US3621553A - Expansion joint retaining means - Google Patents

Abstract

THE RETAINING MEANS INCLUDES A NON-MAGNETIC FRAME PERMANENT MAGNET MEANS CARRIED BY THE FRAME AND EXPOSED ON ONE FLAT FACE THEREOF, A PAIR OF OPPOSED ARMS RESILIENTLY BIASED TOWARDS EACH OTHER AND WITH EACH ARM POSITIONING A ROLLER MEMBER THEREON ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS FOR RECEIVING AN EXPANSION JOINT THEREBETWEEN TO POSITION IT IN A BUILDING WHEN THE MAGNET MEANS ENGAGES A VERTICALLY EXTENDING FLAT FACED METAL COLUMN IN HE BUILDING.

Description

1971 R. J. LAFEBER EXPANSION JOINT RETAINING MEANS Filed Nov. 4, 1969 INVENTOR. RAYMON D J. LAFEBER ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,621,553 EXPANEEION .IQEN'I RETAINING MEANS Raymond I. Lafeber, 3180 9th St., Quyahoga Falls, Ohio 4-4221 rhea Nov. 4, was, Ser. No. 873,815 Int. (11. 523p 19/00 US. Cl. 292lltl l? (Ilaims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE This invention relates to the construction of buildings, and especially to the provision of buildings having vertically extending expansion joints therein, and means methods of positioning the expansion joints in the buildings during construction.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION In nearly all commercial buildings made today, particularly where brick walls or surfaces are provided in the buildings, vertically extending expansion strips are provided in the courses of bricks as laid to construct the building. When embedding these expansion strips in the courses of bricks being laid, it is normally a relatively difficult job for the mason laying the bricks to position this expansion strip in a desired manner. That is, the ex pansion strips, which usually are made from a resilient layer approximately /2 inch thick, or less, and about 3 inches deep, and with the strips being approximately 4 feet long, such strips must be retained in a vertical position exactly aligned vertically with a center line provided on an adjacent metal support column of the associated building structure. Presently these expansion strips might be retained in place manually, or by trying them to the associated column of the building, or be retained in other relatively unstable manners with no exact, easily used apparatus being available to position the expansion strips as the building brick courses are laid therearound. Thus, masons do not like to work upon the portions of a building having an expansion strip therein because it slows up their brick laying work and it also is diificult to position the expansion strips in a proper manner.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved means particularly adapted for use in positioning expansion strips in buildings during their construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved unit which is adapted to be magnetically secured to a building support column and wherein a plurality of such units can engage with vertically spaced portions of an expansion strip for positioning it on a vertical axis while building up a face layer of bricks around the expansion strip.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of positioning an expansion strip in a building during its construction.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide improved, easily adjusted means for releasably engaging an expansion strip and adjusting the support action therefor as various courses of brick are applied to a building structure during its construction.

" ice Reference now is directed to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view indicating the apparatus embodying the principles of the invention when operatively positioned in securing an expansion joint or strip in a building under construction;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a securing unit of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a further modification of the invention showing it in operative position in a different type of a building under construction; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of the securing means or device of the invention.

When referring to corresponding members shown in the drawings and referred to in the specification, corresponding numerals are used to facilitate comparison therebetween.

INVENTIVE SUBJECT MATTER In general, the present invention relates to a novel and improved positioning means for expansion strips used in a building during its construction and retained permanently therein and wherein a plurality of devices are engaged with the expansion strip to position it, temporarily, with each such device comprising a non-magnetic frame, permanent magnetic means carried by the frame and exposed on one face thereof, which magnet means has a planar face thereon exposed for use to engage a fiat surface of a vertically extending metal beam in the building, a pair of opposed arms pivotally secured to the frame and extending therefrom on a second face thereof opposite to the one face referred to hereinbefore, means biasing the arms towards each other, and a roller member journalled on each of the arms on a horizontal axis and adapted to be sprung apart to receive the elongated expansion joint therebetween and position it on a vertical axis when the magnet means engage a vertically extending reference line on the metal beam and the rollers are positioned on horizontal operative axes. These devices will be adjusted vertically upwardly as building brick courses are laid to enclose the expansion joint in the building under construction.

