Abstract:
A window buck having members forming a frame with the members including adjustable components enabling use of the buck in walls under construction of different thicknesses. Extruded front and rear components of each buck member are adjustably interengaged with one another and fixable in a desired relationship to suit the wall being constructed. External channels formed in the buck members are open lengthwise to permit reception of angular connectors for joining the buck members at their intersecting ends. The connectors may be of reusable rebar and removable upon completion of the wall. The components of each buck member are lockable by inserted fasteners. A modified window buck includes a central component for use in walls of extraordinary thicknesses. A further modified window buck may include buck members of unitary construction.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns window buck construction ultimately used as a form to define an opening in a cast wall for subsequent installation of a window. 
     Window bucks are commonly used in the construction of buildings of concrete wall construction and serve to block out an area in the wall during pouring of concrete. The window buck is supported in place on front and rear wall surfaces and left in place to receive a window assembly. 
     Homes and other buildings utilizing concrete as the major wall component may include inner and outer surfaces of insulative sheet material applied to reinforcing steel prior to pouring of the concrete to become an integral part of the wall. The insulative sheet material may serve as a wall form with the insulative qualities of the foam material U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,293 discloses a window buck for blocking out a wall area for later reception of a window. Elongate buck members are joined at their ends, in one form, by right angular locking members, each having a protruding frictional member for retention of an arm of the locking member within a selected interior channel of a buck member. The buck members define multiple internal channels. To retain the buck in assembled configuration the locking members must be of precise shape and size and become a part of the installed buck. A preferred form of the window buck disclosed dispenses with the right angular insertable locking members and achieves interlocking of the buck member ends by the cutting of the ends of the members to form tongues for insertion within slots cut in the intersecting end of an adjacent buck member. In both forms of the window buck disclosed no provision made for use of the window buck in the formation of window openings in walls of other than a single specified thickness. Further, the channels within which right angular connectors are inserted are all internal channels open only at their ends. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,103 discloses a window buck having members formed with internal channels extending along each side of the member and along a central wall of the member to receive inserts of right angular shape for joining intersecting ends of two buck members. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,804 discloses a plastic window frame wherein right angular gussets serve as locking members to join horizontal and vertical frame members by insertion into interior channels of corresponding cross section. The gussets and an overlapping stiffener in each buck member fit within a partially open internal channel defined by each buck member. 
     The provision of a buck being laterally adjustable to accommodate installation in walls of two predetermined thicknesses is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,624. The buck disclosed is adjustable to accommodate 8 inch or 9 inch thick walls. A clamp is secured in one of two positions by a key inserted through aligned slots in the clamp and a lip on two adjustable buck members. 
     A wall vent is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,947 for incorporation into a foundation wall with the vent having interengageable inner and outer members which may be joined in a manner enabling the vent to be adjusted to suit one or two thickness of the wall under construction. No provision is made for infinite adjustment of the wall vent. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention is embodied within a window buck for installation in a concrete wall being formed with the buck readily assembled using angular connectors in external channels. 
     A window buck is provided, in one form, for use in forming window openings in walls of various thicknesses with the buck having members each with front and rear components slidably adjustable relative one another. Laterally open channels or grooves formed in the buck members receive connectors placed therein to join the members. The connectors may be of rebar material and reusable if so desired. A yieldable lip on each channel ensures retention of a connector. 
     Objectives include the provision of a window buck of extruded synthetic material with the buck members assembled into a framework using low cost, reusable connectors set into place in open sided channels; the provision of a window buck for use in walls of a wide range of thicknesses with the buck having, in one form, a central component adding to the range of adjustment of the buck for such thicknesses; the provision of a window buck having a bottom member which is positionable on a wall under construction permitting the discharge of fluid wall material into that area of the wall under the window buck; the provision of a window buck having connectors retaining the buck in a configuration for later reception of a window with one of said connectors serving as a pivot for a bottom member of the buck permitting outward positioning of the bottom member to allow discharge of fluid wall material into that wall area below the buck. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the accompanying drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the present window buck with building wall fragments; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of that portion of the window buck encircled at  2  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 2A is a vertical sectional view taken along line  2 A— 2 A of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a buck member of a modified window buck; 
     FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a buck member of a still further modified window buck. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With continuing attention to the drawings wherein applied reference numerals indicate parts similarly hereinafter identified, the reference numeral  1  indicates generally the present buck installed within a wall structure of a building under construction having a front wall  2  and a rear wall  3 . The present window buck when installed serves to block out an area in a cast wall having a central mass of concrete  4  intermediate front wall member  2  and rear wall member  3  which preferably are of foam construction to provide insulative qualities to the wall as well as serving as wall forms during wall construction. The wall members  2  and  3  are retained in a spaced relationship by a bridge at  5  which may be configured to receive reinforcing bar R, termed rebar in the trade. Integral with bridge  5  are molded plastic blocks  5 A- 5 B embedded in the wall members. 
     With attention now to the present invention, the present window buck  1  may be of rectangular shape in frontal elevation or of other shapes. 
     In FIG. 3, a cross section is shown of a buck top member generally at  6  which cross section is representative of side and bottom members of the window buck and accordingly the following description of buck top member  6  is applicable to side members generally at  7  and bottom member generally at  8 . Top member  6  as best shown in FIG. 3, preferably comprises a front component  11  and a rear component  12  with respect to front and rear building walls  2  and  3 . Front component  11  is of hollow construction having webs as at  13  extending lengthwise of the component. An inner wall  14  of the component terminates, along with an outer wall  15 , at a frontal edge of component  6  and, along with a web  16 , defines a laterally open channel  17 . 
