US3468088A

US3468088A - Wall construction

Info

Publication number: US3468088A
Application number: US542542A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clarence J Miller
Original assignee: CLARENCE J MILLER
Current assignee: CLARENCE J MILLER
Priority date: 1966-04-14
Filing date: 1966-04-14
Publication date: 1969-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 1986-09-23
Also published as: DE1684357A1; GB1186591A; DE1684357B2

Description

Se t. 23, 1969 c. J. MILLER WALL CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 14, 1966 nim ll lli]!!!H I RM m k M M ATTORNEYS Sept. 23, 1969 c. J. MILLER WALL CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1966 a I INVENTOR. UlaLmmJMiLlar ATTORNEYS Sept. 23, 1969 c. J. MILLER WALL consmucnou 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 14, 1966 INVENTOR. Clearance JNv'ller 9W &

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,468,088 WALL CONSTRUCTION Clarence J. Miller, 1822 28th St. NW., Canton, Ohio 44709 Filed Apr. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 542,542 Int. Cl. E04b 1/00, 2/00 U.S. Cl. 52-250 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a method of making poured concrete wall srtuctures either above or below ground level, using relatively simple and easily erected form means. More particularly the invention relates to a procedure for erecting concrete walls involving the provision and use of relatively flexible forms which may or may not be removed after concrete has been poured within, contained within, and set in cavities provided by the flexible form means; and to form means used to practice the improved methods.

Heretofore concrete wall structures, whether or not reinforced, usually have been built by erecting either wooden or metal forms maintained spaced apart to provide the desired wall thickness. Such forms were relatively rigid to provide a cavity of predetermined volume and having predetermined surface locations. Such forms normally were removed after the concrete was poured and had set.

The provision and erection of such prior forms not only require a large investment in materials, but involve expensive erection operations. Furthermore, where the walls are to be erected in an excavation below ground level, after removal of the forms, back filling normally is required at the excavation ground side of the wall.

Objectives of the invention are to provide a new procedure for erecting concrete wall structures which eliminates the expense and cost of erection of fabricated wooden or metal forms; which eliminates the use of rigid forms; which utilizes relatively flexible form means which may be left when desired in position after the concrete poured in the cavities provided by the forms has set; and which solves problems existing in the art and obtains the new results indicated in a simple and economical manner.

These and other objects are obtained by the methods, steps, procedures, parts, constructions, arrangements,'com binations and subcombinations comprising the present invention, preferred embodiments of whichillustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principlesare set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in'the appended claims.

One concept of the present invention involves the method of forming wall structures of concrete or a similar liquid setting material by providing a plurality of form support means, providing relatively flexible form means, attaching the relatively flexible form means to the form support means in a predetermined manner to form a cavity, and filling the cavity with a liquid material capable 3,468,088 Patented Sept. 23, 1969 of setting. It is also contemplated that predetermined surface shapes may be provided by stretching the relatively flexible material through the weight of the cast material so that the material occupies a space somewhat larger than the cavity provided prior to filling.

Another concept of the invention involves providing, in apparatus for forming wall structures and the like, a plurality of form support members having a generally H- shaped cross section. Such members are provided with .a plurality of flanges extending inwardly from each of the H-legs, to retain in association with rod means, a relatively flexible form member that extends between adjacent H-shaped support member. Other .form members may be placed in association with the flexible form member to form a cavity to be filled with a liquid setting material, such as cement or concrete.

By way of example, the improved apparatus and methods are illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof wherein like numerals indicate similar parts throughout the various figures and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a wall structure formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, partly in elevation, of the wall structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of the wall structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a swimming pool in process of construction illustrating one method of use of the wall structure of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a second embodiment of wall structure of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the wall structure shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of a further embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary vertical cross section, partly in elevation, of a floor surface constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

The improved wall structure shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 illustrates a reinforced wall structure for a swimming pool or the like. FIG. 4 generally illustrates a swimming pool in construction which may have the reinforced wall shown in FIGS. 1 through 3. In FIG. 4, 20 illustrates generally an excavation of the general size and shape of the swimming pool, although slightly larger in length and width than the finished pool size, and includes a shallow portion 21 and a deep portion 22. The wall of the swimming pool may be provided by utilizing a continuous length of fiber glass sheeting which is placed into the excavation prior to forming the bottom surface of the swimming pool from a material such as reinforced concrete.

In one procedure of constructing a swimming pool the concrete bottom is poured, after arranging the sidewall in the desired location, and the concrete bottom is allowed to set. Back fill material is then placed between the space between the outside surface of the wall and the excavation. A suitable coping material may then be placed around the upper edge of the wall and, if desired a concrete apron may be poured around the swimming pool perimeter.

