Floor dowel sleeve with integral spacing chambers
First Claim
1. A floor dowel sleeve for receiving a dowel plate that spans across a seam between concrete slabs, said floor dowel sleeve comprising:
- a body portion having a top wall, a bottom wall, two side walls, and an end wall that together to surround an interior cavity that is configured to receive a dowel plate at an opening in the body portion opposite the end wall, wherein the body portion comprises an upper piece having the top wall and a lower piece having the bottom wall that attach together at respective edges that divide the side walls and the end wall along a common horizontal plane;
a plurality of spacing elements disposed at each of the two side walls and configured to interface with opposing edges of the dowel plate to provide a space between the opposing edges of the dowel plate and interior surfaces of the two side walls;
wherein the plurality of spacing elements each comprise a pair of legs that integrally protrude at an angle toward each other from the interior surface of one of the two side walls into the interior cavity and interconnect at an apex portion of the respective spacing element to form a triangular shape with the side wall and a spacing chamber between the pair of legs and the interior surface of the side wall;
wherein the plurality of spacing elements are each divided along the common horizontal plane that separates the upper and lower pieces of the body portion to have an upper portion and a lower portion that each have a respective section of the spacing chamber; and
wherein upper and lower edges of the plurality of spacing elements do not contact the corresponding top and bottom walls of the body portion to provide gaps therebetween for the upper and lower edges of the plurality of spacing elements to flex relative to the respective top and bottom walls into the spacing chamber upon lateral horizontal movement of the dowel plate within the interior cavity.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A floor dowel sleeve has a body portion with a top wall, a bottom wall, two side walls, and an end wall that together to surround an interior cavity. The interior cavity is configured to receive a dowel plate at an opening in the body portion opposite the end wall. Spacing elements are disposed at each of the two side walls and are configured to interface with opposing edges of the dowel plate to provide a space between the dowel plate and interior surfaces of the two side walls. The spacing elements each have a pair of legs that integrally protrude from the side wall into the interior cavity and interconnect to form a spacing chamber. The spacing elements are each configured to flex into the spacing chamber upon lateral horizontal movement of the dowel plate within the interior cavity.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A floor dowel sleeve for receiving a dowel plate that spans across a seam between concrete slabs, said floor dowel sleeve comprising:
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a body portion having a top wall, a bottom wall, two side walls, and an end wall that together to surround an interior cavity that is configured to receive a dowel plate at an opening in the body portion opposite the end wall, wherein the body portion comprises an upper piece having the top wall and a lower piece having the bottom wall that attach together at respective edges that divide the side walls and the end wall along a common horizontal plane; a plurality of spacing elements disposed at each of the two side walls and configured to interface with opposing edges of the dowel plate to provide a space between the opposing edges of the dowel plate and interior surfaces of the two side walls; wherein the plurality of spacing elements each comprise a pair of legs that integrally protrude at an angle toward each other from the interior surface of one of the two side walls into the interior cavity and interconnect at an apex portion of the respective spacing element to form a triangular shape with the side wall and a spacing chamber between the pair of legs and the interior surface of the side wall; wherein the plurality of spacing elements are each divided along the common horizontal plane that separates the upper and lower pieces of the body portion to have an upper portion and a lower portion that each have a respective section of the spacing chamber; and wherein upper and lower edges of the plurality of spacing elements do not contact the corresponding top and bottom walls of the body portion to provide gaps therebetween for the upper and lower edges of the plurality of spacing elements to flex relative to the respective top and bottom walls into the spacing chamber upon lateral horizontal movement of the dowel plate within the interior cavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A floor dowel sleeve assembly that spans between and vertically supports concrete slabs at a seam between the concrete slabs, said floor dowel sleeve assembly comprising:
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a rectangular-shaped dowel plate having a first portion configure to be cast into a first concrete slab; a rectangular-shaped sleeve having top wall, a bottom wall, two side walls, and an end wall that together surround a cavity that has an opening at an end opposing the end wall, wherein the sleeve is configured to be cast into a second concrete slab adjacent to and forming a seam with the first concrete slab; wherein a second portion of the dowel plate is disposed in the cavity of the sleeve and interfaces with a plurality of spacing elements that protrude into the cavity from the two side walls to provide a space between the dowel plate and interior surfaces of the two side walls wherein the sleeve comprises an upper piece having the top wall and a lower piece having the bottom wall that attach together at respective edges that divide the side walls and the end wall along a common horizontal plane; wherein the plurality of spacing elements each comprise a pair of legs that integrally protrude at an angle toward each other from the interior surface of one of the two side walls into the interior cavity and interconnect at an apex portion of the respective spacing element to form a triangular shape with the side wall and a spacing chamber that is disposed between the pair of legs and the interior surface of the corresponding side wall; wherein the pair of legs are operable to flex into the spacing chamber upon lateral movement of the dowel plate; and wherein the plurality of spacing elements are each divided along the common horizontal plane that separates the upper and lower pieces of the body portion to have an upper portion and a lower portion that each have a respective section of the spacing chamber. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification