Further, the metal wall forms 250 (shown separately in FIG. 44) are formed and remain as substantially flat sheets, as compared to the more complex cross-sections of the metal wall forms 150 used with the first illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton 100.
In brief, and as can readily be seen in FIGS. 33 through 52, the second illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 200 comprises a plurality of primary beams 220, a plurality of first interconnecting members 230, a plurality of second interconnecting members 240, a plurality of third interconnecting members 245, and metal wall forms 250. The plurality of primary beams 220 each has a first side edge 221, a second side edge 222, a first end 223 and a second end 224, receiving portions 280, and weight-bearing tabs 290. As best seen in FIGS. 39 and 41, the plurality of first interconnecting members 230, which are “U”-shaped in cross-section, each has a top surface 231, two bottom edges 232, a first end 233 a second end 234, first co-operating flat hooks 233 h and second co-operating flat hooks 234 h. As seen in FIGS. 39 and 42, the plurality of second interconnecting members 240 each has a top edge 241, a bottom edge 242, a first end 243 and a second end 244, first co-operating flat hooks 243 h and second co-operating flat hooks 244 h. As seen in FIGS. 39 and 43, the plurality of third interconnecting members 245 each has a top edge 246, a bottom edge 247, a first end 248 and a second end 249, first co-operating flat hooks 248 h and second co-operating flat hooks 249 h. The metal wall forms 250 each has a top 251, a bottom 252, a first end 253 and a second end 254, and vertically oriented slots 258.
The above terms have been selected according to the orientation of the assembled metal skeleton 200 as shown in the Figures, with the primary beams 220 being oriented generally vertically, the first interconnecting members 230 being oriented generally horizontally, the second interconnecting members 240 being oriented generally horizontally, the third interconnecting members 245 being oriented generally horizontally, the metal wall forms 250 being oriented generally vertically. The second illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 200 according to the present invention will now be described in greater detail below.
The metal skeleton 200 comprises a plurality of the primary beams 220, with each of the primary beams 220 having a central main body portion 225 with a major axis “N” (see FIG. 40) defining the orientation of the length of the central main body portion 225 and a minor axis “O” defining the orientation of the width of the central main body portion 225. The minor axis “O” is transverse to the major axis “N”. Each of the plurality of primary beams 220 is formed, preferably by CNC laser cutting, from a substantially flat sheet of metal material 270.
The primary beams 220 also each preferably have depth indicators 228 extending horizontally outwardly beyond the first 221 and second 222 side edges of the primary beams 220. Each depth indicator 228 is narrower at its outer end and wider at its base, but could be any other suitable and useful shape. The depth indicators 228 extend outwardly a pre-determined distance from the first side edge 221 and the second side edge 222 of the central main body portion 225 of the primary beam 220 to indicate when the concrete structure has been formed to an appropriate minimum thickness; in other words formed to an appropriate horizontal thickness in the case of a concrete wall structure 110 w, or formed to the appropriate vertical thickness in the case of a concrete floor structure that the depth indicators 228 are not visible in the respective exposed surface of the poured/cured concrete. As with the first embodiment, this feature is provided for assuring quality control and safety by ensuring that the concrete structure is of sufficient thickness and strength along the length of each of the primary beams 220.
One of the advantages of the present invention is that all of the components making up the metal skeleton 200, including the primary beams 220, the first interconnecting members 230, the second interconnecting members 240, the third interconnecting members 245, and the metal wall forms 250, are fabricated from substantially flat sheets of metal material 270, as is best seen in FIG. 49. Once the substantially flat sheets of metal material 270 have had the aforementioned components formed therein, they become formed sheets of metal material 272, as is best seen in FIG. 50A. This enables very efficient and economical flat-stacked handling, shipping and storage of these components for subsequent assembly, as more fully described herein.
It should be noted that the first interconnecting members 230 are substantially different from the second interconnecting members 240 and the third interconnecting members 245. More particularly, the first interconnecting members 230 are initially cut from the flat sheets of metal material 270 and are bent after removal from said sheets 270 into a “U”-shape, as can be best seen in FIG. 41. Each of the first interconnecting members 230 has a top portion 239, a first side portion 238 a depending from the top portion 239, and a second side portion 238 b depending from the top portion 239. The second interconnecting members 240 and the third interconnecting members 245 are similar one to the other, and are merely different in overall size and proportion, as can be best seen in FIGS. 42 and 43.
The first plurality of interconnecting members 230 each have a major axis “P” defining the orientation of its length and a minor axis “Q” defining the orientation of its width. The minor axis “Q” is transverse to the major axis “P”.
The first interconnecting members 230 interlock with co-operating receiving portions 280 formed on the primary beams 230 to secure the primary beams 220 and the interconnecting members, namely the first interconnecting members 230, the second interconnecting members 240, and the third interconnecting members 245, one to the other without the necessity of supplemental fastening means, and with the plurality of interconnecting members 230, 240, 245 each having both their major axis “P” and their minor axis “Q” oriented substantially transversely to the major axis “N” of the central main body portion 225 of the primary beams 220. As can be readily seen in FIGS. 35 and 36, the receiving portions 280 comprise a plurality of major receiving notches 280 disposed along the length of said primary beams 220. The plurality of major receiving notches 280 comprise vertically oriented slots that receive therein co-operating flat hooks 233 h extending outwardly from the first end 233 of the first interconnecting members 230 and co-operating flat hooks 234 h extending outwardly from the second end 234 of the first interconnecting members 230, or alternatively co-operating flat hooks 243 h extending outwardly from the first end 243 of the second interconnecting members 240 and co-operating flat hooks 244 h extending outwardly from the second end 244 of the second interconnecting members 240, or alternatively co-operating flat hooks 248 h extending outwardly from the first end 248 of the third interconnecting members 245 and co-operating flat hooks 249 h extending outwardly from the second end 249 of the third interconnecting members 245.
The metal skeleton 200 further comprises weight-bearing tabs 290 extending horizontally outwardly beyond the first side edges 221 and the second side edges 222 of the primary beams 220 in parallel relation to the minor axis “G” of the primary beams 220. The weight-bearing tabs 290 are dimensioned and otherwise adapted for retaining the metal wall forms 250 in weight-supported relation thereon during the forming of the concrete structure.
As can be seen in FIGS. 36, 37, 39 and 40, the weight-bearing tabs 290 each have an inner base portion 292 and an outer frangible portion 294 and are joined to each other at a pair of opposed “V”-notches 296. The outer frangible portion 294 is optionally removable after the pouring of concrete. In use, the weight-bearing tabs 290 extend through vertically oriented co-operating slots 258 in the metal wall forms 250 to support the metal wall forms 250 during pouring of concrete (as seen in FIGS. 45-48).
The outer frangible portion 294 has at least one wedge-receiving aperture 298 therein. Each at least one wedge-receiving aperture 298 is dimensioned and otherwise adapted to receives a securing wedge 299 therein to hold the metal wall forms 250 in place during the pouring and curing of concrete. Subsequent to the pouring and curing of concrete that is poured into and around the metal skeleton 200 and in between the opposed metal wall forms 250, the securing wedges 299 are removable from the at least one wedge-receiving aperture 298. Once the concrete has fully cured, the wall forms 250 can either be removed from the formed concrete wall structure thus leaving a bare concrete surface as the other wall surface, or can remain in place thus leaving the metal wall forms as the outer wall surface.
Optionally, there can be provided on the metal wall forms 250 inwardly oriented projections (not specifically shown, but analogous to the inwardly oriented projections 158′ on the metal wall forms 150 illustrated in FIGS. 19C and 19D) for engaging with the poured concrete to additionally retain the metal wall forms 250 in place after curing of the poured concrete. Such inwardly oriented projections would only be used in the second embodiment in the event that the metal wall forms 250 are intended to remain in place after the concrete has fully cured.
Whether the metal wall forms 250 remain in place or not, the outer frangible portions 294 of the weight-bearing tabs 290 may be broken off at the pair of opposed “V”-notches 296 so as to not to project in a hazardous manner from the finished wall or floor structure, as is shown in dashed lining in FIGS. 47 and 48. Moreover, any metal of the outer frangible portion 294 that might remain behind in projecting relation from the outer wall surface may be easily ground flush to the wall or floor surface using conventional grinding techniques.
As may readily be seen with reference to FIGS. 49, 50A and 50B, the plurality of primary beams 220, the plurality of first interconnecting members 230, the plurality of second interconnecting members 240, and the plurality of third interconnecting members 245, the metal wall forms 250, and any of the various other components required to assemble the metal skeleton of the invention may all be formed from substantially flat sheets of metal material 270.
The primary beams 220 and the interconnecting members 230 may optionally be substantially pre-cut, as through use of a CNC laser cutter, so as to be retained in place by small frangible connection points 227 left uncut in the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 272, as can be seen in FIGS. 50A and 50B, to thereby be subsequently easily separable from the remainder of the corresponding one of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 272 after, for example, shipping to an assembly site. The primary beams 220 are initially formed in the sheet of metal material 272 in a flat configuration. Each of the plurality of primary beams 220 and each of the interconnecting members 230 formed therein is cut, preferably by laser cutting as aforesaid, in the substantially flat sheet of metal material 270 to form the formed sheet of metal material 272. More specifically, the plurality of primary beams 220 and the plurality of interconnecting members 230 are substantially pre-cut in the formed sheet of metal material 272, so as to be retained in place by the frangible connection points 227 left uncut in the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 272 to thereby be subsequently separable from the remainder 271 of the corresponding one of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 272 after shipping to an assembly site.
Preferably, the primary beams 220 and the plurality of interconnecting members 230, and any other components that might be formed in the substantially flat sheets of metal material 270 are cut using a CNC laser in order to provide extreme accuracy, and to accommodate the cutting of relatively complicated parts to close tolerances on a commercial scale.
