Abstract:
An insert device for forming voids in concrete for various types of purposes, such as anchoring heavy machinery to a concrete foundation, is disclosed. A method for the use of the insert device is also disclosed.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention generally concerns the forming of voids in poured concrete, and in particular provides a device and a method for forming such voids. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     The art of embedding an object in poured concrete by first forming a void in the concrete for receiving the object, and then securing the object in the void by some means, is old and well established. These voids are formed in a few different ways, such as by drilling a hole into concrete after the concrete has hardened, or by placing an insert of some kind into the concrete foundation before the concrete is poured and then removing the insert from the concrete once the concrete has hardened, thus leaving a void in the concrete. This art has applicability in several kinds of construction projects, from anchoring heavy machinery to a concrete foundation to building fencing. 
     Considering particularly the application of anchoring heavy machinery to a concrete foundation, it is customary in the art to form what are known as grout pits, a term meaning the filling of a void with grout, a concrete-like composition. After ascertaining the number and location of the voids that must be formed in order to properly anchor the machine in question, a number of inserts of some kind are placed into the desired positions and the concrete for forming the foundation is then poured. Once the concrete has hardened, the inserts are removed, thus forming voids in the concrete foundation. The machine is then secured by placing an anchor bolt from the machine into a void and then filling the void with grout, thus securing the anchor bolt in the proper location. Any other parts of the machine that need to be secured to the foundation are then secured in a similar manner. 
     Because a heavy machine creates a great deal of vibrational energy due to the relative motions of its respective parts, it is of the utmost importance that the machine be as securely anchored as possible. Experience has shown that, in order to produce an effective anchor, the grout pits must have a tapered shape, such that the bottom of the pit is wider than the top of the pit. Otherwise, the bond between the grout and the concrete foundation tends to deteriorate, and the quality of the product produced by the machine in question worsens, until eventually the machine may actually break away from the foundation, potentially causing injuries to the workers nearby as well as damage to both the machine itself and the building in which the machine is located. 
     At present, the inserts being used to form voids in concrete foundations are devices usually built by hand from conventional building materials, such as plywood. Such inserts are unsatisfactory for several reasons. Initially, there is the amount of time spent in constructing such inserts to the proper dimensions. Then there is the difficulty of removing such an insert from a void. This requires the use of hammers and other tools, and the stresses resulting from the removal of the devices may cause damage to the concrete foundation itself, which, to insure a proper installation, would require repeating the entire process. This, however is not usually done due to the time, labor and costs involved, the results being a poor installation of the machine due to an insecure mounting, and a resulting possibility of uncontrolled chatter or vibration marks in the finished parts. In addition, when it is desired to form grout pits along a line or at specified distances from one another, it is difficult to place these inserts in the proper locations, causing time delays and often causing slight errors in the placement of the inserts, thus weakening the effectiveness of the grout pits in anchoring the machine. 
     There are other types of devices at use in the art. An example of such a device is found in the Auciello et al. Patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,271. This patent shows a tubular insert device with an internal line of scoring, allowing the separation of an upper and lower closure element by use of a holder tab. After a void in a concrete foundation is made, the device is removed by pulling on the holder tab, which lifts up the upper closure element and allows removal of the device. To facilitate packing and storing the devices, they are tapered such that the bottom of the device is wider than the top. In addition, FIG. 8 of the Auciello Patent shows the edges of the holder tabs serving as a measuring point to insure proper placement of the devices. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide an insert device for forming voids in concrete that comes in the proper shape for forming a void, thus requiring no construction work on the part of a user of the container. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide an insert device that can be easily removed from a void in concrete once it is formed. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to provide an insert device having a reliable and known strength in keeping its shape when subjected to the weight of poured concrete. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of using an insert device to form voids in concrete. 
     These objects are met by providing an insert device made from a semi-rigid material which can be filled with a fluid, typically water, and then used to form a void in poured concrete. This insert device, which will hereafter be referred to as a container, can then be removed from the hardened concrete by removing the fluid from the container and pulling the container from the concrete, leaving the void. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a top view of an embodiment of the present invention, with a guide being tied to a boss. 
     FIG. 2 shows a side view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, with the guide shown in perpendicular to the viewer. 
