U.S. patent application number 16/856240 was filed with the patent office on 2020-12-10 for foldable brace for tieless one-sided wall forming.
The applicant listed for this patent is Midwest Concrete & Masonry Supply, Inc.. Invention is credited to Pawel Korus, Charles Polesovsky.
Application Number | 20200386004 16/856240 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004837052 |
Filed Date | 2020-12-10 |
![](/patent/app/20200386004/US20200386004A1-20201210-D00000.png)
![](/patent/app/20200386004/US20200386004A1-20201210-D00001.png)
![](/patent/app/20200386004/US20200386004A1-20201210-D00002.png)
![](/patent/app/20200386004/US20200386004A1-20201210-D00003.png)
![](/patent/app/20200386004/US20200386004A1-20201210-D00004.png)
![](/patent/app/20200386004/US20200386004A1-20201210-D00005.png)
![](/patent/app/20200386004/US20200386004A1-20201210-D00006.png)
![](/patent/app/20200386004/US20200386004A1-20201210-D00007.png)
United States Patent
Application |
20200386004 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Korus; Pawel ; et
al. |
December 10, 2020 |
FOLDABLE BRACE FOR TIELESS ONE-SIDED WALL FORMING
Abstract
A foldable brace assembly for supporting concrete formwork
includes a ground brace member pivotably coupled with an end of a
wall brace member, such that the wall brace member can pivot to be
generally parallel or generally perpendicular relative to the
ground brace. With the wall brace member perpendicular to the
ground brace member in an erect position, a diagonal brace member
detachably couples between an upper portion of the wall brace
member and the other end of the ground brace member. The brace
assembly may be locked in the erect position, such as by inserting
a pin in aligned openings in the wall brace member and the ground
brace member. When the brace assembly is not in use, the pin may be
removed and the brace assembly can pivot to a folded position with
the wall brace member can pivot to be generally parallel to the
ground brace.
Inventors: |
Korus; Pawel; (Chicago,
IL) ; Polesovsky; Charles; (Bel Air, MD) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Midwest Concrete & Masonry Supply, Inc. |
Naperville |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004837052 |
Appl. No.: |
16/856240 |
Filed: |
April 23, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62857313 |
Jun 5, 2019 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04G 21/26 20130101;
E04G 17/14 20130101; E04G 2011/067 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E04G 17/14 20060101
E04G017/14; E04G 21/26 20060101 E04G021/26 |
Claims
1. A foldable brace assembly for supporting concrete formwork, the
foldable brace assembly comprising: a ground brace member; a wall
brace member pivotably coupled with a first end of the ground brace
member, wherein the wall brace member is configured to pivot
between a folded position and an erect position with the wall brace
member perpendicular relative to the ground brace member; and a
diagonal brace member detachably coupled between an upper portion
of the wall brace member and a second end of the ground brace
member when the wall brace member is in the erect position.
2. The foldable brace assembly of claim 1, wherein when in the
folded position, the wall brace member is in parallel to relative
to the ground brace member.
3. The foldable brace assembly of claim 1, wherein the wall brace
member is fixedly attached to a corner bracket, and wherein the
first end of the ground brace member is pivotally attached to the
corner bracket with a bolt.
4. The foldable brace assembly of claim 3, wherein the corner
bracket includes an upper opening and a lower opening, wherein a
pin is configured to removably engage the upper opening and the
ground brace member in the folded position, and wherein the pin is
configured to removably engage the lower opening and the ground
brace member in the erect position.
5. The foldable brace assembly of claim 3, wherein the corner
bracket includes an angled support surface that is configured to
support a tie bar that attaches to a tie down anchor embedded in a
concrete foundation for holding the ground brace member against a
ground surface.
6. The foldable brace assembly of claim 1, wherein the wall brace
member includes a pair of beams spaced apart to form a channel that
is configured to engage a formwork panel at a plurality of vertical
locations along the vertical channel.
7. The foldable brace assembly of claim 6, further comprising a
waler that includes a horizontal channel that is configured to
engage the formwork panel at a plurality of locations along the
horizontal channel, and wherein the wall brace member directly
attaches to the waler.
