Dowel plate assembly for contiguous concrete slabs

Abstract

A dowel plate assembly facilitates load transfer between two adjacent concrete slabs. The dowel plate assembly includes a housing that defines an opening through a front face to a plate receiving cavity. A pair of support inserts are positioned within the cavity to resist deformation of the housing when the first slab is formed around the housing. An external anchor inhibits the housing from accidently being pulled out of the first slab when the form is removed. The support inserts pivot within the housing responsive to the insertion of a dowel plate into the plate receiving cavity. The second slab is poured in contact with the first slab and an exposed portion of the dowel plate.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,760 introduced a dowel plate assembly system for transferring loads between cast-in-place contiguous concrete slabs. The system can include a metallic square plate that spans, and is bisected by, a joint between adjacent slabs. A number of individual sleeves that are sized to receive the plate are mounted in a spaced apart relationship at a mid-depth level to a form. The sleeves become imbedded in the first of two adjacent slabs responsive to a first pour. The sleeves stay in place after the form is removed. Before pouring the second slab, a metallic square plate is inserted into each of the series of spaced apart sleeves. Thereafter, the second slab is poured. The embedded plates facilitate load transfers between the adjacent slabs.

[0002] Although these dowel plate assemblies have performed better than their predecessor load transfer strategies, problems can arise, and there remains room for improvement. For instance, poured concrete can deform the sleeve rendering it difficult to insert a plate therein without costly additional work. In other instances, the sleeve may slide out of the first slab, such as when the form is removed. In still other cases, the installed dowel plate assemblies may not be able to accommodate relative movement of the two slabs, especially sheer movement, without causing cracking. The present disclosure is directed to one or more of the problems set forth above.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In one aspect, a dowel plate assembly includes a housing that defines an opening through a front face to a plate receiving cavity. A first support insert is positioned in the plate receiving cavity and oriented to resist deformation of a first portion of the housing into the plate receiving cavity along a height axis. A second support insert, which is identical to the first support insert, is positioned in the plate receiving cavity and oriented to resist deformation of a second portion of the housing into the plate receiving cavity along the height axis. A sticker is attached to the front face and covers the opening, and encloses the plate receiving cavity against entry of concrete therein.

[0004] In another aspect, a pair of load transfer linked concrete slabs includes a first concrete slab contiguous with a second concrete slab along a joint plane. A plurality of dowel plate assemblies load transfer link the first concrete slab with the second concrete slab. Each of the dowel plate assemblies include a dowel plate with a first portion received in a housing embedded in contact with the first concrete slab, and a second portion embedded in contact with the second concrete slab. Each of the dowel plate assemblies include a first support insert entirely positioned within the housing on one side of a vertical plane that is perpendicular to a horizontal plane defined by the respective dowel plate. A second support insert, which is identical to the first support insert, entirely positioned within the housing on an opposite side of the vertical plane.

[0005] In still another aspect, a method of load linking a pair of concrete slabs includes attaching a dowel plate assembly to a form. A first concrete slab is formed around the dowel plate assembly. The form is moved out of contact with the dowel plate assembly and the first concrete slab. A dowel plate is inserted into a housing of the dowel plate assembly. First and second support inserts are pivoted in opposite directions within the housing responsive to the inserting step. A second concrete slab is poured in contact with the first concrete slab and an exposed portion of the dowel plate that is extending out of the housing.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of a portion of a dowel plate assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0007] FIG. 2 is a front view of a dowel plate assembly;

[0008] FIG. 3 is a top view of the dowel plate assembly;

[0009] FIG. 4 is a top sectioned view of a dowel plate assembly during insertion of a dowel plate therein;

[0010] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a dowel plate assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0011] FIG. 6 is a top sectioned view of the dowel plate assembly as viewed along section lines 6-6 of FIG. 5;

[0012] FIG. 7 is a front view of the dowel plate assembly of FIG. 5;

[0013] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a support insert according to one aspect of a dowel plate assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 9 is a side view of a form with a dowel plate assembly attached thereto;

[0015] FIG. 10 is a side sectioned view similar to FIG. 9 after a first concrete slab has been formed;

[0016] FIG. 11 is a side sectioned view similar to FIG. 10 after removal of the form;

