Concrete joint restraint system

• US 5,791,816 A
• Filed: 10/31/1996
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RJD Industries LLC
• Original Assignee: James Mccallion
• Inventors: McCallion, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Graysay, Tamara L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Singh, Sunil
• Application Number:
  US08/742,251
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 404/134, 404/135, 404/136, 404/70, 52/684, 52/687, 52/689, 52/677, 248/313, 248/316.2
• US Class Current: 404/136
• 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: E04C 5/20 of material other than metal or with only additional metal parts, e.g. concrete or plastics spacers with metal binding wires E04C5/168 takes precedence

Abstract

A dowel support for use in concrete joint restraint system as is typically used for slabs in highway construction is provided, as is a concrete reinforcing system employing the dowel supports. The dowel support is used to support dowels of different diameters and, in a preferred embodiment, is made of a noncorrosive material to reduce corrosion at the dowel-support interface. The support of the present invention is especially suited for fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) dowels which are resistant to corrosion, and the combination of the fiberglass dowel with the support of the present invention provides an improved alternative to the steel basket supports presently in use. The supports use a wedge-shaped vertical mouth to receive the dowels, which are supported between the sides of the mouth at the width corresponding to the diameter of the dowel. An arched gate encloses the dowel in the mouth and secures the dowel in position prior to the introduction of the concrete, and each support can be aligned in a spaced apart position. The gate has wedges at lower ends which mate with the stand to lock the gate onto the dowel and prevent the dowel from being dislodged during the placing of the concrete. In an alternate embodiment, the gate may be replaced with a strap or other flexible retention mechanism which can secure the dowel quickly and rigidly in the stand. End caps are provided at one end of the concrete reinforcing system to allow for thermal expansion of the dowels, and a pane of typically fibrous material serves as a joint expansion for adjacent concrete blocks.

Claims

1. A mounting apparatus for supporting one end of an elongate concrete dowel, wherein said elongate concrete dowel is one of a plurality of dowels having various size diameters, said mounting apparatus comprising:

a stand comprising a first and second spaced apart vertical extensions defining a wedge-shaped vertical mouth adapted to receive said dowel therebetween, said vertical mouth having a width at an upper end greater than a diameter of a largest diameter dowel among said plurality of dowels, and said vertical mouth gradually reducing in width at a lower end adapted to receive a smallest diameter dowel among said plurality of dowels thereon such that a dowel having a diameter between said largest diameter dowel and said smallest diameter dowel will rest in said vertical mouth at an intermediate height between said upper end and said lower end; and

means for securing said dowel within said vertical mouth in the radial direction while permitting said dowel to slide axially in said stand.

2. The mounting apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said mounting apparatus is comprised of a corrosion resistant plastic material.

3. The mounting apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein each said vertical extensions comprise first and second spaced apart sheets defining a channel therebetween, and wherein said means for securing said dowel comprises a gate having an arched lower edge defining first and second planar columns, said gate cooperating with said stand to secure the dowel therebetween, said first and second planar columns adapted to be interposed vertically into said channel between said first and second spaced apart sheets until said arched lower edge bears against said dowel.

4. The mounting apparatus as recited in claim 3 further including means for securing said planar columns in said channel.

5. The mounting apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said channel further comprises a plurality of notches spaced vertically, and said means for securing said planar columns comprises wedge means along said first and second planar columns for engaging said notches to secure said gate in said channel.

6. The mounting apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said stand further comprises means for separating a predetermined upper portion of said vertical extensions whereby a height of said stand can be reduced.

7. The mounting apparatus as recited in claim 4 further comprising a plurality of leg means for stabilizing said mounting apparatus and for balancing said mounting apparatus on a generally level surface.

8. The mounting apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein each leg means further comprise a tab means protruding from a lower end of a first edge, said tab means adapted to cooperate with an edge of a retaining plate for securing said mounting apparatus onto said retaining plate.

9. The mounting apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said vertical mouth further includes a recess along an edge defining a contour thereof.

