ROLLER BRACKET FOR TUNNEL FORMS

Abstract

A roller bracket having a base, a raising and lowering mechanism, a platform, and horizontal and vertical rollers. The base is attached to the vertical face of a starter wall at a level to provide a desired height for a concrete ceiling. With the platform in the raised position, the bottom edge of a tunnel form is lowered between the vertical roller and the starter wall onto the horizontal rollers. A wedge is driven between the vertical roller and the tunnel form to seal the tunnel form against the starter wall. After concrete has been poured, retained by the seal, and cured to form the concrete walls and ceiling, the mechanism can lower the platform to strip the tunnel form from the tunnel. The tunnel form can then be rolled away on the horizontal rollers while being retained on the horizontal rollers by the vertical roller and the starter wall.

Claims

1. A roller bracket for mounting on a starter wall that has a top, to rollably support a tunnel form having a bottom edge with a bottom edge thickness, comprising: a base; a raising and lowering mechanism mounted to the base; a platform movably supported by the raising and lowering mechanism; a horizontal roller having an inner end and an outer end separated by more than the bottom edge thickness, rollably mounted on the platform; a vertical roller perpendicular to the horizontal roller, rollably mounted on the platform outward from and above the outer end of the horizontal roller; wherein when the base is attached to the starter wall so that the horizontal roller is horizontal and projects perpendicularly from the starter wall, with the near end next to the starter wall, and the vertical roller is vertical and above the horizontal roller, the bottom edge can be lowered between the vertical roller and the starter wall onto the horizontal roller, and the mechanism can lower the platform with respect to the base to lower the tunnel form supported by the horizontal roller; whereby the tunnel form can be rollably supported by the horizontal roller with the lower edge retained on the horizontal roller by the vertical roller; whereby the base can be attached to the starter wall at a desired level to create a concrete wall of a desired height, with the platform in a raised position but the bottom edge rollably supported by the horizontal roller below the top of the starter wall, so that a wedge can be driven between the vertical roller and the tunnel form to seal the bottom edge of the tunnel form against the starter wall; whereby after concrete has been poured between the tunnel form and the starter wall, retained by the seal and cured to form the concrete wall above the starter wall, the mechanism can lower the platform from the raised position, to lower the horizontal roller and the tunnel form rollably supported by the horizontal roller; and whereby the tunnel form can be stripped from the concrete, while being supported by the horizontal roller, and rolled away on the horizontal roller while the bottom edge is retained on the horizontal roller between the vertical roller and the cured concrete wall.

2. A roller bracket according to claim 1, wherein said platform is attached to a housing slidable within said base that has a mounting hole slot, and wherein said frame has a mounting hole in a projection that projects through said slot when said housing is placed within said frame and supported by said mechanism, whereby said projection through said slot limits said housing to moving vertically within said frame.

3. A roller bracket according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the rollers is at least two coaxial wheels.

4. A roller bracket according to claim 1, wherein said raising and lowering mechanism is a screw driven jack mounted in the base, attached to the platform.

5. A process for forming a concrete wall of a desired height using at least one tunnel form having a bottom edge with a bottom edge thickness, comprising: creating a starter wall having a top that is less than the desired height; attaching at least one roller bracket having a base, a raising and lowering mechanism mounted to the base, a platform movably supported by the raising and lowering mechanism, a horizontal roller having an inner end and an outer end separated by more than the bottom edge thickness, rollably mounted on the platform, and a vertical roller perpendicular to the horizontal roller, rollably mounted on the platform outward from the outer end of the horizontal roller; using the raising and lowering mechanism to raise the platform with respect to the base to a raised position; attaching the base of the roller bracket to the starter wall at a desired level to form a concrete wall of the desired height and so that the horizontal roller is horizontal and projects perpendicularly from the starter wall, with the near end next to the starter wall, and the vertical roller is vertical and above the horizontal roller; lowering the bottom edge between the vertical roller and the starter wall onto the horizontal roller, whereby the tunnel form is rollably supported on the horizontal roller with the lower edge retained on the horizontal roller by the vertical roller; driving a wedge between the vertical roller and the tunnel form to seal the bottom edge of the tunnel form against the starter wall; pouring concrete between the tunnel form and the starter wall, whereby the concrete is retained by the seal and forms the concrete wall of the desired height; curing the concrete wall; lowering the platform from the raised position using the raising and lowering mechanism, to lower the horizontal roller and the tunnel form, whereby the tunnel form is stripped from the concrete while being supported by the horizontal roller; and rolling the tunnel form away on the horizontal roller while the bottom edge is retained on the horizontal roller between the vertical roller and the cured concrete wall.

