Insulated concrete form and mold for making same

Abstract

An insulated concrete form has: a first side wall portion; a second side wall portion substantially parallel with said first side wall portion; and a pillar portion extending between said the side wall portions. The pillar portion has: a first tapered section; a second tapered section; and a center section extending between said tapered sections. The first tapered section, the second tapered section and the center section each have an octagonal-shaped longitudinal cross-section. The insulated concrete form may include a plurality of pillar portions extending between the side wall portions, with the plurality of pillar portions being substantially parallel with each other. A wall structure may be formed from a plurality of such insulated concrete forms. A mold for forming an insulated concrete form, has: a first side plate and a second side plate; a slave pallet element supported by a frame and abutting a lower portion of interior sides of the side plates; and a first spine member and a second spine member attached to the side plates. The first side plate and the second side plate, along with the first spine member and the second spine member, may be pulled horizontally outward to clear the mold cavity.

1 . An insulated concrete form, comprising:
 a first side wall portion;   a second side wall portion substantially parallel with said first side wall portion; and   a pillar portion extending between said side wall portions, said pillar portion having a first tapered section, a second tapered section, and a center section extending between said tapered sections, said first tapered section, said second tapered section and the center section each having an octagonal-shaped longitudinal cross-section, said first tapered section tapers in from said first side wall at a 45° angle to the center section, said second tapered section tapers in from said second side wall at a 45° angle to the center section, said first tapered section is substantially complementary with said second tapered section,   wherein said side wall portions and said pillar portion define a series of voids, said voids include a leftward-facing vertical flared semi-octagonal void, a rightward-facing vertical flared semi-octagonal void, an upward facing horizontal flared semi-octagonal void, and a downward-facing horizontal flared semi-octagonal void.   
   
   
       2 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1 , wherein said pillar portion includes the first tapered section, the second tapered section, and the center section being axially aligned with each another. 
   
   
       3 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 a plurality of pillar portions extending between said side wall portions, each said pillar portion having a first tapered section, a second tapered section, and a center section extending between said tapered sections, said first tapered section, said second tapered section and the center section each having an octagonal-shaped longitudinal cross-section, said first tapered section tapers in from said first side wall at a 45° angle to the center section, said second tapered section tapers in from said second side wall at a 45° angle to the center section, said first tapered section is substantially complementary with said second tapered section,   wherein said plurality of center sections are substantially parallel with each other;   wherein said side wall portions and said pillar portions define a series of voids, said voids include a leftward-facing vertical flared semi-octagonal void, a rightward-facing vertical flared semi-octagonal void, an upward facing horizontal flared semi-octagonal void, and a downward-facing horizontal flared semi-octagonal void;   wherein said leftward-facing vertical flared semi-octagonal void and an adjacent rightward-facing vertical flared semi-octagonal void form a complete vertical flared octagonal void.   
   
   
       4 . The insulated concrete form of  claim 1 , wherein said first side wall portion, said second side wall portion, and pillar portion are composed of a concrete material comprising cement, a polymer filler and a plant based high-density foaming agent. 
   
   
       5 . The insulating concrete of  claim 4 , wherein the ratio of cement, to polymer filler to foaming agent, based on weight, is 110:11:1-1.125. 
   
   
       6 . A wall structure, comprising:
 a plurality of insulated concrete forms, each said form, comprising
 a first side wall portion, 
 a second side wall portion substantially parallel with said first side wall portion, and 
 a pillar portion extending between said side wall portions, said pillar portion having a first tapered section, a second tapered section, and a center section extending between said tapered sections, said first tapered section, said second tapered section and the center section each having an octagonal-shaped longitudinal cross-section, said first tapered section tapers in from said first side wall at a 45° angle to the center section, said second tapered section tapers in from said second side wall at a 45° angle to the center section, said first tapered section substantially complementary with said second tapered section, 
   wherein said plurality of forms are placed adjacent to each other such that the center sections of said forms are substantially parallel with each other;   wherein said side wall portions and said pillar portions define a series of voids, said voids include a leftward-facing vertical flared semi-octagonal void, a rightward-facing vertical flared semi-octagonal void, an upward facing horizontal flared semi-octagonal void, and a downward-facing horizontal flared semi-octagonal void;   wherein said leftward-facing vertical flared semi-octagonal void and an adjacent rightward-facing vertical flared semi-octagonal void form a complete vertical flared octagonal void; and   wherein the wall structure is arranged in a post-and-beam lattice of interlocking and flared octagonal voids between the pillar portions.   
   
