Abstract:
A continuous round, rubberized ring is employed to produce a champher, or beveled, edge on a concrete base. Initially concrete is poured into a cylindrical form and the ring pressed into the top side of the cylindrical form. Excess cement is removed with a trowel and the cement is allowed to harden. After the cement has hardened, the form is removed and the ring stripped off leaving an attractive and safe champher on the upper edge of the base. An alternative embodiment of the ring includes a lip that can be easily gripped so the ring can be removed from the hardened concrete base. The gripping lip also prevents the ring from falling below the upper rim of the mold when the concrete is in its wet, plastic state.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority of provisional U.S. application Ser. No. 60/805,588 filed on Jun. 22, 2006 and entitled “Round Rubber Champhering Ring” by John Vitale, the entire contents and substance of which are hereby incorporated in total by reference. 
     
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The invention relates to a continuous round rubber champhering ring and a method of using same to form a champher on a concrete base. 
         [0004]    2. Background of the Invention 
         [0005]    There are a number of techniques known in the prior art for producing a champher on concrete and the like. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,393 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Forming Champhered outside Corners on Concrete Products” appears to describe a segmented set of triangular shaped wooden champher forming strips located at the edges of a concrete product. 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,978,099 and 5,616,271 describe methods of forming champhers on the sides of concrete products using generally triangular shaped inserts. 
         [0008]    Of relevance, but probably of lesser importance, are the devices and techniques described in the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,419,204; 6,698,709; 6,899,489; 6,935,607; and, 6,969,041. 
         [0009]    A problem in the prior art is how to easily form a champher on the upper edge of a round concrete product. Prior art techniques to cope with same have usually involved cutting a rubberized product to length. This results in poor seating and unattractive champher. 
         [0010]    It was in the context of the foregoing prior art problems and challenges, that the current invention arose. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0011]    Briefly described the invention comprises a continuous, seamless round rubberized champhering ring employed to form a champher on the top leading edge of a round concrete light pole base. The ring is continuous and seamless and has a generally triangular cross-section. The outside circumference of the ring fits neatly and snugly within the top of the concrete base form. According to an alternative embodiment, the ring may include an additional lip to make it easier to grab and remove and so it will not fall below the top edge. 
         [0012]    The round rubber champhering ring is used in the following manner. First, concrete is poured into a round form. Second, the ring is pressed into the top edge of the “plastic” concrete so that the top portion of the ring is flush with the top of the round form. The ring fits snugly so that there is virtually no space between the edge of the ring and the inside wall of the form. Third, a trowel or similar object is used to clean off excess cement so that the top portion of the concrete is flat and flush with the top of the ring. Fourth, after the concrete is dried, the rubberized ring is removed. The result is a beautiful, uniform upper champher area on the top of a concrete light pole base. A properly formed champher is not only important from a cosmetic point of view, but also it tends to minimize damage to individuals or vehicles because it has no significant rough, or sharp, edges. 
         [0013]    The invention may be more fully understood by reference to the following drawings. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the round champhered ring invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a partial, cross-sectional view of the ring illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the step of pouring of concrete into a round circular mold such as used to produce the base of a light pole. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3B  is a perspective view of the step of removing excess cement with a trowel or similar tool. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3C  is a perspective view showing the mold sections being removed. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3D  is a perspective view showing the continuous ring being striped off of the top edge of the base. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3E  is a perspective view of the finished base showing the smooth, champhered edge created by the continuous ring of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention in which a gripping lip is added to the ring to make it easier to remove and wherein the lip also prevents the ring from falling below the rim of the mold. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a detailed, cross-sectional view of the second alternative embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0023]    During the course of this description like numbers will be used to identify like elements according to the different views that illustrate the invention. 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of the preferred embodiment  10  of the invention. The ring  10  comprises a top  12 , a side wall  14 , and a sloping inner wall  16 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional detail view of the invention  10  illustrated in position as shown in  FIG. 3B . The ring  10  fits snugly on the inside of a first cylindrical light stand base form  20 A. Commercial versions of base forms  20 A and  20 B, as also shown in  FIGS. 3A ,  3 C and  3 D, are available from SONOTUBE® and other commercial vendors. The first form section  20 A has a first vertical side wall  22 A and a first top flange or lip  24 A. When properly in position as shown in  FIG. 3B , the ring  10  fits snugly so that its vertical side wall  14  contacts the inside of the first vertical cylindrical side wall  22 A and so that there are no significant gaps or spaces, but not so snugly that the ring  10  cannot be relatively easily removed. The top face  12  of the ring  10  is preferably flush with and coextensive with the plane of the upper lip or flange  24 A of the first form  20 A. An angle  18  exists between the top  12  of the ring  10  and its sloping sidewall  16 . Angle  18  is preferable 45° but can range between 40° and 50°. An actual ring might have a width across the top of 12 of ¾″, a length across the sidewall  14  of ¾″, and an overall face length of sloping side wall  16  of 1″. The overall face length of the sloping sidewall  16  can vary from ¾″ to 4″. The outside diameter of the ring  10  can vary from between 8″ to 48″ depending upon the size of the light stand base that is being produced. 
         [0026]    The steps for using the ring  10  are illustrated in  FIGS. 3A through 3E . 