With reference to the details of the structure shown in the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a building B during the construction thereof, and wherein the building has a conventional vertically extending metal beam 10 suitably positioned therein and which beam 10 has at least one flat face surface 11 provided thereon. Such surface 11, and the beam 10, both extend vertically and the building is to have a layer of bricks I2 provided thereon and normally spaced a short distance from the face surface 11 of the beam 10. FIG. 1 shows a number of the bricks 12, and with the bricks in the lowermost course being indicated by the numeral 120, while the bricks in the next adjacent vertical course are indicated by the numeral 12b.

In making most buildings today, wherein brick face surfaces are to be provided therein, it is the usual practice to provide vertically extending expansion joints or means therein. A typical expansion joint strip 13 is shown, and it can be of any suitable length, such as 3 to 6 feet and such strip is made from any conventional material, usually some type of a resin-fiber composition or other suitable slightly compressible material adapted to retain a stiff contour shape to facilitate the handling thereof. The drawing shows that the strip 13 has its lower end operatively positioned by and engaged between pairs of the bricks 12a and the bricks 12b. It is necessary that the expansion strip 13 be maintained strictly on a vertical axis and be spaced from the beam 10.

In order to achieve the desired mechanical positioning of the strip 13, FIG. 1 shows a pair of devices 20, 20 of the invention. Each of such devices comprises a magnetic clamp member used to secure the strip 13 in position by engaging vertically spaced portions thereof and attaching it to the face 11 of the beam in spaced relationship thereto. It will be seen that the device positions the strip 13 recessed from the front face of the layers or courses provided by the bricks 12 as the expansion joint should not protrude therefrom but normally is recessed a short distance in relation thereto.

FIG. 2 shows typical details of one of the devices 20, and a frame or block 21 is provided which may be made from plastic material or from a non-magnetic metal, as desired. This frame or block 21 has one flat or rear fiat surface 22 formed thereon and an elongate permanent magnet 23 is suitably engaged with such frame 21 and normally has a face surface 24 or ends that lies in a common place with the surface 22 and is adapted to abut against and engage the surface 11. This magnet 23 is of any suitable construction and may be made from ceramic material from a permanent metal member, or other device of known construction and wherein a pair of elongate poles, indicated at N and S, are provided on the face spaced parallel fiat ends of magnet arms 24 whereby magnetic lines of flux extend therefrom and secure such frame 21 and the device 20 snugly to the surface 11 of the beam 10 for the holding action desired. Naturally, any desired pole configuration can be provided on the face of the magnet 23 as long as it will engage with an associated metal member. The faces 22 and 24 combine to provide a sizable bearing surface for the device 20.

A pair of arms 25 and 26 are pivotally secured to the frame 21 and these arms extend from a face 50 of the frame 21 opposite to the fiat surface 22 thereon. These arms may be positioned, for example, on a vertically positioned support pin or shaft 27 suitably engaged with the frame 21, which shaft 27 normally has a coil spring 28 operatively engaged with the shaft and the associated ends of the arms 25 and 26 so as to be biasing them towards each other in the free end portions of the arms 25 and 26 in a conventional manner as shown in US. Pat. No. 2,244,344. The embodiment of the invention shown has each of the arms 25 and 26 provided with opposed upper and lower shelves or flanges 29 and 30 provided thereon, which flanges can be used for positioning individual rollers 31 and 32 on the arms 25 and 26, respectively. It is an important feature of the invention that the rollers 31 and 32 are positioned on horizontal axes for free rotation thereof when. an article is engaged between the rollers, and the device 20 is moved on a vertical axis. The rollers 31 and 32 specifically may be positioned, for example, on a quadrilateral cage 33 that has little pins 34 extending from the top and bottom portions of such cage 33 intermediate the ends thereof to pivotally engage with the individual flanges 29 and 30 and operatively position the individual rollers. The cage 33 also includes a horizontally extending support shaft 35 which connects to the cage 33 in any desired manner and with each of such shafts 35 individually positioning one of the rollers 31 or 32 thereon. The particular rollers shown comprise substantially spherical shaped members, but conventional cylindrical rollers may be used, if desired.