[0017] FIG. 12 is a side sectioned view similar to FIG. 11 after a second concrete slab has been poured;

[0018] FIG. 13 is a top view of a pair of load linked concrete slabs according to the present disclosure; and

[0019] FIG. 14 is a top sectioned view through a portion of the load linked slabs of of FIG. 13 when one of the slabs has shifted.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4, a dowel plate assembly 10 includes a housing 11 may define a coordinate system having a depth axis 4, a height axis 5 perpendicular to the depth axis 4, and a width axis 6 perpendicular to both the depth axis 4 and the height axis 5. Housing 11 may be formed from a molded thermoplastic to define an opening 12 through a front face 13 to a plate receiving cavity 14. A first support insert 40 is positioned in the plate receiving cavity 14 and oriented to resist deformation of a first portion 41 of the housing 11 into the plate receiving cavity 14, such as by pressure from concrete poured around the housing 11, along the height axis 5. A second support insert 50, which is identical to the first support insert 40, is positioned in the plate receiving cavity 14 and oriented to resist deformation of a second portion 51 of the housing 11 into the plate receiving cavity 14 along the height axis 5. A sticker 30 is attached to the front face 13 and covers the opening 12 to enclose the plate receiving cavity 14 against the entry of concrete therein. Sticker 30 may include product information, a manufacturer trademark(s) and a slot locating indicia 31 with a shape and position that matches a portion of the opening 12 to the plate receiving cavity 14.

[0021] The dowel plate assembly 10 may have an axis of symmetry 7 oriented parallel to the depth axis 4. the first support insert 40 may be located entirely on one side 60 of the axis of symmetry 7, and have a convex side 42 facing toward the second support 50, before being contacted by a dowel plate 80. The second support insert 50 may be located entirely on an opposite side 61 of the axis of symmetry 7, and has its convex side 52 facing toward the first support insert 40, before being contacted by dowel plate 80. Referring in addition to FIG. 9, each of the first and second support inserts 40, 50 may be formed to include a sheer pin 45 at one end 43 and a pivot pin 46 at an opposite end. Sheer pin 45 may be both shorter and smaller in diameter than the pivot pin 46. Housing 11 defines a first set of grooves 16 on one side 61 of the axis of symmetry 7 and a second set of grooves 17 on the opposite side 60 of the axis of symmetry 7. First and second set of grooves 16, 17 may be oriented parallel to each other and the axis of symmetry 7. Opposite ends of the pivot pin 46 of the first support insert 40 are received in, and constrained to move in, the first set of grooves 17, which includes an upper groove 20 oriented opposite to a lower groove 21. Likewise, opposite ends of the pivot pin 46 of the second support insert 50 are received in, and constrained to move in, the second set of grooves 16, which includes an upper groove 18 and a lower groove 19. Housing 11 also defines a first set of positioning grooves 32 and a second set of positioning grooves 33 that are on opposite sides of the axis of symmetry 7. Opposite ends of the sheer pin 45 of the first support insert 40 are received in, and constrained to move in, the first set of positioning grooves 33, which includes an upper positioning groove 24 and a lower positioning groove 25. Likewise, opposite ends of the sheer pin 45 of the second support insert 50 are received in, and constrained to move in, the second set of positioning grooves 32, which includes an upper positioning groove 22 and a lower positioning groove 23. As shown in FIG. 8, each of the support inserts 40, 50 has an elongated arcuate shape 47 that includes a central planar surface 48, 49 that bear against a plate dowel 80 when assembled on site as per FIG. 6.

[0022] In order to inhibit the housing 11 from being pulled out of the first concrete slab, when the associated form to which the housing 11 is nailed, the housing 11 may be formed to include at least one, and preferably a plurality of, external anchors 27. Each of the external anchors includes an external anchor surface 28 that extend from the housing 11 parallel to the height axis 5. In the illustrated embodiment, the anchor surfaces have a slanted orientation (45 degrees or so) relative to the front face 13. Each of the external anchors 27 may have a height 34 that is greater than a thickness 35.

