Patent Abstract:
Disclosed are a height-adjustable inter-form concrete mold supporting system and method for in situ concrete construction. The system has a support member detachably disposed on a base plate. An inter-form truss is adjustably attached to the support member and holds formwork brackets to define concrete pour width. A plurality of like assemblages and attached formwork define concrete pour length and height of the monolithic concrete slab-on-grade foundations or flooring in situ.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     None. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     None. 
     REFERENCE TO A MICRO-FICHE APPENDIX 
     None. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to an inter-form concrete mold supporting system and method for constructing concrete foundations or floors through the use of the inter-form system, and more particularly to a height-adjustable, inter-truss as a featured component of the inter-form system and a method for easily constructing monolithic concrete slab-on-grade floors and foundations in situ with enhanced cost-effectiveness. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A search of the prior art located the following United States patents which are believed to be representative of the present state of the prior art: U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,535 B1, issued June 2002, U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,764 B1, issued April 2002, U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,378 issued November 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,025 B1, issued May 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,055, issued May 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,083, issued December 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,353, issued April 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,050, issued March 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 1,972,913 issued September 1934, U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,707, issued February 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,210, issued June 1976, U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,606 issued January 1974, U.S. Pat. No. 3,288,042, issued November 1966, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,635,320, issued April 1953. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inter-form system and method provide the use of an inter-truss form to eliminate formwork members cast in concrete foundations. The inter-form system and method also eliminate steel or wood stake voids and possible corrosion to structural concrete reinforcements from intrusion of moisture from earthen substrate. 
     It is therefore an object of the inter-form system and method to provide an easily configured and adjustable concrete mold supporting system and method for constructing concrete floors and foundations. 
     Specifically, it is an object of the inter-form system and method to provide a novel system and method for cost effective concrete floor and foundation construction by use of low cost components and elimination of labor costs as well as the costs associated with traditional forming brackets which require storage, transportation and maintenance. 
     Another object of the inter-form system and method is to provide a system to eliminate formwork members cast in concrete foundations. 
     It is also an object of the inter-form system and method to provide a novel system which eliminates steel or wood stake voids and further eliminates early corrosion to structural concrete re-enforcement is due to earth moisture intrusion. 
     A preferred embodiment of the inter-form system and method discloses a combination of four central components. A steel base plate coated in plastic to prevent the steel having contact with the earth receives a piece of Rebar which is set into vertical position by the base plate sleeve. The Rebar held by the base plate acts as the support member or leg of the system. The length of the support member or leg is determined by depth of footing and is field cut. The central piece of the system, the inter-truss is positioned over the top of the support member and is set to elevation with a set nut. It is then determined where the holes are to be drilled in the form boards. After determining the hole locations, a piece of half-inch, inner rod having threaded ends is sized between forms and inserted into the truss. Angle brackets are installed to the truss using threaded taper bolts threaded on to the inner rod threaded ends. The angle bracket is installed above top of the form and lumber is nailed in to hold the top of the form to the desired width and above to allow finishing under support. The dimension between each of these members is determined by height and width of designed form. The final step is to align all set and placed forms with wood or steel stakes secured into the earth outside the foundation limits. 
     In an embodiment of the inter-form system and method under light forming conditions the inner rod, taper bolts, and angle brackets can be replaced by a special made snap tie and wedge to hold form boards on each side. 
     Other features, advantages, and objects of the inter-form system and method will become apparent with reference to the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the inter-form concrete mold supporting system. 
         FIG. 2  is a top planar view of the base plate element of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2A  is a front elevation view of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation view of the inter-truss element of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3A  is a left side view of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 3B  is a top planar view of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the angle bracket element of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the taper bold element of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5A  is an end view of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 6  is a elevation end view of an embodiment of the present invention for inter-form concrete mold supporting system. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the wedge element of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side elevation view of the snap-tie element of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawing figures, an embodiment of the inter-form concrete framing system includes: a base plate  20 ; a support member  30  having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the support member  30  bottom end is supported in a vertical position by the base plate  20 ; an inter-truss member  40  having a predetermined length and two ends, the inter-truss member  40  positioned perpendicular to the support member  30  and adjustably attached to the support member  30  top end; and an attachment assembly on each truss member end whereby vertical angle brackets  50  are fixedly attached perpendicularly to the second tubing member  46  of the inter-truss member  40 . 
     The inter-truss member  40  further comprises a stabilization member  42  connected to first  44  and second  46  tubing members of predetermined length,  FIGS. 3-3B . Each tubing member  44  and  46  comprises two ends and an exterior side. The first tubing member  44  is sized to receive and secure the support member  30  top end to define top and bottom first tubing member  44  ends. The first  44  and second  46  tubing members are fixedly attached to the stabilization member  42  such that the top end of the first tubing member  44  is transverse to the second tubing member  46 . 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the inter-truss member  40  further comprises an inner rod  60  sized to reside within and extend beyond the second tubing  46  length. This inner rod  60  comprises two threaded ends to receive a threaded attachment assembly. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the base plate  20  comprises a centered sleeve  22  having a centered opening of predetermined diameter extending vertically from the plate and sized to receive and hold the vertical member  30 . The base plate  20  comprises steel coated with plastic. The base plate further comprises at least four openings  24  to secure the plate to a ground substrate. 
