Plate concrete dowel system

Abstract

A disc dowel system is interposed between adjacent first and second concrete pours defining a pour joint therebetween. The disc dowel system comprises a pocket former having a rib insert disposable therewithin for engaging the sides of a dowel plate. The pocket former has a vertical base flange with a pair of fastener-receiving bosses for securing the pocket former to a concrete form. The pocket former has a horizontally extending interior compartment with an open straight side that is aligned with the pour joint and is positioned within the first pour. The dowel plate has an orthogonal shape with an embedded portion and a slidable portion. The embedded portion is rigidly encapsulated within the second pour. The slidable portion is slidably disposed within the pocket former such that the dowel plate permits relative horizontal movement of the first and second pours while restricting relative vertical movement thereof.

1 . A disc dowel system interposed between adjacent first and second concrete pours defining a pour joint therebetween, the disc dowel system comprising: 
 a dowel plate having an orthogonal shape and defining an embedded portion and a slidable portion; and    a pocket former disposed within the first pour and having a laterally extending interior compartment with an open generally straight side, a pair of opposing compartment sides and a compartment end, the straight side being aligned with the pour joint;    a rib insert configured to be removably insertable into the pocket former and comprising a spaced pair of side members interconnected by a connecting member, each one of the side members being configured to extend along at least a portion of an adjacent one of the compartment sides when the rib insert is installed in the pocket former;    wherein the embedded portion is rigidly encapsulated within the second pour and the slidable portion is slidably disposed within the pocket former, the side members being configured to resiliently deflect such that the dowel plate permits relative horizontal movement of the first and second pours while resisting relative vertical movement thereof.    
   
   
       2 . The disc dowel system of  claim 1  wherein each of the side members includes at least one laterally outwardly extending biasing member sized and configured to bear against a side edge of the dowel plate.  
   
   
       3 . The disc dowel system of  claim 2  wherein the biasing member extends along a direction toward the connecting member.  
   
   
       4 . The disc dowel system of  claim 3  wherein each of the side members includes three of the biasing members extending outwardly therefrom and being disposed in spaced relation to one another.  
   
   
       5 . The disc dowel system of  claim 1  wherein the connecting member is configured to resiliently deflect in response to direct engagement with an end edge of the dowel plate.  
   
   
       6 . The disc dowel system of  claim 5  wherein the connecting member includes a deflection member extending laterally outwardly therefrom and being configured to bear against the end edge of the dowel plate when installed within the pocket former.  
   
   
       7 . The disc dowel system of  claim 6  wherein the deflection member is comprised of a first portion and a second portion, the first portion extending laterally outwardly from the connecting member in non-perpendicular relation thereto, the second portion extending laterally outwardly from the first portion and being oriented in non-perpendicular relation thereto.  
   
   
       8 . The disc dowel system of  claim 7  wherein the second portion has a convex shape.  
   
   
       9 . The disc dowel system of  claim 8  wherein the deflection member further comprises a third portion extending laterally inwardly from an end of the second portion opposite that from which the first portion is connected, the third portion having a free end extending toward a junction of the connecting member and the first portion.  
   
   
       10 . The disc dowel system of  claim 8  wherein each of the side members includes a locking mechanism formed on a free end thereof for engaging the rib insert to the pocket former.  
   
   
       11 . The disc dowel system of  claim 8  wherein the locking mechanism comprises an L-shaped flange configured to engage a detent formed in the pocket former on opposing sides of the interior compartment.  
   
   
       12 . A disc dowel system for installing an orthogonally shaped dowel plate within a pour joint between adjacent first and second concrete pours, the pour joint being formed by a concrete form, the dowel plate having a generally orthogonal shape with an embedded portion and a slidable portion, the disc dowel system comprising: 
 a pocket former having a laterally extending interior compartment configured to be complementary to the dowel plate, the interior compartment having an open straight side, a pair of opposing compartment sides and a compartment end, the pocket former including a base flange formed on the straight side and having a pair of bosses extending outwardly therefrom adjacent respective ones of the compartment sides, each boss having an aperture extending through the base flange and being adapted to receive a fastener to facilitate mounting of the pocket former to the concrete form;    wherein the slidable portion is sized and configured to be complementary to the interior compartment with the straight side generally abutting the base flange during pouring of the first pour prior to removal of the concrete form for subsequent insertion of the slidable portion into the interior compartment and pouring of the second pour to encapsulate the embedded portion therewithin.    
   
