Patent ID: 11927012
Assignee: C & M MACHINES LLC
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E | IPC E

Claim 16:
17. A one-piece post-tension tendon pocket former comprising:
a pocket section configured to create a pocket in an edge of concrete, said pocket section including a first end, and a second end, the pocket section has a large tapered section between said first end and said second end configured to create the pocket in the edge of the concrete, where the pocket is configured to allow tension to be applied to a tendon connected to a post-tension tendon anchor, wherein the large tapered section of the pocket section includes a hollow interior supported by a plurality of spokes;
a formwork securing mechanism connected to the second end of the pocket section, said formwork securing mechanism is configured to secure the second end of the pocket section to a formwork, wherein the formwork securing mechanism includes:
an alignment shaft with formwork ribs configured to be inserted into a hole in the formwork,
the formwork ribs on the alignment shaft of the formwork securing mechanism are angled towards the second end of the pocket section, whereby the formwork ribs are configured to prevent removal or backing out of the alignment shaft once inserted into the hole in the formwork;
the formwork ribs on the alignment shaft of the plywood are tapered, whereby, the formwork ribs slightly deflect during insertion of the alignment shaft into the hole in the formwork, whereby, the post-tension pocket former is configured to create the pocket in the edge of the concrete when the formwork is removed from the edge of the concrete, where the formwork ribs of the post-tension pocket former are configured to secure the post-tension tendon pocket former to the hole in the formwork, thereby, removing the post-tension tendon pocket former away from the edge of the concrete with the formwork for creating the pocket in the edge of the concrete;
the alignment shaft has an extended length that extends from the second end of the pocket section to a distal alignment end of the alignment shaft, where the extended length is sized to extend at least a thickness of the formwork, whereby when the alignment shaft of the formwork securing mechanism is inserted through the hole in the formwork where the second end of the pocket section is aligned with an inner surface of the formwork, the distal alignment end of the alignment shaft and at least one of the formwork ribs on the alignment shaft extend beyond an outer surface of the formwork;
wherein the formwork securing mechanism is configured to secure the second end of the pocket section to a plywood formwork or a medium-density fiberboard formwork;

an anchor securing mechanism connected to the first end of the pocket section, said anchor securing mechanism is configured to secure the first end of the pocket section to a post-tension tendon anchor with two fastener holes, the anchor securing mechanism including:
an anchor sealing portion configured to seal the first end of the pocket section to the post-tension tendon anchor;
two retention tabs extending from opposite sides of the pocket section, each of the two retention tabs is configured to be secured in one of the two fastener holes of the post-tension tendon anchor for securing the seal between the anchor sealing portion and the post-tension tendon anchor, wherein the anchor securing mechanism includes:
a first retention tab is configured to be secured in a first fastener hole of the post-tension tendon anchor;
a second retention tab is configured to be secured in a second fastener hole of the post-tension tendon anchor;

wherein each of the two retention tabs including:
a transverse member extending away from the side of the pocket section, the transverse member of each of the retention tabs including a rectangular cross-section;
a parallel member connected to a distal end of the transverse member, the parallel member extending from the transverse member beyond the anchor sealing portion, the parallel member of each of the retention tabs including a circular cross-section, the parallel member of each of the two retention tabs including a securing portion at a securing end of each parallel member, the securing portion is configured to secure the parallel member inside of one of the two fastener holes of the post-tension tendon anchor, wherein the securing portion at the securing end of each parallel member including a plurality of securing ribs, the plurality of securing ribs are angled towards the transverse member, whereby the securing ribs are configured to prevent removal or backing out of the securing portion of the parallel member from one of the two fastener holes of the post-tension tendon anchor, and whereby, the securing ribs slightly deflect during insertion of the securing portion into one of the two fastener holes of the post-tension tendon anchor;

wherein each of the two retention tabs is configured to break away from the side of the pocket section when the pocket section with the anchor sealing portion is removed from the post-tension tendon anchor via the transverse member of each retention tab breaking away from the side of the pocket section, where the formwork securing mechanism has more strength than a breaking strength of the transverse member;
wherein the anchor securing mechanism includes:
a slight tapered section connected to the first end of the pocket section configured to seal to an internal anchor assembly seal area of the anchor;
a small tapered section connected to the slight tapered section configured to be inserted into and secured within a tapered receiver of the anchor;

wherein the pocket section, the formwork securing mechanism, and the anchor securing mechanism of the post-tension tendon pocket former are integrally formed to create a one-piece pocket former; and
whereby the post-tension tendon pocket former is configured so secure and align the to the formwork.