US20200386004A1 - Foldable brace for tieless one-sided wall forming - Google Patents
Foldable brace for tieless one-sided wall forming Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20200386004A1 US20200386004A1 US16/856,240 US202016856240A US2020386004A1 US 20200386004 A1 US20200386004 A1 US 20200386004A1 US 202016856240 A US202016856240 A US 202016856240A US 2020386004 A1 US2020386004 A1 US 2020386004A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- brace
- ground
- wall
- brace member
- foldable
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 238000009415 formwork Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 41
- 230000000712 assembly Effects 0.000 claims description 20
- 238000000429 assembly Methods 0.000 claims description 20
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000004873 anchoring Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 125000006850 spacer group Chemical group 0.000 description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002787 reinforcement Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04G—SCAFFOLDING; FORMS; SHUTTERING; BUILDING IMPLEMENTS OR AIDS, OR THEIR USE; HANDLING BUILDING MATERIALS ON THE SITE; REPAIRING, BREAKING-UP OR OTHER WORK ON EXISTING BUILDINGS
- E04G17/00—Connecting or other auxiliary members for forms, falsework structures, or shutterings
- E04G17/14—Bracing or strutting arrangements for formwalls; Devices for aligning forms
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04G—SCAFFOLDING; FORMS; SHUTTERING; BUILDING IMPLEMENTS OR AIDS, OR THEIR USE; HANDLING BUILDING MATERIALS ON THE SITE; REPAIRING, BREAKING-UP OR OTHER WORK ON EXISTING BUILDINGS
- E04G21/00—Preparing, conveying, or working-up building materials or building elements in situ; Other devices or measures for constructional work
- E04G21/24—Safety or protective measures preventing damage to building parts or finishing work during construction
- E04G21/26—Strutting means for wall parts; Supports or the like, e.g. for holding in position prefabricated walls
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- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04G—SCAFFOLDING; FORMS; SHUTTERING; BUILDING IMPLEMENTS OR AIDS, OR THEIR USE; HANDLING BUILDING MATERIALS ON THE SITE; REPAIRING, BREAKING-UP OR OTHER WORK ON EXISTING BUILDINGS
- E04G9/00—Forming or shuttering elements for general use
- E04G9/02—Forming boards or similar elements
- E04G2009/028—Forming boards or similar elements with reinforcing ribs on the underside
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04G—SCAFFOLDING; FORMS; SHUTTERING; BUILDING IMPLEMENTS OR AIDS, OR THEIR USE; HANDLING BUILDING MATERIALS ON THE SITE; REPAIRING, BREAKING-UP OR OTHER WORK ON EXISTING BUILDINGS
- E04G11/00—Forms, shutterings, or falsework for making walls, floors, ceilings, or roofs
- E04G11/06—Forms, shutterings, or falsework for making walls, floors, ceilings, or roofs for walls, e.g. curved end panels for wall shutterings; filler elements for wall shutterings; shutterings for vertical ducts
- E04G2011/067—Integrated forms comprising shuttering skin, bracing or strutting arrangements, workplatforms and railings
Definitions
- the present disclosure generally relates to a formwork support brace that is used to support wall panels and forms, such as during the construction of a concrete wall or other structure.
- brace formwork When forming concrete slab walls, it is common to temporarily brace formwork that is used to support a concrete wall while the concrete is poured into the formwork and cures.
- the temporary bracing may be arranged on the outer side of the formwork and may be anchored to the ground to support the pressure exerted by the concrete poured on the inner side of the formwork. Once the concrete has sufficiently cured to support itself, the bracing and formwork may be removed to expose the surface of the concrete wall.
- the present disclosure provides a foldable brace assembly that is used to support formwork, such as for forming a concrete wall or slab with a surface in an upright or vertical orientation.
- the foldable brace assembly includes at least one ground brace member and at least one wall brace member that fold together.
- an end portion of the wall brace member can be pivotably coupled with an end portion of the ground brace member, such that the brace assembly can pivot between a folded position with the wall brace member in general parallel alignment with the ground brace member and an erect position with the wall brace member in general perpendicular orientation relative to the ground brace member.
- the brace assembly may be locked in the erect position, such as by inserting a pin in aligned openings in the end portions of the wall brace member and the ground brace member.