6. A process for forming a concrete wall of a desired height using a tunnel form having a bottom edge with a bottom edge thickness, and a roller bracket having a base, a raising and lowering mechanism mounted to the base, a platform movably supported by the raising and lowering mechanism, a horizontal roller having an inner end and an outer end separated by more than the bottom edge thickness, rollably mounted on the platform, and a vertical roller perpendicular to the horizontal roller, rollably mounted on the platform outward from the outer end of the horizontal roller, comprising: creating a starter wall having a top that is less than the desired height; using the raising and lowering mechanism to raise the platform with respect to the base to a raised position; attaching the base of the roller bracket to the starter wall at a desired level to form a concrete wall of the desired height and so that the horizontal roller is horizontal and projects perpendicularly from the starter wall, with the near end next to the starter wall, and the vertical roller is vertical and above the horizontal roller; lowering the bottom edge between the vertical roller and the starter wall onto the horizontal roller, whereby the tunnel form is rollably supported on the horizontal roller with the lower edge retained on the horizontal roller by the vertical roller; driving a wedge between the vertical roller and the tunnel form to seal the bottom edge of the tunnel form against the starter wall; pouring concrete between the tunnel form and the starter wall, whereby the concrete is retained by the seal and forms the concrete wall of the desired height; curing the concrete wall; lowering the platform from the raised position using the raising and lowering mechanism, to lower the horizontal roller and the tunnel form, whereby the tunnel form is stripped from the concrete while being supported by the horizontal roller; and rolling the tunnel form away on the horizontal roller while the bottom edge is retained on the horizontal roller between the vertical roller and the cured concrete wall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to illustrate the principles of the invention.

[0025] In the drawings:

[0026] FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of the presently preferred embodiment of the roller bracket of the present invention, installed on starter walls to hold tunnel forms in place, just after the rollers have been lowered to strip the tunnel forms from the concrete walls and ceiling.

[0027] FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the upper rear right of the presently preferred embodiment of the roller bracket of the present invention in the raised position.

[0028] FIG. 3 is front perspective view from the upper front left of the presently preferred embodiment of the roller bracket of the present invention in the raised position.

[0029] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view from the upper rear right of the presently preferred embodiment of the roller bracket of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view from the upper front left of the presently preferred embodiment of the roller bracket of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 6 is a top plan view along the line 6-6 of FIG. 1, before sealing of the tunnel form against the starter wall, and before concrete has been poured.

