Abstract:
A two-component mold assembly for molding an opening within a concrete wall that provides access to a piping system supporting a sprinkler The first component is an insert that is mounted on a concrete form, and the second component is a cover that slidably fits over the insert to define the opening in the concrete. The cover plugs the piping system during fabrication of the concrete wall and is removeable from the opening in the hardened concrete after the concrete form and the mounted insert are removed.

Description:
[0001]    PRIORITY CLAIM &amp; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE 
         [0002]    This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/706,972, filed Sep. 28, 2012, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/779,867, filed Mar. 13, 2013, both of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0003]    This invention relates generally to fire protection systems and the installation of fire protection systems. More specifically, the invention is directed to the installation of piping and fittings for fire protection systems positioned within concrete walls. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Many fire protection systems are configured to deliver a fire fighting fluid from a fluid source to a series of sprinklers distributed throughout a protected area in a defined pattern. In a building or other fixed structure, the fluid can be delivered to wall or ceiling mounted sprinklers through a network of pipes hidden within the walls or ceilings. The hidden piping is commonly run through hollow spaces within walls or ceilings. However, when the walls or ceilings are fabricated from a material that does not provide a hollow structure, such as concrete, it can be difficult to run the pipes after the walls or ceilings are fabricated. Accordingly, a common technique is to run the piping while a concrete wall or ceiling is being fabricated. 
         [0005]    When using concrete to fabricate a wall or ceiling containing a sprinkler pipe, it is desirable to have the sprinkler-mountable ends of the piping placed at the correct locations within the concrete wall or ceiling, and to have the ends of the piping accessible after the forms used to shape the concrete wall or ceiling are removed. In some existing systems, sprinkler piping molds are used to connect the ends of the sprinkler pipes to the concrete forms (e.g., plywood boards) while the concrete sets. Before the concrete is introduced to the space defined by the concrete forms, the sprinkler piping molds are mounted on the concrete forms at desired locations, and the sprinkler piping is routed and connected to the sprinkler piping mold. The sprinkler system is then pressure tested to ensure that all piping connections are satisfactory sealed and the wet concrete is introduced to fill the space defined by the concrete form and cover the sprinkler piping and the sprinkler piping molds. The sprinkler piping molds displace a volume of the wet concrete and are removed with the removal of the concrete forms to provide access to the sprinkler piping through the volume defined within the hardened concrete by the sprinkler piping molds. 
         [0006]    One such mold is described in European Publication No. 2312088 at  FIG. 1 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Shown in  FIG. 1  is a one-piece mold that has a bell-shaped member that defines a volume for displacing concrete. The bell-shaped member has one end that connects to a pipe and another end that sits against a concrete form. Three fastening members pass through the bell-shaped member to secure the bell-shaped member, and its connected pipe, to the concrete form. As the mold in  FIG. 1  is a one-piece mold, the fastening members must be pulled or cut to separate the bell-shaped member from the concrete form, and to gain access to the bell-shaped member so that it can be removed from the pipe. It is believed that the mold described in  FIG. 1  of EP2312088 is not an efficient design because of the labor and time required to pull or cut the fastening members to separate the concrete form from the mold, and because the fastening members may not provide a secure connection to the concrete form because the fastening members must remain removable to allow for later separation when the concrete form is removed. 
         [0007]    Another concrete mold is described in EP2312088 at  FIG. 2 . Shown in  FIG. 2  is a two-piece concrete mold that has a bell-shaped member with a top piece and a bottom piece. The top piece provides a volume for displacing concrete and the bottom piece fits within the top piece to secure the top piece to the concrete form. The top piece of the bell-shaped member has one end that connects to a pipe and another end that sits against the concrete form while covering the bottom piece. Three fastening members pass through the bottom piece to secure a plate of the bottom piece flatly against the concrete form. The top piece of the bell-shaped member, and its connected pipe, are disposed over a cylindrical wall extending from the bottom piece. As the mold in  FIG. 2  is a two-piece mold, the bottom piece is removable when the concrete form is removed, which allows access to remove the top piece of the bell-shaped member from the pipe. It is believed that the mold described in  FIG. 2  of EP2312088 is not sufficiently sturdy for use or repeated use at a construction site because the walls of the bottom piece are likely to be deformed or damaged (e.g., when impacted or stepped on), which can provide an inadequate connection to the top piece or prohibit subsequent reuse of the bottom piece. It is also believed that the  FIG. 2  design is not efficient because of the additional time and labor that may be required to properly orientate the bottom piece on the concrete form. 
