Abstract:
A method for forming simulated stone coping above a vertical structure, the method comprising the steps of providing molded liners, each having a textured imprinting for forming the simulated stone coping, providing form boards, mounting the form boards on the vertical structure, placing the molded liners, pouring concrete to form a concrete fill, allowing the concrete fill to cure and/or harden, removing the form board, and peeling the molded liner from the concrete fill.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application for a utility patent is a continuation of a previously filed utility patent, still pending, having the application Ser. No. 14/042,028, field Sep. 30, 2013. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to methods for forming a coping, and more particularly to a method for forming simulated stone coping. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     There are several examples of polystyrene forms that are used to form the front face of a coping. Examples of such prior art forms include are shown in Deason (U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,070, and U.S. D284971), as well as to Stegmeier (U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,017 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,586). Various other references include the following: Coates, U.S. Pat. No. 6,725,469; Epple, U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,730; Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 7,861,471; and Dahowski, U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,119. The above-described references are hereby incorporated by reference in full. 
     The prior art teaches form boards that are mounted on an edge of a pool for forming a shaped coping when the deck is poured. However, the prior art does not teach a form board that receives a liner that is molded to impart a realistic stone texturing, or other form of texturing, that cannot be achieved with prior art forms. The prior art also does not teach an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the molded liner with the form board, so that the liner is held securely in place without the use of tapes or adhesives. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further advantages as described in the following summary. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below. 
     The present invention provides a method for forming a simulated stone coping above a vertical structure, the method comprising the steps of providing molded liners and form boards. Each of the molded liners has a textured imprinting for forming the simulated stone coping. The form boards have a liner receiver shaped to receive the molded liner. The form boards are mounted on the vertical structure adjacent where the simulated stone coping is to be formed, the molded liners are placed in the liner receivers, and concrete is poured to form a concrete fill, which is allowed to cure and/or harden. The form boards are then removed from the vertical surface, and the molded liner is peeled from the concrete fill, leaving the simulated stone coping with an exposed surface retaining the texture imparted by the textured imprinting. 
     A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a method for forming simulated stone coping, the method having advantages not taught by the prior art. 
     Another objective is to provide method for forming simulated stone coping that is quick and easy to perform and that forms realistic simulated stone coping. 
     A further objective is to provide a method that includes the use of molded liners that may be reused. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of one embodiment of an edge form system, illustrating one embodiment of a molded liner and a form board; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded side elevational view thereof; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the edge form system operatively installed on a bond beam of a swimming pool for forming a simulated stone coping on top of the bond beam of the swimming pool; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the molded liner being peeled from the simulated stone coping once it has cured; and 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the edge form system, illustrating the edge form system being held in place on a vertical structure by a spring clamp. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The above-described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a method for forming simulated stone coping  18  using an edge form system  10 . The simulated stone coping  18  may be formed above a vertical structure  12 , such as a bond beam of a swimming pool, or any other structure that may improved with such a coping. 
       FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the edge form system  10 , illustrating one embodiment of a molded liner  20  and a form board  30 .  FIG. 2  is an exploded side elevational view thereof. As illustrated in  FIGS. 1-2 , the molded liner  20  has an inner surface  21 , an outer surface  22 , a top edge  23 , and a bottom edge  24 . The inner surface  21  includes a textured imprinting  26  that is molded or otherwise formed so that when concrete is poured adjacent to it, the concrete will retain the texturing so that it resembles stone or some other desirable surface shape and texture. The textured imprinting  26  may be shaped for imparting a rough stone-like appearance to the concrete poured once it has dried. The style of texture may be of any sort, including rough stone, brick and mortar, or any other pattern, and may include any form of patterns, words, images, etc. 
     In this embodiment, the outer surface  22 , opposite the inner surface  21 , abuts the form board  30  in such a way that the molded liner  20  is held in place during the pouring and curing of the concrete. The top edge  23  may be generally aligned with the top of the form board  30 , though this is not necessary, and in this embodiment the top edge  23  extends outwardly to impart a gentle curve to the top edge of the simulated stone coping  18  (shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). 
