US3129481A

US3129481A - Device for constructing and erecting building walls

Info

Publication number: US3129481A
Application number: US184900A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sullivan Robert Joseph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-04-03
Filing date: 1962-04-03
Publication date: 1964-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1981-04-21

Description

April 21, 1964 R. J. SULLIVAN 3,129,481

DEVICE FOR coNsTRUCTING AND ERECTING BUILDING wALLs Filed April 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i4 iff;

'glblew n ,-334 47 W will, INVENTOR.

April 21, 1964 R. J. SULLIVAN 3,129,481

DEVICE FDR coNsIRucIING AND ERECTING BUILDING wALLs Filed April 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2 r l INVENTOR.

f /VaZef JC' Saz/.773442,

United States Patent 3,129,431 DEVICE FOR CONSTRUCTING ANI) EREC'IING BUILDING WALLS Robert Joseph Sullivan, 1223 Cadieux,

rosse Pointe 30, Mieli. Filed Apr. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 184,900 8 Claims. (Cl. 25-1) This invention relates to building constructions, and particularly to a frame structure in which a concrete side of a building may be constructed and swung to vertical position upon a foundation.

Various attempts have been made to pour a concrete side wall and stand the cured wall on a foundation. This required heavy and costly equipment which odset the advantage in cost which such type of structure provides.

The present invention overcomes this increase in cost by mounting a frame for the concrete building wall on a central longitudinally disposed tube which is journaled on supports which permit the platform to swing to a vertical position and lowered to rest the cured side wall upon the foundation which is disposed below the tube and slightly forward thereof. With this arrangement, the heavy equipment used heretofore to raise the cured concrete wall to a vertical position upon its bottom edge is no longer required and the platform structure thus provided may be employed over and over again.

Accordingly, the main objects of the invention are: to mold a concrete side of a building on a platform which tilts about supporting trunnions to a vertical position from which it is lowered onto a fundation; to construct a platform the length of a wall of a building and of a width equal to the height of the wall and mount the platform on a tube which is journaled on jacks about which the platform will tilt and move to a vertical position above a foundation on which it is lowered by the jacks; to build a platform on heavy cross members mounted on a central tube and enclosed by members forming a boxlike structure in which door and window frames, electric conduit and outlet boxes, reinforcing elements and other devices may be disposed and surrounded by concrete to form a building wall when cured and moved to vertical position by the preponderance of weight at the bottom edge which rotates the tube when the edge is released; to provide a slab of styrofoam or other material disposed between the iner and outer wall surfaces which may be removed or retained therein for insulating the area between the surfaces; to provide rods at the ends of the concrete walls to be disposed at the corners and joined with the upstanding reinforcing rod of the foundation to strengthen the concrete at the corners when completing the building wall construction, and, in general, to construct and erect a Wall on a structure which is simple in construction and economical of manufacture and use.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will be specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of the invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is a plan View, with a part broken away, embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, broken sectional View of the structure illustrated in FIG. l, taken along the line 3 3 thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. l, taken on the line 4 4 thereof;

FIG. 5 is a sectional View of a corner of a building showing the joinder of the two adjacent wall portions thereof;

FIG. 6 is a broken perspective view of the structure illustrated in FIG. l, and

FIG. 7 is a view of a poured wall after being swung into vertical position on a foundation.