In all events, the device 20 is adapted to have the arms 25 and 26 sprung apart a short distance, or be forced apart as by sliding the expansion strip 13 therebetween and providing relative vertical movement therebetween. An edge portion of the expansion strip hence is resiliently engaged by each of the devices 20 and when a pair of the devices 20, 20 are used, even a relatively lengthy expansion strip can be vertically positioned in accurate manner prior to any engagement of the courses of brick 12 therewith. As courses of the bricks 12 are applied to build up the face of the building the individual devices 20 can be forced upwardly vertically and slide along the expansion strip to aid in positioning it as the building wall progresses in construction and vertical height. Naturally,

these rollers 31 and 32 protrude from the associated support flanges 29 and 30 whereby portions of the rollers abut each other or are adapted to engage the strip 13 when positioned therebetween. A center line indicator L is provided on the frame 21.

Usually the arm 25 has a finger engaging hook or section 36 provided thereon whereby a worker can engage such section 36 and pull the arm 25 away from the strip 13 to facilitate sliding one of the devices 20 vertically.

The frame 21 is of relatively short depth between the flat surfaces 22 and 50. Such arms likewise usually are of relatively short length protruding from the frame so that a very short device has been provided to enable the expansion strip 13 to be positioned close to but spaced from the beam 10.

These arms 25 and 26 are shown positioned operatively in a slot 37 extending horizontally of the frame 21 when operatively positioned and the general positioning of these arms 25 and 26 by the shaft 27 and spring 28 is of a conventional construction for spring latches. An edge of the expansion strip can be abutted against the surface 50 to aid in positioning it parallel to the beam 10.

A modified construction is shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, wherein the building Z shown being built includes a vertically extending beam 10a and a plurality of courses of bricks 40 forming a vertical face on the building but with a plurality of concrete blocks 41 being used to form a vertical wall positioned between the wall formed from the bricks 40 and the beam 10a. In this type of a construction, normally adjacent ends of the blocks 41 have recesses 42 provided therein extending the height thereof by which a resilient or flexible rubber or other expansion insert 43 can be positioned. Such insert can be made from any suitable material and can be positioned between adjacent ends of the blocks 41 which have a layer of concrete provided therebetween to space adjacent ends of the blocks slightly. Such insert 43 is retained permanently in the building wall under construction, and an expansion strip 13a is shown to be positioned on a vertical axis in the wall being formed by the bricks 40. So as to position the expansion strip 13a in this spaced relationship to the beam 10a, a frame 21a is formed from non-magnetic material and it has a permanent magnet 23a secured to and forming one flat operative face thereof for engaging a surface of the beam 10a. Or, the magnet may form only a portion of the flat face of the frame 21a. The roller carrying arms 25a used to engage the expansion joint or strip 13a are the same as described before and are carried by a sub-frame or block 43 of any suitable construction. This sub-frame is secured to the frame 21a by a pair of parallel arms 44 and 45 that are adapted to engage associated arms 46 and 47 engaging the primary frame 21a. A pin or equivalent member 48 can extend through opposed holes of a number of spaced holes formed in the arms 43 through 46 so that this sub-frame 43 is adjustable with relation to the frame 21a. If desired, these arms 43 through 46 can be fixedly engaged with their various frame means so that a horizontal positioning of the arms is facilitated, and the sub-frame 43 and the arms thereon can be used to engage the expansion joint 13a and position it on a vertical axis while the brick face of the building is being constructed.

