FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention concerns a device and method for the production of horizontal
flat structures, such as bearing floors, floors or others, which make up the cover
and the support of the intermediate floors of buildings. Moreover the present invention
also concerns a mobile supporting formwork, or board, on which the flat structure
is cast on site, and a lifting equipment for said mobile formwork.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It is known that, in the building sector, in order to make horizontal flat structures
such as bearing floors, floors, or others, devices are used provided with lower supporting
formworks or boards, having a support frame and a molding surface, on which the cast
of concrete is made on site in order to form the bearing floor.
[0003] This type of known boards has the support frame adjustable in height, so as to determine
the height of the cast from the floor and, once the cast is consolidated, they are
transported above the bearing floor which has just been made, so that they are ready
to make a new bearing floor of a higher floor.
[0004] One of the main disadvantages in the state of the art is that it is necessary to
transport the board from below to above the bearing floor, in a limited time, with
operational simplicity and with limited risks for the operators.
[0005] It is known in the state of the art to make the board protrude from one side with
respect to the bulk of the bearing floor made, in such a way as to be able to attach
the board itself with a lifting device, for example a crane, to completely remove
the board from the bulk of the bearing floor, to lift it with the crane and to position
it above the bearing floor.
[0006] This first known method has considerable impediments and practical difficulties,
above all during the steps when the board is attached to the crane and removed laterally
from the bulk of the bearing floor.
[0007] Considering the length of the boards, which can be about 10 meters long or even more,
it is very difficult to constrain the formwork to the crane in a balanced way, preventing
uncontrollable pitching thereof.
[0008] With this known method, the risk of damaging the structures and of accidents for
the workers is increased if such operations are carried out at about 10 - 20 meters
from the ground.
[0009] It is also known, in order to limit the danger of pitching, to use a particular lifting
equipment, called in slang fork or lifting device, which is constrained above the
crane and, on the lower part, has one or more cross-pieces, or forks, which are positioned
in cooperation with the support frame below the molding surface.
[0010] This known lifting equipment supports and lifts the formwork from below and, by means
of the action of the crane, transports the board itself to above the bearing floor.
[0011] This second known method however, in order to maintain the balance, requires that
the cross-pieces of the lifting equipment have substantially the same size as, or
slightly lower than, the overall length of the board.
[0012] Thus, for long boards, the maneuvers to insert the cross-pieces of the lifting equipment
below the support frame are particularly complex, with the risk of damaging the board
itself, and with little maneuverability of the equipment.
[0013] Moreover, since it is necessary to provide cross-pieces that are correlated in size
specifically to the length of the board, it is necessary to provide, on each occasion,
a specific design and production of the lifting equipment.
[0014] This involves a considerable increase in times and costs of the operation, as well
as a lot of stock in hand.
[0015] Purpose of the present invention is to allow to produce bearing floors with the possibility
of transporting the board from below to above the bearing floor itself, in a limited
time, with operative simplicity and with limited risks for the operators, without
incurring the disadvantages of the state of the art.
[0016] The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome
the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and
advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims, while
the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to
the main inventive idea.
[0018] The present invention refers to a device, to a formwork, to a lifting equipment and
to an method, for the production of horizontal flat structures.
[0019] In accordance with the above purpose, the present invention provides a formwork having
a molding surface on which a cast of concrete is made on site, in order to define
the horizontal flat structure, and a lifting equipment, able to be selectively constrained
to the formwork, in order to lift the latter from a first position lower than the
horizontal flat structure, to a second higher position resting on the horizontal flat
structure.
[0020] According to a characteristic feature of the present invention, the formwork comprises
first constraint means disposed in proximity both to its molding surface and also
to a barycentric zone of the formwork itself.
[0021] According to the invention, the lifting equipment is conformed in such a way as to
define at least a lower segment provided with second constraint means able to cooperate
with the first constraint means, in order to define the attachment from above of the
lifting equipment to the formwork. Moreover, the equipment comprises at least an upper
segment connected to the lower segment and provided with connecting means with which
it is able to be connected in a balanced way to a lifting member.
[0022] The connecting means is disposed on the upper segment in such a way that, with respect
to the conformation of the lifting equipment, the lifting action applied on this upper
segment by the lifting member is substantially balanced, that is, sufficiently compensated,
with respect to the action of downward traction applied by the weight of the formwork
on the lower arm.
[0023] In this way, the attachment of the lifting equipment to the formwork is achieved
in a substantially balanced way, thus avoiding uncontrolled pitching and unbalancing
in the movement phases of the formwork.
[0024] Moreover, the attachment from above of the lifting equipment to the formwork allows
to simplify and standardize the conformation of the lifting equipment, guaranteeing
an efficient and rapid lifting of the formwork itself.