Referring to the figures, the device of the present invention embodies a heavy frame made up of a plurality of transversely disposed beams 10 joined at the opposite edges by longitudinally extending beams 11 which are secured thereto by angle elements 12. A platform 13 of wood or other material is secured to the top of the transversely disposed beams 1t) to form a flat surface. A heavy tube 14 is secured to the under side of the transversely disposed beams 10 by brackets 15 secured to the beams by bolts 16 and to the tube 14 by the plates 17 when secured to the brackets by bolts 18. The ends of the tube project beyond the platform to form trunnions which rest upon a concaved end 19 of a plurality of jacks 21, as illustrated in FlG. l. The tube 14 is disposed off center toward the top portion of the building wall to provide a preponderance of weight at the bottom edge, the tube being shiftable by the provision of slots 2t) in the brackets 15. Any number of jacks may be employed along the length of the tube 14, the number depending upon the length of the wall which is to be poured. As illustrated in the figures, a jack is employed at the ends of the tube 14 and also at the center thereof. A plurality of jacks 22 support the edges of the platform at the bottom and top to retain it in horizontal position. The jacks stabilize the platform when the frame, reinforcing and other elements are placed thereon and the concrete is poured therein.

The platform is enclosed at the edges by

planks

24 and 25 at the top and bottom wall edges and by planks 26 at the end edges. The planks 26 have a groove forming plate 27 on the inner face thereof having slopping edges which produce a recess 28 in the ends of the wall. Holes are drilled through the planks 26 and the plates 27 through which a plurality of pins 29 extend for reinforcing the corner joints with the ends of the walls.

On the inner face of the top plank 25, a header board 31 is placed having nails 32 extending inwardly therefrom to which the concrete will anchor for permanently securing the header board to the top edge of the wall. Various openings may be made in the wall, herein illustrated as by a door frame 33 and two window frames 34. These may be frames of rough construction as normally provided in a wall or may be a permanent type of frame made of wood, metal or other nishing material to which the windows and door may be directly applied. Blocks 35 temporarily locate the frames on the platform. A suitable reinforcing material may be laid upon the platform between the frame, and concrete 36 is then poured on the platform and dressed to the plane of the top edge of the

planks

24, 25 and 26 and the

frames

33 and 34.

Electric conduits may be laid on the platform having the lower ends connected to outlet boxes 38 which are spaced from the platform so as to have the open face thereof flush with the top edge of the planks and frames. The boxes herein illustrated are for a plug outlet near the floor and for a switch outlet near the door. The top of the conduits extends through the header board 31 in position to have the electric wires fed downwardly therethrough to the outlet boxes.

The plank 24 has flanges 39 of angle members 40 disposed in engagement with the inner face thereof. The adjacent iange 41 of the angle member has a rod 42 extending therefrom. A turnbuckle 43 is threaded on each rod 42 and to a rod 44 which has a collar 45 on the opposite end which is disposed over the tube 14. A plurality of flanges 39 connect the bottom of the Wall directly to the tube ld and prevent any relative movement of the wall with the platform or the tube.

After the concrete was hardened, the plank Z4 is removed along with the jacks 22 at the top end and the jacks 22 at the bottom edge are lowered for starting the angular movement of the platform and wall from horizontal to vertical position. A block and tackle 52 is secured by suitable means, herein illustrated as by a loop of rope 53, to the longitudinally extending beam at the top of the Wall and the load is taken thereby as the jacks 22 at the bottom edge are further lowered and removed. The further tilting movement of the platform is controlled by the block and tacirle through the feeding of the rope therethrough until the platform and wall have been swung to vertical position, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The jacks Zi are then lowered to lower the concrete wall directly upon the foundation t), after which the turnbucltles 43 are loosened and the flanges 39 of the angle member 49 are removed rearwardly from the bottom of the Wall. The jacks 2l are then removed along with the

planks

25 and 26 and the platform is separated from the rear face of the wall which is left standing, as illustrated in FG. 7, with suitable braces applied thereto, not herein illustrated.

The four walls of the building are constructed in this manner, being spaced at the corners as illustrated in FIG. 5. Suitable means, herein illustrated as a pair of L-members 46, join the inner and outer faces of the walls with the reinforcing rods 29 extending into the area of reinforcing rods 47 in the foundation which are retained in predetermined relation to each other by the wires 4? which are wound thereabout. The concrete is then poured within the space between the ends of the walls and the L-members 4:6, and sections of the header board 31 may be placed thereon in continuation of those provided on the Wall sections. The concrete extends within the recesses 23 to form a locking continuation of the Walls at the corners when the L-members 46 are removed.