8. The foldable brace assembly of claim 6, wherein the ground brace
member includes a pair of beams spaced apart a distance equal to
the beams of the wall brace member.
9. The foldable brace assembly of claim 8, wherein a corner bracket
is fixedly attached between the pair beams at a lower end of the
wall brace member, and wherein the corner bracket is pivotally
attached between the pair beams at the first end of the ground
brace member.
10. A foldable brace assembly for supporting concrete formwork, the
foldable brace assembly comprising: a first brace assembly having a
first ground member and a first wall member pivotably coupled
together and pivotable between a folded position and an erect
position; a first diagonal brace member detachably coupled between
an upper portion of the first wall member and a rear end of the
second ground member when the brace assembly is pivoted to an erect
position with the first wall member perpendicular relative to the
first ground member; a second brace assembly having a second ground
member and a second wall member pivotably coupled together and
pivotable between a folded position and an erect position; a second
diagonal brace member detachably coupled between an upper portion
of the second wall member and a rear end of the second ground
member when the brace assembly is pivoted to an erect position with
the second wall member perpendicular relative to the second ground
member; and a set of cross braces that attach at and extend between
the first and second brace assemblies in the erect positions.
11. The foldable brace assembly of claim 10, wherein, with the
first and second diagonal brace members detached, the first and
second brace assemblies are pivotable to the folded position with
the first and second wall members in parallel alignment with the
first and second ground members.
12. The foldable brace assembly of claim 10, wherein the first and
second brace assembles each comprise a corner bracket that is
fixedly coupled to lower ends of the first and second wall members
and pivotally coupled to front ends of the first and second ground
members.
13. The foldable brace assembly of claim 12, wherein the corner
brackets each include an upper opening and a pin that is configured
to removably engage the upper opening and the respective first or
second ground member in the folded position, and wherein the corner
brackets each include a lower opening and a pin that is configured
to removably engage the lower opening and the respective first or
second ground member in the erect position.
14. The foldable brace assembly of claim 12, wherein the corner
brackets each includes an angled support surface that is configured
to support a tie bar that attaches to a tie down anchor.
15. A foldable brace assembly for supporting concrete formwork, the
foldable brace assembly comprising: a ground brace member that
comprises two beams attached together along the length of the beams
to secure the beams together; a wall brace member that comprises
two beams attached together along the length of the beams to secure
the beams together; a corner bracket attached at a lower end of the
wall brace member between the beams of the wall brace member; and
wherein a front end of the ground brace member is pivotably
attached to the corner bracket, and wherein the wall brace member
is configured to pivot between a folded position with the wall
brace member parallel to the ground brace member and an erect
position with the wall brace member perpendicular to the ground
brace member.
16. The foldable brace assembly of claim 15, further comprising a
diagonal brace member detachably coupled between an upper portion
of the wall brace member and a rear end of the ground brace member
when the wall brace member is in the erect position.
17. The foldable brace assembly of claim 15, wherein the two beams
of the ground brace member each have a U-shaped cross-sectional
shape oriented opposite each other.
18. The foldable brace assembly of claim 15, wherein the two beams
of the wall brace member are consistently spaced from each other
along a length of the wall brace member to form a channel, wherein
a fastener engages one of a plurality of locations along the
channel to attach the wall brace member a formwork panel.
19. The foldable brace assembly of claim 15, wherein the corner
bracket includes an upper opening and a lower opening, wherein a
pin is configured to removably engage the upper opening and the
ground brace member in the folded position, and wherein the pin is
configured to removably engage the lower opening and the ground
brace member in the erect position.
20. The foldable brace assembly of claim 15, wherein the corner
bracket includes an angled support surface that is configured to
support a tie bar that attaches to a tie down anchor embedded in a
concrete foundation for holding the ground brace member against a
ground surface.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C .sctn.
119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/857,313, filed
Jun. 5, 2019, the disclosure of this prior application is
considered part of this application and is hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to a formwork
support brace that is used to support wall panels and forms, such
as during the construction of a concrete wall or other
structure.