Further, as can readily be seen in FIG. 51, which is a top plan view of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 272, each one of the primary beams 220 and the interconnecting members 230 may be securely gripped by a pair of Vice-Grips™ 209, or other simple hand bending tool, and thereafter be angularly rotated, as indicated by arrow “R2”, to thereby be removed from the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 272. FIG. 52 is another top plan view of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 272, showing one each of the primary beams 220, first interconnecting members 230, second interconnecting members 240 and third interconnecting members fully removed and set off to below the flat formed sheet of meal material 272 ready for subsequent assembly. The other components formed in the flat sheets of metal material 272 may each, in turn, be removed in the same general manner, or in an analogous manner, or in any other suitable manner, from their respective flat formed sheet of metal material 272.
Also, as can readily be seen in FIGS. 50 through 52, the remainder 271 of the formed sheet of metal material 272 may include instructions 277 related to the assembly of the metal skeleton 200 laser etched thereon. Accordingly, wherever the metal skeleton 200 is assembled, proper, durable and robust assembly instructions 273, as can be seen in FIGS. 50 through 52, will be readily at hand, thereby allowing the metal skeleton 200 to be easily assembled by relatively unskilled labor.
Reference will now be made to FIGS. 53 through 63, which show a third illustrated embodiment of the metal skeleton 300 according to the present invention, as indicated by the general reference numeral 300. The third illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 300 is also for the reinforcement of a concrete structure, such as the concrete structure 110 as shown with reference to the first illustrated embodiment.
It is contemplated that the third illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 300 according to the present invention could be used with conventional floor forms, which are typically made from wood and typically comprise sheets of plywood or the like disposed below the metal skeleton, or any other suitable type of floor forms. The third illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 300 according to the present invention could be used with conventional wall forms, which are typically made from wood, or any other suitable type of wall forms, including the specific wall forms disclosed in the present specification and drawings.
The third illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 300 is similar to the first illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 100 and the second illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 100 except that in the third illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 300, the primary beams 320 (shown separately in FIGS. 53 and 54) are different as compared to the primary beams 120 of the first illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 100 and the primary beams 220 of the second illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 200. Also, the interconnecting members 330 (shown separately in FIG. 55) are different than the interconnecting members 130 of the first illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 100 and the first interconnecting members 230, second interconnecting members 240, and third interconnecting members 245 of the second illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 200.
In brief, as can readily be seen in the Figures, the first illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 300 comprises a plurality of primary beams 320, first and second end-contacting members 360, and a plurality of interconnecting members 330. The plurality of primary beams 320 each have a first side edge 321, a second side edge 322, a first end 323 and a second end 324, and receiving portions 380, and receiving slots 323 a,324 a. The first and second end-contacting members 360 each have a first side edge 361, a second side edge 362, a first end 363, a second end 364, and securing flanges 365. The plurality of interconnecting members 330 each has a first side edge 331 and a second side edge 332, a first end 333 a second end 334.
The above terms have been selected according to the orientation of the assembled metal skeleton 300 as shown in the Figures, particularly FIGS. 60A and 61, which show the metal skeleton 300 in a generally horizontally extending configuration for forming a floor structure, with the primary beams 320 being oriented generally vertically from the first side edge 321 to the second side edge 322 and generally horizontally from the first end 323 to the second 324, with the first and second end-contacting members 360 being oriented generally horizontally generally vertically from the first side edge 361 to the second side edge 362 and generally horizontally from the first end 363 to the second 364, and with the interconnecting members 330 being oriented generally horizontally from the first side edge 331 to the second side edge 332 and generally horizontally from the first end 333 to the second 334. In FIGS. 56 through 59, the metal skeleton 300 is shown in a generally vertical orientation, such as would be the orientation during assembly, or if a wall section was being formed. The first illustrated embodiment metal skeleton 300 according to the present invention will now be described in greater detail below.
The metal skeleton 300 comprises a plurality of primary beams 320, with each of the primary beams 320 having a central main body portion 325 with a major axis “R” defining the orientation of the length of the central main body portion 325 and a minor axis “S” defining the orientation of the width of the central main body portion 325. The minor axis “S” is transverse to the major axis “R”. Each of the plurality of primary beams 320 is formed from a substantially flat sheet of metal material, in the same general manner as described above in relation to the sheets of metal material shown for the first and second illustrated embodiments.
The first end-contacting members 360 is secured to the primary beams 320 at the first end 323 thereof by way of insertion of the securing flanges 365 of the first end-contacting members 360 into the receiving slots 323 a at the first end 323 of the primary beams 320. Similarly, the second end-contacting member 360 is secured to the primary beams 320 at the second end 324 thereof by way of insertion of the securing flanges 365 into the receiving slots 324 a at the second end 324 of the primary beams 320.
The first plurality of interconnecting members 330 each have a major axis “T” defining the orientation of its length and a minor axis “U” defining the orientation of its width. The minor axis “U” is transverse to the major axis “T”.
The interconnecting members 330 interlock with co-operating receiving tab portions 380 formed on the primary beams 320 to secure the primary beams 320 and the interconnecting members 330 one to the other without supplemental fastening means, and with the plurality of interconnecting members 330 having both their major axis “T” and their minor axis “U” oriented substantially transversely to the major axis “R” of the central main body portion 325 of the primary beams 320. As can be readily seen in FIGS. 53, 54, 57, and 61 to 63, the receiving portions 380 comprise a plurality of bendable tabs 380 disposed along the length of the primary beams 320. The bendable tabs 380 extend horizontally outwardly beyond the first side edge 321 and the second side edge 322 of the respective primary beam 320 to receive the interconnecting members 330. The bendable tabs 380 extend through co-operating tab-receiving apertures 336 formed in the interconnecting members 330 where the interconnecting members 330 intersect one another. The bendable tabs 380 are bendable between an initial position, as best seen in FIGS. 53, 54, 57, 62 and 63, and a securing position, as seen in FIGS. 60A and 60B, whereat the interconnecting members 330 are secured in place. In the third illustrated embodiment, the interconnecting members 330 are inter-connected together to form a lattice positioned adjacent one or both of the first side edge 321 and the second side edge 322 of each of the primary beams 320.
According to another aspect of the third illustrated embodiment 300, the metal skeleton 300 can be oriented vertically, so as to form a wall. In this case, metal wall forms 350 can be used, as is shown in FIG. 63. As can be readily seen in FIGS. 62 and 63, a weight-bearing metal clip 390 has an aperture 391 that receives an inwardly extending hook 329 formed as an outward extension on either, or both, of the first 321 and second 322 side edges of the primary beams 320 thereby to be securely retained by the inwardly extending hook 329. The hooks 329 may be formed in equally spaced relation between the depth indicators 328 that extend horizontally outwardly beyond the first 321 and second 322 side edges of the primary beams 320 in parallel relation to the minor axis “S” of the primary beams 320. The depth indicators 328 are similar to and serve the same purpose as the depth indicators 128 and 228 in the first and second illustrated embodiments of metal skeleton 100 and 200. The weight-bearing metal clips 390 are for retaining the metal wall forms 350 in weight-supported relation thereon during the forming of a concrete structure (see FIG. 63).
As can be seen in FIG. 62, the weight-bearing clips 390 have an inner base portion 392 and an outer frangible portion 394 and are joined to each other at a pair of opposed “V”-notches 396. The outer frangible portion 394 is removable after the pouring and curing of concrete between the forms 350. The outer frangible portion 394 also has at least one wedge-receiving aperture 398 formed therein. The at least one wedge-receiving aperture 398 is adapted to receive a securing wedge 399 therein to hold the metal wall forms 350 in place during the pouring and curing of concrete. Subsequent to the pouring and curing of concrete into and around the metal skeleton 300 and in between the opposed metal wall forms 350 (only one is shown), the securing wedges 399 are removable from the at least one wedge-receiving aperture 398. Once the concrete has fully cured, the wall forms 350 can either be removed from the formed concrete wall structure thus leaving a bare concrete surface as the other wall surface, or can remain in place thus leaving the metal wall forms as the outer wall surface.
As with the earlier embodiments describe hereinabove, Optionally, there can be provided on the metal wall forms 250 inwardly oriented projections (not specifically shown, but analogous to the inwardly oriented projections 158′ on the metal wall forms 150 illustrated in FIGS. 19C and 19D) for engaging with the poured concrete to additionally retain the metal wall forms 350 in place after curing of the poured concrete. Such inwardly oriented projections would only be used in the third embodiment in the event that the metal wall forms 350 are intended to remain in place after the concrete has fully cured.
The present invention, with non-limiting reference to the first, second or third illustrated embodiments described above, also teaches a method of producing a flat-shippable three-dimensional concrete reinforcement skeleton 100 for assembly at a site that may be remote from the production site 103 without the need for supplemental fastening means, such as, for example, clips, clamps, threaded fasteners, and/or welding.
More specifically, the metal skeleton 100 may be assembled at either the construction site 104, as shown in FIG. 1, or remotely from the construction site 104, at an independent assembly site. It is also possible that the metal skeleton 100 can be assembled, in whole or in part, at the production site 103, or, in other words, at the factory where the components of the metal skeleton 100 are initially fabricated.
In this regards, FIG. 64 depicts a method according to the present invention for producing a flat-shippable three-dimensional concrete reinforcement skeleton 120 for assembly at a site remote from the production site without the need for the aforesaid supplemental fastening means. A summary of the method is as follows:

- A method of producing a flat-shippable three-dimensional concrete reinforcement skeleton for assembly at a site remote from the production site without the need for supplemental fastening means, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) forming from one or more substantially flat sheets of metal material a first plurality of primary beams and a second plurality of interconnecting members substantially pre-cut therein so as to be retained in place within said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material by connection points left uncut in a remainder of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material, with each of said primary beams having a third plurality of mechanical interlocking means integrally formed thereon adjacent lateral edges of the primary beams;
- b) loading said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material into one or more shipping containers;
- c) relocating said one or more shipping containers to said assembly site;
- d) removing said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material from said one or more shipping containers;
- e) breaking said frangible connection points;
- f) separating said primary beams and said interconnecting members from the remainder of the corresponding substantially flat formed sheets of metal material;
- g) arranging said second plurality of interconnecting members adjacent said first plurality of primary beams with respective ones of said mechanical interlocking means in operatively close proximity to said second plurality of interconnecting members; and,
- h) fit said plurality of interconnecting members within respective ones of said plurality of mechanical interlocking means to secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means.

More specifically, the method comprises the following steps.
As indicated by step “M1” in FIG. 64, the method requires the forming, in one or more blank flat sheets of metal material 170, a first plurality of primary beams 120 and a second plurality of interconnecting members 130 substantially pre-cut therein so as to be retained in place within the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 by frangible connection points 127 left uncut in a remainder 171 of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172. Each of the primary beams 120 may optionally be formed with a third plurality of mechanical interlocking means integrally formed thereon adjacent lateral edges of the primary beams 120. The third plurality of mechanical interlocking means may comprise the major receiving notches 180, which have been discussed in detail above. Accordingly, step “M1” may further comprise forming receiving portions 180 on the primary beams 120 to permit the securing of the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 one to the other without the need for supplemental fastening means such as such as, for example, clips, clamps, threaded fasteners or welded connections. Preferably, but not essentially, the step of forming the receiving portions 180 on the primary beams 120 additionally comprises forming a plurality of major receiving notches 180 on the primary beams 120. The plurality of major receiving notches 180 may be disposed along the length of at least one of the first side edge 121 and the second side edge 122 of each of the primary beams 120, as is discussed in greater detail above.
Also “M1” may further comprise forming an open space 186 that is disposed adjacent the first throat edge 181 a of the narrow throat portion 182 of the major receiving notches 180 so as to define a locking clip 188 between the narrow throat portion 182 and the open space 186.
Preferably, but not necessarily, the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 are each formed using a laser cutter. The laser cutter would typically be a CNC laser cutter, but any other suitable laser cutter could be used. Any other suitable means of forming the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 in the blank flat sheets of metal material 170 can be used to thereby form the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 may be used.
When such a CNC laser cutter is used, all of the forming actions of step M1 may be carried out with considerable accuracy and dispatch in one pass of the laser cutter over each blank flat sheet of metal material 170.
Optionally, but not essentially, as indicated by step “M2” in FIG. 64, the method may also comprise the step of, (either before or after step “M1”, but before step “M3”), on one or more of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172, having assembly instructions 173 for at least a portion of the metal skeleton etched thereon. Preferably, but not essentially, the assembly instructions 173 are laser etched on the remainder 171 of one or more of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 by, for example, the same CNC laser cutter that performs step “M1”.
As indicated by step “M3” in FIG. 64, the method also loading the substantially formed sheets of metal material 172 (with the primary beams 120, the interconnecting members 130, etc. held in place in the formed sheets of metal material 172 by means of the frangible connection points 127) in stacked relation on top of one another into one or more shipping containers 108, preferably being standardized shipping containers that are readily available for hire at competitive rates for shipment throughout the world. Such stacking may be easily and conveniently accomplished with the assistance of forklift truck, overhead cranes or the like, as facilities permit.
Next, as indicated by step “M4” in FIG. 64, the method includes the step of relocating the one or more shipping containers 108 to the assembly site, such as a construction site 104, and as indicated by arrow “V” in FIG. 2, typically by conventional shipping means, such as truck, train, or by sea if applicable, or by any other suitable shipping means.
Subsequent to the shipping containers 108 arriving at the assembly site, the next step, as indicated by step “M5” in FIG. 64, is to remove (unload) the formed sheets of metal material 172 from the one or more shipping containers 108. Again, this process may be facilitated by forklifts, cranes or other lifting facilities as may be available at the assembly site.
As indicated by step “M6” in FIG. 61, the next step of the process after unloading the formed sheets of metal material 172 is to free the components formed in these sheets by breaking the frangible connection points 127 left uncut in the sheets of formed material 172 so as to liberate therefrom the various component of the metal reinforcement skeleton 100, including without limitation, the first plurality of the primary beams 120 and the second plurality of the interconnecting members 130. This is typically carried out one component at a time. For example, one of the first plurality of the primary beams 120 is securely gripped by a pair of Vice-Grip™ 109, or other simple hand gripping tool, and is angularly rotated, as indicated by arrow “R1” in FIG. 31, to thereby break the frangible connection points 127 of the selected primary beam 120 connecting that component to the sheet of metal material 170. A chisel and hammer may also be used to beak the frangible connection points. The frangible connection points 127 of the remainder of the primary beams 120 are thereafter broken in the same general manner.
Next, as also indicated in step “M6” of FIG. 64, the components, namely the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130, are separated from the remainder 171 of the corresponding substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172. FIG. 32 shows one primary beam 120 and one interconnecting member 130 each fully removed and set off to the side ready for use. The other primary beams 120 and interconnecting members 130 are thereafter removed from the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172, as are any other components formed in the sheets 170 of metal material, such as, for example, the metal wall forms 150 and the end caps 160, in the same general manner, or in an analogous manner, or in any other suitable manner.
As indicated by step “M7” in FIG. 64, the next step of the method comprises arranging the second plurality of interconnecting members 130 adjacent the first plurality of primary beams 120 with respective ones of the mechanical interlocking means, namely the major receiving notches 180, in operatively close proximity to the second plurality of interconnecting members 130 and thereafter fitting the plurality of interconnecting members 130 within respective ones of the plurality of mechanical interlocking means, namely the major receiving notches 180, to secure the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 one to the other without supplemental fastening means, to form the skeleton 100.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method of providing the components of the flat-shippable three-dimensional concrete reinforcement skeleton 110 for assembly at a site remote from the production site 103, such as the construction site 104, without the need of supplemental cutting or fastening means. The method includes forming from one or more substantially flat sheets of metal material 170 the first plurality of primary beams 120 and the second plurality of interconnecting members 130 substantially pre-cut therein so as to be retained in place within the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 by frangible connection points 127 left uncut in the remainder of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172, with each of the primary beams 120 having a third plurality of mechanical interlocking means integrally formed thereon adjacent lateral edges of the primary beams 120. The third plurality of mechanical interlocking means comprises forming the major receiving notches 180, which are discussed in detail above. Also, the method includes loading the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 into one or more shipping containers 108. Further, the method includes relocating the one or more shipping containers 108 to the assembly site.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method of assembling a metal skeleton 120 from a plurality of substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 having a plurality of primary beams 120 and a plurality of interconnecting members 130 substantially pre-cut therein so as to be retained in place by frangible connection points 127 left uncut in the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 to thereby be subsequently separable from the remainder 171 of the corresponding one of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 after shipping to an assembly site, such as the construction site 104, for the reinforcement of a concrete structure, such as the concrete wall structure 110 w, to be formed therearound. The method includes separating the plurality of primary beams 120 and the plurality of interconnecting members 130 from the remainder 171 of the corresponding one of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172. The method further includes interlocking the plurality of interconnecting members 130 with co-operating receiving portions 180, specifically the major receiving notches 180, formed on the primary beams 120, to thereby secure the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 one to the other without supplemental fastening means, to thereby assemble the metal skeleton 100.
The present invention, with non-limiting reference to the first, second and third illustrated embodiments described above, also teaches, according to another aspect, a kit 107 for assembling a metal skeleton 100 for the reinforcement of a concrete structure, such as the concrete wall structure 110 w, to be formed therearound. The kit 107 comprises a plurality of primary beams 120, each having the central main body portion 125 with the major axis “A” defining the orientation of the length of the central main body portion 125 and the minor axis “B” defining the orientation of the width “WC” of the central main body portion 125, the minor axis “B” being transverse to the major axis “A”. Further, each of the plurality of primary beams 120 is formed from a substantially flat sheet of metal material 170 and presented in a correspondingly substantially flat formed sheet of metal material 172.
The plurality of interconnecting members 130 each have a major axis “C” defining the orientation of its length and a minor axis “D” defining the orientation of its width. The minor axis “D” is transverse to the major axis “C”.
The interconnecting members 130 are dimensioned and otherwise adapted to interlock with co-operating receiving portions 180, major receiving notches 180, integrally formed on the primary beams 120 to secure the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 one to the other without supplemental fastening means, as described above. The plurality of interconnecting members 130 each have both their major axis “C” and their minor axis “D” oriented substantially transversely to the major axis “A” of the central main body portion 125 of the primary beams 120 upon assembly of the metal skeleton 100.
The kit 107 may additionally comprise a container, such as a shipping container 108 (see FIG. 2), into which the formed sheets of metal material 172 containing the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130, and any and 160, may be placed subsequent to the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 being formed in the substantially flat sheets of metal material 170, for shipment and/or storage prior to assembly of the metal skeleton 100. Even more specifically, the shipping container 108 comprises a container into which the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 having the primary beams 120, the interconnecting members 130, and any end caps 160 formed therein may be placed subsequent to the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 being formed in the substantially flat sheets of metal material, for shipment and/or storage, prior to assembly of the metal skeleton 100. Preferably, for reasons of security during shipping and during storage at an assembly site, such as the construction site 104, the shipping container 108 comprises a lockable shipping container 108.
It is also possible and within the scope of the present aspect of the invention to produce the primary beams 120, the interconnecting members 130 and any other components of the metal skeleton 100, as separate components completely separated from the metal sheets 170 from which they were formed, and also to store them as separate components in a shipping container, including as a lockable shipping container 108.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the kit 107 is used for assembling a metal skeleton 100 for the reinforcement of a concrete structure, such as, by way of non-limiting example, the previously described concrete wall structure 110 w, to be formed therearound. In such case, the kit 107 comprises a plurality of substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 having a plurality of primary beams 120 and plurality of interconnecting members 130 substantially pre-cut therein so as to be retained in place by frangible connection points 127 left uncut in the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172, so as to be subsequently separable from the remainder 171 of the corresponding one of the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material 172 after shipping to an assembly site. The interconnecting members 130 interlock with co-operating receiving portions 180 formed on the primary beams 120 to thereby secure the primary beams 120 and the interconnecting members 130 one to the other without supplemental fastening means.
Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions without departing from the spirit of the inventions disclosed and claimed, only a limited number of embodiments thereof have been illustrated in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”, or, “for example”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Various embodiments of this invention are described hereinabove. Routine variations of these embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Claims