- the pin may be removed and the brace assembly can pivot to the folded position for easy storage and transportation.
- a diagonal brace member attaches between an upper portion of the wall brace member and the other end portion of the ground brace member to place the brace assembly in an assembled configuration.
- the brace assembly may be disposed against an outer side of a formwork panel, such as a 12 foot wall panel, and anchored to the ground, such as by attaching to anchors cast in concrete footings.
- the single brace assembly may then brace and support loads exerted by the formwork panel, such as the 12 foot wall panel, in an upright orientation.
- brace assemblies may be arranged at a spaced distance from each other along the supported formwork panel and attached together with tubular cross braces extending between adjacent wall brace members and between adjacent ground brace members.
- the number of brace assemblies, spacing between the brace assemblies, and dimensions of the brace members may vary and be adjusted to accommodate the height and configuration of the formwork and associated concrete structure.
- a foldable brace assembly for supporting concrete formwork includes a ground brace member and a wall brace member.
- the lower end of the wall brace member is pivotably coupled with an end of the ground brace member, such that the brace assembly can pivot between a folded position with the wall brace member in general parallel alignment with the ground brace member and an erect position with the wall brace member in general perpendicular orientation relative to the ground brace member.
- a diagonal brace member detachably couples between an upper end of the wall brace member and the other end of the ground brace member.
- a corner bracket may be pivotally disposed between the ends of the wall and ground brace members, such as with the lower end of the wall brace member connected to the corner bracket and the ground brace member pivotally coupled, such as via pin or bolt, a to the corner bracket.
- the corner bracket may include an upper opening and a lower opening, where a pin may be configured to engage the lower opening in the folded position and the upper opening in the erect position.
- a foldable brace assembly may be adjustable to attach to various points on the supported formwork.
- the wall brace member may include a vertical channel that is configured to engage a fastener at a plurality of locations along the vertical channel, where the fastener may extend from the wall brace member toward the supported formwork panel to engage a waler or the like.
- the waler may also include a horizontal channel that is configured to engage a fastener, such as a tieback, for attaching to the formwork panel at a plurality of locations along the horizontal channel.
- the foldable brace assembly disclosed herein allows the ground and wall brace members to fold together for efficient storage and transportation, along with the possibility to manually assemble and position the brace assemblies on the formwork without a crane or other heavy and expensive lifting equipment. Also, once a project is complete, the foldable brace assemblies may be disassembled and later reassembled, such as in the same or a different configuration, to accommodate different projects or otherwise support different wall panel formwork.
- FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a wall panel form supported by two foldable braces assemblies connected to tie down anchors;
- FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the wall panel form and foldable braces assemblies shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 2A is a rear perspective view of a vertical cross section of the wall panel form shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 2B is a side elevation view of the section of the wall panel form and foldable braces assembly shown in FIG. 2A ;
- FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the foldable braces assemblies shown in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the foldable braces assemblies shown in FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the foldable braces assemblies shown in FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 5A is an enlarged view of section A shown in FIG. 5 , illustrating the tie down anchor engagement with foldable brace;
- FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the foldable braces assemblies shown in FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 7 is a rear elevation view of the foldable braces assemblies shown in FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view the disassembled foldable brace assemblies shown in FIG. 3 , illustrating the wall and ground brace members in a folded position;
- FIG. 8A is an enlarged view of section A shown in FIG. 8 , illustrating the corner bracket of the ground brace member and a pin position to engage the corner bracket;
- FIG. 9 is an elevation view of the corner bracket shown in FIG. 8A .
- a foldable brace assembly 10 is capable of being stored and transported in a folded configuration and then unfolded and assembled at a worksite to support concrete formwork, such as for forming a concrete wall or slab in an upright or vertical orientation.
- the foldable brace assembly 10 includes at least one ground brace member 12 and at least one wall brace member 14 that are pivotably attached together.
- an end portion of the wall brace member 14 is pivotably coupled with an end portion of the ground brace member 12 , such that the brace assembly 10 can pivot between a folded position 16 ( FIG. 8 ) with the wall brace member 14 overlapping and in general parallel alignment with the ground brace member 12 and an erect position 18 ( FIGS. 1-7 ) with the wall brace member 14 in general perpendicular orientation relative to the ground brace member 12 .