[0025] Indeed, the connection from above with respect to the first constraint means, disposed
in proximity to a barycentric zone of the formwork, allows a standardized lateral
extraction of the formwork with respect to the bulk of the horizontal flat structure.
[0026] This lateral extraction of the formwork can be carried out in safety until the barycentric
zone of the formwork is at a determined distance, irrespective of the length of the
formwork, with respect to the lateral edge of the flat structure.
[0027] In this way, the lower segment of the lifting equipment can be partly inserted between
the flat structure and the molding surface of the formwork, until reaching the first
constraint means. The entity of this insertion is directly proportionate to the distance
of the barycentric zone from the edge of the structure.
[0028] Therefore, the size of the lower segment can be standardized depending on the entity
of the distance and not of the sizes of the formwork.
[0029] Therefore with the present invention there is a substantial reduction in times and
costs of making the lifting equipment, and also a reduction in the stock in hand.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from
the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive
example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:
- fig. 1 is an overall three-dimensional view of a device for producing horizontal flat
structures according to the present invention;
- fig. 2 is a lateral view of an operative step of the method according to the present
invention;
- fig. 3 is a lateral view of an operative step subsequent to fig. 2, of the method
according to the present invention;
- fig. 4 is a lateral view of an operative step subsequent to fig. 3, of the method
according to the present invention;
- fig. 5 is a lateral view of an operative step subsequent to fig. 4, of the method
according to the present invention;
- fig. 6 is a lateral view of an operative step subsequent to fig. 5, of the method
according to the present invention;
- fig. 7 is a lateral view of an operative step subsequent to fig. 6, of the method
according to the present invention;
- fig. 8 is a lateral view of an operative step subsequent to fig. 7, of the method
according to the present invention;
- fig. 9 is a lateral view of an operative step subsequent to fig. 8, of the method
according to the present invention;
- fig. 10 is a lateral view of an operative step subsequent to fig. 9, of the method
according to the present invention;
- fig. 11 is a lateral view of an operative step subsequent to fig. 10, of the method
according to the present invention;
- fig. 12 is a lateral view of an operative step subsequent to fig. 11, of the method
according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF EMBODIMENT
[0031] With reference to the attached drawings, a device 10 according to the present invention
is applied to make one or more concrete bearing floors 11, or other horizontal flat
structure, of a building having several stories.
[0032] In particular, the device 10 substantially comprises a mobile formwork, or board
12, and a lifting equipment 13 which, assisted by a crane or other lifting device,
selectively moves the board 12 between a first position lower than the bearing floor
11 and a second position resting above the bearing floor 11, in order to make a new
bearing floor 11 of a higher story.
[0033] The board 12 comprises a lower support frame 15 and an upper molding surface 16,
substantially flat, on which concrete is directly cast on site in order to make the
bearing floor 11.
[0034] The support frame 15 comprises a pair of reticular beams 17 to support the molding
surface 16, and a plurality of supporting legs 19, in this case eight, made telescopically
to allow to regulate the board 12 in height.
[0035] Moreover, on each reticular beam 17, two constraint pins 18 are provided, which are
disposed on one side or the other with respect to a barycentric zone, in this case
a median zone, of the board 12, and in proximity to the molding surface 16.
[0036] The molding surface 16 comprises a plurality of openings 16a, re-closable, made in
correspondence with each constraint pin 18, in such a way as to allow selective access
from above to the latter.
[0037] The lifting equipment 13 comprises a frame 20 shaped like a double "C" and provided
with two lower segments 21, two upper segments 22 substantially parallel to the two
lower segments 21, and two connecting segments 23 which connect with each other one
end of each lower segment 21 with respective ends of each upper segment 22.
[0038] Each lower segment 21 is advantageously shaped in a telescopic way, to be able to
be selectively lengthened and shortened, and at the lower part comprises two constraint
brackets 25 able to be inserted from above, through the openings 16a, to cooperate
with the constraint pins 18.
[0039] The telescopic conformation of the lower segments 21 allows to make uniform, or to
correct, the interaxis of the constraint brackets 25 with respect to that of the constraint
pins 18, thus guaranteeing an optimal coupling of the lifting equipment 13 to the
board 12.
[0040] Each upper segment 22 comprises at the upper part a plurality of connecting ringbolts
26, distributed in various positions along the length of the upper segment 22, to
allow different connecting conditions.
[0041] The connecting ringbolts 26 allow to connect, through relative drawing cables 27,
the lifting equipment 13 to a lifting crane, of the traditional type and not shown
here.
