CRACK INDUCER APPARATUS

• US 20110278518A1
• Filed: 10/19/2009
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DB & BA Finn Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: DB & BA Finn Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Rindlay, Donald Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 8,869,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 254/133.R
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 11/126 Joints with only metal and prefabricated packing or filling
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 11/18 for cement concrete pavings prefabricated reinforced units E01C5/08
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 5/32 Floor structures wholly cast in situ with or without form units or reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/14 Construction of joints, e.g. dividing strips E04F15/02005 takes precedence; sealing joints not restricted to flooring E04B1/68 , construction of joints in roads or airfields E01C11/02

Abstract

Crack inducer apparatus including: a support body and a cracking strip fixable to the support body, the support body having: two or more mounting formations formed for mounting to separate reinforcing bar, each mounting formation being spaced from another or the other mounting formation by a predetermined spacing and being formed to prevent rotation about an axis orthogonal to the separate reinforcing bar when mounted thereto; and one or more strip fixing formations formed to accommodate fixing of the cracking strip to the support body; a trunk assembly from which the mounting formations and the or each strip fixing formations extend, each formation having a spatial disposition with respect to the other formations; the cracking strip having two opposed faces substantially parallel to one another, a straight edge along an edge of each face and one or more complementary fixing formations formed for fixing to the or each fixing formation of one or more of the support bodies, and wherein: the spatial disposition of the formations being such that the straight edge of the cracking strip is arranged substantially parallel to the separate reinforcing bars to which the mounting formations may be mounted when the cracking strip is fixed to one or more of the support bodies.

Claims

1. Crack inducer apparatus including:

a support body and a cracking strip fixable to the support body,

the support body having;

two or more mounting formations formed for mounting to separate reinforcing bars, each mounting formation being spaced from another or the other mounting formation by a predetermined spacing and being formed to prevent rotation about an axis orthogonal to the separate reinforcing bar when mounted thereto; and

one or more strip fixing formations formed to accommodate fixing of the cracking strip to the support body;

a trunk assembly from which the mounting formations and the or each strip fixing formations extend, each formation having a spatial disposition with respect to the other formations;

the cracking strip having two opposed faces substantially parallel to one another, a straight edge along an edge of each face and one or more complementary fixing formations formed for fixing to the or each fixing formation of one or more of the support bodies, and wherein;

a spatial disposition of the formations being such that the straight edge of the cracking strip is arranged substantially parallel to the separate reinforcing bars to which the mounting formations may be mounted when the cracking strip is fixed to one or more of the support bodies.

3. Crack inducer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cracking strip provides a screed rail as an additional function to the crack inducer apparatus.

4. Crack inducer apparatus according to claim 1, and including a sealant carrier having one or more bonding formations by which a sealant may be bonded to the carrier, the sealant being in the form of a hydro-swellable material.

5. Crack inducer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the or each complementary fixing formation is constituted by a single complementary fixing formation running the length of the strip substantially parallel to the straight edge.

6. Crack inducer apparatus according, claim 1, wherein the trunk assembly is includes a carriage assembly to which the cracking strip may be mounted and a support body for supporting the carriage assembly at a desired position,

7. Crack inducer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the support body incorporates height adjustment means for adjusting the height of the carriage assembly;

and thereby the cracking strip, from a base of a slab to be cast.

8. Crack inducer apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the height adjustment of the carriage assembly also adjusts a height of the separate reinforcing bars mounted to the trunk assembly.

2. Crack inducer apparatus including:

a support body, a cracking strip fixable to the support body and two or more separate reinforcing bars,

the support body having;

two or more mounting formations formed for mounting to the separate reinforcing bars, each mounting formation being spaced from another by a predetermined spacing and being formed to prevent rotation of the support body about an axis orthogonal to the separate reinforcing bar when mounted thereto; and

one or more strip fixing formations formed to accommodate fixing of the cracking strip to the support body substantially parallel to the separate reinforcing bars;

the cracking strip having two opposed faces substantially parallel to one another, a straight edge along an edge of each face and one or more complementary fixing formations formed for fixing to the or each fixing formation of one or more of the support bodies, and wherein;

the spatial disposition of the formations being such that the straight edge of the cracking strip is arranged substantially parallel to the separate reinforcing bars to which the mounting formations may be mounted when the cracking strip is fixed to one or more of the support bodies.

9. Crack inducer apparatus according to claim 2, and including a sealant carrier having one or more bonding formations by which a sealant may be bonded to the carrier;

the sealant being in the form of a hydro-swellable material

10. Crack inducer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the or each complementary fixing formation is constituted by a single complementary fixing formation running a length of the strip substantially parallel to the straight edge.

11. Crack inducer apparatus according to claim 2;

wherein the trunk assembly includes a carriage assembly to which the cracking strip may be mounted and a support body for supporting the carriage assembly at a desired position.

12. Crack inducer apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the support body incorporates height adjustment means for adjusting a height of the carriage assembly, and thereby the cracking strip, from a base of a slab to be cast.

13. Crack inducer apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the height adjustment of the carriage assembly also adjusts a height of the separate reinforcing bars mounted to a trunk assembly.