- the ground brace member 12 includes a two metal beams 13 a, 13 b that are attached together with nuts and bolts at multiple locations along the length of the beams to secure the beams together in parallel alignment with each other.
- the beams 13 a, 13 b each have a U-shaped cross-sectional shape oriented opposite each other, arranging the central portion of the U-shape nearest the central portion of the opposing beam.
- the beams 13 a, 13 b are consistently spaced from each other along the length of the ground brace member 12 . To maintain the spacing, as shown in FIGS.
- the rear ends of the beams 13 a, 13 b have a foot bracket 17 sandwiched and bolted between the beams and a corner bracket 20 is sandwiched between the front ends of the beams 13 a, 13 b. It is also contemplated that additional spacers at different locations along the length of the ground brace member may be used to maintain the spacing and additional attachment, such as welding, may be used to secure the beams relative to each other.
- the wall brace member 14 includes a two metal beams 15 a, 15 b that are attached together with two rows nuts and bolts at multiple locations along the length of the beams to secure the beams together in parallel alignment with each other.
- the beams 15 a, 15 b each have a U-shaped cross-sectional shape oriented opposite each other, arranging the central portion of the U-shape nearest the central portion of the opposing beam, such as to together form an I-shape.
- the beams 15 a, 15 b are consistently spaced from each other to provide a channel 36 along the length of the wall brace member 14 .
- a lifting plate is sandwiched between the top ends of the beams 15 a, 15 b and the corner bracket 20 is sandwiched between the bottom ends of the beams 15 a, 15 b.
- the spacing between the beams 15 a, 15 b of the wall brace member 14 is substantially equal to the spacing between along the beams 13 a, 13 b of the ground brace member 12 . It is also contemplated that additional spacers at different locations along the length of the wall brace member may be used to maintain the spacing.
- the pivotal engagement of the end portions of the brace members 12 , 14 may be reinforced with bracketry to maintain a stable connection when unfolded for assembly to support formwork.
- the lower end of the wall brace member 14 may incorporate or otherwise be fixed to a corner bracket 20 , such as shown in FIGS. 5 and 5A .
- the ground brace member 12 may then be pivotally coupled with a fastener, such as via a pin or bolt 22 ( FIGS. 5A and 8A ), to the corner bracket 20 at the lower end portion of the wall brace member 14 .
- the lower end of the wall brace member 14 shown in FIG. 5A is fixedly coupled to the corner bracket 20 , such as with a weld and/or the illustrated bolted connection.
- pivotal coupling of the ground brace member and wall brace member in additional embodiments may be constructed directly between the brace members or with additional or alternative intermediate components or brackets or the like to provide foldability to the brace assembly.
- a corner bracket may be fixed to the ground brace member and the wall brace member may be pivotally attached to the corner bracket.
- the brace assembly 10 may be locked or engaged in the folded position 16 during storage and transport and may also be locked or engaged in the erect position 18 during assembly to more easily allow for positioning at or near the formwork in the desired orientation.
- the corner bracket 20 includes an upper opening 20 a and a lower opening 20 b, where a pin 21 may extend into and engage the upper opening 20 a to hold or lock the brace assembly in the folded position 16 or extend into and engage the lower opening 20 b to hold or lock the brace assembly 10 in the erect position 18 .
- the pin 21 may prevent movement of the brace members relative to each other by also extending into and engaging an opening in the ground brace member 12 .
- the pin may engage an edge surface of the ground brace member, such as to act as a stop to rotation or pivoting of the ground brace member relative to the wall brace member, and similarly lock the positions of the brace assembly.
- the brace assembly 10 is unfolded in the assembled configuration and disposed against an outer side of a formwork panel 24 and temporarily anchored to the ground. It is understood that prior to anchoring the wall and ground brace members to the ground, they may be leveled on a ground surface, such as with adjustable jacks or the like. To provide the anchoring, the lower portion of the brace assembly 10 may be temporarily attached to an anchor that is cast or embedded in the ground, such as a tie down anchor 26 that is cast in a concrete footing 28 as shown in FIG. 2B .
- the tie down anchor 26 may be a loop-shaped anchor that provides two stems 26 a that protrude upward at an angle away from the ground surface, whereby the brace assembly 10 is disposed between the two stems 26 a of the tie down anchor 26 .
