Patent ID: 7441984

Claim:
A concrete dowel slab joint system, comprising: a plurality of sleeve members for receiving and maintaining a dowel bar therewithin so that the dowel bar does not transmit substantial shear stresses to the concrete during the contraction and expansion of the concrete, the sleeve members comprising (a) at least one hollow interior compartment for receiving and supporting said dowel bar, and (b) at least one aperture for receiving a bracket member; said dowel bar having a tapered configuration and a pair of end sections, said dowel bar being located within said hollow interior compartment for maintaining adjacent sections of concrete in alignment during contraction and expansion of the concrete, and for transferring shear stresses and bending moments across a joint formed between adjacent concrete slabs, the dowel bar moving in a lateral and/or longitudinal path within the hollow interior compartment and exerting interactive forces in response to the expansion and contraction of the concrete, the tapered configuration of said dowel bar providing supplemental structural support for the dowel bar which is sufficient to overcome the effect caused if concrete joint separation skews the original position of the dowel bar; and a plurality of bracket members located on an underlying surface for supporting said sleeve members and said dowel bar above said underlying surface, each said bracket member comprising at least one connection element which is engagingly insertable into each said aperture, each said bracket member and sleeve member being movable with respect to each other when shrinkage of the concrete occurs.