     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the form board  30  has a base  40  for mounting the form board on the vertical structure  12 , and a coping support wall  50  extending upwardly from the base  40 . The base  40  includes a top surface  48 , a support surface  52 , and a liner receiver  60  which is the space formed by the top surface  48  of the base  40  and the support surface  52  of the coping support wall  50 , and is where the molded liner  20  is seated. When seated in the liner receiver  60 , the textured imprinting  26  of the molded liner  20  is exposed, and the outer surface  22  abuts the support surface  52 , with the bottom edge  24  of the molded liner  20  resting on the form board  30  which supports the molded liner  20 . 
     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the molded liner  20  further includes a first interlocking element  25  for locking the molded liner  20  against the form board  30 . The first interlocking element  25  may be located at the bottom edge  24  of the molded liner  20  and may be used to properly seat the molded liner  20  within the form board  30 . In one embodiment, the first interlocking element  25  is a ridge that extends lengthwise along the bottom edge  24  of the molded liner  20 . 
     Also as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the form board  30  includes a second interlocking element  70  that is adapted to interlock with the first interlocking element  25 . In this embodiment, the second interlocking element  70  may be a groove shaped to lockingly engage the ridge  25  to hold the molded liner  20  in place. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , when properly seated, the shapes of the ridge  25  and the groove  70  prevent movement of the molded liner  20  while positioned in the liner receiver  60 . 
     In another embodiment, the first interlocking element  25  may include a plurality of posts or other forms of interlocking elements, along with a corresponding plurality receivers that form the second interlocking element  70  on the top surface  48  shaped to receive and lockingly engage the plurality of the first interlocking elements  25 . The elements may be reversed, and/or replaced with any other forms of structure or structures that interlock in a similar manner for holding the liner  20  in place. Other forms of interlocking mechanisms may be posts and holes, triangular wedges and triangular-shaped receivers, locking pins, elastic protrusions from the molded liner  20  which may be pried from the receiver liner receiver  60  on the form board  30 , or others known to those skilled in the art, all being equivalent and within the scope of the present invention. In some embodiments, the liner  20  is held in place without the use of tape or adhesives. Other methods of holding the molded liner  20  in place on the form board  30  may also be used, including the use of an adhesive, fasteners, ties, locks, clamps, etc. known to those skilled in the art. Also, any number, orientation, and combination thereof, of the first interlocking elements  25  and the corresponding second interlocking elements  70  may be used, such variations considered equivalent and within the scope of the present invention. 
     The coping support wall  50  is a portion of the form board  30  which may extend upwardly from the base  40  and acts as a support structure for keeping the molded liner  20  in the proper position. Also, the coping support wall  50  should be of sufficient thickness (or width) to support the pressure due to the concrete prior to setting. Such thickness may be determined by those skilled in the art and will vary according to the material of which the form board  30  is made and the height of the molded liner  20  to be supported when concrete is poured. The support surface  52  of the coping support wall  50  abuts the outer surface  22  of the molded liner  20 . The support surface  52  and the outer surface  22  may be generally smooth, for making solid contact and a secure hold on the molded liner  20 . In one embodiment, the outer surface  22  and the support surface  52  are planar, but other embodiments may have alternate shapes, including curved, ridged, segmented, etc. 
     In this embodiment, the base  40  may include one or more mounting surfaces  42  for mounting the base  40  to the vertical structure  12  (shown in  FIG. 3 ). The mounting surfaces  42  may be separated by one or more lateral kerfs  46 . The mounting surfaces  42  may include an adhesive layer  44  for mounting the base  40  to the vertical structure  12 . Any kind of bonding agent known to those skilled in the art may be used, including epoxy, glue, or other tacky substance which may form a strong, but preferably removable, bond between the form board  30  and the vertical structure  12 . Additionally, peel-removable tape  45  (e.g., wax paper or other removable layer) may be used to cover the adhesive layer  44  to protect it, and removed prior to mounting the form board  30  on the vertical structure  12 . 
     In the present embodiment, three of the adhesive layers  44  are included on three of the mounting surfaces  42 , rather than the usual two. The inclusion of a third mounting surface  42  provides additional adhesive strength so that it is possible to mount the form board  30  without the use of tie-wires. It is preferred that the adhesive layers  44  provide sufficient bond strength to support a concrete fill without attaching the form board  30  to the vertical structure  12  with tie wires, as is commonly used by those skilled in the art. It is helpful to avoid the use of tie wires when using the molded liner  20 , because the molded liner  20  interferes with the positioning of the tie wire therethrough. This is an improvement over the prior art, which had previously considered the inclusion of tie wires to be important to properly supporting the form board  30 , so that the form board  30  was able to support the weight of the concrete. 
