Concrete Form Brace With Platform Adjustment Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional alignment devices for concrete forms require two workers to ensure the brace is plumb, and their delicate components are prone to failure, especially when resisting pressure from uncured concrete.
Innovation Solution
A robust and adjustable concrete form brace with a casing, manipulable body, and retaining body that allows a single user to rotate the outrigger for plumb adjustment, featuring a threaded bolt with a hex head compatible with a handheld drill, and an angled support to distribute load, enabling single-person operation and improved durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional alignment devices are used with adjustment mechanism near ground, then two workers are required for plumb adjustment, but this increases labor requirements and operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment mechanism is repositioned from ground level to the platform level (vertical dimension change), allowing the operator to access and manipulate the adjustment mechanism at the same height where plumb verification occurs. This eliminates the need for coordination between two workers at different heights and enables single-person operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The threaded bolt with hex head acts as an intermediary between the operator's tool (handheld drill) and the outrigger positioning system. This standardized interface simplifies the adjustment operation while maintaining precise control over the plumb alignment.
2Reliability
If delicate components are used in adjustment mechanism, then precise adjustment is possible, but reliability decreases due to susceptibility to failure under concrete pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment mechanism uses a threaded bolt with standard hex head dimensions and threading parameters that balance precision and robustness. The thread pitch and bolt diameter are selected to provide sufficient strength against concrete pressure while maintaining adjustability. The hex head geometry provides optimal torque transmission without requiring overly large or complex components.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: the threaded bolt for adjustment, the hex head for tool interface, and the platform mounting structure. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function while maintaining overall reliability.
3Productivity
If adjustment mechanism is positioned at platform level, then single user can perform all adjustments, but the mechanism must withstand greater structural loads
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment mechanism is merged with the platform structure itself, where the threaded bolt is directly mounted to the platform. This integration allows the platform's structural strength to support the adjustment mechanism and transmit loads, eliminating the need for a separate, heavily reinforced adjustment housing while maintaining load capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform structure uses composite construction combining wood or metal framing with appropriate fastening systems. The threaded bolt interface incorporates metal components with threaded connections that provide both adjustment functionality and structural load-bearing capacity, creating a composite system that satisfies both productivity and strength requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A brace for supporting a concrete form is disclosed. The brace includes a strongback couplable to an insulated concrete form, a platform coupled to the strongback, and an outrigger. The brace includes an adjustment mechanism having a casing portion coupled to the platform, a manipulable body housed within the casing portion, and a retaining body housed within the casing. The manipulable body extends through an opening of the casing portion and is coupled to the outrigger. The adjustment mechanism is manipulable by a single user located on the platform to reposition the outrigger to adjust a plumb of the concrete form.