U.S. patent application number 10/623600 was filed with the patent office on 2005-01-27 for concrete formwork.
Invention is credited to Piccone, Francesco.
Application Number | 20050016103 10/623600 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34079822 |
Filed Date | 2005-01-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050016103 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Piccone, Francesco |
January 27, 2005 |
Concrete formwork
Abstract
A concrete formwork system (and individual components thereof)
that enables the construction of a formwork assembly in which a
desired regular spacing of internal supporting members is readily
maintained, and that enables the construction of a formwork
assembly that is readily scalable, such that desired variations in
the thickness or other dimensions of the concrete structure can be
accommodated without requiring the production and use of a
multiplicity of unique individual components.
Inventors: |
Piccone, Francesco;
(Vancouver, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BARRIGAR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GROUP
601 WEST HASTINGS STREET SUITE 1500
VANCOUVER
BC
V6B 5A6
CA
|
Family ID: |
34079822 |
Appl. No.: |
10/623600 |
Filed: |
July 22, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/481.1 ;
52/489.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B 2002/867 20130101;
E04B 2/8641 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/481.1 ;
052/489.1 |
International
Class: |
E04B 002/30 |
Claims
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed are:
1. Stay-in-place formwork for casting vertical concrete structures
comprising: a plurality of elongate vertically-extending wall
panels interconnected in edge-to-edge relationship via suitably
configured elongate wall interconnection means along their
longitudinal edges to define an outer perimeter wall of formwork
assembly; and, a plurality of inner support panels disposed within
the wall and associated with the wall panels at selected suitable
intervals via the co-operative interconnection of connector means
provided along the edges of the support panels and complementary
support panel connector means provided on the inward-facing surface
of the wall panels.
2. The stay-in-place formwork of claim 1, wherein the selected
interval between adjacent support interconnection means of the wall
panels is a regular interval.
3. The stay-in-place formwork of claim 2, wherein the selected
regular interval between adjacent support interconnection means of
the wall panels is conserved as a unit measure of width, and
wherein the wall panels and support panels are dimensioned such as
to have an overall effective width that is a whole number multiple
of the unit measure of width.
4. The stay-in-place formwork of claim 1, wherein the support panel
is elongate in the vertical orientation, and wherein each elongate
support panel further comprises at least one suitably dimensioned
perforation to permit the cross-flow of concrete and the
cross-placement of conventional steel reinforcing rods.
5. The stay-in-place formwork of claim 1, wherein the
interconnection means between the wall panels and support panels
are suitably configured for the releasable interconnection
thereof.
6. The stay-in-place formwork of claim 1, further comprising at
least one tensioning panel associated with at least one wall panel
and at least one support panel.
7. A concrete structure comprising the formwork assembly of any one
of the preceding claim and concrete poured into the assembly.
8. An elongate formwork wall panel for use with a formwork assembly
for casting vertical concrete structures, the wall panel having
inner and outer surfaces and wall interconnection means for
engaging similar wall panels in edge-to-edge relationship disposed
along its longitudinal edges, the wall interconnection means along
the first longitudinal edge and the wall interconnection means
along the second longitudinal edge being complementary, such that
two adjacent wall panels presented with their inner surfaces in the
same orientation may be interconnected, the wall panel further
having support interconnection means disposed on its inside surface
for interconnection with a formwork support panel having
complementary interconnection means provided along its edges.
9. The elongate formwork wall panel of claim 7, wherein the support
interconnection means extend along substantially the entire
elongate length of the wall panel, and wherein each support
interconnection means is spaced apart from adjacent support
interconnection means across the width of the wall panel at a
selected suitable regular interval.
10. A support panel for use with a formwork assembly for casting
vertical concrete structures, the support panel having an overall
effective width that is a whole number multiple of the unit measure
of width.
11. A kit for a formwork assembly for casting vertical concrete
structures comprising: a plurality of elongate vertically-extending
wall panels interconnected in edge-to-edge relationship via
suitably configured elongate wall interconnection means along their
longitudinal edges to define an outer perimeter wall of formwork
assembly; and, a plurality of inner support panels disposed within
the wall and associated with the wall panels at selected suitable
intervals via the co-operative interconnection of connector means
provided along the edges of the support panels and complementary
support panel connector means provided on the inward-facing surface
of the wall panels.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to stay-in-place formwork for
creating vertical concrete structures.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The use of stay-in-place modular formwork for creating
vertical concrete structures such as walls is well known in the
art. Canadian patents Nos. 2,215,939, 2,226,497, and 2,218,600
granted to Piccone provide suitable representative examples of
prior-known modular formwork systems of the kind in which discrete
inner and outer wall panels are assembled together (to create inner
and outer formwork wall surfaces) by means of vertically-extending
cross-panels or connector panels, sometimes referred to simply as
"connectors", that span the inner and outer wall panels and connect
them together, thereby creating a formwork assembly comprising a
series of vertically extending cells into which concrete may be
poured and left to harden. The connectors are typically formed with
apertures permitting concrete to flow horizontally from one cell to
another, permitting steel reinforcing bars (re-bars) to be placed
horizontally to span a consecutive series of cells by running the
re-bars through the apertures, and permitting concrete poured into
a series of adjacent cells to form a continuous monolithic concrete
structure.
[0003] Other cell-based modular formwork systems have also been
previously described, but unlike the Piccone systems described in
the Canadian patents noted above, are generally not sufficiently
versatile to allow for the construction of concrete walls having
dimensions that are outside a narrow range without sacrificing
structural rigidity. By way of example, Nessa et al. in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,216,863 disclose a system whereby a plurality of hollow
vertical elements having (within a relatively narrow range of
dimensions) a generally octagonal or circular cross-section are
nested together to define a series of columns or channels into
which concrete may be poured. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,947, Kim
describes a system wherein discrete inside and outside faceted wall
panels are interconnected by a series of cross webs to similarly
create a series of generally columnar formwork cells. For the
construction of thicker walls, both Kim and Nessa et al. formwork
systems contemplate the widening of the internal cross-panels
without any corresponding expansion in the dimensions of the inside
and outside panels (so as to avoid the waste of materials that
would accompany the scale-up of octagonal cells) thereby to define
a series of more-or-less rectangular channels that are supported
only by cross-panels. This causes both the Kim and the Nessa et al.
formwork systems to accordingly suffer from the deficiency noted
above, and render them in particular poorly suited for the
construction of concrete walls that are more than about 8 inches
thick. The following discussion of the background of this invention
will accordingly focus mainly on the modular formwork described in
the above-noted Canadian patents granted to Piccone, which are
considered to be more pertinent prior art.
[0004] As will be explained in greater detail below, the cellular
configuration, which is common to all prior known modular
stay-in-place formwork systems, including those described in the
aforementioned Canadian Piccone patents, may complicate the
assembly of the formwork, especially in situations where variations
in the dimensions of the concrete structure are contemplated. The
cellular configuration may also in some cases contribute to
undesirable distortion of the resulting concrete structure.
