Abstract:
A panel consisting of a single covering member constituting the formwork surface and having folded edges forming the panel sides. The panel is lined with transverse and longitudinal reinforcing members and has coupling means provided on some of the side edges and on the inside thereof for joining together the sides of two adjacent panels in the case of wall formwork, or for joining one panel perpendicularly to another panel to define the cross-section of a column by perpendicularly coupling together four panels.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a 371 National Phase of International Application No. PCT/ES2006/000173, filed Apr. 10, 2006, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Spanish Application No. 200500834 filed Apr. 11, 2005, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    The present invention is intended to disclose a panel having advantageous characteristics for the shuttering of walls and pillars. 
         [0004]    2. Background 
         [0005]    As is known, in building construction there is a need to shutter the elements of concrete of the structure, in particular walls and pillars. At present, different types of shuttering panels are available for determining the volume which the wall will occupy once the reinforcements are placed in position and the concrete has been poured, and also there are panels available for the construction of pillars in which it is necessary to solve the mounting of the different panels forming an enclosure closed by the lateral faces which the structure of the pillar has, that is, customarily a straight prismatic, very elongated structure. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The aim of the present invention is to disclose panels which can simultaneously be used for the shuttering of walls and of pillars. 
         [0007]    Another aim of the present invention is the production of the panels for shuttering walls and pillars simply of bent-over metal sheet and reinforcing cross members, avoiding the structures customarily used of the tubular type forming a frame and, separately, the plate which forms the shuttering face. 
         [0008]    Another aim of the present invention is to disclose means for rapid and safe coupling of the panels for walls by their lateral edges. 
         [0009]    Another aim of the present invention is to disclose means for coupling the panels perpendicularly to one another adjustably so as to obtain the shuttering of a pillar of variable dimensions. 
         [0010]    The aims of the present invention are achieved through the constitution of the shuttering panel by means of a sheet metal element bent over at the edges, forming respective L-shaped profile sections, in order to define the lateral edges of the shuttering panel, and receiving, on the inside, crossbeams and cross-members also in the form of profile sections, for example U-shaped profiles, for reinforcing the panel and for receiving the members for interconnecting the panels laterally for the shuttering of walls or perpendicularly for the shuttering of pillars. 
         [0011]    The connecting members for connecting the panels to one another are constituted by threaded rods with the head in the shape of an arrow tip, which are preferably associated with two sides of the panel, making it possible to join the panels to other adjacent ones when the arrow-shaped head penetrates into an opening of complementary shape of the panel mounted opposite, permitting its rotation in order to prevent it from coming out. The fixing of each of the retaining members is effected simply by means of an easy to manipulate wing nut which is screwed along the member and which is applied by tightening on an added-on bridge which is in turn fixed to the lateral edges of the panel. 
         [0012]    The aforesaid members for joining to the adjacent panels, constituted by the joining rod with arrow-shaped head and the fixing wing nut, and also the clamping bridge, have dimensions such that they come within the width which corresponds to the lateral edges of the panel, so that they do not protrude transversely to the panel, in order to permit easy stacking and transport. 
         [0013]    For the coupling of the panels by their lateral edges for the shuttering of walls, provision is made for all the lateral edges of the panel to be equipped with a plurality of openings of a shape complementary to the fixing members already explained, that is, of a shape complementary to that of the arrow tip or the like of the ends of the threaded rods in order to permit the coupling of panels one beside the other at the desired height positions. 
         [0014]    The clamping members for clamping the panels by their lateral edges for the shuttering of walls are preferably arranged on two perpendicular sides of the panel, and provision will be made for offset mounting on panels with respect to others, in order, when joining panels by the faces equipped with fixing members, to prevent interference between the fixing members of one panel and those of the adjacent panel. 
         [0015]    In order to allow the panels to be mounted perpendicularly for the shuttering of walls, provision is made for the arrangement on the inner face of the panel, that is, opposed to the shuttering face, of specific profiles equipped with a row of openings for coupling of the arrow-shaped heads or the like of the clamping members of another panel, which in this way will make it possible to fix one panel to another perpendicularly to each other in order to define the prismatic space of a column. 
