Panel for concrete wall forms

Claim 1

A unitary panel for concrete wall forms, said panel comprising: an extruded, channel-shaped, metal intermediate section comprising a pair of spaced apart flanges of uniform cross section and a connecting portion of uniform cross section integral with the flanges and having an outermost planar surface; first and second extruded, channel-shaped metal end sections, each end section comprising a pair of spaced apart flanges of uniform cross section and a connecting portion of uniform cross section integral with the flanges and having an outermost planar surface, said surface of each end section extending outwardly in transverse relationship to one of said flanges to present a lip integral with the surface, said end sections being disposed at opposite ends of said intermediate section with the other of said flanges of each end section being disposed in abutting side-by-side relationship to a corresponding flange of said intermediate section, each abutting pair of flanges comprising a V-shaped, selfcentering projection protruding from one of the flanges in spaced relationship to an adjacent connecting portion and coextensive in length with the length of a corresponding section, and a recess in the other of the flanges disposed in spaced relationship to an adjacent connecting portion and coextensive in length with the length of a corresponding section, said recess having converging sidewalls complemental to said projection for receiving the latter to hold said sections in planar alignment and cause said connecting portions to present an uninterrupted planar working face, one of said abutting pair of flanges having a greater transverse dimension than the corresponding dimension of the other flange, and said abutting pair of flanges being welded one to the other; and a plurality of connecting bars extending transversely of the longitudinal dimensions of said sections on the sides of the latter opposite said working face, said bars being disposed in vertically spaced relationship, intersecting the flanges of said intermediate section and said other flanges of said end sections, and extending into abutting relationship to said one flange of each of said end sections, each of the intersected flanges having a notch for receiving said bar, said bars being welded to said flanges with the end of each weld proximal the corresponding connecting portion terminating in spaced relationship to the latter whereby to avoid heat distortion of the latter during the welding operation.