US2866251A

US2866251A - Single use mold for obround water meter barrels

Info

Publication number: US2866251A
Application number: US595905A
Authority: US
Inventors: John L Ford
Original assignee: Ford Meter Box Co Inc
Current assignee: Ford Meter Box Co Inc
Priority date: 1956-07-05
Filing date: 1956-07-05
Publication date: 1958-12-30
Anticipated expiration: 1975-12-30

Description

J. L. FORD Dec. 30, 1958 SINGLE USE MOLD FOR OBROUND WATER METER BARREL-S 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1956 INVENTOR fog L. FZRD QwRQQWQ -A -I"TO/2NE Y Dec. 30, 1958 J. L. FORD 2,866,251

SINGLE USE MOLD FOR OBROUND WATER METER BARRELS Filed July s, 1956 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR.

TQHN L FORD I BY M Ml ATTORNEY 2,866,251 Patented Dec. 30, 1958 John L. Ford, Wabash, Ind, assignor to The Ford Meter Box Company, Inc., Wabash, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application July 5, 1956, Serial No. 595,905

6 Claims. (Cl. 25-118) The present invention relates to a mold for use in forming, from concrete or similar settable material, tubular elements of obround cross section. Preferably, the mold consists of a pair of cooperating sheathelements which may preferably be formed of disposable material such as, for instance, corrugated board, together with suitable reinforcing rings cooperable with the sheath elements to retain the same against collapse and to suitable contour. An important phase of the invention resides in the design and relative proportions of the reinforcing ring means which is used in cooperation with the outer sheath element of the mold assembly, as will appear from the following specification.

In the present specification and in the claims appended thereto, the word obround is used to define a plane, closed figure, having substantially parallel sides joined by substantially semi-circular ends.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the forms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific constructions illustratedand described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a mold kit constructed in accordance with the present invention, with its several parts in disassembled relation;

Fig. 2 .is a perspective view of such a mold, parts being cut away for clarity of illustration, and showing the outer reinforcing ring in released association with the assembly;

Fig. 3 is a similar perspective view, showing the outer reinforcing ring in frictionally-jammed relation to the outer sheath; and

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a modified form of the invention, using two reinforcing rings cooperatively engaged with the assembly.

The present invention may be considered, in some respects, as an improvement upon the invention disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 409,615, filed jointly with Richard V. Ford, on February 11, 1954, for a Single Use Fiber Board Mold for Water Meter Bar rels. Many of the objectives of the present invention are the same as those set forth in the said copending application; but it has been found that, in some environ ments, an obround shell or barrel has functional advantages over a cylindrical tubular element. The present invention contemplates the provision of a mold, defined primarily between concentric, telescopically associated sheath members formed of flexible, and preferably disposable, sheet material, with reinforcing means associated with said sheaths to force and retain therein an obround cross sectional contour; and a feature of the invention resides in so designing and proportioning at least one of the reinforcing elements that, while such element will retain a selected position of adjustment relative to the sheath assembly when desired, it can be readily removed from the sheath assembly after its function has been performed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that the reference numeral 10 indicates a tubular article which may preferably be formed from concrete or like settable material. Such an article may be poured into a mold cavity defined between an inner sheath 11 and an outer sheath 12, when said sheaths are arranged in concentric, telescopic relation with the outer sheath 12 uniformly perimetrally spaced from the inner sheath 11. Preferably, but not necessarily, the outer sheath 12 will have a height somewhat greater than that of the inner sheath 11.

Each of the sheaths may be formed of any suitable sheet material, and each sheath is perimetrally con-- tinuous so that, if desired, the sheaths may be shipped in flat condition and may, when set up, assume almost any cross sectional contour such as circular, polygonal, oval or, as illustrated, obround.

For holding the inner sheath 11 against inward collapse under the hydraulic pressure of the concrete or similar material to be poured thereinto, I provide one or more inner reinforcing rings; and, in the drawings,v I have illustrated two

such rings

13 and 14. Preferably, each such ring may be formedfrom heavy wire or rod stock, and preferably each such ring will be continuous and rigid. For the purposes of the present invention, each such ring is obround, the ring 13 comprising

parallel side portions

15 and 16 and substantially

semicircular end portions

17 and 18, the longitudinal dimension of the ring, measured between the centers of its

end portions

17 and 18 being substantially greater than the transverse dimension thereof, measured between the

side portions

15 and 16. The ring 14 is identical with the ring 13, comprising

parallel side portions

19 and 20 and

curved end portions

21 and 22.

It will be readily perceived that, when the ring 13 is pressed into place within the sheath 11, and the ring 14 is similarly positioned therein, at a different level in the height of the sheath, said rings will force the sheath 11 to assume an obround cross sectional contour corresponding to the shapes of the

rings

13 and 14, it being understood, of course, that the

rings

13 and 14 are so dimensioned as to fit snugly within the sheath 11.

