SPACER ELEMENT FOR MAKING FORMWORKS AND LAYING BUILDING STRUCTURES, AND RELATED APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAID SP ACER ELEMENT

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a spacer element for making formworks and laying building structures according to the preamble of claim 1. Also, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for manufacturing said spacer element.

Spacer elements are commonly used in the art for laying panels adapted to make up formworks for casting concrete and laying building structures.

Italian patent No. IT 01246105 discloses spacer elements having a substantially rectangular body comprising a central region and two end regions on which two slits are obtained for housing anchoring means, in particular wedges, which allow to block and space out a system of transversal links of the formwork. hi the transition area between each end region and the central region, said spacer elements comprise tangs having bent portions protruding from the profile of the spacer elements, which allow a predetermined distance to be kept between the panels adapted to make up concrete casting formworks, since they work as stop elements on the edges of said panels. Said tangs are symmetrical in relation to the central region of the spacer element. In fact, when viewing the edges of the spacer elements from the central region toward either end region, it can be noticed that each tang is followed by a respective shearing area. hi particular, this arrangement of said spacer elements is obtained by inserting the body of the spacer element in an apparatus comprising cutting and bending means which work together in order to produce the tangs in the transition area between a first end region and the central region. The making of the tangs in the transition area between a second end region and the central region requires that the opening of the apparatus and the replacement of the spacer element appropriately.

The symmetrical arrangement of the tangs in relation to the central region of the spacer elements known in the art suffers from many drawbacks. In particular, since it is necessary to open the apparatus used for manufacturing the spacer element and to lift the spacer element from the lower base of said apparatus, it is not possible to guide the spacer elements correctly, thus not allowing high sheet-metal feed speeds. In particular, since it is necessary to open the apparatus used for manufacturing the spacer

element and to lift the spacer element from the lower base of said apparatus, it is not possible to guide and therefore to position a plurality of side-by-side slabs, so that it is impossible to process a plurality of spacer elements simultaneously.

In this frame, the main object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks by providing a spacer element so manufactured that it does not require the apparatus used for manufacturing the spacer element to be opened and the spacer element to be lifted and then re-positioned in said apparatus.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a spacer element for making formworks and laying building structures, and the related apparatus and method for manufacturing said spacer element, which allow to carry out a controlled-feed machining of a plurality of side-by-side slabs, so that a plurality of spacer elements can be manufactured simultaneously.

According to the present invention, these objects are achieved through a spacer element for making formworks and laying building structures, and the related apparatus and method for manufacturing said spacer element, incorporating the features set out in the appended claims, which are intended as an integral part of the present description.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and from the annexed drawings, which are supplied by way of non-limiting example, wherein: - Figs. IA and IB are a perspective view and a top view, respectively, of a spacer element according to the present invention;

Fig. 1C shows a variant of the spacer element according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a vertical section of an apparatus for manufacturing a spacer element according to the present invention; - Fig. 3 A shows an additional station of the apparatus of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3B is a partial sectional view according to plane HIB - IIIB of Fig. 3 A.

Referring now to Figs. IA and IB, reference number 10 designates a spacer element for making formworks and laying building structures according to the present invention.

Said spacer element 10 consists of a substantially rectangular body comprising a first end region 11, a second end region 12 and a central region 13, said first 11 and second 12 end regions being positioned on opposite sides relative to said central region 13.

In the transition area between said first 11 and second 12 end regions and the central region

13, said spacer elements 10 comprise a plurality of tangs 14 having bent portions protruding

B2007/001227

from the profile of the spacer element 10. When installed, said tangs 14 allow a predetermined distance to be kept between the panels adapted to make up concrete casting formworks, since they work as stop elements on the edges of said panels.

According to the present invention, in the transition from said first end region 11 to said second end region 12, each tang 14 of said plurality of tangs 14 is located downstream of a shearing area 15.

