Support structure for use in casting reinforced concrete ceilings and the like
[ Apr. 22, 1975 United States Patent 1 Norlander 1 SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR USE IN 216/7 Vocisano 249/210 X 2 446 255 8/1948 Vocisano 2.498.595 2/1950 Vircks.......... 2.510.767 6/1950 CASTING REINFORCED CONCRETE CEILINGS AND THE LIKE Primary Examiner-Andrew R. Juhasz Assistant [imminer-John S. Brown Attorney, Agent. or Firm-Ulle C. Linton [22] Filed:  
 Appl. No.: 354,667  
 [57] ABSTRACT A support structure for casting reinforced concrete ceilings and the like consists of an upper unit and a [30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 5 1972 lower unit which overlap each other and which are 52 us. 249/210; 249/29 mutually connected y means of a Screw which 511 lm. E04g 11/54 ables the nits be vertically displaced relative to 5 n w of Search 249 210 l8 19 24 2 32 each other and which is exposed to tension but not to 249/212; 248/354; 216/7; 269/141, 309 pressure under the influence of the weight of the concrete. The support structure has also means for sideways adjustment of the shutters carried by the structure.  
 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 248/354 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 2.378984 Couture PATENTEDAPRZZISYS SHULT 1 OF 2 IH FIIIIIH PATENTEUAPRZZIQYE 3,879,010  
 sum 2 0F 2 Fig.5 26  
 SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR USE IN CASTING REINFORCED CONCRETE CEILINGS AND THE LIKE This invention refers to a support structure for use in casting reinforced concrete ceilings and the like.  
  In modern housebuilding it is of greatest importance that the falsework used to support the moulds may be removed as quickly as possible and may be reused without any delay.  
  Consequently, the main object of the invention is to provide a support structure which makes it possible to operate it rapidly and with little effort. Another object is to carry it out in such a way that it may be easily transported from one place to another an important feature being to keep its weight within modest limits. Still another object of the invention is to use simple and inexpensive means for operating the structures in a positively controlled manner.  
  Further advantages and objects of the. invention will appear from the detailed description of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. I is a schematical side view of a support structure according to the invention.  
  FIG. 2 is an end view of the support structure according to FIG. 1.  
  FIG. 3 is a section on a bigger scale of the uppermost portion of the support structure according to FIG. 1 and part of two shutters supported thereby.  
  FIG. 4 is a plan view of a locking bolt. forming part of FIG. 3.  
  While a complete support structure preferably comprises four units according to FIG. 1 only one such unit is now described as the units are identical. It may also be noted that the four units in practice are interconnected by means of braces which are removable and which make it possible to build up structures which in a plan view are rectangular.  
  Each support structure unit comprises an upper unit, generally designated 1, which has an upper beam or rail, preferably in the shape of a hollow rectangular profile 2 and two mutually parallel tubes 3a, 3b secured to said profile and extending downwardly. Each tube 3a. 3b telescopically receives a vertical tube 4a, 4b forming part of a mainly U-shaped member, having a web portion 5. In a manner known per se the tubes 3 and 4 have holes 6 which may be brought into registry with each other and in which may be introduced pins or similar means to lock the outer and inner tube in predetermined axial positions relative to each other. Secured to the web portion of the U-shaped member is a part 7 which is provided with an internally threaded hole 8 which consequently serves as a nut for a screw 9. Said screw has a head 10 and at an axial distance therefrom a flange 11 while its opposite end is formed to a square end 12 or similar grip means.  
  Each support structure also comprises a lower unit, generally designated 13. This unit consists of two mainly identical parts only one being visible in FIG. 1. In the following only one of these parts will be described in detail. Thus the lower unit includes a bottom rail 14 and two tubes or rods 15a and 15b extending vertically therefrom. Said tubes or rods are telescopically mounted in tubes 16a and 16!) which are mutually connected by means of a transverse bar 17 having a centrally disposed hole 18 which is intended to radially guide an unthreaded portion of the screw 9 as appears from FIG. 1. As will appear from the following and from FIG. 2 the transverse bar 17 has such a width that, Le, extension perpendicular to the plane of the drawing that it bridges the distance between the two parallel parts of the lower unit. This is also true in connection with a second transverse bar 19 connecting the tubes 16a and 16h at their lower end. Said second bar 19 also has a central opening 20 for radially guiding an unthreaded portion of the screw 9.  
  As previously mentioned the lower unit comprises two parallel parts which are mutually connected in the manner shown in FIG. 2. Theparts which are located behind the parts visible in FIG. 1 are 15a&#34; and 16a and the distance between the parts is such that. the upper unit is guided between the parts of the lower unit.  
