Reusable concrete form alignment device

[57] ABSTRACT

A portable, reusable aligning and retention device for use with stem panels in the forming of the stem portion of concrete foundations for residential structures and other small buildings is shown. The device employs spaced channels with cross-bracing. The channels fit over the top edges of the stem panels, which are plywood panels deployed in verticle position to form the sides of a concrete stem projecting upwardly from a concrete footing. The use of the device on the stem panels dispenses with the necessity for using nails and wooden bracing to hold the stem panels in the proper attitude of use. A ruled standard for use in conjunction with sighting lines is also provided to assist in the alignment of the stem panels.

Claims, 4 Drawing Figures

40

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!7Patented May 16, 1972

3,662,985

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3,662,985

REUSABLE CONCRETE FORM ALIGNMENT DEVICE

This invention relates to concrete forming devices.

More specifically, it relates to the forming of the stem portion of foundations for homes and small commercial buildings.

In another aspect, it pertains to a device for the aligning and retaining of forms used for the stem portion of such foundations.

In many areas of the United States the use of concrete foundations consisting of a footing on a broad base and a stem projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the footing on a narrower base, in plan, has become popular. This is particularly so in the southwestern United States where the climate permits the advantageous utilization of this type of footing in conjunction with concrete floors poured directly on the ground. The footing is customarily poured into troughs dug into the soil. The trenches provide the form for the sides of the footing. The foundation must lie sufficiently above the grade to protect the building from water damage which may be caused by surface flooding or from irrigation water which is extensively used in the Southwest. The stem is an extension of concrete footing projecting upwardly from the top surface of the footing and serves the function of elevating the parts of the structure which are more vulnerable to water damage. Various types of fill may be introduced into the enclosed area within the perimeter of the stem. The perimeter of the stem ordinarily defines the outer boundries of the enclosed portion of the structure. The concrete flooring is then poured over the fill material within the perimeter of the stem to the grade desired and finished. Thus, the stem serves the function of foundation for load bearing walls with the sub-support of the footing, serves to elevate the structure above the normal flood line of surface waters and irrigation, and serves to define the outer perimeter of the concrete flooring. The stem ordinarily is left uncovered and is visible to the eye from the outside. It is, therefore, desirable that the outer face of the stem present a smooth and finished appearance.

In the prior state of the art the forms for the stem were constructed with heavy bracing and, more recently with specially adapted plywood sheets chemically treated to lengthen the life of the wood surface. The latter are known as stem panels and are sold in four foot by eight foot sheets which are customarily cut in half and used as two foot by eight foot panels. These stem panels are well known to the workers in the construction business, especially those in the concrete sub-specialties. The length of the panel rests on the upper surface of the footing, usually somewhat below the normal grade of the terrain. Formerly it was necessary to align the stem panels individually and nail wooden braces to retain the stem panels in the proper positions relative each other. If a mistake is made in the alignment, the wooden braces would have to be removed, the stem panels in question realigned, and the braces nailed back again. The nailing process requires time and the nails deface the surface of the chemically treated stem panel. The dismantling process after the stem panel had served its purpose required more time, as did the proper disposition of the nails and wooden cross-braces.

Construction costs are rising constantly. It has been reported in several national magazines that home ownership is rapidly becoming too expensive for the average American family because of the rapidly increasing cost of construction. The cost of housing, especially, is taking on the magnitude of a national emergency and it can be safely said that it is thus viewed by the national administration. Therefore, it is a matter of great concern to find ways to increase the efficiency of the workers in the trades and thus substantially reduce the cost of construction.

