Element for tunnel-type metal shuttering

There is described an element from tunnel-type metal shuttering, particularly retractable element and means associated with each panel adjacent the bottom thereof and controlled by the rigid structure as it is moved between both end positions thereof, to adjust the panel bottom position and the rolling means position relative to the ground, while insuring automatic levelling of the element in the shuttering position thereof, and means to join each panel from an element to the directly adjacent parallel panel from an element lying side by side when said elements lie in shuttering position.

This invention relates to an element from tunnel-type metal shuttering as 
described in Belgian Pat. No. 868,630, which element is retractable for 
shuttering and unshuttering cells from buildings with bearing cross-walls 
and solid concrete slab, comprising two vertical panels joined together by 
a flexible plating, means to retain said panels in parallel relationship 
and to vary the spacing thereof to bring said plating to a horizontal 
shuttering position or to a concave unshuttering position, said means 
being comprised of a rigid and undistortable structure extending between 
the element panels, guides secured to said panels and bearing said 
structure, and means bearing on the panels and structure to move said 
structure in parallel relationship therewith along a vertical direction, 
between two end positions corresponding to the shuttering position in 
which said structure bears the plating in horizontal position and the 
unshuttering position of said element, said guides having that portion 
thereof which cooperates with the structure lying at an angle to the 
panels in such a way that the slanting of those guide portions secured to 
the one panel be opposite to the slanting of the guides secured to the 
other panel, in such a way that the structure as it moves relative to the 
panels from the one end position to the other one, causes the spacing 
between said panels to vary, rolling means associated with each said 
panels adjacent the bottom thereof, to allow moving said element to the 
unshuttering position. 
The shuttering element from the above-defined type comprises means such as 
jacks, which are regularly distributed at the panel bottom and which are 
so arranged as to adjust the position from said panel bottom relative to 
the ground, by bearing thereon, when the element lies in casting position, 
to insure the levelling of said element for such casting. Said jacks have 
to be operated one by one to obtain such adjustment of the panel bottom. 
The invention has for object to provide a shuttering element which can be 
levelled automatically without any work by hand. For this purpose, means 
are associated with each panel adjacent the bottom thereof and said means 
are so controlled by the rigid structure as it is moved between both end 
positions thereof, as to adjust the panel bottom position and the rolling 
means position relative to the ground, while insuring automatic levelling 
of said element in shuttering position. 
According to the invention, said rolling means are comprised of rollers 
idly mounted on shafts fast to the panels, at right angle thereto and 
equally spaced from the bottoms thereof, in such a way that said rollers 
project relative to the panel bottoms, said means to insure automatic 
levelling comprising at least adjacent each end of the bottom edge from 
said panels, a vertical-axis rod bearing on the lower end thereof, a 
horizontal flange which is to bear on the ground, supporting means for 
said rod secured to the corresponding shuttering panel and so arranged as 
to have said rod slidable along the axis thereof, a spring associated with 
said supporting means and rod to return said rod upwards, a bearing means 
so mounted as to be freely rotatable about a shaft which is fixed relative 
to the corresponding panel and having a substantially horizontal axis, the 
one means end lying on the one side of said shafts and cooperating with 
the upper rod end, and the other means end lying on the other shaft side 
and being located in the structure path, in such a way that said bearing 
means moves the rod downwards against the spring when the structure moves 
towards that position thereof corresponding to the element shuttering 
position and lets said rod move upwards under the spring action, when said 
structure moves towards that position thereof corresponding to the element 
unshuttering position, said rolling means and means for insuring automatic 
levelling being moreover so arranged that when said structure lies in that 
position thereof corresponding to the element shuttering position, the rod 
flanges bear on the ground, and when said structure lies in that position 
thereof corresponding to the element unshuttering position, said rollers 
engage the ground and the rod flanges are raised from such ground. 
The invention has also for object to provide a shuttering element the rigid 
structure of which can be fixed in position relative to the panels during 
casting, to prevent any movement of the plating and of the panels relative 
to one another during such casting. 
According to the invention, means are provided to join each element panel 
to that parallel panel which is directly adjacent in an element which lies 
next to said element when said elements lie in shuttering position, the 
panels from the various elements allowing to make adjacent cells on one 
and the same level, being thus joined together to obtain an undistortable 
unit (platings, panels and rigid structures) which prevents any flaw in 
the casting. 
According to the invention, said element may further comprise locking means 
so arranged as to insure automatic locking of the rigid structure relative 
to the panels when the element lies in shuttering position, said latter 
means further increasing the undistortable nature of an element and said 
unit in shuttering position. 
According to the invention, said rigid structure and plating from the 
element are so arranged as to make it possible to vary the spacing between 
the element panels to adjust such spacing according to the shuttering to 
be obtained.

In the various figures, the same reference numerals pertain to identical or 
similar elements. 
The shuttering element 1 according to the invention and as shown in the 
drawings, is a retractable element of tunnel type which is intended for 
shuttering and unshuttering cells 2 from buildings with bearing 
cross-walls 3 and solid concrete slab 4. Said shuttering element comprises 
two vertical shuttering panels 5 joined together by a flexible plating 6, 
means 7 for retaining said panels 5 in parallel relationship and for 
causing the spacing thereof to vary to bring said plating to a horizontal 
shuttering position (FIG. 1) or to a concave unshuttering position (FIG. 
