Construction opening plug and method

Abstract

A construction opening plug has a template panel ( 1 ) with a perimeter that is predeterminedly congruent and sized to an outside periphery of a frame ( 11 ) that is selected to be positioned in a construction opening ( 9 ) and any furring thereof of a masonry building under construction. The template panel has edges on which form panels ( 2 - 5 ) are positioned pivotally between a use mode with the form panels being predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel and a non-use mode with the form panels being predeterminedly parallel to the template panel. The plug may have fold-out tabs ( 25 ) in side panels for placement between concrete blocks to deter the plug from being blown out during high wind conditions. Positioned and articulated for easy grasping on the template panel is at least one positioning handle proximate a center of the template panel. The form panels can include tolerance thicknesses that are predeterminedly equal to regulatory thicknesses of space for cementitious material ( 17 ) with which the frame is intended to be cemented to an inside periphery of the construction opening and any furring thereof that is formed against outside surfaces of the form panels in the use mode. The construction opening plug is removed from the construction opening and any furring thereof and replaced by the frame which then is centered in and cemented to the construction opening and any furring thereof when the masonry has hardened appropriately.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A construction opening plug comprising: 
 a template panel with a perimeter having shape and size for shaping and sizing a construction opening and any furring thereof for a selected frame in a masonry building under construction;    the template panel having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first-side edge and a second-side edge;    a top form panel affixable orthogonally to the top edge;    a bottom form panel affixable orthogonally to the bottom edge;    a first-side form panel affixable orthogonally to the first-side edge;    a second-side form panel affixable orthogonally to the second-side edge;    the template panel includes at least one operative handle;    the construction opening plug with the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel affixed orthogonally to the template panel in a use form; and    the use form having an external periphery with shape and size that are predeterminedly equal to shape and size of the construction opening and any furring thereof.    
     
     
         2 . The construction opening plug of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the template panel is positioned predeterminedly intermediate form first edges and form second edges of the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel in the use mode.  
 
     
     
         3 . The construction opening plug of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the template panel is positioned predeterminedly proximate common edges of the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel.  
 
     
     
         4 . The construction opening plug of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the construction opening plug in the use form being made of predeterminedly lightweight and stiff materials for being positioned and hand-held by a single hand of a user.  
 
     
     
         5 . The construction opening plug of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the operative handle includes two elongate hand apertures spaced apart on opposite sides of a hand-grasp portion proximate a center of the template panel.  
 
     
     
         6 . The construction opening plug of  claim 1  and further comprising: 
 a plurality of angled spacers having a first leg orthogonal to a second leg;  
 the first leg and the second leg having equal orthogonal thicknesses that are predeterminedly proximate regulatory thicknesses of space between inside surfaces of the construction opening and outside surfaces of the frame for receiving cementitious material with which the frame is intended to be cemented to an inside periphery of the construction opening and any furring thereof.  
 
     
     
         7 . The construction opening plug of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the orthogonal thicknesses of the first leg and the second leg are predeterminedly equal to thicknesses of the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel.  
 
     
     
         8 . The construction opening plug of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel have form-panel thicknesses that are predeterminedly equal and that are predeterminedly equal to predetermined regulatory thicknesses of space between inside peripheries of construction openings and outside peripheries of frames for receiving cementitious material with which the frames are intended to be cemented to the inside peripheries of construction openings and any furring thereof.  
 
     
     
         9 . The construction opening plug of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the construction opening plug with the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel affixed orthogonally to the template panel has an external periphery that is congruent to a construction opening and any furring thereof to be formed about the construction opening plug;  
 the external periphery of the construction opening plug is congruent to a predetermined frame; and  
 there is a regulatory space for receiving cementitious material and for assuring structural integrity intermediate the external periphery of the predetermined frame and an internal periphery of the construction opening.  
 
     
     
         10 . A construction opening plug comprising: 
 a template panel with a perimeter having shape and size for shaping and sizing a construction opening and any furring thereof for a selected frame in a masonry building under construction;    the template panel having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first-side edge and a second-side edge;    a top form panel attached pivotally to the top edge;    a bottom form panel attached pivotally to the bottom edge;    a first-side form panel attached pivotally to the first-side edge;    a second-side form panel attached pivotally to the second-side edge;    the top form panel having a pivot axis that is parallel to the top edge;    the bottom form panel having a pivot axis that is parallel to the bottom edge;    the first-side form panel having a pivot axis that is parallel to the first-side edge;    the second-side form panel having a pivot axis that is parallel to the second-side edge;    the top form panel being pivotal intermediate a use mode in which the top form panel is predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel and a non-use mode in which the top form panel is predeterminedly parallel to the template panel;    the bottom form panel being pivotal intermediate the use mode in which the bottom form panel is predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel and the non-use mode in which the bottom form panel is predeterminedly parallel to the template panel;    the first-side form panel being pivotal intermediate the use mode in which the first-side form panel is predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel and the non-use mode in which the first-side form panel is predeterminedly parallel to the template panel;    the second-side form panel being pivotal intermediate the use mode in which the second-side form panel is predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel and the non-use mode in which the second-side form panel is predeterminedly parallel to the template panel;    the top form panel being positioned on the top edge of the template panel in the use mode;    the bottom form panel being positioned on the bottom edge of the template panel in the use mode;    the first-side form panel being positioned on the first-side edge of the template panel in the use mode;    the second-side form panel being positioned on the second-side edge of the template panel in the use mode; and    the template panel includes at least one operative handle.    
     
     
         11 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  wherein: 
 the template panel is positioned predeterminedly intermediate form first edges and form second edges of the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel in the use mode.  
 
     
     
         12 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  wherein: 
 the operative handle includes two hand apertures spaced apart on opposite sides of a hand-grasp portion proximate a center of the template panel.  
 