[0005] Each cell of a prior-known modular formwork assembly of the
sort described above is typically defined by two wall panels and
two connectors. The connectors form the walls of the cell
perpendicular to the panel walls, and the resulting cell typically
has a generally rectangular cross-section. The complete formwork
assembly may be constructed by propagating individual formwork
cells one after another, each interior connector constituting a
common wall of adjacent cells. It is, however, more common in
practice to first assemble a series of alternating panels and
connectors to create a comb-like inner or outer wall segment, and
to subsequently close off the cells by adding on the opposite wall
panels after conventional reinforcing steel rods have been placed
inside the formwork assembly. Reinforcing rods are conventionally
set within concrete structures for strengthening purposes because
concrete without reinforcement is not well suited to withstand
tensile or shear forces. It is noted in this connection that the
above-described octagonal formwork of Nessa et al. and the faceted
formwork of Kim both limit the ability of a user to accommodate the
placement of reinforcing rods in accordance with conventional
building standards to suit various residential and commercial wall
applications. For example, the preferred conventional placement of
reinforcing rods in a basement wall that is set against backfill
would be adjacent the inner wall surface--octagonal or faceted
formwork renders such placement difficult or impossible.
[0006] Stay-in-place formwork is preferably manufactured from
lightweight materials such as PVC plastic, and is generally thin
relative to the thickness of the concrete structure or wall. As a
result, the wall panels of stay-in-place formwork assemblies tend
to distend or bow outwardly under the weight of the concrete that
is poured into any given cell of the formwork assembly. This bowing
effect is commonly referred-to in the art as "pillowing". As
mentioned above, the connectors of known modular formwork systems
are typically perforated to allow concrete that is poured into one
cell to cross over into an adjacent cell; this facilitates the
pouring of the concrete as it is not necessary to separately pour
concrete into each individual cell. If the perforations are of
adequate size, the cross-flow of poured concrete into adjacent
cells usually prevents a similar bowing of the connectors under the
weight of the poured concrete. The cross-flow of concrete and
cross-placement of reinforcing rods between individual cells
(through the perforations) also increases the overall strength and
rigidity of the resulting concrete structure.
[0007] Pillowing of a formwork assembly may result not only in the
unsightly appearance of the outer surface of the resulting concrete
structure, but may also lead to undesirable distortion of the
resulting concrete structure, especially in cases where the
pillowing is uneven as between cells or within a given cell. To
completely eliminate pillowing in a stay-in-place formwork
assembly, it would generally be necessary to either fabricate the
wall panels from unacceptably thick and heavy materials, or to
externally brace the wall panels while the poured concrete hardens.
Pillowing is accordingly sought to be limited (although it is
normally not entirely avoided) in known stay-in-place formwork
assemblies through the use of internal auxiliary tensioning panels
(frequently referred to in the industry as "braces") that, like the
wall panels and connectors, typically extend along substantially
the entire vertical extension of the formwork. Braces may be
associated with connectors, in which case they usually depend at a
comparatively shallow angle from a point of connection on the
central portion of the connector (so as to limit bending of the
braces when concrete is poured into the assembly) and interconnect
with supplementary connection or interconnection means provided on
the inside surface of the wall panels, or they may be independent
of connectors, in which case they extend generally perpendicularly
between and communicate with the supplementary connection means on
the inside surfaces of the inner and outer wall panels in a given
cell. It will be understood, of course, that the connectors
themselves also function to limit the pillowing of the wall panels
along their edges when the concrete is poured; in this sense, the
connectors of known formwork assemblies also act as tensioning
elements or panels placed under tension by the weight of concrete
in the formwork.
[0008] Since the wall panels of known formwork assemblies are
joined together by means of connectors that interconnect with the
wall panels along their edges, the horizontal width of each cell is
thus defined mainly by the width of the inner and outer wall
panels, but also by at least a portion of the thickness of the
corresponding connectors at either end. Any two adjoining cells of
known formwork assemblies will accordingly have a total horizontal
width being the sum of (a) the width of two adjacent wall panels,
plus (b) the thickness of the connector between the cells, plus (c)
at least a portion of the thickness of the connectors at either end
of the two-cell structure. In otherwords, assuming wall panels of
uniform dimensions and connectors of uniform thickness, the total
length of a formwork wall divided by the number of cells in that
wall gives a resultant cell width that exceeds the width of a wall
panel by something in excess of the thickness of a connector, the
"something in excess" varying depending upon the number of cells.
Since the horizontal extension of each given cell of a prior known
cellular formwork assembly is defined not only by the width of the
corresponding inner and outer wall panels of that cell but also by
at least a portion of the thickness of the associated connectors at
either end, and since the connectors also act as tensioning panels,
it may be difficult to locate the internal auxiliary tensioning
panels (braces) at precisely even distances from the connectors at
either end and from one another along the width of a cell; (i.e. it
may be difficult to maintain an even spacing between the connectors
and the tensioning panels within a given cell of known modular
formwork, especially if both tensioning panels that are associated
with connectors and independent tensioning panels are present in a
given cell). This may cause uneven pillowing, which in turn could
lead to the undesirable distortion of the resulting concrete wall
or structure.
[0009] It is contemplated in known formwork systems to provide
connectors in different widths in order to allow for the
construction of walls (or other structures) of different
thicknesses, but complications may also arise in the use of known
formwork assemblies when one desires to construct a wall or
structure that has more than a single uniform thickness. In
particular, since each given wall panel of a known modular formwork
assembly relies on associated connectors for its interconnection
with adjacent wall panels, variations in thickness of the concrete
structure cannot be readily accommodated without requiring the
production and use of a multitude of unique special-purpose
formwork panels, connectors, or other associated components that
allow one to maintain a desired relatively consistent spacing of
tensioning panels within the assembly. Of course, the production of
these special-purpose formwork panels, connectors, and components
increases the cost of construction, and the requirement for their
use complicates the assembly of the formwork structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] As discussed above, undesirable uneven pillowing may arise
in a formwork assembly unless the assembly is relatively
consistently internally supported by connectors and/or tensioning
panels. It is therefore an object of one aspect of the present
invention to provide a concrete formwork system (and individual
components thereof) that enables the construction of a formwork
assembly in which a desired regular spacing of internal supporting
members is readily maintained (thereby promoting uniformity in
pillowing). It is also an object of the present invention to
provide a formwork system (and individual components thereof) that
enables the construction of a formwork assembly that is readily
scalable, such that desired variations in the thickness or other
dimensions of the concrete structure can be accommodated without
requiring the production and use of a multiplicity of unique
individual components.
[0011] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a stay-in-place formwork assembly in which the
wall panels are suitably configured to be joined to one another
(directly or via clips) and held in spaced-apart relationship by
perforated support panels attached by suitable interconnection or
fastening means to the interior wall surfaces of the wall panels.