I claim:

1. A metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, the metal skeleton comprising:

a plurality of primary beams, each having a central main body portion with a major axis defining the orientation of the length of said central main body portion and a minor axis defining the orientation of the width of said central main body portion, said minor axis being transverse to said major axis, and wherein each of the plurality of primary beams is formed from a substantially flat sheet of metal material;

a plurality of interconnecting members, each having a major axis defining the orientation of its length and a minor axis defining the orientation of its width, said minor axis being transverse to said major axis;

wherein, the interconnecting members interlock with co-operating receiving portions formed on the primary beams to secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means, and with the plurality of interconnecting members having both their major axis and their minor axis oriented substantially transversely to the major axis of the central main body portion of the primary beams.

2. The metal skeleton of claim 1, wherein each of the interconnecting members is formed from a substantially flat sheet of metal material.

3. The metal skeleton of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of primary beams and each of the interconnecting members is cut from a substantially flat sheet of metal material.

4. The metal skeleton of claim 2, wherein the primary beams and the plurality of interconnecting members are cut using a laser.

5. The metal skeleton of claim 4, wherein said central main body portion defines a plurality of apertures therein.

6. The metal skeleton of claim 5, wherein said primary beams each have a first side edge and a second side edge.

7. The metal skeleton of claim 6, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are disposed on opposite sides of said major axis.

8. The metal skeleton of claim 7, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are substantially straight.

9. The metal skeleton of claim 8, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are substantially parallel one to the other.

10. The metal skeleton of claim 9, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are disposed on said central main body portion.

11. The metal skeleton of claim 10, wherein said receiving portions comprise a plurality of major receiving notches disposed along the length of at least one of said first side edge and said second side edge of each of said primary beams.

12. The metal skeleton of claim 11, wherein said major receiving notches each have a narrow throat portion defined by first and second facing throat edges and open to the corresponding one of the first side edge and the second side edge of said primary beams, and a wide rear portion open to said narrow throat portion.

13. The metal skeleton of claim 11, wherein said major receiving notches are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of at least one of said first side edge and said second side edge.

14. The metal skeleton of claim 13, wherein said narrow throat portion has a length and a width and said wide rear portion has a length and a width, and wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is between 4:1 and 1:1.

15. The metal skeleton of claim 14, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is about 2:1.

16. The metal skeleton of claim 15, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said wide rear portion is between 10:1 and 5:1.

17. The metal skeleton of claim 16, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is about 22:5.

18. The metal skeleton of claim 14, further comprising an open space disposed adjacent said first throat edge of the narrow throat portion of said major receiving notches so as to define a locking clip between said narrow throat portion and said open space, wherein said locking clip is movable between a support passing position and a support locking position, wherein in the support passing position said interconnecting members passes through said narrow throat portion and into said wide rear portion, and wherein in the support locking position said interconnecting member is precluded from passing through said narrow throat portion so as to be retained in place in said wide rear portion.

19. The metal skeleton of claim 18, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said locking clip is about 5:1.

20. The metal skeleton of claim 5, wherein said major receiving notches are disposed along the length of both of said first side edge and said second side edge of each of said primary beams.

21. The metal skeleton of claim 18, wherein said major receiving notches disposed along the length of said first side edge are longitudinally aligned with the major receiving notches disposed along the length of said second side edge.

22. The metal skeleton of claim 1, wherein said interconnecting members are each substantially straight.

23. The metal skeleton of claim 22, wherein said interconnecting members each have a first side edge and a second side edge.

24. The metal skeleton of claim 23, wherein said first side edge and a second side edge of said interconnecting member are substantially straight.

25. The metal skeleton of claim 22, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge of said interconnecting member are substantially parallel one to the other.

26. The metal skeleton of claim 23, further comprising a plurality of minor notches disposed along the length of each said first side edge and said second side edge of said interconnecting member.

27. The metal skeleton of claim 26, wherein said minor notches are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of said interconnecting member.

28. The metal skeleton of claim 26, wherein said minor notches are rectangular in shape.

29. The metal skeleton of claim 29, wherein said minor notches are square in shape.

30. The metal skeleton of claim 14, wherein each of said primary beams further comprises a first side wing portion and a second side wing portion extending transversely outwardly from said central main body portion.

31. The metal skeleton of claim 30, wherein said first side wing portion extends outwardly from said central main body portion at said first side edge thereof and said second side wing portion extends outwardly from said central main body portion at said second side edge thereof.

32. The metal skeleton of claim 30, wherein said first side wing portion and a second side wing portion are substantially transverse to said central main body portion.

33. The metal skeleton of claim 30, wherein said first side wing portion and a second side wing portion are substantially parallel one to the other.

34. The metal skeleton of claim 30, wherein said first side wing portion and said second side wing portion extend outwardly in the same direction one as the other.

35. The metal skeleton of claim 30, wherein said first side wing portion is disposed inwardly from the first side edge of said central main body portion and wherein said second side wing portion is disposed inwardly from the second side edge of said central main body portion.

36. The metal skeleton of claim 35, wherein said primary beam is formed by bending said first side wing portion into place with respect to said central main body portion and by bending said second side wing portion into place with respect to said central main body portion.

37. The metal skeleton of claim 31, further comprising a plurality of connector tabs interconnecting said first side wing portion and said second side wing portion to said central main body portion of said primary beam.

38. The metal skeleton of claim 37, further comprising at least one bendable connector finger interconnecting each of said connector tabs with said central main body portion of said primary beam.

39. The metal skeleton of claim 38, wherein each of said bendable connector fingers is joined to said central main body portion of said primary beam at said narrow throat portion of a corresponding one of said major receiving notches.

40. The metal skeleton of claim 37, wherein, when said interconnecting members is in place, a contact portion of said interconnecting member rests against the connector tab at the corresponding notch.

41. The metal skeleton of claim 1, wherein said plurality of primary beams are oriented substantially parallel one to the next.

42. The metal skeleton of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interconnecting members are oriented substantially parallel one to the next.

43. The metal skeleton of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of upwardly projecting hooks disposed in outwardly spaced relation from said first side edge of said central main body portion.

44. The metal skeleton of claim 43, wherein each of said upwardly projecting hooks is connected to the central main body portion by an extension tab.

45. The metal skeleton of claim 44, wherein said upwardly projecting hooks and said extension tab are in substantially the same plane as said central main body portion.

46. The metal skeleton of claim 44, further comprising a plurality of metal wall forms each having at least one hook-engaging portion so as to be hangable on said upwardly projecting hooks.

47. The metal skeleton of claim 1, wherein said central main body portion has a plurality of apertures therein.

48. The metal skeleton of claim 47, wherein said plurality of apertures in said central main body portion are spaced along the major axis of the primary beams.

49. The metal skeleton of claim 48, wherein said plurality of apertures in said central main body portion are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of the primary beams.

50. The metal skeleton of claim 1, further comprising depth indicators extending horizontally outwardly beyond the first and second side edges of the primary beams.

51. The metal skeleton of claim 1, wherein said concrete structure comprises at least one of a concrete wall section and a concrete floor structure.

52. The metal skeleton of claim 1, further comprising weight-bearing tabs extending horizontally outwardly beyond said first side edges and said second side edges of the primary beams, for retaining metal wall forms in weight-supported relation on said weight-bearing tabs during the forming of said concrete structure.

53. The metal skeleton of claim 52, wherein said weight-bearing tabs extend horizontally outwardly, as aforesaid, in parallel relation to said minor axis of said primary beams.

54. The metal skeleton of claim 52, wherein said weight-bearing tabs have an inner base portion and an outer frangible portion, and wherein the outer frangible portion is removable after the pouring of concrete.

55. The metal skeleton of claim 52, wherein said weight-bearing tabs extend through vertically oriented co-operating slots in the metal wall forms to thereby support the metal wall forms during pouring of concrete.

56. The metal skeleton of claim 54, wherein said inner base portion and said outer frangible portion are joined to each other at a pair of opposed “V”-notches.

57. The metal skeleton of claim 54, wherein said outer frangible portion has at least one wedge-receiving aperture therein that receives a securing wedge therein to hold the metal wall forms in place during the pouring and curing of concrete.

58. The metal skeleton of claim 57, wherein said securing wedge is removable from said at least one wedge-receiving aperture subsequent to the pouring and curing of concrete.

59. The metal skeleton of claim 55, further comprising inwardly oriented projections on the metal wall forms for engaging with the poured concrete to retain the metal wall forms in place after curing of said poured concrete.

60. The metal skeleton of claim 1, wherein said receiving portions comprise a plurality of major receiving notches disposed along the length of said primary beams.

