Patent Publication Number: US-11035115-B1

Title: Breakaway form clip

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When forming concrete in commercial and residential structural applications, wood and/or steel is used to form forms for achieving a desired concrete shape. The forming process involves cutting and shaping the steel and wood  10  and then fastening it together with screws  12  to form and maintain the desired shape during the concrete pour, as for example shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Moreover, structural members such as angles  14  typically made of metal are connected to the form, typically using nails or screws  12 . Once the concrete has been poured and cured, the forms are removed. The structural members at least partially embedded in the concrete to provide a member for tying structural other structural members to the concrete. The removal process can be an arduous process given limited access typically available due to confined space conditions resulting in damage to the concrete when removing the nails and screws  12  and the forms and the forms from their connection with the structural members. Moreover, because the structural members are coupled to the forms with nails or screws, the typically disconnect from the forms or get offset when a worker accidentally steps on them or puts any weight on them. In an effort to overcome this steel rods  16  are often connected to the structural member  14  to provide support to the structural member  14 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In an example embodiment a clip for holding a structural member in position relative to a member as part of a form for receiving a material to be cured includes a main body portion, a hook portion extending from the body portion for receiving at least a portion of the structural member, and a breakaway section between the main body portion and the hook portion. In another example embodiment, the clip further includes an extension portion extending from the main body portion such that the hook portion extends from the extension portion. In yet another example embodiment, the breakaway section in between the extension body portion and the hook portion. In yet a further example embodiment, the breakaway section is defined by a line of perforations, serrations or lesser thickness than its adjacent portions extending along a width of the clip. In an example embodiment, the extension portion extends transversely from the main body portion. In another example embodiment, the clip further includes an arm extending transversely from the main body portion from an end of the main body portion opposite the hook portion. 
     In a further example embodiment, a form for receiving a material to be cured includes a form member forming a form, a structural member having a first section coupled to the form member and a second section extending transversely from the first section, a clip including a main body portion over the form member, and a hook portion extending beyond the form member, where the second section of the structural member is received in the hook portion. The clip also includes a breakaway section between the main body portion and the hook portion. In a yet further example embodiment, the main body portion is fastened to the form member. In another example embodiment, the clip also includes an extension portion extending from the main body portion and over the second section of the structural member such that the hook portion extends from the extension portion. In yet another example embodiment, the clip breakaway section is between the extension portion and the hook portion. In yet another example embodiment, the breakaway section is defined by a line of perforations, serrations or lesser thickness than its adjacent portions extending along a width of the clip. In another example embodiment, the extension portion extends transversely from the main body portion. In yet another example embodiment, the clip also includes an arm extending transversely from the main body portion from an of the main body portion opposite an end opposite the hook portion, the main body portion extends over a surface of the form member and the arm extends over another surface of the form member. In a further example embodiment, the arm is fastened to the form member. In yet a further example embodiment, a spacer is between the structural member first section the form member. 
     In any of the aforementioned example embodiments, the material to be cured is concrete. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1 . Is a perspective view of a prior art form. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial cross-sectional view of a prior art form. 
         FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view of an example embodiment form. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an example embodiment clip. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another example embodiment clip. 
     
    
    
     DETAIL DESCRIPTION 
     In an example embodiment, a breakaway form clip (“clip”)  18  is provided, as for example shown in  FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 . The clip has a main body portion  20 . An arm portion  22  extends transversely from a first end  24  the body portion  20 . An extension portion  23  extends from a second end  25  opposite the first end  24 . In the example embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the extension portion is a linear extension of the main body portion. In another example embodiment as shown in  FIG. 5  the extension portion extends transversely at an angle  50  from the main body portion. A hook portion  26  extends from an end  28  of the extension portion opposite the second end  25  of the main body portion. In the example embodiment clips shown in  FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 , the hook portion has a return portion  30  extending rearwardly toward the arm portion. In example embodiments, the return portion is parallel, or almost parallel to the body portion  29 . 
     In an example embodiment, the clip  18  is fastened to the wood or steel forming the form with screws or nails  32  through the clip main body portion and through the arm portion  22 . The structural member  14  structural member is placed adjacent the form. The structural member has a first section  34  and a second section  36  extending transversely from the first section. In the shown example embodiment, the second section is perpendicular to the first section. The second section  36  is placed adjacent the form  10 . In an example embodiment, spacer  38  such as a wood spacer, may be used between the second arm  38  and the form  10 . The extension portion extends over the structural member first section  34  and end portion  35  of the first section  34  of the structural member is received in the hook portion  26  of the clip. The hook portion retains the structural member  14  in the appropriate position without the use of fasteners, such as nails or screws, for example. 
     The clip has a breakaway section  42  at the intersection of the extension portion and the hook portion. The breakaway section is weaker than its adjacent portions. For example, the breakaway section is weaker than the extension portion and the hook portion. In an example embodiment the breakaway portion is also weaker than the main body portion. The breakaway section may be formed by forming perforations or serrations along a line separating the extension portion from the hook portion. In an example embodiment, the breakaway section is formed by a line of spaced apart perforations extending across the width of the clip. In other example embodiments, the breakaway section is formed by reducing the thickness of the clip along a line. In other example embodiments, the clip may include additional breakaway sections. 
     In example embodiments where the structural member is member such as an angle whose arms are not perpendicular to each other, the extension portion extends transversely from the main body portion at angle  50  so that when placed over the structural member, the clip extension portion will mate or be parallel with a surface portion of the structural member. The angle  50  that the extension portion extends from the main body portion may be any angle to accommodate different structural members. 
     In an example embodiment only the clip only has the second breakaway section  42  formed between the extension portion and the hook portion. 
     Once the form is formed and the concrete is poured and cured, the clip main body portion  20  including the arm  22  may be removed by tearing away along the first breakaway section  42 . The tearing can occur by striking the main body portion with the hammer or mallet. In other example embodiments, instead of concrete, another type of curing material may be poured in the form and cured. 
     In an example embodiment the clip is made from a metal material. In another example embodiment, the clip is made of a plastic material. While the description herein has been made in detail with particular references to exemplary embodiments thereof, the exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the invention to the exact forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the art and technology to which this invention pertains will appreciate that alterations and changes in the described structures and methods of assembly and operation can be practiced without meaningfully departing from the principles, spirit, and scope of this invention, as set forth in the following claims. Although relative terms such as “outer,” “inner,” “upper,” “lower,” “below,” “above,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and similar terms may have been used herein to describe a spatial relationship of one element to another, it is understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the various elements and components of the invention in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. Additionally, as used herein, the term “substantially” and similar terms are used as terms of approximation and not as terms of degree, and are intended to account for the inherent deviations in measured or calculated values that would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, the tasks described above may be performed in the order described or in any other suitable sequence. Additionally, the methods described above are not limited to the tasks described. Instead, for each embodiment, one or more of the tasks described above may be absent and/or additional tasks may be performed. Furthermore, as used herein, when a component is referred to as being “on” another component, it can be directly on the other component or components may also be present there between. Moreover, when a component is referred to as being “coupled” to another component, it can be directly attached to the other component or intervening components may be present there between.