Dual Handled Screed Board Apparatus

Abstract

A screed board for grading wet concrete comprising an elongated screed beam having a pair of spaced apart handles each having first and second ends where the first end of each handle is angularly attached to the beam and each handle comprises an elongated shaft having a hand grip fixed to and protruding from the top of the shaft proximate its top end, and a substantially semi-circular band secured to the top of the shaft at its top end.

Claims

1-3. (canceled)

4. A screed board comprising, an elongated rigid beam of rectangular cross section having a flat rear side, a pair of spaced apart handles each having first and second ends where the first end of each handle is angularly attached to the flat rear side of the beam, each handle comprising, a straight elongated tubular shaft having top and bottom surfaces, a tubular rod rigidly fixed to and protruding perpendicularly from the top surface of the shaft proximate its second end, and a substantially semi-circular band having an open side secured to the top surface of the shaft at its second end and where the open side faces away from the top surface of the shaft.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The screed board 5 of the present invention includes a rigid elongated beam 7 preferably constructed of a light-weight aluminum tube of about 2 inches by 4 inches. As shown particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, attached to the back or rear side 8 of the beam 7 is a pair of handle shafts 10 and 12, also preferably constructed of tubular aluminum. Hand grips 15 and 17 are attached to the handle shafts at a point below the distal ends of the shafts a distance substantially equal to the length of an adult forearm. Each hand grip protrudes at right angles from the top surfaces of the shaft to which it is attached, as shown in FIG. 2. Fixed to the top surface of each shaft at its distal end is a substantially semi-circular forearm supporting band 20 and 22. Substantially, in the context of this disclosure, means that the bands need not be a semi-circle of exactly 180 degrees but may be between 120 degrees and 180 degrees, the curvature of the band being sufficient to cradle and support the forearm 24 of the user 25 just below the elbow.

[0010] Operation of the screed board is illustrated in FIG. 5 where the worker is grasping the hand grips 15 and 17 with his hands and his forearms 24 are supported by the bands 20 and 22. The combination of the hand grips and the supporting bands provides excellent control of the beam 7 to grade and level the wet concrete 30. The beam 7 is supported at its ends by the concrete forms 32 and 34. In many instances of grading the concrete it is desirable to subject the concrete beneath the screed to vibration or pulsing in order to subvert the aggregate and develop of smooth surface. The distance between the supporting bands and the hand grip on each handle provides a force moment arm that is sufficient to supply leverage for the user to slightly raise the beam away from the concrete during the screeding process. Rapid repetitions of lifting the beam from the concrete and letting if fall back to the concrete surface result in jitter-bugging the beam 7, thus providing manually induced vibration of the concrete below the beam.