Recess Former for Cast Plate

Abstract

2020202491 14 Apr 2020 0 20 20 20 24 91 1 4 A pr 2 02 02020202491 14 Apr 2020 3 106 22b 2 4 6 276 75a 1 416 8 706 8 10c 22c 6 FIG. 3 3 43c 5 / c 26c I 27c ,I T t 74 4 75 4lc 8 24C 42c 70c 44C FIG. 5

Description

15 FIELD OF INVENTION This invention relates to a recess former. More particularly, this invention relates to a recess former for a cast plate. BACKGROUND ART The following references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the following prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part. Recess former for a cast plates have been described. Cast in plates are a traditional method for creating a heaving duty connection between concrete members. Prior attempts describe a plate that is cast into each member at adjoining locations and a piece of steel is welded between the 2 cast in plates. The plates may be used in precast and tilt-up concrete members to create a connection between a concrete member and one of the following: an adjacent concrete member, a floor slab, a suspended slab or structural steel for a building. In prior attempts, a cast plate may be recessed into the concrete of the member. Once 20 a steel piece is welded into position, grout can be used to fill in the remaining spaces of the recessed area, hiding the plate and the steel piece. The result may be a finished wall that is flat, making it more aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, this gives some protection against corrosion. Prior recesses or voids may be created by using any one of the following methods: 25   1. Solid plastic block. These are quite expensive and tend to deteriorate quite quickly in concrete. The concrete sticks to them and is very hard to remove. 2. Polystyrene material that may be taped to the cast in plate. They tend to break apart when a user attempts to remove them and can create a mess. 2020202491   25 May 2026 3. Timber fill can also be used. However, this has a limited number of uses and can also be quite time-consuming and expensive to get to the correct shape. An object of the present invention is to ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative thereto. STATEMENT OF INVENTION The invention according to one or more aspects is as defined in the independent claims. Some optional and / or preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided: A recess former for a cast plate comprising: a case having outer panels, including base, end and side panels, the outer panels defining an internal cavity; and a connecting member adapted to attach the recess former to the cast plate. CASE Base Panel The base panel is preferably adapted to face the cast plate. The base panel and the cast plate are preferably adapted to oppose each other in parallel planes. The base panel and the cast plate are preferably adapted to lie in superimposed relationship, such that they substantially share the same footprint when viewed in plan. 20 The case panel is preferably substantially planar shape. The base panel is substantially rectangular in shape. In addition to the base panel, the case may also have a top panel to fully close of the cavity and to form a predominantly hollow internal space. The top panel may be spaced from the base panel. The top and bottom panels are preferably configured to lie in substantially 25 parallel planes. The base panel and the top panel are preferably adapted to lie in superimposed relationship, such that they substantially share the same footprint when view in plan. 15 2020202491   25 May 2026 Side and End Panels The end and side panels may be adapted to lie in planes that are substantially normal to the plane of the base panel. The end and side panels may be in the form of walls. The end panels may be in the form of front and rear walls. A panel, such as an end or side wall, may be tapered. The tapering of the panel may allow easier removal of the recess former from the cast plate and the concrete in which the cast plate may be set. One panel, such as a side or end wall of the recess former, may have a chamfer. This may conform to the profile of a concrete member. The chamfering of the panel may allow it to fit flush with formwork. Reinforcement The case may include at least one internal structure extending between two or more of the panels. The reinforcement may extend between the top and bottom panels to reinforce the case. The reinforcement may comprise elongate internal ribs or partitions. The partitions may form an internal grid. The internal structures may be aligned parallel to either the side or end walls. The internal structures may extend from the base panel to the upper limit of the cavity or to the top panel. 20 CONNECTING MEMBER Projection (Extruded member) The recess former may include at least one connecting member to connect the case to the cast in plate. The connecting member may be in the form of a projection. The connecting member may be adapted to lie or extend substantially normal to 25 the top or bottom panel. The connecting member may be an extruded section. The connecting member may include surface features. The surface features may include ribs or contours. The connecting member may be inserted in a complementary female recess. The complementary recess may be located in 15 2020202491   25 May 2026 15 the case, and preferably in the plate. The complementary recess may engage with the projection in an interference fit. The recess may be located in the plate. The surface features may be adapted to hold the recess former in position relative to the plate. Spigot (Bolt) The connecting member may include a separate spigot. The spigot may be received in a bore of the plate or nut in an interference or threaded fit. The spigot may be a bolt. The bolt may be received or be engaged in the recess. The recess may be in the form of a hole. The hole may be adapted to engage with the bolt. The connecting member may extend through the recess former and be threadably engaged in a threaded bore of the cast in plate. Magnet The cast plate may include ferromagnetic material. The connecting members may also include at least one magnet. The magnet may be used in, on or around the recess former to join the former by means of the ferromagnetic material in the cast plate. The magnet may be located