[0023] The housing 11 may be attached to a form, which is typically wood, in any suitable manner. In the illustrated embodiment, housing 11 may be formed to define first and second fastener bores 56 that flank opposite sides of the plate receiving cavity 14. A first nail 70 may be held in a friction fit within the first fastener bore 56 on one side 72 of the front face, 13 and a second nail 71 may be held in a friction fit within a second fastener bore 56 on an opposite side 73 of the front face 13. When delivered to a construction site, dowel plate assemblies 10 will include nails 70 and 71 in the position shown in FIG. 3 to be ready for nailing into a form. Also, sticker 30 will trap the support inserts 40 and 50 within the plate receiving cavity 14 when the assembly is nailed to a form before any concrete is formed. Thus, dowel plate assemblies 10 may arrive at a construction site in one box containing dowel plates 80, and another box containing the subassembled and components shown exploded in FIG. 1.

[0024] Referring now in addition to FIGS. 9-14, a pair of load transfer linked concrete slabs 89 include a first slab 91 contiguous with a second concrete slab 92 along a joint plane 93 that intersects, and preferably bisects, a plurality of dowel plates 80. The process begins by placing a form 90 that is part of a formed enclosure on a base surface 65. A chalk line (not shown) may be applied to form 90 at a desired depth to guide workers in the attachment of dowel plate assemblies 10 by aligning the nails 70, 71 with the chalk line. The Dowel plate assemblies 10 may be spaced apart along the chalk line in a predetermined spacing to achieve a desired amount of load transfer linkage between adjacent slabs 91, 92. The dowel plate assemblies are attached to form 90 by hammering nails 70, 71 from their friction fit position in housing 11 into the form until a head of the nail 70, 71 moves into contact with the housing 11. The first concrete slab is poured onto base surface 65 in contact with form 90 and around the dowel plate assembly 10. This includes moving concrete into contact with the external anchor surfaces 28. After the first concrete slab sets, form 90 is removed, with the external anchors 27 keeping the housing 11 in place within the slab and the form 90 is pulled free of the nails 70, 71. During the first concrete pour, the first and second support inserts 40, 50 resist deformation of the plate receiving cavity 14 along height axis 5 at the otherwise unsupported portions 41 and 51, respectively. After pulling the form 90 away from the first concrete slab 91, nails 70, 71 may be bent downward out of the way.

[0025] A dowel plate 80, which may be square and have a uniform thickness from ¼″ to ¾″, has a forward corner 87 that aligns with the slot locating indicia 31 and pierces the sticker 30, and is inserted into the plate receiving cavity 14 as initially shown in FIG. 4. The plate 80 ought to encounter some resistance when plate 80 contacts the end 43 of the first and second support inserts. With a continued insertion force, the sheer pins 45 of the first and second support inserts break responsive to being pushed beyond the end of the respective positioning grooves 32,33. This in turn allows the first and second support inserts 40, 50 to pivot about pivot pins 46 in opposite directions within the housing 11 from the orientation shown in FIG. 4 to the orientation shown in FIG. 6 where the protrusions 63 come into contact the side walls 58 and 59, respectively. The convex side 52 of the first and second support inserts 40, 50 pivot from generally facing each other as per FIG. 4 to generally facing the second concrete slab 92 as per FIGS. 6 and 14. One could expect disconnected sheer pin fragments 37 to remain in housing 11. When fully inserted and seated, the opposite corners 86 of the dowel plate 80 may align with the front face 13. This positioning of corners 86 in the plane of front face 13 informs the user that the dowel plate 80 is fully inserted and properly seated in housing 11. Sticker 30 may be in contact with a continuous closed surface of the plate 80 to block entry of concrete into the respective housing 11. The second concrete slab 92 is then poured in contact with the first concrete slab 91 and around an exposed portion 85 of the dowel plate 80 that is extending outside of the housing.

