Patent Publication Number: US-3878659-A

Title: Fitting for pre-cast concrete bodies

Description:
United States Patent [191 Pfeiter Apr. 22, 1975 I FITTING FOR PRE-CAST CONCRETE BODIES [76] Inventor: Hermann Pfeifer, Mammostrasse l,  
 894 Memmingen, Germany [22] Filed: July 9, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 377,281  
 [30] Foreign Application Priority Data UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1914 Bennett 52/708 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 512,638 7/1952 Belgium 52/699 1,056,709 l/l967 United Kingdom 52/684 Primary E.ranzinerFrank L. Abbott Assistant Examiner-Carl D. Friedman Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Holman &amp; Stern [5 7] ABSTRACT To cater for the correct location in a pre-cast concrete mold of an attachment fitting, comprising a threaded sleeve and an anchorage element, which will be incorporated in the cast body for engagement by lifting means, use is made of spacer pieces consisting of a clamp or clip for engaging the anchorage element and a supporting stem for correctly spacing the anchorage element from the bottom of the mold.  
 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures ski some FITTING FOR PRE-CAST CONCRETE BODIES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to pre-cast concrete bodies. To enable pre-cast concrete bodies to be transported. or to enable the bodies to be lifted out of the casting mold. to move them to the construction in which they are being used. or to modify their position in this construction. threaded sleeves have been incorporated in the bodies. with these sleeves being such as to enable an eye bolt. a cable eye. or similar means to be screwed into them. These threaded sleeves generally consist of a tubular element with internal threading. and in many instances, the inner end of this tube is provided with a closure.  
  To ensure proper fastening of the threaded sleeves and avoid troublesome connection of the sleeves to reinforcing elements which may be present in the concrete body. in the cast concrete bodies. it is known to provide them with anchorage elements. In a very simple construction. the threaded sleeve is provided with an anchorage plate which. for example. can be in the form of a rectangular or square stamping. The anchorage plate and the threaded sleeve are welded together. Frequently the anchorage plate also serves to close the inner open end of the sleeve.  
  A problem which arises with threaded sleeves having anchorage plates of this kind is that of positioning them correctly in the mold. that is to say in a position such that the outer end of the sleeve is approximately flush with the outer surface of the cast concrete body. To  
 achieve this. it has been known to provide holes or the like in the anchorage plate to receive spacer pins of synthetic material. The anchorage plate rests on the cavity wall of the mold through the agency of these spacer pins. and the required result is obtained by appropriate dimensioning of the pins.  
  In another form of threaded sleeve and anchorage plate. the latter is bent down to form supporting legs and these are covered with synthetic material. The object of the use of synthetic material in this situation is to prevent the steel parts being exposed at the outer surface of the pre-cast concrete body. If the steel were exposed. there would be a likelihood of rust formation. and on the other hand. it might set up undesirable cold bridges.  
  These prior proposals for locating the threaded surface and anchorage plates at a correct distance from the wall of the mold involves a comparatively heavy expenditure. It is to be noted that the formation of holes represents an additional operating step. and the insertion of pins into these holes is difficult. If the pins are inserted at the time that the body is being cast, there is a danger of damage to the latter. Later insertion of the pins is also undesirable because of interrupting the manufacturing procedure.  
  The bending around of parts of the anchorage plate also involves an additional expenditure of time. labor, and cost. Moreover. parts of the anchorage plate are brought into the immediate neighborhood of the wall of the mold and introduce the danger of insufficient coverage.  
 OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of this invention is to provide a device for the purpose indicated which will cater for and guarantee spacing of the anchorage plate from the wall of the mold at a very modest outlay.  
  To this end, the invention comprises a device of the kind indicated above which is characterized by a spacer piece of synthetic material having a supporting stem and a clamping part for engagement with the anchorage plate.  
  A clamping part of this kind enables the spacer piece to be secured firmly and properly to an anchorage plate without the later having to be modified in any way to cater for the fastening. The supporting stem will be of such a length as to guarantee the correct spacing of the anchorage plate from the wall of the mold. The spacer piece can be introduced at the time the threaded sleeve is being manipulated in the mold so that subsequent damage is avoided. The mounting of the piece is very simple and represents no significant interruption in the progress in the casting operation.  
  It be preferred that the clamping part is made integrally with the supporting stem. The clamping part may be of U-form. with its two limbs embracing the anchorage plate.  
  To cater for a sufficient resilience and clamping effect. it is recommended that the two limbs shall be inclined relatively to one another. In a preferred arrangement. the supporting stem is attached to one of two limbs which is somewhat shorter than the other limb.  
  It is to be appreciated that the invention is not only capable of use in conjunction with anchorage plates but with other forms of anchorage elements. All that is required to exploit the invention is that the anchorage element shall have a surface on which the clamping part can be engaged to bring the spacer piece into a re quired location.  
  An embodiment is diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawing. in which:  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a section through a cast concrete body shown disposed in a mold and incorporating a device in accordance with this invention.  
 FIG. 2 is a plan view of a detail of the invention. and  
  FIGS. 3 and 4 are respectively an end view and a side view of the device according to the invention. shown on a larger scale.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1 the reference numeral 1 denotes. lower cavity wall ofa mold or other form of shuttering in which the concrete body is cast. It will be observed that this body incorporates a sleeve 3 with an inner thread 5 to enable a carrier means. such as a eye bolt. a cable eye or the like. to be screwed into a bore 4 defined by the sleeve. The sleeve 3 is connected to an anchorage plate 2 which will distribute the lifting effort through the cast body.  
  A spacer piece denoted generally 6 provided in accordance with this invention comprises a supporting stem 10 and a clamping part 7 having limbs 8 and 9. These limbs 8 and 9 are spaced by an amount approximating the thickness of the anchorage plate 2. It will be observed that they are relatively inclined so as to impart resilience (in the case of most material) which will ensure firm clamping to the anchorage plate. Also. it will be seen that the limb 9 is shorter than the limb 8 and the stem 10 is preferably integral with the limb 9.  
 I claim:  
  1. In a fitting for use in a pre-cast concrete body for permitting the body to be lifted from a mold and transported. an internally-threaded sleeve for detachably securing means thereto allowing the concrete body to be lifted and an elongated plate secured to the lower end of the sleeve at substantially right angles thereto closing the lower end of the sleeve and providing an anchorage element distributing the lifting effort through the concrete body the improvement including at least two spacer pieces each having a supporting stem with upper and lower ends and a clamping part at the upper end the clamping parts resiliently engaging the perimeter of the anchorage elements at diametrically opposite locations. with the lower end of each supporting stem engaging the bottom wall of a mold for positioning the anchorage element above the bottom wall at the correct spacing from such wall. said clamping parts each including a pair of spaced arms of different lengths, the upper end of the supporting stem being connected to the arm of shorter length and the arm of longer length being inclined toward the arm of shorter length.  
  2. The fitting as claimed in claim 1, in which said clamping part is of U-shape and integral with the supporting stem.  
  3. The fitting as claimed in claim 1, in which the spacer piece is made of a synthetic material.