   
       13 . The disc dowel system of  claim 8  wherein the orthogonally shaped dowel plate is generally configured into one of a square shape and a rectangular shape.  
   
   
       14 . The disc dowel system of  claim 8  wherein the pocket former has upper and lower outer surfaces, at least one of the upper and lower outer surfaces having at least one stiffener rib formed thereon oriented in non-perpendicular relation to the compartment sides.  
   
   
       15 . A pocket former for a disc dowel system adapted to minimize relative vertical displacement of adjacently disposed concrete slabs, the pocket former comprising: 
 an orthogonally shaped interior compartment having upper and lower outer surfaces and having an open, straight side, a pair of opposing compartment sides and a compartment end, at least one of the upper and lower outer surfaces having at least one stiffener rib disposed thereon and being oriented in angled relation to the compartment sides;    a rib insert configured to be removably insertable into the pocket former and comprising a spaced pair of side members sized and configured to extend along at least a portion of an adjacent one of the compartment sides when the rib insert is installed in the pocket former, the side members being configured to resiliently deflect.    
   
   
       16 . The pocket former of  claim 15  wherein: 
 the pocket former is sized and configured to receive a dowel plate;    the dowel plate being sized and configured to be complementary to the interior compartment and having a slidable portion and an embedded portion;    the slidable portion being configured to be laterally slidable within the interior compartment;    the embedded portion being configured to be encapsulated within the other one of the adjacently disposed concrete slabs.    
   
   
       17 . A rib insert for a pocket former of a disc dowel system adapted for installing an orthogonally shaped dowel plate within a pour joint between adjacent first and second concrete pours, the pour joint being formed by a concrete form, the dowel plate having a generally orthogonal shape with an embedded portion and a slidable portion, the pocket former having an open, straight side, a pair of opposing compartment sides and a compartment end, the rib insert comprising: 
 a spaced pair of side members sized and configured to extend along at least a portion of an adjacent one of the compartment sides when the rib insert is installed in the pocket former, the side members being configured to resiliently deflect in response to direct engagement with side edges of the dowel plate.    
   
   
       18 . The rib insert of  claim 17  wherein each of the side members includes at least one laterally outwardly extending biasing member sized and configured to bear against a side edge of the dowel plate.  
   
   
       19 . The rib insert of  claim 18  wherein the biasing member extends along a direction toward the connecting member.  
   
   
       20 . The rib insert of  claim 17  further comprising a connecting member interconnecting the side members and being configured to resiliently deflect in response to direct engagement with an end edge of the dowel plate.  
   
   
       21 . The rib insert of  claim 20  wherein the connecting member includes a deflection member extending laterally outwardly therefrom and being configured to bear against the end edge of the dowel plate when installed within the pocket former.  
   
   
       22 . The rib insert of  claim 21  wherein the deflection member is comprised of a first portion and a second portion, the first portion extending laterally outwardly from the connecting member in non-perpendicular relation thereto, the second portion extending laterally outwardly from the first portion and being oriented in non-perpendicular relation thereto.  
   
   
       23 . The rib insert of  claim 22  wherein the deflection member further comprises a third portion extending laterally inwardly from an end of the second portion opposite that from which the first portion is connected, the third portion having a free end extending toward a junction of the connecting member and the first portion.  
   
   
       24 . A method for installing a generally orthogonally shaped dowel plate within a pour joint between adjacent first and second concrete pours using a pocket former having an interior compartment with an open, straight side, a pair of opposing compartment sides, a compartment end, the pocket former further including a base flange connected to the straight side and having a pair of bosses extending laterally outwardly therefrom adjacent the compartment sides, each of the bosses having an aperture formed therein, the interior compartment being configured complementary to the dowel plate, the dowel plate defining an embedded portion and a slidable portion, the method comprising the steps of: 
 positioning a concrete form along a desired location of the pour joint;    attaching the pocket former to the concrete form by extending fasteners through each of the apertures and into the concrete form such that the base flange is disposed in contact with the concrete form;    pouring the first pour such that the pocket former is rigidly encapsulated therewithin;    removing the concrete form after the first pour has cured;    inserting the slidable portion into the interior compartment; and    pouring the second pour such that the embedded portion is rigidly encapsulated within the second pour and the slidable portion is slidably disposed within the pocket former.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising the step of: 
 inserting a rib insert into the interior compartment prior to inserting the slidable portion thereinto, the rib insert being sized and configured to resiliently deflect in response to direct engagement with the dowel plate to allow for relative horizontal movement of the first and second pours while resisting relative vertical movement thereof.