Tilt-up Wall Panel Brace Assembly

Abstract

A temporary brace assembly for a tilt-up wall panel during construction is arranged to hold the wall panel in the vertical position after which, through the use of a universal joint at the point of connection of the brace to the wall panel, by rotating the brace about its longitudinal axis, it can be removed and disattached from the panel by a person at the floor level without the necessity of scaffolding or ladders.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to tilt-up wall panel construction and in particular to wall braces used therefore during construction.

In the method and apparatus for installing tilt-up wall panels of the prior art, inserts were usually cast in the concrete wall panel at particular locations, to which cables were connected and a crane used to lift the precast concrete panel from the horizontal to the vertical position and set it in place. Additional inserts previously cast into the panel were used to attach one end of a brace to the newly erected vertical wall panel, with the other end of the brace attached to the floor or other supporting surface until the panel was secured in place by other permanent supporting elements of the building.

After the wall panel was secured in place to its permanent supporting elements, the temporary support braces were removed. This removal operation required the erection of scaffolding or ladders so that the workmen could reach the bolts fastening the brace to the wall panel so that they could be removed, all of which required increased man hours of labor and resulted in increased accident hazard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The tilt-up wall panel brace assembly of the present invention simplifies the process of erecting a precast concrete wall panel and simplifies installing and removing temporary bracing by including in its combination means for permitting removal of the brace by rotating it about its longitudinal axis from the ground of floor level using a means for transmitting torque from the brace to the panel connector apparatus.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a tilt-up wall panel brace assembly which can be removed from the ground of floor level.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tilt-up wall panel brace assembly which will swivel in any direction relative to the wall panel to which it is connected.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tilt-up wall panel brace assembly which is adjustable as to any angle it makes with the panel, floor or supporting surface.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a tilt-up wall panel brace assembly which can be removed by a person at the floor, supporting surface or ground level without the use of ladders or scaffolding.

These and other objects of the present invention will be manifest upon careful study of the following detailed description when taken together with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing two of the wall braces of the present invention in position as a temporary support for a tilt-up wall panel.

FIG. 2 is a partial elevational section of the wall brace assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of one method of lifting a precast wall panel using the brace of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a pair of the tilt-up wall panel brace assemblies 10 of the present invention which comprises, basically, an elongated member or load supporting column 11 having a wall support end 12 with a wall support fitting 14 connected thereto which is adapted to connect to an insert 15 imbedded in pre-cast wall panel 16.

Elongated member 11 of brace assembly 10 also comprises a floor support end 18 having a support fitting 19 connected thereto which is adapted to be attached by suitable means, well known in the art, to floor 20 or other suitable supporting surface.

It is the purpose of wall brace assembly 10 to provide temporary support for panel 16 during construction until permanent supporting elements of the building are attached to offer final support of panel 16 such as support columns 21, after which wall brace assembly 10 will be removed.

FIG. 2 illustrates, in greater detail, tilt-up panel brace assembly 10 which comprises, as previously described, elongated member 11 which is capable of supporting columnar loads both in compression and tension having a wall support end 12 and a floor support end 18.

Wall support end 12 further comprises a wall support fitting 14 which includes a means for transmitting torque, in the present embodiment universal joint assembly 23 adapted to engage insert 15 imbedded in pre-cast wall panel 16.

Universal joint connector assembly or means for transmitting torque 23 comprises cross-pivot 24 having two cross members 25 and 26 disposed at right angles or 90 degrees to each other with brace U-fork 27 pivotally connected to one cross member 25 while panel insert connector U-fork 28, also a part of wall support fitting 14, is pivotally connected to the other cross member 26.

Panel insert connector U-fork 28 comprises U-member 30, pivotally connected to cross member 26, and insert connector 31 attached to U-member 30 by means of threaded collar 32. Insert connector 31 is adapted to connect to insert 15 by means of threads 33 which are adapted to engage wires 34 which are wound to define a helix or coil held in place by welding or the like to insert legs 35.

A set screw 36 is located in threaded collar and adapted to engage inert connector 31 to prevent its rotation relative to collar 32 when elongated member 11 is rotated about its longitudinal axis 37 in order to disattach brace assembly 10 from wall panel 16.

Universal joint connector assembly 23 is attached to the end of elongated member 11 by means of a bolt 29 passing through both the end of elongated member 11 and brace U-fork 27.

With reference still to FIG. 2, floor support end 18 comprises floor support fitting or shoe plate 19 which is pivotally connected to the bottom end of elongated member 11 by means of pivot pin 40.

Support fitting or shoe plate 19 is connected to floor 20 by means of bolts 41 or a similar device common in the art.

Although fitting 19 is shown attached to a horizontal floor surface, it can be seen that through the use of pivot pin 40 it can be attached to a vertical or sloping surface just as well.