-The improved wall structure of the present invention may be used to construct a reinforced swimming pool wall and such construction is shown in FIGS. 1 through 4. The continuous sheet of fiber glass material is indicated in FIGS. 1 through 4 by 23, and a series of channel members 24 may be preattached to wall 23 at predetermined spaced intervals. One surface of channel 24 may be provided with a series of dovetail grooves 25 so that channels 24 can be cemented to wall 23 with an epoxy glue in 1t{he equivalent, the dovetail grooves providing an inter- In accordance with the present invention, a series of H- shaped form support means 26 are placed in channels 24. H-shaped members 26 have a pair of outwardly extending flange means 27 which correspond to and interlock with a pair of inwardly extending flange means 28 formed integrally with channel members 24. H-shaped support member 26 also includes a pair of inwardly extending flanges 29 which forms a pocket or groove that extends the entire length of member 26. A continuous length of relatively flexible form means or sheeting 30 may then be placed to extend along the entire length of the wall structure. A portion of the sheeting 30 is placed within the pocket of the H member and a rod means 31 is inserted in the pocket to retain the sheeting 30 therein. Sheeting 30 may be placed around the entire perimeter of the wall and extends between adjacent H members 26 and is retained in each H member 26 by a rod 31. A cavity is thereby formed by adpacent H members, wall member 23 and flexible form means 30. The position of the sheeting 30 at this stage of construction is indicated in FIG. 3 by a dot-dash line.

Concrete or any other suitable material is then poured into the pocket and is indicated by reference numeral 32. The weight of the concrete material poured into the pocket will tend to bulge the flexible form means 30 to a position shown in full lines in FIG. 3. After the concrete has set, the sheeting material may be removed if desired by removing rods 31, however, it is not necessary to remove the sheeting material from the wall structure.

A swimming pool wall may be formed in accordance with the present invention by placing the relatively stiff fiber glass wall member 23 in an excavation, placing the series of H members in the previously attached channel members, placing the relatively flexible sheeting member 30 in a position extending between adjacent H sections and retaining the same in position by placing the rod members in the H member pocket and pouring concrete material into the cavity formed by the H members, wall member 23 and sheeting member 30. The completed swimming pool construction will include a swimming pool bottom 33 which is normally formed of concrete reinforced with wire mesh. A retaining rod 34 may be utilized to hold the bottom portion of Wall 23 in position prior to pouring the concrete bottom. Rod 34 may extend through a hole formed in the bottom portion of wall 23 and extend into the side of the excavation. The completed swimming pool wall may also include coping 35 which may be attached to the upper edge of wall 23 by any suitable material or method, such as a T-shaped member 36. Perforated steel strapping 37 may also be attached at the upper edge of wall 23 to tie in the upper edge of the wall to a concrete apron 38 which may be provided as a part of the swimming pool construction. After the pool bottom has been poured and after completion of the vertical concrete portions 32, but prior to pouring the apron, back fill may be placed between the finished wall and the excavation.

The wall construction just described utilizes, in accordance with the present invention, a relatively flexible sheet material as a portion of the form for constructing the concrete reinforcing members 32. Wall 23 is, with respect to sheeting 30, relatively stiff, although it is flexible enough to conform to the shape of the finished swimming pool.

The finished surface formed by the concrete as poured will have one surface generally curved due to the outward bulge caused by the weight of the concrete on the relatively flexible sheeting material 30. Sheeting material 30 which is preferably polyethylene or thermoplastic material, can be reinforced by incorporating nylon meshing or it can be made from some other suitable material. Thus, the strength of the sheeting can also be predetermined so that if desired the sheeting may be strong enough to confine and hold the weight of the cement without any bulge and a flat surface would, therefore, result for the finished wall construction.

The wall construction described provides a substantially stronger wall than the wall member 23 would providealone. The wall is, therefore, able to withstand the pressures which are exerted upon a swimming pool wall by the surrounding below-grade material, which pressures are far greater than the pressures exerted by the water in the pool, and are therefore the major consideration in such'construction.

