ARRANGEMENT IN A TILTABLE FORM FOR CASTING

Abstract: A tiltable form (2) for casting and erecting concrete walls has a tilting device (1) connected to the form (2) and the underlying floor structure (13) or like supporting structure. The form (2) is also equipped with adjustable upper and lower form defining members (21, 15) which are connected to a working platform (20, 14) mounted on the frame of the form, in such a way that any engagement in the countercast form face will be avoided. The tilting device (1) comprises a geared asynchronous motor (3) with a rotatably mounted threaded rod (4) driven by the motor, and an angular supporting leg (5) which at one end is pivotally connected to a form supporting beam (6) disposed substantially centrally underneath the form (2), and which at its other end is pivotally connected to an attachment (7) with a nut (8) screwable on the threaded rod (4), the attachment (7) being slidably mounted in roller bearings (9) in a slide rail (10) which extends underneath the form (2) between the extreme points of support (11, 12) for the supporting leg (5).

Description: ARRANGEMENT IN A TILTABLE FORM FOR CASTING The present invention relates to an arrangement in a tiltable form for casting walls in a horizontal position and tilting them to a raised vertical position. The erection of concrete walls is normally carried •5 out on the building site by mounting a vertical wall formwork where the wall unit should have its final po¬ sition. This technique is very time-consuming,and places high demands on the stability of the form, since the casting pressure at the lower end of the wall unit may easily cause the form to be urged outwards. Thus, the forms must be reinforced by a close, lying framework; alternatively, use may be made of sturdy steel forms the handling of which requires access to lifting equip¬ ment in the form of cranes or the like. High demands ^ are also placed on the tightness of the forms, in both the horizontal and the vertical direction. The slightest changes, which also normally occur at the joints of the form, will necessitate a costly aftertreatment in the form of grinding and/or filling. One method of overcoming these problems is generally referred to as "tilt-up". This method means that the casting of the walls is effected in a horizontal position, whereupon the wall or walls are raised together with the form to a predetermined vertical position. This technique is advantageous in that problems linked with casting pressure and vertical form joints are overcome. Moreover, the casting operations are substantially faci¬ litated in that casting can be effected in the same man¬ ner as for horizontal floor structures, i.e. it will not be necessary to force concrete down in between two closely disposed wall formwork members of a considerable height, which often makes it difficult to obtain an acceptable surface because cavities are formed by air voids or along the form face without adhering mineral aggregate. An obvious advantage inherent in horizontal casting is also gained when casting is carried out in the win- ter. The horizontal frame may easily be enclosed and heated from the underside. The "tilt-up" methods hitherto used imply that the horizontally cast wall, after removal of the form, is erected in place by mechanical lifting devices or that the form is tilted to a vertical position before the form is removed. The latter method is preferable, since special lifting devices in the form of cranes or the like can be dispensed with. The positioning of the wall may be effected directly by means of the form, indepen- dently of other mechanical aids. Devices for tilting the horizontal form from a horizontal position to a ver¬ tical position are shown in for instance U.S. Patent Specifications 1,148,246, 1,773,454 and 1,668,300, German Patent Specification 828,588, and Swedish Patent Specifi- cation 103,951. The present invention, in the light of the prior art technique stated above, generally relates to a novel tiltable so-called mould table for casting and erecting concrete walls and more particularly relates to an ar- rangement in a tiltable form for casting walls in a hori¬ zontal position and tilting them to a raised vertial position, the form being equipped with upper and lower form defining members. According to the invention, this arrangement is characterised in that it comprises a tilting device mountable on the supporting structure and having a drive motor which by a transmission is connected to one end of a supporting leg whose other end is pivotally con¬ nected to the form for tilting it between the horizontal and vertical positions, and in that the upper and lower form defining members are adjustable. The invention will be described in greater detail hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows from one end a tiltable form in a horizontal position for casting a wall. Fig. 2, in a projection corresponding to Fig. 1, shows the form when tilted to a vertical position for raising the wall cast in the form. Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line III-III in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows the form in Fig. 1 from above with working platforms disposed along the long sides thereof. Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line V-V in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line VI-VI in Fig. 4 and also illustrates a canopy over the form. Figs. 7 and 8 are sections taken along the lines VII-VII and VIII-VIII, respectively, in Fig. 6. In Figs. 1-3, there is shown a tilting device 1 for tilting a form generally designated 2 between hori¬ zontal and vertical positions according to Figs. 1 and 2. The tilting device consists of a geared asynchronous motor 3 with a rotatably mounted threaded rod 4 driven by the motor, and of an angular supporting leg 5 which is pivotally connected at one end to a substantially centrally disposed form supporting beam 6 and at its opposite end pivotally connected to an attachment 7 with a nut 8 screwable on the threaded rod 4. The attachment 7 is slidably mounted by means of roller bearings 9 in a slide rail 10 which extends underneath the form 2 be¬ tween the extreme points of support 11, 12 for the sup¬ porting leg 5. The tilting device 1 is connected by mounting the motor 3 with the threaded rod 4 by means of bolts (not shown) on a floor structure 13 or like supporting struc¬ ture at a location which permits the connection of the supporting leg 5 on the floor structure 13 to be moved to the point 11 which gives the form 2 a vertical po¬ sition, see Fig. 2. The slide rail 10 is also fixed on the floor structure 13 by means of bolts. As appears from Figs. 4-6, there is provided a working platform 14 adjacent a lower form defining member 15 pertaining to the form 2, the working platform 14 comprising a supporting beam 16, a railing 17 and the lower form defining member 15. The beam 16 is so arranged that it can be pressed in underneath the form 2 in its entire length. The posts 18 of the railing 17 and the post 19 of the member 15 are either pivotally connected to the supporting beam 16 so that they can be folded to a horizontal position and, together with the beam 16, be retracted to a position underneath the form 2, or mounted in yokes (not shown) , such that they can be readily removed from the form 2 by hand. There is also provided a working platform 20 at an upper form defining member 21 pertaining to the form 2, the platform 20 com¬ prising two rectangular flat bars 22, a railing 23 and the upper form defining member 21. The flat bars 22 are fixed to the form 2 by means of a rectangular tubular member 24 through which the two bars 22 extend in par¬ allel from the railing 23 to the form defining member 21, and by means of a U-profile 25 mounted over the two flat bars 22 and clamping these bars against both the lower flange 26 of the member 21 and a rubber spacer 27 disposed underneath the rectangular tubular member 24 and having a thickness corresponding to the lower vertical flange height of the form defining member. Cla p- ing action is produced by a bolt 28 which extends through the U-profile 25 and whose nut is tightened against the underside of the supporting beam 6. The connection of the flat bars 22 to the upper form defining member 21 is effected by laterally pressing the bars 22 against the vertical web 29 of the member 21. Thus, the upper form defining member 21 can adjust the height of the wall to be cast in that the flat bars 22 are moved inwards toward or outwards away from the form 2. The post 30 of the railing 23 is disposed between the bars 22 and locked by means of a throughbolt (not shown) . At the sides of the form 2, there is provided a vertical rectangular tube 31 at the upper end of which - RE OMPI a circular tube 32 is rotatably mounted. A protective tarpaulin 33 is rolled on the tube 32 and when the weather is bad, or in the winter when heating is required, may be unrolled so as to cover the form 2 while allowing for working space. The invention is applied in the following way: The points of support 34 of the form 2 are set with respect to the inner face of the wall to erect. The form 2 is thereafter levelled by means of props 35 on the points marked out. To make it possible to set,the form 2 as exactly as possible in a horizontal position, use is made of retractable legs 36 which are vertically ad¬ justable by screwing along the two sides of the form. The length of the form is adjusted to the length of the wall by interconnecting two or more form modules. In principle, the wall length is therefore unlimited. Once the form has been levelled, the lower form defining mem¬ ber 15 is mounted and recesses, if any, for doors, win¬ dows, ventilation ducts etc. are provided for. The upper form defining member 21 is adjustable for different wall heights and normally remains in place between the casting events. Core forms are so designed that the bottom 37 of the form 2 ' will be uneffected. The reinforcement may then be used. Elements to be embedded can be fixed, like core forms, with the aid of edge forms, reinforcement or by using core forms. At the lower portion of the form bottom, two pivotable hooks 38 are postioned within the form during the casting operation. The purpose of these hooks 38 is to retain the wall unit (not shown) in place in the form 2 as the lower form defining member 15 is being removed in connection with the mounting of the wall. The hooks 38 are pulled out of the wall unit as it is mounted in place and the form 2 is to be returned to the horizontal position. If the wall is an external wall, reinforcing and casting are first effected, whereupon insulation is OMPI applied as well as an additional reinforcing layer before the external face is cast. In casting, use is preferably made of fluid concrete which is pumped in place. The external face may thereafter suitably be screeded off by a vibrating screed. If a structured external face is desired, it may easily be achieved by pressing in moulded surface material directly after casting. The method described above makes it possible for two workers to cast and erect a conventional external cellar or external front wall in one day. This is ef¬ fected by raising the form of the previous day in the morning, whereupon the form is cleaned and moved to the new casting site. In the afternoon, a fresh casting op¬ eration is then performed. Before the form can be tilted to a vertical posi¬ tion, the lower supporting legs 36 are retracted and the lower form defining member 15 is dismounted. A strip of cement mortar in which the wall is to be mounted is thereafter laid. When the form 2 should be tilted to a vertical posi¬ tion, the tilting device 1 is moved in underneath the form 2. The motor 3 with the associated slide rail 10 is bolted to the floor structure 13 in the manner indi¬ cated above. The supporting leg 5 pivotally connected to the slide rail 10 is pivotally mounted at its other end, as previously mentioned, on the form 2 at the form supporting beam 6 in a substantially central position with respect to the