ES2956070B2 - BEAM LIFTING TOOL - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

Beam lifting tool

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns, in a first aspect, a method of assembling ceiling formwork, in particular of the mechanical type, formed by a first level of alignments of beams, known as main ones, which support a second level of alignments of beams, known as secondary ones, substantially perpendicular to the main ones.

A second aspect of the present invention concerns a beam lifting tool that facilitates the roof formwork assembly process of the first aspect of the invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The so-called Meccano type ceiling formwork systems are known as those formed by a first level of alignments of main beams that receive a second level of alignments of secondary beams substantially perpendicular to the main beams, which have the mission of supporting the formwork panels or boards. Both the main and secondary beams transmit the load of the formwork to the props installed beneath them.

The assembly of this type of system is carried out by modules or frames that form rows, where a row is understood as the succession of modules whose primary beams are arranged one next to the other. The assembly begins by shoring up a first and a second main beam, one next to the other, which serve, directly or indirectly, as support for the secondary beams of the first module. In the following modules of the same row, the second main beam of the previous module is used as the first main beam for the following module. In some formworks of this type, such as the one known as Onadek from the company Ulma, the secondary beams have terminals with hooking means at both ends (hereinafter hooking terminals), while the upper face of both main beams has supports to which said hooking terminals can be hooked. In other formworks of this type, such as that disclosed in document ES2258361, the secondary beams have coupling terminals only at one end, while at the other end they comprise a terminal with a corresponding support on which a coupling terminal can be hooked, so that the secondary beams are supported on one side by hooking the coupling terminal to the support of the secondary beams of the previous module and on the other side they are supported on the second main beam, the support of the terminal on this side serving to support the coupling terminal of the secondary beams of the next module. In this last case, the secondary beams are intersected with the main beams, the main beams usually having housings on the upper face to position and maintain the secondary beams at the appropriate distance between them.

It is worth mentioning that the main beams may also include two coupling terminals at both ends to be hooked to the respective supports arranged on the struts that support them, or have the combination of coupling terminal and terminal with support with which to be hooked one main beam after another and not to the strut that supports them.

In the assembly procedure for any of these formworks, the process is repeated in which first one of the ends of each secondary beam is hooked (either to the first main beam braced or to a secondary beam of the preceding module), the second main beam is braced and then the other end of each secondary beam is raised to rest on the second main beam, and so on for each module.

This task is slow and requires considerable physical effort. The beams are usually lifted by two people using improvised forks made from the inner tubes of struts. The lifting manoeuvre is not easy, as the second main beam itself, which has been propped up before the secondary beams, represents an obstacle in the path of the secondary beams from the ground to their position on the second main beam, which means that the secondary beams have to be lifted using a complex path to avoid collisions with the main beams, all while keeping the weight in suspense with the physical effort and danger that this entails.

There is therefore still a need for a solution in which this type of formwork can be installed with less physical effort and greater safety and speed, while keeping the cost of installing the formwork low.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To this end, the present invention relates, in a first aspect, to a method of assembling ceiling formworks made up of modules or frames, commonly known as Meccano-type formworks. The assembly method comprises the steps of: a) shoring a first main beam (such as by hooking it to an already braced main beam of a preceding module and/or by using struts stabilised with a tripod or attached to a pillar), which supports at least one support element, the support element being capable of supporting an end portion of a secondary beam and being, for example, fixed to said first main beam or forming part of the support terminal of a secondary beam previously supported on said first main beam, and

b) accommodating a first end portion of at least one secondary beam in at least one support element.

Unlike the procedures known in the state of the art, the one proposed by the first aspect of the present invention, characteristically, comprises the steps of: c) hoisting the second end portion of said at least one secondary beam to a height greater than that of its first end portion,

d) bracing a second main beam below said second end portion, the second main beam comprising at least one housing suitable for receiving and supporting an end portion of a secondary beam,

e) lowering said second end portion until it is supported by said at least one housing of the second main beam.

By means of this procedure, according to its most generic definition set out in the previous paragraphs, and according to its different examples of implementation described below, a method is provided for assembling ceiling formwork in a simpler and safer way than those known until now, since the second main beam does not represent an obstacle in the path of the secondary beams from the ground to their position on the second main beam.