BACKGROUND
[0003] When forming concrete slab walls, it is common to
temporarily brace formwork that is used to support a concrete wall
while the concrete is poured into the formwork and cures. The
temporary bracing may be arranged on the outer side of the formwork
and may be anchored to the ground to support the pressure exerted
by the concrete poured on the inner side of the formwork. Once the
concrete has sufficiently cured to support itself, the bracing and
formwork may be removed to expose the surface of the concrete
wall.
SUMMARY
[0004] The present disclosure provides a foldable brace assembly
that is used to support formwork, such as for forming a concrete
wall or slab with a surface in an upright or vertical orientation.
The foldable brace assembly includes at least one ground brace
member and at least one wall brace member that fold together. For
example, an end portion of the wall brace member can be pivotably
coupled with an end portion of the ground brace member, such that
the brace assembly can pivot between a folded position with the
wall brace member in general parallel alignment with the ground
brace member and an erect position with the wall brace member in
general perpendicular orientation relative to the ground brace
member. The brace assembly may be locked in the erect position,
such as by inserting a pin in aligned openings in the end portions
of the wall brace member and the ground brace member. When the
brace assembly is not in use, the pin may be removed and the brace
assembly can pivot to the folded position for easy storage and
transportation.
[0005] With the wall brace member and the ground brace member
generally perpendicular to each other in the erect position, a
diagonal brace member attaches between an upper portion of the wall
brace member and the other end portion of the ground brace member
to place the brace assembly in an assembled configuration. In the
assembled configuration, the brace assembly may be disposed against
an outer side of a formwork panel, such as a 12 foot wall panel,
and anchored to the ground, such as by attaching to anchors cast in
concrete footings. The single brace assembly may then brace and
support loads exerted by the formwork panel, such as the 12 foot
wall panel, in an upright orientation. It is understood that two or
more brace assemblies may be arranged at a spaced distance from
each other along the supported formwork panel and attached together
with tubular cross braces extending between adjacent wall brace
members and between adjacent ground brace members. The number of
brace assemblies, spacing between the brace assemblies, and
dimensions of the brace members may vary and be adjusted to
accommodate the height and configuration of the formwork and
associated concrete structure.
[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a
foldable brace assembly for supporting concrete formwork includes a
ground brace member and a wall brace member. The lower end of the
wall brace member is pivotably coupled with an end of the ground
brace member, such that the brace assembly can pivot between a
folded position with the wall brace member in general parallel
alignment with the ground brace member and an erect position with
the wall brace member in general perpendicular orientation relative
to the ground brace member. With the wall brace member and the
ground brace member in the erect position, a diagonal brace member
detachably couples between an upper end of the wall brace member
and the other end of the ground brace member. Optionally, a corner
bracket may be pivotally disposed between the ends of the wall and
ground brace members, such as with the lower end of the wall brace
member connected to the corner bracket and the ground brace member
pivotally coupled, such as via pin or bolt, a to the corner
bracket. To facilitate locking the positions of the wall brace
member, the corner bracket may include an upper opening and a lower
opening, where a pin may be configured to engage the lower opening
in the folded position and the upper opening in the erect
position.
[0007] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a
foldable brace assembly may be adjustable to attach to various
points on the supported formwork. For example, the wall brace
member may include a vertical channel that is configured to engage
a fastener at a plurality of locations along the vertical channel,
where the fastener may extend from the wall brace member toward the
supported formwork panel to engage a waler or the like. The waler
may also include a horizontal channel that is configured to engage
a fastener, such as a tieback, for attaching to the formwork panel
at a plurality of locations along the horizontal channel.
[0008] To reduce the need for the large storage areas and high-load
assembly cranes typically associated with traditional one-sided
wall braces, the foldable brace assembly disclosed herein allows
the ground and wall brace members to fold together for efficient
storage and transportation, along with the possibility to manually
assemble and position the brace assemblies on the formwork without
a crane or other heavy and expensive lifting equipment. Also, once
a project is complete, the foldable brace assemblies may be
disassembled and later reassembled, such as in the same or a
different configuration, to accommodate different projects or
otherwise support different wall panel formwork.
