US3811646A - Form for portable concrete building module - Google Patents

Abstract

The form is used for casting wall portions of a single rectangular room as a modular unit to be assembled with other such units and floor and ceiling structure to build homes, apartment houses and other buildings. The form comprises a core form and two exterior forms. The core form is contractible in all directions for stripping. The two exterior forms are L-shaped, each embracing one end wall and one side wall of the room, these forms being supported by trolleys on diagonal tracks for movement away from each other in stripping.

Description

Unlted States Patent 1191 1111 3,811,646 Beasley May 21, 1974 FORM FOR PORTABLE CONCRETE 2,495,100 l/1950 Henderson 425/446 BUILDING MODULE 2,616,146 11/1952 Haase 249/179 X 2,807,071 9/1957 Francis et al. 249/181 Inventor! Robert y, Tualatm, eg- 2,903,777 9/1959 Mitchell 249/167 x 2,916,795 12/1959 Henderson.... 249/50 X [73] Assgnee' Ted Nels Company Portland 3,168,771 2/1965 Nelson 249/161 x 016% 3,276,093 /1966 Swayze et al. 425 424 [22] Filed: Nov. 17, 1972 Primary Examiner-J. Howard Fllnt, Jr. APPL N04 307,621 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Lee R. Schermerl'lorn Related U.S. Application Data [60] Continuation of Ser. No. 150,147, June 4, 1971, [57] ABSIIRACT abandoned, which i a division or 5 No, 731,55 The form ls used for castlng wall portlons of a slngle Dec. 5. 1968, Pat. No. 3,614,054. rectangular room as a modular unit to be assembled with other such units and floor and ceiling structure to [52] U.S. Cl 249/144, 249/167, 249/161, build homes, apartment houses and other buildings. 249/180, 249/ 184, 425/450, 249/ 179 The form comprises a core form and two exterior [51] Int. Cl B28b 7/30 forms. The core form is contractible in all directions [58] Field of Search 249/144, 50, 161, 179, for stripping. The two exterior forms are L-shaped, 249/153, 181, 167; 425/446, 424 each embracing one end wall and one side wall of the room, these forms being supported by trolleys on diag- [56] References Cited onal tracks for movement away from each other in UNITED STATES PATENTS Stripping 2,219,106 10/1940 Kruckenberg 249/153 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures F JLJ J1 ":11 1 1 115,

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SHEET 3 BF 3 INVENTOR. ROBERT W. BEASLEY 3Y3 f FORM FOR PORTABLE CONCRETE BUILDING MODULE CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 150,147, filed June 4, 1971, now abandoned, which in turn is a division of Ser. No. 781,554, filed Dec. 5, 1968, now US Pat. No. 3,614,054.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved form for portable concrete building modules and the like and has particular reference to a form for casting the wall portions of a single rectangular room as a modular unit to be assembled with other such units and floor and ceiling structures in a building construction.

According to conventional practice, buildings having a wood or steel frame are constructed piece by piece, first erecting the frame and then installing floors and walls piece by piece on the frame. In concrete construction. the necessary forms are built up progressively as the concrete is poured. Substantially all of the construction work is done in the field, making the operation slow and costly. Attempts have been made to prefabricate certain parts and this reduces the field work to some extent but does not essentially change the ageold methods of construction.

Objects of the present invention are, therefore, to provide a form for portable concrete building modules so that a building may be constructed essentially by merely assembling large prefabricated units in the manner of building blocks, to provide a form for casting the wall portions of an entire room as a single portable unit and to provide a form for a building module having a collapsible core and rollaway exterior form parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present form comprises a contractible core form and two exterior L-shaped forms for casting the wall portions of a rectangular room as a single portable unit. The core form has a continuous peripheral skin. A vertically movable frame within the core form pulls the central portion of each side inwardly. As the four sides are caused to bow inwardly, the corner portions also contract inwardly thereby effecting the stripping of the core form. The L-shaped exterior forms are rigid and mounted on trolleys to roll away from each other in a diagonal direction for stripping. The cast module may then be lifted out vertically. The principles of the invention may also be applied to forms for modules which are not rectangular.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts and certain features may be used without others. All such modifications are included in the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view with parts broken away, showing a form for portable concrete building modules embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG.3 is a sectional view on the line 33 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 44 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view showing a-detail in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view showing a detail in FIG. 11; and