10. The mounting apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein each said vertical extension comprise first and second spaced apart sheets defining a channel therebetween, and where in said means for securing said dowel comprises a flexible strap which is mountable at a first side of said stand, and which passes between said sheets over said dowel to be fixed on a second side of said stand to secure said dowel in said vertical mouth.

11. The mounting apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein said stand further comprises means for separating a predeterinined upper portion of said vertical extensions whereby a height of said stand can be reduced.

12. The mounting apparatus as recited in claim 11 further comprising a plurality of leg means for stabilizing said mounting apparatus and for balancing said mounting apparatus on a generally level surface.

13. The mounting apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein each leg means further comprise a tab means protruding from a lower end of a first edge, said tab means adapted to cooperate with an edge of a retaining plate for securing said mounting apparatus onto said retaining plate.

14. The mounting apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein said vertical mouth further include s a recess along an edge defining a contour thereof.

15. A concrete joint restraint system for supporting at least two cylindrical dowels aligned in a horizontally spaced apart relationship comprising:

a dowel mounting apparatus for each of said cylindrical dowels comprising a pair of stands each with a vertical mouth opening at a top edge, said vertical mouth reducing in width from a maximum width at a top of said vertical mouth to a minimum width at a bottom of said vertical mouth such that a cylindrical dowel with a diameter smaller than said maximum width will rest on said pair of stands within said vertical mouths generally at the width of said vertical mouths equal to the diameter of said dowel whereby different-sized diameter dowels can be supported therein;

dowel securing means for radially securing said dowel in said vertical mouth while permitting said dowel to move in a longitudinal direction within said mouth; and

dowel support alignment means for aligning an adjacent pair of stands in a predetermined spaced apart relationship.

16. The concrete joint restraint system as recited in claim 15 wherein said dowel support alignment means comprises first and second retaining plates each having a recessed area sized to receive one of said stands, and an elongated beam member connected to said first and second retaining plates to align said adjacent stands in said predetermined spaced apart relationship.

17. The concrete joint restraint system as recited in claim 16 wherein said dowel mounting device and said dowel securing means are comprised of corrosion resistant fiberglass material.

18. The concrete joint restraint system as recited in claim 17 further comprising end caps mounted to at least one end of one pair of said stands and enclosing one end of the dowel mounted therein, said end cap comprising a hollow cylinder having an open first end and a closed second end, said open end receiving said end of said dowel.

19. The concrete joint restraint system as recited in claim 18 wherein each said stand includes first and second spaced apart sheets defining a channel therebetween, and wherein said dowel securing means comprises a gate having an arched lower edge defining first and second planar columns, said gate cooperating with said stand to secure the dowel therebetween, said first and second planar columns adapted to be interposed vertically into said channel between said first and second spaced apart sheets until said arched lower edge bears against said dowel.

20. The concrete joint restraint system as recited in claim 19 wherein said mounting apparatus includes means for securing said planar columns in said channel.

21. The concrete joint restraint system as recited in claim 20 wherein said channel further comprises a plurality of notches spaced vertically, and said means for securing said planar columns comprises wedge means along said first and second planar columns for engaging said notches to secure said gate in said channel.

22. The concrete joint restraint system as recited in claim 21 wherein said stand further comprises means for removing a predetermined upper portion of said vertical extensions whereby a height of said stand can be reduced.

23. The concrete joint restraint system as recited in claim 21 further comprising a plurality of leg means for stabilizing said mounting apparatus and for balancing said mounting apparatus on a generally level surface.

24. The concrete joint restraint system as recited in claim 23 wherein each leg means further comprise a tab means protruding from a lower end of a first edge, said tab means adapted to cooperate with an edge of said retaining plate for securing said mounting apparatus onto said retaining plate.

25. The concrete joint restraint system as recited in claim 21 wherein said vertical mouth further includes a recess a long an edge defining a contour thereof, said contour adapted to receive said end cap therein.

26. The concrete joint restraint system as recited in claim 25 further comprising an expansion joint perpendicular to an axis of said dowels, said expansion joint comprising a pane of compressible material positioned generally midway between said first and second stands.

27. The concrete joint restraint system as recited in claim 26 further comprising spacing means connected to said first and second stands of said mounting apparatus for positioning said stands at a predetermined distance from each other.