Apparatus for prestressed concrete construction

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR POST TENSIONING A CLOSURE STRIP OF CONCRETE POSITIONED BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND SPACED APART POST-TENSIONED CONCRETE SLABS COMPRISING: FIRST AND SECOND CORRESPONDING PLURALITIES OF TENDONS EXTENDING IN TENSION RESPECTIVELY THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND SLABS WITH AN END OF EACH OF THE TENDONS IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SLABS EXTENDED INTO THE SPACE DEFINED BY THE OPPOSED EDGE SURFACES OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND SLABS; MEANS AFFIXING THE END OF EACH OF SAID SECOND PLURALITY RELATIVE TO THE EDGE OF SAID SECOND SLAB; A BEARING PLATE AFFIXED TO SAID END OF EACH OF SAID TENDONS OF SAID FIRST PLURALITY; A CYLINDER POSITIONED SURROUNDING EACH OF SAID BEARING PLATES WITHIN SAID FIRST SLAB, SAID CYLINDER HAVING AN OPEN END AT SAID EDGE SURFACE OF SAID FIRST SLAB AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREIN, SAID BEARING PLATE BEING LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE WITHIN SAID CYLINDER WITH THE RESPECTIVE TENDON; MEANS FOR RELEASABLY AFFIXING EACH OF SAID BEARING PLATES IN A FIRST LONGITUDINAL POSITION WITHIN THE RESPECTIVE CYLINDER; A COUPLER TENDON CONNECTED BWTWEEN THE FIXED END OF A TENDON IN THE SECOND PLURALITY AND THE RELEASABLE END OF THE CORRESPONDING TENDON IN THE SECOND PLURALITY; MEANS FOR RELEASING EACH OF SAID BEARING PLATES FROM THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SLAB AFTER CONCRETE HAS BEEN POURED AND HARDENED BETWEEN SAID EDGE SURFACES WHEREBY EACH OF SAID BEARING PLATES IS RELEASED FROM SAID FIRST LONGITUDINAL POSITION.