US2336253A

US2336253A - Concrete form panel

Info

Publication number: US2336253A
Application number: US443450A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jennings William Allen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1942-05-18
Filing date: 1942-05-18
Publication date: 1943-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 1960-12-07

Description

Dem Z, 194& I A JENNINGS r 2,336,253;

Filed. May 18%, 1942 2-. Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Dec. 7, 1943; JENNINGS 2,336,253

CONCRETE FORM PANEL Filed May 18, 1942 I 2 Sheets-She et 2 I N y illllllfimlfllllls NH- 14 16 32 4b 215" 222 26 25 INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 7, 1943 UNITED STATES FFlQE CGNCRETE FORM PANEL William Allen Jennings, Des Moines, Iowa Application May 18, 1942, Serial No. 443,450

6 Claims. (Cl. 25-131) My invention relates to panels of the type which are used in multiple arrangement as forms for the construction of concrete Walls, etc. In this work it is convenient to use panels having marginal flanges with standardized punchings, so that adjacent panels can be quickly connected and aligned by simple clamps, such as those shown in my Patent No. 2,102,717. Form panels on opposite sides of the wall are joined by spreader ties which maintain the correct spacing to give the desired Wall thickness.

When the semi-fluid concrete is placed in the forms, it exerts an outward horizontal pressure on the form panels, and under conditions sometimes encountered the resulting forces may be very great. It will be understood that these forces must ultimately be transmitted to the spreader ties, which are customarily located at the corners of the form panels.

.Practical form systems employ panels of various sizes and shapes, as may be necessary to conform to the dimensions of the structure being erected. Each panel, however, must have edge flanges for aligning and fastening purposes, as well as for more or less load carrying capacity, particularly in the smaller sizes. All of these flanges must be of the same size, so that the clamps or other aligning and fastening devices can be used interchangeably with all combinations ofvarious sizes of panels.

When the flanges are relied upon for structural strength, 'i. e., to resist the forces of the concrete tending to buckle the panels, then a problem arises in selecting a design or weight of flange which will be suitable on all the various sizes of panels. If the flange is sufiiciently heavy and rugged to withstand the forces exerted on the largest size panels, then it will be unnecessarily large in the small panels, representing a Waste of metalfiand undesirable Weight in handling.

My invention is particularly applicable to form panels of the larger sizes, and involves a constructionsuch that the forces exerted normal to the'panel throughout its area will be transmitted as "directly as possible to the corners of the panel, without the necessity for heavy or rigid-marginal flanges. For reasons which will be pointed out, it is desirable to have a certain degree of flexibility in the side flanges, and if they are made lightwenough to have such flexibility, they would not have suflicient strength in themselves to carry the load imposed on the larger panels in a form system. Furthermore, my invention makes possible the uniform use, on various size panels, of a flange which will not be excessively heavy on small panels.

It is an object of my invention to provide a form panel meeting the requirements indicated, and of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

A form panel embodying the novel and useful features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View showing several panels, and indicating the manner in which adjacent panels are fastened together, as well as the means by which the panels on opposite sides of the Wall are spaced apart;

Figure 2 is an elevational View of a single panel;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

The form panel is made up from a heavy sheet metal plate with edges turned up to form flanges. This part may be referred to as the pan, and I have designated the pan generally by the numeral Ill. The fiat face portion of the pan is designated as l2, and the flanges are indicated'at M. At the corners or" the pan, where the'flanges meet, I provide corner fittings it and lock plates l8 for a purpose which will be later described.

For reenforcement on the flange side of the pan, I provide first a grid orgrill structure indicatedgenerally as 2%. In the form shown, it consists oflongitudinal members 22 and 2d, a central cross member 26, intermediate cross members 28,

and end members 39. The members referred to are preferably of channel section, as indicated in Figures 3 and l, with the exception of the central cross member 26, the shape of which is seen' in Figure 4. l

:The panel itself being rectangular in outline, the central grid Ell is most conveniently made rectangular also, and in accordance with the objects of my invention it is made both shorter and narrower than the pan ID.

The central grid is connected to the corners of the panel by diagonally extending members 32.

In the design shown in the drawings, additional longitudinal members 36 are provided, ex-

tending parallel to the

members

22 and 24, and joined to the diagonal members 32. Members 36 are spaced approximately as far from the adjacent parallel flanges M as the members 30 are from the flanges parallel to them. It will be seen, therefore, that a uniformly distributed system of reenforcing members is provided, and all the forces which are transmitted through the pan face l2 to the reenforcement grid are ultimately transmitted by the diagonal members 32 to the corner fittings [6. The spacing of the various members in the grid is such that there is no unsupported area of the pan face of greater width than approximately one-sixth the size of the form panel. The panel shown is a square one, commercially made in a thirty-inch size, so

that th spacing referred to is about five inches.