[0042] Both the two lower segments 21 and the two upper segments 22 and the two connecting
segments 23 are connected to each other by means of stiffening cross-pieces 29.
[0043] The method to make bearing floors 11 with the device 10 according to the present
invention is as follows.
[0044] Initially the board 12 is set up, regulating the supporting legs 19, in order to
dispose the relative molding surface 16 substantially horizontal and at a desired
height from the floor.
[0045] The cast of concrete is then made to make the bearing floor 11.
[0046] Once the concrete has set, the molding surface 16 is slightly detached from the bearing
floor 11 formed (fig. 2).
[0047] Then four of the eight supporting legs 19 are lifted, preferably the external ones
(fig. 3), so that respective hydraulic jacks 30 can be associated with these lifted
legs 19 in order to support the board 12.
[0048] The four central supporting legs 19 are then also lifted, and respective revolving
wheels 31 are associated with each of these (fig. 5).
[0049] Once the revolving wheels 31 have been mounted, the jacks are released (fig. 6) in
order to rest the board 12 on the ground by means of the wheels 31, and to define
a space between the molding surface 16 and the bearing floor 11.
[0050] A safety catch 32 is disposed on the floor, and is advantageously, but not exclusively,
applied when the above and subsequent operations are carried out at a certain height.
[0051] The board 12 is then thrust on the wheels 31 until it protrudes laterally with respect
to the bearing floor 11 (fig. 7). The entity of the movement given to the board 12
is such as to take the barycentric zone of the latter into proximity with the outside
edge of the bearing floor 11. Advantageously, the movement is such as to take the
barycentric zone of the board 12 to a determined standardized distance from the outside
edge of the bearing floor 11.
[0052] Once the desired position of the board 12 is reached, the lifting equipment 13 is
lowered, associated in advance with a crane by means of the connecting ringbolts 26.
[0053] The lifting equipment 14 is disposed with its lower segment 21 in the space between
the bearing floor 11 and the molding surface 16, in such a position that the constraint
brackets 25 are in correspondence with the constraint pins 18 (fig. 8).
[0054] The openings 16a are opened to allow the coupling from above of the constraint brackets
25 and the relative constraint pins 18.
[0055] Once the coupling from above of the lifting equipment 13 and the board 12 is consolidated,
the lifting and the lateral movement of the lifting equipment 13 is commanded (fig.
9), in order to completely extract the board 12 sideways with respect to the bearing
floor 11.
[0056] The board 12 is positioned on the upper surface of the bearing floor 11 which has
been previously made (figs. 10 and 11), in order to prepare it for making a new bearing
floor 11.
[0057] Once the board 12 has been correctly positioned, the constraint brackets 25 are detached
from the relative constraint pins 18, the openings 16a are re-closed and the lifting
equipment 13 is discharged (fig. 12).
[0058] It is clear, however, that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to
the device 10, the formwork or board 12, the lifting equipment 13 and the method as
described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.
[0059] For example, it comes within the field of the present invention to provide that the
lifting equipment 13 can have a different shape than that of the double "C" as shown
here, for example a "Z", an upside down "T", an "I", or others which in any case guarantee,
on the one hand, the insertion of the lower segment 21 in the space between the bearing
floor 11 and the board 12 and, on the other hand, a sufficient compensation and balance
of the forces exerted by the crane and the board 12 during the lifting.
[0060] It also comes within the field of the present invention to provide parapets or other
safety structures able to be selectively positioned in order to make the work area
safe for the workers.
[0061] It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference
to specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve
many other equivalent forms of device, formwork, equipment and method to make horizontal
flat structures, such as bearing floors, floors or suchlike, having the characteristics
as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined
thereby.
1. Device to make horizontal flat structures (11), comprising a formwork (12) having
a molding surface (16) facing upward and on which a cast of concrete is made, on site,
in order to define said horizontal flat structure (11), and a lifting equipment (13),
able to be selectively constrained to said formwork (12) in order to lift said formwork
(12) from a first position lower than the horizontal flat structure (11), to a second
higher position resting on said horizontal flat structure (11), characterized in that said formwork (12) comprises first constraint means (18) disposed in proximity both
to said molding surface (16) and also to a barycentric zone thereof, and in that said lifting equipment (13) is conformed in such a manner as to define at least a
lower segment (21) provided with second constraint means (25) able to cooperate with
said first constraint means (18), in order to constrain from above said lifting equipment
(13) to said formwork (12), and at least an upper segment (22) connected to said lower
segment (21) and provided with connecting means (26) with which it is able to be connected
in a balanced manner to a lifting member.