The above-described arrangement of the plurality of tangs 14 of the spacer elements 10 can thus be obtained with no need of opening an apparatus comprising cutting and bending means cooperating for the purpose of producing the tangs 14 and, as a result, with no need of lifting the slab, thus cutting down the production times of the spacer element 10 and allowing to position a plurality of side-by-side slabs, so that a plurality of spacer elements 10 can be machined simultaneously.

Said first end region 11 comprises a pair of tangs 14 having respective bent portions turned in opposite directions relative to the profile of the spacer element 10, whereas the second end region 12 comprises a pair of tangs 14 having respective bent portions turned in opposite directions relative to the tangs 14 of the first end region 11.

Also, as shown in Figs. IA, IB, said first 11 and second 12 end regions of the spacer elements 10 comprise slits 16 adapted to house anchoring means (not shown), in particular wedges, which allow to block and space out a system of transversal links of the formwork. Said first end region 11 and second end region 12 of the spacer element 10 also comprise a hole 17, in particular located between the tangs 14 and the slit 16. Said hole 17 allows fastening means, such as nails, to be driven in for the purpose of anchoring the concrete casting panels when making the formwork. Fig. 1C shows a further embodiment of the spacer element 10 according to the present invention, wherein the section of the central region 13 is twisted by 90° relative to the section of the first end region 11 and of the second end region 12; said twist can be obtained by bending the central region 13 relative to the first end region 11 and the second end region 12. Said twist allows the central region 13 of the spacer element 10 to be arranged in a vertical or edgeways position relative to two formwork walls in front of it. Due to the resulting increase in its moment of inertia, the section gains higher resistance to flexure and shock caused by cast concrete. Moreover, said twist provides a considerable increase in the concrete passage section, thereby facilitating the filling of the formwork, and reduces the possibility of seepages once the concrete has been cast, resulting in the elimination

of the risk of rust dripping on the building walls.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a vertical section of an apparatus 20 for manufacturing a spacer element 10 according to the present invention.

Said apparatus 20 comprises: - a first machining unit 21 and a second machining unit 22 to which at least one cutting and bending set is connected, said at least one cutting and bending set comprising at least one cutting punch 23, 25 and at least one bending punch 24, 26 working together for the purpose of cutting and bending tangs 14 of said spacer element 10; a first die 31 and a second die 32 so spaced out as to allow for feed a blank slab L to be machined in order to obtain at least one spacer element 10, said first die 31 and second die 32 comprising ducts C for inserting said cutting and bending set.

Said first machining unit 21 and second machining unit 22 can carry out a vertical movement in order to move the respective cutting punch 23, 25 and bending punch 24, 26 near and/or away from the slab. Preferably, said apparatus 20 comprises a hydraulic system which allows to obtain said vertical movement for moving the respective cutting punch 23, 25 and bending punch 24, 26 near and/or away from the blank slab L.

In accordance with the present invention, said first die 31 and second die 32 comprise an undercut 33, located downstream of said cutting and bending set relative to the feed direction X of the blank slab L and of the spacer element 10, which allows the tangs 14 to pass during said feed of the blank slab L and of the spacer element 10.

It follows that the presence of said undercut 33 allows to produce a plurality of tangs 14 of spacer elements 10 with no need to open said first die 31 and second die 32 and, consequently, without having to lift the spacer element 10. This allows to cut down the production times of the spacer element 10.

Said apparatus 20 preferably comprises translation means (not shown in the drawings) which allow the blank slab L and the spacer element 10 to be fed between said first die 31 and second die 32.

As shown in Fig. 2, said apparatus 20 comprises: - at least a first cutting and bending set 23, 24 comprising a first cutting punch 23 connected to the first machining unit 21 and a first bending punch 24 connected to the second machining unit 22; at least a second cutting and bending set 25, 26 comprising a second cutting punch 25

connected to the second machining unit 22 and a second bending punch 26 connected to the first machining unit 21.

Said first cutting and bending set 23, 24 and said second cutting and bending set 25, 26 allow to produce a tang 14 having a bent portion turned in a direction being opposite to that of the tang 14 located on the same side of said spacer element 10.