     The attachment assembly of an embodiment of the present invention comprises two threaded taper bolts  70  each sized to fit and attach over the inter-truss  40  inner rod  60  threaded end thus securing an angle bracket  50 . 
     The attachment assembly of an alternate embodiment of the present invention comprises snap tie  80  and wedge  90  assembly wherein the snap tie  80  is sized to be fixedly inserted through at least one wedge  90  and into each second tubing member  46  end thus securing formwork  100 . 
     The preferred embodiment  10  of inter-form concrete framing system,  FIGS. 1-5 , comprises a steel base plate base  20  coated with plastic comprising at least four openings  24  to secure the base plate  20  to a ground substrate and further comprising a center sleeve  22  having a centered opening of predetermined diameter extending vertically from the plate sized to receive and hold a support member  30 . The preferred embodiment  10  support member  30  is a predetermined length of Rebar having a top end and a bottom end. The rebar bottom end is insertably attached into to the base plate sleeve  22 , whereby the rebar support member  30  is held in a fixed vertical position. The preferred embodiment  10  of the present invention further comprises an inter-truss member  40  comprising a stabilization member  42  and first  44  and second  46  tubing members of predetermined length. Each tubing member  44  and  46  comprises two ends and exterior sides,  FIGS. 3 ,  3 A and  3 B. The inter-truss member  40  further comprises a rod  60  sized to reside within and extend beyond the second tubing member  46 . The rod  60  comprises two threaded ends. The first tubing member  44  is sized to receive and secure the support member  30  top end and thereby define top and bottom first tubing member  44  ends. The tubing members  44  and  46  are fixedly attached in transverse alignment with the stabilization member  42  such that the top end of the first tubing member  44  is in tangential communication with the transverse second tubing member  46 . Threaded taper bolts  70  sized to fit and attach each rod  60  threaded end to an angle bracket  50  whereby vertical angle brackets  50  are fixedly attached perpendicularly to the inter-truss second tubing member  46 . 
     The foregoing assembly and inter-form system can be used for ready-mixed concrete inter-form method characterized by the following steps: 1) arranging, at a predetermined interval, at least two inter-form systems  10  or  12  according to the foregoing specification (i.e.,  FIGS. 1 and 6 ); 2) setting the elevation of each inter-truss member  40  on its corresponding vertical support member  30 ; 3) mounting opposed formworks  100  on the vertical angle brackets  50  so as to locate the inter-form system in a space formed between opposed formwork  100  and define an upper end surface; 4) mounting formwork  200  to opposed formwork  100  upper ends; 5) aligning all set and placed formwork with staking secured into the ground substrate beyond the foundation limits (not depicted); 6) filling ready mix concrete in the space provided between opposed formwork  100  up to top formwork  200 ; 7) allowing the concrete to cure; and 8) removing formwork  100  and  200 . When the concrete has been applied to the space defined within formwork  100  and  200 , the inventive inter-form system is buried into the concrete floor or foundation with only the upper surface of formwork  200  and the exterior surfaces of formwork  100  exposed to the outside. 
     Support member  30  is determined by depth of footing and is field cut. After the inter-truss  40  is positioned over the top of the support member  30 , the inter-truss  40  is set to elevation with on the support member  30  by a set nut  48  through the first tubing member  44  and locking against the support member  30 ,  FIG. 3 . At this point, it is then determined where the holes are to be drilled in the formwork  100 . After determining formwork  100  hole locations, a piece of one-half inch end-threaded or all-thread inner rod  60  that is cut or purchased to proper length, preferably to a length two inches less than formwork width and centered between the formwork  100 . Next, angle brackets  50 ,  FIGS. 1 and 4 , typically comprising a piece of two inch angle with pre-drilled large holes  54  for each taper bolt  60  and smaller holes  52  for #8 or #16 duplex nails,  FIG. 4 , are installed. Each angle bracket  50  is held in place and each taper bolt  60 ,  FIGS. 1 and 5 , is slid through a corresponding angle bracket  50  large hole  54  and formwork  100  and threaded on to the threaded ends of inner rod  60 . The angle bracket  50  is installed above formwork  100  and additional formwork  200  is nailed in to hold formwork to the desired width to allow finishing under support. The dimension between each of these members is determined by height and width of the desired form. All set and placed formwork is aligned and set with wood or steel stakes secured into the earth substrate outside foundation limits (not depicted). 
     In an embodiment of the invention  12  under light forming conditions the inner rod  60 , taper bolts  70  and angle bracket  50  can be replaced by a special made snap tie  80  and wedge  90  to hold the formwork  100  to the inter-truss  40 ,  FIGS. 6-8 . 
     In accordance with the preceding explanation, variations and adaptations of the inter-form concrete mold supporting system and method invention will suggest themselves to a practitioner of the construction equipment arts. Thus, in accordance with these and other possible variations and adaptations of the present invention, the scope of the invention should be determined in accordance with the following claims, only, and not solely in accordance with that embodiment within which the invention has been taught.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4