It is within the purview of the invention to provide openings 49 within the wall by the use of removable members such as lengths of metal which do not absorb the moisture and swell, as might occur with wood or similar materials. Plastic strips 5l made of styrofoam or other suitable plastic material of closed cellular construction may be employed within the wall for preventing the passage of moisture therethrough. The notches remaining in the bottom of the wall when the flanges 39 are removed may be lilled with concrete and the frame locating blocks 35 on the platform may be removed so that the

planks

24, 2S and 26 may be again secured thereto and another wall formed thereon either with or without the frames. When two opposite walls are of greater length than the end Walls, the same platform may be used for constructing the walls. End planks 26 are employed having a width which is equal to the thickness of the wall placed upon their edges directly upon the platform inwardly of the ends thereof. With this arrangement, the Wall will be formed outside of the building area and will be erected upon the end sections of the foundation, with the surface adjacent to the platform becoming the outer surface of the wall.

With the device of the present invention, a building may be erected at a minimum cost by employing the same device for construction and erection of the four walls thereof with any number of frames for windows and doors therein, along with any number of electric or fluid conduits or other elements. When the four walls have been erected in this manner, only a short time will be required to pour the four corners w ch may be done simultaneously by employing a pair of the L-members at each of the corners. The Walls of the building thus constructed are completely reinforced throughout the length of each Wall and at the corners and a rigid durable wall structure for a building is thereby provided at a minimum cost and Without the employment of any expensive machinery which would add substantially to the cost of the resulting building.

What is claimed is:

l. In a device for constructing and erecting a wall of a building, a platform having edge members disposed at the top, bottom and two sides thereof, supporting means disposed substantially along the longitudinal central portion of the platform, means rotatably retaining said supporting means for tilting the platform from horizontal to vertical position, spaced flange members abutting the inner face of said bottom edge member, and means se*- cured to the supporting means and to said flange membersfor directly connecting the bottom of the wall to the supportlng means.

2. ln a device for constructing and erecting a wall of a building, a platform having edge members disposed at the top, bottom and two sides thereof, supporting means disposed substantially along the longitudinal central portion of the platform, means rotatably retaining said supporting means for tilting the platform from horizontal to vertical position, spaced flange members abutting the inner face of said bottom edge member, means secured to the supporting means and to said flange members for directly connecting the bottom of the Wall to the supporting means, and a header board releasably disposed against the inner face of the top edge member having anchoring means on its inner face to be a permanent part of the top edge of the Wall.

3. In a device for constructing and erecting a wall of a building, a platform having edge members disposed at the top, bottom and two sides thereof, supporting means disposed substantially along the longitudinal central portion of the platform, means rotatably retaining said supporting means for tilting the platform from horizontal to vertical position, spaced flange members abutting the inner face of said bottom edge member, means secured to the supporting means and to said ange members for directly connecting the bottom of the Wall to the supporting means, a header board releasably disposed against the inner face of the top edge member having headed ends of nails extend from its inner face to be a permanent part of the top edge of the Wall.

4. In a device for constructing and erecting a wall of a building, a platform having edge members disposed at the top, bottom and two sides thereof, supporting means disposed substantially along the longitudinal central portion of the platform, means rotatably retaining said'supporting means for tilting the platform from horizontal to vertical position, spaced flange members abutting the inner face of said bottom edge member, means secured to the supporting means and to said flange members for directly connecting the bottom of the wall to the supporting means, reinforcing means on said plaform for said concrete Wall, and recess forming strips on the inner face of the members at the sides of the platform through which short rods extend for reinforcing the wall ends when the side members and strips are removed from the platform.