Said apparatus 20 also comprises a plurality of first cutting and bending sets 23, 24 and of second cutting and bending sets 25, 26, and therefore can machine a plurality of spacer elements 10 simultaneously by positioning a plurality of slabs L side by side. Preferably, said apparatus 20 additionally comprises cutting and chamfering means (not shown in the drawings) which allow the blank slab L to be cut and chamfered lengthwise into a plurality of side-by-side slabs L.

In particular, each of said plurality of first cutting and bending sets 23, 24 and second cutting and bending sets 25, 26 has a cutting punch 23, 25 and a bending punch 24, 26 turned in opposite directions relative to the cutting punch 23, 25 and the bending punch 24, 26 of an adj acent cutting and bending set.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2, said apparatus 20 comprises separation means 27, 28 which allow a first spacer element 10 to be separated from a second spacer element 10'; in particular, said separation means comprise a separation punch 27 and a reaction die 28 connected to said first machining unit 21 and to said second machining unit 22. The second machining unit 22 and the second die 32 also comprise an slit A, in particular located in the area of said reaction die 28, which allows to collect the scrap resulting from the machining of the slab L, in particular during the separation of the first spacer element 10 from the second spacer element 10'. Fig. 3 A shows an additional portion of the apparatus 20 according to the present invention for manufacturing the spacer element 10, 10'. In particular, it can be noticed that the apparatus 20 comprises a station 40 adapted to provide the section of the central region 13 of the spacer elements 10, 10' with a 90° twist relative to the first 11 and second 12 end regions. As shown in Fig. 3B, too, which is a sectional view according to plane IIIB — UIB of Fig. 3 A, said station 40 comprises a first pair of twisting punches 4 IA, 4 IB that press from opposite directions against the side portion of the central region 13, thus bending it. Preferably, said station 40 also comprises a second pair of twisting punches 42 A, 42B.

Said station 40 is preferably located downstream of said cutting and bending sets, in relation to the feed direction X of the slab L and of the spacer element 10, 10'.

By observing Fig. 3A it can be noticed that the undercut 33, besides allowing the tangs 14 to pass during said feeding of the blank slab L and of the spacer element 10, 10', is made in such a manner that the central region 13 is allowed to pass even after having been twisted in relation to the first 11 and second 12 end regions. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus 20 is electrically and/or mechanically connected, through known means not described herein, to an electronic, programmable and/or preselectable control system which controls all steps required for the operation of the apparatus 20 itself.

The electronic control system stores a plurality of profile types of the spacer element 10, 10', with the possibility of adding other profile types, the dimensions of the spacer element 10,

10', such as the length of the spacer element 10, 10', being specified by the operator of the apparatus 20 when the production process of the spacer element 10 is started, so that the control system can set the proper feed speed of the slab L.

As a result, said control system allows to attain continuity in the machining of the spacer elements 10 and 10'.

The production of the spacer element 10, 10' according to the present invention takes place as follows: at least one blank slab L is inserted between a first die 31 and a second die 32 of an apparatus 20 for manufacturing said spacer element 10, 10', up to a point where a first portion of said slab L reaches ducts C for the insertion of a first cutting and bending set 23, 24 comprising a first cutting punch 23 and a first bending punch 24, respectively connected to a first machining unit 21 and to a second machining unit 22 of said apparatus 20; a vertical movement is carried out for bringing said first machining unit 21 near said second machining unit 22, so that said first cutting punch 23 and said first bending punch 24 can cooperate in order to cut and bend tangs 14 of said spacer element 10; a vertical movement is carried out for moving said first machining unit 21 away from said second machining unit 22; said slab L and said spacer element 10 are fed with said tangs 14 passing within undercuts 33 obtained in said first die 31 and second die 32, said undercuts 33 being located downstream of said cutting and bending set in relation to the feed direction X of the blank slab

L and of the spacer element 10.

