Expansion and crack joint coupler

• US 20010022918A1
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Published: 09/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kuo-Kuang Hu, Philip G. Kirmser
• Original Assignee: Kuo-Kuang Hu, Philip G. Kirmser
• Inventors: Hu, Kuo-Kuang, Kirmser, Philip G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,517,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 403/294
• 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: Y10T 403/553 Laterally inserted section

Abstract

An expansion or crack joint assembly (32) utilizes a coupler (20) with or without a bottom sheet (34) to join adjacent roadway concrete slabs (86, 90) formed separately initially or continuously cast and later separated by a saw cut, which induces cracking to form a crack joint. The coupler (20) includes a casing (22), an internal component (24,25,62,65), and outer sleeve (26), and end caps (28,30). The casing (22) defines an internal chamber (40) which receives the internal component (24,25,62,65) therein. The sleeve (26) and end caps (28,30) fit over the casing (22). The casing (22) and sleeve (26) transmit loads between the concrete slabs (86,90) while the sleeve (26) and end caps (86,90) operate to reduce stress concentrations. The bottom sheet (34) inhibits water from entering the expansion or crack joint assembly (32) from below, if used, and prevents pumping. In various embodiments, the internal component is a spring disk (24,25), a flat, circular disk (62), and a structural material (65), such as concrete, which substantially fills the internal chamber (40).

Claims

1. An expansion or crack joint coupler comprising:

an at least partially hollow casing having casing ends and a casing center, the casing defining an internal chamber therein, the casing being fabricated from a casing material, the casing being adapted for embedding in adjacent concrete slabs and extending across an expansion or crack joint; and

an internal structural component positioned in the internal chamber to stiffen and strengthen the casing.

2. The coupler according to

claim 1

wherein the casing comprises a cylindrical pipe.

3. The coupler according to

claim 1

wherein the casing comprises a cylindrical pipe having a constant cylindrical wall with an inner diameter of approximately 1.5 inches, and the casing material comprises structural steel.

4. The coupler according to

claim 1

wherein the internal structural component comprises concrete substantially filling the internal chamber.

5. The coupler according to

claim 1

wherein the internal structural component comprises a disk sized to fit in the internal chamber.

6. The coupler according to

claim 5

wherein the disk comprises a circular disk positioned near the casing center.

7. The coupler according to

claim 5

wherein the disk comprises a spring disk including a substantially rigid smaller diameter portion and a compressible larger diameter portion.

8. The coupler according to

claim 7

wherein the compressible portion comprises an annular ring having a circumference and defining a plurality of slits substantially evenly spaced around the circumference.

9. The coupler according to

claim 7

further comprising a second tapered spring disk, and wherein each tapered spring disk is positioned an approximately equal distance from the casing center on opposite sides of the casing center.

10. The coupler according to

claim 1

further comprising a pair of end caps substantially closing the ends of the casing.

11. The coupler according to

claim 1

further comprising an outer reinforcing sleeve having sleeve ends and being substantially centrally positioned around the casing.

12. An expansion or crack joint coupler for embedding in a pair of adjacent roadway concrete slabs and for extending across an elongated expansion or crack joint between the concrete roadway slabs, the coupler comprising:

an at least partially hollow casing having casing ends and a casing center, the casing defining an internal chamber therein, the casing being fabricated from a casing material, the casing being adapted for embedding in both of the concrete roadway slabs and extending across the expansion or crack joint; and

an outer reinforcing sleeve positioned around the casing.

13. The coupler according to

claim 12

wherein the casing has a casing length and the sleeve has a sleeve length shorter than the casing length.

14. The coupler according to

claim 12

wherein the sleeve comprises a sleeve material softer than the casing material, and the sleeve ends are rounded whereby stress is minimized.

15. The coupler according to

claim 12

further comprising a pair of end rings positioned on opposite ends of the sleeve, and wherein the end rings comprise a ring material softer than the casing material and softer than a sleeve material.

16. The coupler according to

claim 12

further comprising an adhesive coating substantially fixing the sleeve in position on the casing.

17. An expansion or crack joint coupler for embedding in a pair of adjacent concrete slabs and for extending across an elongated expansion or crack joint between the concrete slabs, the coupler comprising:

an at least partially hollow casing having casing ends and a casing center, the casing defining an internal chamber therein, the casing being fabricated from a casing material, the casing being adapted for embedding in both of the concrete slabs and extending across the expansion or crack joint; and

at least one end cap closing one of the ends of the casing.

18. The coupler according to

claim 17

wherein the end cap includes an outer surface having a plurality of gripping bumps thereon and defining an opening receiving the one end of the casing therein.

19. The coupler according to

claim 17

wherein the end cap comprises an end cap material softer than the casing material whereby stress is minimized.

20. The coupler according to

claim 17

further comprising another end cap closing another of the ends of the casing.

21. An assembly comprising:

a first concrete slab having a first end;

a second concrete slab adjacent the first concrete slab and having a second end positioned relative to the first end to define a narrow gap between the first slab and the second slab; and

a bottom sheet positioned beneath the concrete slabs and having a width sufficient to cover the narrow gap between the first and second concrete slabs.

22. The assembly according to

claim 21

further comprising an expansion or crack joint coupler embedded inthe concrete slabs and extending across the elongated expansion or crack joint, the coupler including:

an at least partially hollow casing having casing ends and a casing center, the casing defining an internal chamber therein, the casing being fabricated from a casing material, the casing being adapted for embedding in both of the concrete slabs and extending across the expansion or crack joint; and

an internal structural component positioned in the internal chamber to stiffen and strengthen the casing.

23. An assembly comprising a pair of adjacent concrete slabs defining an expansion or crack joint therebetween;

and

an elongated expansion or crack joint coupler bridging said expansion or crack joint and having respective ends thereof embedded within said adjacent concrete slabs, said coupler including an at least partially hollow casing presenting an internal chamber therein, with an internal structural component positioned within said internal chamber for strengthening the casing.