Screed system

Abstract

A screed rail system for placing uncured concrete includes a pair of rails positioned to lie spaced-apart and parallel to one another and a screed plate supported between the rails to move along the rails to form a final grade level of uncured concrete in a work area.

1 . A screed system comprising
 a screed-rail system including a plurality of rails, the screed-rail system adapted to support a screed assembly,   a screed assembly supported on the screed-rail system, the screed assembly including a screed plate for working uncured concrete, and   adjustment means for adjusting a vertical position of the screed plate to cause the screed plate to be positioned in a final-grade producing position so that a final grade level of uncured concrete is formed as the screed assembly is moved along a rail.   
   
   
       2 . The screed system of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustment means comprises a base and an adjustment mechanism, a first end of the rail is coupled to the adjustment mechanism to move therewith, and the adjustment mechanism is arranged to extend downwardly to mount on the base to move vertically relative to the base below. 
   
   
       3 . The screed system of  claim 2 , wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a crank handle configured to rotate about a crank axis, a threaded rod coupled to the crank handle and arranged to rotate about the crank axis defined by the threaded rod, and a threaded receiver coupled to the first end of the rail and configured to receive the threaded rod and convert rotational movement of the threaded rod into vertical movement of the first end of the rail. 
   
   
       4 . The screed system of  claim 2 , wherein the adjustment means includes a frame arranged to pivot about a pivot axis to cause the first end of the rail to be freed so that the screed-rail system can be repositioned from a first working area to a second working area to work uncured concrete at the second working area at a final grade level without disrupting the uncured concrete at the first working area. 
   
   
       5 . The screed system of  claim 4 , wherein the frame includes a handle coupled to an opposite second end of the rail, a support base, and a rail pivot interconnecting the support base to the handle, the support base is arranged to support the handle and the rail during movement of the screed assembly along the rail, and the rail pivot is configured to support the handle and the rail during movement of the screed-rail system from the first working area toward the second working area. 
   
   
       6 . The screed system of  claim 4 , wherein the screed-rail system includes a float plate coupled to the rail and positioned to lie on the uncured concrete at the final grade level and be supported by the uncured concrete, a float coupler coupled to an opposite second end of the rail, and a pivot bracket arranged to interconnect the float plate and the float coupler to cause the float coupler and the rail to rotate together as a unit about the pivot axis relative to the float plate. 
   
   
       7 . The screed system of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustment means is configured to support the screed plate and move the screed plate vertically in response to a reference datum to cause the screed plate to be adjusted to the final-grade producing position so that uncured concrete is placed at the final grade level relative to the reference datum as the adjustment means is moved over a working area. 
   
   
       8 . The screed system of  claim 7 , wherein the adjustment means includes a height-control assembly coupled to the screed plate to move therewith and a height-adjustment mechanism coupled to the screed plate to move the screed plate relative to the height-adjustment mechanism and the height-control assembly is configured to measure a distance between an actual position of the screed plate and the final-grade producing position of the screed plate to cause the height-adjustment mechanism to move the screed plate from the actual position toward the final-grade producing position to cause the distance to become relatively smaller. 
   
   
       9 . The screed system of  claim 8 , wherein the height-control assembly includes a sensor system coupled to the screed plate to move therewith and configured receive a reference signal, a control system configured to receive an input signal and to transmit an output signal to the height-adjustment mechanism to cause the height-adjustment mechanism to move the screed plate, and a user-input device configured to be in one of an automatic mode wherein the control system is connected to the sensor system and receives the input signal from the sensor system and a manual mode wherein the control system is connected to the user-input device and receives the input signal from the user-input device. 
   
   
       10 . A screed-height controller comprising
 a screed plate,   a height-adjustment mechanism coupled to the screed plate and configured to move the screed plate vertically, and   height-control means for controlling movement of the height-adjustment mechanism to cause the screed plate to move vertically in response to a reference signal corresponding to a target grade to maintain the screed plate in a final-grade producing position such that uncured concrete is worked to a final grade level.   
   
