US3523671A

US3523671A - Eccentrically loaded waler rod and locking device

Info

Publication number: US3523671A
Application number: US667559A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rafael E Torrellas
Original assignee: RAFAEL E TORRELLAS
Current assignee: RAFAEL E TORRELLAS
Priority date: 1967-09-13
Filing date: 1967-09-13
Publication date: 1970-08-11
Anticipated expiration: 1987-08-11

Description

Aug. 11, 1970 RE. TORRELLAS 3,523,671

ECCENTRICALLY LOADED WALER ROD AND LOCKING DEVICE. I

Filed Sept. 13, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mvemon RAFAEL. E \omeuas BY N v QRNEY 1970 R. E. TORRELLAS 3,523,671

ECCENTRICALLY LOADED WA LER ROD AND LOCKING DEVICE Filed Sept. 15, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet RAFAEL E. Tmamnw,

INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,523,671 ECCENTRICALLY LOADED WALER ROD AND LOCKING DEVICE Rafael E. Torrellas, San Juan, Puerto Rico (1002 Duke St., Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico 00927) Filed Sept. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 667,559 Int. Cl. E04g 11/48 US. Cl. 249-210 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure involves building structures including vertical wall panels each having an aperture near the top edge. 'Eccentric waler rods are inserted loosely in each of the openings to support forms used in the pouring of concrete roof or floor structures. These waler rods and the form supporting members are locked in place during the pouring and curing of the concrete walls or floor structure and when the locking means is released the eccentric shape of the waler rods permits the forms and supporting members to drop away from the cured concrete floor or roof structure for ready removal and reuse.

The present invention relates to systems and devices for facilitating the construction of concrete buildings, especially formed-in-place concrete roof or floor sections which are supported by prefabricated concrete walls. In the past, temporary shoring has been provided to support the roof or floor forms while the roof or floor is poured and cured in place. This shoring is expensive to construct and remove and obstructs or prevents Work within the structure while the roof or floor is being poured or cured.

I have devised a new and improved system in which the forms for the concrete roof or floor are supported on movable waler rods, which are in turn carried by the building walls. These rods are locked in predetermined positions in which they support the forms in which the concrete roof or floor is poured and cured, and are then released to a second position to disengage from the forms after the concrete roof or floor has cured. The assemblies of the present invention do not obstruct the interior of the structure so that other work may be done while the concrete is curing.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive assembly for releasably sup porting concrete roof or floor forms on the vertical walls of a structure.

Another object is to provide an assembly for supporting a form for a concrete roof or floor structure while the concrete is being poured and cured which assembly requires no independent shoring or scaffolding.

Another object is to provide an assembly for supporting a form for a concrete roof or floor structure employing a minimum number of relatively inexpensive components which are removed and may be reused after the roof or floor has cured.

Another object is to provide an assembly for releasably supporting forms for a concrete roof or floor structure in which the components are separable for convenience of manufacture and ease of installation, removal and storing.

Another object is to provide an assembly for releasably supporting the forms for a concrete roof or floor structure in which the components are firmly and solidly locked in supporting position while the concrete roof or floor is being poured and cured and which may be readily unlocked and thereupon automatically disengages said concrete roof or floor.

Another object is to provide an assembly for releasably supporting the forms for a concrete roof or floor structure on a plurality of vertical abutting wall panels in which the components lock the wall panels in alignment with their top edges exposed and in which the components are locked in supporting position while the concrete roof or floor structure is poured and cured over the exposed edges of the wall panels, which assembly may be readily unlocked and disengaged from the wall panels and concrete roof for reuse. I

Another object is to provide a system of building construction in which the releasable support structure carried by independent wall panels aligns the wall panels and supports a form for a concrete roof or floor to envelop the top edges of the aligned wall panels and lock the panels and roof into a functionally unitary structure.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the floor, wall panels, waler rod and I-beam in place;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, exploded, perspective view illustrating my invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating my invention in position to receive the form for the concrete floor or roof;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the waler rod in the position shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section showing my invention released from supporting position; and

FIG. 6 is an end view of the waler rod in the shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 1 illustrates the application of my invention to building structures employing prefabricated concrete slabs. The floor 10 comprises a flat slab of cured concrete which is provided on one surface adjacent each edge with a groove 12 for receiving prefabricated, cured, rectangular wall panels 14. The wall panels 14 are generally made in standard heights, widths and thicknesses and fit the groove 12 in the floor panel 10 as shown in FIG. 1.

