U.S. patent application number 11/540448 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-03 for overhead beam assembly.
Invention is credited to Paul Jennings, Randy Pauley, Thomas Waldschmitt.
Application Number | 20070096006 11/540448 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37995020 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070096006 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pauley; Randy ; et
al. |
May 3, 2007 |
Overhead beam assembly
Abstract
An overhead beam assembly of a concrete forming system. A
wall-mounted self-climbing hoist is releasably secured to a wall
section. An overhead beam assembly of a plurality of beam sections
is supported on the hoist by columns. The overhead beam assembly
includes a plurality of hubs that interconnect the beam sections to
present a planar top surface and an assembly that is only as thick
as a singly beam section. The novel overhead beam assembly has a
substantially flat top surface and a single beam thickness.
Inventors: |
Pauley; Randy; (West Des
Moines, IA) ; Waldschmitt; Thomas; (Ankeny, IA)
; Jennings; Paul; (Winthrop, WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DAVIS, BROWN, KOEHN, SHORS & ROBERTS, P.C.;THE FINANCIAL CENTER
666 WALNUT STREET
SUITE 2500
DES MOINES
IA
50309-3993
US
|
Family ID: |
37995020 |
Appl. No.: |
11/540448 |
Filed: |
September 29, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60722585 |
Sep 30, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
249/20 ; 264/33;
425/63 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04G 11/28 20130101;
E04G 11/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
249/020 ;
425/063; 264/033 |
International
Class: |
E04G 11/20 20060101
E04G011/20 |
Claims
1. An overhead beam assembly of a concrete forming system,
comprising: (a) a wall mounting releasably secured to a wall
section; (b) a plurality of beam sections; (c) a hub that is
releasably attached to one or more of the beam sections to form an
assembly having a substantially flat top surface and a single beam
thickness; and (d) columns for supporting on the assembly on the
wall mounting.
2. The overhead beam assembly as defined in claim 1, further
comprising forms for forming a wall section suspended from the
assembly for movement between a working, set position and a
stripped position.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 60/722,585, filed Sep. 30, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to apparatus for forming concrete
walls and other structures and, more specifically, an overhead beam
assembly used in the construction of concrete wall structures for
multi-story buildings.
[0004] 2. Background of the Prior Art
[0005] In the construction of a multi-story building, such as an
office building, apartment building and the like, these buildings
may have thirty or more floors. Where concrete is used in the
construction of the outside or inside walls, it is necessary to
provide cranes in the setting up and then stripping of the forms
from a set wall panel for reuse in continuing the completion of the
wall. Unless a crane is available as required in the setting up and
stripping of the forms the wall not only becomes costly, but
additional cost increases are incurred by lost time on other
operations that must be performed on a meshing or synchronized time
schedule with the wall forming operation. It is apparent also that
appreciable down time of the crane may take place, when it could be
more efficiently utilized on other jobs at the building site. Where
open crane time for timely handling of the form units is not
available, construction usually proceeds behind schedule with
resultant monetary losses. In some instances, the size of the
building being constructed relative to the building site may
preclude the use of a crane thru various construction phases.
[0006] A system for constructing concrete walls about two stories
high is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,516,318; and for multi-story
buildings, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,043,087; and 2,118,374. Self-lifting
form systems now in use are generally cumbersome and, although
inconvenient to manipulate during both a wall climbing operation
and a form handling operation, have been found to be generally
satisfactory. U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,223 discloses a climbing form
hoist that includes a telescopic mast comprised of a pair of
vertical lower mast sections for telescopically receiving
associated upper mast sections that are extended and retracted by a
common reversible electric motor. The upper mast sections carry an
outer form unit. With the mast retracted and attached at its lower
end to a completed lower wall section, the inner and outer form
units are braced or tied together in any well-known manner after
which a new lift or wall section is poured. When the new pour has
set, the outer form unit, after being stripped from the wall
structure, is elevated by the extension of the upper mast sections
to a new pour position wherein its lower end is attachable to the
previously poured wall section. The lower mast sections are then
released from the wall, the upper mast section is retracted and the
lower mast section again connected to the wall. The inner form unit
is then repositioned for another lift to be poured.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,576 discloses a climbing scaffolding
which utilizes a guiding rail only as a vertical guide, but not to
support the load resulting from the weight of the scaffolding in
the vertical direction. The '576 patent requires its operators to
manually fix the scaffolding in its lifted position by inserting
pins into cutouts or by placing wedges underneath to support the
load. U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,287 discloses a displaceable platform
which is movable sectionwise on a wall, comprising support shoes,
carrying rails, and a bracketing arrangement to support the
platform.
[0008] It has now become known to use the self-climbing hoists to
attach not only forms on the side of the wall to which the hoist is
attached, but also forms for forming the opposite side of the wall.