[0026] After the second concrete slab hardens, the plurality of dowel plate assemblies 10 load transfer link the first concrete slab 91 with the second concrete slab 92. The dowel plate 80 of each dowel plate assembly will have a first portion 81 received in a housing 11 embedded in contact with the first concrete slab 91, and a second portion 82 embedded in contact with the second concrete slab 92. Although not necessary, portions 81 and 82 may be equal in size. Throughout the process, the first support insert 40 remains entirely positioned on one side of a vertical plane 76 that is perpendicular to a horizontal plane 77 defined by the respective dowel plate 80. Likewise, the second support insert 50 remains entirely positioned within the housing 11 on an opposite side of the vertical plane 76. Preferably, each dowel plate 80 has a first straight edge 83 in contact with the planar surface 48 of the first support insert 40, and a second straight edge 84 in contact with planar surface 49 of the second support insert 50. The dowel plate assembly 10 can permit some relative movement of the first concrete slab 19 relative to the second concrete slab 92. For instance, plate 80 might move out of contact with second support insert 50 and partially collapse or bend the protrusions 63 of the first support insert 40 responsive to sheer movement along the joint plane 93.

[0027] The present description is for illustrative purposes only, and should not be construed to narrow the breadth of the present disclosure in any way. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications might be made to the presently disclosed embodiment without departing from the full and fair scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Other aspects, features and advantages will be apparent upon an examination of the attached drawings and appended claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0020]Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4, a dowel plate assembly 10 includes a housing 11 may define a coordinate system having a depth axis 4, a height axis 5 perpendicular to the depth axis 4, and a width axis 6 perpendicular to both the depth axis 4 and the height axis 5. Housing 11 may be formed from a molded thermoplastic to define an opening 12 through a front face 13 to a plate receiving cavity 14. A first support insert 40 is positioned in the plate receiving cavity 14 and oriented to resist deformation of a first portion 41 of the housing 11 into the plate receiving cavity 14, such as by pressure from concrete poured around the housing 11, along the height axis 5. A second support insert 50, which is identical to the first support insert 40, is positioned in the plate receiving cavity 14 and oriented to resist deformation of a second portion 51 of the housing 11 into the plate receiving cavity 14 along the height axis 5. A sticker 30 is attached to the front face 13 and cover...

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,760 introduced a dowel plate assembly system for transferring loads between cast-in-place contiguous concrete slabs. The system can include a metallic square plate that spans, and is bisected by, a joint between adjacent slabs. A number of individual sleeves that are sized to receive the plate are mounted in a spaced apart relationship at a mid-depth level to a form. The sleeves become imbedded in the first of two adjacent slabs responsive to a first pour. The sleeves stay in place after the form is removed. Before pouring the second slab, a metallic square plate is inserted into each of the series of spaced apart sleeves. Thereafter, the second slab is poured. The embedded plates facilitate load transfers between the adjacent slabs.

[0002] Although these dowel plate assemblies have performed better than their predecessor load transfer strategies, problems can arise, and there remains room for improvement. For instance, poured concrete can deform the sleeve rendering it difficult to insert a plate therein without costly additional work. In other instances, the sleeve may slide out of the first slab, such as when the form is removed. In still other cases, the installed dowel plate assemblies may not be able to accommodate relative movement of the two slabs, especially sheer movement, without causing cracking. The present disclosure is directed to one or more of the problems set forth above.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] In one aspect, a dowel plate assembly includes a housing that defines an opening through a front face to a plate receiving cavity. A first support insert is positioned in the plate receiving cavity and oriented to resist deformation of a first portion of the housing into the plate receiving cavity along a height axis. A second support insert, which is identical to the first support insert, is positioned in the plate receiving cavity and oriented to resist deformation of a second portion of the housing into the plate receiving cavity along the height axis. A sticker is attached to the front face and covers the opening, and encloses the plate receiving cavity against entry of concrete therein.

[0004] In another aspect, a pair of load transfer linked concrete slabs includes a first concrete slab contiguous with a second concrete slab along a joint plane. A plurality of dowel plate assemblies load transfer link the first concrete slab with the second concrete slab. Each of the dowel plate assemblies include a dowel plate with a first portion received in a housing embedded in contact with the first concrete slab, and a second portion embedded in contact with the second concrete slab. Each of the dowel plate assemblies include a first support insert entirely positioned within the housing on one side of a vertical plane that is perpendicular to a horizontal plane defined by the respective dowel plate. A second support insert, which is identical to the first support insert, entirely positioned within the housing on an opposite side of the vertical plane.