2. Device as in claim 1, characterized in that said connecting means (26) is disposed on said upper segment (22) in such a way that,
with respect to the conformation of said lifting equipment (13), the lifting action
applied on said upper segment (22) by the lifting member is substantially balanced,
or sufficiently compensated, with respect to the action of downward traction applied
by the weight of said formwork (12) on said lower arm (21).
3. Formwork for the production of horizontal flat structures (11), having a molding surface
(16) facing upward, on which a cast of concrete is made on site in order to define
said horizontal flat structure (11), said formwork (12) being able to be selectively
constrained to a lifting equipment (13) to be lifted from a first position lower than
said horizontal flat structure (11), to a second higher position and resting on said
horizontal flat structure (11), characterized in that said formwork (12) comprises first constraint means (18) disposed in proximity with
both said molding surface (16), and also with a barycentric zone thereof, and able
to cooperate with said lifting equipment (13) in order to achieve the constraint from
above of said lifting equipment (13) to said formwork (12).
4. Formwork as in claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a support frame (15) lower than said molding surface (16).
5. Formwork as in claim 4, characterized in that said support frame (15) comprises a pair of reticular beams (17) to support said
molding surface (16), and a plurality of telescopic supporting legs (19) able to allow
to regulate the height of said formwork (12).
6. Formwork as in claim 5, characterized in that said first constraint means comprises at least a pair of constraint pins (18) provided
on each of said reticular beams (17), and disposed on one side and the other with
respect to said barycentric zone of the formwork (12).
7. Formwork as in any claim from 3 to 6, characterized in that said molding surface (16) comprises a plurality of openings (16a), re-closable, made
in correspondence with each constraint pin (18), in order to allow selective access
from above to said constraint pins (18).
8. Lifting equipment for the production of horizontal flat structures (11), able to be
selectively constrained to a formwork (12) having a molding surface (16) facing upward,
on which a cast of concrete is made on site in order to define said horizontal flat
structure (11), said lifting equipment being able to lift said formwork (12) from
a first position lower than said horizontal flat structure (11), and a second higher
position and resting on said horizontal flat structure (11), characterized in that it is conformed so as to define at least a lower segment (21) provided with second
constraint means (25) able to cooperate with coordinated first constraint means (18)
of said formwork (12), in order to achieve the constraint from above of said lifting
equipment (13) to said formwork (12), and at least an upper segment (22) connected
to said lower segment (21) and provided with connecting means (26) with which it is
able to be connected in a balanced way to a lifting member.
9. Lifting equipment as in claim 8, characterized in that said connecting means (26) is disposed on said upper segment (22) in such a way that,
with respect to the conformation of said lifting equipment (13), the lifting action
applied on said upper segment (22) by the lifting member is substantially balanced,
or sufficiently compensated, with respect to the action of downward traction applied
by the weight of said formwork (12) on said lower arm (21).
10. Lifting equipment as in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that it comprises a frame (20) shaped like a double "C" and provided with two lower segments
(21), two upper segments (22) substantially parallel to said two lower segments (21),
and two connecting segments (23) able to connect to each other one end of each lower
segment (21) with respective ends of each upper segment (22).
11. Lifting equipment as in any claim from 8 to 10, characterized in that each lower segment (21) is conformed telescopically, so as to be selectively lengthened
or shortened.
12. Lifting equipment as in any claim from 8 to 11, characterized in that said second constraint means comprises at least two constraint brackets (25) made
on a lower surface of each of said lower segments (21).
13. Lifting equipment as in any claim from 8 to 12, characterized in that said connecting means comprises a plurality of connecting ringbolts (26) disposed
in different positions on the length of each of said upper segments (22), so as to
allow different connecting conditions.
14. Lifting equipment as in any claim from 10 to 13, characterized in that both the two lower segments (21), and also the two upper segments (22), and also
the two connecting segments (23) are connected to each other by means of stiffening
cross-pieces (29).
15. Method for the production of horizontal flat structures (11), by means of a device
comprising a formwork (12) having a molding surface (16) facing upward and on which,
in a first shaping step of said method, a cast of concrete is made on site in order
to define said horizontal flat structure (11), and a lifting equipment (13), able
to be selectively constrained to said formwork (12) which, in a second lifting step
of said method, lifts said formwork (12) from a first position lower than said horizontal
flat structure (11), to a second higher position and resting on said horizontal flat
structure (11), characterized in that in said second lifting step said lifting equipment (13) is constrained both from
above to said formwork (12), by means of the cooperation between first constraint
means (18) disposed in proximity both with said molding surface (16) and also with
a barycentric zone of said formwork (12), and second constraint means (25) provided
on a lower segment (21) of said lifting equipment (13), and also connected in a balanced
way to a lifting member by means of connecting means (26) provided on an upper segment
(22) of said lifting equipment (13).