Load transfer assembly

• US 4,883,385 A
• Filed: 04/20/1989
• Issued: 11/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dayton Superior Corporation (White Cap Supply Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Dayton Superior Corporation (White Cap Supply Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Kaler, Mark K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Massie, Jerome W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/341,262
• Time in Patent Office: 222 Days
• Field of Search: 404/47, 404/51, 404/52, 404/56, 404/59-63, 404/133-135, 52/396, 52/573, 52/633, 52/645, 52/677, 52/684
• US Class Current: 404/47
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 11/14 Dowel assembly ; Design or construction of reinforcements in the area of joints coupling devices for prefabricated units E01C5/005; combined with characteristic packings E01C11/08 - E01C11/12; removable holders E01C23/045
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/045 Removable, e.g. reusable supports for positioning reinforcing or load transfer elements, adapted or not to also hold joint bodies

Abstract

In the construction of concrete pavement on a roadbed by a continuous concrete paving machine, the end of a section of the pavement is finished off by setting on the roadbed an assembly comprising a plurality of elongated coupling members connected together in spaced parallel relation, with each of these coupling members having releasably secured therein a dowel of a hard plastic material which projects downstream from the associated coupling member. After this assembly has been embedded in freshly laid payment and the paving operation is terminated, the new pavement is saw cut along a vertical plane intersecting the plastic dowels, and the concrete containing the cut off dowel portions is removed. The dowel stubs in the resulting end face of the pavement are than removed and replaced by steel dowels which project beyond the end face of the pavement section for embedding in the next section of pavement to be laid in order to serve as load transfer means between the two pavement sections.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in the construction of concrete pavement of predetermined thickness laid without stationary forms by a paving machine to transfer load lengthwise of said pavement across a predetermined vertical plane defined by the adjacent ends of two sections of said pavement laid at different times while providing for relative lengthwise movement of said pavement sections in use, comprising:

(a) a plurality of elongated coupling members each having a socket at the front end thereof,

(b) each of said coupling members having a straight cylindrical dowel releasably secured in said socket therein and projecting therefrom,

(c) means for attaching said coupling members together in spaced parallel relation with said front ends thereof defining a common vertical plane,

(d) means to be embedded in the first of said sections to be laid for supporting said attached coupling members on a roadbed with said coupling members and dowels defining a substantially horizontal plane aligned with a vertically intermediate location in said pavement and with said vertical plane defined by said coupling member ends extending substantially parallel with and in spaced relation with said predetermined vertical plane such that a portion of each of said dowels extends through said predetermined vertical plane,

(e) said supporting means being constructed and arranged to stand on said roadbed in spaced relation with said predetermined vertical plane and to support said dowels projecting therefrom in cantilevered fashion through said plane, and

(f) said dowels being of a material susceptible to being readily cut off by a saw capable of cutting concrete whereby upon saw cutting said pavement along said predetermined vertical plane, the cut ends of said dowels will be exposed in the end of the resulting pavement section for removal from said coupling members and replacement thereof in said sockets by straight cylindrical dowels projecting from said pavement section for embedding in the next pavement section to be laid.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said supporting means comprises leg means secured to each of said coupling members in spaced relation with each other and with said front end of the associated said coupling member.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said attaching means comprises rod means extending at right angles to said coupling members and secured to each thereof.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said attaching means comprises rod means extending at right angles to said coupling members and secured to said leg means.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the first named said dowels are formed of a resin material.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said socket in each of said coupling members is internally threaded, and each of said dowels includes a threaded end portion by which it is releasably secured in the associated said socket.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein each of said first named dowels has a slot extending longitudinally thereof from the end thereof opposite said threaded end for receiving screw driving means therein to facilitate removal thereof from the associated said socket following said saw cutting operation.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said attaching means comprises rod means secured to each of said coupling members, and said supporting means comprises leg means secured to each of said coupling members and of predetermined length for supporting said attached coupling members on a roadbed with said coupling members.

9. In a method of finishing the end of a section of concrete pavement of predetermined thickness and length laid without stationary forms on a roadbed by a paving machine to provide for the transfer of load lengthwise of said pavement across a vertical plane defined by the ends of said section and of the adjacent subsequently laid section while providing for relative lengthwise movement of said pavement sections in use, the steps of:

(a) establishing the location on said roadbed of said predetermined vertical plane,

(b) setting on said roadbed in advance of said paving machine an assembly comprising a plurality of elongated coupling members connected together in spaced parallel relation and each having a socket at the front end thereof having releasably secured therein a straight cylindrical dowel of a material susceptible to being readily cut off by a saw capable of cutting concrete, said assembly also including means for supporting said coupling members and dowels in cantilevered fashion in parallel relation with the length of said pavement and in substantially horizontal alignment with a vertically intermediate location in said pavement,

(c) establishing said assembly in such position on said roadbed that said coupling members and a portion of each of said dowels are on the side of said predetermined vertical plane facing said pavement section while the outer end portion of each of said dowels projects beyond said plane,

(d) continuing the laying of concrete on said roadbed until said assembly is entirely embedded in concrete of said predetermined thickness on both sides of said predetermined vertical plane,

(e) after said concrete has partially set, saw cutting said pavement along said vertical plane to cut off so much of said concrete and of each said dowel as extends beyond said plane,

(f) clearing the resulting scrap concrete and dowel pieces from the area adjacent said vertical plane to expose the end of said section and the cut ends of said dowels,

(g) removing the remaining portions of said dowels from said coupling members, and

(h) securing in each of the resulting empty sockets a metal straight cylindrical dowel of sufficient length to project beyond said vertical plane for embedding in the next section of pavement to be laid on said roadbed.

10. The method defined in claim 9 wherein the first named dowels are formed of a resin material.

11. The method defined in claim 9 wherein said socket in each of said coupling members is internally threaded, each of said first named dowels includes a threaded end portion by which it is releasably secured in the associated said socket, and each of said releasably secured dowels has a slot extending longitudinally thereof from the end thereof opposite said threaded end for receiving screw driving means therein to facilitate removal thereof from the associated said socket following said saw cutting operation.