[0005] In still another aspect, a method of load linking a pair of concrete slabs includes attaching a dowel plate assembly to a form. A first concrete slab is formed around the dowel plate assembly. The form is moved out of contact with the dowel plate assembly and the first concrete slab. A dowel plate is inserted into a housing of the dowel plate assembly. First and second support inserts are pivoted in opposite directions within the housing responsive to the inserting step. A second concrete slab is poured in contact with the first concrete slab and an exposed portion of the dowel plate that is extending out of the housing.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of a portion of a dowel plate assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0007] FIG. 2 is a front view of a dowel plate assembly;

[0008] FIG. 3 is a top view of the dowel plate assembly;

[0009] FIG. 4 is a top sectioned view of a dowel plate assembly during insertion of a dowel plate therein;

[0010] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a dowel plate assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0011] FIG. 6 is a top sectioned view of the dowel plate assembly as viewed along section lines 6-6 of FIG. 5;

[0012] FIG. 7 is a front view of the dowel plate assembly of FIG. 5;

[0013] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a support insert according to one aspect of a dowel plate assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 9 is a side view of a form with a dowel plate assembly attached thereto;

[0015] FIG. 10 is a side sectioned view similar to FIG. 9 after a first concrete slab has been formed;

[0016] FIG. 11 is a side sectioned view similar to FIG. 10 after removal of the form;

[0017] FIG. 12 is a side sectioned view similar to FIG. 11 after a second concrete slab has been poured;

[0018] FIG. 13 is a top view of a pair of load linked concrete slabs according to the present disclosure; and

[0019] FIG. 14 is a top sectioned view through a portion of the load linked slabs of of FIG. 13 when one of the slabs has shifted.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4, a dowel plate assembly 10 includes a housing 11 may define a coordinate system having a depth axis 4, a height axis 5 perpendicular to the depth axis 4, and a width axis 6 perpendicular to both the depth axis 4 and the height axis 5. Housing 11 may be formed from a molded thermoplastic to define an opening 12 through a front face 13 to a plate receiving cavity 14. A first support insert 40 is positioned in the plate receiving cavity 14 and oriented to resist deformation of a first portion 41 of the housing 11 into the plate receiving cavity 14, such as by pressure from concrete poured around the housing 11, along the height axis 5. A second support insert 50, which is identical to the first support insert 40, is positioned in the plate receiving cavity 14 and oriented to resist deformation of a second portion 51 of the housing 11 into the plate receiving cavity 14 along the height axis 5. A sticker 30 is attached to the front face 13 and covers the opening 12 to enclose the plate receiving cavity 14 against the entry of concrete therein. Sticker 30 may include product information, a manufacturer trademark(s) and a slot locating indicia 31 with a shape and position that matches a portion of the opening 12 to the plate receiving cavity 14.

[0021] The dowel plate assembly 10 may have an axis of symmetry 7 oriented parallel to the depth axis 4. the first support insert 40 may be located entirely on one side 60 of the axis of symmetry 7, and have a convex side 42 facing toward the second support 50, before being contacted by a dowel plate 80. The second support insert 50 may be located entirely on an opposite side 61 of the axis of symmetry 7, and has its convex side 52 facing toward the first support insert 40, before being contacted by dowel plate 80. Referring in addition to FIG. 9, each of the first and second support inserts 40, 50 may be formed to include a sheer pin 45 at one end 43 and a pivot pin 46 at an opposite end. Sheer pin 45 may be both shorter and smaller in diameter than the pivot pin 46. Housing 11 defines a first set of grooves 16 on one side 61 of the axis of symmetry 7 and a second set of grooves 17 on the opposite side 60 of the axis of symmetry 7. First and second set of grooves 16, 17 may be oriented parallel to each other and the axis of symmetry 7. Opposite ends of the pivot pin 46 of the first support insert 40 are received in, and constrained to move in, the first set of grooves 17, which includes an upper groove 20 oriented opposite to a lower groove 21. Likewise, opposite ends of the pivot pin 46 of the second support insert 50 are received in, and constrained to move in, the second set of grooves 16, which includes an upper groove 18 and a lower groove 19. Housing 11 also defines a first set of positioning grooves 32 and a second set of positioning grooves 33 that are on opposite sides of the axis of symmetry 7. Opposite ends of the sheer pin 45 of the first support insert 40 are received in, and constrained to move in, the first set of positioning grooves 33, which includes an upper positioning groove 24 and a lower positioning groove 25. Likewise, opposite ends of the sheer pin 45 of the second support insert 50 are received in, and constrained to move in, the second set of positioning grooves 32, which includes an upper positioning groove 22 and a lower positioning groove 23. As shown in FIG. 8, each of the support inserts 40, 50 has an elongated arcuate shape 47 that includes a central planar surface 48, 49 that bear against a plate dowel 80 when assembled on site as per FIG. 6.

