REUSABLE FORMWORK FOR PILLARS AND MACHINE FOR PRODUCING SAME

Abstract

 The invention relates to re-usable column shuttering, and to a machine for producing same. The inventive shuttering comprises an inner sheet (1) to which polystyrene pieces (2) arc stuck in order to form the formwork base body. According to the invention, the body is sealed on site at the edges thereof along a connecting line, such as to form a tubular formwork body (3) comprising an inner cavity (3') in which fresh concrete is deposited. A self-adhesive tape is used to seal the body and said tape can contain integrated glass fibre yarns in order to resist the pressure of the fresh concrete. Once used, the tubular formwork body (3) is divided along the connecting line thereof, such that it can be opened. Moreover, once the body has been cleaned and the self-adhesive tape removed, the body can be resealed in order to produce a new formwork, using new external self-adhesive tapes, for the construction of another pillar.

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a re-usable column shuttering, said columns being made for example, from reinforced concrete, and where the shuttering is of the type which features a tubular shape produced from a plurality of sections of polystyrene suitably joined together at their edges in order to conform the tubular shape which corresponds to the shuttering itself.

[0002] The object of the invention is to provide a shuttering, in which the polystyrene sections are attached to an unfolded sheet of suitable material, such as thermoformed plastic, stool profile, etc. thus allowing a reduction in volume in both the storage and the transport of tho shuttering this being closed at the workface.

[0003] The corresponding machine with which the shuttering is produced or prepared is also an object of this invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In the Spanish invention patents of the same applicant and which correspond to numbers P 9800419; P 9802487; P 200000010; P 200001776 and P 200002631, shutterings for columns are described, of types structured from sections of polystyrene attached together by means of adhesive at their joining edges or by rigid laths of plastic-covered wood or rigid plastic which are joined together in order to form, in both cases, the tubular body which will shape the corresponding column made by the pouring of concrete into the tubular body itself, this body being complemented with a wrapping of certain characteristics in order to support the tubular body during concreting.

[0005] More specifically in all those invention patents of the same applicant the shuttering is based on the use of elements with a cylindrical section shape which, when correctly assembled give rise to a cylindrical external surface and a prismatic internal surface, or with the appropriate shape, according to the characteristics of the column to be produced; in all those cases the common denominator being the fact that the shuttering leaves the factory in a finished state, that is, having a tubular shape which indubitably occupies a largo amount of space, with the corresponding storage and transport problems, and of course with the increase in costs which is due to this considerable volume

[0006] On the other hand, it may bo mentioned that the shutterings used in the aforementioned invention patents can only be used once as it is necessary to break the shuttering in order to free the column produced by means of the same.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The re-usable shuttering announced has been conceived in order to solve the problems outlined above, on the basis of a simple but highly efficient solution, based on the fact that the polystyrene sections which will make up the tubular body of the shuttering are fixed by adhesive to an internal sheet which may be made of thermoformed plastic, galvanised or stainless steel profile, etc, which will incorporate the necessary longitudinal score lines in order to form the edges or folding lines when the assembly of the sheet and the polystyrene sections are to be closed in order to produce the corresponding tubular shuttering, with the special feature that in the event of producing a cylindrical shuttering, the score lines which define the aforementioned folds are not required.

[0008] The internal shoot features, at regular intervals, corresponding to the width of the polystyrene sections, a number of bends for the adjustment of the shapes which establish the collateral joints of the polystyrene sections; it is at these bends that the scored (weakened) lines for the centring of the shuttering appear.

