Apparatus for forming a trench

Claim 3

The device of claim 1, and further comprising adjustable anchoring means attached to said frame members for providing adjustment of said frame members relative to the ground and to each other.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1, wherein said means for adjustably securing said form pan to said members comprise a nut and bolt combination, said bolt passing through said second slot and said first slot.

Claim 5

The device of claim 3, wherein said nut is a wing nut.

Claim 6

The device of claim 1, wherein said first adjustment slot is a circular hole.

Claim 7

The device of claim 1, wherein said first adjustment slot is an elongated hole.

Claim 8

The device of claim 1, wherein said second adjustment slot is a circular hole.

Claim 9

The device of claim 1, wherein said second adjustment slot is an elongated hole.

Claim 10

The device of claim 1, wherein said form pan comprises a pair of sidewalls.

Claim 11

The device of claim 9, wherein said frame members are capable of supporting a grate and each comprise: (a) a horizontal grate supporting member comprising: (i) a generally planar top surface upon which the bottom of grate may rest; (ii) a bottom surface opposite said top surface; (iii) a rearward edge; and (iv) a forward edge opposite said rearward edge; (b) an upper grate contacting member extending vertically upward from said top surface of said grate supporting member at said rearward edge of said grate supporting member for contacting a side of said grate; and (c) a sidewall contacting member extending vertically downward from said bottom surface of said grate supporting member at said forward edge of said grate supporting member having a front surface and a rear surface, said rear surface opposite said front surface; said front surface for contacting said form pan sidewall; said sidewall contacting member having said first adjustment slots; said first frame adjustably fastenable atop said first form pan sidewall so that the forward edge of its grate supporting member faces said second sidewall and said second frame adjustably fastenable atop said sidewall so that the forward edge of its grate supporting member faces said first sidewall so that said grate supporting members form a surface upon which said grate rest.

Claim 12

The device of claim 2, wherein said anchoring means comprise: (a) a supporting rod capable of being securely anchored to the ground; (b) a collar attached to said frame member having a vertical opening through its length and capable of being positioned over and securely attached to said supporting rod; and (c) means for maintaining the position of said collar on said supporting rod.

Claim 13

The device of claim 11, wherein said vertical opening has a diameter greater than the diameter of said supporting rod to allow for positioning said frames relative to the ground and to each other.

Claim 14

The device of claim 11, wherein said collar is attached to said frame member by means of a connecting member.

Claim 15

The device of claim 13, wherein said connecting member is a horizontally extending connecting member.

Claim 16

The device of claim 11, wherein said collar has a threaded bore into which a thumbscrew may be threadingly inserted so as to provide said means for maintaining the position of said collar on said supporting rod when said thumbscrew is tightened.

Claim 17

The device of claim 11, wherein said collar has a plurality of threaded bores into which thumbscrews may be threadingly inserted so as to provide said means for maintaining the position of said collar on said supporting rod when said thumbscrews are tightened.

Claim 18

The device of claim 1, wherein said frame members are made of steel.

Claim 19

The device of claim 1, wherein said frame members are made of cast iron.

Claim 20

The device of claim 1, wherein said frame members are made of aluminum.

Claim 21

The device of claim 1, wherein said frame members are made of a polymeric compound.

Claim 22

The device of claim 1, and further comprising lifting hooks attached to said form pan sidewalls to provide a means for removing said form pan after use.

Claim 23

The device of claim 1, wherein said form pan sidewalls have inner and outer surfaces, said outer surfaces coated with a releasing agent.

Claim 26

The device of claim 23, wherein said frame members have adjustment slots and same form pan has sidewalls having adjustment slots positionally corresponding to said adjustment slots of said frame members, and further comprising means for adjustably securing said form pan to said frame members along said form pan slots and said frame slots to allow positioning of said form pan bottom surface relative to said frame members.

Claim 27

The device of claim 24, wherein said means for adjustably securing said form pan and said frame members comprise a nut and bolt combination, said bolt passing through said form pan slot and said frame slot.

Claim 28

The device of claim 24, wherein said frame slots are circular holes.

Claim 29

The device of claim 24, wherein said frame slots are elongated holes.

Claim 30

The device of claim 24, wherein said form pan slots are circular holes.

Claim 31

The device of claim 24, wherein said form pan slots are elongated holes.

Claim 32

The device of claim 23, wherein said anchoring means comprise: (a) a supporting rod capable of being securely anchored to the ground; (b) a collar attached to said frame member having a vertical opening through its length and capable of being positioned over and securely attached to said supporting rod; and (c) means for maintaining the position of said collar on said supporting rod.