     The lateral kerfs  46  are slots where material has been removed from the base  40  for the purpose of adding flexibility to the form board  30 , so that the form board  30  can fit around curves in the shape of the pool or other structure. The number of the lateral kerfs  46  and the mounting surfaces  42  are variable and depend on the strength needed to hold the base  40  in place on the vertical structure  12  and also the structural limitations of the vertical structure  12 , for instance if there was an obstruction that limited the overall height of the combination of the mounting surfaces  42  and the lateral kerfs  46 . In one embodiment, there may be three of the mounting surfaces  42 , with two of the lateral kerfs  46  separating them. In other embodiments, there may be more or fewer of the mounting surfaces  42  and the lateral kerfs  46 . The number, placement, and shape or depth of the lateral kerfs  46  may be determined by those skilled in the art and should be considered equivalent and within the scope of the present invention. 
     Also, as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the form board  30  may also include a receiving recess  80  for receiving an elongate protective strip  90  (shown in  FIG. 3 ). In one embodiment, the receiving recess  80  may be formed at the intersection of the uppermost of the mounting surfaces  42  and the top surface  48 . The receiving recess  80  is discussed in greater detail below. In other embodiments, there may be no need for the elongate protective strip  90 . In this case, the form board  30  may not have the receiving recess  80 , but may be as described above in all other respects. 
     In one embodiment, the height of the mounting surfaces  42  may be about 1.9 cm. (0.75 inches), and the height of the lateral kerfs  46  may be about 1.3 cm. (0.5 inches). In another embodiment the height of the mounting surfaces  42  may be between 4.0 cm. (1.6 inches) and 1.0 cm. (0.4 inches) and the height of the lateral kerfs  46  may be between 3.0 cm (1.18 inches) and 0.5 cm. (0.2 inches). In another embodiment the height of the mounting surfaces  42  may be between 10.0 cm. (4 inches) and 5.0 cm. (2 inches) and the height of the lateral kerfs  46  may be between 7.0 cm (2.75 inches) and 3.0 cm. (1.18 inches). The term “about” as used in describing dimensions or ranges indicates an uncertainty of 10%. Other sizes of the lateral kerfs  46  and the mounting surfaces  42  may be used by those skilled in the art, depending the support needed, the number and placement of the lateral kerfs  46  and the mounting surfaces  42 , etc. and should be considered equivalent and within the scope of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the edge form system  10  operatively installed on a bond beam of a swimming pool forming the simulated stone coping  18  of the swimming pool. Here we discuss one possible method of use of the present embodiment of the edge form system  10 . Other methods of use known to those skilled in the art may also be employed and considered equivalent to the description below. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the swimming pool forms the vertical structure  12 , which also includes a tile layer  14 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the method of assembly of the edge form system  10  begins with mounting the form boards  30  on the vertical structure  12 , in this case completely around the pool. In this embodiment, the form boards  30  are mounted via the adhesive layers  44  on each of the mounting surfaces  42 . The peel-removable tape  45  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) is removed from the mounting surfaces  42  to expose the adhesive layers  44  on each of the mounting surfaces  42 , and this is then used to mount the form board  30  on the vertical structure  12 . Other mounting mechanisms or systems may also be used, as discussed in greater detail below, and any alternative methods or systems should be considered within the scope of the present invention. 
     Once the form boards  30  have been installed, the molded liner  20  is placed within the liner receiver  60  of the form boards  30 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 . The first interlocking element  25  interlocks with the second interlocking element  70 , to hold the molded liner  20  in place on the form board  30 . Release agents may be added to the molded liner  20  to enable the later removal of the molded liner  20 , and it is helpful if the interlocking elements  25  and  70  enable interlocking without the use of any adhesives, tape, etc. 
     In this embodiment, an elongate protective strip  90  may be positioned in the receiving recess  80 . The elongate protective strip  90  may include an anchor  92  and a protective wall  94  that extends downwardly from the anchor  92 . The anchor  92  of the elongate protective strip  90  is captured by the poured concrete, such that the protective wall  94  extends downwardly to cover the crack between the coping and the bond beam of the pool, and to also cover a top edge of the tile layer  14 . Such tile layer formations are very common in forming attractive edging in a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, decorative pond, or other similar constructions, where the edge form system  10  is intended for use. 