2), which means are comprised of a rigid undistortable structure 8 
extending between the element panels, guides 9 fast to said panels 5 and 
bearing said structure 8, and means 10 bearing on said panels 5 and 
structure 8 to move said structure in parallel relationship therewith 
along a vertical direction, between two end positions corresponding to the 
shuttering position in which said structure bears the plating 6 in 
horizontal position, and the element unshuttering position, said guides 9 
having the portion 11 thereof which cooperates with the structure 8 lying 
at an angle relative to panels 5 in such a way that the slanting of 
portions 11 from those guides 9 secured to the one panel be opposite to 
the slanting of those guides fast to the other panel, in such a way that 
the structure as it moves relative to the panels from the one end position 
thereof to the other one, causes the spacing between said panels 5 to 
vary, rolling means 12 associated with each panel 5, adjacent the bottom 
13 thereof, to make it easier to move the element to the unshuttering 
position, means 14 associated with each panel 5 adjacent the bottom 13 
thereof and controlled by said rigid structure 8 as it is moved between 
both end positions thereof, to adjust the position of said panel bottom 13 
and rolling means 12 relative to the ground, while insuring the automatic 
levelling of element 1 in shuttering position, and means 15 to join each 
said panels 5 from an element 1 to the directly adjacent panel from an 
element 1' (FIG. 1) lying side by side when both said elements 1 and 1' 
lie in shuttering position. 
The rigid structure 8 the vertical movement of which along double arrow 16 
(FIG. 1) causes the element 1 to go from the unshuttering position to the 
shuttering position thereof and vice-versa, is comprised of two parallel 
frames 17 extending vertically and at right angle to said panels 5, joined 
together by linking rods 18 and each comprised of two horizontal 
cross-beams 19 and 20 with the same length, joined together adjacent the 
ends thereof, by substantially vertical connecting rods 21 strengthened by 
braces 22 secured to said cross-beams 19 and 20. Each end of said 
cross-beams 19 and 20 comprises an element 23 at right angle to the 
cross-beam for cooperating with the portion 11 from said guides 9 on the 
one hand to have said structure 8 supported by said guides, and on the 
other hand to have said structure be so guided as to be movable inside 
said portions 11 of guides 9 by said means 10, to bring the panels 5 and 
flexible plating 6 from element 1 either to the shuttering position or the 
unshuttering position, the horizontal cross-beams 19 from the frames 17 
contacting the plating 6 in the shuttering position of element 1, to bear 
same in an accurately horizontal position. Each guide 9 is comprised of 
two metal sheets 24 assembled at right angle to the panels 5, guide 
portions 11 being comprised of parallel recesses in the shape of slides, 
which lie at an angle relative to the corresponding panel and which are to 
receive the ends 25 from elements 23 fast to the cross-beams 19 and 20 
from said structure 8. 
The beams 10 bearing on the panels 5 and structure 8 to move said structure 
between both end positions thereof, are comprised of two jacks 26, such as 
pressurized-fluid jacks. The cylinder 27 in each said jacks is hinged to 
the one panel 5, while the free end of piston rod 28 is fast to the 
corresponding connecting rod 18 joining both parallel frames 17 from said 
structure 8, the axes of said jacks 26 lying substantially in a vertical 
plane in parallel relationship with said frames 17 and the spacings 
between said vertical plane and the frames being substantially equal. 
Said rolling means 12 which are intended to make it easier to move element 
1 to the unshuttering position, on the one hand for bringing the element 
in position fot the casting of cells 2, and on the other hand to release 
said element 1 from said cells 2 after such casting, are comprised of 
rollers 29 idly mounted on shafts 30 secured to panels 5 at right angle 
thereto and with an equal spacing from the bottoms 13 thereof, in such a 
way as to have said rollers 29 project relative to said panel bottoms 13. 
Said means 14 allowing to adjust the level of panel bottoms 13 in the 
element shuttering position, and insuring automatic levelling of said 
element, comprise adjacent each end of said panel bottoms 13, a rod 31 
with a vertical axis, bearing at the lower end thereof, a horizontal 
flange or base-plate 32 which is to bear on the ground, supporting means 
33 for the rod fast to the corresponding panel 5 and so arranged as to 
have the rod slidable along the axis thereof, a spring 34 associated with 
said supporting means 33 and rod 31 to return said rod upwards, a bearing 
means 35 so mounted as to be freely rotatable about a shaft 36 fixed 
relative to the corresponding panel 5 and having a substantially vertical 
axis, with an end 37 lying on the one side of said shaft 36 for 
cooperating with the top end 38 of rod 31, and an end 39 lying on the 
other side of shaft 36 which is arranged in the path of the corresponding 
cross-beam 20 from structure 8, in such a way that said bearing means 35 
moves the rod 31 downwards against spring 34 when the structure 8 moves to 
that position thereof corresponding to the shuttering position of element 
1, and lets the rod 31 move upwards under the action of spring 34 when 
said structure 8 moves to that position thereof corresponding to the 
unshuttering position of said element, said rolling means 12 and means 14 
being moreover so arranged as to have when the structure 8 lies in the 
position thereof corresponding to the shuttering position of element 1, 
the flanges 32 of rods 31 bearing on the ground, and the rollers 29 being 
raised from such ground, and when the structure lies in the position 
thereof corresponding to the element unshuttering position, to have the 
rollers 29 contacting the ground and the rod flanges 32 be raised 
therefrom. 
