US3068763A - Top seal - Google Patents

Description

R. D. HARZA Dec. 18, 1962 J4INVENTOR. ZMa/J Zfia7wa/ TOP SEAL Filed Oct. 6, 1958 United States Patent Office 3,068,763 Patented Dec. 18, 1962 3,068,763 T? SEAL Richard D. Harza, Winnetka, 11L, assignor to Harza Patents, Chicago, Ill., a partnership Filed Get. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 765,665 1 Claim. (Cl. 94-18) This invention is concerned with a construction joint as used in concrete highway construction, and more particularly with a top seal for such joints.

One of the greatest causes of failure in concrete paved highways is the spalling and breaking off of the corners of the concrete near transverse construction or contraction joints in the road surface. Such joints cannot be avoided, since concrete shrinks upon curing, and further contracts in cold weather. In addition, it is physically impossible to lay an infinite length slab of concrete. Such joints open up upon initial shrinking of the concrete, and also upon contraction thereof in cold weather. Dirt, pebbles, small stones, and other undesirable objects enter the open joint. During periods of higher temperatures, as in the summer, the paving slabs expand and tend to close the joint. However, the dirt, pebbles and stones in the joints cannot escape and cause pressure on the concrete corners near the joint sufficient eventually to cause spalling of the concrete. Furthermore, water tends to enter such joints and freezing thereof in cold weather causes further forces to be exerted against the corners of the concrete.

Heretofore, it has been common practice to fill construction or contraction joints with a mastic material. This material must be added after the concrete paving has been completed, thus adding an extra operation. Furthermore, during hot weather, the joint closes and extrudes the mastic up above the plane of the concrete pavement, thus making a ridge which causes thumping when a car drives over it. Further thumping is caused by differential settling of the adjacent slabs. This often is caused by entry of water through the construction joints which tends to undermine the ends of the slabs, thereby allowing the slab ends to settle, often to different degrees.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved seal for sealing the top of a construction joint against the entrance of water, dirt, and the like.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a top seal which is readily installed during the laying of the concrete pavement.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a top seal for construction joints in concrete highways, which seal will not at any time extend above the top of the adjacent concrete.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a top seal for construction joints in concrete highways and the like, which seal will at all times completely close the joint, whether the joint be in open or closed position, and which seal is sufiiciently soft as to accommodate a pebble or the like, whereby to prevent exertion of suflicient pressure on the concrete to cause spalling.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a road bed and assd ciated parts illustrating the installation of a top seal constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a part of the structure in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through a concrete pavement with the top seal in place, the construction joint being shown closed;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the construction joint in open position; and

FIG. 5 is a view on a reduced scale similar to FIG. 3 and further showing an adhesive strip used in connection with the top seal during installation thereof.

The top seal 10 as shown herein is made of rubberlike material which is resilient and elastic, and which is highly resistant to aging and to chemical deterioration. The seal preferably is of a synthetic resin, such as polyvinyl chloride, or a synthetic rubber such as neoprene. The seal it} comprises an elongated extrusion having a pair of spaced apart sidewalls 12 tapering at their bottom edges at 14 into contact with one another. The lower extremities of the tapered sections or edges 14 preferably are welded or sealed together as at 16 with the same type of material of which the seal is comprised. The outer surfaces of the sidewalls 12 are provided with longitudinally extending horizontal ribs 18. The sidewalls 12 are interconnected by an integral top wall 20 having a central depending U-shaped portion 22..

Elongated angle irons or plates 24 having reinforcing flanges 26 along the lower edges are mounted within the top seal it) before the bottom edge thereof is sealed at 16. The U-shaped portion 22 overlaps the upper portions of the angle irons or plates 24. Spikes 28 extend transversely through the vertical flanges of the angle members 14. The spikes extend also through the sidewalls 12 of the seal and serve to mount the angle members in the seal. The spikes 28 have heads 30 received on the inner surfaces of the vertical flanges of the angle members, and these heads are welded to the angle members as at 32. The opposite ends of the spikes conveniently are flattened to provide points 34 which extend radially beyond the shanks of the spikes in diametrically opposite direction. The spikes conveniently are on the order of three inches in length, and are spaced on two to three inch centers. As will be understood, both the spikes and the angle members are placed in the seal before the bottom thereof is welded closed as at 16.