     FIG. 3 shows a side view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, with the guide shown in parallel to the viewer. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 shows two rows of embodiments of the present invention in place in a concrete form and ready for use. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the invention for use with a foundation wall. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-4 all show an embodiment of the present invention from different perspectives. These drawings show a container  10  having a body section  12 , a shoulder section  14 , and a head section  16 . The body section  12  is tapered such that the bottom end  12   b  of the body section is wider than the top end  12   a.  The head section  16  has an opening (not shown) covered by a cap  18  and a slot  20  for receiving a guide  22 , which is shown in the drawings as a piece of lumber. The head section  16  has a pair of bosses  24 ,  26  on one side  16   a  of the head section and another pair of bosses  28 ,  30  on the opposite side  16   b  of the head section  16 . A tie  32  is shown wrapping around slots  24   a,    26   a  in the bosses  24 ,  26  and the guide  22  itself, thus securing the guide  22  in place. 
     The container  10  is made of a semi-rigid material, defined here as a material which has a definite shape before being filled with fluid and substantially retains that shape after being filled with a fluid, and which does not allow fluid, such as water, to leak through it. The preferred material would be a plastic, similar to the type of plastic used in making milk jugs. However, any material meeting the above requirements could be used. 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, the usage of the present invention can be described. This drawing shows two rows of containers  10  fastened to guides  22 . These guides  22  provides a handy method of insuring that the containers  10  are in a straight line and, by securing of the guide  22  at its ends  22   a,    22   b  in some fashion before the concrete is poured, helps to insure that the weight of the concrete does not cause any movement of the containers  10 , which are fastened to the guide  22  by ties  32  as seen in FIGS. 1 through 4. Typically, the guides  22  will be secured by placing their ends  22   a,   22   b  on the top edge  40   a  of a concrete form  40 , which is a device used to contain the concrete once it has been poured. Thus, the containers  10  are in effect being suspended from the guides  22 . By measuring the guides  22  before attaching the containers  10  with the ties  32 , it is also possible to use locations marked on the guide  22  to insure that the containers  10  are properly spaced in relation to each other. 
     Once the containers  10  are in the proper position and secured, a fluid such as water is poured into the opening (not shown) in the head section  16  of the containers  10 . Once the containers  10  are filled with fluid, the caps  18  are secured and the concrete can be poured. The concrete is poured to the desired height, which generally would be beneath the level of the top  14   a  of the shoulder section  14 , for reasons that will be explained later. After the concrete has hardened sufficiently, the caps  18  of the containers  10  can be removed and the fluid can be removed, either by use of some type of machine, such as a pump, or by manually siphoning off the fluid. While the containers  10  are resistant to deformation caused by the weight of the concrete when filled with the fluid, allowing it to maintain its form while the concrete is hardening, once the fluid is removed from the containers  10 , the semi-rigid material is easily collapsible, thus allowing the containers  10  to be removed from the concrete in a number of ways. The containers  10  can be removed by simply pulling the guide  22  itself upwards, thus causing the containers  10  to collapse, or by removing the ties  32  from the guide  22 , thus freeing the containers  10  from the guide  22 , and then simply pulling the containers  10  out of the concrete by hand. As shown in FIG. 3, a handle  34  for grasping when hand removal of a container  10  is desired can be located on the interior  12   c  of the body section  12 , thus allowing for easier removal of a container  10 . Upon the removal of the containers  10 , the desired voids are formed in the concrete foundation and the anchoring of a machine by use of grout can occur. 
     In order to facilitate the removal of the containers  10  from the concrete, it is generally recommended that the concrete not be poured above the top  14   a  of the shoulder section  14  of the containers, although exceptions may be made. The shoulder section  14  provides a clear delineation between the body section  12  and the head section  16  and is much less tapered, if at all, than the body section  12 , thus facilitating easier removal of the container  10  from concrete. However, it is also envisioned that there could be embodiments lacking a shoulder section  14  altogether, with a body section  12  and a head section  16  only, in which case it would be desirable to not have the concrete height exceed that of the body section  12 . 
     The above description is the best mode envisioned by this inventor for using a series of embodiments of the present invention. However, while recommended, the use of a guide  22  is not absolutely required in order to use embodiments of the present invention. In addition, in applications only requiring that a single void need to be formed, the use of a guide  22  might not be required. Thus, in these situations, the container  10  would not need to have a slot  20  or any bosses  24 ,  26 ,  28 ,  30  in the head section  16  of the container  10 . 
     In addition, the above described best mode of the invention, with only minor alterations as would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art may be utilized to form cavities in concrete for a number of purposes, such as in a support wall or foundation wall, for the purpose of holding the end of a support beam. An illustration of such an embodiment is given in FIG. 6, wherein the guide  22  rests on top of a set of common foundation wall forms  42 , the top of the container  10  is similar in all respects to the preferred embodiment, and the bottom part of the container  10  has sides in which a taper is not required. 
     In light of the above specification, there are several possible modifications and variations to embodiments of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that the claims, as supported by the teachings of this specification, define the scope of the present invention.