As the first slab 4 from the building is not cast by means of elements 1, 
said slab may have differences in the level thereof. To compensate for 
such level differences during the casting of the cells over said first 
slab and to obtain an accurately horizontal top slab, said means 14 are so 
arranged as to make possible a change in the position (zero level) from 
each rod flange 32. For this purpose, said bearing means 35 associated 
with each rod 31, has adjacent that end 37 thereof cooperating with the 
top rod end 38, means 40 so arranged as to allow adjusting the position of 
said end 37 PG,12 relative to the top rod end. Said means 40 are for 
instance comprised of an adjusting screw 41 mounted into a threaded 
bushing 42 fast to said bearing means 35, said screw having at the end 43 
thereof, an element 44 for contacting the rod, and at the other end 
thereof, a head 45 with cut-off corners allowing to control the screw 
movement inside the bushing 42. 
To fix said element structure 8 in position relative to panels 5 and 
plating 6 during casting and setting of the concrete, said means 15 are 
comprised of screw-bolts 46 joining together the corresponding panels from 
elements lying side by side to make a row of cells 2. To strengthen such 
fixing in position of the structure relative to said panels and plating, 
the element according to the invention advantageously comprises locking 
means 47 so arranged as to insure automatic locking of the structure 8 as 
it moves from the element unshuttering position to the shuttering 
position. Said locking means 47 comprise adjacent each end of the panel 
bottoms 13, a bolt 48 swinging freely about said horizontal shaft 36 and 
lying in the path of element 33 from the corresponding cross-beam 20, with 
such a profile as to be rotated about said shaft by said element 33 to let 
said structure 8 pass through as it moves to that position thereof 
corresponding to the element shuttering position, and to be able to return 
under the action of the weight thereof to such a position as to fix said 
structure 8 in that position thereof corresponding to the element 
shuttering position. Such fixing in position is performed by automatically 
pushing said element 33 into a cut-out 49 provided in the bolt as the 
structure moves upwards, the release of element 33 from the bolt, to 
return element 1 to the unshuttering position, being obtained as shown in 
FIG. 9, by pushing on bolt part 50. 
To protect levelling means 14 and locking means 47, said means are 
advantageously arranged between two metal sheets 24 comprising each said 
guides 9, shaft 36 being supported by said sheets. 
To insure an ever-accurate position of said bearing means 35 relative to 
rods 31, each said means 35 comprises at the end 39 thereof lying in the 
path of the corresponding structure cross-beam 20, a stop 51 cooperating 
with bolt part 50 to limit the stroke of bearing means 35 when said 
structure 8 moves to that position thereof corresponding to the element 
unshuttering position, to have bearing means end 37 cooperating with end 
38 of rod 31 remain engaging said rod as it is pushed back upwards by 
spring 34. 
According to the invention, to allow adapting the width of elements 1 to 
the width of cells 2 to be made, each cross-beam 19, 20 from structure 8 
is comprised of an assembly from three profile sections, a center section 
52 and two end sections 53,54 which are slidable relative to one another 
along the lengthwise axes thereof, in a telescopic way, to adapt the 
length thereof to the width of the shuttering position to be obtained. 
When the shuttering is used with the shortest width thereof, sections 53 
and 54 bear on one another through the ends 53' and 54' thereof (FIG. 12), 
while when the shuttering is used with the largest width thereof, the 
movement of said sections 53 and 54 is limited by end stops 55 and 55' 
(FIG. 13). Said profile sections 52, 53 and 54 from each cross-beam 19,20 
are linked and guided by yokes 56 and guides 57, while means such as 
screw-bolts sketched with axis lines 58, are provided to fix said sections 
relative to one another in the selected position thereof. The connection 
points of the connecting rods 21 and braces 22 lie on the end sections 53 
and 54 from the cross-beams. The element plating 6 is comprised as shown 
in FIG. 11, of three parts 6',6" and 6'" extending at right angle to the 
cross-beams 19 and 20, two equal side platings 6" and 6'" secured to 
panels 5 from said element, and a center removable plating 6' the size of 
which in parallel relationship with said cross-beams 19 and 20, is 
selected according to the remaining space between said side platings 6" 
and 6"' when the length of said structure cross-beams 19 and 20 has been 
adapted to the width of the shuttering to be obtained, said center plating 
6' being secured to said cross-beams. Means not shown may also be provided 
on elements 1 to join same together when a plurality of elements is 
aligned for casting one and the same cell 2. 
It must be understood that the invention is in no way limited to the above 
embodiments and that many changes may be brought therein without departing 
from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.