- the brace assembly 10 is shown in FIGS. 2-2B engaged to the tie down anchor 26 by a tie bar 30 that is secured down against an upper angled surface of the corner bracket 20 of the anchor assembly 10 by wing nuts 32 that each threadably engage down the stems 26 a of the tie down anchor 26 .
- the stems 26 a may include threaded anchor rods that attach to a lower loop portion 26 b of the tie down anchor 26 , such as with the use of intermediate couplers 26 c as shown in FIG. 2B .
- the tie down anchor in additional examples may be a single threaded anchor or may be differently configured with separate anchors, such as individual tie rods or the like on opposing sides of a single brace assembly.
- a diagonal brace member 34 detachably couples between an upper portion of the wall brace member 14 and the rear end portion of the ground brace member 12 .
- the diagonal brace member 34 is shown in FIGS. 1-8 having a tubular beam with a square cross-sectional shape that extends consistently along a length of the beam.
- the end couplings 35 of the diagonal brace member 34 include a sleeve 35 a that is inserted over and fastened to an end of the tubular beam.
- a threaded post 35 b extends through the sleeve 35 a and is threadably attached to an end plate that is welded over an open end of the sleeve 35 a.
- the ends of the threaded post 35 b may be detachably connected to the respective ground and wall brace member 12 , 14 with the use of brackets that are attached in the channels of the ground and wall brace members 12 , 14 with threaded bolts or other fasteners that are capable of being manually disconnected, such as with or without the use of hand tools or the like.
- the threaded posts 35 b of the diagonal brace members 34 may have an adjustable length that are adjusted by rotating the threaded post 35 b relative to the sleeve 35 a to the provide a length that accommodates a firm brace connection of the diagonal brace member 34 .
- the diagonal brace member 34 and associated couplings are configured to withstand compressive and shear forces, respectively, that are exerted by the formwork panel 24 when under the load of the concrete used to form the wall or structure on the inner side of the formwork.
- the wall brace member 14 has a height of approximately 144 inches or 12 feet, such that the brace assembly 10 is configured to support a formwork panel 24 that is 12 feet or taller.
- two or more brace assemblies may be arranged at a spaced distance from each other along the supported formwork panel and attached together with tubular cross braces 46 , such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , extending between adjacent wall brace members 14 and between adjacent ground brace members 12 .
- the cross braces may be attached with camps or other fasteners.
- the number of brace assemblies, spacing between the brace assemblies, and dimensions of the brace members may vary and be adjusted to accommodate the formwork and associated concrete structure.
- the foldable brace assembly 10 may also be adjustable to attach to various points on the supported formwork 24 .
- the wall brace member 14 may include a vertical channel 36 that is configured to engage a fastener 38 , such as a tie bolt or tieback fastener, at a plurality of locations along the vertical channel 36 .
- the fastener 38 may extend from the wall brace member 14 toward the supported formwork panel 24 to engage a horizontal beam, such as a waler 40 as shown in FIG. 2A .
- the waler 40 may also include a horizontal channel 42 that is configured to engage a fastener 44 , such as a tie bolt or tieback fastener, for attaching to the formwork panel 24 at a plurality of locations along the horizontal channel 42 .
- a fastener 44 such as a tie bolt or tieback fastener
- the fasteners 38 , 44 may include wing nuts 38 a, 44 a that threadably engage a threaded rod portion 38 b, 44 b of the fastener 38 , 44 to secure the fastener in place in the respective channels.
- the waler 40 may be repositioned to a desired location on the formwork panel 24 for engagement, such that the brace assembly 10 is configurable to support the formwork panel at a desired position and thus also configurable to support various sizes and types of formwork panels.
- the foldable brace assembly disclosed herein allows the ground and wall brace members to fold together for efficient storage and transportation, along with the possibility to manually assemble and position the brace assemblies on the formwork without a crane or other heavy and expensive lifting equipment.
- the brace assembly may be considered “tieless” due to its lack of any anchoring ties on the internal reinforcements of the formed concrete structure.
- the foldable brace assemblies may be disassembled and later reassembled, such as in the same or a different configuration, to accommodate different projects or otherwise support different wall panel formwork.