         [0008]      FIGS. 3-4  of EP2312088 show a two-piece mold that is represented to be an improvement over the designs of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and show a specialized tool that is used to release the mold from the concrete form. As shown in  FIGS. 3-4 , the two-piece mold has a bell-shaped member that defines a volume for displacing concrete and a plug that holds the bell-shaped member to a pipe. The bell-shaped member has an end that connects to a pipe with the plug extending through a hole in the end to screw into the pipe, to secure the bell-shaped member to the pipe by pressing a portion of the end between the plug and the pipe. The opposite end of the bell-shaped member sits against the concrete form and is secured to the form by fastening members that pass through the bell-shaped member into the concrete form. To remove the concrete form, the fastening members are cut or removed to provide access for a tool that is inserted to unscrew the plug from the pipe. Once the plug is unscrewed, the bell-shaped member is removed, leaving the volume defined by the mold to provide access to the pipe. It is believed that the mold described in  FIG. 3  of EP2312088 is not an efficient design because of the labor and time required to assemble the plug and bell-shaped member on to the pipe, to engage and disengage the fastening members, and to remove the plug from the pipe. It is also believed that the design is not efficient because of the need for the plug component and the costs associated with the extra component. 
         [0009]    A three-piece mold is described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0319196 to Rosenberg, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. As shown in  FIG. 2 , a cylindrical cap having a flat plate is mounted flatly on a concrete form with screws so that a cylindrical wall extends from the flat plate to engage a sleeve that defines the displacement volume. The sleeve is connected to a pipe with a plug that holds the sleeve to the pipe, with the plug fitting in a space within the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical cap. When the concrete form is removed, the cylindrical cap is pulled out of the sleeve, leaving the sleeve accessible to a tool that removes the plug and sleeve from the volume defined by the mold within the concrete. It is believed that the mold described in Rosenberg is not an efficient design because of the labor and time required to assemble the plug and sleeve onto the pipe, and because of the need for an additional plug component and the costs associated with the extra component. It is also believed that the mold described in Rosenberg is not an efficient design because of the labor and time required to mount the cylindrical cap in a correct orientation and to remove both the plug and the sleeve. It is further believed that the Rosenberg design is not sufficiently sturdy for a construction site because the cylindrical wall can bend when stepped on or suffer damage that prevents reuse of the cylindrical cap. 
         [0010]    In view of the above-described deficiencies associated with prior techniques, among others, there is a need for a sprinkler piping mold that can displace concrete in a manner that reduces the cost and effort required to assemble and tear down the mold, allows for simpler connection of the mold to a concrete form, provides sturdiness resistant to damage, and permits the reuse of construction materials. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The present invention provides for the installation of piping and fittings for fire protection systems positioned within concrete walls. 
         [0012]    In one preferred embodiment, a sprinkler mold assembly as described herein places the mold against a concrete form to create a displaced volume of concrete. The mold assembly includes a cover that defines the displaced volume and has a pipe connector that directly connects to a piping system to seal the system for pressure testing, and that has an inner surface engages an insert mounted on the concrete form. More specifically, the mold assembly includes an insert which has identical opposing first and second insert ends and a cylindrical surface which is disposed between the first and second insert ends. The first and second insert ends define a plurality of fastener passages extending through the insert. The mold assembly also provides a cover, including a cover end and a cylindrical wall extending from the cover end to a cylindrical wall edge to define an interior of the cylindrical wall. The cover end has a connector extending from the cover end in a direction opposite to the cylindrical wall and having an outer surface configured to connect to and occlude the piping system. In some preferred embodiments the sprinkler mold assembly can provide an o-ring disposed on the cover about the connector. In some preferred embodiments the interior of the cylindrical wall has a plurality of supports distributed about the wall, and engaging the cover end. In some preferred embodiments a portion of the cover end facing the interior volume having a tool engagement surface configured to receive a tool inserted into the interior volume. In some preferred embodiments, the sprinkler mold assembly can provide a tool engagement surface which is a socket for engaging a hex wrench and has a plurality of supports. The tool has a plurality of tines defining spaces configured to receive the plurality of supports. In some preferred embodiments the mold assembly has a cylindrical wall having a wall thickness that increases as the cylindrical wall extends from the cover end to define a conical outer surface of the cylindrical wall and to define within the interior a non-conical inner surface of the cylindrical wall. 