Claim 33

The device of claim 30, wherein vertical opening has a diameter greater than the diameter of said supporting rod to allow for the proper positioning of said frame members relative to the ground and to each other.

Claim 34

The device of claim 30, wherein said collar is attached to said frame member by means of a connecting member.

Claim 35

The device of claim 32, wherein said connecting member is a horizontally extending connecting member.

Claim 36

The device of claim 30, wherein said collar has a threaded bore into which a thumbscrew may be threadingly inserted so as to provide said means for maintaining the position of said collar on said supporting rod when said thumbscrew is tightened.

Claim 37

The device of claim 30, wherein said collar has a plurality of threaded bores into which thumbscrews may be threadingly inserted so as to provide said means for maintaining the position of said collar on said supporting rod when said thumbscrews are tightened.

Claim 38

The device of claim 24, wherein said form pan comprises a pair of sidewalls.

Claim 39

The device of claim 36, wherein said frame members are capable of supporting a grate and each comprise: (a) a horizontal grate supporting member comprising: (i) a generally planar top surface upon which the bottom of a grate may rest; (ii) a bottom surface opposite said top surface; (iii) a rearward edge; and (iv) a forward edge opposite said rearward edge; (b) an upper grate contacting member extending vertically upward from said top surface of said grate supporting member at said rearward edge of said grate supporting member for contacting a side of said grate; and (c) a sidewall contacting member extending vertically downward from said bottom surface of said grate supporting member at said forward edge of said grate supporting member having a front surface and a rear surface, said rear surface opposite said front surface; said front surface for contacting said form pan sidewall; said sidewall contacting member having said frame member adjustment slots; said first frame adjustably fastenable atop said first form pan sidewall so that the forward edge of its grate supporting member faces said second sidewall and said second frame adjustably fastenable atop said second sidewall so that the forward edge of its grate supporting member faces said first sidewall so that said grate supporting members form a surface upon which said grate may rest.

Claim 40

The device of claim 37, wherein said anchoring means comprise: (a) a supporting rod capable of being securely anchored to the ground; (b) a collar having a vertical opening through its length and capable of being positioned over and securely attached to said supporting rod; (c) a connecting member attached at a first end to said sidewall contacting member back surface and at a second end opposite said first end to said collar; and (d) means for maintaining the position of said collar on said supporting rod.

Claim 41

The device of claim 38, wherein said connecting member is a horizontally extending connecting member.

Claim 42

The device of claim 38, wherein said vertical opening has a diameter greater than- the diameter of said supporting rod to allow for positioning said frame members relative to the ground and to each other.

Claim 43

The device of claim 38, wherein said collar has a threaded bore into which a thumbscrew may be threadingly inserted so as to provide said means for maintaining the position of said collar on said supporting rod when said thumbscrew is tightened.

Claim 44

The device of claim 38, wherein said collar has a plurality of threaded bores into which thumbscrews may be threadingly inserted so as to provide said means for maintaining the position of said collar on said supporting rod when said thumbscrews are tightened.

Claim 45

The device of claim 23, wherein said frame members are made of steel.

Claim 46

The device of claim 23, wherein said frame members are made of cast iron.

Claim 47

The device of claim 23, wherein said frame members are made of aluminum.

Claim 48

The device of claim 23, wherein said frame members are made of a polymeric compound.

Claim 49

The device of claim 23, and further comprising lifting hooks attached to said form pan sidewalls to provide means for removing said form pan after use.

Claim 50

The device of claim 24, wherein said form pan sidewalls have inner and outer surfaces, said outer surfaces coated with a releasing agent.

Claim 53

The system of claim 49, wherein each said device has a front end and a back end opposite said front end, said front end and said back end perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said device, said front end of a first device abutting against said back end of an adjacent device when said devices are placed adjacent to each other.

Claim 54

The system of claim 49, wherein said form pans of said trench forming devices are placed adjacent to each other.

Claim 55

The system of claim 51, wherein each said form pan of each said device has a front end and a back end opposite said front end, said front end and said back end perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said form pan, said front end of a first form pan abutting against said back end of an adjacent form pan when said form pans are placed adjacent to each other.

Claim 56

The system of claim 52, and further comprising means for preventing said moldable trench composition from seeping between said abutting form pans.

Claim 57

The system of claim 53, wherein said preventing means comprise adhesive tape attached to said shaped pan sidewalls of said adjacent form pans.

Claim 58

The system of claim 53, wherein said preventing means comprise a lap joint attached to said form pan sidewalls of said adjacent form pans.