The support panels perform the wall-tensioning functions of the
connector panels of the prior art described above, but do not also
function to join adjacent inner or adjacent outer wall panels to
one another, and may accordingly be located at any desired position
within the interior of the formwork assembly. The support panels
are normally spaced at regular intervals within a formwork assembly
in accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention (that are
manufactured of PVC plastic material) in order to encourage the
even pillowing of the assembly when concrete is poured into it, but
may of course also be located at irregular intervals if it is
desired to achieve a particular distorted effect. Both the wall
panels and the support panels in preferred embodiments are elongate
and vertically-extending, much like the wall panels and connectors
of the prior-known cellular formwork discussed above. (In this
specification, although reference is made to "vertical" and
"horizontal" extensions of elements or assemblies, it is to be
understood that, depending upon the situation, these terms must be
understood to be relative terms and not absolute terms. For
example, for aesthetic reasons, it may be desired to form concrete
so that the generally vertical boundary walls of the finished
structure are at an angle to the vertical instead of absolutely
vertical. Or for some culvert or tunnel work, forms disposed at a
nearly horizontal orientation may be required. However, the typical
application of the invention is for construction of formwork
intended for the formation of generally vertically disposed
concrete walls.)
[0012] Also contemplated within the scope of the invention are the
individual elements (components) of the novel formwork assembly
disclosed herein, kits comprising such components, concrete
structures made with and incorporating such components, and a
system of stay-in-place formwork wherein the various components and
combinations of components of the formwork assembly are deployed. A
further aspect of the invention is the provision of a system of
stay-in-place formwork that can accommodate desired variations in
the thickness or other dimensions of the concrete structure to be
cast without requiring the production and use of a multitude of
unique individual formwork components. In one preferred embodiment,
a system of stay-in-place formwork for the construction of typical
4 to 36 inch wide commercial and residential concrete walls that
accommodates frequently desired variations in the thickness or
other dimensions of such walls, and that comprises only seven
distinct essential formwork components, is provided.
[0013] As set out in greater detail below, since the support panels
(unlike the connectors of prior known formwork assemblies) do not
function to join adjacent inner and adjacent outer wall panels
together in a cellular arrangement, the construction of an assembly
of the present formwork may be considerably simplified while still
maintaining a desired regular interval between internal support for
the wall panels. By way of example, it is possible to construct an
assembly of the inventive formwork in which the wall panels that
make up the inner and outer wall surfaces of the assembly (and, of
course, also of the resulting concrete wall once the concrete is
cast) are of different widths; (e.g. it is possible to construct a
partial formwork assembly in which three four inch wide wall panels
are used to make up an inner wall section, and two, four, and six
inch wide panels are used to make up the corresponding outer wall
section). Similarly, whether or not all of the wall panels used in
a given construct are of the same width, the elimination of
reliance upon a cellular arrangement within the formwork allows for
the construction of an assembly in which the joints between the
wall panels that make up the inner wall surface of the assembly are
not aligned with the corresponding joints between the wall panels
of the other wall surface.
[0014] As will be appreciated from the description below, a further
result of the elimination of reliance upon a cellular arrangement
within the formwork assembly is the ready scalability of the
assembly to accommodate desired variations in the thickness of a
wall or structure, and the reduction in the number of individual
formwork elements that are required to be produced and utilized in
the construction of a given wall or structure. This, of course,
leads to reductions in both manufacturing and labour costs, as well
as increased efficiency in the construction of a wall or
structure.
[0015] As with prior known stay-in-place formwork assemblies, the
formwork of the present invention is preferably manufactured from
lightweight plastic (such as PVC) or other lightweight materials in
order to minimize transportation costs and to facilitate the
assembly and handling of a relatively large section of assembled
formwork prior to the pouring of concrete into it. The
interconnections between components of the formwork assembly
(including those between adjacent wall panels and between wall
panels and support panels) are preferably releasable
interconnections of the sort that may be achieved by means of the
slidable engagement of co-operating T-fasteners with the mating
female receptacles (or by means of other suitable fastening means
known to those of skill in the art). This permits a worker to
dis-assemble and re-configure a section of formwork assembly if
modifications are desired to be made before the concrete is poured;
of course, once concrete is cast within the formwork assembly, the
panels and members (and any other included components) of the
stay-in-place assembly are also set in place. Although some seepage
may be tolerated, the engagement between the external wall panels
and elements of the formwork assembly must be sufficiently tight as
to prevent the poured concrete from leaking out of the formwork
assembly before it hardens, and must extend essentially along the
entire vertical extension of the formwork (or at least as high as
the concrete is intended to be poured). A greater degree of seepage
may be tolerated between the inner connections of the assembly, but
of course these must also be sufficiently sturdy to avoid breaking
or disengaging under the weight of poured concrete.
[0016] Various kinds of conventional interconnection means that
satisfy the above criteria may be employed, and in preferred
embodiments the wall panels have interconnection means for engaging
adjacent panels (along their longitudinal edges) that are
complementary in the sense that the interconnection means on the
first edge of one panel will cooperate with the interconnection
means on the opposite or second edge of an adjacent panel, but the
first edges of two wall panels will not cooperate. For example, if
cooperating conventional T-fasteners are utilized, then each panel
will include a male T-fastener formed along one longitudinal edge
and a corresponding generally C-or channel-shaped female fastener
along the other edge. The resulting "directionality" of the wall
panels reduces the number of differently configured wall panels and
components that need to be used in the construction of a given
formwork assembly. As discussed further below, if the selected
interconnection means between the wall panels are complementary in
the sense described above, then directionality reversing wall
panels (that may have, for example, male T-fasteners at both ends
or channel-shaped female fasteners at both ends) may also be
included within the formwork system of the invention in order to
facilitate the construction of a formwork assembly that includes
corners or other dimensional variations.
[0017] As an alternative, adjacent wall panels may be
interconnected via discrete clips that, unlike the connectors of
known modular formwork systems, do not span between inner and outer
wall panel segments so as to create a cellular internal structure
within the formwork. As a further alternative, universal
interconnection means (of the sort that do not rely on differently
configured complementary male and female portions, and that would
permit the joining of the wall panels together in any orientation)
may be utilized. The use of universal interconnection means between
the wall panels (and between the wall panels and other components
of the formwork system) would further simplify the propagation of
the formwork assembly during construction of a wall section, and
would also, of course, obviate the need for the directionality
reversing wall panels discussed above (since the wall panels would
not be directional in the first place). However, currently
available universal interconnection means that satisfy the criteria
set out above are relatively expensive to manufacture, and may
undesirably increase the cost of manufacture of a formwork assembly
in accordance with the invention.
[0018] The wall panels also include suitable support
interconnection means (such as conventional T-fasteners)
distributed along their inner surface at selected suitable
intervals across the width of the panels in order to provide
anchoring points for the support panels. In preferred embodiments,
the distribution of support interconnection means begins
substantially at the edge of the wall panels, such that the joint
between any two adjacent wall panels is supported internally by a
support panel. However, it is also within the scope of the
invention to provide wall panels in which the distribution of
support interconnection means begins at a position that is offset
from the longitudinal edges of the wall panels. The support panels
(discussed in further detail below) will, of course, have
cooperating interconnection means along their longitudinal edges to
engage the inwardly disposed interconnection means of the wall
panels. As noted above, the interval between these inward-facing
support interconnection means of the wall panels may be irregular
if desired, but in preferred embodiments the interval is regular in
order to allow for the maintenance of a regular spacing of support,
and thus minimize uneven pillowing of the formwork assembly under
the weight of poured concrete. In one preferred embodiment of
formwork intended for the construction of the walls of residential
or commercial buildings, the interval between neighboring
inward-facing support interconnection means on the wall panels is 2
inches; in a similar (metric) embodiment, the interval is 5
centimeters.