Now, the sheath 11 and the sheath 12 are brought into concentric, telescopic relation, with the internal surface of the sheath 12 uniformly spaced, throughout their perimeters, from the external surface of the sheath 11, to

define a mold cavity. The hydraulic pressure of the concrete, or like material, to be poured into the mold cavity will act outwardly upon the sheath 12; and because that sheath is perimetrally continuous, the possibility of damage to the outer sheath 12 from that pressure is somewhat remote, since such outward pressure cannot distort the outer sheath except by rupture thereof, as distinguished from the collapsing effect which the pressure might have upon the inner sheath. I find that a single reinforcing ring is sufiicient for the external support of the outer sheath 12; and its function is primarily to shape the cross sectional contour of the sheath 12. To that end, I provide a ring 31, similar to the

rings

13 and 14 in that it comprises

parallel side portions

32 and 33 and substantially

semicircular end portions

34 and 35. The internal transverse dimension of the ring 31, measured between its

side portions

32 and 33, is substantially equal to the external transverse dimension of the sheath 12, measured between its

sidewalls

27 and 28 when the sheath is arranged in the above-described association with the inner sheath 11; but the longitudinal dimension of the ring 31, measured between the midpoints of its

end portions

34 and 35 is substantially greater than the external longitudinal dimension of the sheath 12, measured between its

end portions

29 and 30, when said sheath is so associated with the inner sheath.

As a consequence of this difference between the pro.- portions of the ring 31 and the proportions of the cross sectional contour of the sheath 12, the ring may be readily and freely sleeved on the sheath 12, its end.

portions

34 and 35 being substantially spaced from the end portions 29 and 3% of the sheath. Now, with the ring 31 in the position of Fig. l or that of Fig. 2, the opposite end portions of the ring may be grasped to cant the ring, about a transverse axis, toward and into a position such as that illustrated in Fig. 3. As the ring is so canted, the end'portions 34 and 35approach the end portions 29 and 30.0f the sheath 12 and finally come into engagement therewith, whereupon the exertion of further downward force upon the end 34 of the ring will jam the ring into frictional, retaining engagement with the sheath. Additionally, as the ring moves toward and into the position of Fig. 3, its

parallel side portions

32 and 33 assume the illustrated positions in which they lend shaping support to the

vside portions

27 and 28 of thesheath over an extended portion thereof, in the direction of height of the sheath.

Now, the concrete may be poured into the mold cavity, as suggested in Fig. 3.

It is found that the hydraulic pressure of the concrete tends to cause the sheath 12 to bulge slightly immediately above and immediately below the ring 33; and this is true whether the ring is proportioned in accordance with the present disclosure or is so proportioned as to fit snugly upon the sheath when the ring lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to the common axis of the sheaths 11 and 12. In the latter case, it has been found that it is next to impossible to remove the external ring, after the concrete has set; but it will be apparent that, when the ring 31 is used, a very slight movement of the ring 31 toward a plane perpendicular to the common axis of the sheaths will immediately provide such relief, between the ring and the sheath 12, as to release the above-mentioned frictional engagement, and to provide convenient handholds at both ends of the ring, whereby the ring 31 may be readily slipped off the mold assembly.

In some cases, it may be desirable to provide means for resiliently urging the ring 31 toward its canted and jammed position; and in that case, spring means may be provided, engaging one end or the other of the ring 31, to urge that ring end toward canted position.

I have found that, when relatively long barrels, comparable to that illustrated at 10 in Fig. 4, are to be formed it is sometimes desirable to use two external rings such as are indicated at 31' and 36 in that figure. The inner sheath 11' will be suitably internally braced by rings (not shown) such as the

rings

13 and 14, and, if desired, more than two such internal rings may be used. Preferably, though not necessarily, corresponding ends of the two rings 31' and 36 will be urged toward each other by means of a tensile spring 37 anchored at its opposite ends to

hooks

38 and 39 engaged with the corresponding end portions of the rings 31' and 36.

Considerable latitude is permissible in the degree to which the longitudinal internal dimension of the

rings

31, 31 and 36 may exceed the longitudinal dimension of the

sheath

12 or 12. In one assembly which has been successfully used, the external longitudinal dimension of the sheath 12 was 19 inches and the internal longitudinal dimension of the ring 31 was 24 inches.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mold for use in forming a tubular article of obround cross section from concrete, or like settable material, comprising an outer, tubular sheath of flexible sheet material, an inner, tubular sheath of flexible sheet material, reinforcing means comprising at least one obround ring snugly receivable within said inner sheath to force said sheath into obround cross sectional shape, and at least one obround ring exteriorly sleevable upon said outer sheath, said last-named ring having a transverse internal dimension substantially equal to the transverse external dimension of said first-named ring, increased by twice the wall thickness of said inner sheath, twice the wall thickness of the article to be formed and twice the wall thickness of said outer sheath, and said last-named ring having a longitudinal internal dimension which sufficiently exceeds the longitudinal external dimension of said first-named ring, increased by twice the wall thickness of said inner sheath, twice the Wall thickness of the article to be formed and twice the wall thickness of said outer sheath to permit said last-named ring to be frictionally jammed into retaining engagement with said outer sheath by canting said last-named ring about its median transverse axis, and to be released from such frictional engagement by returning said last-named ring into a plane substantially perpendicular to the common axis of said sheaths.