         [0013]    In another preferred embodiment, the method of preparing a mold for molding concrete is provided which includes a reversible insert that can be mounted on the concrete form in either direction, and constructed durably to withstand damage and remain suitable for reuse. The method includes providing an opening for accessing an end of a sprinkler piping system disposed in the concrete, and includes mounting a reversible insert to a concrete form. The reversible insert has identical opposing first and second insert ends and a cylindrical surface disposed between the first and second insert ends. The method includes occluding the piping system with a connector portion of a cover; and mounting the cover over the insert. In some preferred embodiments, the method further includes inserting fasteners through the first and second ends of the reversible insert. In some preferred embodiments, the method includes a cover which is a unitary structure with the connector portion. In some preferred embodiments the cover can be removed by inserting a tool into the cover to engage a tool engagement surface of the cover; a tool engagement surface which is a socket for engaging a hex wrench. In some preferred embodiments, the method provides a tool engagement surface which has a plurality of supports and a tool which has a plurality of tines defining spaces configured to receive the plurality of supports. 
         [0014]    In still yet another preferred embodiment the removal of the cover simultaneously unplugs the piping system and uncovers the volume within the concrete that was formed by the mold. In some preferred embodiments, the method includes removing the cover with a cover removal tool which can be inserted into the cover to engage a tool engagement surface of the cover and has a plurality of supports. The cover removal tool includes a first end and a second end opposing the first end. The second end of the cover removal tool has a peripheral edge from which a plurality of tines extends away from the first end. The plurality of tines defines a space between each tine, each space configured to receive one of the plurality of supports to engage the cover. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the features of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a partial cross-section view of an embodiment of a sprinkler mold assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 2A-2C  are isometric, top, and side views, respectively, of an insert of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIGS. 3A-3C  are isometric, cross-sectional, and bottom views, respectively, of a cover of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIGS. 4A-4D  are isometric, isometric, top, and side views, respectively, of a cover removal tool in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 5A-5F  are partial cross-sectional views of an installation and removal of a sprinkler mold assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    The present invention addresses the above-described deficiencies of prior techniques, among others, by providing a sprinkler piping mold that minimizes components, reduces assembly and disassembly time and labor, and provides durable and re-useable components. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  shows a partial cross-section of an assembled sprinkler mold assembly  100  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, mounted on a concrete form  10  and connected to a piping system  20 . The mold assembly  100  can have an insert  30  connected to the concrete form  10  and a cover  40  slidably mounted over the insert  30  and connected to the piping system  20 . The insert  30  can be connected to the concrete form  10  by fasteners  12  (e.g., screws or nails) extending through the insert  30  to engage the concrete form  10 . Alternatively, the insert  30  can be secured to the concrete form  10  by another type of fastener that passes through the insert  30  and the concrete form  10  (e.g., a bolt), that extends from the insert  30  into the concrete form  10  (e.g., a barb or hook), or is disposed between the insert  30  and the concrete form  10  (e.g., an adhesive). The exterior of the insert  30  can have a cylindrical shape that provides a sliding engagement with the interior of the cover  40 . The sliding engagement can include a series of ridges  37  that increase the friction of the sliding engagement to secure the mounted cover  40  to the insert  30 , and/or includes a series of mating projections  46  (shown in more detail in  FIG. 3 ), ridges, or grooves on the interior of the cover  40  that engage the insert  30  to increase friction between the cover  40  and insert  30 . The cover  40  can include a connector  45  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) that has threading that mates with internal threading of the piping system  20  to plug the end of the piping system  20 . The piping system  20  can include a fitting  22  connected to piping  24 , with a threaded end of the fitting  22  that mates with the threads of the connector  45 . The piping  24  can connect to a source of fire fighting fluid (not shown). 