[0019] The selected regular interval between support
interconnection means on the wall panels is preferably conserved as
a unit measure of width (after suitable allowances have been made
for the space taken up by the interconnection means present along
the edges of the wall panels and between the wall panels and
support panels) relative to all wall panels and support panels of a
given formwork assembly in accordance with the invention. For
example, an assembly in which the interval between neighboring
inward-facing support interconnection means on the wall panels is 2
inches will be dimensioned such that all wall panels and support
panels have overall effective widths (after taking into account the
allowances mentioned above) that are multiples of 2 inches. The
resulting proportionality of the formwork assembly not only
enhances its structural rigidity (thereby further promoting
consistency of pillowing), but also facilitates the scalability of
the assembly such that desired variations in dimension of the wall
or structure to be cast are readily accommodated without corrupting
the regularity of support, and without requiring special-purpose
panels and members to be manufactured and used. If relatively fine
variations in the dimensions of a concrete structure are
contemplated, then formwork having a relatively narrow (small) unit
measure of width may be selected; if only gross variations (or no
variations) in the dimensions of the structure are contemplated,
then formwork having a relatively wide (large) unit measure of
width may be preferred. As noted above, a 2 inch unit measure of
width (or a 5 centimeter unit measure of width for buildings
intended to be constructed in metric measurements) has been found
to be suitable for most commercial and residential concrete wall
building applications.
[0020] As with the connectors of the prior known formwork
assemblies discussed above, the support panels of the present
invention are preferably elongate in the vertical orientation and
include suitably dimensioned perforations (the basics relating to
the selection of the preferred size and dimensions of which would
be within the ordinary skill of a person skilled in the
art--further improvements relating to the preferred size and
dimensioning of the perforations are disclosed in the applicant's
Canadian patent application no. 2,352,819) to permit the cross-flow
of concrete and the cross-placement of reinforcing steel rods
between sections of assembled formwork. Just as the inadequacy of
the cross-flow of concrete between cells of a prior known formwork
assembly may lead to the bulging of one cell relative to another,
(which may in turn lead to undesirable distortion of the concrete
structure), inadequacy in the cross-flow of concrete between
sections of formwork assembly in accordance with the invention may
result in the bulging of one section relative to another. It will
be understood, of course, that multiple short support panels may be
used in place of any given preferred elongate support panel
provided that suitably dimensioned perforations are maintained
(such as might be achieved, for example, with the use of
intervening open spacers), but that the construction of an assembly
using multiple short support panels in place of fewer elongate
support panels would increase the amount of labour required to
complete a section of formwork assembly (and thus increase labour
costs relative to the construction of a concrete wall utilizing the
formwork of the invention).
[0021] In order primarily to save formwork material (and hence
reduce manufacturing costs), the support panels of the present
invention may include one or more associated auxiliary tensioning
panels or "braces". Such auxiliary tensioning panels take the place
of separate support panels that would otherwise need to be included
in a formwork assembly in order to prevent undesirable pillowing,
and (as will be seen in greater detail below), may also simplify
the maintenance of a regular interval of support of the formwork
assembly around corners, or where various alterations to the
dimension of the formwork structure are contemplated. Similar to
the way that auxiliary tensioning panels may be associated with the
connectors of the prior known formwork assemblies discussed above,
the auxiliary tensioning panels of the invention depend at a
relatively shallow angle from a support panel to mate with an
adjacent inward-facing support interconnection means of a wall
panel. The connection between the support panel and the auxiliary
tensioning panel may be permanent (such that the auxiliary
tensioning panel at the zone of connection is integral with the
support panel) or releasable (employing known types of
complementary interconnection means such as sliding T-fasteners)
depending, in part, upon the physical characteristics of the
material from which the support panel is constructed. In alternate
preferred embodiments described herein that are manufactured of PVC
plastic material, the connection may be either permanent or
releasable, and is in either case offset far enough away from the
nearest edge of the support panel to permit the auxiliary
tensioning panel to depend at a comparatively shallow angle
(preferably no more than about 45.degree. ) from the support panel
so as to limit flexing of the auxiliary tensioning panel under the
weight of concrete poured into the formwork assembly. The offset of
the zone of connection from the nearest edge of the support panel
in preferred embodiments (in which a unit measure of width is
conserved relative to all wall panels and support panels) is thus
one unit measure of width, or a whole number multiple thereof if
longer tensioning panels are desired to be used. Since the support
interconnection means of the wall panels are similarly spaced apart
across the width of the wall panels in unit measures of width, a
45.degree. angle of dependency will be maintained if the offset of
the zone of connection is similarly spaced at whole number
multiples of unit measures of width from the nearest edge of the
support panels.
[0022] Although not preferred, at least in cases where the wall
panels are made of extruded PVC plastic or similar one-piece
material, wall panels that include permanently associated
tensioning panels could also be utilized in a formwork assembly in
accordance with the invention. Since the external surface of a wall
or structure made using the inventive formwork (unless it is
overlaid) will be defined by the wall panels of the formwork, the
wall panels are typically manufactured from material that has an
aesthetic surface appearance. The inner components of the assembly
(including support panels, tensioning panels, and other internal
components discussed below) may be made of less costly materials
that retain the requisite physical characteristics of the formwork,
but do not match the selected aesthetic quality of the external
surface of the wall panels.
[0023] To further enhance the scalability of the formwork, internal
connecting elements configured to engage two or more support panels
in end-to-end relationship may also be provided. (It will be noted
that the interconnection means provided on such connecting elements
will thus preferably correspond to those that are selected for the
inward facing support interconnection means of the wall panels
discussed above). The ability to connect two or more support panels
in end-to-end relationship within a formwork assembly extends the
reach of the support panels in expanded sections of formwork
without requiring the manufacture of support panels in expanded
widths. For example, a 36-inch thick wall section may be supported
using sets of three 12-inch wide support panels (or sets of six
6-inch wide support panels, etc.) connected together within the
formwork assembly, thereby eliminating the need to manufacture and
use 36-inch wide support panels. Although linear connecting
elements (that could be used to link two support panels together in
end-to-end relationship as explained above) may be provided, it is
also desirable in some instances to enhance the structural rigidity
of the formwork assembly by permitting internal perpendicular cross
bracing. Accordingly, generally box-shaped or cross-shaped four-way
connecting elements may be preferred. Given that one objective of
the inventive system of stay-in-place formwork is to enable the
construction of a concrete wall or structure of variable thickness
or dimension without requiring the production and use of numerous
discrete formwork components, it will be understood that four-way
connecting elements may generally be used in place of linear
connecting elements, and that linear connecting elements need not
be included among the elements that make up a complete
stay-in-place formwork system that satisfies the scalability
objectives of the invention.