in the recess former. The magnet could be used to connect the recess former to the plate. The magnet may even be used to hold an entire assembly of the recess former and cast plate to a steel cast bed. LOCATING MEMBERS 20 The connecting members may include an alignment member adapted to facilitate location or registration of the recess former relative to the cast plate. The alignment member may include outer joining members, such as clasps, clamps or tabs. The joining members may be sprung or otherwise resiliently deformable. By the nature of the material by which they are formed, the joining members may be capable 25 of deflection to ride over a surface and grip the same or a different surface by a clamping force caused by the inherent spring bias. The recess former may therefore be clipped to the outside edges of the plate. The joining members may be in the form of tabs. The tabs preferably orientate the recess former case around the outside of the plate to keep the case and the former in the 2020202491   25 May 2026 correct orientation relative to each other. CHANNEL The case may include a manipulation feature or device. The manipulation feature or device may include a recess or protrusion for a manipulation tool to engage with. The manipulation feature or device may include at least one channel. Preferably, the bottom panel of the case may include the channel. The channel may define an elongate recess adapted to receive corresponding one or more manipulation tools. The manipulation tool may be lever or rod adapted to be inserted between the case and one facing surface of the cast plate. The channel may facilitate manipulation and / or removal of the recess former relative to the cast plate once the concrete has been set. 15 MANUFACTURING PROCESS The former case may be produced by moulding the case as a single piece. The two or more component pieces forming the case may be pre-moulded separately. The panels may be moulded as separate components and fastened, glued, clamped, clipped or otherwise joined together in a post- moulding step. The moulding process may involve injection moulding. The case may be formed in one moulding step, for example, by blow moulding. One or more small channels on the cast in plate side of the recess former so that a 20 device such as a screwdriver or dedicated bar could be fed in to lever out the recess former. These channels would be exposed once the formwork is removed. The recess former is preferably made of plastic. The recess former may be formed from robust materials for multiple or repeat use. The recess former may be made from acetal or metallic materials such as steel and / or aluminium. 25 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which: Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of a joining plate according to a first embodiment shown in situ joining a pair of adjacent concrete members; 2020202491   25 May 2026 Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of a joining plate according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 shown in situ joining a pair of adjacent concrete members; Figure 3 is a sectional perspective view of a joining plate according to a second embodiment shown in situ in a concrete member; Figure 4 is a sectional perspective view of the joining plate according to the first embodiment shown in situ during the moulding stage of the concrete member; Figure 5 is a sectional end view of the joining plate and the recess former according to a third embodiment shown in situ during the moulding stage of the concrete member; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the recess former according to a third embodiment showing an extruded section and channels; Figure 7 is a ghosted perspective view of the recess former according to a fourth embodiment; Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of a recess former according to a fifth embodiment; Figure 9 is a perspective view of the recess former according to the fifth embodiment; Figure 10 is a perspective view of the recess former according to a sixth embodiment; Figure 11 is an exploded perspective view of a complete assembly including a cast plate and a recess former according to a seventh embodiment; Figure 12 is an end sectional view of an assembled cast plate and recess former 20 according to the third embodiment; Figure 13 is an end sectional view of an assembled cast plate and recess former according to the seventh embodiment; Figure 14 is a perspective view of an assembled cast plate and recess former according to an eighth embodiment; 25 Figure 15 is a perspective view of a recess former according to an eighth embodiment showing an open die body; Figure 16 is a perspective view of the recess former shown in Fig. 15 showing 15 2020202491   25 May 2026 15 interposing members; Figure 17 is a sectional perspective view of the joining plate according to the eighth embodiment shown in situ during the moulding stage of the concrete member in which the open die body is filled with concrete; and Figure 18 is a perspective view of a recess former according to the eighth embodiment shown against a former beam preparatory to a concrete pour. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention, except as may be recited in the claims accompanying this specification. In Figs. 1 - 14, a recess former 10x is shown in which an internal space 30x is fully enclosed, and in Figs. 15 - 18, in which the internal space 30i is an open cavity. The recess former 10 is adapted to engage with a cast plate 70. The recess former 10 includes: a case 20 having outer panels 22-29, including base or bottom panel 22, optionally a top panel 24, and end and side panels 26 - 29. The outer panels define an internal cavity 30. A connecting member 40 is adapted to attach the recess former 10 to the cast plate 70. Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 4, there is shown a finished product, namely a pair of adjacent 20 concrete wall members 1,2 joined together by joining plate 71 bolted to a pair of castin plates 70. The joining plate 71 is affixed by the bolts 72 extending through and threadably engaged to a bore 73 in each of the cast-in plates 70. The recess former 10 defines a recess 5 corresponding to a space occupied by each recess former 10 during concrete casting of each of the wall members 1,2. 