I have found in actual experimentation and use on the job that savings of up to 25 percent in labor costs in respect to the operation involved, may be achieved by workers trained in the use of this device. This results from several factors. The use of this device makes it unnecessary to use nails or wooden crossbraces in aligning and retaining the stem panels in proper position of use. It also saves time in the dismantling of the stem panels and the storage of them after use. It also saves in the cost of materials because the stem panels can be used longer without deterioration when the necessity for using nails is dispensed with. Furthermore, the use of this device makes the operation of aligning the stem panels much quicker and more convenient. Another decided advantage is that the panels do not have to be cut exactly to length. The outside wall of the stem panels may project past the abutting ends of adjacent stem panels at the comers. Additional convenience is provided by a string standard which has a reference mark scribed a standard height above the device to assist in alignment. Formerly, such standards were made of wood and were nailed onto the stem panels, and these standards had to be individually marked. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a portable reusable device for aligning and retaining stem panels used in the forming of concrete stems.

Another object of this device is to provide such a device which can be used to quickly assembly and disassemble concrete foundation forms.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide such a device which is simple to make and use, and which can be conveniently transported.

Other, further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention disclosed will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of several embodiments of the invention in use on stem panels;

FIG. 2 is an embodiment of the invention suitable for aligning and retaining stem panels at comers of foundation stems to be poured;

FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the device suitable for use in aligning and retaining abutting stem panels to form straight runs;

FIG. 4 is an embodiment of the invention suitable for forming intersections.

Briefly, there is provided a portable reusable concrete form alignment device for aligning and retaining cooperating concrete foundation stem panels to be used in defining and forming the sides of the vertically rising stem of a concrete foundation suitable for residential buildings and small commercial buildings, said stem in plan view including straight and angular configurations. The aligning devices comprise an aligning member including cooperating opposed parallel straight channels each having a web and depending flanges dimensioned to closely fit the upper edges of contiguous discrete stem panels, the channels adapted to align and retain the stem panels in substantially parallel vertical relationship and a substantially parallel horizontal relationship. Also included are braces secured to the channels for retaining the channels in a predetermined spatial relationship.

There is provided in the above invention a plurality of aligning members joined at preselected angles for aligning and retaining the panel stems, so arranged as to form corners, Ts and cross intersections.

Also provided is the aforedescribed invention wherein the device has a vertical standard having at least one uniform ruled reference mark scribed thereon and projecting upwardly form the forming member for use in aligning the stem panels.

Turning now to the drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment is depicted, the reader’s attention is called to FIG. 3. The alignment device 2 is made out of channel iron lengths 4. The webs 6 of the channel irons are uppermost when the device is in use. The channels fit over the upper edges 20 of stem panels 22 and 23 such as illustrated in FIG. 1. The outer flanges 8 extend downwardly to a greater extent than do the inner flanges 10. The purpose is to add strength to the outer flanges 8 to resist the horizontal force component of the weight of the wet concrete used to fill the trough IS created by the stem panels 17.

In constructing the device the channel iron lengths 4 are aligned in parallel relationship and the sides 12 of the channel iron lengths 4 are placed in a vertical position. The top surfaces 14 of the webs 6 are positioned horizontally to lie in the

3,662,985 same plane. Then the braces 16, also made of iron, are welded to the top surfaces 14 of the webs 6. Other materials such as light metal alloys may also be used and, in some instances, would be preferable where the weight of the device is of prime consideration. FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the device 2 wherein the formerly described arrangement of channel iron lengths 4 and braces 16 are modified to provide bracing at a corner for extra strength to avoid longitudinal movement of the channel iron lengths 4 relative each other. The braces 16 can be welded to the lengths 4 to form a triangle (see device 19 in FIG. 1). In practice this has not been found necessary.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, it is not necessary to cut the outer stem panels 24 precisely to size because the stem panel may project beyond the corner through the end 18 of the channel iron length 4. An end 26 of a second outer stem panel 28 abutts against the inside surface 30 of stem panel 22. The corners 3 and 5 of channel iron lengths 7 and 9 respectively are joined together by welding. The other corners illustrated in the drawings are similarly joined. A standard 40 projects vertically upward from corner 11 in the device of FIG. 1. The standard has a reference mark 42 which is indented into the outside surfaces of the standard 40. To facilitate the attachment of string, which is stretched between the standards to assist in visually aligning the stem panels 22 and 23, a notch 44 is made at the site of the reference mark 42.