61. The metal skeleton of claim 60, wherein said plurality of major receiving notches comprise vertically oriented slots.

62. The metal skeleton of claim 1, further comprising bendable tabs extending horizontally outwardly beyond said first side edges and said second side edges of the primary beams, wherein said bendable tabs are bendable between an initial position and a securing position whereat the interconnecting members are secured in place.

63. The metal skeleton of claim 62, wherein said interconnecting members are inter-connected together to form a lattice positioned adjacent one or both of said first side edge and said second side edge.

64. The metal skeleton of claim 63, wherein said bendable tabs extend through co-operating tab-receiving apertures formed in said interconnecting members where the interconnecting members intersect one another.

65. The metal skeleton of claim 4, wherein said primary beams and said interconnecting members are substantially pre-cut so as to be retained in place by frangible connection points left uncut in substantially flat sheets of metal material to thereby be subsequently separable from the remainder of the corresponding one of said flat sheets of metal material after shipping to an assembly site.

66. The metal skeleton of claim 65, wherein said remainder of said flat sheets of metal material include instructions related to the assembly of said metal skeleton laser etched thereon.

67. A metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, the metal skeleton comprising:

a plurality of primary beams, each having a major axis defining the orientation of its length and a minor axis defining the orientation of its width, and wherein said minor axis is transverse to said major axis;

a plurality of major receiving notches disposed along the length of each of said primary beams, wherein said major receiving notches each have a narrow throat portion and a wide rear portion open to the narrow throat portion;

wherein, the interconnecting members interlock with said major receiving notches formed on the primary beams to secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means, and the plurality of interconnecting members each have both their major axis and their minor axis oriented substantially transversely to the major axis of the primary beams.

68. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein each said narrow throat portion is defined by first and second facing throat edges and each said wide rear portion has ends.

69. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein said major receiving notches are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of at least one of said first side edge and said second side edge.

70. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein said narrow throat portion has a length and a width and said wide rear portion has a length and a width, and wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is between 4:1 and 1:1.

71. The metal skeleton of claim 70, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is about 2:1.

72. The metal skeleton of claim 71, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said wide rear portion is between 10:1 and 5:1.

73. The metal skeleton of claim 72, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is about 22:5.

74. The metal skeleton of claim 68, further comprising an open space disposed adjacent said first throat edge of the narrow throat portion of said major receiving notches so as to define a locking clip between said narrow throat portion and said open space, wherein said locking clip is movable between a support passing position and a support locking position, wherein in the support passing position said interconnecting members pass through said narrow throat portion and into said wide rear portion, and wherein in the support locking position said interconnecting member is precluded from passing through said narrow throat portion and is thereby retained in place in said wide rear portion.

75. The metal skeleton of claim 74, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said locking clip is about 5:1.

76. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein said primary beams each have a first side edge and a second side edge on opposite sides of said major axis, and wherein the plurality of major receiving notches is disposed along the length of at least one of said first side edge and said second side edge of said primary beams.

77. The metal skeleton of claim 76, wherein said narrow throat portion is open to the corresponding one of the first side edge or the second side edge.

78. The metal skeleton of claim 77, wherein said major receiving notches are disposed along the length of both of said first side edge and said second side edge of each of said primary beams.

79. The metal skeleton of claim 76, wherein said major receiving notches disposed along the length of said first side edge are longitudinally aligned with the major receiving notches disposed along the length of said second side edge.

80. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein each of the interconnecting members is formed from a substantially flat sheet of metal material.

81. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein each of the plurality of primary beams and each of the interconnecting members is cut from a substantially flat sheet of metal material.

82. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein the primary beams and the plurality of interconnecting members are cut using a laser.

83. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein said central main body portion defines a plurality of apertures therein.

84. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein said primary beams each have a first side edge and a second side edge.

85. The metal skeleton of claim 84, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are outwardly disposed.

86. The metal skeleton of claim 85, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are substantially straight.

87. The metal skeleton of claim 86, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are substantially parallel one to the other.

88. The metal skeleton of claim 87, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are disposed on said central main body portion.

89. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein said interconnecting members are each substantially straight.

90. The metal skeleton of claim 89, wherein said interconnecting members each have a first side edge and a second side edge.

91. The metal skeleton of claim 90, wherein said first side edge and a second side edge of said interconnecting member are substantially straight.

92. The metal skeleton of claim 89, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge of said interconnecting member are substantially parallel one to the other.

93. The metal skeleton of claim 90, further comprising a plurality of minor notches disposed along the length of each said first side edge and said second side edge of said interconnecting member.

94. The metal skeleton of claim 93, wherein said minor notches are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of said interconnecting member.

95. The metal skeleton of claim 93, wherein said minor notches are rectangular in shape.

96. The metal skeleton of claim 95, wherein said minor notches are square in shape.

97. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein each of said primary beams further comprises a first side wing portion and a second side wing portion extending outwardly from said central main body portion.

98. The metal skeleton of claim 97, wherein said first side wing portion extends outwardly from said central main body portion at said first side edge thereof and said second side wing portion extends outwardly from said central main body portion at said second side edge thereof.

99. The metal skeleton of claim 97, wherein said first side wing portion and a second side wing portion are substantially transverse to said central main body portion.

100. The metal skeleton of claim 97, wherein said first side wing portion and a second side wing portion are substantially parallel one to the other.

101. The metal skeleton of claim 97, wherein said first side wing portion and a second side wing portion extend outwardly in same direction one as the other.

102. The metal skeleton of claim 97, wherein said first side wing portion is disposed inwardly from the first side edge of said central main body portion and wherein said second side wing portion is disposed inwardly from the second side edge of said central main body portion.

103. The metal skeleton of claim 102, wherein said primary beam is formed by bending said first side wing portion into place with respect to said central main body portion and by bending said second side wing portion into place with respect to said central main body portion.

104. The metal skeleton of claim 98, further comprising a plurality of connector tabs interconnecting said first side wing portion and said second side wing portion to said central main body portion of said primary beam.

105. The metal skeleton of claim 104, further comprising at least one bendable connector finger interconnecting each of said connector tabs with said central main body portion of said primary beam.

106. The metal skeleton of claim 105, wherein each of said bendable connector fingers is joined to said central main body portion of said primary beam at said narrow throat portion of a corresponding one of said major receiving notches.

107. The metal skeleton of claim 98, wherein, when said interconnecting members is in place, a contact portion of said interconnecting member rests against the connector tab at the corresponding notch.

108. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein said plurality of primary beams are oriented substantially parallel one to the next.

109. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein the plurality of interconnecting members are oriented substantially parallel one to the next.

110. The metal skeleton of claim 83, further comprising a plurality of upwardly projecting hooks disposed in outwardly spaced relation from said first side edge of said central main body portion.

111. The metal skeleton of claim 110, wherein each of said upwardly projecting hooks is connected to the central main body portion by an extension tab.

112. The metal skeleton of claim 111, wherein said upwardly projecting hooks and said extension tab are in substantially the same plane as said central main body portion.

113. The metal skeleton of claim 111, further comprising a plurality of metal wall forms each having at least one hook-engaging portion so as to be hangable on said upwardly projecting hooks.

114. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein said central main body portion has a plurality of apertures therein.

115. The metal skeleton of claim 114, wherein said plurality of apertures in said central main body portion are spaced along the major axis of the primary beams.

116. The metal skeleton of claim 115, wherein said plurality of apertures in said central main body portion are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along said major axis.

117. The metal skeleton of claim 67, further comprising depth indicators extending horizontally outwardly beyond the first and second side edges of the primary beams.

118. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein said concrete structure comprises at least one of a concrete wall section and a concrete floor structure.

119. The metal skeleton of claim 67, further comprising weight-bearing tabs extending horizontally outwardly beyond said first side edges and said second side edges of the primary beams, for retaining wall forms in weight-supported relation on said weight-bearing tabs during the forming of said concrete structure.

120. The metal skeleton of claim 119, wherein said wall forms comprise metal wall forms.

121. The metal skeleton of claim 119, wherein said weight-bearing tabs extend horizontally outwardly, as aforesaid, in parallel relation to said minor axis of said primary beams.

122. The metal skeleton of claim 119, wherein said weight-bearing tabs have an inner base portion and an outer frangible portion, and wherein the outer frangible portion is removable after the pouring of concrete.

123. The metal skeleton of claim 119, wherein said weight-bearing tabs extend through vertically oriented co-operating slots in the metal wall forms to thereby support the metal wall forms during pouring of concrete.

124. The metal skeleton of claim 123, wherein said inner base portion and said outer frangible portion are joined to each other at a pair of opposed “V”-notches.

125. The metal skeleton of claim 123, wherein said outer frangible portion has at least one wedge-receiving aperture therein that receives a securing wedge therein to hold the metal wall forms in place during the pouring and curing of concrete.

126. The metal skeleton of claim 125, wherein said securing wedge is removable from said at least one wedge-receiving aperture subsequent to the pouring and curing of concrete.

127. The metal skeleton of claim 123, further comprising inwardly oriented projections on the metal wall forms for engaging with the poured concrete to retain the metal wall forms in place after curing of said poured concrete.

128. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein said receiving portions comprise a plurality of major receiving notches disposed along the length of said primary beams.

129. The metal skeleton of claim 128, wherein said plurality of major receiving notches comprise vertically oriented slots.

130. The metal skeleton of claim 67, further comprising bendable tabs extending horizontally outwardly beyond said first side edges and said second side edges of the primary beams, wherein said bendable tabs are bendable between an initial position and a securing position whereat the interconnecting members are secured in place.

131. The metal skeleton of claim 130, wherein said interconnecting members are inter-connected together to form a lattice positioned adjacent one or both of said first side edge and said second side edge.