2. A mold for use in forming a tubular article of obround cross section from concrete, or like settable material, comprising an inner, tubular sheath of flexible sheet material, reinforcing means comprising at least one obround ring snugly receivable within said inner sheath to force said sheath into obround cross sectional shape, an outer, tubular sheath of flexible sheet material adapted to be arranged in concentric relation to said inner sheath and perimetrally uniformly spaced therefrom, and at least one obround ring exteriorly sleevable upon said outer sheath, the transverse internal dimention of said lastnamed ring being substantially equal to the transverse external dimension of said outer sheath, when so arranged, and the longitudinal internal dimension of said last-named ring sufficiently exceeding the longitudinal c2;- ternal dimension of said outer sheath, when so arranged, that said last-named ring may be frictionally jammed into retaining engagement with said outer sheath by canting said ring about a transverse axis, and may be released from such engagement by returning it to a plane substantially perpendicular to the tubular axis of said sheaths,

3. A mold for use in forming a tubular article of obround section from concrete, or like settable material, comprising an inner, tubular sheath of flexible sheet material, reinforcing means comprising at least one obround ring snugly receivable within said inner sheath to force said sheath into obround cross sectional shape, an outer, tubular sheath of flexible sheet material adapted to be arranged in concentric relation to said inner sheath and perimetrally uniformly spaced therefrom, a pair of 0bround rings exteriorly sleevable upon said outer sheath, each ring of said pair having a transverse internal dimension substantially equal to the transverse external dimension of said outer sheath, when sov arranged, and having a longitudinal internal dimension sufliciently exceeding the longitudinal external dimension of said outer sheath, when so arranged, that each ring of the pair may be frictionally jammed into retaining engagei ent with said outer sheath by canting such ring about a transverse axis, and may be released from such engagement by returning it to a plane substantially perpendicular to the tubular axis of said sheaths, and means engageable with the rings of said pair for holding the same against return to such planes.

4. The mold of claim 3 in which said last-named means is a resilient device operatively connected between corresponding ends of the rings of said pair and urging said ring ends toward each other.

5. A mold for use in forming a tubular article of obround cross section from concrete, or like settable material, comprising an inner, tubular sheath of flexible sheet material, reinforcing means comprising at least one obround ring snugly receivable within said inner sheath to force said sheath into obround cross sectional shape, an outer, tubular sheath of flexible sheet material adapted to be arranged in concentric relation to said inner sheath and perimetrally uniformly spaced therefrom, at least one obround ring exteriorly sleevable upon said outer sheath,

the transverse internal dimension ofsaid last-named ring being substantially equal to the transverse external dimension of said outer sheath, when so arranged, and the longitudinal internal dimension of said last-named ring sufficiently exceeding the longitudinal external dimension of said outer sheath, when so arranged, that said last-named ring may be frictionally jammed into retaining .engagement with said outer sheath by canting said ring about a transverse axis, and may be released from such engagement by returning it to a plane substantially perpendicular to the tubular axis of said sheaths, and means engaging said last-named ring adjacent one end of its longitudinal dimension and holding the same in canted position.

6. A mold for use in forming a tubular article of obround cross section from concrete, or like settable ma terial, comprising an inner, tubular sheath of flexible sheet material, reinforcing means comprising at least one obround ring snugly receivable within said inner sheath to force said sheath into obround cross sectional shape, an outer, tubular sheath of flexible sheet material adapted to be arranged in concentric relation to said inner sheath and perimetrally uniformly spaced therefrom, at least one obround ring exteriorly sleevable upon said outer sheath, the transverse internal dimension of said last-named ring being substantially equal to the transverse external dimension of said outer sheath, when so arranged, and the longitudinal internal dimension of said last-named ring sufficiently exceeding the longitudinal external dimension of said outer sheath, when so arranged, that said last-named ring may be frictionally jammed into retaining engagement with said outer sheath by canting said ring about a transverse axis, and may be released from such engagement by returning it to a plane substantially perpendicular to the tubular axis of said sheaths, and spring means engaging said last-named ring and resiliently urging the same toward canted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Christiansen Nov. 23, 1954