- the foldable brace assembly disclosed herein may be used with multiple and various types of construction projects and applications.
- the cross-sectional geometry, material type selections, and material thickness within the cross-sectional profile of the components of the brace assembly may be configured for such a particular use and the desired loading and performance characteristics as generally understood.
- the term “coupled” in all of its forms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc. generally means the joining of two components directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature; may be achieved with the two components and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components; and may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature, unless otherwise stated.
- the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “inner,” “outer,” “inner-facing,” “outer-facing,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1 .
- the invention may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary.
- the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in this specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.
Abstract
Description
- This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/857,313, filed Jun. 5, 2019, the disclosure of this prior application is considered part of this application and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
- The present disclosure generally relates to a formwork support brace that is used to support wall panels and forms, such as during the construction of a concrete wall or other structure.
- When forming concrete slab walls, it is common to temporarily brace formwork that is used to support a concrete wall while the concrete is poured into the formwork and cures. The temporary bracing may be arranged on the outer side of the formwork and may be anchored to the ground to support the pressure exerted by the concrete poured on the inner side of the formwork. Once the concrete has sufficiently cured to support itself, the bracing and formwork may be removed to expose the surface of the concrete wall.
- The present disclosure provides a foldable brace assembly that is used to support formwork, such as for forming a concrete wall or slab with a surface in an upright or vertical orientation. The foldable brace assembly includes at least one ground brace member and at least one wall brace member that fold together. For example, an end portion of the wall brace member can be pivotably coupled with an end portion of the ground brace member, such that the brace assembly can pivot between a folded position with the wall brace member in general parallel alignment with the ground brace member and an erect position with the wall brace member in general perpendicular orientation relative to the ground brace member. The brace assembly may be locked in the erect position, such as by inserting a pin in aligned openings in the end portions of the wall brace member and the ground brace member. When the brace assembly is not in use, the pin may be removed and the brace assembly can pivot to the folded position for easy storage and transportation.
- With the wall brace member and the ground brace member generally perpendicular to each other in the erect position, a diagonal brace member attaches between an upper portion of the wall brace member and the other end portion of the ground brace member to place the brace assembly in an assembled configuration. In the assembled configuration, the brace assembly may be disposed against an outer side of a formwork panel, such as a 12 foot wall panel, and anchored to the ground, such as by attaching to anchors cast in concrete footings. The single brace assembly may then brace and support loads exerted by the formwork panel, such as the 12 foot wall panel, in an upright orientation. It is understood that two or more brace assemblies may be arranged at a spaced distance from each other along the supported formwork panel and attached together with tubular cross braces extending between adjacent wall brace members and between adjacent ground brace members. The number of brace assemblies, spacing between the brace assemblies, and dimensions of the brace members may vary and be adjusted to accommodate the height and configuration of the formwork and associated concrete structure.
- According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a foldable brace assembly for supporting concrete formwork includes a ground brace member and a wall brace member. The lower end of the wall brace member is pivotably coupled with an end of the ground brace member, such that the brace assembly can pivot between a folded position with the wall brace member in general parallel alignment with the ground brace member and an erect position with the wall brace member in general perpendicular orientation relative to the ground brace member. With the wall brace member and the ground brace member in the erect position, a diagonal brace member detachably couples between an upper end of the wall brace member and the other end of the ground brace member. Optionally, a corner bracket may be pivotally disposed between the ends of the wall and ground brace members, such as with the lower end of the wall brace member connected to the corner bracket and the ground brace member pivotally coupled, such as via pin or bolt, a to the corner bracket. To facilitate locking the positions of the wall brace member, the corner bracket may include an upper opening and a lower opening, where a pin may be configured to engage the lower opening in the folded position and the upper opening in the erect position.
- According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a foldable brace assembly may be adjustable to attach to various points on the supported formwork. For example, the wall brace member may include a vertical channel that is configured to engage a fastener at a plurality of locations along the vertical channel, where the fastener may extend from the wall brace member toward the supported formwork panel to engage a waler or the like. The waler may also include a horizontal channel that is configured to engage a fastener, such as a tieback, for attaching to the formwork panel at a plurality of locations along the horizontal channel.