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic top plan view showing the stripping of the forms.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invention will be better understood by referring first to FIG. 7 showing the stripping of the forms from the concrete module M. Core form C comprises a continuous flexible peripheral skin having .four sides to form the walls of a rectangular room. The central portion of each side has been pulled inwardly as indicated by the arrows 10. As the sides bow inwardly, the adjacent corners are moved closer together causing the corners to move inwardly also. These movements free all parts of the core form from the module.

The two exterior fonns E and E are rigid and of L- shape, each embracing one side wall and one end wall of the module. In stripping, these two forms move away from each other in diagonal directions as indicated by the arrows 11. The module is then free to be lifted vertically out of the forms and transported to the building site.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the core C has a continuous peripheral sheet metal skin 15 extending around the four sides of the core. A vertical gusset plate 16 is welded to the skin 15 at the middle of each side and at spaced intervals additional vertical gusset plates 17 are welded to the skin. The interior edges of gussets 17 have flanges 18 and the interior edges of the middle gussets 16 have flanges 19.

The flanges 19 of middle gussets 16 are welded to a plurality of horizontal walers 20 whereas the flanges 18 of the other gussets 17 are not connected to the walers. The opposite ends'of each waler 20 are equipped with slotted wedge brackets 21 to receive vertical wedges 22. The middle of each waler 20 is secured to a vertical beam 24.

The core is expanded and contracted by a vertically movable core stripping frame 25. Frame 25 has a plurality of longitudinal horizontal members 26 and a plurality of transverse horizontal members 27 disposed in the center of the core midway between the walers 20 on the opposite sides. The ends of longitudinal members 26 are welded to a pair of vertical tubes 28 and the ends of transverse members 27 are welded to a pair of vertical tubes 29. The tubes 28 are slidable on a pair of cylindrical vertical guides 30 which are mounted on a pallet frame 31. Pallet frame 31 supports core stripping frame 25 and the entire core C.

Core stripping frame 25 is raised and lowered on guides 30 by a pair of screw jacks 35 as shown in FIG. 3. Each jack 35 is mounted on a support tube 36 on pallet frame 31. The jackscrews are connected at 37 with the lower beam 26 of frame 25. The jackscrews are raised and lowered by nuts which are rotated by shafts 38 from a gear box 40 by means of a hand crank 41.

Gear box 40 is mounted on a support 42 on pallet frame 31.

Each tube 28 and 29 is equipped with upper and lower vertical cam plates 45, each having an inclined cam slot 46. Each vertical beam 24 is equipped with brackets 47 carrying cam follower rollers 48 disposed in the cam slots 46. When frame 25 is in lower position as shown in FIG. 3, rollers 48 are disposed in the upper ends of cam slots 46 causing the core to be expanded to operative position. In order to prevent deflection of vertical beams 24, these beams and the tubes 28 and 29 are equipped at mid height with opposed slotted wedge brackets 49 to receive wedges 50. These wedges are approximately on the same level as the intermediate horizontal members 26 and 27 of frame 25. Walers 20 bear against flanges 18 of gussets 17 as shown in FIG. 1 to prevent deflection of core skin from the fluid pressure of the concrete when the concrete is poured into the form.