form. The motor 3 is thereafter started, whereby the threaded rod 4 is caused to rotate, and the nut 8 on the attachment 7 will be screwed towards the motor 3. This will cause the attachment 7 mounted in a roller bearing to start sliding in the slide rail 10, whereby the form 2 is urged upwards by the angular supporting leg 5. When the form 2 has come to a vertical position, the leg 5 has slid to the point of support 11, or extreme OMPI postion, adjacent the motor, which limits the sliding movement. Simultaneously, a strut 39 between the bottom 37 of the form 2 and the supporting leg 5 will prevent the form from tilting over. When the form 2 is to be returned to a horizontal position, the motor 3 is activated in such a manner that the threaded rod 4 is rotated in the opposite direction, whereby the leg 5 will return to its initial position adjacent the extreme position or point of support 12. When the form 2 has assumed its predetermined ver¬ tical position, the bolt attachments 40 anchoring the wall unit to the form 2 are removed and the two pivotable hooks 38 having prevented the wall unit from sliding out of the form are extracted, whereupon the forms can be removed. Temporary struts may thereafter be mounted at the inside, which make it possible to accurately ad¬ just the vertical position of the wall. These struts can be secured in an imbedded nut 41 which has served as an ' attachment for anchoring the form 2 to the wall unit during the erection thereof. If the wall is very long, such that it has been cast on several intercon¬ nected forms 2, the form modules are stripped one by one and gradually replaced by struts. The form 2 is the¬ reafter moved on wheels 42 mounted thereon to a new cast- ing site. This displacement may be performed by hand. The wall units are finally adjusted and any super¬ fluous screed is removed and any required filling up is carried out. When the wall unit has been fixed in place, the corner joints are cast. The joining together of the units may be effected by means of angle fittings or the like, when so required. Normally, horizontal loads on the wall are however taken up by the floor structures. The present invention provides a more efficient and less expensive method for making vertical walls in a horizontal position. By the location of the supporting leg 5, the form 2 can be raised or tilted upwards by the use merely of very simple and inexpensive mechanical aids, without the risk of overturning. This will save substantial costs which are involved in the use of differ¬ ent mechanical devices in the form of cranes or hydraulic devices on the form. As the form is equipped with wheels, it can be readily moved by hand to the location on the floor structure or other supporting structure where it should be used. The invention can be used within a very vast field, for instance for external front walls, external cellar walls and internal walls for residential buildings, office buildings, industrial and administration buildings.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An arrangement in a tiltable form (2) for cast¬ ing walls in a horizontal position and tilting them into a raised vertical position, the form (2) being equipped with upper and lower form ' defining members (21, 15) , c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that it comprises a tilting device (1) mountable on a supporting structure (13) and having a drive motor (3) which by a transmission (4, 7, 10) is connected to one end of a supporting leg (5) whose other end is pivotally connected to the form (2) for tilting it between the horizontal and vertical positions, and in that the upper and lower form defining members (21, 15) are adjustable. 2. Arrangement as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d in that the drive motor consists of a geared asynchronous motor (3) with a rotatably mounted threaded rod (4) driven by the motor, and that the angu¬ lar supporting leg (5) at one end is pivotally connected to the form (2) and at the other end is pivotally con¬ nected to an attachment (7) with a nut (8) screwable on the threaded rod (4) , the attachment (7) being slid¬ ably mounted in a slide rail (10) which extends under¬ neath the form (2) between the extreme points of supr port (11, 12) for the supporting leg (5). 3. Arrangement as claimed in claim l or 2, c h a - r a c t e r i s e d in that the lower form defining member (15) is pivotally connected to a bar (16) which can be retracted to a position underneath the form (2) and which also serves as a r binder for a working platform (14) and a railing (17). ' 4. Arrangement as claimed in any one of the preced¬ ing claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the upper and lower form defining members (21, 15) are connected to a working platform (20 and 14, respectively) mounted on the frame of the form (2) , in such a manner that any ~ -^J^K ~~ - OMPI engagement in the countercast form face will be avoided. 5. Arrangement as claimed in any one of the preced¬ ing claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the upper form defining member (21) is displaceably connected to a binder (22) connected to the working platform (20). 6. Arrangement as claimed in any one of the preced¬ ing claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that there is provided in the sides of the form (2) a vertical tube (31) which is mounted in a yoke and which at its upper end has a rotatable connection to a horizontal tube (32) on which an extractable canopy (33) is wound. 7. Arrangement as claimed in any one of the preced¬ ing claims, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the form (2) is equipped with at least one pivotable hook (38) which in the vertical position of the form and with the lower form defining member (15) dismounted retains the cast wall unit in the form (2) until this unit has assumed its correct position. OMPI

Inventors: KARLSSON INGEMAR, KARLSSON, INGEMAR
Applicants: SABEMA MATERIAL AB
Application year: 1983
Main classification: E04G11
IPC codes: B28B7, E04G11, E04G21