- To reduce the need for the large storage areas and high-load assembly cranes typically associated with traditional one-sided wall braces, the foldable brace assembly disclosed herein allows the ground and wall brace members to fold together for efficient storage and transportation, along with the possibility to manually assemble and position the brace assemblies on the formwork without a crane or other heavy and expensive lifting equipment. Also, once a project is complete, the foldable brace assemblies may be disassembled and later reassembled, such as in the same or a different configuration, to accommodate different projects or otherwise support different wall panel formwork.
- These and other objects, advantages, purposes, and features of the present disclosure will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a wall panel form supported by two foldable braces assemblies connected to tie down anchors; -
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the wall panel form and foldable braces assemblies shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 2A is a rear perspective view of a vertical cross section of the wall panel form shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 2B is a side elevation view of the section of the wall panel form and foldable braces assembly shown inFIG. 2A ; -
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the foldable braces assemblies shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the foldable braces assemblies shown inFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the foldable braces assemblies shown inFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5A is an enlarged view of section A shown inFIG. 5 , illustrating the tie down anchor engagement with foldable brace; -
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the foldable braces assemblies shown inFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 7 is a rear elevation view of the foldable braces assemblies shown inFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view the disassembled foldable brace assemblies shown inFIG. 3 , illustrating the wall and ground brace members in a folded position; -
FIG. 8A is an enlarged view of section A shown inFIG. 8 , illustrating the corner bracket of the ground brace member and a pin position to engage the corner bracket; and -
FIG. 9 is an elevation view of the corner bracket shown inFIG. 8A . - Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a
foldable brace assembly 10, such as shown inFIGS. 1-9 , is capable of being stored and transported in a folded configuration and then unfolded and assembled at a worksite to support concrete formwork, such as for forming a concrete wall or slab in an upright or vertical orientation. Thefoldable brace assembly 10 includes at least oneground brace member 12 and at least onewall brace member 14 that are pivotably attached together. As shown for example inFIGS. 3 and 8 , an end portion of thewall brace member 14 is pivotably coupled with an end portion of theground brace member 12, such that thebrace assembly 10 can pivot between a folded position 16 (FIG. 8 ) with thewall brace member 14 overlapping and in general parallel alignment with theground brace member 12 and an erect position 18 (FIGS. 1-7 ) with thewall brace member 14 in general perpendicular orientation relative to theground brace member 12. - As shown in
FIGS. 1-5 , theground brace member 12 includes a two metal beams 13 a, 13 b that are attached together with nuts and bolts at multiple locations along the length of the beams to secure the beams together in parallel alignment with each other. The beams 13 a, 13 b each have a U-shaped cross-sectional shape oriented opposite each other, arranging the central portion of the U-shape nearest the central portion of the opposing beam. As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 , the beams 13 a, 13 b are consistently spaced from each other along the length of theground brace member 12. To maintain the spacing, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 8 , the rear ends of the beams 13 a, 13 b have afoot bracket 17 sandwiched and bolted between the beams and acorner bracket 20 is sandwiched between the front ends of the beams 13 a, 13 b. It is also contemplated that additional spacers at different locations along the length of the ground brace member may be used to maintain the spacing and additional attachment, such as welding, may be used to secure the beams relative to each other. - Similar to the
ground brace member 12, as shown inFIGS. 1-5 , thewall brace member 14 includes a twometal beams beams FIGS. 3 and 4 , thebeams channel 36 along the length of thewall brace member 14. To maintain the spacing that forms thechannel 36, as shown inFIG. 4 , a lifting plate is sandwiched between the top ends of thebeams corner bracket 20 is sandwiched between the bottom ends of thebeams beams wall brace member 14 is substantially equal to the spacing between along the beams 13 a, 13 b of theground brace member 12. It is also contemplated that additional spacers at different locations along the length of the wall brace member may be used to maintain the spacing. - The pivotal engagement of the end portions of the