[0024] As noted previously, the external surface of a concrete wall
or structure that has been constructed using stay-in-place formwork
is defined along its sides by the wall panels (unless the wall
panels are subsequently overlaid with another surface material such
as stucco). For straight wall sections that have been constructed
using the inventive formwork, the two wall ends may similarly be
defined by the terminal support panel at each end of the wall
(provided that non-perforated terminal support panels are used),
and any overreaching bits of formwork may be trimmed off if desired
in order to improve the aesthetic quality of the wall end
(especially if it is not to be overlaid). However, in many building
construction applications, it is also desired to construct
continuous concrete walls that include corners. For this purpose,
outer corner panels that are suitably dimensioned and configured
along their longitudinal edges to engage the outer terminal wall
panels of two generally perpendicular wall sections, and inner
corner elements that are configured to similarly engage the
corresponding inner terminal wall panels of the two wall sections
may be provided within the system of formwork of this invention. Of
course, outer corner panels and inner corner elements that join
together two wall sections that approach one another at other than
a perpendicular angle may also be provided. In preferred
embodiments, the outer corner panels extend one unit measure of
width in both directions from the outer point of the corner, and
the inner corner elements also include two perpendicularly arranged
internal support interconnection means to facilitate alternative
possible interconnection of the wall panels and support panels
about the inner point of the corner.
[0025] Other forms and aspects of the invention will be appreciated
by those skilled in the art having reference to the foregoing
discussion, the following detailed description of preferred
embodiments, and the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] In drawings that illustrate embodiments of the invention,
FIGS. 2 and 18 to 22 illustrate partial formwork assemblies, all in
plan view, and FIGS. 3 to 17 illustrate, again in plan view,
formwork components suitable for constructing such formwork
assemblies and others. FIGS. 23 to 29 illustrate another embodiment
of the invention in which adjacent wall panels are interconnected
by clips.
[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a partial assembly of
cellular stay-in-place formwork in accordance with the prior
art;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a partial assembly of
stay-in-place formwork in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention illustrating one possible inter-relationship of wall
panels, support panels, and tensioning panels suitable for making a
concrete wall having two flat parallel sides;
[0029] FIG. 3 is a plan view of a single-unit-width wall panel in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a four-unit-width wall panel in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0031] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a single-unit-width support panel
in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0032] FIG. 6 is a plan view of a two-unit-width support panel in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0033] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a three-unit-width support panel in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention that includes inset
paired spaced female receptacles for receiving the terminal male
fasteners of tensioning panels, the female receptacles each being
inset by one unit of width from the nearest vertical edge of the
support panel, one receptacle of each pair lying on either side of
the support panel;
[0034] FIG. 8 is a plan view of a five-unit-width support panel in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention that includes inset
paired spaced female receptacles for receiving the terminal male
fasteners of tensioning panels, the female receptacles each being
inset by one unit of width from the nearest vertical edge of the
support panel, one receptacle of each pair lying on either side of
the support panel;
[0035] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a single-unit-width
direction-reversing wall panel in accordance with an embodiment of
the invention;
[0036] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a tensioning panel in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention;
[0037] FIG. 11 is a plan view of an inner corner element in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0038] FIG. 12 is a plan view of a four-way female receptacle
element in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0039] FIG. 13 is a plan view of an outer corner dual wall panel in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0040] FIG. 14 is a plan view of an ornamental four-unit-width wall
panel in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0041] FIG. 15 is a plan view of an ornamental three-unit-width
wall panel in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0042] FIG. 16 is a plan view of another ornamental
three-unit-width wall panel in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention;
[0043] FIG. 17 is a plan view of another ornamental
three-unit-width wall panel in accordance with an embodiment of the
invention;
[0044] FIG. 18 is a schematic plan view of a partial assembly of
stay-in-place formwork illustrating one possible inter-relationship
of wall panels, ornamental wall panels, support panels, outer
corner panels, inner corner elements, and tensioning panels in
accordance with embodiments of the invention suitable for forming a
concrete wall corner having outer flat surfaces and ornamentally
configured inner surfaces;
[0045] FIG. 19 is a schematic plan view of a partial assembly of
stay-in-place formwork illustrating one possible inter-relationship
of wall panels, support panels, tensioning panels, outer corner
panels, and inner corner elements in accordance with embodiments of
the invention suitable for forming a concrete wall corner having
flat surfaces;
[0046] FIG. 20 is a schematic plan view of an alternative partial
assembly of stay-in-place formwork illustrating one possible
inter-relationship of wall panels, support panels, tensioning
panels, outer corner panels, inner corner elements, and four-way
connecting elements in accordance with embodiments of the invention
suitable for forming a concrete wall corner having flat
surfaces;
[0047] FIG. 21 is a schematic plan view of an alternative partial
assembly of stay-in-place formwork illustrating another possible
inter-relationship of wall panels, support panels, tensioning
panels, outer corner panels, inner corner elements, and four-way
connecting elements in accordance with embodiments of the invention
suitable for forming a concrete wall corner having flat surfaces;
and
[0048] FIG. 22 is schematic plan view of a partial assembly of
stay-in-place formwork illustrating one possible inter-relationship
of wall panels, support panels, tensioning panels, outer corner
panels, inner corner elements, and four-way connecting elements in
accordance with embodiments of the invention suitable for forming a
concrete wall having different thicknesses over its horizontal
extension.
[0049] FIG. 23 is a is schematic plan view of a partial assembly of
stay-in-place formwork in accordance with a further embodiment of
the invention in which adjacent wall panels are connected via
clips;
[0050] FIG. 24 is a plan view of a four-unit-width wall panel in
accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 23.
[0051] FIG. 25 is a plan view of a one-unit-width wall panel in
accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 23.
[0052] FIG. 26 is a plan view of a wall panel clip in accordance
with the embodiment of FIG. 23.
[0053] FIG. 27 is a plan view of a tensioning panel in accordance
with the embodiment of FIG. 23.
[0054] FIG. 28 is a plan view of an inner corner element in
accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 23.
[0055] FIG. 29 is a plan view of an outer corner dual wall panel in
accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 23.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0056] The accompanying drawings illustrate formwork components and
partial assemblies of such components in plan view. Each of the
formwork components shown in the drawings are elongate into the
plane of the drawings.
[0057] Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated one completed cell
11 (and two adjoining partially completed cells 13) of a typical
prior art formwork assembly 10. The assembly 10 includes discrete
wall panels 12 that are placed in edge-to-edge relationship to
define inner and outer wall segments after being interconnected and
held in spaced-apart relationship by means of perforated connector
panels 14 via elongate terminal female receptacles 16 and mating
male fasteners 18. The female receptacles 16 extend along the
longitudinal edges of the wall panels 12 while terminal male
fasteners 18 extend substantially along the longitudinal edges of
the connector panels 14. (These elements are referred to as
"terminal" because they are located at the ends, in plan view, of
the wall panels 12 and connector panels 14, respectively. Note also
that which element of a pair is male and which is female is
arbitrary.) In the embodiment illustrated, female receptacles 16
are fixed to or integral with the side edges of the wall panels 12,
while double male fasteners 18 slid within adjacent mating female
receptacle receptacles 16 serve to interconnect adjacent wall
panels 12 with an intervening connector panel 14, thereby fixing
the adjacent wall panels 12 to one another via the intervening
connector panel 14. Note also that both the connector panels 14 and
wall panels 12 are provided with male fasteners inset from their
side edges, those of the wall panels 12 being designated by
reference numeral 26 and those of the connector panels 14 being
designated by reference numeral 24. The purpose of these inset male
fasteners 24, 26 will be explained below.
