Field of the Invention The invention relates generally to concrete construction. More particularly, the invention relates to a brace used in manufacturing concrete forms.

Background of the Invention Concrete has been increasingly used in the construction of many different types of buildings. Concrete is a readily available commodity, is relatively inexpensive, and is reliable in many applications. One such application is in the manufacture of walls of a warehouse or similar structure.

Walls may be constructed by pouring wet concrete between two parallel, vertically disposed sheets of plywood such that the wall is created in the place where the wall is intended to stand. When the concrete has hardened, the sheets of plywood are removed to expose the formed wall.

Another method of manufacturing concrete components such as walls is called the tilt-up method. To make a wall using the tilt-up method, a worker creates a form on the ground or floor adjacent where the wall is to stand. The form may be made of lengths of lumber or wood, such as commonly available 2x6's, 2x8's, 2x10's, or the like. Figure 1 shows a portion of a typical concrete form used in tilt-up construction. A first form component or length of wood, called a down plate D, is secured to the ground or floor so that its largest faces are parallel to the ground or floor. A second form component or length of wood, called a vertical board V, is secured to the down plate such that its largest faces are perpendicular to the largest faces of the down plate. The height

of the vertical board determines the thickness of the wall that is to be made in the form. Other down plates and vertical boards are erected to complete the form. The form is located so that one of the down plates is adjacent and parallel to where the finished wall is to stand. The floor or ground surface is treated or coated to prevent wet concrete from sticking thereto. Steel reinforcing bars ("rebar") may be placed within the form as desired. Wet concrete is then poured into the form and spread to fill the form. The worker slides a board called a screed along the upper edges of opposite vertical boards to create an even, flat surface on the top of the wet concrete. The wet concrete is allowed to cure and dry, and when the concrete is sufficiently hardened, the forms are removed from the wall. A crane is used to lift one end of the wall to pivot, or tilt, the wall into its proper position. The wall is secured in a vertical position using known methods. If several forms are constructed at one time, many walls may be simultaneously created using the tilt-up method, and structures may therefore be quickly erected using the method.

When a vertical board is secured to the down plate, it is important that the two be angularly fixed relative to each other (e. g., perpendicular) along their respective lengths. This is not easy to do because lung lengths of wood (i. e., 20 feet long) are not perfectly straight. Some lengths of wood are sawn from raw lumber such that the orientation of the wood grain in the length of wood causes the length of wood to warp as it is seasoned. Furthermore, wet concrete within the form will press outwardly against the vertical boards and will bend the upper portions 8 of the vertical boards if the vertical boards are not reinforced properly. To maintain the vertical boards in their proper position, short lengths of wood W are nailed at regular intervals to the down plate and the upper portion of the vertical board. As shown in Figure 1, short lengths W are angled with respect to the down plate and the vertical board.

Because short lengths W are typically formed from scrap wood available at a construction site, their shapes are irregular and proper care must therefore be

made that each short length properly supports vertical board V in a perpendicular position. This is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process.

If a 20 foot by 20 foot square form is to be erected and short lengths are disposed two feet apart, approximately 44 short lengths must be attached to the form, and measurements must constantly be made during this attachment process to ensure that the vertical boards remain perpendicularly disposed with respect to the down plates.

The use of short lengths W has other disadvantages. Short lengths W are secured as close as possible to the top of vertical board to ensure the top of the vertical board does not bow outwardly due to the pressure of the wet concrete. However, if either the short length or the nail securing the short length to the vertical board extends above the upper edge of the vertical board, they will interfere with the passage of the screed across the top of the vertical board. This results in an unevenness in the upper surface of the wet concrete that must subsequently be removed. A worker usually removes the unevenness in the hardened wall by sand-blasting, which is a time-consuming process. In addition, short lengths W made of scrap wood cannot typically be reused more than a very few times before becoming unsuitable for use.

Efforts have been made to create a replacement for the short lengths of wood. Such replacements include metal braces that have a 90 degree angle and are designed to contact the intersection of the down plate and the vertical board. Such braces are reusable and generally do not interfere with the screed, but many contain multiple parts or require the use of specialized, custom-made or proprietary down plates and vertical boards. Furthermore, some known braces may not be suitable for use with more than one size of down plate and/or vertical board. Lastly, most known braces are not designed to extend to the uppermost edge of the vertical board to prevent the vertical board from bending due to the outward force of the wet concrete.

