U.S. patent application number 11/810646 was filed with the patent office on 2007-12-13 for stay-in-place concrete footing forms.
Invention is credited to Bryan Benedict.
Application Number | 20070284506 11/810646 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38820942 |
Filed Date | 2007-12-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070284506 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Benedict; Bryan |
December 13, 2007 |
Stay-in-place concrete footing forms
Abstract
A stay-in-place concrete footings form is used for forming a
concrete footing between a spaced-apart pair of the stay-in-place
concrete footings forms. Each concrete footing form is elongate and
has a cavity inside the form. Each form has a pair of elongate
sides wherein openings are formed in the elongate sides to permit
water to flow into the cavity. Each form has a dovetail pin or
dovetail slot formed along the lengthwise extent of both sides of
the form. The dovetails permit clamps, having a mating dovetail
slot or dovetail pin, to be clamped to the form for anchoring the
form to the ground with a stake carried by the clamps.
Inventors: |
Benedict; Bryan; (Galion,
OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MUELLER AND SMITH, LPA;MUELLER-SMITH BUILDING
7700 RIVERS EDGE DRIVE
COLUMBUS
OH
43235
US
|
Family ID: |
38820942 |
Appl. No.: |
11/810646 |
Filed: |
June 6, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60812889 |
Jun 12, 2006 |
|
|
|
60879384 |
Jan 9, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
249/190 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04G 17/06 20130101;
E02D 27/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
249/190 |
International
Class: |
E04G 9/00 20060101
E04G009/00 |
Claims
1. A stay-in-place concrete footings form, wherein a concrete
footing can be formed between a spaced-apart pair of said
stay-in-place concrete footings forms, which comprises: an
elongate, hollow concrete footings form having a cavity inside said
form, having a pair of elongate sides wherein openings are formed
in said elongate sides to permit water to flow into the cavity;
said form having a dovetail pin or dovetail slot formed along the
lengthwise extent of both sides of said form, said dovetails
permitting clamps having a mating dovetail slot or dovetail pin for
clamping to said form for anchoring said form to the ground with a
stake carried by said clamps.
2. The concrete footings form of claim 1, which has dovetail slots
form along its lengthwise extent and said claims have mating
dovetail pins.
3. The concrete footings form of claim 1, which has dovetail pins
form along its lengthwise extent and said claims have mating
dovetail slots.
4. The concrete footings form of claim 1, wherein one side has a
dovetail slot and the other side has a dovetail pin.
5. The concrete footings form of claim 1, which is formed from
plastic.
6. The concrete footings form of claim 1, wherein the top and
bottom also have a dovetail pin or dovetail slot formed along its
lengthwise extent.
7. The concrete footings form of claim 6, wherein a pair of said
forms are stacked atop each other and a mating spline connects said
forms together.
8. The concrete footings form of claim 6, wherein a fabric sheet is
secured to the top dovetail pin or dovetail slot with a mating
spline.
9. A pair of the concrete footings forms of claim 6 spaced apart
with said secured fabric sheet therebetween.
10. The concrete footings form of claim 1, having a rebar clip
secured to said dovetail tip or dovetail slot.
11. The concrete footings form of claim 10, wherein said rebar clip
is formed from one or more of plastic or metal.
12. A concrete footer having the stay-in-place concrete footings
form of claim 1 affixed thereto.
13. A concrete footer having the stay-in-place concrete footings
form of claim 5 affixed thereto.
14. A concrete footer having the stay-in-place concrete footings
form of claim 6 affixed thereto.
15. A concrete footer having the stay-in-place concrete footings
form of claim 8 affixed thereto.
16. A concrete footer having the stay-in-place concrete footings
form of claim 10 affixed thereto.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of provisional application
Ser. No. 60/812,889 filed on Jun. 12, 2006, entitled "Stay-in-place
concrete footing forms"; and provisional application Ser. No.
60/879,384 filed on Jan. 9, 2007, entitled "Stay-in-place concrete
footing forms".
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
[0002] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention generally relates to forms for pouring
concrete footers and more particularly to a form system that also
provides water drainage as a continuous drain tile.
[0004] Stay-in-place concrete footing forms are commercially
available and used in the home construction industry. One such form
system by Alton F. Parker is based on hollow forms that function to
also drain water (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,224,799, 5,210,162, for
example). Another such form system by Patrick S. Pawlicki uses a
dovetail in one side of the form for permit the forms to be staked
to the ground. An elaborate connection system is proposed to join
adjacent such forms (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,117).
[0005] Despite the availability of these concrete footer form
systems, there still is a need in the art for improvements thereto.
