U.S. patent application number 11/734652 was filed with the patent office on 2007-12-13 for screed panels using fiber reinforced concrete.
This patent application is currently assigned to MET-ROCK, LLC. Invention is credited to William J. JR. Farrell.
Application Number | 20070283647 11/734652 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32312478 |
Filed Date | 2007-12-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070283647 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Farrell; William J. JR. |
December 13, 2007 |
Screed Panels Using Fiber Reinforced concrete
Abstract
A construction panel for use with fiber reinforced concrete
finish is disclosed. The panel includes a core member comprising a
composite of wire trusses and foam blocks secured in a compressed
shape. The core member also incorporates wire mesh strips having
screed ridges for receiving and smoothing fiber reinforced concrete
applied to the composite.
Inventors: |
Farrell; William J. JR.;
(Anniston, AL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CAHN & SAMUELS LLP
2000 P STREET NW
SUITE 200
WASHINGTON
DC
20036
US
|
Assignee: |
MET-ROCK, LLC
2505 Alexandria Road
Anniston
AL
36202
|
Family ID: |
32312478 |
Appl. No.: |
11/734652 |
Filed: |
April 12, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10363583 |
May 3, 2003 |
7034932 |
|
|
11734652 |
Apr 12, 2007 |
|
|
|
60422089 |
Oct 30, 2002 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/309.12 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B 2/847 20130101;
E04B 2/845 20130101; E04C 2/044 20130101; E04C 2/288 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/309.12 |
International
Class: |
E04C 1/41 20060101
E04C001/41 |
Claims
1. A construction panel comprising: a core member comprising a
sandwich of trusses and foam blocks, at least two wire mesh strips
secured to an outside face of said core member leading, said wire
mesh strips being secured to said outside face by attachment to
leading wires of trusses adjacent left and right edges of said mesh
strips, and wherein said wire mesh strips include an outwardly
extending ridge that serves as a screed for finishing materials
applied to said core.
2. The construction panel of claim 1, wherein said panel has fiber
reinforced concrete applied to at least its outer face to a depth
equivalent to a height of said screed ridge.
3. The construction panel of claim 1, further comprising a
plurality of braces securing two trusses of said core member
together to hold foam disposed between said trusses in a compressed
condition.
4. The construction panel of claim 3, wherein said braces comprise
length of wire including a leg portion on each end, wherein said
leg portions are welded to said trusses in areas where a zig-zag
wire of said tresses intersects a bottom or top stay wire of said
trusses.
5. The construction panel of claim 4, wherein a brace is located
every 16 inches.
6. The construction panel of claim 5, wherein said braces comprise
3/16 inch metal wire.
7. The construction panel of claim 1, wherein said wire mesh strips
comprise 1'' by 1'' 9-guage welded wire mesh.
8. The construction panel of claim 7, wherein said wire mesh strips
include an 11-guage screed wire at the apex of said screed
ridges.
9. The construction panel of claim 8, wherein said trusses comprise
9-guage trusses having top and bottom stay wires secured to a
zig-zag central wire at points where said zig-zag wire intersects
with said top and bottom stay wires.
10. The construction panel of claim 9, wherein said core comprises
nine trusses and eight polystyrene blocks.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending
U.S. Ser. No. 10/696,583, filed Oct. 30, 2003, which is a
non-provisional of U.S. Ser. No. 60/422,089 filed on Oct. 30,
2002.
I. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to construction materials. More
particularly, this invention relates to wire mesh panel screeds,
screed panel systems and novel methods of constructing panels using
fiber reinforced concrete for use in construction.