Summary of the Invention The present invention overcomes the problems of the prior art by providing a brace for use in erecting a concrete form having first and second form components. The brace includes a first edge and a second edge distal from the first edge. The brace is configured to ensure that the first and second form components are disposed at a specified angle with respect to each other when the first edge is aligned with a feature of the first form component and the second edge is aligned with a feature of the second form component.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a concrete form that may be used in tilt-up construction.

Figure 2 is an isometric view of an aligning brace of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the aligning brace shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a portion of the aligning brace attached to a concrete form.

Figure 5 is an isometric view showing a method of using the invention.

Figure 6 is an isometric view showing another method of using the invention.

Figure 7 is an isometric view showing another step in the method depicted in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an isometric view showing yet another method of using the invention.

Figure 9 is an isometric view showing still another method of using the invention.

Figure 10 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the invention and a method of using the embodiment.

Figure 11 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the invention and a method of using the embodiment.

Detailed Description and Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention In the description and claims which follow, certain elements of the invention will be identified with positional descriptors such as top, bottom, side, upper, lower, etc. Unless specifically stated otherwise, these positional descriptors are used merely for convenience in identifying the elements of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention.

An embodiment of the present invention may be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3, in which an exemplary brace is indicated generally by reference number 10. Brace 10 may, for example, be made of ABS plastic using conventional molding techniques. Brace 10 preferably comprises a single, integral component. Brace 10 may be any color, but for safety reasons the brace preferably has a substantial portion that is brightly colored. For example, the brace may be painted red, orange, yellow, bright green, or other color that easily contrasts with the surroundings of a construction site so that a worker can readily see the brace.

Brace 10 may be used with a down plate D and a vertical board V having specific cross-sectional dimensions. The brace of the depicted embodiment is shown in use with a down plate and vertical board made of commonly available 2 x 6 lengths of wood, although other sizes of down plates and vertical boards may also be used with the brace. It will be understood that the sizes of the lengths of wood referenced in this application (e. g., 2 x 6,2 x 8, etc.) are the nominal sizes commonly used in the trade. The actual size of the lengths of wood are usually different from these nominal sizes. For instance, a 2 x 6 length of wood typically has cross-section dimensions of 1.5 inches by 5.5 inches, although the actual dimensions may vary. However, for convenience the following description will refer to the nominal sizes. Down

plate D is designed to be secured to the ground or to a floor using bolts, screws, or other fasteners (not shown). Down plate D includes a top surface 12 bordered by an inner edge 14 and an outer edge 16. Vertical board V has an outwardly facing surface 18 that is bordered on one end by an upper edge 20.

Outer edge 16 and upper edge 20 may be thought of as features of the down plate and vertical board, respectively, that are used to align the brace as will be described herein.

In the depicted embodiment, brace 10 has a general shape of a trapezoidal prism as defined by upper and lower faces 22 and 24, side faces 26, and 28, and first and second contacting surfaces 30 and 32. Upper and lower faces 22,24 are substantially parallel to each other and have a generally rectangular shape. Lower face 24 may have a plurality of channels molded or machined therein (Figure 3) to reduce the weight and materials requirements of the brace without substantially compromising the strength of the brace. Side faces 26,28 are substantially parallel to each other and are generally perpendicular to upper and lower faces 22,24. A first angle a, defined by the intersection of upper face 22 and first contacting surface 30, is approximately 25-35 degrees, and preferably about 30 degrees. A secc; d angle, defined by the intersection of upper face 22 and second contacting surface 32, is about 55- 65 degrees, and preferably is about 60 degrees. Because angles a and b are unequal, side faces 26,28 have an irregular trapezoidal shape.

A first aligning edge 36 is defined by the intersection of upper face 22 and first contacting surface 30. A second aligning edge 38 is defined by the intersection of upper face 22 and second contacting surface 32. In one method of use, first and second aligning edges 36,38 are configured to be flush with outer edge 16 of down plate D and upper edge 20 of vertical board V, respectively, as will be described herein. To reduce the risk of injury, the first and second aligning edges may be machined or sanded to eliminate undue sharpness of the edges. First fastener apertures 40 are disposed near first

aligning edge 36 and are open to upper face 22 and to first contacting surface 30. First fastener apertures 40 permit the brace to be attached to the down plate using fasteners such as nails N. Second fastener apertures 42 are disposed near second aligning edge 38 and are open to the upper face and to second contacting surface 32. Second fastener apertures 42 permit the brace to be attached to the vertical board using nails N. First and second fastener apertures 42 are recessed within upper face 22. Nails N may be known duplex-type nails, which include a collar 44 disposed intermediate the head 46 and the point 48 of the nail. Duplex-type nails are commonly used in situations where the nails are removed after temporary use. To this end, collar 44 prevents the nail from being completely driven into an object and assists in the removal of the nail.