In a first embodiment, said at least one support element consists of a housing suitable for receiving and supporting an end portion of a secondary beam. In a possible implementation, the housing is formed by at least one plate arranged above the main beam and defines a U-shaped recess suitable for transversely retaining a secondary beam, while the at least one secondary beam may comprise one or more projections on its lower surface as locking elements, suitable for being locked by a main beam or by the head of a strut and thus limiting its longitudinal movement.

In a second embodiment, said at least one support element may consist of a support terminal arranged at one end of a secondary beam previously supported by the first primary beam (i.e. installed in a preceding module of the formwork). This support terminal must be suitable for supporting the coupling terminals arranged in the first end portions of the secondary beams that are to be accommodated therein. In this embodiment, the position of the main beams does not need to coincide exactly with the terminals of the secondary beams, so the system offers great flexibility when positioning the main beams. In a possible implementation of this embodiment, the support terminal comprises a support mechanism suitable for removably supporting the coupling terminal with freedom of tilting, such as the support mechanism disclosed in document ES2258361, the coupling terminal being of the type comprising a rod provided transversely to the longitudinal direction of a secondary beam.

In a third embodiment, the support element comprises at least one plate with two upper edges that have respective recesses suitable for receiving and supporting a coupling terminal of a secondary beam, the coupling terminal being of the type that comprises a rod provided transversely to the longitudinal direction of the secondary beam. In this embodiment, however, it is necessary for the position of the main beams to coincide exactly with the terminals of the secondary beams, so the system does not offer flexibility when positioning the main beams, but the distance between the main beams is marked by the length of the secondary beams.

According to one possible embodiment, the method may comprise repeating steps b) and c) for two or more secondary beams of the same module before performing step d), for example, by first repeating step b) for all the secondary beams and then repeating step c), or by repeating both steps b) and c) alternately. In turn, this embodiment may comprise repeating step e) for said two or more secondary beams of the same module after performing step d).

Preferably, steps b) and/or c) are carried out with the aid of a beam lifting tool and, even more preferably, with a beam lifting tool according to any of the embodiments described below.

When the weight of the secondary beams is sufficiently low to allow their handling by a single person, while the connection between the coupling terminal and the support allows a wide tilting angle, step b) and step c) can be carried out by a single operator, leaving the other end of the at least one secondary beam on the ground when carrying out step b). Otherwise, when the weight of the beams is greater than can be handled by a single person or the connection between the coupling terminal and the support does not allow a wide tilting angle, step b) can be carried out by a first operator while a second operator assists by supporting the other end of the beam, and then the second operator can carry out step c).

A second aspect of the present invention concerns a beam lifting tool, which comprises a fork at its upper end, which is provided with two arms that extend in an axial direction and in symmetry with respect to a plane of symmetry coinciding with the axial axis of the elongated body, the lifting tool being characterized in that it comprises a support base provided with two feet projected in a horizontal direction and in symmetry with respect to the same plane of symmetry as that of the arms.

In other words, the present beam lifting tool comprises a fork at the upper end and a support base in the form of an inverted T, both located in the same plane. Thanks to this, when one end of a secondary beam is hooked to a support, after grabbing the other end of the secondary beam with the fork and having lifted it, it is possible to leave the base of the tool resting on the ground without the risk of the secondary beam wobbling in the vertical plane containing the secondary beam.

In one embodiment, the fork and the support base form a single body, while in another embodiment they are separate components. In this last example, the support base and the fork comprise two elongated bodies at their adjacent ends, where at least one of them is tubular, while both are interlocking and movable relative to each other in a telescopic manner.

In a preferred implementation of the last embodiment, the cross section of the elongated body of the support base is polygon-shaped and can be inserted into the interior of the tubular body of the fork, while the lower end of the fork comprises a cover with a hole complementary to said polygon, such that it prevents the rotation of the support base with respect to the fork. In an alternative implementation to the previous one, the cross sections of both elongated bodies form respective polygons that fit together, such that they prevent the rotation of one with respect to the other.