132. The metal skeleton of claim 131, wherein said bendable tabs extend through co-operating tab-receiving apertures in said interconnecting members where the interconnecting members intersect one another.

133. The metal skeleton of claim 67, wherein said primary beams and said interconnecting members are substantially pre-cut and are retained in place by frangible connection points left uncut in substantially flat sheets of metal material to thereby be subsequently separable from the remainder of the corresponding one of said flat sheets of metal material after shipping to an assembly site.

134. The metal skeleton of claim 133, wherein said remainder of said flat sheets of metal material include instructions related to the assembly of said metal skeleton laser etched thereon.

135. A metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, the metal skeleton comprising:

a plurality of primary beams, each having a major axis defining the orientation of its length and a minor axis defining the orientation of its width, said minor axis being transverse to said major axis;

a plurality of major receiving notches disposed along the length of each of said primary beams, wherein said major receiving notches each have a narrow throat portion defined by first and second facing throat edges;

said receiving notches each further comprising an open space disposed adjacent said first throat edge of the narrow throat portion so as to define a locking clip between said narrow throat portion and said open space, with said locking clip being movable between a support passing position and a support locking position, such that, in the support passing position, said interconnecting members passes through said narrow throat portion and into said wide rear portion, and wherein, in the support locking position, said interconnecting member is precluded from passing through said narrow throat portion so as to be retained in place in said wide rear portion; and

such that the interconnecting members interlock by said locking clips with said major receiving notches formed on the primary beams, to secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means, and the plurality of interconnecting members each have both their major axis and their minor axis oriented substantially transversely to the major axis of the primary beams.

136. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said locking clip is about 5:1.

137. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein each said narrow throat portion is defined by first and second facing throat edges and each said wide rear portion has ends.

138. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein said major receiving notches are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of at least one of said first side edge and said second side edge.

139. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein said narrow throat portion has a length and a width and said wide rear portion has a length and a width, and wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is between 4:1 and 1:1.

140. The metal skeleton of claim 139, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is about 2:1.

141. The metal skeleton of claim 140, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said wide rear portion is between 10:1 and 5:1.

142. The metal skeleton of claim 141, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is about 22:5.

143. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein said primary beams each have a first side edge and a second side edge on opposite sides of said major axis, and wherein the plurality of major receiving notches is disposed along the length of at least one of said first side edge and said second side edge of said primary beams.

144. The metal skeleton of claim 143, wherein said narrow throat portion is open to the corresponding one of the first side edge or the second side edge.

145. The metal skeleton of claim 144, wherein said major receiving notches are disposed along the length of both of said first side edge and said second side edge of each of said primary beams.

146. The metal skeleton of claim 143, wherein said major receiving notches disposed along the length of said first side edge are longitudinally aligned with the major receiving notches disposed along the length of said second side edge.

147. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein each of the interconnecting members is formed from a substantially flat sheet of metal material.

148. The metal skeleton of claim 147, wherein each of the plurality of primary beams and each of the interconnecting members is cut from a substantially flat sheet of metal material.

149. The metal skeleton of claim 148, wherein the primary beams and the plurality of interconnecting members are cut using a laser.

150. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein said central main body portion defines a plurality of apertures therein.

151. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein said primary beams each have a first side edge and a second side edge.

152. The metal skeleton of claim 151, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are outwardly disposed.

153. The metal skeleton of claim 152, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are substantially straight.

154. The metal skeleton of claim 153, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are substantially parallel one to the other.

155. The metal skeleton of claim 154, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are disposed on said central main body portion.

156. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein said interconnecting members are each substantially straight.

157. The metal skeleton of claim 156, wherein said interconnecting members each have a first side edge and a second side edge.

158. The metal skeleton of claim 157, wherein said first side edge and a second side edge of said interconnecting member are substantially straight.

159. The metal skeleton of claim 158, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge of said interconnecting member are substantially parallel one to the other.

160. The metal skeleton of claim 159, further comprising a plurality of minor notches disposed along the length of each said first side edge and said second side edge of said interconnecting member.

161. The metal skeleton of claim 160, wherein said minor notches are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of said interconnecting member.

162. The metal skeleton of claim 160, wherein said minor notches are rectangular in shape.

163. The metal skeleton of claim 162, wherein said minor notches are square in shape.

164. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein each of said primary beams further comprises a first side wing portion and a second side wing portion extending outwardly from said central main body portion.

165. The metal skeleton of claim 164, wherein said first side wing portion extends outwardly from said central main body portion at said first side edge thereof and said second side wing portion extends outwardly from said central main body portion at said second side edge thereof.

166. The metal skeleton of claim 164, wherein said first side wing portion and a second side wing portion are substantially transverse to said central main body portion.

167. The metal skeleton of claim 164, wherein said first side wing portion and a second side wing portion are substantially parallel one to the other.

168. The metal skeleton of claim 164, wherein said first side wing portion and a second side wing portion extend outwardly in the same direction one as the other.

169. The metal skeleton of claim 164, wherein said first side wing portion is disposed inwardly from the first side edge of said central main body portion and wherein said second side wing portion is disposed inwardly from the second side edge of said central main body portion.

170. The metal skeleton of claim 169, wherein said primary beam is formed by bending said first side wing portion into place with respect to said central main body portion and by bending said second side wing portion into place with respect to said central main body portion.

171. The metal skeleton of claim 165, further comprising a plurality of connector tabs interconnecting said first side wing portion and said second side wing portion to said central main body portion of said primary beam.

172. The metal skeleton of claim 171, further comprising at least one bendable connector finger interconnecting each of said connector tabs with said central main body portion of said primary beam.

173. The metal skeleton of claim 172, wherein each of said bendable connector fingers is joined to said central main body portion of said primary beam at said narrow throat portion of a corresponding one of said major receiving notches.

174. The metal skeleton of claim 165, wherein, when said interconnecting members is in place, a contact portion of said interconnecting member rests against the connector tab at the corresponding notch.

175. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein said plurality of primary beams are oriented substantially parallel one to the next.

176. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein the plurality of interconnecting members are oriented substantially parallel one to the next.

177. The metal skeleton of claim 150, further comprising a plurality of upwardly projecting hooks disposed in outwardly spaced relation from said first side edge of said central main body portion.

178. The metal skeleton of claim 177, wherein each of said upwardly projecting hooks is connected to the central main body portion by an extension tab.

179. The metal skeleton of claim 178, wherein said upwardly projecting hooks and said extension tab are in substantially the same plane as said central main body portion.

180. The metal skeleton of claim 178, further comprising a plurality of metal wall forms each having at least one hook-engaging portion so as to be hangable on said upwardly projecting hooks.

181. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein said central main body portion has a plurality of apertures therein.

182. The metal skeleton of claim 181, wherein said plurality of apertures in said central main body portion are spaced along the major axis of the primary beams.

183. The metal skeleton of claim 182, wherein said plurality of apertures in said central main body portion are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of the primary beams.

184. The metal skeleton of claim 135, further comprising depth indicators extending horizontally outwardly beyond the first and second side edges of the primary beams.

185. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein said concrete structure comprises at least one of a concrete wall section and a concrete floor structure.

186. The metal skeleton of claim 135, further comprising weight-bearing tabs extending horizontally outwardly beyond said first side edges and said second side edges of the primary beams, for retaining wall forms in weight-supported relation on said weight-bearing tabs during the forming of said concrete structure.

187. The metal skeleton of claim 186, wherein said wall forms comprise metal wall forms.

188. The metal skeleton of claim 187, wherein said weight-bearing tabs extend horizontally outwardly, as aforesaid, in parallel relation to said minor axis of said primary beams.

189. The metal skeleton of claim 187, wherein said weight-bearing tabs have an inner base portion and an outer frangible portion, and wherein the outer frangible portion is removable after the pouring of concrete.

190. The metal skeleton of claim 187, wherein said weight-bearing tabs extend through vertically oriented co-operating slots in the metal wall forms to thereby support the metal wall forms during pouring of concrete.

191. The metal skeleton of claim 189, wherein said inner base portion and said outer frangible portion are joined to each other at a pair of opposed “V”-notches.

192. The metal skeleton of claim 189, wherein said outer frangible portion has at least one wedge-receiving aperture therein that receives a securing wedge therein to hold the metal wall forms in place during the pouring and curing of concrete.

193. The metal skeleton of claim 192, wherein said securing wedge is removable from said at least one wedge-receiving aperture subsequent to the pouring and curing of concrete.

194. The metal skeleton of claim 190, further comprising inwardly oriented projections on the metal wall forms for engaging with the poured concrete to retain the metal wall forms in place after curing of said poured concrete.

195. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein said receiving portions comprise a plurality of major receiving notches disposed along the length of said primary beams.

196. The metal skeleton of claim 195, wherein said plurality of major receiving notches comprise vertically oriented slots.

197. The metal skeleton of claim 135, further comprising bendable tabs extending horizontally outwardly beyond said first side edges and said second side edges of the primary beams, wherein said bendable tabs are bendable between an initial position and a securing position whereat the interconnecting members are secured in place.

198. The metal skeleton of claim 197, wherein said interconnecting members are inter-connected together to form a lattice positioned adjacent one or both of said first side edge and said second side edge.

199. The metal skeleton of claim 198, wherein said bendable tabs extend through co-operating tab-receiving apertures in said interconnecting members where the interconnecting members intersect one another.

200. The metal skeleton of claim 135, wherein said primary beams and said interconnecting members are substantially pre-cut and so as to be retained in place by frangible connection points left uncut in substantially flat sheets of metal material to thereby be subsequently separable from the remainder of the corresponding one of said flat sheets of metal material after shipping to an assembly site.