A first indentation 50 is provided in upper face 22 and in first contacting surface 30. A second indentation 52 is provided in the upper face and in second contacting surface 32. First and second reinforced ridges 54,56 are provided within the first and second indentations adjacent the upper face.

Each of the first and second indentations have a sufficient width w,, w, to allow a tool (not shown) such as the claw of a hammer or a crowbar to be inserted therein and placed between one of the reinforced ridges and one of the form components. The tool may then be manipulated to pry the brace off of the form.

The first and second reinforced ridges prevent breakage of the brace as it is pried away from the form.

To aid in the proper placement of first and second contacting surfaces 30,32 on the down plate and the vertical board, respectively, the brace may be provided with one or more orienting indicators. In the depicted embodiment the orienting indicators include the printed word"BOTTOM," which is disposed adjacent the first aligning edge at 70, and the printed word "TOP,"which is disposed adjacent the second aligning edge at 72. The word "BOTTOM"indicates to a worker that first contacting surface 30 is to be disposed below the remainder of the brace, as depicted in Figure 2. Likewise,

the word"TOP"indicates to the worker that second contacting surface 32 is to be disposed above the remainder of the brace. The brace may use other words or symbols to indicate proper orientation of the brace. Furthermore, a single orienting indicator may be sufficient to show proper orientation of the brace.

The orienting indicators may be formed integrally with the brace, or alternatively may be attached thereto or engraved therein after the brace is formed.

A distance indicator, depicted in the figures as an arrow 74, is positioned a predetermined distance d along upper face 22 as measured from second aligning edge 38. Predetermined distance d represents the distance from inner edge 14 of the down plate to the point where first aligning edge 36 should be placed. In the depicted embodiment, which is sized for use with a 2 x 6 down plate, the predetermined distance is equivalent to the width W3 of top surface 12 of the down plate. As will be explained in greater detail, arrow 74 permits the brace to be used when second aligning edge 38 does not extend to outer edge 16 of the down plate. An additional arrow 75 measures predetermined distance d from first aligning edge 36 and is used in a similar manner as arrow 74.

Figures 2 and 4-5 show one method of using the depicted brace to erect a concrete form. Down plate D is secured to a substantially horizontal surface such as the ground or a floor. Vertical board is secured to down plate using nails or other fasteners Top surface 12 should be facing upwardly. First contacting surface 30 is placed on top surface 12 of down plate D and positioned so that first aligning edge 36 is adjacent or flush with outer edge 16 of the down plate. Nails N are driven through first fastener apertures 40 to secure the brace to the down plate. At this point, the brace is angularly disposed with respect to the down plate, and second contacting surface 32 is coplanar in a vertical plane with inner edge 14 of the down plate. Vertical board V is moved into contact with inner edge 14 of the down plate and with the second

contacting surface as shown in Figures 2 and 4-5. Second aligning edge 38 is adjacent or flush with upper edge 20 of the vertical board. Nails N are driven through second fastener apertures 42, and the brace is now fastened in place.

Other braces are attached to the down plate and the vertical board at regular intervals along the length of the down plate and the vertical board. Other down plates and vertical boards are similarly attached to each other with other braces until the desired concrete form is erected (Figure 5). Because first and second contacting surfaces 30,32 are perpendicular to each other, the down plate and the vertical board are likewise perpendicular to each other as long as the first and second aligning edges of each brace are adjacent or flush with outer edge 16 and upper edge 20, respectively.

Wet concrete C is poured into the finished form. As best depicted in Figure 4, neither brace 10 nor nails N attaching the brace to the vertical board extend above upper edge 20 of the vertical board. A screed S can therefore pass along the top 76 of the vertical board without interference from any of the braces, and irregularities on the top surface of the hardened concrete are thereby substantially eliminated.

When concrete C has sufficiently hardened, the form is removed therefrom. A worker may remove nails N from fastener apertures 40,42, or alternatively may place a claw of a hammer or a crowbar into contact with one of first and second reinforced ridges 54,56 and the form and pry the brace off of the form. The braces may then be used to make other forms as desired.

It is possible that first and second aligning edges 36,38 may not be perfectly flush with outer edge 16 and upper edge 20, respectively. It is also possible that first and second contacting surfaces 30,32 may not fully contact the down plate or the vertical board, respectively. The reason for this may be because of natural variations in the sizes of standardized board sizes, warping and shrinkage of the down plate and vertical board after several uses, or because of manufacturing or machining tolerances or considerations with

respect to the brace. Even if the brace does not fit perfectly on the down plate and the vertical board, the brace helps to ensure that the vertical board is substantially perpendicular with respect to the down plate. In addition, the brace provides support to upper portion 8 of the vertical board to prevent the upper portion from bowing or warping due to the force of the wet cement thereon.