   
       11 . The screed-height controller of  claim 10 , wherein the height-control means includes a sensor system coupled to the screed plate to move therewith and configured receive the reference signal, a control system configured to receive an input signal and to transmit an output signal to the height-adjustment mechanism to cause the height-adjustment mechanism to move the screed plate, and a user-input device configured to be in one of an automatic mode wherein the control system is connected to the sensor system and receives the input signal from the sensor system and a manual mode wherein the control system is connected to the user-input device and receives the input signal from the user-input device. 
   
   
       12 . The screed-height controller of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor system includes a first reference-signal receiver coupled to a first end of the screed plate and a second reference-signal receiver coupled to an opposite second end of the screed plate and the first reference-signal receiver and the second reference-signal receiver are arranged to extend upwardly away from the screed plate. 
   
   
       13 . The screed-height controller of  claim 12 , wherein the user-input device includes an operation mode switch configured to set the user-input device in one of the automatic mode and the manual mode and a manual-movement switch configured to send the input signal to the control system in response to the operation mode switch arranged to cause the user-input device to be in the manual mode. 
   
   
       14 . The screed-height controller of  claim 12 , wherein the user-input device includes a switch body and a lever coupled to move relative to the switch body between an automatic position wherein the user-input device is in the automatic mode, a stationary position wherein the user-input device is in the manual mode and the control system does not send the output signal to the height-adjustment mechanism, and a raise-plate position wherein the user-input device is in the manual mode and the control system commands the height-adjustment mechanism to move the screed plate upwardly. 
   
   
       15 . A screed-rail system comprising
 a rail adapted to support a screed assembly and   rail-height adjustment means for adjusting a vertical position of the rail to cause the screed assembly to be supported in a final-grade producing position so that a final grade level of uncured concrete is formed as the screed assembly is moved along the rail.   
   
   
       16 . The screed-rail system of  claim 15 , wherein the rail-height adjustment means includes a base and an adjustment mechanism, a first end of the rail is coupled to the adjustment mechanism to move therewith, and the adjustment mechanism is arranged to extend downwardly to mount on the base to move vertically relative to the base below. 
   
   
       17 . The screed-rail system of  claim 16 , wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a crank handle configured to rotate about a crank axis, a threaded rod coupled to the crank handle and arranged to rotate about the crank axis defined by the threaded rod, and a threaded receiver coupled to the first end of the rail and configured to receive the threaded rod and convert rotational movement of the threaded rod into vertical movement of the first end of the rail. 
   
   
       18 . The screed-rail system of  claim 17 , wherein the rail-height adjustment means includes a float plate positioned to lie on the uncured concrete at the final grade level and be supported by the uncured concrete, a float coupler coupled to an opposite second end of the rail, and a pivot bracket arranged to interconnect the float plate and the float coupler to cause the float coupler and the rail to rotate together as a unit about a pivot axis relative to the float plate. 
   
   
       19 . The screed-rail system of  claim 16 , wherein the rail includes a frame defining a pivot axis, the rail is arranged to pivot about the pivot axis to cause the first end of the rail to be freed so that the screed-rail system can be repositioned from a first working area to a second working area to work uncured concrete at the second working area at a final grade level without disrupting the uncured concrete at the first working area. 
   
   
       20 . The screed-rail system of  claim 19 , wherein the frame includes a handle coupled to an opposite second end of the rail, a support base, and a rail pivot interconnecting the support base to the handle, the support base is arranged to support the handle and the rail during movement of the screed assembly along the rail, and the rail pivot is configured to support the handle and the rail during movement of the screed-rail system from the first working area toward the second working area. 
   
   
       21 . The screed-rail system of  claim 16 , wherein the rail-height adjustment means further includes a handle coupled to the rail at an opposite second end of the rail, a support wheel, and a wheel axle arranged to interconnect the support wheel to the handle, and the wheel axle defines a pivot axis to cause the handle and the rail to be rotated together as a unit about the pivot axis relative to the support wheel.