In order to contract the core for stripping, the wedges 22 and 50 are removed and the stripping frame 25 is raised by rotation of the crank handle 41 which operates the jackscrews 35. Upward movement of frame 25 in the direction of arrow 51 in FIG. 3 moves the cam slots 46 upward relative to cam follower rollers 48 pulling all four vertical beams 24 inward in the direction of arrows 10. The horizontal walers being connected with the beams 24 are moved inward with the beams. The walers 20 being connected to the middle vertical gussets 16 thereby pull the core skin 15 inward at the mid point of each side of the core as illustrated in FIG. 7.

Since the other gussets 17 are not connected with the walers, the walers leave contact with these gussets as the core skin is bowed inwardly. The inward deflection of the core skin 15 in this manner not only pulls the skin away from the four sides of the module M but also pulls the corners inwardly away from contact with the module whereby the module is entirely freed from contact with the core for stripping.

Each L-shaped exterior form E, and E has an interior sheet metal skin 55 at a distance from the core skin 15 to form a pouring space S for receiving concrete to form the module M. The skin 55 is rigiditied by vertical gusset plates 56 which are welded to the skin and also secured to horizontal walers 60 at mid height. Each exterior form E, and E is a rigid structure supported on trolleys for movement away from the module in stripping as explained in connection with FIG. 7.

Thus, the form E, is mounted on three wheels 61 which roll on three parallel tracks 62 as shown in FIG. 1. Each track is equipped with a stop 63 at its outer end to limit the retracting movement. Similarly, the form E is mounted on three wheels 65 which roll on three parallel tracks 66. Each form carries one end wall and one side wall of the form.

As shown in FIG. 6, the two meeting comers of the exterior forms are secured together by horizontal swing bolts 70 which are pivotally mounted at 71 on one form and swing into a notched bracket 72 on the other form for securement by a wing nut 73. The vertical joint between the comers of the forms is closed by a resilient seal strip 74.

Along the four sides of the forms, the space S is closed at the bottom by plate 75 mounted on the upper flanges of l-beams 76 in the pallet frame 31 as shown in FIG. 5. Core skin 15 and exterior form skin 55 abut opposite edges of this plate, the joints being sealed by resilient seal strips 77. The lower edge of core skin 15 is reinforced by a plate 78 which bears at intervals against the heads of adjustable bolts 79 in a flange of bottom waler 20. The lower edges of exterior forms E, and E, are clamped by a series of swing bolts 80. Each swing bolt 80 is pivotally connected at 81 to l-beam 76 to swing into a slotted bracket 82 on the bottom of the exterior form and be secured by a wing nut 83.

To facilitate pouring concrete into the space S, a removable sloping apron 85 is provided as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. This apron extends around all four sides of the form above the core structure. it has an open center, rectangular frame 86 with depending ears 87 having notches at 88 to rest on the upper edges of horizontal plate 89 mounted on the inside of core skin 15.

At the center of each short side and center of each long side, the apron 85 is equipped with a horizontal stay belt 90 welded to frame 86. When apron 85 is lowered into place, each bolt 90 enters a slot 91 in a bracket 92 on the upper edge of the exterior form and is secured in position by wing nut 93. Lock nuts 94 provide adjustment to control the width of space S. When concrete is poured into the space S, the ears 87 and nuts 93 provide abutments to prevent the core and exterior forms from deflecting away from each other under the fluid pressure of the concrete. Preparatory to stripping, wing nuts 93 are loosened and apron 85 is lifted out of the way.

Window and door openings are provided where desired in the module by inserting rectangular frames (not shown) into the pour space S as is well understood in the art.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A form for casting portable concrete building modules having four integral room size walls, comprising a contractible rectangular core whose walls correspond in size to said room size walls, a pair of L-shaped exterior forms having the same height as the core which close together in a rectangle spaced about the core to define with the core a four-sided vertical cavity, releasable means connecting the ends of one of said exterior forms to the ends of the other exterior form at two opposite comers of the rectangle, said releasable means permitting complete separation of said two exterior forms from each other, trolleys supporting said exterior forms for horizontal movement toward and away from said core, and tracks below the four comers of the rectangle for said trolleys of both exterior forms extending approximately at right angles to a diagonal vertical plane through said two opposite comers, whereby movement of said exterior forms along said tracks causes maximum and equal separation of the exterior forms from all four sides of the contracted core and enables ready vertical removal of a cast module from the form cavity.

