US2041972A - Conduit - Google Patents

Description

EN W36. A. W. SHERWOOD CONDUIT Filed Jun 2o, 1952' '5,5 rigging sin order to Patented May 26, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONDUIT Aaron W. Sherwood, Marietta, Ohio This invention relates to hollow tiles or drain conduitsand thelike.

.It is an object of the present invention to provide a sectional'constructionof hollow tiles or cul- 25- verts whichisinexpensive and simple to manufacture, and which provides for assembly in the eld Without requiring 4cumbersome handling apparatussuchfas is nowemployed inthe placing of ,heavy tiles.

Itis afurtherobjectto provide a sectional construction for tile -of this charac-ter in which a number of concrete slabs provided with interlocking members may be readily `formed of desired size and shape.

p Other objects and advantages will be apparent fromthe following description and the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. lisa perspective view of a hollow 'tile or culvert pipe embodying the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 isa plan View of a portion of the form which is used in producing 'the tile slabs;

FigfS Ais ,a -vertical sectional View on the line 3.-.3 of Fig. 2;

tvitigni-is a View of one of the tile slabs or sec 125 tions;

-Fig.' 5 isa view of a cooperating tile slab adapted to form theadjacentsideof the finished conduit; Fig.6 is `a detail view of interlock at the abutting ends of adjacent sections; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective View of amodiedform of construction in which a recessed bench is provided in the side slabs.

:In the making of `concrete conduits or culverts itis at present the custom, particularly in the case of -larger size conduits, to set up a form in the field, to place therequired reinforcing material in the form, and to pour the concrete or other material into ythe form-so that the entire tileor length of culvert 4is vcast integrally. This necessitates 40 accurately setting up the form and removing 1t lafter the concrete has set. It is quite difficult with such construction in actual practice to obtain -a finished conduit which is of uniform depth throughout and it is not unusual for weak spots to appear. `The difficulties are further increased when it is necessary to cast the conduit in mud or over a low lyingspot, as the excess of water must be removed so as to insure the proper formation ofthe conduit.

lWhen the conduit is not formed inplace, it has been the custom heretofore to lay entire sections of hollow :tile orlconduit end to end, and particularly with larger sized conduits, this has involved the use of gin poles, tripods or other temporary properly handle the heavy Application June 20, 1932, Serial No. 618,235 2 claims. (o1. 13s-81) conduits. In many cases a single section of conduitA which must be handled in this manner weighs a half Va ton, or a ton or more, and consequently such a massive article presents a serious problem with regard to the labor and difficulties of proper handling and its accurate positioning.

According to the present invention the conduit lengths are made in sections from fiat slabs readily interlocked together. The objectionable features of the Vprior constructions have thus been successfully solved and it -is possible to obtain a conduit of uniform high strength throughout, regardless of the circumstances under which it must be placed, or of the character of the soil in which it is positioned. The weight of the separate pieces is vcomparatively small as compared to the weight of an entire section of hollow conduit so that the use of external rigging apparatus is not required and the conduit can be placed by ordinary manual handling.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is shown at Il] a frame for constructing the section slabsor blocks according to the present invention. This frame comprises bottom railsY II to which is suitably attached a vhorizontal platform I2, the parts being conveniently formed of wooden planks or boards or the like.

Side rail members I3 and end rail members I4 are removably supported on the platform I2 and they may, if desired, be located thereon in any convenient manner as by means of dowel pins I5. Additional longitudinally extending members or intermediate rails I6 are laterally spaced a distance corresponding to the width of the slabs to be formed and are removably attached to the end rails I4 as by means of a tongue and groove joint I1. Dividing boards I8 are removably attached between the members I6 and the side rails, being spaced apart a dist-ance corresponding to the lengths of the blocks tobe formed. These boards I8 are likewise made removable from the platform, and, in conjunction with the members I6, and the side and end rails, form a plurality of independent molds, leach adapted to receive the concrete or similar forming material and to form an independent tile side or slab.

Wedge shaped projections 2i! are provided on the side rails I3 and similar projections 2| are provided extending inwardly from some of the members I6. These wedge shaped members are adapted to form mortises in the cast slabs. Correspondingly tapered recesses 22 are formed in certain of the members I6 in order to provide tenons on the cooperating cast slabs, permitting the ready assembly of the slabs into a compact whole. As shown, each of the slabs comprises two mortises 25 or tenons 21 on each lateral edge. It will be obvious that the slabs can be made any desired length, and provided with any desired number of joints. The complete mold provides for the simultaneous casting of a number of slabs sufficient to form several complete conduit lengths, the form of construction shown being so arranged as to provide several rows of four slabs, each row producing a set of slabs or blocks for forming one complete hollow conduit section.

In order to form a conduit of reinforced construction, the individual sections are provided with reinforcing such as the wire netting shown at 25. This may be placed in the form prior to or during the lling thereof with concrete. Special reinforcing may be used at the positions of the mortised projections. 'I'he tops of theside and end rails lie in a single plane so `as to serve as guides for a scraper board to scrape olf the excess concrete and to insure the production of sections of uniform characteristics. The walls of the several portions of the frame are slightly tapered so as to permit their withdrawal after the setting of the concrete.

Following the removal of the form pieces, the individual blocks are removed and are then ready ous lengths of built up conduit may be securely interlocked and held to one another` Fig. 6 illusdepressions required.

As shown in Fig. 7, the outer edge of the main By reason of the sectional construction as herein provided, it is possible to easily set up the particular type of hollow conduit, as regards reinforcing, length, and drainage facilities, that is desired in any particular instance. In instances where it is desirable to prevent the escape of water from the tively sealed by though in many cases Where the placed conduit The two side slabs 28 are then interlocked with it and the top slab applied, the wedge like or tapered character of the tenons and mortises holding the side slabs from either outward or inward movement. The next conduit section is then built up in the same way, and where the ends of the adjacent sections are dovetailed together by joints such as are shown in Fig. 6 certain locked with an abutting section at the same time they are interlocked with an adjoining side slab. SuiTcient clearance is provided at the dovetailed joints so that the slabs are very readily moved into place.

of the invention claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A built-up conduit of tion of the character described, comprising horitom slabs assembled end to end therewith and adapted for assembly merely by vertical lowering movement of one horizontal slab in extension of the other.

2. A built-up conduit of rectangular cross section of the character described, comprising horizontal top and bottom precast concrete slabs connected by opposed vertical precast concrete side slabs, each of said slabs having an interlocking dovetail portio-n on each longitudinal edge thereof cooperating with an interlocking dovetail portion of an adjoining slab and assembled together to form a hollow structure each outer and inner side of which lies in a single plane, the dovetailed portions of the top and bottom slabs having substantially vertical end faces interlocking with substantially vertical end faces of the dovetail portions of the side slabs to prevent any outward movement of the side slabs and to provide for assembly of the top slab upon the positioned side slabs merely by vertical lowering of the top slab, a horizontal slab of the conduit also having a dovetail interlock at a laterally extending end thereof for engagement with an abutting slab, said vertical side slabs each having a horizontal bench extending from the dovetail portion thereof and forming a rest for the edge of the horizontal slabs.

AARON W. SHERWOOD.

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