Frame structure for casting concrete

Claim 2

A frame structure for casting a concrete building panel, comprising: a plurality of panel edge molding frame members each having a generally U-shaped cross-section; a plurality of panel corner frame members each having a configuration which, when viewed in plan, corresponds to the angle of the corner of the panels to be molded thereby; said panel edge molding frame members and said panel corner frame members being assembled in a panel molding frame with a number of panel edge molding frame members along the portions of the frame corresponding to the edges of the panel to be molded sufficient to equal the length of the corresponding edge of the panel, with the ends of the panel edge molding frame members abutting the panel corner frame members, and with the opening of the U-shaped cross-section of said panel edge molding frame members facing inwardly of the panel molding frame; connecting means rigidly connecting said panel edge molding frame members to each other and to said panel corner frame members; and liner means in the interior of each of said panel edge molding frame members and having the inner portions thereof abutting the interior of said panel edge molding frame members for positioning said liner means in the panel edge molding frame members, and the surfaces of the liner means facing the space within the panel molding frame having a shape complementary to the shape of the edge of the panel to be molded by the use of said frame structure, said panel molding frame, said connecting means, and said liner means together constitute a panel molding frame unit.

Claim 3

A frame structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said panel edge molding frame members each have a liner retaining means in the interior thereof; said plurality of panel corner frame members each have two portions having the same cross-section as said panel edge molding frame members and having a liner retaining means in the interior thereof, said portions being abutted at one end thereof to each other and attached together at an angle to each other corresponding to the angle of the corner of the panels to be molded thereby; the ends of the panel edge molding frame members in said panel molding frame being aligned with and abutting the other ends of the portions of the panel corner frame members, and with the opening of the U-shaped cross-section facing inwardly of the panel molding frame; and said liner means being liners in the frame members engaged with said liner retaining means for being retained in said frame members.

Claim 4

A frame structure as claimed in claim 2 in which said liner retaining means in each frame member comprises an inner channel portion in the innermost portion of the interior of said U-shaped cross-section and extending along the length of the frame member and having a slot-shaped opening therein directed toward the open part of said U-shaped cross-section, and said liners each having at least one projection thereon engaged in said slot-shaped opening for retaining the liners in said frame members.

Claim 5

A frame structure as claimed in claim 3 in which said liners are of a material which is softer than the material of the frame members and said projections are slightly larger than the width of said slot-shaped openings and being forcedly engaged in said slot-shaped openings for retaining the liners in the frame members.

Claim 6

A frame structure as claimed in claim 3 in which the inner channel portion in each frame member has a plurality of pairs of opposed recesses spaced along the edges defining said slot-shaped opening to form slot enlargements, and said liners each have projections spaced at distances therealong corresponding to the spacing of said slot enlargements and having a size for fitting tightly into said enlargements, whereby the liners are properly located along the frame members.

Claim 7

A frame structure as claimed in claim 2 in which the surfaces of at least some of the liners facing the space within the panel molding frame have a shape which is different from the shape of the corresponding surfaces on the other liners.

Claim 8

A frame structure as claimed in claim 2 in which the liners each have a shape having surfaces engaging the sides of the U-shaped cross-sectional frame members which are substantially complementary to the sides of the interior of the U-shaped cross-section frame members.

Claim 9

A frame structure as claimed in claim 7 in which the opposed inner surfaces of the sides of the U-shaped cross-section of the frame members are tapered outwardly toward the open part of the U-shaped cross-section.

Claim 10

A frame structure as claimed in claim 2 in which said liners are a relatively soft easily moldable material.

Claim 11

A frame structure as claimed in claim 9 in which said liners are a material taken from the group consisting of expanded polystyrene, rubber urethane and foamed urethane.

Claim 12

A frame structure as claimed in claim 10 in which at least some of said liners are single pieces of material.

Claim 13

A frame structure as claimed in claim 10 in which at least some of said liners are in two parts, an inner part for fitting into the inner part of a frame member and an outer part having the surface facing the space within the panel molding frames, the abutting surfaces of said parts having mating projections and recesses for holding the parts in the proper relative engaged positions.

Claim 14

A frame structure as claimed in claim 2 in which the outer surfaces of the sides of the U-shaped cross-sectional frame members have flats thereon for abutting corresponding flats of adjacent frame members when panel molding frame units are stacked.

Claim 15

A frame structure as claimed in claim 2 in which said frame members are extruded aluminum.

Claim 16

A frame structure as claimed in claim 2 in which each frame member has an outer channel therealong having a slot opening out of said outer channel, and said connecting means for connecting each two adjacent frame members comprises a bar positioned in said outer channel and extending between adjacent frame members, a plate along the outside of said frame members, and connecting members on opposite sides of the joint between adjacent frame members and extending through said plate, said slot and bar for drawing said plate and said bar toward each other to clamp said frame members therebetween.