The present invention is one such improved concrete footer form
system.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A stay-in-place concrete footings form is used for forming a
concrete footing between a spaced-apart pair of the stay-in-place
concrete footings forms. Each concrete footing form is elongate and
has a cavity inside the form. Each form has a pair of elongate
sides wherein openings are formed in the elongate sides to permit
water to flow into the cavity. Each form has a dovetail pin or
dovetail slot formed along the lengthwise extent of both sides of
the form. The dovetails permit clamps, having a mating dovetail
slot or dovetail pin, to be clamped to the form for anchoring the
form to the ground with a stake carried by the clamps.
[0007] Advantages of the present invention include the ability to
weep water from the soil surrounding the forms by the hollow space
within each form. Another advantage is the ability to be staked
into the ground via clamps designed to mate with the dovetails
formed along the lengthwise extent of each form. These and other
advantages will be readily apparent based on the disclosure set
forth herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of
the present invention, reference should be had to the following
detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the stay-in-place concrete
footings form;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of
the stay-in-place concrete footings form;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the
stay-in-place concrete footings form;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
stay-in-place concrete footings form wherein a dovetail is formed
along the top and bottom thereof;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the stay-in-place concrete
footings form of FIG. 4 having slots formed along the side
thereof;
[0014] FIGS. 6-8 are partial perspective views of different splines
adapted to be lodged in the dovetails of the forms in FIGS. 4 and
5;
[0015] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of two adjacent stay-in-place
concrete footings form of FIG. 4 having fabric spread
therebetween;
[0016] FIGS. 10-12 are end view of the stay-in-place concrete
footings forms of FIG. 9 showing the placement of the splines of
FIGS. 6-8 for retention of the fabric;
[0017] FIG. 13 is an end view of two stay-in-place concrete
footings forms stacked atop each other;
[0018] FIG. 14 is a partial perspective view of a lock for securing
the two forms in FIG. 13 together using their dovetails;
[0019] FIG. 15 shows the placement of rebar between two adjacent
forms with a mask or clip capturing the rebar;
[0020] FIGS. 16-18 show additional rebar mask or clip designs;
and
[0021] FIG. 19 is a simplified end view of adjacent, spaced-apart
forms similar to those shown in FIG. 15, but with a metal spring
rebar clip.
[0022] The drawings will be described in further detail below.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Referring initially to FIG. 1, a section of a stay-in-place
concrete footings form, 10, is shown in perspective view. Form 10
is of thin-wall construction with a pair of hollow cavities, 12 and
14, separated by an elongate central wall, 16, which provides
additional structural integrity. Along the lengthwise extent of
both sides of form 10 are weep or draining slots, exemplified by a
slot, 18. Such slots permit water that accumulates and/or is
present adjacent to form 10 to drain into cavities 12 and 14 and
thence into a drain or other conveyance. Such slots aid in moving
water away from the foundation of the structure built atop the
footers formed with the disclosed forms.
[0024] It will be understood that the contractor will use a pair of
such disclosed forms spaced-apart a suitable distance for pouring
concrete between such spaced-apart forms for forming a conventional
concrete footer, typically reinforced with rebar or other
reinforcement. The disclosed forms are stay-in-place in that they
are not removed after the concrete footer cures.
[0025] In order to ensure that form 10 stays in place before,
curing, and after the concrete footer is poured, a pair of
dovetails slots, 20 and 22, is formed along the lengthwise extent
of both sidewalls of form 10. Such dovetails can be used in
connection a mating dovetail pin carried by a clamp, as disclosed
in U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,117, cited above, in order to attached a
stake driven into the ground and carried by the clamp. The precise
shape of the dovetail pins and slots is not important, as common
dovetails, lap dovetails, or other mating configuration can be used
for connection purposes, as disclosed herein.
[0026] The dovetail pin or slot along the concrete footer side of
the disclosed forms can be "locked" to the concrete footer, which
surrounds a dovetail pin or fills a dovetail slot. Such positive
locking may even dispense with the need for the clamps and stakes.
The disclosed concrete footings form design, however, permits the
use of conventional clamps and stakes along with the concrete lock
to ensure that the form stays in place during the concrete pour,
during the curing of the concrete, and after the concrete footer
cures.
[0027] Referring now to FIG. 2, a form, 30, is seen to carry a pair
of dovetail pins, 32 and 34, along its lengthwise extent. Again, on
such dovetail pin is locked to the concrete while opposite dovetail
pin 34 can be secured to a clamp designed with a mating dovetail
slot. Form 30 also uses holes to accommodate water to flow to its
interior. Slots, holes, or apertures of any configuration, then can
be formed into the novel form in accordance with the disclosure set
forth herein.