A second embodiment of wall construction is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and '6. An above-grade wall is illustrated and may be constructed upon a cement footer 39. In accordance with the present invention, the H-shaped members 26 are placed vertically in the ground in the trench which has been dug for footer 39 prior to pouring footer 39. The footer may then be poured and allowed to set. The polyethylene sheeting material 30 is then placed extending along one edge of the H-shaped members and retained by a rod 31 in the same manner as described above. The H-shaped members may also be provided with a third pair of flange members 40 which extend inwardly. A second pocket is thereby provided in which a second sheeting member 30 may be retained. A concrete form is thus provided by adjacent H members and the two opposite portions of polyethylene sheeting 30 and is shown in the dotted lines in FIG. 6. Concrete may then be poured into the cavity thus provided. Depending upon the predetermined strength characteristics of the sheeting 30, the weight of the concrete will tend to bulge from the sheeting to the position shown in full lines in FIG. 6. After the concrete has set, rods 31 and sheeting 30 may be removed to provide a concrete wall 41. If desired, a surface finish such as paint may be applied to the wall after removing the form means 30. If desired, a textured appearance may be given to the partially set concrete by working the surface of the concrete through the sheeting 30 with a masons trowel.

In this embodiment, as in the embodiment described above, the H-shaped members become an integral part of the wall construction. The H-shaped members may be provided with a fourth set of flange members 42 which extend a small distance into the concrete to provide an interlock between the H members and the set concrete.

If desired, a strip of capping material may be placed in the H member pocket to give a pleasing or desirable appearance to the entire wall surface, by covering up the groove formed by the H member pocket.

If desired the method and apparatus of the present invention can be applied to build walls of substantial thickness. To construct such walls, a plurality of H- shaped members may be placed back to back as shown in FIG. 7 and connected together by double channel members 43. The double channel members 43 are constructed in cross section to accommodate the outwardly extending flanges 27 which are formed as a part of the H-legs of the H members 26. A special H member 44 having outwardly extending flanges 27a at both ends of the pair of H-legs is used to connect adjacent H members 26 into a unitary form support. Thus, any number of H members may be connected together in a similar manner to obtain the desired wall thickness.

After placing the support members in the proper posi tion flexible form material 30 may be placed at a position extending between adjacent sets of H member units. Form means 30 is shown in dotted lines in FIG. 7 and is retained in the channel or pocket formed by the pair of H-legs and flanges 29. Flexible form means 30 is retained in the pocket by inserting a rod 31 through the entire length thereof in the manner described above. After the cavity, which is illustrated prior to filling in dotted lines, is filled, the weight of the filler material will bulge the flexible form means 30 to the position shown in full line. As in the previously discussed embodiments, the form means 30 can be made, although flexible, strong enough so that the weight of the filler will bulge the sides outwardly only slightly as opposed to the bulge shown in the drawings.

FIG. 8 illustrates a wall similar to that shown in FIG. 7. However only two H units are required to obtain the desired wall thickness. The method of construction of the basic wall portion shown in FIG. 8 is similar to that shown in FIG. 7 and includes a pair of H members 26 back to back and connected together by a double channel member 43.

A wall end is also illustrated in FIG. 8 in which an H member is placed at right angles to the position of the H members used to support the flexible form means 30 for the wall surface. In FIG. 8 the end H member 26 becomes completely imbedded with and surrounded by the filler material 44. After filler material 44 has set, the flexible form means 30 may be removed. The slot extending the entire height of the wall may be used for attaching capping means or the like, or if desired gates or doors may be attached thereto.

FIG. 9 illustrates a wall construction in which the H members do not become an integral part of the wall. Thus, the series of H members 26 are placed at the desired position with the sheeting material 30 placed at the inside of the H members rather than being stretched at and around the outside as in the above described embodiments. The flexible form means 30 is retained in a manner similar to the above described embodiments by rod means 31 being inserted in the pocket or groove formed by the H-legs and the inwardly extending flanges. In this embodiment of the invention, the H support members may be removed after the cement or other filler material has set.

The surface of the wall thus provided will be free of any grooves and will be a continuous, unbroken, smooth surface. At the position on the wall where the H mem bers 26 were located, a slight ridge might exist due to the small amount of concrete that would enter the portion of the H-support member adjacent the flanges and rod means. If desired, this material could be chipped away to provide a completely smooth, uniform surface.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 it is possible to provide a second overlying surface by placing a second sheet means 60 to be retained in the H members 26 by a second series of rod means 61. Thus, a second cavity 62 will be provided between the H members 26, form means 60 and form means 30. This cavity may then be filled with some suitable finish material such as plaster if desired. If such a construction is used the H members 26 would become an integral part of the finished wall.

FIG. 10 illustrates the principles of the present invention as used to construct a floor surface. In FIG. 10, 63 indicates an I-beam upon which a series of channel members 62 may be attached. H-support members 26 may be retained in channel member 64 by sliding into channel members 64. Flexible means 30 may be laid across the top of H members 26 and retained therein by rod members 31 in a manner similar to the methods used for vertical walls described above. Concrete or any other suitable material 65 may then be poured on top of flexible form means 30 and allowed to set. A strong rigid floor of concrete can thereby be provided in a very simple, cheap and economical manner.