One such system is sold by PERI GmbH. The PERI system uses an
overhead beam assembly of beams running parallel and perpendicular
to the wall being formed and which is supported on the
self-climbing hoist and extends above the wall section being formed
to the opposite side. Forms for both surfaces of the wall section
being formed are supported on the overhead beam assembly. Where the
beams cross each other in the PERI system, one set is positioned
above the other with the result that the overhead beam assembly is
in two planes, separated from each other by the thickness of the
beams. Since workers using the concrete forms and form systems must
move above the overhead beam assembly during use of the form
systems, the PERI system requires that they step over the upper set
of beams and further that the top of the overhead beam assembly is
a significant height above the balance of the forming systems. The
present invention addresses these problems by providing an overhead
beam assembly that is in a single plane with a flat top surface
that is significantly closer to the balance of the forming
systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention consists of an overhead beam assembly
for a concrete forming system that does not require its components
to cross over one another and so is oriented in a single plane and
has a flat top surface. The overhead beam assembly includes a
plurality of beam members that are interconnected by one or more
hubs. The hubs have at least two mounting surfaces to which end
surfaces of the beams are releasably secured in a moment connection
by nut and bolt assemblies or the like. In a preferred embodiment,
the hubs have four vertical mounting surfaces oriented in two
opposing pairs at right angles to each other. By using a plurality
of beams and hubs, an overhead beam assembly of any desired
configuration can be formed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a an upper perspective view of a concrete
structure being formed by concrete forming systems, including a
plurality of self-climbing hoists and an overhead beam assembly of
the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view of a hub of the present
invention.
[0012] FIGS. 3a-3c are an upper perspective of an overhead beam
assembly, an enlarged detail view of a clamp assembly for holding a
separate beam member on the overhead beam assembly, and an enlarged
detail view of a hub attached to four beam members,
respectively.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a concrete form
assembly showing an overhead beam assembly of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated
generally at 10 a concrete forming assembly including a plurality
of self-climbing hoists or lifters 12, a mast 14 on which the
hoists 12 are supported, and an overhead beam assembly 16 that is
supported on and above platforms 18 of the hoists 12 on columns 20.
The overhead beam assembly 16 is comprised of a plurality of beam
sections 22 that are interconnected by a plurality of hubs 24. Note
that the overhead beam assembly 16 has no beam sections or other
structure that cross over each other, but instead is constructed
entirely in a single plane and has a substantially flat top
surface. Portions of the concrete structure have been formed,
including floor sections 26 and wall sections 28.
[0015] A hub 24 of the present invention includes a top plate 30
and an opposite, spaced-apart, parallel bottom plate 32. The plates
30 and 32 are each octagonal in the preferred embodiment. Four beam
mounting plates 34-40 are arranged every 90.degree. about the hub
24 and are secured to the plates 30 and 32. The top and bottom
plates 30 and 32 and the mounting plates 34-40 are each perforated
with a plurality of openings 42 through which nut and bolt
assemblies can be used as described below. In the preferred
embodiment, the hub 24 also includes bracing plates 44 and 46 which
interconnect the plates 30-32 to strengthen the hub 24.
[0016] In FIG. 3a, a plurality of beam sections 22 and hubs 24 have
been assembled to form an overhead beam assembly 16. The detailed
view of FIG. 3c shows how the end plates 48 of the beam sections 22
and attached to the mounting plates 34-40 of the hub 24. At times,
it may be desirable to have a separate beam section 50 cross over
part of the overhead beam assembly 16, as illustrated in FIG. 3b. A
clamp assembly 52 is used to secure the beam section 50 to the
overhead beam assembly 16.
[0017] In FIG. 4, forms 54 for forming the surface of the concrete
wall section 28 adjacent a hoist 12 may preferably be supported on
the overhead beam assembly 16 for lateral movement toward and away
from the wall section 28 by a trolley 56 (FIG. 4). Preferably, the
beam sections 22 that form the overhead beam assembly 16 have a
wide bottom flange on which the trolley 56 is supported for rolling
movement longitudinally of the beam section 22. In this way,
workers can easily move the form 54 into position for forming the
concrete wall section and, after the wall section has set, easily
strip the form and retract it away from the formed wall section.
FIG. 4 illustrates the flat upper surface of the overhead beam
assembly 16, showing a worker walking across its top surface
unimpeded by any obstructing beams positioned above one another.
Note also that the distance from the top surface of the overhead
beam assembly 16 to the other structures of the concrete forming
system 10 are reduced when the overhead beam assembly is in a
single plane.
[0018] In the preferred embodiment, the hub 24 is made with a major
axis that is longer than a minor axis to increase the flexibility
of the hub 24 in modular forming systems. Specifically, the major
axis is 24 inches and the minor axis is 18 inches.
[0019] The foregoing description and drawings comprise illustrative
embodiments of the present inventions. The foregoing embodiments
described herein may vary based on the ability, experience, and
preference of those skilled in the art. The foregoing description
and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention, and the
invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the claims are
so limited. Those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before
them will be able to make modifications and variations therein
without departing from the scope of the invention.
* * * * *