In another preferred implementation of the last embodiment, the tool comprises a ratchet mechanism that allows the extension of the fork relative to the support base, while blocking its return. In a possible embodiment of the ratchet mechanism, the elongated body of the support base comprises slots or projections arranged in a row in the axial direction as anchoring points and the lower end of the fork comprises a lever or button that actuates a ratchet, which is linked to said anchoring points to block the return.

According to a possible embodiment, the tool comprises extension limit adjustment means suitable for adjusting the limit of the telescopic extension of the fork with respect to the support base. In a preferred implementation, the elongated body of the fork is tubular and comprises slots arranged in a row in the axial direction, while the upper end of the support base comprises a projection (such as a transversely arranged bolt), the adjustment means comprising a clamp with a locking protuberance, the clamp being suitable for clamping onto the elongated body of the fork while the locking protuberance is suitable for being introduced into one of the slots and interposing itself in the path of the protuberance, thus delimiting the maximum telescopic extension. In a possible implementation, the clamp is of the single-wire type and is formed by a single rod or wire, where the locking protuberance consists of a sinuosity of the rod or wire. In another possible implementation, the clamp is of the strip type and is formed by a die-cut and folded sheet metal, where the interlocking protrusion is a tab.

The fork can be made of various materials, although it is preferable that it is mostly made of aluminium, so that it offers sufficient rigidity with a reduced weight. The support base can also be made of various materials, although it is preferable that it is mostly made of steel, so that its diameter can be smaller than that of the fork and still offer sufficient rigidity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1.- It is a perspective representation of a first stage of assembly of the first formwork module according to an example embodiment of the present assembly procedure.

Figure 2.- It is a perspective representation of a second assembly stage of the same embodiment of figure 1.

Figure 3.- It is a perspective representation of a third assembly stage of the same embodiment of figure 1.

Figure 4.- It is a perspective representation of a fourth assembly stage of the same embodiment of figure 1.

Figure 5.- It is a schematic representation in elevation of the fourth stage of assembly of figure 4.

Figure 6.- It is an enlargement of detail A of figure 4.

Figure 7.- It is a perspective representation of a fifth assembly stage of the same embodiment of figure 1.

Figure 8.- It is a perspective representation of an assembly stage of a formwork module according to a second example embodiment of the present assembly procedure.

Figure 9.- It is a schematic representation in elevation of the assembly stage of figure 8.

Figure 10.- It is a perspective representation of the next assembly stage with respect to the stage in figure 8.

Figure 11.- It is a perspective representation of the next assembly stage with respect to the stage in figure 10.

Figure 12.- It is a perspective representation of the next assembly stage with respect to the stage in figure 11.

Figure 13.- It is a perspective representation of an embodiment of the beam lifting tool of the present invention.

Figure 14.- This is a detailed enlargement of an exploded view of the beam lifting tool in Figure 13.

Figure 15.- It is a perspective representation of a possible implementation of the beam lifting tool clamp in Figure 13.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In view of the above figures and in accordance with the numbering adopted, several examples of the procedure for assembling roof formwork and the beam lifting tool are described below.

As shown in Figures 1 to 12, the present assembly method is suitable for ceiling formworks made up of modules. Figures 1 to 7 show the assembly of the first module of a formwork according to an exemplary embodiment of the present method, while Figures 8 to 12 show the assembly method of the modules after the first in each row.

Figure 1 represents a step a), consisting of shoring up a first main beam (1), which supports four support elements. In this exemplary embodiment, the support elements consist of housings (1a) formed by two plates arranged above the main beam (1), between which a U-shaped gap is defined suitable for laterally retaining a secondary beam (2).

Figure 2 represents a step b), consisting of accommodating a first end portion (21) of the secondary beams (2) in said housings (1a). In this embodiment, the second end portion (22) of the secondary beams (2) has been shown resting on the ground, which is the way of carrying out step b) by a single operator. This is possible provided that the weight of the secondary beams (2) is sufficiently low to allow their handling by a single person and the coupling between the support elements (housings (1a) in this case) and first end portions allow a wide tilting angle of the secondary beams (2). As can be seen, for this embodiment, step b) has been repeated for all the secondary beams (2) of a module before proceeding with step c). In this figure 2 it can also be seen that the secondary beams (2) of this embodiment are of the type that comprise respective coupling terminals (2a) and support terminals (2b) with which the secondary beams (2) of the successive modules are linked and supported.