[0009] These and other objects, advantages, purposes, and features
of the present disclosure will become apparent upon review of the
following specification in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a wall panel form
supported by two foldable braces assemblies connected to tie down
anchors;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the wall panel form and
foldable braces assemblies shown in FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 2A is a rear perspective view of a vertical cross
section of the wall panel form shown in FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 2B is a side elevation view of the section of the wall
panel form and foldable braces assembly shown in FIG. 2A;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the foldable braces
assemblies shown in FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the foldable braces
assemblies shown in FIG. 3;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the foldable braces
assemblies shown in FIG. 3;
[0017] FIG. 5A is an enlarged view of section A shown in FIG. 5,
illustrating the tie down anchor engagement with foldable
brace;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the foldable braces assemblies
shown in FIG. 3;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a rear elevation view of the foldable braces
assemblies shown in FIG. 3;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a perspective view the disassembled foldable brace
assemblies shown in FIG. 3, illustrating the wall and ground brace
members in a folded position;
[0021] FIG. 8A is an enlarged view of section A shown in FIG. 8,
illustrating the corner bracket of the ground brace member and a
pin position to engage the corner bracket; and
[0022] FIG. 9 is an elevation view of the corner bracket shown in
FIG. 8A.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative
embodiments depicted therein, a foldable brace assembly 10, such as
shown in FIGS. 1-9, is capable of being stored and transported in a
folded configuration and then unfolded and assembled at a worksite
to support concrete formwork, such as for forming a concrete wall
or slab in an upright or vertical orientation. The foldable brace
assembly 10 includes at least one ground brace member 12 and at
least one wall brace member 14 that are pivotably attached
together. As shown for example in FIGS. 3 and 8, an end portion of
the wall brace member 14 is pivotably coupled with an end portion
of the ground brace member 12, such that the brace assembly 10 can
pivot between a folded position 16 (FIG. 8) with the wall brace
member 14 overlapping and in general parallel alignment with the
ground brace member 12 and an erect position 18 (FIGS. 1-7) with
the wall brace member 14 in general perpendicular orientation
relative to the ground brace member 12.
[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the ground brace member 12 includes a
two metal beams 13a, 13b that are attached together with nuts and
bolts at multiple locations along the length of the beams to secure
the beams together in parallel alignment with each other. The beams
13a, 13b each have a U-shaped cross-sectional shape oriented
opposite each other, arranging the central portion of the U-shape
nearest the central portion of the opposing beam. As shown in FIGS.
3 and 4, the beams 13a, 13b are consistently spaced from each other
along the length of the ground brace member 12. To maintain the
spacing, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the rear ends of the beams 13a,
13b have a foot bracket 17 sandwiched and bolted between the beams
and a corner bracket 20 is sandwiched between the front ends of the
beams 13a, 13b. It is also contemplated that additional spacers at
different locations along the length of the ground brace member may
be used to maintain the spacing and additional attachment, such as
welding, may be used to secure the beams relative to each
other.
[0025] Similar to the ground brace member 12, as shown in FIGS.
1-5, the wall brace member 14 includes a two metal beams 15a, 15b
that are attached together with two rows nuts and bolts at multiple
locations along the length of the beams to secure the beams
together in parallel alignment with each other. The beams 15a, 15b
each have a U-shaped cross-sectional shape oriented opposite each
other, arranging the central portion of the U-shape nearest the
central portion of the opposing beam, such as to together form an
I-shape. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the beams 15a, 15b are
consistently spaced from each other to provide a channel 36 along
the length of the wall brace member 14. To maintain the spacing
that forms the channel 36, as shown in FIG. 4, a lifting plate is
sandwiched between the top ends of the beams 15a, 15b and the
corner bracket 20 is sandwiched between the bottom ends of the
beams 15a, 15b. As a result, the spacing between the beams 15a, 15b
of the wall brace member 14 is substantially equal to the spacing
between along the beams 13a, 13b of the ground brace member 12. It
is also contemplated that additional spacers at different locations
along the length of the wall brace member may be used to maintain
the spacing.
[0026] The pivotal engagement of the end portions of the brace
members 12, 14 may be reinforced with bracketry to maintain a
stable connection when unfolded for assembly to support formwork.