[0009] In any case, the internal sheet, to which the polystyrene sections are affixed by adhesive, make up a single, flat assembly or body, which may be easily stored or transported, taking up a much smaller space than the shuttering when closed, that is with the tubular body formed, due to the considerable reduction in dead space

[0010] Each shuttering, in assembly, will be closed at the workface in order to transform the flat body into a tubular body, closure being carried out by means of a self-adhesive strip made up of a paper or similar backing incorporating glass-fibre strands in order to resist the pressure of the wet concrete when this is poured into the tubular body of the shuttering, with the special feature that this self-adhesive strip is applied externally to the tubular body -thanks to a layer of self-adhesive glue incorporated in the same- by means of an appropriate machine. The shuttering is thus ready for use, and once used, the shuttering is cut open along the edge of the seal, which will he duly marked, it then being cleaned, the self-adhesive strip removed, the shuttering being closed again by means of another new self-adhesive strip and thus being ready for subsequent use.

[0011] It should also be highlighted that at the ends of the shuttering, in correspondence with the edges of the column to be produced, small elements of cardboard or plastic are arranged as indication or alignment means in order to facilitate the correct positioning of the shuttering on the foundations.

[0012] The machine for the preparation of the shuttering disclosed is comprised of a supporting framework on which an upper spindle is arranged; the turning motion of this spindle being driven by a motor; said spindle is complemented by a pair of side-mounted wheels at some distance from the same in order to serve as a point of support for the tubular polystyrene body, in such a way that the rotation of the motor causes rotation of the spindle and therefore of the tubular body, in order to allow the application by winding of the self-adhesive strip.

[0013] Optionally, the operation of the tubular body may be carried out manually in which case the motor would e eliminated, and the aforementioned spindle would be replaced by a pair of wheels set on the same lateral plane as the other two end wheels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] To complement the description which is being disclosed herein and with the aim of contributing to the better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, in accordance with a preferred example of a practical embodiment of the same, a set of drawing is attached hereto, as an integral part of said description, wherein for illustrative but not limitative purposes, the following is shown:

Figure 1.

This shown the unfolded body, comprised of the internal sheet and the corresponding polystyrene sections in their location for fixture to said sheet.

Figure 2.

This shows a perspective view of the tubular body corresponding to the shuttering produced after closure of the body portrayed in the previous figure.

Figure 3.

This shows the unfolded tubular body from the previous figure after being used and cut open longitudinally, seen from the inside of the same, so that fitter closure of the body, the shuttering may be re-used.

Figure 4.

This shows the small element of cardboard or plastic used as a means of indication or alignment for the correct positioning of the shuttering on the foundations,

Figure 5.

This, finally, shows a view in perspective of the machine used for the preparation of the corresponding tubular body.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0015] On viewing the figures described, it may be seen that the shuttering of this invention is comprised of a ractangular-shaped internal sheel (1), which may be made of plastic, steel or other suitable material, on which polystyrene sections (2) are affixed by adhesive, forming a flat body as portrayed in Figure 1, which is the unfolded view of the body of the shuttering to be produced by means of the closure of said body portrayed in said figure 1; closing the same by its free edges the tubular body (3) is produced, which forms the shuttering in itself which, in tho embodiment portrayed has a cylindrical external shape and a prismatic internal surface, without ruling out the possibility that it may also be cylindrical internally,

[0016] In any case, if the body is to have a prismatic internal shape, then the internal shoot (1) will feature a series of weakened bending lines (1') in order to allow bending along the same to form the tubular body (3) with a rectangular prismatic shape, as portrayed in figure 2.

[0017] Specifically, the weakened lines (1') correspond to the edges of the respective folds (5) with which the sheet (1) is provided, the distance between these corresponding to the width of the polystyrene sections (2) these being joined together forming shapes (6) which, on folding or closing, adjust to the shape of the bends (5) in the sheet (1).

[0018] Corresponding to the line which marks the point of closure of the aforementioned tubular body, a means of marking is applied, by which the subsequent opening of the shuttering will ho carried out, by cutting along the line of the joint, allowing the use of the shuttering.