2. A form as defined in claim 1, wherein said releasable means comprises a straight horizontal swing bolt pivotally mounted at one end to one exterior fonn and swingable into and out of a notched bracket affixed to the other exterior form and a wing nut on the other end of the bolt serving to clamp and unclamp the exterior form at said bracket.

3. A form as defined in claim 1, including a rectangular, open center pouring apron having downwardly outwardly sloping walls, means detachably supporting said apron on said core, horizontal stay bolts projecting outward from the four sides of said apron, and means on said exterior forms having detachable engagement with the outer ends of said stay bolts to prevent outward deflection of said exterior forms.

4. A form as defined in claim 3, said last means comprising upstanding brackets on said exterior forms having vertical slots to receive said stay bolts.

5. A form as defined in claim 1, wherein during casting said four-sided vertical cavity is closed at the bottom by a rectangular pallet frame formed of l-beams, there being four plates seated on the upper flanges of said I-beams against whose opposite edges abut lower portions of the walls of said core and exterior forms, swing bolts each pivoted at one end to the pallet frame and swingable into a notched bracket affixed to an exterior form, and wing nuts on the other ends of said swing bolts for releasably clamping the exterior forms threaded into walers fixed to and within the core.

l l= l=

Claims (6)

1. A form for casting portable concrete building modules having four integral room size walls, comprising a contractible rectangular core whose walls correspond in size to said room size walls, a pair of L-shaped exterior forms having the same height as the core which close together in a rectangle spaced about the core to define with the core a four-sided vertical cavity, releasable means connecting the ends of one of said exterior forms to the ends of the other exterior form at two opposite corners of the rectangle, said releasable means permitting complete separation of said two exterior forms from each other, trolleys supporting said exterior forms for horizontal movement toward and away from said core, and tracks below the four corners of the rectangle for said trolleys of both exterior forms extending approximately at right angles to a diagonal vertical plane through said two opposite corners, whereby movement of said exterior forms along said tracks causes maximum and equal separation of the exterior forms from all four sides of the contracted core and enables ready vertical removal of a cast module from the form cavity.

2. A form as defined in claim 1, wherein said releasable means comprises a straight horizontal swing bolt pivotally mounted at one end to one exterior form and swingable into and out of a notched bracket affixed to the other exterior form and a wing nut on the other end of the bolt serving to clamp and unclamp the exterior form at said bracket.

3. A form as defined in claim 1, including a rectangular, open center pouring apron having downwardly outwardly sloping walls, means detachably supporting said apron on said core, horizontal stay bolts projecting outward from the four sides of said apron, and means on said exterior forms having detachable engagement with the outer ends of said stay bolts to prevent outward deflection of said exterior forms.

4. A form as defined in claim 3, said last means comprising upstanding brackets on said exterior forms having vertical slots to receive said stay bolts.

5. A form as defined in claim 1, wherein during casting said four-sided vertical cavity is closed at the bottom by a rectangular pallet frame formed of I-beams, there being four plates seated on the upper flanges of said I-beams against whose opposite edges abut lower portions of the walls of said core and exterior forms, swing bolts each pivoted at one end to the pallet frame and swingable into a notched bracket affixed to an exterior form, and wing nuts on the other ends of said swing bolts for releasably clamping the exterior forms to the pallet frame.

6. A form as defined in claim 5, wherein the walls of said core in their bottom portions where they abut said plates seated on the pallet are reinforced by internal bracing plates, said bracing plates being adjustably pressed outwardly by the heads of bolts which are threaded into walers fixed to and within the core.

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