Figure 3 represents a step c), consisting of lifting the second end portion (22) of the secondary beams (2) to a height greater than that of their first end portion (21). In this exemplary embodiment, this step is carried out with the aid of a beam lifting tool (4), which is described in detail below. As expected, this step c) must be repeated for all the secondary beams (2) of a module before proceeding to step d), and can be carried out by a single operator.

Figure 4 shows a step d), consisting of shoring up a second main beam (10) below said second end portion (22). As schematically shown in Figure 5, the second end portion (22) of the secondary beams (2) is raised to a height sufficient so that the second primary beam (10) can be shoring up below it and be at the same height as the first primary beam (1). Furthermore, it can be seen that the distance between the main beams (1, 10) of this embodiment is not an exact measurement defined by the length of the secondary beams (2), but has a certain margin of variation. As can be seen in figure 6, the second main beam (10) of this embodiment comprises housings (10a) suitable for receiving and supporting the second end portion (22) of the secondary beams (2), while the secondary beams (2) comprise projections (2c) on their lower surface as locking elements, suitable for being locked by the main beam (10), and alternatively by the head of a strut (3), and thus limiting its longitudinal movement.

Figure 7 represents a stage e), consisting of lowering said second end portion (22) until it is supported by said housings (10a) of the second main beam (10). As shown in this figure, the beam lifting tools (4) are extracted, making them available for the assembly of the next module.

Figures 8 to 12 show, according to the present procedure, an example of assembly of the subsequent modules of each row, once the first one has been assembled. As can be seen in said figures, the first main beams (1') of the subsequent modules are the second main beams installed in the corresponding previous modules. Therefore, before carrying out step b), consisting of accommodating the first extreme portion (21') of the secondary beams (2') in the support terminal of the secondary beam (2o') of the previous module, the procedure of this embodiment comprises a step a') consisting of lowering the second extreme portion of the secondary beams (20') of the previous module, until they are supported on the first main beam (1'). In this example, the support terminal (20b') comprises a support mechanism suitable for removably supporting the coupling terminal (2a') with freedom of tilting, the coupling terminal (2a') being of the type comprising a rod provided transversely to the longitudinal direction of the secondary beam itself (2').

As can be expected, it can be decided that the length of the secondary beams (2') varies between modules in the same row. In the embodiment shown in Figures 8 to 12, the length of the secondary beams (2o') of the first modules in each row is somewhat shorter than the secondary beams (2') of the next module, so the latter are somewhat heavier. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, two operators install these last secondary beams (2'). According to this procedure, a first operator performs step b), while a second operator helps him by supporting the second end portion (22').

Figure 10 represents step c) of the present embodiment of the procedure, where the second operator lifts the second extreme portion (22') of the secondary beams (2') to a height greater than that of its first extreme portion (21') with the help of the beam lifting tools (4).

Figure 11 represents a stage d), where an operator props up a second main beam (10’) below the second end portions (22’) of the secondary beams (2’).

Finally, figure 12 represents step e) of the procedure, where an operator removes the lifting tools (4) from the beams and leaves the second extreme portions (22') supported on the second main beam (10').

In Figures 13 and 14, an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention is shown in detail, consisting of a beam lifting tool (4).

Specifically, Figure 13 shows a complete perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the lifting tool (4), where a fork (41) can be seen, which comprises an elongated body (411) and two arms (412) at its upper end that extend in an axial direction and in symmetry with respect to a plane of symmetry coinciding with the elongated body (411). In this exemplary embodiment, the arms (412) are formed by a U-bent plate, but they can be formed in any other way.

Figure 13 also shows the support base (42) of the lifting tool (4), which comprises an elongated body (421) and two feet (422) projected in a horizontal direction and in symmetry with respect to the same plane of symmetry as that of the two arms (412).