[0058] As discussed above, the overall width of each completed cell
11 of the prior known formwork assembly 10 is defined by the width
of wall panel 12 forming that cell 11 and some portion of the
thickness of each connector panel 14 at either end of that cell
11.
[0059] Auxiliary tensioning panels (braces) 20 that are associated
both with the connector panels 14 and the wall panels 12 are also
shown in FIG. 1. The braces 20 are interconnected between the
connectors 14 and wall panels 12 via terminal female receptacles 22
along the longitudinal edges of the tensioning panels 20 and mating
inset male fasteners 24 and 26 respectively of the connector panels
14 and wall panels 12. For uniformity, all female receptacles 16,22
are identically configured and dimensioned, as are all male
fasteners 18, 24 and 26. As explained above, the tensioning panels
20 contribute to the rigidity of the formwork 10 and limit the
outward bulging or distension of the wall panels 12 under the
weight of concrete that is poured into the cells 11.
[0060] Turning to FIG. 2 and following figures, the components
illustrated are preferably constructed of relatively thin, suitably
strong PVC plastic or similar material. FIGS. 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12,
and 13 illustrate preferred embodiments of seven different formwork
components that are sufficient for the construction of typical
four-inch to 36-inch thick commercial or residential concrete walls
that include typically desired (or required) variations in
thickness and other dimensions. FIGS. 2 and 18 through 22
illustrate partial assemblies of formwork that demonstrate various
possible inter-relationships of the formwork components to create
walls or structures of various dimensions. FIGS. 4, 6 to 8, and 14
to 17 illustrate further components that are useful for building
more elaborate formwork, or that facilitate the assembly of
formwork of certain configurations. The remaining drawings (FIGS.
23 to 29) illustrate an alternative embodiment of the invention in
which adjacent wall panels are connected via clips.
[0061] Referring to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a partial assembly
28 of formwork in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
invention. By way of general overview, elongate and substantially
flat wall panels 30 (each having an inward-facing surface 31A and
an outward-facing surface 31 B) have a terminal male panel fastener
34 at one vertical side edge and a terminal female panel receptacle
32 at the opposite vertical side edge. As will be discussed further
below, a female support panel connector 38 is associated in
back-to-back relationship with each terminal panel receptacle 32 of
the illustrated embodiment for mating connection to a mating
terminal male fastener of either a tension panel 40 or a support
panel 36. Additional panel connectors 38 that depend from the
inward-facing surfaces 31A of the wall panels 30, but that are not
associated with a terminal panel receptacle 32 are also
contemplated.
[0062] A series of such wall panels 30 are releasably
interconnected directly to one another in edge-to-edge relationship
to create wall segments via wall panel interconnection means
comprising, for each pair of adjacent wall panels 30, a proximal
female panel receptacle 32 and a mating male panel fastener 34. Two
substantially parallel facing wall segments (each normally
comprising a plurality of wall panels 30) generally indicated as
27, 29 are releasably interconnected in spaced-apart relationship
at selected intervals along their width by plural generally
perpendicularly-oriented support panels 36 that are configured to
communicate with support panel connectors 38 on the opposing
inward-facing surfaces 31A of the wall panels 30. The width of the
wall panels 30 and the width of the support panels 36 is preferably
proportionate, such that the overall effective width of either one
of the wall panels 30 and support panels 36 (after necessary
allowances have been made for any space taken up by the
interconnection means between them) will be a whole number multiple
of the effective width of the other in order to facilitate the
scalability and maintenance of structural rigidity of the resulting
assembly. Tensioning panels 40 that span between wall panels 30 and
support panels 36 may be included in place of some support panels
36 if it is desired to lower material costs (relative to the use of
only support panels 36). Further details regarding the
inter-relationship between the components of the formwork, and of
the preferred methods of assembling a formwork structure in
accordance with the invention, are set out below.
[0063] It will be recalled from the more detailed discussion in the
summary provided above that a unit measure of width is defined in
preferred embodiments of the invention by the selected regular
interval or distance between consecutive support panel connectors
38 that are present across the width of the inward-facing surfaces
31A of the wall panels 30. Maintenance of a regular interval of
support for the wall panels 30 promotes even pillowing, thereby
increasing the aesthetic quality of the resulting concrete
structure, as well as lowering the likelihood of unwanted
distortion in the resulting concrete structure.
[0064] The illustration of FIG. 2 includes, by way of example, the
following four distinct varieties of wall panels 30 that have
widths that may be defined by a whole number integer of the
selected unit measure of width: panels 30A that are one unit
measure of width wall panels, panels 30B that are four unit
measures of width wall panels, panel 30C (that, as is discussed
further below is typically utilized in formwork assemblies that
include corners, but is included in the formwork assembly of FIG. 2
for illustrative purposes) is a one unit measure of width
directionality reversing wall panel, and panels 30D that are
partially shown wall panels of at least three unit measures of
width. Of course, the wall segments 27 and 29 illustrated in FIG. 2
could have just as easily been assembled from different
combinations of wall panels 30 having different unit measures of
width. It will also be noted (as illustrated in FIG. 2) that the
formation and use of wall panels 30 that have overall effective
widths that are whole number integers of a selected unit measure of
width permit the construction of walls in which the joints between
the wall panels 30 of one wall segment and the joints between those
of the opposing wall segment are not necessarily aligned, while
nevertheless maintaining suitable alignment as between support
panel connectors 38 on opposing inward-facing wall surfaces 31A,
provided that a panel connector 38 is present at each unit measure
of width across the width of each wall panel 30.
[0065] As noted, the wall panels 30 include suitable support panel
connectors 38 disposed at a regular interval (which defines the
unit measure of width) across their inward-facing surfaces 31A. The
support panel connectors 38 are preferably elongate so as to extend
substantially along the vertically-extending length of the wall
panels 30, and are preferably configured for releasable
interconnection with elongate support panels 36 or tensioning
panels 40 as described further below.
[0066] The support panels 36 of the illustrated embodiment are
(like the wall panels 30) elongate, and include terminal panel
connectors 42 substantially along their longitudinal edges that are
suitably configured for releasable interconnection with panel
connectors 38. In the embodiment illustrated, the panel connectors
38 are female receptacles that mate with and receive male
T-fasteners 42. The support panels 36 also include suitable
perforations (not shown) to permit the cross-flow of concrete and
the cross-placement of reinforcing steel rods. Basic selection of
the size and positioning of the perforations would be within the
ordinary skill of a person skilled in the art. The tensioning
panels 40 may also be suitably perforated, and the basic selection
of the preferred size and positioning of any such perforations
would also be within the ordinary skill of a person skilled in the
art.