     A rear component  20  of the window buck includes spaced apart outer and inner walls  21  and  22  which terminate at the rear of the buck, to define, along with a web  23 , a laterally open channel  24 . Channels  17  and  24  are coterminous with their respective front and rear buck components to receive connectors at  25  having arms  25 A- 25 B and bent at  30 , as shown in FIG. 2. A snug fit between channel defining walls and connector arms is desirable to ensure connector retention with the fit enhanced by means of flexible lips at  32  canted toward the channel. When the connectors  25  are formed from reinforcing bar, (rebar), the channels  17  and  24 , dimensioned to provide a snug fit, the somewhat irregular external surface of the rebar contributes to such retention. A wall at  29  on rear component  12  projects into concrete  4  to support the mid-portion of an installed buck member. 
     The outer walls  15  and  21  of components  11  and  12  terminate respectively forwardly and rearwardly in outwardly projecting flanges  26  and  27  enabling securement to external front and rear walls  2  and  3  as by screws  28 . The components  11  and  12  are in tongue and groove engagement at their joined edges. 
     With attention to FIG. 4, a side member generally at  7  is shown in section while a bottom member generally at  8  is shown in fragmentary fashion with a front component swung to an open position as later explained. The reference numerals indicated above in the description of the buck top member are applicable to side member  7  and bottom member  8 . FIG. 4 best illustrates the feature of the present buck which permits the direct discharge of concrete into an area at  31  directly below the bottom buck member  8  and partially defined by spaced apart front and rear building walls  2  and  3 . Subsequent to installation of the window buck on walls  2  and  3 , using fasteners  28  passing through buck flanges  26 - 27 , locking screws as at  33  are removed from inserted engagement with bottom buck member components  11  and  12 . Upon removal of fastener  33 , front buck component  11  may be swung about an axis  34  of an arm  25 A of a connector  25 . The remaining arm  25 B of the connector remains in laterally open channel  17  of front member  11  to support same during arcuate opening of bottom front member  11  as shown in full lines. Heretofore, in existing window bucks, filly charging the area below a buck in a wall under construction constituted a problem solved with time consuming manual effort. Upon filling of area  31  with concrete, bottom front member  11  of the bottom buck member  8  is swung back into place in inserted engagement with bottom rear member  12  of the buck and locking screws  33  are re-inserted. Screws  33  are preferably self tapping to facilitate locking of the front and rear components  11  and  12  of a buck after the components have been adjusted relative one another to accommodate the width of the wall under construction. 
     In FIG. 5, a modified window buck member is shown in cross section wherein front and rear buck components at  40 — 41  are joined by a center component  42  of tubular or hollow construction with spaced apart walls  43 - 44  reinforced by webs  45 . Rear component  41  would be similar to earlier described rear component  12 , while front component  40  would be, in cross section, a mirror image of rear component  12 . Locking fasteners at  33  are seated upon lateral adjustment of front and rear components  40 - 41  on the center component to accommodate the extraordinary thickness of the wall under construction. 
     In FIG. 6 a unitary or one piece buck member is shown generally at  46  and is for use in a wall construction where wall thickness of several concrete walls will be to a fixed or standard dimension. The cross section shown is of a top member and is also typical of the side and bottom buck members of the modified buck except as disclosed below. Inner and outer walls are at  51  and  52  both terminate endwise in flanges  57  and  59 . Walls  51 - 52  define, along with webs  53  and  54 , laterally open channels  55  and  56  in which connectors  25  are received. Reinforcing webs are shown at  47 . Walls at  59  project from outer wall  52  and have a head  60  thereon for embedment in poured concrete. Upon setting of the concrete the walls retain the mid-portion of buck member  47  in place. 
     A still further modified window buck would comprise top and side buck members having a cross section as viewed in FIG.  6 . To achieve the desirable feature enabling changing of a form defined area below a bottom buck member, the bottom buck member would be of two piece construction as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 but, of course, inverted from that shown. Front buck component  11  would swing about the axis of a connector arm to provide access permitting the deposit of concrete below the window buck followed by re-positioning of component  11  and re-installation of the temporarily detached connector arm  25  in channel  17  of repositioned buck component  11 . 
     In use of the present buck invention, a building wall is partially completed up to the level whereat the wall provides partial walls  2  and  3  including rebar R therefor. 
     Window buck members are assembled to accommodate wall thickness by positioning of buck member components  11  and  12  and the insertion of locking screws  33  therethrough. With the buck members lying in place on their flanges  26  on a hard flat surface, the members are positioned in a rectangular or other polygonal shape desired with the ends of the top, side and bottom members  6 ,  7  and  8  in intersecting orientation to receive arms  25 A- 26 A of connectors  25 . For installation of the connector arms into intersecting or converging channels  17  and  24 , a connector  25  is placed on two channels with the connector bend  30  therebetween. An impact tool such as a mallet or hammer is utilized to seat each connector arm in its respective channel. Upon installation of the connectors on one side of buck (presently lying on its side) the buck is turned over and the remaining side provided with the requisite number of connectors. The assembled buck is subsequently placed on the partially completed building wall and attached thereto by fasteners  28  inserted through buck flanges  26 ,  27  of bottom buck member  8 . Thereafter the building walls  2  and  3  are completed with the remaining buck members  7  and top member  6  being attached to walls  2  and  3  by fasteners  28   
     The window buck is braced at B prior to pouring of concrete with the bracing removed upon setting of the concrete. 
     While we have shown but a few embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied still otherwise without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.