[0028] Referring now to FIG. 3, a form, 50, has a lengthwise
dovetail slot, 52, and an oppositely disposed lengthwise dovetail
pin, 54, for mating with the concrete on one side (either side) and
for attaching to a clamp on the other (either) side. Form 50 uses
both holes and slots.
[0029] Referring now to FIG. 4, dovetail slots, 56 and 58, have
been formed along the top surface, 60, and bottom surface, 62, of a
form, 64. Thus, the disclosed concrete footings form has the design
flexibility of using dovetail pins, dovetail slots, or a
combination of dovetail pins and dovetail slots in any combination
on the sidewalls, top wall, and bottom wall. FIG. 5 shows a series
of vertical slots, such as a slot, 66, formed in the sidewalls of
the form, such as described in connection with FIGS. 1-3. Again,
the pattern of apertures and their shape is unimportant and can be
left to the forms designer and/or manufacturer to implement. Of
importance is that the disclosed stay in place forms function to
move water away from the foundation after the structure is formed,
while functioning as a conventional form for pouring concrete
footers. Again, a unique multi-purpose form is disclosed.
[0030] FIGS. 6-8 depict three different designs of splines, 68, 70,
and 72, which splines are adapted to be placed in dovetails 56 and
58 of form 64 illustrated in FIG. 4. A variety of different spline
designs will be readily apparent to the skilled artisan.
[0031] FIG. 9 details the use of the disclosed splines. That is, a
pair of adjacent forms, 74 and 76, can be spaced an appropriate
distance apart and a fabric, 78, placed between and over the forms.
The space between forms 74 and 76 will be filled with concrete, and
optionally rebar, for forming a concrete footer. Fabric 78 is held
in place with splines, 80 and 82, which are placed, respectively,
in the dovetail slots formed along the top of form 74 and form
76.
[0032] FIGS. 10-12 sequentially detail the spline placement method
used to capture fabric 78 for a spline, 80, for form 74. The same
method can be used to capture fabric 78 in form 76. Fabric 78 can
be formed from plastic or other appropriate material, for example,
for containing water. Slots, clips, and/or other attachment means
also can be used for retaining the liner in place in addition to
the disclosed splines and dovetails. Fabric 78 is relatively thin
such that desirably is permits concrete to fill in interior
dovetail slots formed in forms 74 and 76 in FIG. 9.
[0033] For obtaining additional concrete footer height, the
disclosed concrete footer forms can be stacked atop each other, as
illustrated in FIG. 13 for forms, 84 and 86. In order to secure
forms 84 and 86 together, a lock, 88 (see FIG. 14), can be placed
in the cavity, 90, formed by the adjacent dovetail slots in forms
84 and 86. Lock or spline 88 can be provided in a variety of
configurations so long as the stacked forms are secured together
during the concrete footer pour.
[0034] FIG. 15 shows a pair of forms, 92 and 94, in place for
pouring a concrete footer. In order to secure the rebar, such as a
representative rebar, 96, a mask or clip, 98, is designed in such a
pattern as to retain the rebar in the desired location within the
footer to be poured. Mask or clip 98 can be retained in place by
its outer ears that snugly fit within the side dovetail slots in
forms 92 and 94. A plurality of such similarly or differently
designed masks or clips can be placed along the extent of forms 92
and 94 at appropriate intervals. Each mask or clip has a pattern of
notches in which the rebar snugly fits. FIGS. 16-18 show different
representative designs of for clips, 100, 102, and 104. It will be
appreciated many additional patterns can be envisioned and are
useful in accordance with the present disclosure.
[0035] FIG. 19 shows an end view of forms 92 and 94 from FIG. 15,
but with a metal spring clip, 106, supporting rebar, 96, and
additional rebar, if desired. Metal spring clip 106 can be made
slightly longer than the width between forms 92 and 94. The
placement of spring clip 106, then, would pre-load or tension it
for additional strength. The ends of spring clip 106 lock into the
dovetail slots of 92 and 94. The design of such ends can be as
illustrated or they can be rounded to fit into only the upper or
lower corner of the dovetail. The design of spring clip 106 also is
such that it can be installed upside down from the installation
depicted in FIG. 19 to vary the depth at which it would hold the
rebar. Merely turning FIG. 19 upside down reveals this unique
design feature of spring clip 106.
[0036] While the invention has been described with reference to
various embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that
various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for
elements thereof without departing from the scope and essence of
the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt
a particular situation or material to the teachings of the
invention without departing from the essential scope thereof.
Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the
particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention will
include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended
claims. In this application all units are in the metric system and
all amounts and percentages are by weight, unless otherwise
expressly indicated. Also, all citations referred herein are
expressly incorporated herein by reference.
* * * * *