For example, the lower end of the wall brace member 14 may
incorporate or otherwise be fixed to a corner bracket 20, such as
shown in FIGS. 5 and 5A. The ground brace member 12 may then be
pivotally coupled with a fastener, such as via a pin or bolt 22
(FIGS. 5A and 8A), to the corner bracket 20 at the lower end
portion of the wall brace member 14. The lower end of the wall
brace member 14 shown in FIG. 5A is fixedly coupled to the corner
bracket 20, such as with a weld and/or the illustrated bolted
connection. It is contemplated that the pivotal coupling of the
ground brace member and wall brace member in additional embodiments
may be constructed directly between the brace members or with
additional or alternative intermediate components or brackets or
the like to provide foldability to the brace assembly. As another
example, a corner bracket may be fixed to the ground brace member
and the wall brace member may be pivotally attached to the corner
bracket.
[0027] As further shown in FIGS. 5A and 8A, the brace assembly 10
may be locked or engaged in the folded position 16 during storage
and transport and may also be locked or engaged in the erect
position 18 during assembly to more easily allow for positioning at
or near the formwork in the desired orientation. As shown in FIGS.
8-9, the corner bracket 20 includes an upper opening 20a and a
lower opening 20b, where a pin 21 may extend into and engage the
upper opening 20a to hold or lock the brace assembly in the folded
position 16 or extend into and engage the lower opening 20b to hold
or lock the brace assembly 10 in the erect position 18. The pin 21
may prevent movement of the brace members relative to each other by
also extending into and engaging an opening in the ground brace
member 12. However, it is contemplated that in additional
embodiments that the pin may engage an edge surface of the ground
brace member, such as to act as a stop to rotation or pivoting of
the ground brace member relative to the wall brace member, and
similarly lock the positions of the brace assembly.
[0028] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the brace assembly 10 is unfolded
in the assembled configuration and disposed against an outer side
of a formwork panel 24 and temporarily anchored to the ground. It
is understood that prior to anchoring the wall and ground brace
members to the ground, they may be leveled on a ground surface,
such as with adjustable jacks or the like. To provide the
anchoring, the lower portion of the brace assembly 10 may be
temporarily attached to an anchor that is cast or embedded in the
ground, such as a tie down anchor 26 that is cast in a concrete
footing 28 as shown in FIG. 2B. The tie down anchor 26 may be a
loop-shaped anchor that provides two stems 26a that protrude upward
at an angle away from the ground surface, whereby the brace
assembly 10 is disposed between the two stems 26a of the tie down
anchor 26. The brace assembly 10 is shown in FIGS. 2-2B engaged to
the tie down anchor 26 by a tie bar 30 that is secured down against
an upper angled surface of the corner bracket 20 of the anchor
assembly 10 by wing nuts 32 that each threadably engage down the
stems 26a of the tie down anchor 26. To provide threaded engagement
of the wing nuts 32 with the tie down anchor 26, the stems 26a may
include threaded anchor rods that attach to a lower loop portion
26b of the tie down anchor 26, such as with the use of intermediate
couplers 26c as shown in FIG. 2B. It is also contemplated that the
tie down anchor in additional examples may be a single threaded
anchor or may be differently configured with separate anchors, such
as individual tie rods or the like on opposing sides of a single
brace assembly.
[0029] With the brace assembly 10 in the erect position 18, a
diagonal brace member 34 detachably couples between an upper
portion of the wall brace member 14 and the rear end portion of the
ground brace member 12. The diagonal brace member 34 is shown in
FIGS. 1-8 having a tubular beam with a square cross-sectional shape
that extends consistently along a length of the beam. As shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4, the end couplings 35 of the diagonal brace member 34
include a sleeve 35a that is inserted over and fastened to an end
of the tubular beam. A threaded post 35b extends through the sleeve
35a and is threadably attached to an end plate that is welded over
an open end of the sleeve 35a. The ends of the threaded post 35b
may be detachably connected to the respective ground and wall brace
member 12, 14 with the use of brackets that are attached in the
channels of the ground and wall brace members 12, 14 with threaded
bolts or other fasteners that are capable of being manually
disconnected, such as with or without the use of hand tools or the
like. The threaded posts 35b of the diagonal brace members 34 may
have an adjustable length that are adjusted by rotating the
threaded post 35b relative to the sleeve 35a to the provide a
length that accommodates a firm brace connection of the diagonal
brace member 34.
