Abstract:
A sideform assembly ( 9 ) includes a sideform ( 11 ) defining an attaching formation ( 13′, 14′ ) on an operatively rear wall ( 12 ). A mounting bracket assembly ( 10 ) comprises a connector plate ( 16 ) for supporting the sideform ( 11 ) and includes an engaging component ( 21 ) for engaging the attaching formation ( 13′, 14′ ) of the sideform ( 11 ). A mounting member ( 18 ) is carried by the connector plate ( 16 ) for mounting the connector plate ( 16 ) to a substrate.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a national phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 OF International Patent Application No. PCT/AU2007/001655 filed on Nov. 14, 2007 which claims the benefit of Australian Provisional Patent Application No 2006906339 filed on Nov. 14, 2006, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates, generally, to securing a sideform to a substrate, in particular, to a sideform assembly used for supporting sideforms in their moulding locations in the manufacture of precast building panels. 
     BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
     In Australian Patent No 721582 dated 28 th  April 1988 entitled “Method and Arrangement for Forming Construction Panels and Structures”, there is disclosed an arrangement and system that can be used to construct concrete panels on a work site. The arrangement uses a series of sideforms which define a mould cavity for the panel to be cast, sliding risers to laterally support the sideforms, and set back buttresses to support the sliding risers relative to a work site. In use, the set back buttresses are set back from the sideforms, with the sliding risers being slidably supported, one on top of the other, by the buttresses. In use, the leading ends of the sliding risers are releasably secured to the sideforms in a manner which does not require the sideform to be moved. It will of course be appreciated that a sideform used for moulding large precast building panels can be quite long and is not suited to being readily moved. 
     While the above described formwork system is particularly suited to moulding multiple building panels, one on top of the other, there is a need for a simple and relatively inexpensive sideform support system, both for in situ and off-site moulding operations, where there is a requirement only for a single panel (e g one which is of an unusual or awkward shape and/size) to be moulded. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a sideform assembly which includes 
     a sideform defining an attaching formation on an operatively rear wall; and 
     a mounting bracket assembly comprising 
     a connector plate for supporting the sideform and including an engaging means for engaging the attaching formation of the sideform; and 
     a mounting member carried by the connector plate for mounting the connector plate to a substrate. 
     The sideform may be of box-section defining a moulding face arranged in spaced relationship relative to the operatively rear wall of the sideform. 
     The connector plate may carry, on its operatively front face, an abutting arrangement which abuts the rear wall of the sideform to support the sideform. The abutting arrangement may comprise a plurality of spaced ribs arranged on the front face of the connector plate. Preferably, the ribs extend transversely across the face of the connector plate. 
     A locating formation may be carried on an opposed face of the connector plate for locating the mounting member relative to the connector plate. The locating formation may be a flange extending outwardly from the connector plate against which a top of the mounting member abuts. 
     In an embodiment, the mounting member may comprise a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket may define a receiving formation through which a fastener is receivable for fastening the mounting bracket to the substrate. 
     In another embodiment, the mounting member may be a magnetisable mounting block for mounting to a magnetic substrate. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a mounting bracket for a sideform assembly, the mounting bracket including 
     a connector plate for supporting a sideform of the assembly, the connector plate including an engaging means for engaging an attaching formation of the sideform and an abutting arrangement which abuts a rear wall of the sideform to support the sideform, the engaging means and the abutting arrangement being carried on one side of the plate; and 
     a mounting member carried on an opposed side of the connector plate for mounting the connector plate to a substrate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       An embodiment of the invention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a fragmentary, perspective view showing a portion of a first embodiment of a sideform assembly; 
         FIG. 2  shows a side view of the assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows a fragmentary, perspective view showing a portion of a second embodiment of a sideform assembly; 
         FIG. 4  shows a side view of the assembly of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a formwork system for moulding a concrete building panel on a horizontal magnetic table in a factory environment using the assembly of  FIGS. 3 and 4 ; and 
         FIG. 6  shows a fragmentary, perspective view of a part of the formwork system of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the accompanying drawings, reference numeral  9  generally designates an embodiment of a sideform assembly. The sideform assembly  9  comprises a mounting bracket assembly  10 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, releasably connected to an elongate box-like sideform  11  which is preferably made from extruded aluminium. The sideform  11  has a vertical planar rear wall  12  formed with two spaced, opposed longitudinally extending attaching formations in the form of channels  13 ,  14 , each of which has a flange or lip  13 ′,  14 ′ spaced from, and extending parallel to, the rear wall  12 . The sideform  11  has a front wall  34  against which concrete is moulded. 