     
     
         13 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  wherein: 
 the operative handle includes a raised member on at least one face of the template panel.  
 
     
     
         14 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  wherein: 
 the template panel is positioned predeterminedly proximate common edges of the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel.  
 
     
     
         15 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  and further comprising: 
 at least one top-panel brace that is affixable proximate the top edge for affixing the top form panel predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel.  
 
     
     
         16 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  and further comprising: 
 at least one bottom-panel brace that is affixable proximate the bottom edge for affixing the bottom form panel predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel.  
 
     
     
         17 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  and further comprising: 
 at least one first-side-panel brace that is affixable proximate the first-side edge for affixing the first-side form panel predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel.  
 
     
     
         18 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  and further comprising: 
 at least one second-side-panel brace that is affixable proximate the second-side edge for affixing the second-side form panel predeterminedly orthogonal to the template panel.  
 
     
     
         19 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  wherein: 
 the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel are made of lightweight durable material that is easy to carry and to clean for repeated reuses.  
 
     
     
         20 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  wherein: 
 the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel are made of lightweight disposable material that is easy to discard after one-to-several uses.  
 
     
     
         21 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  and further comprising: 
 a plurality of angled spacers having a first leg orthogonal to a second leg;  
 the first leg and the second leg having equal orthogonal thicknesses that are predeterminedly proximate regulatory thicknesses of the space between inside surfaces of the construction opening and outside surfaces of the frame for receiving the cementitious material with which the frame is intended to be cemented to an inside periphery of the construction opening and any furring thereof.  
 
     
     
         22 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  wherein: 
 the orthogonal thicknesses of the first leg and the second leg are predeterminedly proximate to equal thicknesses of the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel.  
 
     
     
         23 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  wherein: 
 the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel have form-panel thicknesses that are predeterminedly equal and that are predeterminedly equal to predetermined regulatory thicknesses of space between inside surfaces of construction openings and outside surfaces of frames for receiving cementitious material with which the frames are intended to be cemented to inside peripheries of construction openings and any furring thereof.  
 
     
     
         24 . The construction opening plug of  claim 10  wherein: 
 the construction opening plug with the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel affixed orthogonally to the template panel has an external periphery that is congruent to a construction opening and any furring thereof to be formed about the construction opening plug;  
 the external periphery of the construction opening plug is congruent to and predeterminedly larger than a predetermined frame; and  
 there is a regulatory space for receiving cementitious material and for assuring structural integrity intermediate the external periphery of the predetermined frame and an internal periphery of the construction opening that results from the larger external periphery of the construction opening plug than the external periphery of the predetermined frame.  
 
     
     
         25 . A method having steps for using a construction opening plug having a template panel with a perimeter having shape and size for shaping and sizing a construction opening and any furring thereof for a selected frame in a masonry building under construction; the template panel being rectangular with a top edge, a bottom edge, a first-side edge and a second-side edge; a top form panel affixable orthogonally to the top edge; a bottom form panel affixable orthogonally to the bottom edge; a first-side form panel affixable orthogonally to the first-side edge; a second-side form panel having at least one fold-out tab affixable orthogonally to the second-side edge; the template panel including at least one operative handle; the construction opening plug with the top form panel, the bottom form panel, the first-side form panel and the second-side form panel affixable to the template panel in a use form having an external periphery that is congruent to a construction opening and any furring thereof intended to be formed about the construction opening plug, 
 the steps comprising: 
 constructing at least a base portion of a masonry wall on which the bottom form panel of the construction opening plug in the use form can be positioned while a portion of the masonry wall having a construction opening is being built about the construction opening plug with interior surfaces of the construction opening and any furring thereof in butting contact with external periphery of the construction opening plug;  
 positioning the construction opening plug on the base portion of the masonry wall predeterminedly proximate the intended construction opening and any furring thereof;  
 handling the construction opening plug with the operative handle with a first hand of a user intermittently as needed and using both hands of the user as needed intermittently for achieving intended masonry construction of the intended construction opening and positioning the at least one tab in the first-side form panel and second-side form panel between concrete blocks about the construction opening plug;  
 allowing the masonry construction to harden selectively; and  
 removing the construction opening plug with the operative handle.  
   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein: 
 achieving intended masonry construction includes applying predetermined cementitious material to outside surfaces of the frame and to inside surfaces of the construction opening and any furring thereof selectively; and  
 positioning the frame equably centralized in the construction opening and any furring thereof.  
 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein: 
 positioning the frame equably centralized in the construction opening and any furring thereof includes placing at least two angled spacers in the cementitious material with one of the angled spacers being in each of two bottom corners of the construction opening and any furring thereof after the cementitious material has been applied selectively;  
 the two angled spacers being oppositely disposed on opposite sides of the construction opening;  
 a first of the at least two angled spacers having a first leg resting orthogonally on a bottom wall of the construction opening and having a second leg positioned uprightly against a first-side wall of the construction opening;  
 a second of the at least two angled spacers having the first leg resting orthogonally on the bottom wall of the construction opening and having the second leg positioned uprightly against a second-side wall of the construction opening; and  
 placing the frame to rest on the first leg of the first angled spacer and on the first leg of the second angled spacer intermediate the second leg of the of the first angled spacer and the second leg of the second angled spacer.  
 
     
     
         28 . The construction opening plug of  claim 1  having fold-out tabs in the first-side form panel and the second-side panel for placement between concrete blocks during wall construction to deter the plug from being blown out by wind.  
     
     
         29 . The construction opening plug of  claim 11  having fold-out tabs in the first-side form panel and the second-side panel for placement between concrete blocks during wall construction to deter the plug from being blown out by wind.