[0019] It should be mentioned that closure of the tubular body (3), in order to withstand the pressure exerted outwards by the concrete which is to be housed within the body (3') of the same in order to form the corresponding column, is carried out by means of the external application of a self-adhesive strip which may be wound helically, with the special feature that this strip may be made of a paper or similar backing with a layer of self-adhesive glue on one of its sides, and glass-fibre strands may be embedded in the heart of the same, in order to withstand the pressure exerted by the wet cement when this is poured into the space (3') of the tubular body (3) of the shuttering.

[0020] Corresponding to tho corners of the column to be produced, small elements of plastic or cardboard (4) will be applied, acting as a means of marking, to facilitate the correct positioning of the shuttering on the foundations (8).

[0021] After producing the column by means of the shuttering disclosed and portrayed in Figure 2, the same is cut open along the aforementioned Joint, which is duly marked, once again unfolding the body formed by the internal sheet (1) and the polystyrene sections (2) in such a way that after carrying out an internal cleaning and after closing the shuttering once again by the application of the self-adhesive strip once again, having removed the previous strip, a shuttering for subsequent use is produced, that is to say, the shuttering which is the object of this invention is re-usable as many times as may be desired by means of simple closure and application of the self-adhesive strip around its external surface, then opening the same and re-closing it by means of the application of a now self-adhesive strip.

[0022] For re-use of the shuttering, a machine (7) should be used, by means of which a layer of film wrap, which will allow the removal of the self-adhesive strip for each re-use, will be applied. It is also with this same machine that the self-adhesive strip, for re-closing the shuttering, is applied To do this the machine (7) is formed by a framework or bedplate on which an upper horizontal spindle (9) is arranged, the tubular body (3) of the shuttering rests between this and a pair of end wheels (10) set at some distance from said spindle. The machine incorporates a motor (11) which drives the spindle (9) in such a way that the rotation of the latter causes rotation of the tubular body (3), allowing the application by winding of the self-adhesive strip.

Claims

1. Re-usable column shuttering, of the type formed by a series of polystyrene sections appropriately fixed together in order to form a tubular body of a shape suited to the column to be produced, characterised in that said polystyrene sections (2) are fixed to the surface of an Internal sheet (1), thus producing a flat body for storage and transport, its closure being foreseen at the workface by means of the joining of the free edges of said body formed by the internal sheet (1) and the polystyrene sections (2), and the external application of an encircling self-adhesive strip in order to withstand the pressure of the wet concrete which is poured into the space (3') formed by the closed tubular body (3).

2. Re-usable column shuttering as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that corresponding to the line of the joint in the body formed by the internal sheet (1) and the polystyrene sections (2), marking elements are foreseen, by means of which the cut is performed in order to open the shuttering once used, allowing its re-use after removal of the external adhesive layer and reclosure of the shuttering by means of another self-adhesive strip.

3. Re-usable column shuttering, as claimed in the previous claims, characterised in that the internal sheet (1) features bends (5) at which the weakened lines (1') are established for the folding and closing of said sheet together with the polystyrene sections (2), these being joined together forming shapes (6) which are adaptable to the bends (5) in the corresponding closed unit for the producing of the tubular shuttering (3).

4. Re-usable column shuttering, as claimed in the previous claims, characterised in that it incorporates elements (4) for arrangement on the edges, forming a means of alignment, for the correct positioning of the shuttering on the foundations.

5. Machine for the preparation of a re-usable column shuttering, which being applicable tn the definitive shape of tubular shutterings such as those of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is comprised of a framework or bedplate (7) on which an upper horizontal spindle (9) is arranged, which, in combination with a pair of end wheels (10) forms a means of support for the tubular body (3) of the shuttering, this being rotated by the rotation transmitted to the same by the spindle (9) driven by a motor (11), allowing the application by winding of the respective self-adhesive strip.

6. Machine for the preparation of a re-usable column shuttering, as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the spindle (9) is susceptible to being formed by two identical wheels on the same lateral plane as the end wheels (10), rotation of the tubular body (3) being carried out manually.

Drawing