Methods and apparatus for sidewalk tiles

Abstract

A system and method for forming concrete tiles for use in concrete walkways and concrete patios and courtyards. The system includes a unitary frame with two or more slanted sidewalls with a plurality of pickup points placed within an interior opening of the unitary frame. Concrete poured into the interior opening of the frame forms a beveled or slanted concrete sidewalk tile. The pickup points are buried in the beveled concrete sidewalk tiles. When an opening in the pickup points is uncovered, a means to pick and place the beveled concrete sidewalk tiles is provided. Slanted or beveled sidewalls prevent binding to or interference with adjacent slanted or beveled sidewalk tiles to facilitate lifting.

1 . A sidewalk construction kit to form a sidewalk tile, the sidewalk construction kit comprising:
 a unitary frame having four sidewalls forming an interior opening with a base lip coupled to the four sidewalls, wherein at least two of the four sidewalls are slanted outward to avoid interference with a neighboring unitary frame, the interior opening of the frame to receive concrete; and   a reinforcement structure positioned within the interior opening and coupled to two or more sidewalls of the unitary frame, the reinforcement structure to couple to concrete to strengthen the sidewalk tile.   
   
   
       2 . The sidewalk construction kit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of pickup points coupled to the reinforcement structure; and   wherein the height of each of the plurality of pickup points is less than the height of the sidewalls such that the pickup points can be buried just under the surface of concrete poured into the interior opening.   
   
   
       3 . The sidewalk construction kit of  claim 1 , wherein
 the unitary frame is a rectangular unitary frame and the interior opening of the frame is a rectangular window opening.   
   
   
       4 . The sidewalk construction kit of  claim 1 , wherein
 the unitary frame is a curved unitary frame and the interior opening of the frame is a curved interior opening.   
   
   
       5 . The sidewalk construction kit of  claim 1 , wherein
 the reinforcement structure is a grid formed coincidentally together with the unitary frame out of the same material.   
   
   
       6 . The sidewalk construction kit of  claim 5 , wherein
 the unitary frame and the reinforcement structure are formed of a plastic, fiberglass, graphite, acrylic, or composite material.   
   
   
       7 . The sidewalk construction kit of  claim 1 , wherein
 the unitary frame includes a plurality of pockets coupled to each side-wall within the interior opening, and   the reinforcement structure is a plurality of reinforcement bars with each end of each reinforcement bar positioned within the pocket in opposites sidewalls of the frame to couple thereto.   
   
   
       8 . The sidewalk construction kit of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a plurality of plugs or caps to respectively couple into a threaded opening in the plurality of pickup points to avoid concreted filing into the plurality of pickup points.   
   
   
       9 . The sidewalk construction kit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a strip of filler material to fill between adjacent unitary frames, the filler material to allow expansion and contraction of adjacent sidewalk tiles.   
   
   
       10 . The sidewalk construction kit of  claim 9 , wherein
 the filler material is a felt material or a hardened foam material.   
   
   
       11 . A sidewalk tile, comprising:
 a unitary frame having four sidewalls forming an interior opening with a base lip coupled to the four sidewalls, wherein at least two of the four sidewalls are slanted to avoid interference with another unitary frame, the interior opening of the frame to receive concrete;   a reinforcement structure positioned within the interior opening and coupled to the unitary frame to strengthen the sidewalk tile; and   concrete coupled to the unitary frame, the reinforcement structure, and the plurality of pickup points, wherein a top surface of the concrete is level with a top edge of the sidewalls of the unitary frame so that so that.   
   
   
       12 . The sidewalk tile of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a plurality of pickup points positioned within the interior opening of the unitary frame coupled to the reinforcement structure, each of the pickup points being shorter than a height of the sidewalls such that a top surface of the plurality of pickup points are buried just under the top surface of the concrete.   
   
   
       13 . The sidewalk tile of  claim 11 , wherein
 the reinforcement structure is a latticework of crossing laths with ends of the latticework coupled to sidewalls of the unitary frame.   
   
   
       14 . The sidewalk tile of  claim 11 , wherein
 the concrete is a mixture including portland cement and an aggregate.   
   
   
       15 . The sidewalk tile of  claim 11 , wherein
 the concrete has a compression strength of not less than two-thousand pounds per square inch.   
   
   
       16 . A removable sidewalk tile, comprising:
 a frame having four slanted sidewalls to avoid interference with a neighboring sidewalk tile, the frame further having a base lip coupled to the four sidewalls, the four sidewalls forming an interior opening to receive concrete;   a plurality of reinforcement bars in the interior opening having ends coupled to the frame, the plurality of reinforcement bars to form a reinforcement structure;   a plurality of pickup points positioned within the interior opening of the frame and coupled to the reinforcement bars, each of the pickup points being shorter than the height of the sidewalls; and   concrete coupled to the frame, the reinforcement bars, and the plurality of pickup points, wherein a top surface of the concrete is level with the top edge of the sidewalls of the frame so that a top surface of the plurality of pickup points is buried just under the top surface of the concrete.   
   
   
       17 . The removable sidewalk tile of  claim 16 , wherein
 the concrete is a mixture including portland cement and an aggregate.   
   
   
       18 . The removable sidewalk tile of  claim 16 , wherein
 the concrete has a compression strength of not less than two-thousand pounds per square inch.   
   
   
       19 . A sidewalk tile construction kit comprising:
 four slanted sidewalls each having a base lip coupled to the slanted sidewall, adjacent slanted sidewalls to couple together at mitered corners to form a frame with an interior opening to receive concrete, the slanted sidewalls to avoid interference with a neighboring sidewalk tile; and   a plurality of reinforcement bars to couple to the opposing sidewalls in the interior opening of the frame to form a reinforcement structure coupled to the frame.   
   
   
       20 . The sidewalk tile construction kit of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a plurality of pickup points coupled to the reinforcement bars in the interior opening of the frame, each of the pickup points being shorter than the height of the sidewalls so as to be buried just under the surface of concrete.   
   
   
       21 . The sidewalk tile construction kit of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 a plurality of caps to respectively couple into a threaded opening in the plurality of pickup points to cover the threaded opening to avoid concrete filing therein.   
   
   
       22 . The sidewalk tile construction kit of  claim 19 , wherein
 the frame is a rectangular frame and the interior opening of the frame is a rectangular window opening.   
   
   
       23 . The sidewalk tile construction kit of  claim 19 , wherein
 the reinforcement bars are to be periodically coupled together where they cross to provide further reinforcement.   
   
   
       24 . The sidewalk tile construction kit of  claim 19 , wherein
 at least two opposing sidewalls of the frame include a plurality of pockets coupled to each sidewall within the interior opening, and   each end of each reinforcement bars is positioned within a pocket in opposite sidewalls of the frame to couple thereto.   
   
   
       25 . A method for a concrete sidewalk tile, the method comprising:
 forming a frame with slanted sidewalls on a surface, the frame having an interior opening and a lip coupled to the base of each side;   coupling a plurality of reinforcement bars to the slanted sidewalls to form a reinforcing structure in the interior opening of the frame;   pouring concrete into the interior opening of the frame to couple to the reinforcing structure;   smoothing over a surface of the concrete to form a flat surface; and   allowing the concrete to set and bond to the frame.   
   
   
       26 - 49 . (canceled)