II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Screed systems are known in the art. For example, in a
traditional method of plastering a wall product, ceiling, or floor,
without the placing of tiles on the wall product thereafter, wooden
float strips are used to guide a straight edge across an area
forming the wall product being plastered, while raking off excess
mud, etc. left in the application of the mud. The float strips, or
"screeds" are tapped into the prepared or wet mud, such as mortar,
cement, or other suitable materials, with a separate level held
against one or more of them to obtain a horizontal, vertical, or
other orientation or plum. The float strips, straight edge, and the
board carrying the mud itself, are usually wet before use so that
they will not draw moisture out of the prepared mud. It is plumbed
as much as possible, for the purpose of keeping the finished wall
product or ceiling surfaces as straight as possible, however, a
true planar wall surface is not generated with the traditional
tools, and much is left up to the individual craftsman or
novice.
[0004] As will be appreciated, the difficulties with prior art
screed systems are particularly acute with respect to preparing
walls, such as foundation walls for buildings. In many prior art
techniques, a craftsman looking to plaster a wall would have to
prepare initial mud columns by hand on the wall. These columns
would be erected for accepting a screed which would be used to
allow the wall to be filled and cut to a uniform depth. However,
mud columns crafted by hand were never truly uniform and difficult
and time consuming to construct. Other artisans have tried to
overcome these difficulties by fabricating pre-formed screeds for
attachment to building materials, thereby by-passing the need for
hand made screed columns. However, these prior art methods still
suffered from the drawbacks that they were labor intensive and had
to be preformed on site. For example, the screeds could not be put
into place until the building materials were in place and ready for
finishing.
[0005] The foregoing underscores some of the problems associated
with conventional building and finishing techniques and devices.
Furthermore, the foregoing highlights the long-felt, yet unresolved
need in the art for a screed system which allows for building
materials, such as walls or wall panels or roof or floor panels, to
be prefabricated and prepared for immediate finishing.
[0006] In Applicant's co-pending application, U.S. Ser. No.
10/696,583, filed Oct. 30, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety, there is disclosed novel construction
panels comprising wire mesh members having built-in screeds that
sandwich a middle member of building materials. The built-in
screeds serve as visual and mechanical screeds for cutting and
finishing materials deposited onto the outside faces of the panels.
As disclosed in Applicant's co-pending application, the wire mesh
members are designed to receive concrete, shotcrete, or the like in
an amount sufficient to provide structural rigidity and strength to
the panel member. To achieve this end, the panels include a screed
ridge that extends about 1/2 inch or so from the rest of the mesh
which is also spaced about 1/2 inch from the middle member. Thus,
as will be appreciated, when cut using the screed, one inch of
material covers the middle member with a metal skeletal matrix
imbedded therein such that the material will harden when dry to
form a strong wall that can support the weights normally
encountered in construction applications.
[0007] Recently, fiber reinforced concrete materials have been
developed which purport to do away with the need of rebar or other
metal skeletal materials to aid the strength of the concrete. One
such example of a fiber reinforced concrete is Helix.TM.
manufactured by Polytorx LLC of Ann Arbor, Mich. Helix.TM. is
described as being toothpick sized, coated metallic wire which has
been twisted so it locks like a screw and when mixed into concrete
forms a matrix of strength, durability and crack resistance that
nothing else can provide. Applicant has determined that reinforced
concrete materials may be suitable for use with the novel built-in
screed panels described in its co-pending application and may be
used with less or no wire mesh material.
III. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention makes use of fiber reinforced concrete
or the like which do not require rebar or metal skeletal materials
for strength in built-in screed panels. One object of the invention
is to provide a building panel ready for attachment and finishing.
According to this object of the invention, one aspect of the
invention is to provide a construction panel comprising a core
member comprised of polystyrene blocks and trusses clipped together
and having a screed integral therewith.
[0009] An advantage of the invention lies in that the panels
require little of no wire mesh sandwiching the core member. Another
advantage of the invention lies in that a screed member or members
may be attached to one or both sides of the core member to serve as
a visual and mechanical built-in screed. According to another
aspect of the invention, the core member may include a plurality of
mesh strips having screed ridges attached thereto for providing a
suitable screed means for cutting and finishing reinforced concrete
applied to the core member.