[0067] The support panels 36A illustrated in FIG. 2 are three unit
measures of width wide, and include tensioning panel connectors 44
disposed on opposite sides of the support panel and constituting
releasable tensioning panel engagement means for engaging and
interconnecting a tensioning panel 40, each panel connector 44
being positioned one unit measure of width from the nearest
longitudinal edge of the support panel 36. The panel connectors 44
illustrated are female receptacles that mate with and receive male
T-fasteners 46 located at the ends of an associated tensioning
panel 40. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 through 8, support panels 36 of
different widths (and either including interior panel connectors 44
or not) are also within the scope of the invention. FIG. 7 is an
illustration of support panel 36A; FIG. 5 illustrates a
one-unit-width support panel 36B; FIG. 6 illustrates a
two-unit-width support panel 36C that does not include any interior
panel connectors 44; and FIG. 8 illustrates a five-unit-width
support panel 36D that includes interior panel connectors 44, each
positioned one unit measure of width from the nearest longitudinal
edge. FIGS. 18 through 22 illustrate these and additional variants
of support panel 36 within partial assemblies of formwork. Other
variants (such as, for example, six- or twelve-unit-width support
panels, support panels that include interior panel connectors 44
along one side but not the other, and support panels that include
interior panel connectors 44 positioned at two or three unit
measures of width but none at one unit measure of width from either
or both longitudinal edges) may, of course, also be utilized.
Further, as discussed in the summary above, support panels 36 in
which the connection between the support panel 36 and at least one
tensioning panel 40 is permanent instead of releasable (such that
the tensioning panel is integral with the support panel) are also
within the scope of the invention.
[0068] The tensioning panels 40 of the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 2 are also elongate and generally flat, and include terminal
engagement means in the form of T-fasteners 46 at either end that
are each suitably configured for releasable interconnection with a
mating female receptacle of any of the panel connectors 38 of the
wall panels 30 or with the interior panel connectors 44 of the
support panels 36. Since the formwork of the illustrated preferred
embodiments is manufactured from thin PVC plastic, the tensioning
panels 40 must depend from the support panels 36 at a comparatively
shallow angle (preferably not more than about 45.degree.) in order
to limit bending of the tensioning panels 40 when the wall panels
30 are pressed outwardly under the weight of concrete poured into
the formwork assembly. By positioning interior panel connectors 44
one or more whole unit measures of width from the terminal edges of
the support panels 36 (after making allowances for any space taken
up by the panel connectors themselves), a desired 45.degree. angle
of dependency of each of the tensioning panels 40 (or selected ones
of same) from the nearest support panel 36 is easily arranged.
[0069] It will be appreciated that the panel connectors 38 of the
wall panels 30 and the interior panel connectors 44 of the support
panels 36 will preferably be of the same configuration in order to
allow tensioning panels 40 having identical panel connectors 46 at
either end to be set in either orientation; if the panel connectors
38 and the interior panel connectors 44 are not of the same
configuration, then tensioning panels 40 that have differently
configured panel connectors at either end would be required,
thereby needlessly increasing the number of individual formwork
components that may be required to complete a section of assembly.
The configuration of both panel connectors 38 and panel connectors
44 as including a female receptacle, and the panel connectors of
tensioning panels 40 being at each end a male T-fastener 46,
achieves the foregoing objective and renders very simple the
manufacture and ease of installation of the tensioning panels 40.
It will also be appreciated that the terminal panel connectors 46
of the tensioning panels 40 will preferably be of the same
configuration as the terminal panel connectors 42 of the support
panels 36. This permits either a support panel 36 or a tensioning
panel 40 to engage and interconnect with any given panel connector
38, thereby simplifying construction and facilitating scalability
of a formwork assembly in accordance with the invention.
[0070] In the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings wherein
the interval between consecutive panel connectors 38 (i.e. the
selected unit measure of width) is calculated from the edge of the
wall panels 30, and the joint between any two adjacent wall panels
30 is thus supported internally by a support panel 36 or a
tensioning panel 40, all of the panel connectors 38 will need to be
disposed slightly inwardly from the inward-facing surfaces 31A of
the wall panels 30 in order to provide sufficient clearance for the
placement of any panel connectors 38 that are associated in
back-to-back relationship with a terminal panel receptacle 32 while
maintaining the desired overall proportionality and dimensional
integrity of the assembly. Those panel connectors 38 that are not
associated in back-to-back relationship with a terminal panel
receptacle 32 accordingly include a neck 38A or similar spacer to
provide the allowance that must be made for the panel connectors 38
that are so associated. It is, however, also within the scope of
the invention to provide wall panels 30 in which the interval
between panel connectors 38 (i.e. the selected unit measure of
width) is calculated from a position that is offset from the
longitudinal edges of the wall panels 30. In such embodiments, it
would generally not be necessary to make as large an allowance when
calculating the desired width of the support panels 36 because none
of the panel connectors 38 would then need to be disposed inwardly
to provide clearance for an underlying panel receptacle 32.
[0071] It is also noted that different kinds of known
interconnection means (other than the conventional T-fasteners
illustrated in the drawings), especially such kinds as do not take
up much space, could be used to join together the formwork
components. Although the interconnections between the components
are preferably releasable in order to allow for the disassembly and
reconfiguration of a formwork assembly before the concrete is
poured, permanent interconnections may also be used.
[0072] FIGS. 3 and 4 provide detailed illustrations respectively of
wall panel variants 30A and 30B that are have already been shown
incorporated within the partial formwork assembly of FIG. 2, and
FIG. 9 illustrates the directionality reversing wall panel 30C also
shown in FIG. 2. As will be seen with reference to the figures that
follow, numerous other dimensional and ornamental variants of the
wall panels 30 are contemplated within the scope of the preferred
embodiments of the invention. By way of example, FIGS. 18 through
22 illustrate a two unit measure of width wall panel 30E, as well
as other variants discussed further below.
[0073] Since the female receptacles 32 and male T-fasteners 34
utilized in the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings
are complementary conventional fastening elements, such that each
typical wall panel 30 (that is not a directionality reversing wall
panel 30C) includes a male T-fastener formed along one longitudinal
edge and a corresponding generally channel-shaped female receptacle
along the opposite edge, directionality reversing wall panels 30C
(that include male T-fastener formed along both longitudinal edges
or generally channel-shaped female fastener along both longitudinal
edges) may also be provided, particularly if it is desired to
construct walls or structures that include more than one corner. As
will be set out in greater detail below, the preferred embodiment
of inner corner element 48 (best seen in FIG. 11) includes a pair
of perpendicularly oriented inward facing channel-shaped female
receptacles 47 that permit the perpendicular engagement of two wall
panels 30 via their T-fasteners 34. The resulting requirement for a
section of wall panels 30 that is bound by two inside corners to
terminate with male T-fasteners 34 mandates the use of a
directionality reversing wall panel 30C when more than one corner
is sought to be negotiated.
[0074] FIGS. 5 through 8 illustrate several variants of support
panel 36 in accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention,
and assorted possible inter-relationships between the variants and
other formwork components are illustrated in FIGS. 18 through 22.