         [0016]    For greater understanding thereof, drawings corresponding to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention are appended by way of non-limiting example. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0017]      FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  show views of a panel in which can be seen two of its lateral edges and a view in elevation from the rear face of the panel. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  shows a view with two panels coupled by their minor sides. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 4 , showing two panels coupled by their longer sides. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 6 and 7  respectively show a view in elevation and partial section and a plan view of the panels of the invention arranged for the shuttering of a pillar. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    As can be observed in the drawings, the panel for shuttering walls and pillars which is the subject of the present invention comprises a sheet metal element which forms the shuttering face of the actual shuttering panel  1  of rectangular shape with four sides  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  5 , the structure of which preferably corresponds to an L-shaped profile section as can be observed in  FIG. 6 , showing the sides  6  and  7  which, by bending over the sheet metal, constitutes the sides of the panel, which replace the customary tubular members. 
         [0022]    The panel is reinforced by means of a variable number of crossbeams  8 ,  8 ′, and also cross-members such as those indicated by the numbers  9  and  10 . 
         [0023]    All the sides  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  5  of the panel are equipped with a plurality of alignments of apertures such as those indicated by the numbers  11 ,  11 ′,  11 ″ in  FIG. 1 , and  12 ,  12 ′,  12 ″ in  FIG. 3 . This allows the panels to be coupled by their lateral edges for the shuttering of walls, as can be observed in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , with  FIG. 4  showing two panels  13  and  14  joined by their minor sides  15  and  16 , and  FIG. 5  showing two panels  17  and  18  joined by two of their major sides  19  and  20 . 
         [0024]    The joining of two panels by their sides is preferably effected by the arrangement of coupling members on the inner part of two perpendicular sides of the panels, as is shown in  FIG. 2 , which shows two fixing members respectively on the sides  2  and  3  and which have been designated by the numbers  21  and  21 ′, and  22  and  22 ′. Said fixing devices are formed by a threaded rod  23 ,  FIG. 2 , ending in a head  24 , the transverse shape of which is complementary to the shape of the openings  11 ,  11 ′,  11 ″ and  12 ,  12 ′,  12 ″ of the lateral edges, all of which are the same. The rod  23  is mounted on a support bridge  25  which is in turn fixed to the lateral edge of the panel and receives on the outside a strong, easily manipulated nut  26  for tightening the fixing device, the functioning of which is obvious, since it functions simply by introduction of the arrow tip or the like  24  into the corresponding opening of the facing panel, being retained inside it after rotation, for example through 90°, of the rod, so that the arrow-shaped head  24  will be arranged transversely to the corresponding opening, after which tightening will be effected by means of the nut  26 . 
         [0025]    As will be understood, the specific shape of the head of the fixing device may vary within wide limits, provided that it fulfils the condition that its shape is complementary to that of the opening in the lateral of the panel on which it is to be fixed and that its fixing takes place after a rotation which prevents it from coming out. Thus, for example, any type of hook could be used, provided that it complies with the characteristics mentioned of transverse shape of the tip complementary to the shape of the corresponding opening and with the ability to be retained after an angular rotation to prevent it from coming out. 
         [0026]    A description will now be given of the means used on the panel of the present invention to allow it to be mounted for the shuttering of pillars, as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 .  FIG. 7  shows four panels coupled perpendicularly to one another, indicated by the numbers  27 ,  28 ,  29  and  30 , which form a central space  31  which corresponds to the cross-section desired for the pillar. In order to permit the coupling of said panels, they have on the inside profiles, for example  32  and  33 , parallel to the shuttering face and equipped with respective alignments of openings for coupling fixing members of the same shape as those shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . In this way, the members for fixing the lateral edges of one panel, for example the panel  30  in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , and which have been designated by the numbers  34  and  35 , may be introduced into the desired openings of the transverse profiles of the panel arranged perpendicularly, in the case shown, the panel  29 , fixing being effected in the same manner as for the lateral extension of the panels for the shuttering of walls. 
         [0027]    For the coupling of two panels parallel to each other, for the shuttering of walls on two faces, the panels have through-holes for introducing the corresponding tie-rods, which have been indicated by the numbers  36 ,  37 ,  38  and  39  in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0028]    As will be understood, the production of the shuttering panels of the present invention makes possible the rational and economic manufacture of same and also significant ease of storage and transport of the panels without interference between members, and also great ease of adaptation both for the shuttering of walls and for the shuttering of pillars of different dimensions. 
         [0029]    Although the invention has been shown and explained with reference to a preferred example, it will be understood that it is not limited to what has been previously described and shown in the drawings, since any expert in the field, on seeing what is disclosed in the present invention, may introduce numerous variants which will be included within the scope of the present invention provided that they correspond to the definition of the invention according to the attached claims.