A plurality of wall panels 14 are placed vertically with their bottom edges in the groove 12 and their side edges in abutting relation. Adjacent the top edge, each wall panel is provided with a cylindrical hole 16 for receiving a waler rod 18.

As shown particularly in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6-, each waler rod comprises a bar of steel or the like. The end portions 20 of each waler rod 18 have substantially flat sides and rounded edges. The central portion 24 of the waler rod is larger than the end portions 20 but also has substantially fiat sides and rounded edges, one edge of the enlarged central portion 24 being substantially a continuation of the edge of end portions 20. The enlarged central portion of the waler rod is substantially smaller than the holes 16 of the wall panels 14, so that the waler rod fits loosely and is free to turn freely in the hole 16, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6.

After the floor 10 has been set and the wall panels 14 have been placed in position in the groove 12, but before the roof or floor panel is to be poured, a waler rod 18 is inserted in each hole 16 in the wall panels 14, so that the enlarged portion 24 is between-the front and rear surfaces of the wall panel. An I-beam 26 is then placed upon the waler rods 18. Preferably, the I-beam 26 has a soft bumper 28 of rubber or the like on the upper flange for engaging the surface of the Wall panel as shown particularly in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5. A similar I-beam 26 is placed on the opposite side of the wall panel and is also supported by the waler rod. The I-beams 26 rest upon the end portions 20 of the waler rods 18.

position A U-shaped locking block 30 is placed with its open ends against the web of the I-beam 26 above each waler rod. The closed end of each block 30 has a vertical groove 32 for receiving a fiat tapered wedge 34. Adjacent eadh outer end, each waler rod 18 is provided with a slot 36 for receiving a wedge 34. The slots 36 extend through the waler rods 18 and are inclined to the flat side surfaces thereof as indicated in FIGS. 4 and 6.

When a roof or floor surface is to be poured, waler rods 18 are inserted in the holes 16 of the wall panels 14 and I-beams 26 are placed on the rods on opposite sides of the wall panels with the bumpers 28 facing the wall panels. The locking blocks 30 are placed in position on each end of each rod against the web of each I-beam and the Wedges 34 are pressed into the slots 36 to force the locking blocks against the web of the I-beam. This presses the wall panels 14 into alignment and presses the rubber bumper 28 into tight sealing contact with the wall 14.

The groove 32 in each locking block 30 is substantially vertical while the slots 36 in the waler rods 18 are inclined so that the wedges lock the waler rods in an inclined or eccentric position as shown in FIG. 4. The I- beam 26 is thus locked in its uppermost position as shown in FIG. 3 to receive a form 38 for the concrete roof or floor as shown in FIG. 3. The forms 38 are slightly below the upper ends of the wall panels 14 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5.

As will be apparent from FIG. 1, this entire supporting structure occupies only a small space adjacent the roof or floor structure leaving the major area of the walls and the entire floor free of obstruction. Other work on the structure may be continued while the concrete roof or floor structure is being poured and setting.

After the concrete roof or floor has set, the wedges 34 are raised so that they no longer engage in the grooves 32 of the locking blocks 30 and the waler rods 18 are free to turn in the holes 16 to the position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. This releases the locking blocks 30 and permits the I-beams 26 and forms 38 to drop out of engagement with the cured concrete roof or floor. The waler rods, blocks, I beams, and forms are then lose and can be moved to another location for reuse.

As mentioned above, the slots 36 in the waler rod are preferably inclined to the waler rod axes as indicated in FIGS. 4 and 6. Because of this inclination, when the wedges 34 are locked vertically in the grooves 32 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the I-beams 26 and forms 38 are in the extreme uppermost position and the flattened waler rods 18 are locked in an eccentric position as shown in FIG. 4. When the wedges are then raised and released from the grooves 32, the weight of the I-beams, forms, etc. turns the waler rods to the positions shown in FIG. 6 without the necessity of manually rotating the rods.

