Collapsible inside corner form

Abstract

A corner form assembly for forming inside corners of concrete structures, including first form subassembly for forming a first surface of the concrete structure and a second form subassembly for forming a second surface of the concrete structure oriented at an angle less than 180° relative to the first surface. A corner form assembly is pivotally attached to the second form assembly for movement between a set position for forming the concrete structure and a folded position. The corner form assembly is releasably secured to the first form assembly when in the set position and is provided with a relief angle to permit folding of the second form assembly relative to the concrete structure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60 / 722,632, filed Sep. 30, 2005.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates generally to apparatus used in forming concrete structures and, more specifically, to a concrete forming apparatus for use in forming corners of a concrete structure. BACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART [0003] Concrete forming apparatus is in wide use in the construction of buildings, bridges, and other concrete structures. A common system for forming concrete structures uses a plurality of form components that are adapted to be assembled into a wide variety of configurations to conform to virtually any architectural requirement. Such forming apparatus components are typically made of metal so that they are strong enough to support the heavy weight of poured concrete and durable so that the components can be reused many times. [0004] One of the configurations that is most frequently encountered in construc...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] In the folded configuration, the transverse extension of each the two subassemblies are reduced so as to provide worker access between the subassemblies and the formed concrete structure. The novel inside corner form of the present invention eliminates the need for shims or other worker-made adaptations and is easily set up and stripped in close quarter situations.

[0010] An object of the invention is to provide a form apparatus for forming corners of a concrete structure that can be easily and readily stripped from the formed wall.

[0011] A further object of the invention is to provide a form apparatus for forming corners of a concrete structure that are provided in a limited range of dimensions to allow selection in the field to reduce the need for hand-built spacers or shims without requiring a large inventory of components.

Problems solved by technology

On the inside corner form, however, the form components frequently are difficult to disassemble and release from the wall because of the inside corner geometry and because of the pressure that is exerted on the forms by the poured concrete.

Another issue faced in the forming of concrete wall corners is that long runs of concrete form assemblies will often meet at a corner where the form components must fit together with close tolerances.

These are time-consuming and can require a relatively high level of skill to build.

Additionally, the hand-built spacers or shims frequently cannot be reused and so must be constructed anew each time the forms are reset.

These form components suffer from the disadvantage of having a shape that prevents them from lying flat during shipping and storage.

Further, such fabricated corner forms cannot be stripped from an inside corner until the adjacent form components have been removed.

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