         [0023]      FIG. 2A  is an isometric view,  FIG. 2B  is a top view, and  FIG. 2C  is a side view of an insert  30  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The insert  30  can have a cylindrical shape with a first end  31  and second end  32  and a cylindrical surface  33  on the side of the insert  30  extending between the first and second ends  31 ,  32 . The insert  30  can be identical when viewed from the first end  31  or the second end  32  (i.e., reversible), which allows the insert  30  to be connected to a concrete form  10  from either end. The insert  30  on its interior can have passages extending from the first end  31  to the second end  32  to provide channels  34  and/or fastener holes  36 . The channels  34  can be provided to reduce the weight and material cost of the insert  30 . The fastener holes  36  can provide access for fasteners  12  (not shown in  FIG. 2 ) that can pass through the fastener holes  36  to connect the insert  30  to the concrete form  10 , with either the first end  31  or the second end  32  disposed to press against the concrete form  10 . The cylindrical surface  33  can include ridges  37  circumferentially about the insert  30  and configured to engage the interior of the cover  40 . The insert  30  can also include a tapered edge  38  where the cylindrical surface  33  meets the first end  31  and second end  32 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 3A  is an isometric view,  FIG. 3B  is a cross-sectional view, and  FIG. 3C  is a bottom view of a cover  40  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The cover  40  can include a cover end  41  and a cylindrical wall  42  extending from the cover end  41  to a cylindrical wall edge that defines an open end  43  and an interior volume  44  of the cover  40  within the cylindrical wall  42 . The cover end  41  can include a connector  45  providing threads  45   a  configured to engage mating threads of the fitting  22  to occlude the piping system  20 . The occluding by the fitting  22  can be a complete occlusion sufficient to allow the piping system  20  to pass a pressure or leak test. 
         [0025]    The cylindrical wall  42  can have an outer surface  42   a  and an inner surface  42   b . The outer surface  42   a  can define a conical shape that starts at the cover end  41  at a first diameter and increases along the length of the cylindrical wall  42  until reaching a larger second diameter at the open end  43 . The outer surface  42   a  can be smooth so as to facilitate the release of the cover  40  from hardened concrete. The inner surface  42   b  of the cylindrical wall  42  can have a tubular shape that does not increase or decrease in diameter. The inner surface  42   b  can include a series of projections  46  that extend into the interior volume  44  to provide addition friction when engaging the ridges  37  of the insert  30 . The inner surface  42   b  can also or instead have ridges or grooves that mate with the ridges  37  of the insert  30 . The inner surface  42   b  at the open end  43  can include a tapered edge  47  configured to facilitate the entry of the insert  30  into the interior volume  44  of the cover  40 . The inner surface  42   b  at the cover end  41  can include a tool engagement surface  48  configured to mate with a tool  51  (such as shown in  FIG. 5F ) that can be used to rotate the cover  40  so as to engage or disengage the threads  45   a  from the fitting  22 . The tool engagement surface  48  can include a socket  48   a  for engaging a hex wrench. The tool engagement surface  48  can also include supports  48   b  that support the cylindrical wall  42  and provide spaces between the supports  48   b  that can accept a cover removal tool  50  ( FIG. 4 ). The supports can be triangular shaped and disposed to join the cylindrical wall  42  to the inner surface  42   b  of the cover end  41  or, alternatively, can have a different shape such as a beam extending at an angle between the cylindrical wall  42  and the inner surface  42   b  of the cover end  41 . The tool  51 , whether a hex wrench or a cover removal tool  50 , can engage the tool engagement surface  48  so as to provide a rotational force that can rotate the cover  40  to engage or disengage the connection between connector  45  and the fitting  22 . The cover  40  can also include a spacing  49  configured to accept an o-ring (not shown in  FIG. 3 , but shown in  FIGS. 5B and 5F ) that can assist in providing a seal between the cover  40  and the fitting  22 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 4A  shows an isometric view,  FIG. 4B  shows an isometric view,  FIG. 4C  shows a top view, and  FIG. 4D  shows a side view of a cover removal tool  50  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The cover removal tool  50  can include a socket end  52  configured to engage a wrench (not shown) and a tine end  54  having a series of tines  56  distributed circumferentially about the tine end  54  to provide spaces  58  between the tines  56 . The spaces  58  can be configured to receive the supports  48   b  of the cover  40  so that the tines  56  can contact the supports  48   b.  When the cover removal tool  50  is rotated with a wrench, the rotational force can be imparted to each of supports  48   b  by each of the tines  56  to cause the cover  40  to rotate and release from the fitting  22  and release from the hardened concrete. The cover removal tool  50  can also be used in a similar fashion to rotate the cover  40  to cause the cover  40  to screw into the fitting  22 . 