25 The concrete wall members 1,2 are shown in Fig. 1 with the recess formers vacated from the recess space 5. The recess former 10 is easily removed, by releasing the connecting member(s) 40. The body of the case 20 is tapered inwardly or downwardly from a top panel 22 to a bottom panel 24, so that the case 20 body is frusto-pyramidal in shape. This facilitates easy removal of the recess former 10 once concrete casting of the wall member 1,2 is complete. The side walls 26-29 taper outwardly and are widest at the external surface of the concrete member 1,2. Once the surfaces of the walls 2629 abutting the concrete are initially disengaged or separated from the recess 5 walls 26-29, removal outwardly in a direction normal to the plane of the top panel 22 is 5 facilitated. 2020202491   25 May 2026 In Fig. 2, the cast-in plates 70 are shown from a plan perspective. Each of the cast-in plates 70 comprises a solid planar plate 74, typically made of steel, and at least one interposing member 75. Advantageously, the cast in plate 70 may include one or more interposing members 75 which may be in the form of L- or hook- shaped structures. The interposing member 75 is preferably adapted to define an inner-facing surface spatially opposing a rearward surface 77 of the plate 74 to ensure that concrete material is trapped within the interstitial space 76a between the opposing surface 76 and the rearward face 77. In the embodiments shown, the interposing member 75 is pair of rearwardly extending, horse shoe-shaped, interposing members 75. The pair of 15 interposing members 75 define a loop 75a into and around which concrete may be poured and to strongly set the cast-in plate 70 in the concrete wall member 1, 2. The interposing member 75 may be made from short, bent sections of reinforcing steel. The, each or one of the ends of the interposing member 75 may be welded to the rearward surface 77. 20 The recess former 10 ensures that a clear recess 5 is reserved as a void on an outer surface 78 of the planar plate 74. This gives an operator external access to the planar plate 74 so that the joining plate 71 can be installed in the recess or gap 5 to join adjacent concrete wall members 1, 2. As shown in Fig. 4, the recess former 10 is positioned such that its outer casing 22,27 25 is positioned to lie flush with an upper surface 3 and front surface 4 of the concrete wall member 1. To this end, front edge formwork 6 is attached to the front side of the remainder of the main rectangular form work (not shown) preparatory to casting the concrete wall member 1. The form work 6 defines a generally flat facing surface to form the front side 4 of the wall member 1, and has inwardly inclined top and bottom flange 30 surfaces 8 extending along its length that are adapted to form bevel edges 9 along the 2020202491   25 May 2026 lengths of front surface 4 of the member 1. In the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, like reference numerals will be used for like features, plus an alphabetic designation a - h, referring to the first - eighth embodiments, respectively. In Fig. 3, there is shown a concrete wall 2 assembly comprising a recess former 10b mounted by a protruding interference fit spigot 41b atop a cast-in plate 70b. Referring to Figs. 5-6 and 12, a recess former 10c is shown. The recess former 10c includes an outer casing 20 comprising outer panels, including top panel 22c, bottom panel 24c, rear wall 26c, front wall 27c, right side wall 28c and left side wall 29c. The recess former 10c includes a connecting member 40 in the form of a downwardly depending projection 41c. The projection 41c includes a substantially cylindrical shaft 42c. The shaft includes, on its outer surface, interference surface features 45c, such as knobs, protrusions, ridges, grooves or the like that are suitable for creating an interference fit with a corresponding internal surface of a bore 43c. The bore 43c is formed in the planar plate 74c. A downwardly depending hollow cylinder or elongate nut 42c is attached centrally to the internal face of the planar plate 74c in registration with the bore 43c. The registered holes 42c,43c are adapted to receive the spigot 41c formed centrally on the internal facing surface 21c of the bottom panel 24c. On or in the internal surface 21c, a manipulation feature, in the form of a pair of parallel 20 channels 51c located either side of the spigot 41c, is provided on the lower panel 24 surface of the case 20. The channels 51c are adapted to cooperate with a corresponding or complementary manipulation tool having one or more elongate engagement member 44c adapted to engage or be operably received in one or both of the channels 51c. The elongate engagement member 44c can be a rod or lever operable to cooperate with each 25 channel 51c. 15 The locating member 50 may include inwardly extending tabs 52c spaced about the edge of the bottom panel 24c and extending substantially in line with the corresponding side wall 26c, 28c-29c. There are no tabs 52c on the front wall 27c, so that, pre-casting, recess former 10c, minus the spigot 41c, may be slid sideways onto the cast-in plate 70 30 after the concrete wall member 1,2 is formed, using the manipulation tool 44c to engage 2020202491   25 May 2026 with the channels 51c, thus facilitating removal once the concrete walls members 1,2 are set. The tabs 52c are suitable to locate the recess former 10c in superimposed fashion over the corresponding footprint of the cast-in plate 70c. The tabs 52c may be wider at their base and may be adapted to deflect outwardly beyond the footprint of the recess 5 former 10c to ride over the outer edge of the plate 24c and to grip the side edges thereof. Alternatively, the tabs 52c are less inclined to deflect and simply provide a passive location function for registering the respective footprints of the recess former 10c and the plate 24c. Fig. 7 shows an arrangement in which the connecting member 40d is in the form of an 0 array of magnets 46d. The magnets 46d are cylindrically doughnut-shaped and cooperate with corresponding cylindrically toroidal-shaped cavities 47d defined by a central pin and an outer cylindrical wall. The magnets 46d can be inserted in the cavities 47d