Abstract:
A spacer support or stud extender having a body portion, a surface engaging portion and a securement to attach the body portion to a weldment plate in tilt-up construction wherein the extender is coupled to a head of a stud depending from a weldment plate with a cup-shaped engaging portion.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/964,143 filed Oct. 13, 2004, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/272,698 filed Oct. 16, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,820,390 dated Nov. 23, 2004, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/777,400 filed Feb. 6, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,823,635 dated Nov. 30, 2004. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to the manufacture of concrete walls used in tilt-up construction. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a spacer support that holds a weldment plate in proper position until the wet concrete sets up.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     In commercial construction, as well as in residential construction where wood is at a premium, builders are increasingly using tilt-up construction, that is, they are pouring concrete walls in forms as they lay on the ground, floor or other surface, and then tilting them up into the desired position after the concrete has cured. One of the features such construction affords is the placement of a weldment plate on one surface of the wall so that structural support beams, and the like, may be welded/secured between adjacent walls. In current practice, the concrete wall is poured and then the weldment plate is “floated” on the top of the wet cement. Since these steel plates are denser than the wet concrete, they tend to sink below the surface. Accordingly, it sometimes becomes necessary to allow the concrete to take a partial set and then attempt to push the weldment plate into the desired position. Neither of these current practices provides effective quality control and the results often are not those desired.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The device of the present invention comprises a spacer support that engages the support surface on which the concrete wall is poured and a weldment plate holding it in the desired position relative to that surface during the curing of the concrete. The spacer support comprises an elongate body portion having a length substantially equal to the thickness of the concrete wall minus a dimension of the weldment extending in the direction of the thickness of the concrete wall; a surface engaging portion for contacting the surface on which the concrete wall is poured and supporting the weldment in a position appropriately spaced from that surface; means for attaching said body portion to the weldment, wherein the weldment will be maintained in a desired position as wet concrete is poured and sets up. For more details on previous embodiments, see U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/272,698 filed Oct. 16, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,820,390 dated Nov. 23, 2004, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/777,400 filed Feb. 6, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,823,635 dated Nov. 30, 2004, which are incorporated by reference herein in total.  
         [0005]     Weldment plates take different forms: some are simply rectangular metal plates with two smooth surfaces. Other weldment plates are equipped with protrusions on one surface that improve the adhesion of the plate to the wall enabling greater weight to be suspended therefrom. These protrusions typically take the form of a plurality of Nelson studs welded to the surface of the plate that is to be embedded in the concrete. These studs can have shaft diameters of ¼″, ⅜″, ½″, ⅝″ with head diameters graduated by ¼″ increments between ½″ and 1-¼″. For weldment plates that have no protrusions, the support spacer will have additional length (as compared to those engaging the heads of Nelson studs) and be equipped with a flat head that can be adhered to the nether surface of the weldment plate by an adhesive such as LIQUID NAILS (a registered trademark of Macco). The spacer supports will be used on each weldment plate positioned to provide balance in the wet concrete. The embodiment of support spacer engaging the Nelson stud will have a plurality (three shown) of fingers that grip the head of the stud, the fingers having portions that snap beneath the head and retain the spacer support in position while the concrete sets up. This configuration will be made in a plurality of sizes to accommodate the various sizes of Nelson stud heads.  
         [0006]     More particularly, the invention herein incorporates means for attaching the elongate body portion to the weldment plate projection head and compises a cup-shaped portion configured so that the projection head can slide on top of the upper end planar portion of the elongate body portion into the cup-shaped portion. The device is preferably designed and dimensioned so as to provide a relatively snug fit sufficient to hold the projection head in position. If needed, a shim can be placed to provide for the snug fit if larger devices are used. Holes or apertures may optionally be provided on the side surface of the cup-shaped portion and on its upper planar portion forming the cup-shaped portion. These holes allow for concrete contact surface areas to the head of the stud head.  
         [0007]     The spacer support is preferably made of a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, metal, and powdered metal. The end contacting the support is preferably pointed to minimize the surface treatment needed for the wall and, typically, the wall may simply be painted, papered or given any other conventional treatment, without the tips of the spacer/supports affecting the treatment. The length of the body portion of the spacer support may be adjusted in either of two ways: the surface may be scored at any of a plurality of conventional lengths, and the spacer support cut to the length appropriate for the wall thickness with which it is used, or the spacer support may be made of material suitable for cutting in the field with available cutting snips.  