     Concrete is then poured into the space defined on one side by the molded liner  20 , forming a concrete fill  16  that forms the coping of the pool or other structure. When the concrete fill  16  cures, the molded liner  20  provides the texture of stone (or other desirable texture) to the surface of the concrete. For purposes of this application, the term “concrete” is hereby broadly defined to include not only concrete but also any form of plastic, resin, composite, or any other form of equivalent material or any generally pourable and malleable material wherein after appropriate curing, drying, or setting will form a rigid structure that retains the desired molded pattern or texture. 
     After the concrete fill  16  has cured to the satisfaction of the skilled user (though it may not be fully hardened should additional sculpting need to occur) the form board  30  is stripped from the vertical structure  12 , breaking the contact at the adhesive layer  44 , and the form board  30  may be removed for disposal (not shown). Afterwards, the molded liner  20  may be removed. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the molded liner  20  being peeled from the simulated stone coping  18  once it has cured. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the textured imprinting  26  on the inner surface  21  of the molded liner  20  leaves its impression on the concrete fill  16 , which in this case is shown as a rough-hewn stone appearance with rounded corners, thus forming the simulated stone coping  18 . Also as shown in  FIG. 4 , the anchor  92  of the elongate protective strip  90  is captured by the concrete fill, so that the elongate protective strip  90  covers the crack between the coping and the bond beam of the pool. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the edge form system  10 , illustrating the edge form system  10  being held in place on the vertical structure  12  by a spring clamp  19 . In this embodiment, a pair of the form boards  30  may be clamped onto the vertical structure  12 , shown as a concrete block, with the spring clamp  19 . In this embodiment, each of the form boards  30  has the molded liner  20  in place in the liner receiver  60 . Once clamped, the two edge form systems  10  create a space for pouring the concrete fill  16  (shown in  FIGS. 3 &amp; 4 ). In this embodiment, the base  40  includes a lip  100  which may extend past the bottom edge  24  of the molded liner  20 . The lip  100  has a top lip surface  102  and a bottom lip surface  104 . The lip  100  may extend outwardly over a top surface  13  of the vertical structure  12  such that the bottom lip surface  104  abuts the top surface  13  of the vertical structure  12 . This serves to prevent vertical slippage during setup, keep the edge form system  10  in place during pouring of the concrete fill  16 , and throughout the curing process. The top lip surface  102 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , has a generally rounded shape, though other shapes are possible, such as rectangular, triangular, or any other shape, as determined by those skilled in the art. The bottom lip surface  104  may be generally planar, for making good contact with the top surface  13 , but texturing or other irregular shapes may also be chosen according to those skilled in the art. As shown in this embodiment, no adhesive layer is present, though in other embodiments an adhesive layer may be present in addition to the spring clamp  19 . Similarly, no lateral kerfs are included in this embodiment, though in other embodiments those may be present as well. 
     One method of using the present embodiment for forming a simulated stone coping  18 , as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , may be to begin by mounting the pair of edge form systems  10  on the vertical structure  12  such that the lip  100  holds them in place. The spring clamp  19  may them be applied to the form boards  30  to clamp them together against the vertical structure  12 . 
     The molded liners  20  are then placed within the liner receiver  60  of the form board  30  for each of the pair of edge form systems  10 . The concrete fill  16  is then poured and allowed to cure. When ready, the spring clamp  19  may be removed and the two edge form systems  10  are pulled away, leaving the simulated stone coping  18 . While  FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of the edge form system  10 , those skilled in the art may devise alternative embodiments, and these alternative or equivalent are considered within the scope of the present invention. 
     Furthermore, while this application discusses the specific use of the system  10  for use in the construction of a swimming pool, it may be likewise used to form a coping on any similar structures. The term “vertical structure” is hereby defined to include any part of the pool structure (e.g., wall, tile, etc.), as well as similar structures (e.g., a concrete countertop, decorative tops to walls or other structures, etc.). 
     As used in this application, the words “a,” “an,” and “one” are defined to include one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise. Also, the terms “have,” “include,” “contain,” and similar terms are defined to mean “comprising” unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, the terminology used in the specification provided above is hereby defined to include similar and/or equivalent terms, and/or alternative embodiments that would be considered obvious to one skilled in the art given the teachings of the present patent application.