   
       7 . The structure of  claim 6 , wherein said voids are filled with material capable of hardening. 
   
   
       8 . The structure of building a structure of  claim 7 , wherein the material capable of hardening is concrete. 
   
   
       9 . The structure of  claim 8 , wherein said voids have at least one steel reinforcing bar. 
   
   
       10 . The structure of  claim 6 , wherein said voids have at least one steel reinforcing bar. 
   
   
       11 . A mold for forming an insulated concrete form, comprising:
 an elongated horizontal frame having opposing ends and opposing sides;   a first end plate and a second end plate, each said end plate extending upward along respective frame ends and having opposing interior sides;   a first set of arms and a second set of arms, each set of arms slidingly attached to said frame along a respective side of said frame and extending laterally from said respective sides of said frame;   a first side plate and a second side plate, each said side plate attached to a respective set of arms and extending upward, each said side plate having opposing interior sides;   a slave pallet element supported by said frame, said slave pallet element abutting a lower portion of said interior sides of said end plates and said side plates; and   a first spine member and a second spine member, said first spine member attached to said interior side of said first side plate, said second spine member attached to said interior side of said second side plate;   wherein said first end plate, said second end plate, said first side plate, said second side plate, said slave pallet element, said first spine member and said second spine member cooperate to define a mold cavity; and   wherein said first side plate and said second side plate, along with said first spine member and said second spine member, may be pulled horizontally outward guided by said sets of arms to clear said mold cavity.   
   
   
       12 . The mold for forming an insulated concrete form of clam  11 , wherein said second end plate is hingedly attached at a respective frame end. 
   
   
       13 . The mold for forming an insulated concrete form of  claim 12 , further comprising an elongated horizontal caster deck member having an upward-facing surface, and a plurality of casters positioned on said upward-facing surface, each said caster having an upward-facing, weight-bearing roller element, said caster deck member positioned between said frame and said slave pallet element such that said weight-bearing roller elements of said plurality of casters support said slave pallet element; wherein said second end plate may be rotated downward about said respective frame end, such that said slave pallet may be rolled out from said mold cavity on said casters. 
   
   
       14 . The mold for forming an insulated concrete form of  claim 11 , wherein said spine members have a plurality of opposing projections which meet, said opposing projections defining transverse voids through a form to be formed in the mold. 
   
   
       15 . The mold for forming an insulated concrete form of  claim 14 , wherein said spine members further have base portions along said side plates, said base portions defining longitudinal voids along a perimeter of a form to be formed in the mold. 
   
   
       16 . The mold for forming an insulated concrete form of  claim 15 , wherein said base portions have a semi-octagonal cross-section, wherein said opposing projections include end projections having a semi-octagonal cross-section and post projections having an octagonal cross-section, and further comprising quasi-octagonal wedges spanning between said base portions and said opposing projections. 
   
   
       17 . The mold for forming an insulated concrete form of  claim 11 , further having spacer strips removably attached along top edges of said end plates and said side plates, said spacer strips allowing additional thickness to be added to a portion of said mold cavity above said spine members. 
   
   
       18 . The mold for forming an insulated concrete form of  claim 17 , wherein said spacer strips are removed from said side plates and placed between said frame and said slave pallet element to raise said slave pallet element and reduce a thickness of a portion of said mold cavity between said spine members and said slave pallet element. 
   
   
       19 . The mold for forming a form of  claim 11 , wherein said side plates further have wheeled support legs which support the weight of the side plates while allowing the side plates to be pulled out from or pushed in toward said frame.