It should be noted that, advantageously, the presence of said undercuts 33 allows to obtain said feed without having to open said first die 31 and said second die 32 and, consequently,

without having to lift and re-position the spacer element 10 appropriately in said apparatus 20; this allows to cut down the production times of the spacer element 10 and to position a plurality of slabs L side by side for the purpose of machining a plurality of spacer elements 10 simultaneously. It is clear that the above-described steps refer to the making of the tangs 14 of the first end region 11 of the spacer element 10 and to the subsequent feed of the slab L and of said spacer element 10 inside the apparatus 20.

In fact, the production of a plurality of spacer elements 10, 10' according to the present invention requires the following additional steps: - said blank slab L is fed between said first die 31 and second die 32, up to a point where a second portion of the slab L reaches ducts C for the insertion of a second cutting and bending set 25, 26 comprising a second cutting punch 25 and a second bending punch 24 connected to the first machining unit 21 and to the second machining unit 22; a vertical movement is carried out for bringing said first machining unit 21 near said second machining unit 22; cooperation is started between the second cutting punch 25 and the second bending punch 26 in order to cut and bend tangs 14 in the transition area between a second end region

12 and a central region 13 of a first spacer element 10; cooperation is started between a separation punch 27 and a reaction die 28 connected to the first machining unit 21 and to the second machining unit 22, thus separating said first spacer element 10 from a second spacer element 10'; a vertical movement is carried out for moving the first machining unit 21 away from the second machining unit 22; the first spacer element 10 and the second spacer element 10' are fed with the respective tangs 14 passing within the undercuts 33 obtained in said first die 31 and second die 32.

Preferably, said feed of the slab L, of said first spacer element 10 and of said second spacer element 10' occurs through the activation of translation means of said apparatus 20, whereas said vertical movement for moving said first machining unit 21 near and/or away from said second machining unit 22 is obtained by means of a hydraulic system.

For manufacturing a plurality of spacer elements 10, 10' according to the present invention, an additional step for activating cutting and chamfering means may also be provided, so that the blank slab L can be cut and chamfered lengthwise into a plurality of side-by-side slabs L.

Finally, the process for manufacturing a plurality of spacer elements 10 according to the present invention also comprises a step for machining the section of the central region 13 in order to twist it by 90° in relation to the section of the first 11 and second 12 end regions. Said twist is obtained by bending the central region 13 in relation to the first 11 and second 12 end regions.

In particular, said bending is obtained by actuating a first pair of twisting punches 4 IA, 4 IB and a second pair of twisting punches 42A, 42B of a station 40 of said apparatus 20 for manufacturing the spacer element 10, 10'. In this case, too, it should be noted that the presence of the undercuts 33 advantageously allows to twist the central region 13 and then to feed the spacer element 10 with no need of opening said first die 31 and said second die 32 and, consequently, without having to lift and re-position the spacer element 10 appropriately in said apparatus 20.

It is also clear that the previous steps for manufacturing a plurality of spacer elements 10, 10' according to the present invention may be handled by a control system, in particular an electronic, programmable and/or preselectable one, electrically and/or mechanically connected to the apparatus 20.

The advantages of a method and an apparatus for manufacturing spacer elements for making formworks and laying building structures, as well as of spacer elements manufactured by using said method and apparatus according to the present invention, are apparent from the above description.

In particular, such advantages result from the spacer elements being manufactured in a simple and fast manner, thus providing time and cost savings.

A further advantage results from the spacer elements being manufactured in such a way that a plurality of slabs can be positioned side by side, so that a plurality of elements can be machined simultaneously.

It is apparent that the present invention is not limited to the method and apparatus for manufacturing spacer elements for making formworks and laying building structures, or to the spacer elements manufactured by using said method and apparatus described herein, but may be subject to many modifications, improvements or replacements of equivalent parts and elements without departing from the inventive idea, as clearly specified in the following claims.

For example, among the various possible modifications, the bending punches 24, 26 may be replaced with other means known in the art.