[0030] The diagonal brace member 34 and associated couplings are
configured to withstand compressive and shear forces, respectively,
that are exerted by the formwork panel 24 when under the load of
the concrete used to form the wall or structure on the inner side
of the formwork. As shown in FIG. 5, the wall brace member 14 has a
height of approximately 144 inches or 12 feet, such that the brace
assembly 10 is configured to support a formwork panel 24 that is 12
feet or taller. It is understood that two or more brace assemblies
may be arranged at a spaced distance from each other along the
supported formwork panel and attached together with tubular cross
braces 46, such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, extending between
adjacent wall brace members 14 and between adjacent ground brace
members 12. The cross braces may be attached with camps or other
fasteners. The number of brace assemblies, spacing between the
brace assemblies, and dimensions of the brace members may vary and
be adjusted to accommodate the formwork and associated concrete
structure.
[0031] The foldable brace assembly 10 may also be adjustable to
attach to various points on the supported formwork 24. As shown in
FIG. 2A, the wall brace member 14 may include a vertical channel 36
that is configured to engage a fastener 38, such as a tie bolt or
tieback fastener, at a plurality of locations along the vertical
channel 36. The fastener 38 may extend from the wall brace member
14 toward the supported formwork panel 24 to engage a horizontal
beam, such as a waler 40 as shown in FIG. 2A. The waler 40 may also
include a horizontal channel 42 that is configured to engage a
fastener 44, such as a tie bolt or tieback fastener, for attaching
to the formwork panel 24 at a plurality of locations along the
horizontal channel 42. As shown in FIG. 8, the fasteners 38, 44 may
include wing nuts 38a, 44a that threadably engage a threaded rod
portion 38b, 44b of the fastener 38, 44 to secure the fastener in
place in the respective channels. Thus, when loosening or removing
one or more of the fasteners 38, 44, the waler 40 may be
repositioned to a desired location on the formwork panel 24 for
engagement, such that the brace assembly 10 is configurable to
support the formwork panel at a desired position and thus also
configurable to support various sizes and types of formwork
panels.
[0032] To reduce the need for the large storage areas and high-load
assembly cranes typically associated with traditional one-sided
wall braces, the foldable brace assembly disclosed herein allows
the ground and wall brace members to fold together for efficient
storage and transportation, along with the possibility to manually
assemble and position the brace assemblies on the formwork without
a crane or other heavy and expensive lifting equipment. As
understood, the brace assembly may be considered "tieless" due to
its lack of any anchoring ties on the internal reinforcements of
the formed concrete structure. Also, once a project is complete,
the foldable brace assemblies may be disassembled and later
reassembled, such as in the same or a different configuration, to
accommodate different projects or otherwise support different wall
panel formwork. The foldable brace assembly disclosed herein may be
used with multiple and various types of construction projects and
applications. The cross-sectional geometry, material type
selections, and material thickness within the cross-sectional
profile of the components of the brace assembly may be configured
for such a particular use and the desired loading and performance
characteristics as generally understood.
[0033] For purposes of this disclosure, the term "coupled" (in all
of its forms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the
joining of two components directly or indirectly to one another.
Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature; may
be achieved with the two components and any additional intermediate
members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one
another or with the two components; and may be permanent in nature
or may be removable or releasable in nature, unless otherwise
stated.
[0034] Also for purposes of this disclosure, the terms "upper,"
"lower," "right," "left," "rear," "front," "vertical,"
"horizontal," "inner," "outer," "inner-facing," "outer-facing," and
derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
FIG. 1. However, it is to be understood that the invention may
assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly
specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the
specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached
drawings, and described in this specification are simply exemplary
embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended
claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical
characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are
not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state
otherwise.
[0035] Changes and modifications in the specifically described
embodiments may be carried out without departing from the
principles of the present invention, which is intended to be
limited only by the scope of the appended claims as interpreted
according to the principles of patent law. The disclosure has been
described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood
that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the
nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many
modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible
in light of the above teachings, and the disclosure may be
practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
* * * * *