5. ln a device for constructing and erecting a wall of a building, a platform having edge members disposed at the top, bottom and two sides thereof, supporting means disposed substantially along the longtiudinal central portion of the plaform, means rotatably retaining said supporting means for tilting the platform from horizontal to vertical position, spaced flange members abutting the inner face of said bottom edge member, means secured to the supporting means and to said flange members for directly connecting the bottom of the wall to the supporting means, means for retaining said platform in horizontal position, and means for controlling the tilting of the platform from horizontal to vertical position by the preponderance of weight at the bottom portion of the wall; after the bottom edge members have been removed the wall is supported on said spaced ange members.

6. In a device for constructing and erecting a wall of a building, a platform having edge members disposed at the top, bottom and two sides thereof, supporting means disposed substantially along the longitudinal central portion of the platform, means rotatably retaining said supporting means for tilting the platform from horizontal to vertical position, spaced flange members abutting the inner face of said bottom edge member, means secured to the supporting means and to said flange members for directly connecting the bottom of the Wall to the supporting means, means for retaining said plaform in horizontal position, means for controlling the tilting of the platform from horizontal to vertical position by the preponderance of weight at the bottom portion of the wall after the horizontal retaining means have been removed, reinforcing means on said platform for said concrete wall, recess forming strips on the inner face of the side members through which short rods extend, means for lowering the supporting means when the platform and wall are in vertical position to set the wall on a foundation, and means for joining the adjacent ends of the Walls at the four corners of the building by the use of spaced L-members which encompass the rods extending from the ends of the walls and those extending upwardly from the corners of the foundation.

7. In a device for constructing and erecting a wall of a building, a platform having edge members disposed at the top, bottom and two sides thereof, supporting means disposed substantially along the longitudinal central portion of the platform, means rotatably retaining said supporting means for tilting the platform from horizontal to vertical position, spaced ange members abutting the inner face of said bottom edge member, means secured to the supporting means and to said flange members for directly connecting the bottom of the wall to the supporting means, and removable elements forming hollow sections disposed midway between the inner and outer faces of the wall throughout the length thereof about which the concrete is poured.

8. In a device for constructing and erecting a wall of a building, a platform having edge members disposed at the top, bottom and two sides thereof, supporting means disposed substantially along the longitudinal central p0rtion of the platform, means rotatably retaining said supporting means for tilting the platform from horizontal to vertical position, spaced flange members abutting the inner face of said bottom edge member, means secured to the supporting means and to said flange members for directly connecting the bottom of the wall to the supporting means, and elements forming hollow sections disposed midway between the inner and outer faces of the wall throughout the length thereof, said elements embodying cellular slabs about which the concrete is poured.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 705,156 Stevens July 22, 1902 1,148,246 Marvin July 27, 1915 1,326,400 Halverson Dec. 30, 1919 1,555,414 Hale Sept. 29, 1925 1,619,570 Duchemin Mar. l, 1927 2,416,559 Wilson Feb. 25, 1947 2,477,320 Tyroler July 26, 1949 2,732,177 Ludowici Jan. 24, 1956 2,858,031 Garmon Oct. 28, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,132,507 France Nov. 5, 1956 227,561 Australia Apr. 6, 1960

Claims

1. IN A DEVICE FOR CONSTRUCTING AND ERECTING A WALL OF A BUILDING, A PLATFORM HAVING EDGE MEMBERS DISPOSED AT THE TOP, BOTTOM AND TWO SIDES THEREOF, SUPPORTING MEANS DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL PORTION OF THE PLATFORM, MEANS ROTATABLY RETAINING SAID SUPPORTING MEANS FOR TILTING THE PLATFORM FROM HORIZONTAL TO VERTICAL POSITION, SPACED FLANGE MEMBERS ABUTTING THE INNER FACE OF SAID BOTTOM EDGE MEMBER, AND MEANS SECURED TO THE SUPPORTING MEANS AND TO SAID FLANGE MEMBERS FOR DIRECTLY CONNECTING THE BOTTOM OF THE WALL TO THE SUPPORTING MEANS.