The dimensions and angles of brace 10 are determined by the cross-sectional dimensions of the down plate and the vertical board with which it is primarily intended to be used. For example, as described above, a brace with first and second angles a, b of about 30 and 60 degrees, respectively, aligns first and second edges 36,38 with outer edge 16 of a commercially available 2 x 6 down plate and upper edge 20 of a commercially available 2 x 6 vertical board, respectively. Other embodiments would have different values for first and second angles a, b if it is desired to similarly secure a brace to, for example, the outer edge of a 2 x 10 down plate and the upper edge of a 2 x 6 vertical board.

It is not necessary, however, to manufacture many different sizes of the invention to accommodate the various size combi M ll. ions of down plates and vertical boards. It is possible to use brace in situations where the down plate and/or the vertical board have a different cross-sectional dimension from what the brace is ordinarily sized to align. Figures 6 and 7 show a method of using a brace sized for one size of down plate and vertical board (e. g., 2 x 6) with a differently sized down plate D'and vertical board V' (e. g., 2 x 8). As shown in Figure 6, a worker places brace 10 upon the top of secured down plate D'such that second aligning edge 38 is aligned with inner edge 14 of down plate D'. This may be done by abutting second aligning edge 38 with outwardly facing surface 18 of a vertical board that has been put in position next to the down plate (Figure 6). Although the vertical board is not yet attached to the down plate and therefore may not be perfectly perpendicular to

the down plate at this time, a substantially vertical board will usually suffice to approximate the inner edge of the down plate. The worker then makes an identifier or mark 78 upon the down plate adjacent arrow 74. When first aligning edge 36 is placed adjacent mark 78 and the brace is disposed as depicted in Figure 7, first contacting surface 30 is horizontal and second contacting surface 32 is vertical. The worker drives nails through first fastener apertures 40 to secure the brace to the down plate, and then drives nails through second fastener apertures 42 to secure the brace to the vertical board. In the depicted embodiment, the distance between arrow 74 and second aligning edge 38 is predetermined distance d, which is substantially the same as width W3 of a 2 x 6 down plate (Figure 2). Placing first aligning edge 36 at predetermined distance d on a 2 x 8 or larger size down plate D'properly positions the brace so that first and second contacting surfaces 30,32 contact or abut down plate D'and vertical board V', respectively. The brace may therefore properly support and align down plates and vertical boards that have different dimensions from what the brace is ordinarily designed to support and align. In such situations, the feature of the down plate useful for aligning the brace is predetermined distance d as measured using arrow 74. The feature of the vertical board useful for aligning the brace is a distance along outwardly facing surface 18 where second aligning edge 38 of the brace is placed.

Figure 8 shows another method of using the invention. A plurality of braces 10 are attached to a down plate D at regular intervals to form a down plate assembly 80. The down plate assembly is secured to the ground, and a vertical board V is disposed so that it abuts the down plate and second contacting surfaces 32 of each of the braces. The vertical board is secured to the down plate, and nails N are driven through second fastener apertures 42 into the vertical board. This process is repeated until a concrete form has been completely erected, and concrete is poured into the form. When the concrete has sufficiently hardened, the nails that are inserted through the second fastener

apertures are removed, and the vertical board is separated from down plate assembly 80. Because the nails inserted through first fastener apertures are not removed, down plate assembly 80 is ready to be used to make other forms.

Down plate assembly therefore further reduces the time needed to erect a concrete form.

Figure 9 shows a method of using the invention to create a concrete curb. Curbs typically require thicker vertical boards (e. g., 2 x 8's) than concrete walls, and may not define an enclosed area as does the form shown in Figure 5. As depicted in Figure 9, the orientation of brace 10 may be reversed from that shown in Figures 2 and 5 such that first aligning edge 36 is placed adjacent or flush with upper edge 20 of vertical board and second aligning edge 38 is placed adjacent or flush with inner edge of a 2 x 4 down plate D. In this method of using brace 10, the orienting indicators"BOTTOM"at 70 and "TOP"at 72 are ignored. The method shown in Figure 9 shows that a brace designed to work primarily with 2 x 6 form components may be used with form components of various sizes.