In the foregoing description the flexible form means has been described as polyethylene sheet material. Such material can be reinforced with nylon mesh as indicated or by any other suitable or convenient reinforcing material. Similarly, the sheeting material can be any flexible, relatively strong, material such as canvas, metal foil or any other material which has the desirable and necessary characteristics.

H-support members 26 are preferably formed from extruded aluminum, but these members, however, could also be constructed of any suitable material such as plastic or the like or any other material depending on the strength desired and the ultimate nature of the wall construction.

Further, in the foregoing description the filler material has been described as concrete. It should be understood that other setting materials such as plastic foam may be used with equal effectiveness.

One important aspect of the present invention is the provision of a form for pouring concrete wherein at least one of the form surfaces is provided by a relatively flexible form means. Another important aspect of the invention is the provision of the flexible form support means and the manner in which the flexible form means are retained by the form support means.

When using polyethylene sheet material as the flexible form means, several important advantages result. First, the form means is constructed of such inexpensive material that it is not normally necessary to be concerned with the ultimate recovery of the form after the wall has been poured. Thus, the form itself can remain at the site of the wall construction after the wall has been built unless it is desirable to remove the form for aesthetic reasons.

Secondly, polyethylene sheeting is normally translucent and any voids which might exist in the poured concrete can easily be seen and remedied by vibration of the concrete in the usual manner.

Wall constructions embodying the apparatus of the present invention and constructed in accordance with the methods of the present invention can be built very rapidly and with comparatively little expense. Accordingly, the present invention provides new appartaus and procedures for constructing walls or reinforcing walls without necessitating a large capital investment for form materials and in which the forms may be erected in a much easier manner and with much less time than is normally required to erect the usual concrete forms known in the art.

In the foregoing description certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention and the new procedures and apparatus are by way of example, and various products may be used and procedures employed to accomplish the fundamental concepts of the invention without departing from the principles set forth.

Having now described the invention or discovery, the principles of the invention, the characteristics of the new apparatus, the manner in which the new methods may be carried out and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful steps, parts, constructions, elements, combinations, subcombinations and mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Wall construction including a first form means of elongated continuous semi-rigid sheet-like material having opposite side surfaces, one of the surfaces forming a surface of the wall, first retaining means mounted on the other surface and located at spaced intervals along the form means, form support means retained by the retaining means, the support means having an elongated re-entrant groove extending generally transversely of the form means, second flexible sheet-like form means extending between adjacent support means, second form retaining means mounted in the re-entrant groove to retain the flexible form means in the groove, the first and second sheetlike form means and adjacent retaining means and support means defining a cavity, and said cavity being filled with a settable wall-forming material.

2. Wall construction as defined in claim 1 in which the settable wall forming material is concrete.

3. Wall construction as defined in claim 1 in which the first retaining means includes a generally channel-shaped member premounted on the second surface, and in which the support means includes an elongated member having flanges adapted to engage and be retained by the retaining means channel.

4. Wall construction as defined in claim 3 in which said support means groove is spaced a distance from the flange means retained by the retaining means, and in which the second retaining means is elongated rod means mounted in the groove to retain the flexible sheet-like form means in the groove.

5. Wall construction as defined in claim 1 in which said second retaining means includes elongated rod means mounted in the groove, and in which said support means includes flange means retained in the first retaining means and in which the re-entrant groove is formed by an elongated generally channel-shaped member having a channel opening smaller than the diameter of the rod means.

6. Swimming pool construction including a bottom, a side wall formed of a continuous sheet-like strip of waterproof material and having opposite side surfaces, one of the surfaces forming the surface of the side wall, first retaining means premounted on the other side surface at spaced intervals along the side wall and being vertically disposed and extending substantially the entire height of the side wall, support means having an elongated re-entrant groove retained by the retaining means and extending substantially the entire length of the retaining means, a continuous sheet-like flexible form means extending between adjacent retaining means and support means, second retaining means retaining the flexible sheet-like form means in adjacent support means, the side wall, retaining means, support means, and flexible sheet-like form means defining a cavity, and the cavity being filled with side wall reinforcing means.

7. Swimming pool construction as defined in claim 6 in which said side wall reinforcing means is concrete.

8. Swimming pool construction as defined in claim 6 in which said side wall is located and mounted on edge on the bottom.

9. Swimming pool construction as defined in claim 6 in which said second retaining means includes elongated rod means mounted in the groove to retain the flexible form means in the groove.

10. Swimming pool construction as defined in claim 9 in which said first retaining means includes a generally channel shaped member adapted to receive and retain the support means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner P. C. PAW, JR., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.