from the “top” side, that is through openings formed in the top panel 22d, and / or via a central opening 47d formed in the mouth of the cavity 47d extending through the 15 bottom panel 24d. The recess former 10d may include a manipulation feature 50 in the form of channels 51d and a locating member in the form of tabs 52d, in a manner similar to that of the third embodiment. Turning to Figs. 8 - 9, a recess former 10e is shown in which the bottom panel 24e is a plain rectangular panel with the exception of a single aperture 31e adapted to recess and 20 trap a flared bifurcated spigot 32e. The spigot 32e has a plurality of legs 33e adapted to radially flex to receive therewithin a cooperating male spigot 43e, as well as to inwardly flex to permit the legs 33e and the bifurcated spigot 32e as a whole to enter and be trapped in the aperture 31e. Each leg 33e terminates at its free end in an outer lip that resists removal of the bottom panel 24e from the bifurcated spigot 32e. Preferably, the 25 double bifurcated spigot 32e has two or more legs 33e separated by two or more interposed slots that facilitate radial deflection. The internal space 30e of the recess former 10e comprises one or more reinforcing features, such as lateral and longitudinal partitions or ribs 34e, 35e. The reinforcing structures 34e,35e resist the compressive forces associated with a concrete pour and 30 preserve the integrity and dimensions of the internal space 30e. 2020202491   25 May 2026 The recess former 10e includes locating members 50 in the form of peripheral tabs 52e. The tabs 52e are located around each of the edges of the bottom panel 24e, extending from each of side walls 26e - 29e. Instead of tabs, the recess former 10f shown in Fig. 6 includes clasps 53f. The clasps 5 are aligned in similar fashion to the aforementioned tabs 52. However, the clasps 53f comprise a main leg 55f extending in co-planar relationship with the corresponding side wall 26f-29f. The legs 55f are resiliently deformable to permit outward flexing. The legs 55f include inwardly directed detents 54f on the free end of the clasps 53f, so that the planar plate 24f can be positively engaged about its side edges by the recess former 0    10f. In Figs. 11 and 13, the recess former 10g is adapted to be bolted to the corresponding cast-in plate 70g using a threaded bolt 72g that engages corresponding threaded female members 43g in the planar plate 24g and the cylindrical shaft 42g. The bolt head rests in a well 15g in the top panel 22g. The channels 51g may be left void and cannot be 15 accessed by concrete during the pour as the front mouth of each channel is blocked by formwork 6. In the post-cast product, the recess former 10g may be easily lifted out of the cavity 5 by insertion of lifting rods 44g into the channels 51g. The lifting rods 44g may form part of a hand-operated tool. In Fig. 8 a completed recess former 10h and cast-in plate 70h assembly are shown. The 20 loops 75h are shown to include surface features such as curved ribs 79h for improved adhesion to the concrete during pouring and setting. The clasps 53f are shown to grip the underside surface of the planar plate 24h to both locate and lock the recess former 10h on to the cast-in plate 70h. Figs. 15 - 18 relate to an eighth embodiment in which a recess former 10i is shown 25 having an open casing 20i with an internal space 30i. The case 20i is similar to the previously described formers 10x, with the exception that the case 20i is open-topped and does not include an upper panel 24, whilst including a bottom panel 22i and side panels 26i-29i. During a concrete pour, the internal space 30i may be filled with concrete 1i. However, 30 upon the former 10i being removed by a tool engaging one or both channels 51i, the 2020202491   25 May 2026 concrete filled into the internal space 30i is removed with the former 10i to leave a recess in a manner similar to that described with reference to Fig. 1, leaving a cast-in plate 70i inset into the poured and set concrete 1i. Fig. 18 shows the recess former 10i and cast-in plate 70i as it may be positioned in relation to front formwork 6i. Once the concrete 1i has set, the formwork 6i may be removed and a tool used to remove the recess former 10i, by engaging the channels 51i.Throughout the specification and claims the word “comprise” and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word “comprise” and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. In the present specification, terms such as “apparatus”, “means”, “device” and 15 “member” may refer to singular or plural items and are terms intended to refer to a set of properties, functions or characteristics performed by one or more items or components having one or more parts. It is envisaged that where an “apparatus”, “means”, “device” or “member” or similar term is described as being a unitary object, then a functionally equivalent object having multiple components is considered to fall 20 within the scope of the term, and similarly, where an “apparatus”, “assembly”, “means”, “device” or “member” is described as having multiple components, a functionally equivalent but unitary object is also considered to fall within the scope of the term, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, horizontal, top, 25 bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, apparatus, device or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation, typically with the top panel 22 uppermost. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from 30 the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A recess former for a cast plate comprising:a case having outer panels, including base, end and side panels, the outer panels defining an internal cavity;5        a connecting member in the form of a spigot adapted to attach the recess formerto a bore in the cast plate; andthe cast plate includes solid interposing members adapted to be cast in a concrete panel,wherein:10        the case has a top panel that closes off the cavity to form a predominantly hollowinternal space;the base panel includes a channel extending from the bottom edge of the front panel toward the rear; andthe channel defines an elongate recess adapted to receive corresponding one or 15        more manipulation tools.

