U.S. patent number 3,798,856 [Application Number 05/256,413] was granted by the patent office on 1974-03-26 for tilt-up wall panel brace assembly.
Invention is credited to Walter Gloskowski.
United States Patent |
3,798,856 |
Gloskowski |
March 26, 1974 |
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.
Inventors: |
Gloskowski; Walter (Belmont,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
22972139 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/256,413 |
Filed: |
May 24, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/127.2; 52/150;
52/745.11; 248/354.3; 52/749.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04G
21/26 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04G
21/24 (20060101); E04G 21/26 (20060101); E04h
012/20 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/127,126,745,150,749
;248/354S ;287/92 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Perham; Alfred C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Tipton; Robert R.
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.
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 .
* * * * *