[0022] In order to inhibit the housing 11 from being pulled out of the first concrete slab, when the associated form to which the housing 11 is nailed, the housing 11 may be formed to include at least one, and preferably a plurality of, external anchors 27. Each of the external anchors includes an external anchor surface 28 that extend from the housing 11 parallel to the height axis 5. In the illustrated embodiment, the anchor surfaces have a slanted orientation (45 degrees or so) relative to the front face 13. Each of the external anchors 27 may have a height 34 that is greater than a thickness 35.

[0023] The housing 11 may be attached to a form, which is typically wood, in any suitable manner. In the illustrated embodiment, housing 11 may be formed to define first and second fastener bores 56 that flank opposite sides of the plate receiving cavity 14. A first nail 70 may be held in a friction fit within the first fastener bore 56 on one side 72 of the front face, 13 and a second nail 71 may be held in a friction fit within a second fastener bore 56 on an opposite side 73 of the front face 13. When delivered to a construction site, dowel plate assemblies 10 will include nails 70 and 71 in the position shown in FIG. 3 to be ready for nailing into a form. Also, sticker 30 will trap the support inserts 40 and 50 within the plate receiving cavity 14 when the assembly is nailed to a form before any concrete is formed. Thus, dowel plate assemblies 10 may arrive at a construction site in one box containing dowel plates 80, and another box containing the subassembled and components shown exploded in FIG. 1.

[0024] Referring now in addition to FIGS. 9-14, a pair of load transfer linked concrete slabs 89 include a first slab 91 contiguous with a second concrete slab 92 along a joint plane 93 that intersects, and preferably bisects, a plurality of dowel plates 80. The process begins by placing a form 90 that is part of a formed enclosure on a base surface 65. A chalk line (not shown) may be applied to form 90 at a desired depth to guide workers in the attachment of dowel plate assemblies 10 by aligning the nails 70, 71 with the chalk line. The Dowel plate assemblies 10 may be spaced apart along the chalk line in a predetermined spacing to achieve a desired amount of load transfer linkage between adjacent slabs 91, 92. The dowel plate assemblies are attached to form 90 by hammering nails 70, 71 from their friction fit position in housing 11 into the form until a head of the nail 70, 71 moves into contact with the housing 11. The first concrete slab is poured onto base surface 65 in contact with form 90 and around the dowel plate assembly 10. This includes moving concrete into contact with the external anchor surfaces 28. After the first concrete slab sets, form 90 is removed, with the external anchors 27 keeping the housing 11 in place within the slab and the form 90 is pulled free of the nails 70, 71. During the first concrete pour, the first and second support inserts 40, 50 resist deformation of the plate receiving cavity 14 along height axis 5 at the otherwise unsupported portions 41 and 51, respectively. After pulling the form 90 away from the first concrete slab 91, nails 70, 71 may be bent downward out of the way.

[0025] A dowel plate 80, which may be square and have a uniform thickness from ¼″ to ¾″, has a forward corner 87 that aligns with the slot locating indicia 31 and pierces the sticker 30, and is inserted into the plate receiving cavity 14 as initially shown in FIG. 4. The plate 80 ought to encounter some resistance when plate 80 contacts the end 43 of the first and second support inserts. With a continued insertion force, the sheer pins 45 of the first and second support inserts break responsive to being pushed beyond the end of the respective positioning grooves 32,33. This in turn allows the first and second support inserts 40, 50 to pivot about pivot pins 46 in opposite directions within the housing 11 from the orientation shown in FIG. 4 to the orientation shown in FIG. 6 where the protrusions 63 come into contact the side walls 58 and 59, respectively. The convex side 52 of the first and second support inserts 40, 50 pivot from generally facing each other as per FIG. 4 to generally facing the second concrete slab 92 as per FIGS. 6 and 14. One could expect disconnected sheer pin fragments 37 to remain in housing 11. When fully inserted and seated, the opposite corners 86 of the dowel plate 80 may align with the front face 13. This positioning of corners 86 in the plane of front face 13 informs the user that the dowel plate 80 is fully inserted and properly seated in housing 11. Sticker 30 may be in contact with a continuous closed surface of the plate 80 to block entry of concrete into the respective housing 11. The second concrete slab 92 is then poured in contact with the first concrete slab 91 and around an exposed portion 85 of the dowel plate 80 that is extending outside of the housing.

