Reusable Lift Insert Holder with Breakaway Tabs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lift inserts in cast concrete members are inconvenient to mount and remove from the interior core mold, requiring complex spring-loaded holders and limiting reusability.
Innovation Solution
A novel lift insert design with breakaway tabs and a reusable holder that can be mounted on the outer jacket of the mold assembly, using locking pins and cam surfaces for alignment and retention, allowing for easy removal and reusability of the holder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional spring-loaded holder is used to position the lift insert in the interior core mold, then the insert can be retained during casting, but the mounting and removal process becomes inconvenient and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional approach by moving the holder from the interior core mold to the exterior jacket of the mold assembly. This allows the holder to be easily attached and removed from the outside, while still providing reliable insert retention during casting through the collar and locking mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder system is segmented into distinct components: the holder body, collar, locking pins, and breakaway tabs. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying mounting and removal operations while maintaining secure insert retention during the casting process.
2Reliability
If a conventional spring-loaded holder is used, then the insert can be positioned during casting, but the holder system becomes complex and non-reusable
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the holder location to the exterior jacket, the system eliminates the need for complex spring-loaded internal mechanisms. The simplified external holder uses basic mechanical elements like pins and slots that are easier to manufacture and reuse.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs disposable breakaway tabs that are simple to manufacture and replace. These tabs provide the necessary positioning function during casting, then break away cleanly, allowing the main holder body to be reused without complexity.
3Reliability
If the holder is designed for single-use in the interior mold, then insert retention is achieved, but the holder cannot be reused for multiple casting operations
Solution Approach 1:
Moving the holder to the exterior jacket enables reusability by allowing easy removal and reattachment for multiple casting operations. The holder can be retained on the jacket and reused across multiple cycles, significantly improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system discards only the simple breakaway tabs after each use, while recovering and reusing the main holder body. This selective discarding approach maintains insert retention reliability while enabling holder reusability for multiple casting operations.
4Reliability
If breakaway tabs are used to secure the insert to the holder, then the insert can be easily retained in the cast member, but the tabs must be discarded after use
Solution Approach 1:
The breakaway tabs are designed as inexpensive, disposable components that provide reliable insert retention during casting. Their temporary nature and low cost make the material loss acceptable, while their simple geometry minimizes waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The tab material is extracted from the main holder body as a separate, disposable component. This extraction allows the tabs to be optimized for their specific function of securing the insert, while the main holder remains reusable, minimizing overall material loss.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates easier mounting and removal of lift inserts, reduces the complexity of holder systems, and allows for multiple uses of the holder, thereby simplifying the casting process and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
The tabs, in one embodiment, are provided with cam surfaces to lock the insert to the holder member
Implementation Method 2
A pin, such as a spring-biased plug pin, is inserted into an opening along the circumference of the holder member to maintain the holder member, and hence the insert, in the proper orientation
Data Source
AI summary
Method and apparatus for providing inserts, such as lift inserts and step inserts, in cast members. The inserts have breakaway tabs mounted in receiving slots in either a reusable holder or disk-shaped member. The assembled insert and holder are inserted through a collar on the outer jacket of a mold assembly and a locking pin passes through cooperating openings in the holder and collar to retain the lift insert/holder in place during the casting operation. The disk-shaped member is fixed to a jacket of the mold assembly. The breakaway tabs break away from the insert when the cast member is separated from the mold assembly, the breakaway tabs being discarded and the holder (disk-shaped member) being reusable many times for subsequent casting operations. The slots, in one embodiment, have a locking shoulder to lock the tabs in their slots. In another embodiment, a cam surface on the tabs lock the tabs in the slots. In another embodiment, one slot and one tab differ in radial or circumferential length from the other tabs and slots to permit alignment between the slots and tabs in only one position to assure that the tabs are properly mounted in the holder.