Patent Publication Number: US-2005126098-A1

Title: Panel system for forming poured concrete walls

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      I. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates generally to a panel system for forming poured concrete walls and, more particularly, to such a system for forming a brick ledge.  
      II. Description of Related Art  
      There are many previously known panel systems for forming poured concrete walls. Furthermore, a number of these previously known systems utilize reusable aluminum panels.  
      In these previously known aluminum panel systems, the panels are generally rectangular in shape having a top, a bottom and two spaced-apart sides. Aluminum framing members are provided around the periphery of the panel, and typically one or more cross braces extend laterally and/or longitudinally along the panel. An aluminum sheet is secured to one side of the framing members so that one side of the panel is planar. The aluminum panels, furthermore, are detachably locked together to create the form used for pouring the concrete wall. After the concrete wall has set, the panels are removed from each other and the poured wall and thereafter reused.  
      Many buildings, and particularly residential homes, include walkout basements. In these situations, at least a portion of the poured concrete wall is oftentimes covered with brick for aesthetic purposes. Furthermore, the amount of brick used on the exterior surface of these poured concrete walls will vary as a function of the amount of the poured concrete wall that would be exposed by the contour of the land but for the brick.  
      In order to support the brick on the exterior surface of the poured concrete walls, it has been previously necessary to create a brick ledge on the poured concrete wall which is equal in width to the width of a conventional brick, i.e. approximately four inches. The actual vertical position of the brick ledge along the panel will, of course, vary depending on the land contour around the poured concrete wall. Traditionally, since brick is much more expensive than concrete, the brick ledge is formed at or slightly below the level of the land.  
      In order to form these previously known brick ledges, Styrofoam, lumber, plastic, treated cardboard or the like is typically screwed, nailed or otherwise secured to the inside of the outer concrete forming panel so that the lower edge of the material is positioned at the desired level of the brick ledge. Consequently, during a concrete pouring operation, the Styrofoam, lumber, etc. used to form the brick ledge displaces the concrete during the concrete pouring operation in the desired fashion.  
      A primary disadvantage of this previously known method for forming brick ledges, however, is that it is time consuming and difficult to attach the wood, Styrofoam or the like to the aluminum panels in order to form the brick ledge. This, of course, increases the overall construction costs for forming the poured concrete wall.  
      A still further disadvantage of these previously known methods for creating a brick ledge in a poured concrete wall is that the materials used to form the ledge, i.e. the lumber, Styrofoam, plastic, treated cardboard and/or the like, increase the material costs for the panel system. Furthermore, these materials used to create the brick ledge typically cannot be reused in subsequent concrete pouring operations and, instead, are simply discarded. As such, the material costs of these materials directly increase the cost of forming the concrete wall with the brick edge.  
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
      The present invention provides an aluminum panel forming system which overcomes all of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known systems.  
      In brief, the panel forming system of the present invention comprises a first and second panel, both of which are generally rectangular in shape. Furthermore, each panel includes outer framing members around the periphery of the panel while an aluminum sheet is secured across one side of the framing members so that the aluminum sheet for each panel lies in a predetermined plane with respect to its panel.  
      A brick ledge form includes both a first and second adjacent section, each of which are generally planar. Furthermore, each section of the brick ledge form includes an upper surface and a bottom surface.  
      The bottom surface of the first section of the brick ledge form is secured to the top of the first or lower panel so that the second section of the brick ledge form extends laterally outwardly from and lies in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the aluminum sheet on the first panel. Thereafter, the bottom of the second panel is positioned on the top surface of the second section of the brick ledge form. In doing so, the plane of the aluminum sheet on the second panel lies in a plane parallel to, but spaced away from, the plane of the aluminum sheet on the first panel by a predetermined distance. This predetermined distance corresponds to the width of a conventional brick, typically about four inches.  
      The vertical length of the first and second panels will vary depending upon the desired vertical positioning of the brick ledge form relative to the bottom of the poured concrete wall. Typically, however, the overall total height of both the first and second panels is a preset amount, for example nine feet.  
      In a conventional fashion, a generally rectangular interior concrete forming panel is positioned relative to the first and second panels so that the plane of the interior panel is parallel to, but spaced inwardly from, both the plane of the first panel as well as the plane of the second panel. The space in between the interior panel and the first panel, however, is greater than the space in between the interior panel and the second panel by the predetermined amount corresponding to the width of a conventional brick. The interior panel is then secured to both the first and second panels by conventional ties in order to complete the concrete pouring panel system.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
      A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a side view illustrating a building constructed by using preferred embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a fragmentary sectional view taken alone line  2 - 2 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a fragmentary elevated view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a fragmentary exploded elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention; and  
       FIG. 5  is a fragmentary sectional side view of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
      With reference first to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , a portion of a panel system  10  for forming poured concrete walls is shown and includes both an outer panel assembly  12  as well as an inner panel  14 . As described in greater detail hereinafter, the outer panel assembly  12  and inner panel  14  are spaced apart from each other thus forming a cavity  16  therebetween. This cavity is designed to receive concrete during a wall pouring operation.  