Claim 17

A frame structure as claimed in claim 15 in which said connecting members are each a threaded shaft threaded through said bar for drawing said bar against the outer wall of the interior of said channel on opposite sides of said slot, and a handle means on the shaft bearing against the outside of said plate.

Claim 18

A frame structure as claimed in claim 2 further comprising stacking connecting means connecting panel molding frame units in a stack one above the other.

Claim 19

A frame structure as claimed in claim 17 in which at least two frame structures are stacked and each frame member has an outer channel therealong on the outer surface of the bottom of the U-shaped cross-section and having a slot opening out of said outer channel, and said stacking connecting means comprises a plate extending transversely of at least two frame members, a bar in the outer channel of each frame member, and threaded means connected to said plate and to said bars for clamping said plate to said frame members.

Claim 20

A frame structure as claimed in claim 18 in which said threaded means is a threaded shaft extending through said plate and threaded through each bar for drawing said bars against the outer wall of the interior of said outer channel on opposite sides of said slot in each frame members, and a handle means on each threaded shaft for urging said plate against the frame members over the slots.

Claim 21

A frame structure as claimed in claim 2 in which said frame members and liners have recesses therein for insertion of reinforcing rods thereinto for being held by said frame structure while being cast into the panel.

Claim 22

A frame structure as claimed in claim 20 further comprising anchors extending through said frame members and said liners for engaging the reinforcing rods for holding said reinforcing rods in said liners.

Claim 23

A frame structure as claimed in claim 21 in which said anchors are for engaging horizontally oriented U-shaped reinforcing rods with the U-shaped end in the respective recesses of the liners, and said anchors are each constituted by a shank having a hook on one end for engagement with the U-shaped end of the associated reinforcing rod and means on the other end for engaging the frame member in which the anchor is located for pulling the reinforcing rod snugly into the associated recess and securing the associated reinforcing rod, liner and frame member tightly together.

Claim 24

A frame structure as claimed in claim 22 further comprising a plug for engagement between the legs of each U-shaped reinforcing rod, said plug having portions for engagement around the legs of the rod and having an overall shape complementary to the cross-section of the reinforcing rod receiving recesses in the liners for plugging each of said recesses when a reinforcing rod is positioned therein for preventing concrete from flowing into the recesses during the casting of the concrete panel.

Claim 25

A frame structure as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a recess mold member engaged with a liner and extending into the space within the panel molding frame, and a strap extending around said recess mold member and having the ends thereof engaged in said liner retaining means in the frame member from which the recess mold member extends.

Claim 26

A frame structure as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a protector for at least some of the frame members and liners of said frame structure, said protector being a sheet of protective material and having a shape corresponding to the shape of the surface of the liners facing the space within the frame structure and positioned over said surface with the ends of said sheet extending along the outer surfaces of said frame members.

Claim 27

A frame structure as claimed in claim 25 in which each said protector has a groove therein facing the space within the panel molding frame with which it is associated for receiving a strip-shaped gasket to be molded into the edge of the concrete panel.

Claim 28

A frame structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said liner means in each panel edge molding frame member is a coating of a moldable material softer than the material of the frame members and has a varying thickness for providing the desired shape to the surface of the liner means facing the space within the panel molding frame, which shape is different from the shape of the interior surface of the panel edge molding frame member.

Claim 29

A frame structure as claimed in claim 27 in which the surfaces of at least some of the coatings facing the space within the panel molding frame have a shape which is different from the shape of the corresponding surfaces on the other coatings.

Claim 30

A frame structure as claimed in claim 27 in which the opposed inner surfaces of the side members of the U-shaped cross-section of the panel edge molding frame members and the coatings thereon are tapered outwardly toward the open part of the U-shaped cross-section.

Claim 31

A frame structure as claimed in claim 27 in which the material of the coating extends around the ends of the side members of the U-shaped cross-section of the panel edge molding frame members and along the outside surfaces of said side members.

Claim 32

A frame structure as claimed in claim 30 in which part of the coating on the outside surfaces of said side members has a thickened portion with a flat outer surface for abutting a corresponding flat surface on a panel edge molding frame member which lies against the flat outer surface.

Claim 33

A frame structure as claimed in claim 27 in which said panel edge molding frame members are extruded aluminum.

Claim 34

A frame structure as claimed in claim 27 in which said coating material is polyurethane adhered to said panel edge molding frame member.