[0026] After the second concrete slab hardens, the plurality of dowel plate assemblies 10 load transfer link the first concrete slab 91 with the second concrete slab 92. The dowel plate 80 of each dowel plate assembly will have a first portion 81 received in a housing 11 embedded in contact with the first concrete slab 91, and a second portion 82 embedded in contact with the second concrete slab 92. Although not necessary, portions 81 and 82 may be equal in size. Throughout the process, the first support insert 40 remains entirely positioned on one side of a vertical plane 76 that is perpendicular to a horizontal plane 77 defined by the respective dowel plate 80. Likewise, the second support insert 50 remains entirely positioned within the housing 11 on an opposite side of the vertical plane 76. Preferably, each dowel plate 80 has a first straight edge 83 in contact with the planar surface 48 of the first support insert 40, and a second straight edge 84 in contact with planar surface 49 of the second support insert 50. The dowel plate assembly 10 can permit some relative movement of the first concrete slab 19 relative to the second concrete slab 92. For instance, plate 80 might move out of contact with second support insert 50 and partially collapse or bend the protrusions 63 of the first support insert 40 responsive to sheer movement along the joint plane 93.

[0027] The present description is for illustrative purposes only, and should not be construed to narrow the breadth of the present disclosure in any way. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications might be made to the presently disclosed embodiment without departing from the full and fair scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Other aspects, features and advantages will be apparent upon an examination of the attached drawings and appended claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0020]Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4, a dowel plate assembly 10 includes a housing 11 may define a coordinate system having a depth axis 4, a height axis 5 perpendicular to the depth axis 4, and a width axis 6 perpendicular to both the depth axis 4 and the height axis 5. Housing 11 may be formed from a molded thermoplastic to define an opening 12 through a front face 13 to a plate receiving cavity 14. A first support insert 40 is positioned in the plate receiving cavity 14 and oriented to resist deformation of a first portion 41 of the housing 11 into the plate receiving cavity 14, such as by pressure from concrete poured around the housing 11, along the height axis 5. A second support insert 50, which is identical to the first support insert 40, is positioned in the plate receiving cavity 14 and oriented to resist deformation of a second portion 51 of the housing 11 into the plate receiving cavity 14 along the height axis 5. A sticker 30 is attached to the front face 13 and cover...

Claims

1. A dowel plate assembly comprising:a housing having a depth axis, a height axis perpendicular to the depth axis, and a width axis perpendicular to both the depth axis and the height axis, and defining an opening through a front face to a plate receiving cavity;a first support insert positioned in the plate receiving cavity and oriented to resist deformation of a first portion of the housing into the plate receiving cavity along the height axis;a second support insert, which is identical to the first support insert, positioned in the plate receiving cavity and oriented to resist deformation of a second portion of the housing into the plate receiving cavity along the height axis; anda sticker attached to the front face and covering the opening and enclosing the plate receiving cavity against entry of concrete therein.

2. The dowel plate assembly of claim 1 including an axis of symmetry oriented parallel to the depth axis;the first support insert being located entirely on one side of the axis of symmetry, and having a convex side facing toward the second support insert; andthe second support insert being located entirely on an opposite side of the axis of symmetry, and having a convex side facing toward the first support insert.

3. The dowel plate assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second support inserts includes a sheer pin at one end, and a pivot pin at an opposite end;the pivot pin of the first support insert is received in a first set of grooves, which includes an upper groove and a lower groove;the pivot pin of the second support insert is received in a second set of grooves, which includes an upper groove and a lower groove;the sheer pin of the first support insert is received in a first set of positioning grooves, which includes an upper positioning groove and a lower positioning groove; andthe sheer pin of the second support insert is received in a second set of positioning grooves, which includes an upper positioning groove and a lower positioning groove.