The invention may also be used to align and support a multiple- piece vertical board. As depicted in Figure 10, first and second vertical boards V,, V, are stacked on top of each other to create a composite vertical board K having a height that cannot be reached by the second aligning edge of a single brace. An elevating brace 82 is provided that provides support to the uppermost portion of the vertical board. Elevating brace 82 has a first portion 84 that may resemble brace 10. First portion 84 has first and second contacting surfaces 86 and 88 that are designed to contact or abut the down plate and the composite vertical board, respectively. Second contacting surface 88 may also be configured to contact the composite vertical board at the junction 89 between first and second vertical boards V,, V, to maintain the vertical boards in a stacked relationship. The elevating brace has a second portion 90 that is configured to extend vertically from down plate D, and a third portion 92 that

is configured to extend substantially parallel to the down plate. First and second sets of fastener apertures 94,96 permit the elevating brace to be nailed or otherwise secured to down plate D and composite vertical board K. When elevating brace 82 is so attached, third portion acts 92 as a down plate or platform to support a brace 10 of the type shown in Figure 2. Screws 98 are installed through first fastener apertures 40 and into screw holes 99 provided in third portion 92. Brace 10 is nailed to composite vertical board K. Multiple elevating braces may be secured atop one another if necessary to properly support the composite vertical board.

Figure 11 shows a brace 100 of another embodiment of the invention that permits the invention to support a tall composite vertical board K, which in Figure 11 is made of two 2 x 12 boards. Brace 100 has an upper contacting surface 102 that is designed to abut or contact composite vertical board K. Brace 100 also may have a lower contacting surface 103 that is shaped to contact a supporting surface such as the ground. Nails (not shown) pass through nail holes 104 to secure brace 100 to the composite vertical board.

A hole or bore 106 is disposed in the brace distal the upper contacting surface.

The bore permits a rod or stake 108 to pass therethrough and secure brace 100 into the ground. Stake 108 may be of the type commonly used in supporting concrete forms. Brace 100 is useful when tall composite vertical boards are required to be erected upon soft earth, and provides angular support for the composite vertical board even if the brace is not able to be secured to a down plate.

The invention may be modified in many ways. For instance, the brace may be made of a different material and may take other shapes or forms.

The brace may have a different number of faces and contacting surfaces. As discussed previously, the brace may have different dimensions and angles, depending on the size of form components that may be used. The brace may have a different number or positioning of the fastener apertures. The brace may

be configured so that a vertical board and down plate are disposed at a non- perpendicular angle when secured together by the brace.

An advantage of the invention is that a worker does not have to continually check that the vertical form is perpendicular to the down plate. A vertical form attached to a secured down plate using the present invention is, by virtue of the shape and dimensions of the brace, perpendicularly disposed relative to the down plate, and the time-consuming process of checking the position of the vertical board is eliminated. When used a down plate and a vertical board of a preferred size, the worker merely aligns first and second edges 36,38 with outer edge 16 of the down plate and upper edge 20 of the vertical board, respectively. When used with differently sized form components, the worker uses arrow 74 to determine where to position the first aligning edge of the down plate.

Another advantage of the invention is that the brace is reusable.

The brace has no moving parts and is ruggedly designed for the rough handling inherent at a construction site. Yet another advantage is that the non-adjacent contacting surfaces cannot be bent out of alignment with each other, as may happen with known"right-angle"type braces. Anothe advantage is that the non-adjacent contacting surface design reduces the amount of material necessary to make an effective brace.

Another advantage is that each brace aligns a length of vertical board that is equal to the width W4 of the upper and lower faces of the brace (Figure 2). Furthermore, the brace is fastened in two places along the length of the vertical board. These features are in contrast to known braces, which are typically thinner than the present invention and typically use a single fastener or a plurality of fasteners along a single vertical line upon the vertical board.

The present invention therefore aligns a longer length of the vertical board than known braces, and it is therefore possible that fewer braces of the present invention are needed to align a given length of vertical board when compared

to known braces. This results in further time savings and may also provide significant cost savings. Yet another advantage is that neither the brace nor the nails attaching the brace to the vertical board extend above the upper edge of the vertical board and therefore do not interfere with a screed. The time- consuming sand-blasting process that is necessary to smooth misformed hardened concrete is therefore eliminated.

While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. Applicant regards the subject matter of the invention to include all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein. No single feature, function, element or property of the disclosed embodiments is essential. The following claims define certain combinations and subcombinations which are regarded as novel and non-obvious. Other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of the present claims or presentation of new claims in this or a related application.

Such claims are also regarded as included within the subject matter of applicant's invention irrespective of whether they are broader, narrower, or equal in scope to the original claims.