         [0008]     Various other features, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after a reading of the following specification. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     The preferred embodiment(s) of the present invention is/are described in conjunction with the associated drawings in which like features are indicated with like reference numerals and in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a side view conceptual depiction of the present invention shown assembled on a Nelson stud;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the spacer support shown in  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is conceptual depiction of the stud extenders in use. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION  
       [0013]     The present invention is a weldment plate spacer support or stud extender, which is generally depicted in  FIGS. 1-3 , and is generally represented by the numeral  10 . The stud extender comprises an elongated body portion  22  having a top planar portion  28 , a surface engaging portion  24 , and means  26  for attaching the spacer support to weldment plate  11 . In this embodiment, weldment plate  11  includes projections  15  which may take the form of Nelson studs welded to the surface  13  of weldment plate  11  to be embedded in the concrete  17 . Body portion  22  is of a length substantially equal to the thickness “t” of the concrete wall  18  minus a dimension of the weldment plate  11  extending in a direction of the thickness of the concrete wall  18 . In this case, the dimension of the weldment plate extending in the direction of the thickness of wall  18  includes the thickness of plate  12  as well as the length of Nelson stud  15 . Nelson studs come in a plurality of sizes and lengths. Common diameters include ¼″, ⅜″, ½″, ⅝″ with head diameters of ½″, ¾″, 1″ and 1-¼″ respectively. The heads  16  also vary in depth having lengths of 0.187 inch, 0.281 inch, 0.312 inch, and 0.312 inch, respectively, for the diameters listed here. The length of body portion  22  will be designed to position the weldment plate  12  where desired, typically with upper surface  14  flush with the surface  19  of wall  18 .  
         [0014]     Surface engaging portion  24  preferably comes to a point or tapered portion  25  so as to minimize the amount of weldment spacer support that protrudes on surface  21 . Accordingly, minimal accommodation will be necessary to treat the points  25  on wall  18 . In fact, it is anticipated that the painting, papering or other treatment provided wall surface  21  will adequately cover the points  25 . It is preferred that the length of body portion  22  will be adjustable. One such means can be the cutting of body portion  22  to the desired length to place weldment plate  12  flush with the designed wall surface  19  once concrete  17  is poured. To facilitate this cutting (or breaking), body  22  may be provided with scoring lines  40  at one or more conventional wall thicknesses/stud lengths so the point  25  may be maintained.  
         [0015]     The material from which weldment plate spacer support is made is selected from the group consisting of plastic, metal, and powdered metal. It is envisioned that a durable, tough plastic material such as nylon or polypropylene, possibly with glass or carbon fiber reinforcement will be suitable for this application and provide the most cost effective means of solving this problem. It is, however, possible that for certain applications, the strength requirements will dictate that the weldment plate spacer support  10  be manufactured from metal including but not limited to powdered metal. The spacer support  10  of the present invention could be cast or machined from aluminum, from example.  
         [0016]     Means for attaching body portion  22  to weldment plate  11  comprises a cup-shaped portion  26  configured so that the head  16  of the weldment plate stud  15  can slide on top of the planar portion  28  of the elongated body portion  22  into the cup-shaped portion  26 . It is dimensioned so as to receive the projection head  16 . Preferably the cup-shaped portion  26  is dimensioned so as to provide a relatively snug fit sufficient to hold the head  16  of the stud  15  extending downwardly from weldment plate  12  in position. However, if the vertical dimension of the back or upstanding wall  26   b  forming the cup-shaped portion  26  is greater than that of the height of the projection head  15 , then a shim, washer or donut-like piece such as that described in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,820,390 dated Nov. 23, 2004, can be used to make the fit snug. Holes or apertures  26   a  may optionally be provided on an upstanding wall  26   b  forming a back of the cup-shaped portion  26  and on its upper planar portion  26 c forming the cup-shaped portion. These apertures provide for more concrete contact surface areas to the projection head  16  of stud  15 .  
         [0017]     In use (see  FIG. 3 ), stud extender supports  10  are attached to weldment plate  11  as by the cup-shaped portion in which the projection heads  16  are securely engaged. The length of spacer supports  10  will have been previously adjusted to position the surface  14  at the desired reference plane with respect to upper surface  19  of concrete wall  18 . The thusly equipped weldment plate  11  is situated inside concrete forms on surface which may, for example, be a plastic sheeting material, and concrete  17  poured into forms. Weldment plate spacer supports  10  hold plates  11  in the desired position while the concrete  17  sets up. When the concrete  17  has properly set, tilt-up wall  18  can be uprighted and secured in position. The smallness of points  25  will have minimal/no effect on the surface treatment required to finish wall surface  2   1 .  
         [0018]     Various changes, alternatives and modifications will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art following a reading of the foregoing specification. It is intended that any such changes, alternatives and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims be considered part of the present invention.