brace members wall brace member 14 may incorporate or otherwise be fixed to acorner bracket 20, such as shown inFIGS. 5 and 5A . Theground brace member 12 may then be pivotally coupled with a fastener, such as via a pin or bolt 22 (FIGS. 5A and 8A ), to thecorner bracket 20 at the lower end portion of thewall brace member 14. The lower end of thewall brace member 14 shown inFIG. 5A is fixedly coupled to thecorner bracket 20, such as with a weld and/or the illustrated bolted connection. It is contemplated that the pivotal coupling of the ground brace member and wall brace member in additional embodiments may be constructed directly between the brace members or with additional or alternative intermediate components or brackets or the like to provide foldability to the brace assembly. As another example, a corner bracket may be fixed to the ground brace member and the wall brace member may be pivotally attached to the corner bracket. - As further shown in
FIGS. 5A and 8A , thebrace assembly 10 may be locked or engaged in the foldedposition 16 during storage and transport and may also be locked or engaged in theerect position 18 during assembly to more easily allow for positioning at or near the formwork in the desired orientation. As shown inFIGS. 8-9 , thecorner bracket 20 includes anupper opening 20 a and alower opening 20 b, where apin 21 may extend into and engage theupper opening 20 a to hold or lock the brace assembly in the foldedposition 16 or extend into and engage thelower opening 20 b to hold or lock thebrace assembly 10 in theerect position 18. Thepin 21 may prevent movement of the brace members relative to each other by also extending into and engaging an opening in theground brace member 12. However, it is contemplated that in additional embodiments that the pin may engage an edge surface of the ground brace member, such as to act as a stop to rotation or pivoting of the ground brace member relative to the wall brace member, and similarly lock the positions of the brace assembly. - As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2 , thebrace assembly 10 is unfolded in the assembled configuration and disposed against an outer side of aformwork panel 24 and temporarily anchored to the ground. It is understood that prior to anchoring the wall and ground brace members to the ground, they may be leveled on a ground surface, such as with adjustable jacks or the like. To provide the anchoring, the lower portion of thebrace assembly 10 may be temporarily attached to an anchor that is cast or embedded in the ground, such as a tie downanchor 26 that is cast in aconcrete footing 28 as shown inFIG. 2B . The tie downanchor 26 may be a loop-shaped anchor that provides two stems 26 a that protrude upward at an angle away from the ground surface, whereby thebrace assembly 10 is disposed between the two stems 26 a of the tie downanchor 26. Thebrace assembly 10 is shown inFIGS. 2-2B engaged to the tie downanchor 26 by atie bar 30 that is secured down against an upper angled surface of thecorner bracket 20 of theanchor assembly 10 bywing nuts 32 that each threadably engage down the stems 26 a of the tie downanchor 26. To provide threaded engagement of thewing nuts 32 with the tie downanchor 26, the stems 26 a may include threaded anchor rods that attach to alower loop portion 26 b of the tie downanchor 26, such as with the use ofintermediate couplers 26 c as shown inFIG. 2B . It is also contemplated that the tie down anchor in additional examples may be a single threaded anchor or may be differently configured with separate anchors, such as individual tie rods or the like on opposing sides of a single brace assembly. - With the
brace assembly 10 in theerect position 18, adiagonal brace member 34 detachably couples between an upper portion of thewall brace member 14 and the rear end portion of theground brace member 12. Thediagonal brace member 34 is shown inFIGS. 1-8 having a tubular beam with a square cross-sectional shape that extends consistently along a length of the beam. As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 , theend couplings 35 of thediagonal brace member 34 include asleeve 35 a that is inserted over and fastened to an end of the tubular beam. A threadedpost 35 b extends through thesleeve 35 a and is threadably attached to an end plate that is welded over an open end of thesleeve 35 a. The ends of the threadedpost 35 b may be detachably connected to the respective ground andwall brace member wall brace members diagonal brace members 34 may have an adjustable length that are adjusted by rotating the threadedpost 35 b relative to thesleeve 35 a to the provide a length that accommodates a firm brace connection of thediagonal brace member 34. - The
diagonal brace member 34 and associated couplings are configured to withstand compressive and shear forces, respectively, that are exerted by theformwork panel 24 when under the load of the concrete used to form the wall or structure on the inner side of the formwork. As shown inFIG. 5 , thewall brace member 14 has a height of approximately 144 inches or 12 feet, such that thebrace assembly 10 is configured to support aformwork panel 24 that is 12 feet or taller. It is understood that two or more brace assemblies may be arranged at a spaced distance from each other along the supported formwork panel and attached together with tubular cross braces 46, such as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 , extending between adjacentwall brace members 14 and between adjacentground brace members 12. The cross braces may be attached with camps or other fasteners. The number of brace assemblies, spacing between the brace assemblies, and dimensions of the brace members may vary and be adjusted to accommodate the formwork and associated concrete structure. - The