Installation of the top seal is quite simple. As shown in FIG. 1, the road bed is identified by the numeral 36, and comprises the usual heavy gravel or the like. A form 38 is shown along one side of the road bed, and it will be understood that a similar form is provided on the opposite side. A bridge 40 spans the forms 38 and comprises a pair of boards or the like 42 in face to face relation. Each of the boards 42 is provided with spaced straps 44 depending below the lower edge of the board and having notches 46 in the side edges thereof and near the bottom ends thereof, as best seen in FIG. 2. These notches receive certain of the spikes 28, whereby dependingly to support the strip below the bridge 40. As will be observed, the ends of the bridge 40 are provided with depending feet 48 resting on the forms 38. Accordingly, the seal 16 is supported with its top edge substantially coplanar with the top edge of the form 38.

The top seal 10 is installed during pouring of the concrete. The top seal is supported as shown in FIG. 1, and as just described. Preferably, the top seal is provided with an adhesive strip 56 (FIG. 5) along the top edge thereof whereby to seal oif the U-shaped depending portion 22. Concrete is poured on the road bed 36 between the forms 38 in accordance with the usual practice, and preferably is compacted about the seal with a shovel. The boards 42 of the bridge 49 then are shifted transversely of the form boards 38 in opposite directions whereby to remove the straps or hangers 44 from the spikes 46. The poured concrete 52 then is leveled and smoothed by a concrete finishing machine, in accordance with the usual procedure. After the concrete has had a chance to set to a certain extent, the adhesive strip or tape 59 is removed, taking with it any concrete particles that might have been deposited on the top thereof. As will be appreciated, the spikes 28 are embedded in the concrete and firmly hold the top seal in the desired position, Upon curing of the concrete slab, which may be on the order of twelve feet wide and of indefinite length with the top seals 10 installed approximately every hundred feet, the shrinking of the concrete will cause the slab to open up or form a crack 54 directly below the top seal. it will be appreciated that the crack will form at this place due to the thin section of the concrete at such location. Upon further opening up of the construction joint formed by the top seal 11 and the crack 54, as upon wintertime cooling and contraction,

the U-shaped depending portion 22 of the seal will tend to straighten out as in FIG. 4. Obviously, the strip will return to its'initial position upon subsequent summertime expansion of the concrete.

'The top seal effectively prevents the entrance of dirt, stones, water, and other undesirable substances and articles into the construction joint, even with the joint ,fully opened as shown in FIG. 4. .The ribs 18 tend to prevent seepage of water between the sidewalls 12 and the adjacent concrete masses. The straightened out U-shaped portion 22 is self cleaning, since dirt, pebbles and the like will be bounced out upon passage of vehicles thereover. Furthermore, the material is sufiiciently soft or pliable that even if any stones or pebbles should remain-on the U-shaped portion 22 upon closing of the joint, the pebbles or the like would be readily'accommodatedwithout exerting undue forces on the adjacent portions of the concrete slab. Thus, the top seal as herein disclosed prevents the entrance of foreign substances, into the construction joint such as might damage the concrete, and further prevent passage of water down through the joint, such as might eventually cause undermining of the adjacent portions of the concrete slab.

, The durable characteristics of the extruded rubberlike material of the seal have been brought out heretofore. Since the angle members and spikes generally will not be exposed. to the atmosphere or to excessive moisture, it is felt that in general ordinary steel will sufiice. However, for use in wet locations, or with particular types of concrete, it may be found desirable to use a more durable metal, such as stainless steel.

of the invention as herein shown and described is for illustrative purposes only. Various changes in structure will no doubt occur to those skilled in the art, and will be understoodas forming a part of this invention insofar as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

The invention is claimed as follows:

A seal as for a construction joint in concrete pavements comprising an elongated hollow 'body of elastic material having a pair of spaced apart, substantially opposite side walls of predetermined thickness and a deformable flexible top wall of substantially the same thickness and joined to said side walls along the upper edges thereof, and said side walls being provided at their bot tom portions with tapering sections contacting and sealed,

to one another along their lower edges, said top Wall having an intermediate U-shaped section depending into said hollow body a greater distance than said predetermined Wall thickness and straightenable toward horizontal position upon separation of said side walls, a pair of rigid plates respectively disposed along the inside of eachof said side walls and at least partially overlapped by said U-shaped section, and a plurality of anchor elements secured to each of said plates and respectively extending through said side walls and adapted exteriorly of said body to be embedded in a mass of concrete or the like, the anchor elements secured to the, respective plates extending in relatively opposite directions.

References Cited in the tile of this patent. UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Permanent Concrete Roads, by Trussed Concrete .Co., Youngstown, Ohio, April 1, 1916, pages 6-9 inclusive.

l t l

Images