4. The dowel plate assembly of claim 1 wherein housing includes a plurality of external anchor surfaces extending from the housing parallel to the height axis and having a slanted orientation relative to the front face.

5. The dowel plate assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing defines first a second fastener bores that flank opposite sides of the plate receiving cavity;a first nail held in a friction fit within the first fastener bore on one side of the front face; anda second nail held in a friction fit within the second fastener bore on an opposite side of the front face.

6. The dowel plate assembly of claim 1 wherein the sticker includes a slot locating indicia with a shape and position that matches a portion of the opening to the plate receiving cavity covered by the sticker.

7. A pair of load transfer linked concrete slabs comprising:a first concrete slab;a second concrete slab contiguous with the first concrete slab along a joint plane;a plurality dowel plate assemblies load transfer linking the first concrete slab with the second concrete slab;each of the dowel plate assemblies including a dowel plate with a first portion received in a housing embedded in contact with the first concrete slab, and a second portion embedded in contact with the second concrete slab;each of the dowel plate assemblies including a first support insert entirely positioned within the housing on one side of a vertical plane that is perpendicular to a horizontal plane defined by the respective dowel plate; andeach of the dowel plate assemblies including a second support insert, which is identical to the first support insert, entirely positioned within the housing on an opposite side of the vertical plane.

8. The pair of load transfer linked concrete slabs of claim 7 wherein each housing including a plurality of external anchors extending from the housing perpendicular to the horizontal plane defined by the respective dowel plate, and each of the anchors having a height that is greater than a thickness.

9. The pair of load transfer linked concrete slabs of claim 7 wherein each dowel plate has a first straight edge in contact with a planar surface of the first support insert and a second straight edge in contact with a planar surface of the second support insert.

10. The pair of load transfer linked concrete slabs of claim 7 wherein each of the first and second support inserts has an arcuate shape with a convex side;the convex side of each of the first and second support inserts faces the second concrete slab.

11. The pair of load transfer linked concrete slabs of claim 7 wherein each of the first and second support inserts includes a pivot pin with opposite ends positioned in opposing grooves defined by the respective housing.

12. The pair of load transfer linked concrete slabs of claim 7 wherein each of the dowel plate assemblies includes a plurality of disconnected sheer pin fragments positioned in the housing.

13. The pair of load transfer linked concrete slabs of claim 7 wherein each of the dowel plate assemblies includes a sticker attached to a front face of the housing; andthe sticker and the respective dowel plate block entry of concrete into the respective housing.

14. A method of load linking a pair of concrete slabs, comprising the steps of:attaching a dowel plate assembly to a form;forming a first concrete slab around the dowel plate assembly;moving the form out of contact with the dowel plate assembly and the first concrete slab;inserting a dowel plate into a housing of the dowel plate assembly;pivoting first and second support inserts in opposite directions within the housing responsive to the inserting step; andpouring a second concrete slab in contact with the first concrete slab and an exposed portion of the dowel plate that is extending outside of the housing.

15. The method of claim 14 including breaking a sheer pin for each of the first and second support inserts responsive to the inserting step.

16. The method of claim 15 including resisting deformation of a plate receiving cavity of the housing during the forming step by positioning a pivot pin of the first and second support inserts in a first and second set of grooves, respectively, and a sheer pin of the first and second support inserts in a first and second set of positioning grooves, respectively, which are defined by the housing.

17. The method of claim 16 including a step of preventing the dowel plate assembly from disconnecting from the first concrete slab by moving concrete into contact with a plurality of external anchor surfaces extending from the housing during the forming step.

18. The method of claim 17 including deforming an arcuate shape of one of the first and second support inserts responsive to movement of the first concrete slab relative to the second concrete slab.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the attaching step includes hammering a nail from a friction fit position in the housing into the form until a head of the nail moves into contact with the housing.

20. The method claim 19 including aligning a corner of the dowel plate with a slot locating indicia on a sticker attached to the housing prior to the inserting step.

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