[0032] FIG. 7 is an elevational view from the left of the presently preferred embodiment of the roller bracket of the present invention, shown as installed on a starter wall, before sealing of the tunnel form against the starter wall, and before concrete has been poured.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0033] The presently preferred best mode for practicing the present invention is presently illustrated by way of example in FIGS. 1 to 7.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, shown is an end elevational view of the presently preferred embodiment of the roller bracket 10 of the present invention in the lowered configuration, installed on starter walls SW to hold tunnel forms TF in place. The concrete has already been poured and cured to form concrete walls CW and a concrete ceiling CC. The roller brackets 10 have been changed to the lowered configuration so that the tunnel forms TF have been removed or released (“stripped”) from the concrete ceiling CC and concrete walls CW, as is shown by the very small gap between the concrete ceiling CC and the tunnel forms TF. Note that the roller brackets 10 were installed above the floor F, on the vertical faces of starter walls SW, and support the tunnel forms TF. For clarity, braces and supports for the tunnel forms TF have all been omitted. Figures illustrating those braces and supports are in the patents cited above.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 2, shown is a perspective view from the upper rear right of the presently preferred embodiment of the roller bracket 10 of the present invention, which comprises a base 20, with a raising and lowering mechanism that includes a vertical bolt 30 having a hex head 33 rotatably mounted on a bearing 32 that is affixed to the base 20. The bolt 30 is engaged with a threaded collar 38 in movable carriage 35 to form a screw driven jack. Preferably the base 20 includes a projection 22 that has a primary mounting hole 23, and the projection 22 projects through a mounting hole slot 37 in the carriage 35, so that rotating the bolt 30 raises and lowers the carriage 35, which raises and lowers a platform 40. Horizontal rollers 50 are rollably mounted on the platform 40, with the near end and far end of the rollers separated enough to make the horizontal rollers 50 wide enough to receive the bottom edge of a tunnel form TF (see FIG. 7). Preferably also the base 20 is provided with supplemental projections 26 having supplemental mounting holes 27.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 3, shown is a perspective view from the upper front left of the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention in the raised position, showing the vertical roller 60 rollably mounted on the platform 40.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 4, shown is an exploded perspective view from the upper rear right of the presently preferred embodiment. As can be seen, platform 40 is supported by the raising and lowering mechanism comprising the threaded bolt 30 rotatably mounted on bearing 32, supporting the carriage 35 through the threaded collar 38.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 5, shown is an exploded perspective view from the upper front left of the presently preferred embodiment.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 6, shown is a top elevational view along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 1 (but before sealing of the tunnel form TF against the starter walls SW and before pouring of concrete) of the roller bracket 10 of the present invention, installed on a starter wall SW with a tunnel form TF received and rollably supported on the horizontal rollers 50. As can be seen, a wedge W can be driven from the right between the tunnel form TF and the vertical roller 60, which drives the tunnel form TF towards the starter wall SW, to close the gap G between the starter wall SW and the tunnel form TF, thereby sealing the tunnel form TF to the starter wall SW.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 7, shown is a side elevational view from the right of an alternative embodiment of a roller bracket 10 (with multiple coaxial wheels instead of rollers) installed on a starter wall SW with the tunnel form TF having an optional rail R on the bottom edge that is resting on the horizontal wheels 50. As shown in FIG. 6, the wedge W is driven between the vertical wheels 60 and the tunnel form TF to close the gap G and seal the tunnel form TF against the starter wall SW, so that concrete can be poured and retained between the tunnel form TF and the starter wall SW with minimal leakage.

[0041] With the structural features disclosed above, it can easily be seen that the roller bracket 10 can be used by placing the base 20 directly on the floor F, next to the starter wall SW, and being fastened to the starter wall SW by a fastener (screw, bolt or otherwise) through the primary mounting hole 23. Because the roller bracket 10 is resting directly on the floor F, no supplemental mounting is necessary to keep the roller bracket in position when the tunnel form TF is placed on the horizontal rollers 50 and the concrete is poured and cured. However, this limits the height of the ceiling that is formed to the height of the vertical portion of the tunnel form TF.

[0042] If it is desired to form a ceiling that has a greater height than the height of the tunnel form TF, then the roller bracket 10 can be mounted on the starter wall SW above the floor F by the necessary distance to raise the ceiling to the desired height. However, because the roller bracket 10 will no longer be resting directly on the floor F, it will be necessary to provide supplemental fasteners that will supplementally support the roller bracket 10 such as through the supplemental mounting holes 27, so that the roller bracket 10 can support the full weight of the tunnel form TF, without resting directly on the floor F.

[0043] The roller brackets 10 make it much easier to seal the tunnel forms TF against the starter walls SW by driving the wedges W between the vertical rollers 60 and the tunnel forms TF. Because wooden beams spanning the tunnel forms TF are no longer used, the work environment is safer, and the use of labor is substantially reduced. The roller brackets 10 also relieve some of the strain on the lower row of taper ties, so they fail less often.

[0044] Because the tunnel form TF is supported on the roller brackets 10 of the present invention, the tunnel form TF can be very easily stripped (after the concrete has cured) by rotating the hex head 33 of the bolt 30 to lower the platform 40, thereby lowering the horizontal rollers 50, without the need for a crane. After the tunnel forms TF have been stripped, it is very easy to roll them away because they are supported on the horizontal rollers 50, and retained on the horizontal rollers 50 by the vertical rollers 60. This substantially reduces the necessary labor to remove the tunnel forms and avoids the danger of the rollers on the floor that are used in conventional removing of the tunnel forms.

[0045] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the presently preferred embodiments disclosed herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the rollers can be replaced with multiple coaxial wheels. Accordingly, no limitations are to be implied or inferred in this invention except as specifically and explicitly set forth in the attached claims, and this patent covers all such modifications and variations that come within the scope of the attached claims and their equivalents.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0046] The present invention can be used wherever it is desired to use tunnel forms to pour concrete and form tunnels.