A further modified expansion strip retaining device f the invention is indicated at 2011 in FIG. 4, and in this instance, a frame 21b is formed from suitable non-magnetic material. The frame has a permanent magnet 23b engaged with and forming all or part of one flat face thereon so that the device is adapted to be magnetically secured to a metal beam 10 or the like. In this instance, the frame 21b has a pair of arms 25b and 26b pivotally secured thereto as by a pin or shaft 27b extending vertically upwardly from and suitably secured to the frame 21b. Again, a suitable spring means (not shown) is provided to bias these arms 25b and 26b towards each other at all times. A finger engaging hook or section 36b is provided on the arm 25b to facilitate springing the one arm apart from the other arm for moving the device r expansion strip. In this embodiment of the invention, an additional finger or thumb engaging member or section 60 is provided on and suitably secured to the frame 21b at one end thereof. Thus, a worker can engage the section 60 of the device 20b and facilitate sliding it vertically on an associated positioning beam to slide such device up along an expansion joint strip as a building wall is being constructed and still maintain the strip is desired vertically centered relationship as the building wall is being assembled. The arms 25b and 26b have sections 70 extending towards each other and then being outwardly flared to engage an expansion joint strip.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that an uncomplicated, durable type of an expansion strip positioning means has been provided by the invention. This means is particularly adapted to be used on or when in a vertical position engaging a flat surface on a vertically positioned column or beam in a building. Hence the objects of the invention have been achieved.

I claim:

1. Expansion joint strip retaining means for use in positioning such strips in building walls comprising a nonmagnetic frame and having a flat face,

permanent magnet means carried by said frame and operatively carried on said flat face thereof to engage a flat surface of a metal beam in a building,

a pair of opposed arms pivotally secured to said frame and extending therefrom on a second face thereof opposite to said one face,

means biasing said arms towards each other, and

a roller member journalled on each of said arms on a horizontal axis and adapted to be sprung apart to receive an elongated expansion joint therebetween and position it on a vertical axis When said magnet means engage a metal beam to position said frame on a vertical axis and said arms are pivotal in a horizontal plane.

2. Expansion joint retaining means as in claim 1 Where one of said arms has a release finger thereon extending away from its associated arm.

3. Expansion joint retaining means as in claim 1 Where a separate sub-frame is provided,

telescopically engaged means secure said sub-frame to said frame to adjust the spacing thereof, and

said arms are secured to said sub-frame.

4. Expansion joint retaining means as in claim 1 Where said arms each have an upper and a lower support section thereon, a rectangular wire cage means is secured to and extends between said support sections, and a horizontally extending roller support shaft is positioned by each of said cage means and has a roller member journalled thereon.

5. Expansion joint retaining means as in claim 1 Where said arms protrude from a flat surface of said frame which surface is parallel to said flat face and an edge of an expansion joint strip can be abutted against said flat surface.

6. Expansion joint retaining means as in claim 1 Where said roller member is spherical to aid in engaging an edge portion of an expansion joint member between said roller members.

7. Apparatus for temporarily positioning expansion strips in a building wall during construction, which wall has a vertically extending metal beam immediately there adjacent and characterized by a non-magnetic frame,

permanent magnet means carried by said frame and exposed on one face thereof to engage a flat vertically extending surface of said metal beam by magnetic attraction, and

a pair of opposed arms pivotally secured to said frame and extending therefrom on a second face thereof opposite to said one face,

said arms being movable in a horizontal plane and being biased towards each other, and

said arms being adapted to be sprung apart to receive and engage an elongated expansion joint strip therebetween and position it on a vertical axis spaced from said beam to permit the building wall to be built up and engage such expansion joint.

8. Expansion joint retaining means as in claim 7 where said magnet has a flat face surface and said frame has a fiat surface with said surfaces lying in a plane to engage in flat face on said beam.

9. Apparatus as in claim 8 where a pair of said frames are provided with said magnet means and arms thereon, said frames being movably positioned on a common ver tical axis on said metal beam to engage vertically spaced portions of said expansion strip.

10. Expansion joint retaining means as in claim 8 where spring means bias said arms toward each other, and one of said arms has a finger receiving means extending therefrom to facilitate moving one of said arms to an expansion joint receiving position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,244,344- 6/1941 North et al. 292-18 3,033,144 5/1962 Schmidt 269-8 3,241,220 3/1966 Cruckshank 29200 J 3,526,943 9/1970 Erhardt, Jr 29-200 P THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 269-8

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