Screed ski and support system and method

• US 20030113164A1
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paul M. Semler
• Original Assignee: Paul M. Semler
• Inventors: Semler, Paul M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,866,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 404/75
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/01 Devices or auxiliary means for setting-out or checking the configuration of new surfacing, e.g. templates, screed or reference line supports form rails E01C19/50; Applications of apparatus for measuring, indicating, or recording the surface configuration of existing surfacing, e.g. profilographs E01C23/07 takes precedence; measuring roughness or irregularity in general G01B
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 21/04 Patterns or templates; Jointing rulers profile trowels E04F21/16
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 21/05 Supports for jointing rulers
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 21/10 Devices for levelling, e.g. templates or boards smoothing tools E04F21/16, E04F21/24

Abstract

A screed ski system includes a plurality of circlip saddles supported by corresponding stakes and a plurality of sections of screed ski tubing is snap-fit into the circlip saddles. After screeding of a first layer of aggregate or plastic material, the screed ski tubing and circlip saddles are removed as a unit. The spacers are optionally placed on the stakes, and the screed ski tubing and circlip saddles are placed as a unit on the spacers to facilitate screeding of a second layer of aggregate or plastic material over the first. Some of the screed ski tubing can be flexible to provide an arcuate screed ski.

Claims

1. A screed ski system comprising:

(a) a plurality of stakes anchored in material on which aggregate material is to be screeded;

(b) a plurality of circlip saddles each supported by a corresponding stake;

(c) at least one section of screed ski material snap-fit into and supported by the circlip saddles; and

(d) a screed bar movable along the section of screed ski material and another surface to screed the aggregate material.

2. A screed ski system comprising:

(a) a plurality of stakes anchored in material on which aggregate material is to be screeded;

(b) a plurality of circlip saddles each supported by a corresponding stake;

(c) a plurality of sections of screed ski material snap-fit into and supported by the circlip saddles; and

(d) a screed bar movable along the section of screed ski material and another surface to screed the aggregate material,

adjacent ends of the various sections of screed ski material being sufficiently close together as to overlap in a way that allows the screed bar to slide smoothly from each section of screed ski material to another section of screed ski material.

3. A screed ski system comprising:

(a) a plurality of stakes anchored in material on which aggregate material is to be screeded;

(b) a plurality of circlip saddles each supported by a corresponding stake;

(c) a plurality of sections of screed ski material snap-fit into and supported by the circlip saddles; and

(d) a plurality of couplers each coupling adjacent ends of the various sections of screed ski material together.

4. The screed ski system of claim 3 wherein each circlip saddle includes a shank and a pair of opposed arms attached to an upper end of the shank, the arms forming a channel in which a section of the screed ski material can be retained by upper tip portions of the arms.

5. The screed ski system of claim 4 wherein the pair of arms forms a semi-circular channel that subtends more 180 degrees such that a diameter of the channel exceeds a distance between the upper tip portions.

6. The screed ski system of claim 4 wherein the pair of arms forms a semi-circular channel that subtends approximately 240 degrees such that a diameter of the channel exceeds a distance between the upper tip portions.

7. The screed ski system of claim 4 wherein each circlip saddle is an integral saddle composed of high density polyethylene material.

8. The screed ski system of claim 5 wherein the sections of screed ski material are composed of EMT tubing having a diameter that is approximately equal to the diameter of the channel and it is greater than the distance between the upper tip portions.

9. The screed ski system of claim 8 wherein the diameter of the semi-circular channel is approximately 0.900 inches and the distance between the upper tip portions is approximately 0.700 inches.

10. The screed ski system of claim 5 wherein the shank includes a lower portion having a recess for receiving an upper end portion of one of the stakes.

11. The screed ski system of claim 10 wherein the stakes are composed of rebar material.

12. The screed ski system of claim 5 wherein an outer surface of the shank is threaded.

13. The screed ski system of claim 7 wherein the tip portion of each arm is inwardly, downwardly inclined so as to push the tip portions apart in response to pressing a section of the screed ski material into the channel.

14. The screed ski system of claim 5 wherein the couplers are selected from the group including straight through couplers, Tee couplers and 90 degree couplers.

15. The screed ski system of claim 7 wherein the channel includes a reduced diameter center portion symmetrically dividing two frusto-conical surface portions and which are tapered so as to allow the circlip saddles to effectively grip a section of screed ski material when the shank is inclined with respect to a line perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the screed ski material.

16. The screed ski system of claim 12 including a nut threaded on to the shank of the circlip saddle, the nut being captured in an upper enlarged portion of a retainer cup having a lower portion for attachment to a solid support surface such that rotating the retainer cup rotates the nut and precisely raises or lowers the circlip saddle relative to the solid support surface.

17. The screed ski system of claim 3 wherein corresponding stakes support the circlip saddles by means of removable spacers.

18. The screed ski system of claim 3 wherein at least one of the plurality of sections of screed ski material is composed of flexible plastic and is flexed to provide an arcuate screed ski.

19. The screed ski system of claim 18 wherein the flexible plastic is one-half inch PVC tubing.

20. A screeding method comprising:

(a) driving a plurality of stakes into a surface area wherein a first layer of aggregate material is to be screeded;

(b) placing a plurality of circlip saddles on a top end of each stake, respectively;

(c) connecting a plurality of sections of screed ski material together in an arrangement that corresponds to locations of the stakes;

(d) snap-fitting the sections of screed ski material into channels [14] of the various circlip saddles;

(e) sliding a screed bar along the screed ski material to screed the first layer of aggregate material; and

(f) removing the screed ski material and the circlip saddles from the vicinity of the first layer of aggregate material.

21. The screeding method of claim 20 wherein step (f) includes removing the screed ski material in the circlip saddles as a unit wherein the circlip saddles grip and remain connected to the screed ski material as it is removed leaving only the stakes anchored in the surface area.

22. The screeding method of claim 20 wherein step (a) includes driving the stakes by placing an interface tool on the top end of each stake and pounding the interface tool.

23. The screeding method of claim 22 including pounding the interface tool until a marking feature of the interface tool is aligned with a guide in order to provide a desired elevation for the top end of each stake.

24. The screeding method of claim 20 including performing step (c) before performing step (b).

25. The screeding method of claim 20 including supporting a plurality of spacers on at least some of the plurality of stakes, and then placing the circlip saddles and the screed ski material on top ends of the plurality of spacers and then sliding the screed bar along the screed ski material to screed a second layer of aggregate material on the first layer of aggregate material.

26. The screeding method of claim 25 including placing the circlip saddles and the screed ski material as a unit on the top ends of the various spacers.

27. The screeding method of claim 26 including removing the circlip saddles and the screed ski material as a unit from the top end of the spacers.

28. The screeding method of claim 20 wherein at least some of the screed ski material is flexible, the method including flexing the flexible screed ski material and snap-fitting the flexed screed ski material into channels of corresponding circlip saddles which retain the flexible screed ski material in a flexed configuration.