[0010] According to another object of the invention, the middle
member comprises a sandwich of wire trusses and polystyrene blocks
held in compression using clips. In accordance with this object of
the invention, the wire trusses and polystyrene materials are
compressed by compression means, such as a jig, and secured in the
compressed state by clips welded to adjacent trusses in a number
and manner sufficient to hold the core member as a compressed
panel.
[0011] Another object of the invention is to provide methods of
making the aforementioned construction panels and methods for
finishing the aforementioned panels.
[0012] Another object of the invention is to provide novel methods
of installing the aforementioned construction panels and joining
the panels to other panels or other construction components.
[0013] The invention as described and claimed herein should become
evident to a person of ordinary skill in the art given the
following enabling description and drawings. The aspects and
features of the invention believed to be novel and other elements
characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in
the appended claims. The drawings are for illustration purposes
only and are not drawn to scale unless otherwise indicated. The
drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The
following enabling disclosure is directed to one of ordinary skill
in the art and presupposes that those aspects of the invention
within the ability of the ordinarily skilled artisan are understood
and appreciated.
IV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The present invention is described with reference to the
accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers
indicate identical or functionally similar elements.
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a fiber
reinforced concrete panel member according to one embodiment of the
invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the
top of the panel of FIG. 1 indicated by the circle A where a pair
of wire mesh strips are attached.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the
front of the middle of the panel of FIG. 1 indicated by the circle
B where a metal clip is included to hold a pair of trusses in
compression.
[0018] While the invention will be described and disclosed in
connection with certain preferred embodiments and procedures, it is
not intended to limit the invention to those specific embodiments
and procedures. Rather it is intended to cover all such alternative
embodiments and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope
of the invention.
V. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Generally, the present invention relates to novel screed
devices and methods, and in particular the use of built-in or
integral screeds with fiber reinforced concrete applications. While
the present invention is described in connection with a
construction panel having wire mesh strips with screed ridges, it
will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art
that the teachings of the present invention can be applied to a
variety of construction needs in a variety of fields. In addition,
while the present invention will be described in connection with
prefabricated panels constructed according to the teaching herein,
one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the novel
tools and methods described herein can be applied to a variety of
construction needs in a variety of fields. For example, the panels
of the present invention could be used in form and pour
applications, such as setting up steel forms for a basement wall
then dropping the panels inside the steel form.
[0020] A preferred embodiment of the invention is a construction
panel for building a load bearing wall of a building. In its
simplest form, as depicted in FIG. 1, construction panel 10
according to the invention comprises a rectangular core member 100.
The core member 100 may comprise any suitable material for the
intended use of the panel 10. For example, in some embodiments the
core member 100 comprises of a plurality of metal trusses 101
separated by intervening polystyrene blocks 111. In a presently
preferred embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, core member 100 comprises
a composite of nine wire trusses 101 and eight elongated blocks of
polystyrene 111. The trusses 101 are common wire trusses which
include top and bottom stay wires 102, 103 held parallel to one
another by a zig-zag central wire 104 welded to one of the
respective stay wires at each crest and valley intersection point
105.
[0021] The core member composite is compressed prior to being
secured in its panel form. Although any suitable means for
compressing the composite may be utilized, it is presently
preferred to utilize the novel methods and tools for compressing
the composite described in Applicant's co-pending application U.S.
Ser. No. 10/696,583, filed Oct. 30, 2003.
[0022] In contrast to Applicant's co-pending application wherein
the core composite is sandwiched and secured between two sheets of
wire mesh via hog rings on the trusses, the panel 10 of the present
invention utilizes a plurality of clips or braces 120 to secure the
core member 100 in its compressed panel form. While it is well
within the skill of the ordinary artisan to devise suitable clips
or braces for holding the composite, a presently preferred
embodiment utilizes wire braces 120 that are secured between two
trusses 101. In particular, according to a presently preferred
embodiment, 6 inch long braces of 3/16 inch diameter wire having a
3/4 inch leg on each end is used. As best shown in FIG. 3, this
configuration allows for the leg 121 on each end to be used such
that the brace 120 can be secured between two trusses 101, attached
every 16 inches, in a location where the zig-zag wire 104 of a
truss 101 is welded to the top and bottom stay wires 102, 103 of
the truss 101.
[0023] While it is possible to use the leading edge of the truss as
a screed for cutting fiber reinforced concrete or other material
deposited on the core 100, a presently preferred embodiment
contemplates use of wire mesh strips 150. Wire mesh strips 150 are
preferably used because the leading edges of the trusses may not be
straight enough to allow proper cutting and smoothing of the
concrete or other finishing material. As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3,
wire mesh strips 150 of about 6 inches in length are used.
Preferably, a strip of mesh 120 is used every 36 inches off-enter
to provide the advantageous features of the built-in screeds as
described in co-pending application U.S. Ser. No. 10/696,583. To
this end, the wire mesh strips 150 also include a screed ridge 151
defined therein. The screed ridge 151 is preferably defined in the
mesh strip 120 as a V-shaped impression with an outwardly extending
apex akin to that described in Applicant's co-pending application.
As best shown in FIG. 2, the wire mesh strips 150 are preferably
disposed on both sides of the core member 100 to allow for receipt
and cutting of fiber reinforced concrete or the like. The wire mesh
strips 150 are also preferably secured to the core 100 by welding
each outer edge wire to the adjacent stay wire of the trusses on
the left and right edges of the strip. However, any suitable means
for securing the wire mesh strips 150 to the core 100 should be
deemed within the scope of the invention.
[0024] According to this embodiment of the invention, the wire mesh
strips 150 may be of any suitable wire mesh or like material.
Typically, wire mesh is manufactured as a grid of vertical and
horizontal welded wire strands, such as a 4 foot by 8 foot piece of
1''.times.1'' wire mesh. According to a presently preferred
embodiment, the wire mesh strips comprise a 1''.times.1'' 9-guage
welded wire mesh configured into 6 inch strips having a central
screed ridge formed therein and including an 11-guage screed wire
at the apex of the screed ridge. This configuration is particularly
preferred when 9-guage wire trusses are used. However, it should be
understood that other configurations are possible, for example, in
an alternate embodiment the wire mesh strip comprises a 14-gauge
galvanized 1''.times.1'' wire mesh with a welded 9-gauge wire as
the lead wire at the apex of each screed ridge.
[0025] As alluded to above, the panels using wire mesh strips
having screed ridges or panels using the leading edge of the
trusses as screeds may be used in conjunction with a fiber
reinforced concrete or like material that does not require rebar or
other metal skeletal substructure to ensure adequate strength to
support the weights and environments the panel is expected to
encounter. A presently preferred material for use with the present
invention is HeliX.TM. manufactured by Polytorx LLC of Ann Arbor,
Mich.
[0026] Neither the distance between the screed ridges nor the
number of screed ridges is critical to the invention and all such
variations should be deemed to be within the scope of the
invention. However, it is preferred in this embodiment to provide
two screed ridges at no more than 40 inches apart, such as when a 6
inch strip of mesh is incorporated into an 8 foot panel ever 36
inches off center.
[0027] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the
materials of construction for each of the component parts may be
varied to take advantage of certain properties or to fit an
intended use.
[0028] Additionally, as will be appreciated, the exact
configuration and height of the screed ridges is not critical and
can be varied according the skill of one in the art to suit the
intended purpose of the panel and the depth of finishing materials
to be applied. Presently preferred heights for the ridges are about
that of the depth of the finishing material that is to be applied
to the wire mesh or panel.
[0029] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various
adaptations and modifications of the above-described preferred
embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and
spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that,
within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be
practiced other than as specifically described herein.
* * * * *