Claim 35

A frame structure as claimed in claim 27 in which each panel edge molding frame member has a groove along the upper and lower outer corners thereof, and said connecting means for connecting each two adjacent panel edge molding frame members comprises two L-shaped cross-sections bars with one leg in a corresponding groove in adjacent panel edge molding frame members, and a plate extending along the outside of said panel edge molding frame members, and connecting members along the edges of said plate opposite said bars and extending through said plate into said bars for drawing said plate and said bars toward each other for clamping said panel edge molding frame members therebetween.

Claim 36

A frame structure as claimed in claim 27 in which said corner frame members each comprise a plate member and depending side walls depending therefrom and abutted by the ends of panel edge molding frame members at the corners of the panel frame.

Claim 37

A frame structure as claimed in claim 35 in which said corner frame members each further have depending side walls along the outside of the corner frame member flush with the outside surfaces of the bottom members of the abutting panel edge molding frame members, and said panel edge molding frame members each have a groove along the upper and lower outer corners thereof, and said connecting means for connecting adjacent frame members comprises two L-shaped cross-section bars with one leg in a corresponding groove in a panel edge molding frame member abutting a corner frame member, a plate extending along the outside of the adjacent frame members, and connecting members along the edges of the plate opposite said bars and extending through said plate into said bars for drawing said plate and said bars toward each other for clamping the panel edge molding frame member therebetween, and further connecting members extending through said plate for securing said plate to said outside depending side walls of said corner frame member.

Claim 38

A frame structure as claimed in claim 27 further comprising stacking connecting means connecting panel molding frame units in a stack one above the other.

Claim 39

A frame structure as claimed in claim 37 in which each panel edge molding frame member has a leg receiving groove along the upper and lower outer corners thereof, and said stacking connecting means comprise a plurality of L-shaped cross-section bars with the one legs in corresponding leg receiving grooves in the stacked panel edge molding frame members, a stacking plate on the outside of each of the panel edge molding frame members in the stack, connecting members along the edges of said stacking plates opposite said L-shaped cross-section bars and extending through said plates into said L-shaped cross-section bars for drawing said stacking plates and L-shaped cross-section bars toward each other for clamping the panel edge molding frame members therebetween, said stacking plates each having a pair of spaced parallel bar receiving grooves therein extending in a direction of the stacking of the frame members, each bar receiving groove having a slot opening out of the bar receiving groove which is narrower than the bar receiving groove, a connecting bar in each bar receiving groove, the connecting bar in one bar receiving groove extending through th corresponding bar receiving groove in the stacking plate on the next higher panel edge molding frame member in the stack and the connecting bar in the other bar receiving groove extending through the corresponding bar receiving groove in the stacking plate on the next lower panel edge molding frame member in the stack, and a pair of angle members, one angle member having one flange over the slots of the bar receiving grooves in which one connecting bar is positioned, and the other angle member having one flange over the slots of the bar receiving grooves in which the other connecting bar is positioned, connecting means extending through said one flange on each angle member into the corresponding connecting bar for drawing said connecting bars and flanges toward each other to clamp said stacking plates therebetween, the angle members having second flanges thereon which abut each other for resisting relative lateral movement of said panel edge molding frame members to which said stacking connecting means is connected.

Claim 40

A frame structure as claimed in claim 27 in which said liner means further comprises a filler member extending between one of said side members of at least one of said U-shaped cross-section panel edge molding frame members and the bottom member thereof with said coating over the surface thereof within said panel edge molding frame member, said filler member defining a closed space between said filler member and the inner surface of said panel edge molding frame member, and anchors extending into said closed space through said panel edge molding frame member for engaging reinforcing rods for holding reinforcing rods in position in said panel molding frame during casting of a concrete panel therein.

Claim 41

A frame structure as claimed in claim 39 in which said anchors are for engaging horizontally oriented U-shaped reinforcing rods with th U-shaped end in the closed space, said filler member having at least one slot therein through which the reinforcing rod extends, and said anchors are each constituted by a shank having a hook on one end for engagement with the U-shaped end of the associated reinforcing rod and means on the other end for engaging the frame member in which the anchor is located for pulling the reinforcing rod snugly into the closed space and securing the associated reinforcing rod and frame member tightly together.

Claim 42

A frame structure as claimed in claim 27 further comprising a plug-in member for at least one of said panel edge molding frame members, said plug-in member having a rigid member and a coating thereon of the same material of the coating on said panel edge molding frame member, said coating having a dimension for fitting tighty into the space within said panel edge molding frame member with the surface thereof facing the interior of the panel molding frame having the desired shape complementary to the shape of the edge of the panel to be cast by the frame structure.

Claim 43

A frame structure as claimed in claim 27 in which said panel edge molding frame members each have a bottom member and two separate side members, the side members being connected to the bottom member.

Claim 44

A frame structure as claimed in claim 27 in which said panel edge molding frame members each have a bottom member and two side members formed of a single piece of material.