2. The recess former as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the channel is one of a pair of parallel channels located either side of the spigot.

3. The recess former as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the cast plate includes ferromagnetic material and the connecting member includes at least one magnet .20   4. The recess former as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the magnet is positioned on oraround the recess former to join the former by means of the ferromagnetic material in the cast plate.

5. The recess former as claimed in Claim 3 or 4, wherein the magnet is adapted to hold an entire assembly of the recess former and the cast plate to a steel cast 25        bed.

6. The recess former as claimed in any one of the previous claims, wherein the connecting member is adapted to extend substantially normal to the base2020202491   16 Jun 2026panel and is an extruded section.

7. The recess former as claimed in any one of the previous claims, wherein the connecting member includes surface features in the form of ribs or contours.

8. The recess former as claimed in any one of the previous claims, wherein the 5       connecting member is insertable in a complementary female recess locatedin the plate.

9. The recess former as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the complementary recess engages with the spigot in an interference fit.

10. The recess former as claimed in any one of Claims 7 - 9, wherein the ribs or 10        contours are adapted to hold the recess former in position relative to the plate.

11. The recess former as claimed in any one of the previous claims, wherein the spigot includes a substantially cylindrical shaft.

12. The recess former as claimed in Claim 11, wherein the spigot is receivable in a bore of the plate or in a nut in an interference or threaded fit.15   13. The recess former as claimed in Claim 11 or 12 when dependent on Claim 8 or 9,wherein the spigot is a bolt adapted to be received or be engaged in the complementary recess.

14. The recess former as claimed in any one of the previous claims, wherein the connecting member is adapted to extend through the recess former and be 20        threadably engaged in a threaded bore of the cast-in plate.

15. The recess former as claimed in any one of the previous claims, wherein the connecting member includes an alignment member adapted to facilitate location or registration of the recess former relative to the cast plate.

16. The recess former as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the alignment member includes 25        outer joining members in the form of clasps, clamps or tabs.

17. The recess former as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the recess former is clipped to the outside edges of the plate.

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