  Thus it is seen that the support structure is extended when the screw is rotated such that the web portion 5 moves towards the transverse bar 17 and that it is compressed when the screw is rotated in the opposite direction. A load applicated upon the profile 2 thus results in a tensile stress upon the screw which makes it possible to construct it in a slender and light-weight manner. When the support structure after casting is diminished by rotating the screw such that web portion 5 moves away from the transverse bar 17 the relatively small thrust is taken up by the flange lI.  
  When for example four such structures are used to form a falsework and it is desired to raise or lower all the structures in unison four electrical drilling machines preferably having a driven shaft which is perpendicular to the length direction of the drilling machine in question may be used.  
  The upper unit 1 may be provided with a wheel or roller at its lower part and preferably sideways projecting so as to make it possible to transport the support structure rolling on said wheel or roller.  
  In order to still further reduce the time necessary for preparing the mould it is advantageous to have the shutters secured to the upper units. For this purpose metal profiles 21 according to FIG. 3 may be used. These profiles have a horizontal flange which is relatively thick and is provided with a longitudinally extending T-shaped opening 22, 23 the narrower part of which 23 opening downwards. Extending obliquely upwards from said horizontal flange is a second flange 24. The shutters which are preferably made from reinforced plastic material in the shape of pans 26 have their downwards extending side walls 25 in contact with the inner surface of the flanges 24 and secured thereto for instance by means of rivets. It is also of importance that the metal profiles may be adjusted sideways in order to obtain a proper centering and to bring the abutting ends of the profiles 21 in contact with each other. For this purpose there are provided in the upper rail openings 27 for the shafts 28 of bolts 29 each having an eccentrically disposed head 30 which as appears from FIG. 4 is elliptic with the narrowest part somewhat narrower than the opening 23 but with its widest part somewhat narrower than the recess 22. The bolt has a threaded part 31 and at its end a square end or similar grip 32 for a wrench or the like.  
  Thus it is seen that the profiles 21 may be sideways adjusted by turning the bolt with a wrench and that it is then easily locked in desired position by tightening the nut 33.  
  The structure now described may be altered and modified within the scope of the claims.  
 l claim:  
  I. A support framework. preferably intended to form part of a casting board for casting concrete building elements such as ceilings, comprising an upper and a lower frame. said frames being vertically adjustable relative to each other, said upper frame having a middle portion and telescopic tubes extending upwardly from said middle portion, the free ends of said tubes being spaced apart and being intended to support directly or indirectly the form members, said lower frame having a similar middle portion and two telescopic tubes extending downwardly from said second middle portion, the free ends of said second tubes being spaced apart and intended to rest directly or indirectly against a supporting surface, said middle portions of said upper and lower frames being connected by means of a screw enabling said frames to be vertically adjusted. the middle portion of at least one of said frames being provided with guiding parts located at each side of said screw and forming guides for said tubes of the other frame, and said frames being so located that the middle portion of said lower frame is situated above the middle portion of said upper frame.  
  2. A support framework as claimed in claim 1 wherein, those guiding parts which are located at each side of one of said frames are constituted by said tubes of the other frame.  
  3. A support as claimed in claim 1 a rail mounted on said first tubes, a securing means on said rail and shutters supported by said rail and said securing means.  
  4. A support structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said screw has a threaded part extending through the middle portion of said upper unit and having one of its free ends rotatably but not displaceably connected to the upper portion of said lower unit and the opposite end of said screw forming a grip for cooperation with a drive unit for turning the screw in one direction or the other.  
  5. A support structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lower unit has two of said telescopic tubes being arranged one behind the other and mutually conneeted, the distance between said tubes perpendicular to their plane being such that said upper unit is guided in the space between said tubes.  
  6. A support structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein said securing means of said upper unit consists of bolts and includes metal profiles, plastic shutters attached to said metal profiles and said metal profiles are secured to said rail of said upper unit.  
  7. A support as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said metal profiles each comprises a leg having a T-shaped longitudinally extending recess therein and an upwardly diverging leg, and said shutters have the lower part of downwardly diverging sides of said shutters being each with its inner side in contact with said diverging leg and sealingly secured thereto.  
  8. A support structure as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said bolts each have an elliptic eccentrically disposed head with in one angular position may be introduced into the T-shaped recess in said metal profile, said bolts further each have a grip for a wrench or similar tool for turning said bolt and a threaded part for cooperation with a locking nut, said arrangement enabling a lateral adjustment of said shutters to be made by turning said bolt with said shuttering being thereupon locked by tightening said nut.