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, the cross section of the elongated body (421) of the support base (42) is square-shaped, while the elongated body (411) of the fork (41) is cylindrical and tubular, and its diameter is large enough to receive the elongated body (421) of the support base (42) inside it. In turn, the lower end of the fork (41) comprises a cover (43) with a hole (431) complementary to the square section of the support base (42), such that it prevents the rotation of the support base (42) with respect to the fork (41). Thanks to this, both elongated bodies (411, 421) can be moved relative to each other in a telescopic manner and, at the same time, the feet (422) are kept transverse to the hoisted beam without the operator having to worry about positioning them.

Figure 14 also shows an example embodiment of the ratchet mechanism that allows the extension of the fork (41) with respect to the support base (42), where the elongated body (421) of the support base (42) comprises slots (423) as anchoring points and the lower end of the fork (41) comprises a lever (414) that actuates an internal ratchet, which is linked to said slots (423) to block the return of the fork (41).

This preferred embodiment of the lifting tool (4) also comprises extension limit adjustment means suitable for adjusting the limit of the telescopic extension of the fork (41) with respect to the support base (42). Specifically, the elongated body (411) of the fork (41) comprises slots (415) arranged in a row in the axial direction, while the upper end of the support base (42) comprises a transverse projection (424). In turn, the regulating means comprise a clamp (44, 44') with a locking protuberance (441, 441'), the clamp (44, 44') being suitable for clamping onto the elongated body (411) of the fork (41) while the locking protuberance (441, 441') is suitable for being inserted into one of the slots (415) and interposing itself in the path of the projection (424), thus delimiting the maximum telescopic extension. In a first implementation shown in figure 14, the clamp (44) is of the single-wire type and is formed by a single rod or wire, while in a second implementation shown in figure 15, the clamp (44') is of the strip type and is formed by a die-cut and bent sheet metal.

Claims (9)

1. Beam lifting tool (4) comprising: - a fork (41) provided with an elongated body (411) and two arms (412) at its upper end extending in an axial direction and in symmetry with respect to a plane of symmetry coinciding with the elongated body (411), - a support base (42) provided with an elongated body (421) and two feet (422) projected in a horizontal direction and in symmetry with respect to the same plane of symmetry as that of the two arms (412), where the elongated body (411) of the fork (41) is tubular and both elongated bodies (411, 421) are interlocking and movable relative to each other in a telescopic manner, characterized in that it comprises means for regulating the extension limit suitable for regulating the limit of the telescopic extension of the fork (41) with respect to the support base (42), of which the elongated body (411) of the fork (41) comprises slots (415) arranged in a row in the axial direction, while the upper end of the support base (42) comprises a transverse projection (424), the regulating means comprising a clamp (44, 44') with a locking protuberance (441, 441'), the clamp (44, 44') being suitable for clamping onto the elongated body (411) of the fork (41) at the same time as the locking protuberance (441, 441’) is suitable for insertion into one of the slots (415) and interposing itself in the path of the projection (424), thus delimiting the maximum telescopic extension. 2. Beam lifting tool (4) according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the elongated body (421) of the support base (42) is polygon-shaped and can be inserted into the interior of the elongated body (411) of the fork (41), and wherein the lower end of the fork (41) comprises a cover (43) with a hole (431) complementary to said polygon, such that it prevents the rotation of the support base (42) relative to the fork (41). 3. Beam lifting tool (4) according to claim 1, wherein the cross sections of both elongated bodies (411, 421) form respective polygons that fit together. 4. Beam lifting tool (4) according to any of claims 1 to 3, comprising a ratchet mechanism that allows the extension of the fork (41) relative to the support base (42), while blocking its return. 5. Beam lifting tool (4) according to claim 4, wherein the elongated body (421) of the support base (42) comprises slots (423) or projections as anchor points arranged in a row in the axial direction and the lower end of the fork (41) comprises a lever (414) or button that actuates an internal ratchet, which is linked to said slots (423) or projections to block the return. 6. Beam lifting tool (4) according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the clamp (44) is of the single-wire type and is formed by a single rod or wire, where the interlocking protuberance (441) consists of a sinuosity of the rod or wire. 7. Beam lifting tool (4) according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the clamp (44') is of the strap type and is formed by a die-cut and folded sheet metal, where the interlocking protuberance (441') is a tab. 8. Beam lifting tool (4) according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the material of the fork mainly comprises aluminum. 9. Beam lifting tool (4) according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the material of the support base mainly comprises steel.