Also located proximate to floor support end 18, but at a point which would be conveniently accessible to a workman along elongated member 11, is length adjusting means 43 which comprises a coupling 44 having an hexagonal adjusting nut 45 arranged with its axis of rotation coincident with the longitudinal axis 37 of elongated member 11.

On each side of nut 45 and with their axis of rotation also coincident with the longitudinal axis 37 of elongated member 11, are attached, respectively, right-hand threaded member 46 and left handed member 47, each of which is adapted to engage like internal threads in elongated member 11. The pitch of threads 46 and 47 is made such that their frictional resistance will be sufficient to prevent rotation of nut 45 due to any compressive or tensile load in elongated member 11.

Although the length adjusting means 43 uses a left and right hand thread arranged, it could also comprise a jack having one end mounted on support fitting 19 and include a rough length adjusting arrangement using telescoping longitudinal members in which matching holes are punched at various intervals through which a machine bolt may be inserted.

To use the wall brace assembly 10 of the present invention, FIG. 3 illustrates a method whereby brace 10 is initially attached to panel 16 while it is still in the horizontal position, the position in which panel 16 was cast.

Insert 15 is precast in wall panel 16 after which insert connection 31 of end support fitting 14, by rotation in the manner of a threaded connection, is caused to engage helix 34 of insert 15 (FIG. 2).

A lifting cable 49, connected to a crane (not shown) is used in cooperation with lifting sling 50, to raise panel 16. The ends of sling 50 are connected, respectively, using hooks 38 and 39, to lifting inserts 52 and 55 previously cast into wall panel 16.

Wall panel 16 is lifted from its horizontal position by means of lifting cable 49 and lifting sling 50. As the panel is being lifted, the bottom end 53 of panel 16 bears on the casting surface while the panel rotates into a state of equilibrium which is at or near the vertical position. The panel bottom end 53 is then lifted clear of the floor or casting surface and the panel is carried to its point of installation. At the point of installation, the panel is lowered until the bottom of the panel is in contact with the footing. Enough load is released by the crane (not shown) to prevent the bottom from sliding. The crane then pulls the panel horizontally into a true vertical position by means of sling cable 50 attached to lifting inserts 52 and 55. The crane holds the panel in position until the braces are secured.

As panel 16 is raised to the vertical position, floor support end 18 of brace 10 is moved out and away from bottom end 53 of panel 16 pivoting about universal joint connection 23.

After panel 16 is set in place, floor support end 18 of brace 10 is attached to floor 20. Final adjustment to achieve accurate vertical positioning is achieved by rotating nut 45 of length adjustment means 43 to lengthen or shorten elongated member 11.

After panel 16 is secured in place to other permanent supporting elements of the buliding, such as columns 21, brace 10 is disconnected from floor 20 and then elongated member 11 is rotated about its longitudinal axis 37 by the workman assigned to remove the braces.

This rotational or tortional force is transmitted through universal joint connector or torque transmission means 23 by means of cross-pivot 24 in conjunction with U-fork 27 and U-fork 28 to insert connector 31 which is caused to rotate in a direction to unscrew it from wire helix 34 and thereby facilitate its removal from insert 15.

Thus, a workman, standing on floor 20 can remove brace 10 by rotating it about its longitudinal axis thereby enabling him to remove the brace without erecting scaffolding or ladders to reach insert 15.

Although the brace assembly of the present invention utilizes a U-fork and cross-pivot arrangement as a means for transmitting torque, other types of universal joints or torque transmitting means can be used such as ball and socket, ball type or disc type joints which generally comprise a circular outer race and a circular inner race with ball bearings between as anti-friction means to permit angular movement between the inner and outer races and the drive shafts connected thereto and permit transmission of tortional forces from one race driver shaft to the other race driver shaft .

Claims

I claim:

1. A wall brace assembly for a tilt-up wall comprising

means defining an elongated member capable of supporting columnar loads in compression and tension having a wall support end and a floor support end,

means for connecting said floor support end to a supporting surface at any angle that said elongated member makes with said surface, and

means attached to said wall support end for connection and disconnection of said wall support end to said wall by rotation of said elongated member by an operator holding said elongated member proximate said floor support end for any angle that said elongated member makes with said wall panel.

2. The wall brace assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means attached to said wall support end comprises

a wall connector member,

means connected to said wall for receiving said wall connector member and for engaging and releasing said wall connector member upon rotation thereof, and

means for transmitting torsional forces, created by an operator holding said elongated member proximate said floor support end, to said wall connector member for any angle that said elongated member makes with said wall panel from said elongated member.

3. The wall brace assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for transmitting tortional forces to said wall connector comprises a universal joint.

4. The wall brace assembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprising

means for adjusting the length of said elongated member between said wall support end and said floor support end by an operator proximate said floor support end.