         [0027]      FIGS. 5A-5F  show the assembly and disassembly of a sprinkler mold assembly  100  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 5A , the insert  30  can be mounted to the concrete form  10  with the fasteners  12 . The insert  30  can be identical at each end so that the first end  31  or the second end  32  can abut the concrete form  10 . As shown, the fasteners  12  can be inserted through the fastener holes  36  to reach the concrete form  10  and secure the insert  30  to the concrete form  10 . As shown in  FIG. 5B , the cover  40  can be positioned for connection to the fitting  22 , with the connector  45  being screwed into the fitting  22  so that the threads  45   a  engage the internal threads of the fitting  22 . As shown, an o-ring  60  can be placed at the spacing  49  on the cover  40  to facilitate a sealing engagement between the fitting  22  and the cover  40 . As shown in  FIG. 5C , the coupled fitting  22  and cover  40  can be positioned over the insert  30  so that the ridges  37  on the insert  22  engage the projections  46  on the inside of the cover  40 . The cover  40  can be advanced over the insert  30  so that the open end  43  of the cover  40  abuts the concrete form  10 . 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 5D , the piping  24  can be connected to the fitting  22 , and the concrete  14  can be introduced to the space defined by the concrete form  10  so that the concrete  14  envelopes the assembly of the piping  24 , fitting  22 , and the cover  40 . As shown in  FIG. 5E , after the concrete  14  has hardened sufficiently, the concrete form  10  can be removed from the concrete  14 . The removal of the concrete form  10  takes away the insert  30  due to the attachment of the insert  30  to the concrete form  10  and due to the sliding engagement between the insert  30  and the cover  40 . However, the cover  40  can remain in the concrete  14  after the concrete form  10  and insert  30  are removed because the cover  40  is connected to the fitting  22 . As shown in  FIG. 5F , a tool  51  can be inserted into the internal volume  44  of the cover  40  to engage the tool engagement surface  48 . As shown, the tool  51  can be a hex wrench that engages the socket  48   a  to facilitate the rotation of the cover  40  to disengage the connector  45  from the fitting  22 . As can be appreciated, after the cover  40  is removed, the area of displaced concrete  16  remains and can provide access to the fitting  22  for the subsequent connection of a sprinkler (not shown). 
         [0029]    As can be appreciated from the embodiment illustrated by sprinkler mold assembly  100 , the mold assembly can require only two components (excluding the o-ring and the fasteners) to plug the piping system and removably connect the mold assembly to the concrete form, which provides a simpler configuration that can require less time and labor to assemble and disassemble as compared to existing molds that may require a plug that secures a part of the mold to the piping system. Also, as illustrated by the described embodiment, the mold assembly can use an insert that can be mounted to the concrete form in any direction that places a flat side of the insert against the form, which can simplify the assembly of the mold and save time and labor during assembly as compared to existing systems that may require the assembler to reposition components in a specific orientations. Further, as illustrated in the described embodiments, the mold assembly can used an insert that has a dense structure that can withstand abuse and maintain a shape suitable for coupling with other components of the mold assembly, as compared to existing systems that may have a wall that can be deformed or damaged and rendered unsuitable for engagement with other mold components. 
         [0030]    From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.