201. The metal skeleton of claim 200, wherein said remainder of said flat sheets of metal material include instructions related to the assembly of said metal skeleton laser etched thereon.

202. A metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, said concrete structure having a thickness defined between first and second opposed surfaces positioned on opposite sides of a medial plane of said metal skeleton, the metal skeleton comprising:

wherein, the interconnecting members interlock with co-operating receiving portions formed on the primary beams to secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means, and with the plurality of interconnecting members having both their major axis and their minor axis oriented substantially transverse to the major axis of the primary beams, and such that the primary beams are oriented with their major axis arranged substantially parallel one to the next and with their minor axis arranged substantially transverse to said medial plane, and with their widths extending between said first and second opposed surfaces.

203. The metal skeleton of claim 202, wherein each of the interconnecting members is formed from a substantially flat sheet of metal material.

204. The metal skeleton of claim 203, wherein each of the plurality of primary beams and each of the interconnecting members is cut from a substantially flat sheet of metal material.

205. The metal skeleton of claim 203, wherein the primary beams and the plurality of interconnecting members are cut using a laser.

206. The metal skeleton of claim 202, wherein said central main body portion defines a plurality of apertures therein.

207. The metal skeleton of claim 202, wherein said primary beams each have a first side edge and a second side edge.

208. The metal skeleton of claim 207, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are disposed on opposite sides of said major axis.

209. The metal skeleton of claim 208, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are substantially straight.

210. The metal skeleton of claim 209, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are substantially parallel one to the other.

211. The metal skeleton of claim 210, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge are disposed on said central main body portion.

212. The metal skeleton of claim 211, wherein said receiving portions comprise a plurality of major receiving notches disposed along the length of at least one of said first side edge and said second side edge of each of said primary beams.

213. The metal skeleton of claim 212, wherein said major receiving notches each have a narrow throat portion defined by first and second facing throat edges and open to the corresponding one of the first side edge and the second side edge of said primary beams, and a wide rear portion open to said narrow throat portion.

214. The metal skeleton of claim 212, wherein said major receiving notches are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of at least one of said first side edge and said second side edge.

215. The metal skeleton of claim 214, wherein said narrow throat portion has a length and a width and said wide rear portion has a length and a width, and wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is between 4:1 and 1:1.

216. The metal skeleton of claim 215, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is about 2:1.

217. The metal skeleton of claim 216, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said wide rear portion is between 10:1 and 5:1.

218. The metal skeleton of claim 217, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is about 22:5.

219. The metal skeleton of claim 215, further comprising an open space disposed adjacent said first throat edge of the narrow throat portion of said major receiving notches so as to define a locking clip between said narrow throat portion and said open space, wherein said locking clip is movable between a support passing position and a support locking position, wherein in the support passing position said interconnecting members passes through said narrow throat portion and into said wide rear portion, and wherein in the support locking position said interconnecting member is precluded from passing through said narrow throat portion so as to be retained in place in said wide rear portion.

220. The metal skeleton of claim 219, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said locking clip is about 5:1.

221. The metal skeleton of claim 206, wherein said major receiving notches are disposed along the length of both of said first side edge and said second side edge of each of said primary beams.

222. The metal skeleton of claim 219, wherein said major receiving notches disposed along the length of said first side edge are longitudinally aligned with the major receiving notches disposed along the length of said second side edge.

223. The metal skeleton of claim 202, wherein said interconnecting members are each substantially straight.

224. The metal skeleton of claim 223, wherein said interconnecting members each have a first side edge and a second side edge.

225. The metal skeleton of claim 224, wherein said first side edge and a second side edge of said interconnecting member are substantially straight.

226. The metal skeleton of claim 223, wherein said first side edge and said second side edge of said interconnecting member are substantially parallel one to the other.

227. The metal skeleton of claim 224, further comprising a plurality of minor notches disposed along the length of each said first side edge and said second side edge of said interconnecting member.

228. The metal skeleton of claim 227, wherein said minor notches are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of said interconnecting member.

229. The metal skeleton of claim 227, wherein said minor notches are rectangular in shape.

230. The metal skeleton of claim 229, wherein said minor notches are square in shape.

231. The metal skeleton of claim 215, wherein each of said primary beams further comprises a first side wing portion and a second side wing portion extending transversely outwardly from said central main body portion.

232. The metal skeleton of claim 231, wherein said first side wing portion extends outwardly from said central main body portion at said first side edge thereof and said second side wing portion extends outwardly from said central main body portion at said second side edge thereof.

233. The metal skeleton of claim 231, wherein said first side wing portion and a second side wing portion are substantially transverse to said central main body portion.

234. The metal skeleton of claim 231, wherein said first side wing portion and a second side wing portion are substantially parallel one to the other.

235. The metal skeleton of claim 231, wherein said first side wing portion and said second side wing portion extend outwardly in the same direction one as the other.

236. The metal skeleton of claim 231, wherein said first side wing portion is disposed inwardly from the first side edge of said central main body portion and wherein said second side wing portion is disposed inwardly from the second side edge of said central main body portion.

237. The metal skeleton of claim 236, wherein said primary beam is formed by bending said first side wing portion into place with respect to said central main body portion and by bending said second side wing portion into place with respect to said central main body portion.

238. The metal skeleton of claim 232, further comprising a plurality of connector tabs interconnecting said first side wing portion and said second side wing portion to said central main body portion of said primary beam.

239. The metal skeleton of claim 238, further comprising at least one bendable connector finger interconnecting each of said connector tabs with said central main body portion of said primary beam.

240. The metal skeleton of claim 239, wherein each of said bendable connector fingers is joined to said central main body portion of said primary beam at said narrow throat portion of a corresponding one of said major receiving notches.

241. The metal skeleton of claim 238, wherein, when said interconnecting members is in place, a contact portion of said interconnecting member rests against the connector tab at the corresponding notch.

242. The metal skeleton of claim 202, wherein said plurality of primary beams are oriented substantially parallel one to the next.

243. The metal skeleton of claim 202, wherein the plurality of interconnecting members are oriented substantially parallel one to the next.

244. The metal skeleton of claim 206, further comprising a plurality of upwardly projecting hooks disposed in outwardly spaced relation from said first side edge of said central main body portion.

245. The metal skeleton of claim 244, wherein each of said upwardly projecting hooks is connected to the central main body portion by an extension tab.

246. The metal skeleton of claim 245, wherein said upwardly projecting hooks and said extension tab are in substantially the same plane as said central main body portion.

247. The metal skeleton of claim 245, further comprising a plurality of wall forms each having at least one hook-engaging portion so as to be hangable on said upwardly projecting hooks.

248. The metal skeleton of claim 247, wherein said wall forms comprise metal wall forms.

249. The metal skeleton of claim 202, wherein said central main body portion has a plurality of apertures therein.

250. The metal skeleton of claim 249, wherein said plurality of apertures in said central main body portion are spaced along the major axis of the primary beams.

251. The metal skeleton of claim 250, wherein said plurality of apertures in said central main body portion are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of the primary beams.

252. The metal skeleton of claim 202, further comprising depth indicators extending horizontally outwardly beyond the first and second side edges of the primary beams.

253. The metal skeleton of claim 202, wherein said concrete structure comprises at least one of a concrete wall section and a concrete floor structure.

254. The metal skeleton of claim 202, further comprising weight-bearing tabs extending horizontally outwardly beyond said first side edges and said second side edges of the primary beams, for retaining metal wall forms in weight-supported relation on said weight-bearing tabs during the forming of said concrete structure.

255. The metal skeleton of claim 254, wherein said weight-bearing tabs extend horizontally outwardly, as aforesaid, in parallel relation to said minor axis of said primary beams.

256. The metal skeleton of claim 254, wherein said weight-bearing tabs have an inner base portion and an outer frangible portion, and wherein the outer frangible portion is removable after the pouring of concrete.

257. The metal skeleton of claim 254, wherein said weight-bearing tabs extend through vertically oriented co-operating slots in the metal wall forms to thereby support the metal wall forms during pouring of concrete.

258. The metal skeleton of claim 256, wherein said inner base portion and said outer frangible portion are joined to each other at a pair of opposed “V”-notches.

259. The metal skeleton of claim 256, wherein said outer frangible portion has at least one wedge-receiving aperture therein that receives a securing wedge therein to hold the metal wall forms in place during the pouring and curing of concrete.

260. The metal skeleton of claim 259, wherein said securing wedge is removable from said at least one wedge-receiving aperture subsequent to the pouring and curing of concrete.

261. The metal skeleton of claim 257, further comprising inwardly oriented projections on the metal wall forms for engaging with the poured concrete to retain the metal wall forms in place after curing of said poured concrete.

262. The metal skeleton of claim 202, wherein said receiving portions comprise a plurality of major receiving notches disposed along the length of said primary beams.

263. The metal skeleton of claim 262, wherein said plurality of major receiving notches comprise vertically oriented slots.

264. The metal skeleton of claim 202, further comprising bendable tabs extending horizontally outwardly beyond said first side edges and said second side edges of the primary beams, wherein said bendable tabs are bendable between an initial position and a securing position whereat the interconnecting members are secured in place.

265. The metal skeleton of claim 264, wherein said interconnecting members are inter-connected together to form a lattice positioned adjacent one or both of said first side edge and said second side edge.

266. The metal skeleton of claim 265, wherein said bendable tabs extend through co-operating tab-receiving apertures formed in said interconnecting members where the interconnecting members intersect one another.

267. The metal skeleton of claim 205, wherein said primary beams and said interconnecting members are substantially pre-cut so as to be retained in place by frangible connection points left uncut in substantially flat sheets of metal material to thereby be subsequently separable from the remainder of the corresponding one of said flat sheets of metal material after shipping to an assembly site.