         [0027]    In  FIG. 3A , cement  50  is shown being poured into a form comprising a first semi-circular section  20 A a and second semi-circular  20 B. The first cylindrical semi-circular form  20 A also includes a first bottom flange or lip  26 A. The cement form includes a second cylindrical light stand base form  20 B, which is complimentary to, and essentially identical to, the first cylindrical light stand base form  20 A. The second cylindrical light stand base form  20 B includes a second vertical sidewall  22 B, a second top flange or lip  24 B and a second bottom lip flange or lip  26 B as shown. First and second cylindrical base forms  20 A and  20 B each include a pair of sidewall edge flanges  28 A and  28 B, respectively. The first form  20 A includes a plurality of holes  40 A in the side wall flange  28 A as seen in  FIG. 3D . Similarly, the second form section  20 B includes a plurality of holes  40 B in side flange  28 B that line up with holes  40 A of the first form flange  28 A. A plurality of conventional bolts  30  pass through holes  40 A and  40 B and are secured on the opposite side of the flanges  28 A and  28 B by a plurality of conventional threaded nuts  32 . When properly assembled, the forms  20 A and  20 B have the appearance as shown in  FIG. 3A . The concrete  50  is poured into the hollow interior cavity of the forms  20 A,  20 B until it is just up to the rim of upper flanges  24 A and  24 B. After the cement  50  has been poured up to the rim, the ring  10  is placed in position as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3B . 
         [0028]    Once the ring  10  is in position as shown in  FIG. 3B , the excess cement  50  is removed with a trowel  34  so that the upper surface of the cement  50  is roughly flush with the upper surface  12  of the ring  10  and the upper surface of the upper lips or flanges  24 A and  24 B. 
         [0029]    The next step in the process is the removal of the nuts  32  from the bolts  30  and the separation of the two ( 2 ) mold sections  20 A and  20 b in the direction of arrows  42  and  44  as shown in  FIG. 3C . This makes it possible to remove the ring  10  easier. 
         [0030]    After the cement  50  has hardened, the ring  10  is removed as shown in  FIG. 3D . Because the ring  10  is made of a relatively soft, resilient rubber-like material, it is easily stripped from the cement  50 . 
         [0031]    The final base product  36  is shown in  FIG. 3E . The base  36  now has a smooth champhered upper corner with no sharp edges. While the base  36  is preferably, and typically, a light stand base, it could also be any other kind of round, circular base such as a column used to support a bridge-like structure. 
         [0032]      FIG. 4  illustrates an alternative embodiment  100  of the invention  10  in which the ring  100  includes, as before, a vertical side wall  114 , a sloping inner side wall  116  and an upper surface  112 , as seen in  FIG. 5 . In addition to the foregoing, the alternative embodiment  100  includes an extended gripping lip  118 , which, where the ring  100  is in position, extends beyond the inner surface of the side wall  22 A and onto the upper portion of the flange  24 A. The gripping lip  118  makes it easier to grip the ring  10  so that it can be removed as shown in  FIG. 3D  and it also serves the purpose of preventing the ring  10  from falling below the upper rim  24 A and  24 B of the mold  20 A and  20 B when the form is filled with concrete as shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . The extended lip  118  preferably has a length beyond the upper surface  112  of ¼″ and is preferably about ⅛″ thick. The alternative embodiment  100  is used in the same manner as the preferred embodiment  10 , except that it is easy to grip the lip  118  so that ring  100  can be removed from the form as shown, for example, in  FIG. 3D . 
         [0033]    Rings  10  and  100  are preferably formed by pouring a polyurethane polymer into an appropriate form. The size of the rings  10  and  100  will depend, of course, on the size of the bevel  38  to be formed on the base  36 . The preferred polyurethane material is prepared in the following manner: 
         [0034]    A first chemical component, which includes about 99% by volume of a polyurethane prepolymer and up to about 1% by volume of a toluene diisocyanate isomer blend, is prepared. 
         [0035]    A second chemical component is also prepared and includes from about 70% to about 75% by volume of a polyol-plasticizer blend (non-hazardous), from about 25% to about 30% by volume of a di(methylthio)toluene diamine, and up to about 1% by volume of a phenylmercuric neodecanoate catalyst. 
         [0036]    The first and second chemical components are mixed in a ratio of 2:1 (two times the unit(s) weight or volume of the first chemical component for each unit(s) of weight or volume of the second chemical component). The two chemical components are mechanically mixed in containment cylinders for several minutes in order to achieve the necessary pouring and molding consistency. The final compound is then poured, fitted, and cut using the appropriate mold. 
         [0037]    The material described above forms a resilient ring  10 . It is possible to make rings  10  that are more resilient and, in some cases, the rings  10  might even be stiff or rigid. The preferred embodiment of the ring materials is available from Smooth-On, Inc., 2000 Saint John Street, Easton, Pa. 18042. See www:smooth-on.com. It is referred to as its PMC-790 Industrial Liquid Rubber Compound. 
         [0038]    In summary, the present invention makes it possible to easily form smooth, attractive and safe beveled or champhered edges  38  on concrete bases  36  in a manner that was not possible in the prior art. 
         [0039]    While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that modifications can be made to the apparatus and the steps of the invention, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as a whole.