foldable brace assembly 10 may also be adjustable to attach to various points on the supportedformwork 24. As shown inFIG. 2A , thewall brace member 14 may include avertical channel 36 that is configured to engage afastener 38, such as a tie bolt or tieback fastener, at a plurality of locations along thevertical channel 36. Thefastener 38 may extend from thewall brace member 14 toward the supportedformwork panel 24 to engage a horizontal beam, such as awaler 40 as shown inFIG. 2A . Thewaler 40 may also include ahorizontal channel 42 that is configured to engage afastener 44, such as a tie bolt or tieback fastener, for attaching to theformwork panel 24 at a plurality of locations along thehorizontal channel 42. As shown inFIG. 8 , thefasteners wing nuts 38 a, 44 a that threadably engage a threadedrod portion fastener fasteners waler 40 may be repositioned to a desired location on theformwork panel 24 for engagement, such that thebrace assembly 10 is configurable to support the formwork panel at a desired position and thus also configurable to support various sizes and types of formwork panels. - To reduce the need for the large storage areas and high-load assembly cranes typically associated with traditional one-sided wall braces, the foldable brace assembly disclosed herein allows the ground and wall brace members to fold together for efficient storage and transportation, along with the possibility to manually assemble and position the brace assemblies on the formwork without a crane or other heavy and expensive lifting equipment. As understood, the brace assembly may be considered “tieless” due to its lack of any anchoring ties on the internal reinforcements of the formed concrete structure. Also, once a project is complete, the foldable brace assemblies may be disassembled and later reassembled, such as in the same or a different configuration, to accommodate different projects or otherwise support different wall panel formwork. The foldable brace assembly disclosed herein may be used with multiple and various types of construction projects and applications. The cross-sectional geometry, material type selections, and material thickness within the cross-sectional profile of the components of the brace assembly may be configured for such a particular use and the desired loading and performance characteristics as generally understood.
- For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of its forms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining of two components directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature; may be achieved with the two components and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components; and may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature, unless otherwise stated.
- Also for purposes of this disclosure, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “inner,” “outer,” “inner-facing,” “outer-facing,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
FIG. 1 . However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in this specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. - Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments may be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law. The disclosure has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings, and the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US16/856,240 US20200386004A1 (en) | 2019-06-05 | 2020-04-23 | Foldable brace for tieless one-sided wall forming |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US201962857313P | 2019-06-05 | 2019-06-05 | |
US16/856,240 US20200386004A1 (en) | 2019-06-05 | 2020-04-23 | Foldable brace for tieless one-sided wall forming |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20200386004A1 true US20200386004A1 (en) | 2020-12-10 |
Family
ID=73650281
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US16/856,240 Abandoned US20200386004A1 (en) | 2019-06-05 | 2020-04-23 | Foldable brace for tieless one-sided wall forming |
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US (1) | US20200386004A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN112942872A (en) * | 2021-02-01 | 2021-06-11 | 浙江潮远建设有限公司 | PC assembly type inner wall module fixing device for building and implementation method thereof |
CN113503051A (en) * | 2021-07-23 | 2021-10-15 | 郑州大学 | Precast concrete wall type auxiliary supporting assembly |
CN114961236A (en) * | 2022-05-23 | 2022-08-30 | 中建一局集团第二建筑有限公司 | Angle-adjustable inclined plate type parapet wall formwork system and construction method thereof |
-
2020
- 2020-04-23 US US16/856,240 patent/US20200386004A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN112942872A (en) * | 2021-02-01 | 2021-06-11 | 浙江潮远建设有限公司 | PC assembly type inner wall module fixing device for building and implementation method thereof |
CN113503051A (en) * | 2021-07-23 | 2021-10-15 | 郑州大学 | Precast concrete wall type auxiliary supporting assembly |
CN114961236A (en) * | 2022-05-23 | 2022-08-30 | 中建一局集团第二建筑有限公司 | Angle-adjustable inclined plate type parapet wall formwork system and construction method thereof |
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