268. The metal skeleton of claim 266, wherein said remainder of one or more of said flat sheets of metal material have assembly instructions for at least a portion of said metal skeleton laser etched thereon.

269. A kit for assembling a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, the kit comprising:

wherein, the interconnecting members are dimensioned and otherwise adapted to interlock with co-operating receiving portions integrally formed on the primary beams to secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means, and with the plurality of interconnecting members each having both their major axis and their minor axis oriented substantially transversely to the major axis of the central main body portion of the primary beams upon assembly of said metal skeleton.

270. The kit of claim 269, wherein one or more of each of the primary beams or the interconnecting members is formed by cutting each from substantially flat sheets of metal material.

271. The kit of claim 269, additionally comprising a container into which said primary beams and said interconnecting members may be placed subsequent to said primary beams and said interconnecting members being formed from said substantially flat sheets of metal material, for shipment and/or storage prior to assembly of said metal skeleton.

272. The kit of claim 271, wherein said container comprises a container into which said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material having said primary beams and said interconnecting members formed therein may be placed subsequent to said primary beams and said interconnecting members being formed in said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material, for shipment and/or storage.

273. The kit of claim 271, wherein said container comprises a shipping container.

274. The kit of claim 273, wherein said shipping container comprises a lockable shipping container.

275. The kit of claim 269, wherein said primary beams and said interconnecting members are substantially pre-cut from one or more substantially flat sheets of metal material so as to be retained in place by frangible connection points left uncut in said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material to thereby be subsequently separable from the remainder of the corresponding one of said after shipping to an assembly site.

276. The kit of claim 275, additionally comprising a container into which said primary beams and said interconnecting members may be placed subsequent to said primary beams and said interconnecting members being formed from said substantially flat sheets of metal material, for shipment and/or storage.

277. The kit of claim 276, wherein said container comprises a container into which said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material having said primary beams and said interconnecting members formed therein may be placed subsequent to said primary beams and said interconnecting members being formed in said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material, for shipment and/or storage.

278. The kit of claim 276, wherein said container comprises a shipping container.

279. The kit of claim 278, wherein said shipping container comprises a lockable shipping container.

280. The kit of claim 269, wherein said one or more of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material have assembly instructions for at least a portion of said metal skeleton laser etched thereon.

281. The kit of claim 274, wherein said assembly instructions are laser etched on said remainder of one or more of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material.

282. The kit of claim 269, wherein said receiving portions comprise a plurality of major receiving notches disposed along the length of at least one of said first side edge and said second side edge of each of said primary beams.

283. The kit of claim 282, wherein said major receiving notches each have a narrow throat portion defined by first and second facing throat edges and open to the corresponding one of the first side edge and the second side edge of said primary beams, and a wide rear portion open to said narrow throat portion.

284. The kit of claim 282, wherein said major receiving notches are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of at least one of said first side edge and said second side edge.

285. The kit of claim 284, wherein said narrow throat portion has a length and a width and said wide rear portion has a length and a width, and wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is between 4:1 and 1:1.

286. The kit of claim 285, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is about 2:1.

287. The kit of claim 286, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said wide rear portion is between 10:1 and 5:1.

288. The kit of claim 287, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said narrow throat portion is about 22:5.

289. The kit of claim 288, further comprising an open space disposed adjacent said first throat edge of the narrow throat portion of said major receiving notches so as to define a locking clip between said narrow throat portion and said open space, wherein said locking clip is movable between a support passing position and a support locking position, wherein in the support passing position said interconnecting members passes through said narrow throat portion and into said wide rear portion, and wherein in the support locking position said interconnecting member is precluded from passing through said narrow throat portion so as to be retained in place in said wide rear portion.

290. The kit of claim 289, wherein the ratio of said width to said length of said locking clip is about 5:1.

291. The kit of claim 282, wherein said major receiving notches are disposed along the length of both of said first side edge and said second side edge of each of said primary beams.

292. The kit of claim 291, wherein said major receiving notches disposed along the length of said first side edge are longitudinally aligned with the major receiving notches disposed along the length of said second side edge.

293. A kit used for assembling a metal skeleton for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, the kit comprising:

a plurality of substantially flat formed sheets of metal material having a plurality of primary beams and a plurality of interconnecting members substantially pre-cut therein so as to be retained in place by frangible connection points left uncut in said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material to thereby be subsequently separable from the remainder of the corresponding one of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material after shipping to an assembly site;

wherein, the interconnecting members interlock with co-operating receiving portions formed on the primary beams to thereby secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means.

294. The kit of claim 293, wherein said plurality of primary beams and a plurality of interconnecting members are laser-cut in said plurality of substantially flat formed sheets of metal material.

295. The kit of claim 293, wherein said one or more of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material have assembly instructions for at least a portion of said metal skeleton laser etched thereon.

296. The kit of claim 306, wherein said assembly instructions are laser etched on said remainder of one or more of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material.

297. A method of producing a flat-shippable three-dimensional concrete reinforcement skeleton for assembly at a site remote from the production site without the need of supplemental cutting or fastening means, said method comprising the steps of:

a) forming from one or more substantially flat sheets of metal material a first plurality of primary beams and a second plurality of interconnecting members substantially pre-cut therein so as to be retained in place within said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material by connection points left uncut in a remainder of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material, with each of said primary beams having a third plurality of mechanical interlocking means integrally formed thereon adjacent lateral edges of the primary beams;

b) loading said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material into one or more shipping containers;

c) relocating said one or more shipping containers to said assembly site;

d) removing said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material from said one or more shipping containers;

e) breaking said frangible connection points;

f) separating said primary beams and said interconnecting members from the remainder of the corresponding substantially flat formed sheets of metal material;

g) arranging said second plurality of interconnecting members adjacent said first plurality of primary beams with respective ones of said mechanical interlocking means in operatively close proximity to said second plurality of interconnecting members; and,

h) fitting said plurality of interconnecting members within respective ones of said plurality of mechanical interlocking means to secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means.

298. The method of claim 297, wherein the primary beams and the interconnecting members are each formed using a laser cutter.

299. The method of claim 298, wherein the laser cutter is a CNC laser cutter.

300. The method of claim 297, wherein, either before or after step a), but before step b) one or more of said flat sheets of metal material have assembly instructions for at least a portion of said metal skeleton laser etched thereon.

301. The method of claim 300, wherein said assembly instructions are laser etched on the remainder of one or more of said flat sheets of metal material.

302. The method of claim 297, further comprising the step of forming receiving portions on the primary beams to thereby permit the securing of the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without said supplemental fastening means.

303. The method of claim 302, wherein the step of forming receiving portions on the primary beams comprises forming a plurality of major receiving notches on the primary beams.

304. The method of claim 302, wherein said plurality of major receiving notches are disposed along the length of at least one of said first side edge and said second side edge of each of said primary beams.

305. The method of claim 303, wherein said major receiving notches each have a narrow throat portion defined by first and second facing throat edges and open to the corresponding one of the first side edge and the second side edge of said primary beams, and a wide rear portion open to said narrow throat portion.

306. The method of claim 303, wherein said major receiving notches are spaced at regular intervals one from the next along the length of at least one of said first side edge and said second side edge.

307. The method of claim 303, further comprising the step of forming an open space disposed adjacent said first throat edge of the narrow throat portion of said major receiving notches so as to define a locking clip between said narrow throat portion and said open space.

308. A method of providing the components of a flat-shippable three-dimensional concrete reinforcement skeleton for assembly at a site remote from the production site without the need of supplemental cutting or fastening means, said method comprising the steps of:

a) forming from one or more substantially flat sheets of metal material a first plurality of primary beams and a second plurality of interconnecting members substantially pre-cut therein so as to be retained in place within the substantially flat formed sheets of metal material by frangible connection points left uncut in a remainder of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material, with each of said primary beams having a third plurality of mechanical interlocking means integrally formed thereon adjacent lateral edges of the primary beams;

b) loading said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material into one or more shipping containers; and,

c) relocating said one or more shipping containers to said assembly site.

309. The method of claim 308, wherein, the interconnecting members interlock with co-operating receiving portions formed on the primary beams to thereby secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means.

310. The method of claim 308, wherein said plurality of primary beams and a plurality of interconnecting members are laser-cut in said plurality of substantially flat formed sheets of metal material.

311. The method of claim 308, wherein said one or more of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material have assembly instructions for at least a portion of said metal skeleton laser etched thereon.

312. The method of claim 310, wherein said assembly instructions are laser etched on said remainder of one or more of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material.

313. A method of assembling a metal skeleton from a plurality of substantially flat formed sheets of metal material having a plurality of primary beams and a plurality of interconnecting members substantially pre-cut therein so as to be retained in place by frangible connection points left uncut in said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material to thereby be subsequently separable from the remainder of the corresponding one of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material after shipping to an assembly site, for the reinforcement of a concrete structure to be formed therearound, the method comprising the steps of:

a) separating said plurality of primary beams and said plurality of interconnecting members from the remainder of the corresponding one of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material; and,

b) interlocking said plurality of interconnecting members with co-operating receiving portions formed on the primary beams to thereby secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means.

314. The method of claim 313, wherein, the interconnecting members interlock with co-operating receiving portions formed on the primary beams to thereby secure the primary beams and the interconnecting members one to the other without supplemental fastening means, to thereby assemble said metal skeleton.

315. The method of claim 313, wherein said plurality of primary beams and a plurality of interconnecting members are laser-cut in said plurality of substantially flat formed sheets of metal material.

316. The method of claim 313, wherein said one or more of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material have assembly instructions for at least a portion of said metal skeleton laser etched thereon.

317. The method of claim 316, wherein said assembly instructions are laser etched on said remainder of one or more of said substantially flat formed sheets of metal material.