      The outer panel assembly  12  is positioned on the exterior of a building relative to the inner panel  14  and includes a first panel  20  and a second panel  22 . The first panel  20  includes a top  24 , bottom  26  and spaced-apart and parallel sides  28 . The panel  20  includes a plurality of aluminum frame members  30  which extend around the periphery of the panel  20  and define the rectangular shape and size of the panel  20 . Additionally, one or more cross members  32 , also made of aluminum, typically extend between the aluminum frame members  30  to rigidify and strengthen the panel  20 .  
      An aluminum sheet  36  is secured across one side of the panel framing members  30  and cross members  34  so that the panel  36  lies in a predetermined first plane. Furthermore, in use, the panel  36  is positioned such that one side of the sheet  36  faces the cavity  16  which receives the poured concrete.  
      The second panel  22  is essentially identical to the first panel  20  except for the vertical height of the second panel  22  and includes a top  44 , bottom  46  and spaced-apart sides  48 . Consequently, the second panel  22  also includes aluminum frame members  40  which extend around the outer periphery of the panel  22  and define both the shape and size of the panel  22 . Cross members  42 , also made of aluminum, typically extend either between the frame members  40 , or between other cross members  42 , to rigidify and strengthen the second panel  22 . An aluminum sheet  45  is secured across one side of the frame members  40  and cross members  42  such that the aluminum sheet  45  lies in a predetermined plane. One side of this aluminum sheet  44  faces the interior cavity  16 .  
      Although the first panel  20  and second panel  22  are similar to each other, they may vary in height relative to each other, i.e. the distance between their respective tops and bottoms. However, the combined height of both the first panel  20  and second panel  22  is preferably a preset amount, for example nine feet.  
      With reference now particularly to  FIGS. 3-5 , the system  10  further includes an elongated aluminum brick ledge form  50  having an overall length equal to the length of the top  24  of the first panel  20 . The brick ledge form  50  further includes a first elongated section  52  and a second elongated section  54  which is adjacent the first section  52 . Both brick ledge form sections  52  and  54  are generally planar in shape.  
      As best shown in  FIG. 5 , the first section  52  of the brick ledge form  50  includes both a top surface  56  and a bottom surface  58 . Similarly, the second section  54  of the brick ledge form  50  also includes a top surface  60  as well as a bottom surface  62 . Furthermore, preferably the bottom surface  58  of the first section  52  is substantially coplanar with the top surface  60  of the second section  54 .  
      A plurality of circular openings  70  are provided at spaced intervals along the first section  52  of the brick ledge form  50 . At least some of these openings  70  register with like-shaped openings  72  in the frame member  30  which extends alone the top of the first panel  20 .  
      The brick ledge form  50  is detachably secured to the first panel  20  in any conventional fashion. However, in the preferred embodiment, pins  80  ( FIG. 5 ) are inserted through the registering holes  70  and  72  in the brick ledge form  50  and first form  20 . These pins  80  include a cross slot while a wedge  84  extending through the cross slot detachably locks the brick ledge form  50  and first panel  20 , together.  
      Once the first section  52  of the brick ledge form  50  is secured to the top  24  of the first form  20 , the second section  54  of the brick ledge form  50  extends laterally outwardly from the first form  20  and in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the aluminum sheet  36  on the first form  20 . Thereafter, as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the frame member  40  extending along the bottom  46  of the second form  22  is positioned on the top surface  60  of the second section  54  of the brick ledge form  50  so that the second form  22  is supported by the brick ledge form  50 . In doing so, the plane of the aluminum sheet  44  of the second form  22  is parallel to the plane of the aluminum sheet  36  of the first form  20 , but spaced apart from it by a predetermined distance. This predetermined distance corresponds to the width of a conventional brick, i.e. approximately four inches.  
      The first form  20  and second form  22  are then secured to the interior form  14  by conventional ties and the concrete wall is then formed by pouring concrete into the cavity  16 . After the concrete has set, the panels  20 ,  22  and  14  as well as the brick ledge form  50  are removed from the poured wall. In doing so and as best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the brick ledge form  50  forms a brick ledge  100  along the exterior surface of the concrete wall which is thereafter used to support bricks  102 . Furthermore, as best shown in  FIG. 1 , the height of the brick ledge  100  will vary in accordance with the contour of the land  104 .  
      From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides a panel system for forming poured concrete walls in which a brick ledge can be easily formed at a desired vertical distance from the bottom of the concrete wall by merely changing the vertical height of the first and second panels  20  and  22 . Furthermore, the brick ledge form  50  can be reused on subsequent jobs whenever desired.  
      Having described my invention, however, many modifications thereto will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains without deviation from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.