It is apparent from FIG. 3 that my invention is applicable to walls of different thickness and is independent of the height of the walls. It is also apparent from FIG. 1 that only minimum space is required during pouring and setting of the concrete roof or wall and the load is carried by vertical side walls eliminating the need for separate shorting or scaffolding. When the roof or floor has cured, the rods, I-beams, forms, etc., are removed and it is necessary only to fill the holes 16 to complete and finish the structure.

It is also apparent that the concrete roof or floor em beds the upper ends of the aligned Wall panels so that when the concrete cures, the wall panels and roof or floor constitute a functionally unitary structure.

The drawings illustrate the invention as it would be used with interior Walls where the floor or wall structure extends on both sides of the wall. For this reason, the waler rods 18 are longitudinally symmetrical with reduced portions at each end. It is however apparent that my invention is also applicable to the outer walls of a structure where the roof or floor does not extend beyond the top of the wall panel in one direction. In such a case, instead of the reduced end portion 20, each waler rod would be provided with a head so large that they would not pass through the opening 16. Only one I-beam would be required in such a case but the invention would still function to align the wall panels, hold them in alignment during pouring of the roof or floor structure, and supporting the forms for the roof or floor structure.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I am able to obtain the objects of my invention and provide the novel system for forming concrete structures and providing simple removable members for releasably supporting concrete roof or floor panel forms on vertical wall panels. The supporting units align the wall panels and hold them in aligned position during pouring and curing of the concrete roof or floor panel, while supporting the form for the concrete roof or floor panel, all without the need for any other aligning structure or supporting structure or shoring and without obstructing the area defined by the wall and floor or roof panels. Various modifications can of course be made in the shape, size and construction of the various units comprising my invention without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vertical wall panel having an aperture adjacent the top edge thereof, a support unit for supporting a form from said panel during the molding of a poured fioor on the top of said panel, said support unit comprising a rod loosely extending through said opening and projecting on at least one side of said panel, said rod having high and low support surfaces and being rotatable in said aperture to move said high support surface into a first support position and said low support surface into a second support position vertically spaced beneath said first support position, a beam supported on the projecting end of said rod for carrying a form, a slot extending through a projecting end of said rod beyond said beam, a wedge slidably mounted in said slot for forcing said beam against said wall panel when said rod is in said first support position, and means for releasably locking said wedge when said rod is in said first support position.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, said rod having substantially fiat sides and rounded edges, one of said flat sides forming said low support surface and one of said edges forming said high support surface, and said slot being inclined relative to said flat sides.

3. The combination defined in claim 2, said beam being an I-beam, said locking means comprising a block positioned between. said Wedge and I-beam and engaging the web of said I-beam, said block having a vertical groove for receiving said wedge and locking the Wedge and rod against rotation when the rod is in said first support position.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein the ends of said rod project on each side of said Wall panel.

5. The combination defined in claim 1 comprising a plurality of said wall panels arranged in edge-to-edge abutting relationship, and a plurality of said support units for supporting a form from said panels.

6. A removable support unit adapted to support a floor or roof form assembly from vertical wall panels each having an opening adjacent its upper edge during the molding of a poured floor on top of such wall panels, comprising a rod adapted to loosely extend through a panel opening and to be rotatable therein, said rod having substantially flat sides and rounded edges, one of said edges forming a high support surface when said rod is rotated to a first support position and one of said flat sides forming a low support surface when said rod is rotated to a second support position vertically spaced beneath said first support position, a beam supported on a rejecting end of said rod adapted to carry the form assembly and engage the side of the panel, a slot extending through the projecting end of said rod beyond said beam, a wedge slidably mounted in said slot for forcing said beam against said wall panel when said rod is rotated to said first support position, and means for releasably locking said wedge when said rod is in said first support position.

7. The support unit as defined in claim 6 wherein said slot is inclined relative to said fiat sides.

8. The support unit as defined in claim 6, said 'beam being an I-beam, said locking means comprising a block positioned between said wedge and I-beam and engaging the web of said I-beam, said block having a vertical groove for receiving said wedge and locking the wedge and rod against rotation when the rod is in said first support position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,757,321 5/1930 MacDonald 249219 X FOREIGN PATENTS 487,218 6/ 1938 Great Britain.

941,740 11/ 1963 Great Britain. 981,534 1/1951 France.

10 ROBERT D. BALDWIN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 249-19, 219