     The mounting bracket assembly  10  comprises a vertical connector plate  16  removably attached by means of securing bolts or screws  17  to a mounting member which, in this embodiment, is an angle section support bracket  18 . The bracket  18  has a vertical flange  19  and a horizontal flange, or foot,  20  which is arranged to be fastened to an underlying substrate which can be, for example, a concrete slab or a magnetic table. 
     The connector plate  16  is formed with an engaging means in the form of a bottom locking channel or groove  21  which extends transversely across the width of the plate  16 , on an operatively front side of the plate  16 , and releasably engages the inwardly directed lip or flange  13 ′ on the sideform  11 . When engaged, this serves to lock the bracket assembly  10  and the sideform  11  together. The connector plate  16  is also provided with an abutting arrangement in the form of a plurality of vertically spaced parallel transversely extending ribs  24  which project from the operatively front side of the plate  16 . The ribs  24  bear against the rear wall  12  of the sideform  11  so as to impart lateral support to the sideform  11 . 
     A rear side of the plate  16  carries a locating formation in the form of an outwardly extending, transversely arranged flange  22  which serves to locate and position the mounting member relative to the connector plate  16 . 
     It will be appreciated that the vertical height of the plate  16  is slightly less than the height of a mouth formed between opposing free edges of the inwardly directed flanges  13 ′,  14 ′ on the sideform  11 , to facilitate positioning of the plate  16  between the flanges  13 ′ and  14 ′. The provision of multiple ribs  24  allows the plate  16  to be reduced in height to suit sideforms  11  of smaller height. This is done by simply cutting off an upper portion from the plate  16  so that its height is less than the length the mouth defined between the opposing flanges  13 ′ and  14 ′ on the sideform  11 . 
     An elongate slot  27  is defined in the foot  20  of the bracket  18 , a fastener (not shown) such as a bolt being receivable through the slot  27  to fasten the bracket assembly  10  to the substrate. In this embodiment, the substrate may be a concrete base. The slot  27  permits a degree of sliding movement of the sideform assembly  9  relative to the substrate. Such movement may be required to accommodate lateral expansion of the formwork during setting of the concrete in the mould. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 to 6  of the drawings, a second embodiment of the sideform assembly  9  is illustrated. With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts unless otherwise specified. 
     This embodiment illustrates a sideform assembly  9  suitable for use on a magnetic table  30  ( FIG. 5 ) in a factory environment. The attachment of the connector plate  16  to the sideform  11  is exactly the same as that described and illustrated in the first embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the mounting member is a ferromagnetic metal block  31 . The connector plate  16  of the bracket assembly  10  is secured to a top of the magnetic table  30  by means of the metal block  31  which is removably attached to the rear face of the vertical connector plate  16  by means of fastening screws or bolts  32 . The metal block  31 , when magnetised, securely locks the sideform assembly  9  to the table  30 , whereupon concrete can be poured into the mould cavity defined by the sideforms. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate an array of sideforms  11  which together form a rectangular mould supported on top of the magnetic table  30 . Once the concrete panel has sufficiently cured, the table  30  is demagnetised to thereby release the anchoring blocks  31  and in turn allow the sideforms  11  to be pulled away from the moulded panel. 
     It is an advantage of the invention that a sideform assembly  9  is provided which is simple and cost-effective to use, in particular, where only a single panel, which may be of an awkward shape, is required to be moulded. Also, due to the modular nature of the assembly  9 , the assembly  9  can easily be modified to be used with on different types of substrates. 
     It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.