Abstract:
An improved building foundation form system that includes an integral drain and a spacer bar with engagement lugs at each end adapted to engage a T-shaped engagement channel formed in each of the form surfaces of the inner and outer forms.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/594,623, filed Apr. 25, 2005. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The instant invention relates to forms for building foundations wherein the form structures include drain means to accept and channel excess ground water away from the foundation. More specifically, the instant invention provides a building foundation form with an integral drain channel that is easily assembled and provides convenient means for fixing the width of the foundation. 
     It is known to construct a form for a concrete foundation out of solid material, such as wood planks, which is removed after the foundation material solidifies. Such foundation construction is time consuming in that it requires removal of the forms once the foundation material has sufficiently cured. Such constructions also require the installation of drains around the foundation perimeter to remove ground water from the foundation base, thereby preventing moisture seepage and material degradation of the foundation. 
     It is also known to provide perforated form components that remain in position after the foundation material solidifies and that provide a drainage channel for excess ground water. Examples of these types of forms can be readily seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,120,162; 5,224,799; 5,474,400; and 5,466,092, and it is this type of form drain with which the present invention is most closely related. 
     The state of the art in integral form drains include extruded or otherwise manufactured lengths of hollow form members, wherein the interior face defining the form is smooth and the opposing exterior surface includes foramens formed therethrough. The upper and bottom surfaces of these forms are, like the interior facing surface, non-foraminous and smooth. A series of brackets are taught in the prior art, for example the &#39;799 patent, for separating an inner drain form from an exterior drain form. 
     While the prior art is effective at forming a contained foundation system and at draining ground water that rises above the bottom of the form away from the foundation, improvements relating to the level at which ground water is contained and in the structural integrity of the system as a whole are desirable. 
     It is therefore a principal object and advantage of the present invention to provide a building foundation form and drain with high structural integrity. 
     It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a building foundation form that drains ground water away from the foundation as soon as it reaches the bottom of the foundation. 
     It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a building foundation form drain system that is easily installed. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will in part be obvious and in part appear hereinafter. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention provides hollow form material that has perforations/foramens on two sides thereof and which contains an interior channel for directing the flow of water. The present invention also provides a form spacing device that selectively and securely engages an exterior channel formed on the form that securely interconnects and fixes the lateral distance between two facing forms. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a form-drain segment according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an exemplary connector used for interconnecting two adjacent form drain segments; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of a form spacing device for use with form drain segments according to an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view of an engagement fitting on an end of a form spacing device; 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of a form spacing device separating an outer form drain segment from an inner form drain segment, with the form spacing device rotated into locking engagement with the form drain segments; and 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevation view of a form spacing device separating an outer form drain segment from an inner form drain segment, with the form spacing device rotated to an unlocked position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the figures wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, there is seen in  FIG. 1  a form-drain segment  10 . Form-drain segment  10  has a form face  12 , a drain face  14 , a top surface  16  and a bottom surface  18 . Together the form face  12 , drain face  14 , top surface  16  and bottom surface  18  define an interior channel  20 . 
     Form-drain segment  10  may also have one or more stiffening members  22  extending the length of segment  10  and between form face  12  and drain face  14 , thereby increasing the rigidity of segment  10  and helping prevent a form drain segment  10  from deforming substantially under the pressure applied when the foundation material is introduced into a form or when the foundation and drain are backfilled with gravel and/or soil. Preferably, stiffening member  22  is parallel to and approximately equidistant between top surface  16  and bottom surface  18 , subdividing interior channel  20 , although this spacing could be other than equidistant depending on the particular application. Stiffening member  22  may be solid or perforated, although if segment  10  is extruded as a single piece, it would be difficult to perforate. 
     According to the present invention, drain face  14  includes a plurality of drain perforations/foramens  24 . Preferably, bottom surface  18  also includes a plurality of drain perforations/foramens  25 . Drain perforations  24  and  25  are sized to permit excess water to enter the interior channel  20  as soon as it rises to the level of bottom surface  18 , but prevents gravel or other larger granular sized solid material from entering the internal channel  20 . A filter cloth (not shown) could also be used top prevent the infiltration of debris. 
     Form drain segment  10  can be constructed in a variety of heights, widths and lengths to accommodate different foundation construction requirements. In addition to linear portions of form drain segment  10 , form drain segment  10  can be constructed or interconnected in an angular shape (e.g., 90 degree interior angle, or 45 degree exterior angle) or a curved shape (e.g., 12 inch radius exterior curve) to accommodate the construction requirements for a variety of foundation shapes. 
     Each form drain segment  10  can be connected to another form drain segment  10 . According to one embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , individual form drain segments  10  are connected to each other using a female/female form drain connector  30  that fits snugly within channel  20  of two adjacent form drain segments  10 . Alternatively, connector  30  could be of the male/male type with both ends fitting snugly over adjacent segments  10 , or female/male type with one end fitting within and the opposite end fitting over adjacent segments  10 . Further, connector  30  can be angularly shaped (90 degrees, 45 degrees, etc.) or curved, for example, to interconnect two adjacent segments  10  in a manner other than linearly. 
     The form face  12  of form drain segment  10  is generally planar and does not include any drain perforations  24 . The form face  12  of form-drain segment  10  has a generally smooth surface to form a smooth exterior surface on the foundation (not shown). The upper portion of form face  12  includes a T-channel  32  that extends the entire length of form drain segment  10  and is parallel to the top surface  16  and bottom surface  18 . T-channel  32  is shaped to selectively engage an end of a form spacing device  34 . Each end of form spacing device  34  includes an engagement fitting  36  for selectively but securely engaging the T-channel  32  of form drain segment  10 . According to one embodiment of the invention, engagement fitting  36  is a cam shaped protrusion that can be inserted into T-channel  32 , perpendicular to form face  12  ( FIG. 6 ). When form spacing device  34  is rotated approximately 90 degrees, engagement fitting  36  is fixed in position in T-channel  32  ( FIG. 5 ). The length of form spacing device  34  is selected based on the width of the foundation to be formed. It should be noted that a T-shape is the best mode currently known to the inventors, but channel  32  could be a variety of other shapes, such as triangular, Christmas tree-shaped, and the like. 
     Another aspect of channel  32  is that concrete and/or backfill material will infiltrate those portions of it not occupied by spacers  34 . This infiltration produces an additional retention force that secures drain segments  10  in position. 
     In use, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , an exterior form  100  includes a plurality of form drain segments  10  that are connected to create the exterior portion of a foundation form, and an interior form  100 ′ includes a plurality of drain segments  10  connected to form the interior portion of the foundation form. The exterior form  100  and interior form  100 ′ are positioned such that the form face  12  of the form-drain segments  10  of the inner form  100 ′ are positioned in facing relation to the form face  12  of the exterior form  100 . In each form, the T-channel  32  is continuous adjacent the upper portion of the form. Form spacing devices  34  are positioned between the interior form and the exterior form and securely engage the T-channel  32  in each of the opposing form drain segments  10 . After the form is properly positioned and the form spacing devices  32  are properly secured, uncured foundation material such as concrete can be poured between the opposing form faces  12  of the form drains  100  and  100 ′ and allowed to cure. The form-drain segments  10  remain in place after the foundation material cures providing drainage of ground moisture away from the foundation.