As already discussed, support panels 36 are preferably constructed
in widths that are whole number multiples of the selected unit
measure of width, and may or may not include interior panel
connectors 44 that are preferably offset from the longitudinal edge
of a support panel 36 by a whole number multiple of the unit
measure of width.
[0075] FIG. 10 is a detailed illustration of a tensioning panel 40
that shows the generally 45.degree. and 135.degree. relationship
between inner surface 41 of tensioning panel 40 and its terminal
T-fastener 46 at either end. Since tensioning panel 40 preferably
extends between a wall panel 30 and a support panel 36 at a
45.degree. angle, the angled relationship between the portions of
tensioning panel 40 allow T-fastener 46 to engage cooperatively
with both the interior panel connectors 44 of a support panel 36
and the panel connectors 38 of a wall panel 30.
[0076] As previously noted, the preferred embodiment of inner
corner element 48 is best illustrated in FIG. 11. Inner corner
element 48 comprises a dual pair of perpendicularly oriented inward
facing female receptacles 47 that correspond generally to the
terminal female panel receptacles 32 of wall panels 30, and outward
facing female receptacles 49 that correspond generally to panel
connectors 38. As seen in FIGS. 18 through 22, inner corner element
48 may thus releasably interconnect two perpendicularly presented
wall panels 30 via their T-fasteners 34 without corrupting the
proportionality of the framework assembly. The perpendicularly
oriented outward facing pair of receptacles 49 of inner corner
element 48 provide suitable connection points for support panels 36
or tensioning panels 40, as shown in the drawings.
[0077] FIG. 12 provides a detailed illustration of four-way
connector 50 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
invention, and FIGS. 20 through 22 illustrate several possible
inter-relationships of four-way connector 50 with other formwork
components. As explained in the summary section above, four-way
connector 50 allows support panels 36 (and/or tensioning panels 40)
to be inter-connected within a formwork assembly in accordance with
the invention so as to enhance the scalability of the formwork or
to fortify its structural rigidity. The preferred embodiment of
four-way connector 50 includes four receptacles 52 (that correspond
in configuration generally to panel connectors 38) disposed about a
box-shaped central portion 54. Like inner corner element 48,
four-way connector 50 is suitably dimensioned (relative to the size
of the engagement means selected) to permit the engagement of
support panels 36 and/or tensioning panels 40 without corrupting
the proportionality and dimensional integrity of the framework
assembly.
[0078] FIG. 13 illustrates a preferred embodiment of outer corner
panel 56 that may be used to inter-connect the terminal outer wall
panels 30 of two generally perpendicular wall sections in a
formwork assembly. In the preferred embodiment, the outer corner
panel 56 extends one unit measure of width perpendicularly from
vertex 58 and terminates along one arm in a terminal female panel
receptacle 57 (that corresponds generally to the terminal female
panel receptacle 32 of a wall panel 30) associated in back-to-back
relationship with panel connector 59 (that corresponds generally to
the panel connector 38 of a wall panel 30), and along the other arm
in a wall panel engagement 61 (that corresponds generally to the
terminal male panel fastener 34). Other configurations, such as an
outer corner panel having both arms terminating in either a
T-fastener 61 or in the combination of receptacle 57 and connector
59 are also contemplated within the scope of the invention, but are
not required to be included in a formwork system that comprises the
components thus far described.
[0079] FIGS. 14 trough 17 illustrate, by way of example only,
various possible ornamental configurations of wall panels 30. Other
ornamental configurations are, of course, possible, so long as any
ornamentally configured wall panels 30 include suitable wall
interconnection means 32 and 34 and support panel interconnection
means 38 in the manner described above in relation to wall panels
30 in general. Wall panel 30F of FIG. 14 is a four-unit-width wall
panel that includes three puckers 60 that are set across its outer
surface 31B at the selected unit measure of width in order to
provide a generally consistent outer surface appearance in order to
make the joints between adjacent wall panels 30 less noticeable.
Wall panels 30G of FIG. 15, 30H of FIG. 15, 301 of FIG. 16, and 30H
of FIG. 17 are all three-unit-width wall panels that include a
central ornamental feature. Wall panel 30G includes columnar
feature 62 and adjacent puckers 60, wall panel 30H includes
rectangular feature 64, and wall panel 301 includes rounded feature
66.
[0080] As noted previously, FIGS. 18 through 22 provide
representative illustrations of partial assemblies of formwork in
accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention that
demonstrate various possible inter-relationships of the formwork
components to create walls and structures of various dimensions. As
will be apparent from the discussion above, various alterations
(such as changes in materials, lengths, widths, or surface
appearances) may be made to the formwork components without
departing from the scope of the invention. Note in particular that
the configuration of the mating male and female fastening elements
can be varied to suit design or manufacturing preferences; the key
point is that the male and female elements must interlock (or at
least, must do so if the adjoining elements are in tension; if they
are in compression, an interfitting connection could be designed
that would suffice), and preferably they should slide relative to
one another easily to facilitate installation, while avoiding undue
play that would unduly interfere with dimensional specifications.
Further, the component elements can be reverse-designed so that
certain elements described above as having a male fastener in a
certain position are instead provided with a female receptacle at
that position, provided that the fastener with which such fastener
is intended to interconnect is also reverse-designed to be male
instead of female.
[0081] The use of discrete engagement means such as clips for
securing adjacent wall panels 30 together (wherein the clips do not
span between inner and outer wall panel segments so as to create a
cellular structure of the sort that is common to prior-known
modular formwork systems) are also contemplated within the scope of
the present invention. One such embodiment is illustrated in FIGS.
23 to 29. Referring to FIG. 23, there is illustrated a partial
assembly 70 of formwork in accordance with a clip-joining
embodiment of the invention. Elongate and substantially flat wall
panels 72 and 74 have a terminal male panel fastener 73 at both
vertical side edges dimensioned to interconnect with double female
fasteners 75 presented on clip 76, and a series of adjacent wall
panels 72 or 74 may be releasably interconnected to one another in
edge-to-edge relationship via clips 76 to create wall segments.
Although either male or female connectors may be presented on wall
panels 72 and 74, male fasteners of the sort illustrated (coupled
to female fasteners 75 on clips 76) have been found to provide
suitable structural rigidity. The clips 76 and wall panels 72 also
include suitable support panel connectors 77 for engagement of
support panels 78 at suitable intervals (as discussed above).
Tensioning elements 80 having terminal connectors 81 dimensioned
for releasable interconnection with wall panels 72,74 and support
panels 76 are also illustrated, as are inner corner elements 82 and
outer corner dual wall panels 84. As in the embodiments described
above, the wall panels 72, 74 include panel connectors 77 spaced
apart at one unit measure of width across their inward-facing
surface, and clip 76 also presents a panel connector 77, thereby to
permit the engagement of support panels 78 at regular intervals in
accordance with previously-described aspects of the invention.
[0082] As yet a further alternative, it will be appreciated by
those of skill in the art that hermaphroditic fasteners that
provide mating interlocking engagement could be used in
substitution for the mating male and female fastening elements
shown in the illustrated embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the
invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance
defined by the following claims, and not limited to the specific
embodiments described in this specification.
* * * * *