Obviously, the panels can be made in various sizes and shapes, and the dimensions are given only as illustrative of a commercially practical form, and not as a limitation of my invention.

Figure 1 shows how these panels are assembled. Clamps 38 are used to embrace adjacent flanges, thus holding the panels together. The corner fittings 16 are adapted to receive locking pins 40, which project through adjacent flanges to aline the panels, so that the flat face portions i2 all lie in the same plane. The locking pin extends through a hole in the end of a spreader tie 52, and the spreader tie thus serves to space the form panels on the opposite sides of the wall before the concrete is poured, and also as a stay to resist the outward horizontal forces exerted on the form when the semi-fluid concrete mass is placed.

- The clamps 38 are placed close to the corner fittings, so that where the corners of several panels come together they are tightly fastened in a substantially unitary structure. When this is done, a single spreader tie attached to one of the corner fittings will often be enough for each panel intersection, serving to take the outward forces transmitted to the corners of each of four panels. The

system of transmitting the forces to the corners of the panels thus makes for convenience and economy in assembling forms of this type.

As a result of much experience in commercial use of form panels made from sheet steel, I have found it distinctly advantageous to use metal light enough so that the marginal flanges can have some flexibility. The reason for this is that the flanges can be bent inwardly somewhat-inmanufacture, except at the corners. Then when the panels are assembled by clamps 33, the application of the clamps springs the adjacent flanges toward each other, and gives rise to a strong tension, holding the panels together-at the heels of the flanges, i. e., adjacent the pan face i2, thus minimizing the creation of fins or ribs in the concrete surface. The details of this ar rangement are set out in my pending application, Serial No. 367,082.

When flanges of the necessary degree of flexibility are used, and when they are perforated as shown in the drawings, they cannot be-depended on to transmit to the spreader tie points the forces which are encountered in the case of thelarger plates. This may be true even though the flange is such'as to be of ample strength and of economical design for-small panel units. Hence, the advantages, for the largernnits, of my construction with a central grid and diagonal members extending to the corner fittings, so that very little load is carried by the marginal flanges themselves. The panel size is in no way limited by the flange design.

Attention is also directed to the fact that there are no reinforcing members intersecting or in contact with the flanges, so that their flexible character for clamping purposes is not interfered with.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various elements of my structure without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may reasonably be included within their scope.

I claim:

1.' A concrete form panel consisting of a rectangular sheet metal pan with marginal flanges, a rectangular central grid of reenforcing members, said grid being shorter and narrower than said form panel, diagonal load transmitting members extending from the corners of said grid to the corners of said panel, and means at the corners of said panel adapted to connect with tie members.

2. A form panel structure comprising a metal plate with marginal flanges, a grid of reenforcing members in contact with and centrally located on said plate, load carrying members reaching diagonally from, said grid to the corners of said plate, and spreader tie fittings at the corners of said plate.

3. A form panel including a flat sheet metal base, flexible flanges on the margins thereof, corner fittings adapted to receive liner pins and spreader ties, a central grid comprising longitudinally extending members and a plurality of cross members extending therebetween, said grid being shorter and narrower than said form panel, and load carrying members extending from said grid to said corner fittings.

4. In reenforcing means for a sheet metal concrete form panel, a grid located centrally on said panel and having parallel longitudinal members, end members connecting the; ends of said longitudinalmembers, and extensionsfrom said end members to the corners of said panel, and fittings in the corners of said panel, adapted to receive spreader ties. V V p v 5. Reenforcing means for a concrete form panel including a pair of parallel longitudinal members, end,members connecting the ends thereof to form a rectangle shorter andfnarrower than the form panel, members extending diagonally from the corners of said rectangle to spreader tie fittings at the corners of said panel, and additional longitudinal members, extending between said diagonal members, parallel to said first mentioned longitudinal members. f 1 6. A form panel including a flat'sh'eet metal base, flexible flanges on the margins thereof, fittings in the corners thereof adapted to receive spreader tie means, parallel longitudinal members symmetrically located on said base, a plu-' rality of cross members extending transversely between said longitudinal members, diagonal members extending between the ends of said Iongitudinal members and said corner fittings, and auxiliary longitudinal members parallel to said first-mentioned longitudinal members, and joined to said diagonal members intermediate the ends thereof.-

WILLIAM ALLEN JENNINGSSU