Concrete form bracket for use in casting a foundation wall integral with a floor

Abstract

A concrete form bracket for a concrete form having an outer form wall and an inner form wall for defining an outer surface and an inner surface of a perimeter foundation wall. The bracket is a rigid, metal, frame member, having a first upright leg portion joined to the outer form wall, a second upright leg portion joined to the inner form wall, and a bridge portion connected between the first and second upright leg portions. The bracket has fastener apertures for fastening the first and second leg portions to wood material of the respective outer and inner form walls in a manner that allows the inner form wall to be suspended from the brackets which are in turn supported on the outer form wall such that the inner form wall is entirely supported on the outer form wall.

1 . A concrete form bracket for a concrete form used in casting a building foundation defining a concrete chemical containment receptacle comprised of a concrete floor and a concrete foundation wall integrally cast with the floor while being capable of supporting walls of a building thereon, in which the concrete form includes an outer form wall defining an outer perimeter surface of the floor and an outer surface of the concrete foundation wall and an inner form wall defining an inner surface of the concrete foundation wall, the bracket comprising:
 a rigid, metal, frame member, the frame member including a first upright leg portion for joining to the outer form wall, a second upright leg portion for joining to the inner form wall, and a bridge portion connected between the first and second upright leg portions,   the bridge portion spanning laterally between opposing first and second ends a length which is greater than a combined width of the outer form wall, the inner form wall, and a gap between in the inner and outer form walls that defines a wall thickness of the foundation wall to be cast therebetween;   the first leg portion extending downwardly from the first end of the bridge portion;   the first leg portion including fastener apertures therein so as to be arranged for receiving fasteners to fasten the first leg portion in fixed relation to the outer form wall;   the second leg portion extending downwardly from the second end of the bridge portion so as to be parallel to and spaced apart from the first leg portion; and   the second leg portion including fastener apertures therein so as to be arranged for receiving fasteners to fasten the second leg portion in fixed relation to the inner form wall.   
     
     
         2 . The bracket according to  claim 1  wherein the bridge portion is formed of flat, plate material which is parallel to an upright axis of each of the first and second leg portions. 
     
     
         3 . The bracket according to  claim 1  wherein the first leg portion comprises a main portion formed of plate material which is co-planar with the bridge portion and a flange portion protruding perpendicularly outward from the main portion along an innermost edge of the main portion that is nearest to the second leg portion. 
     
     
         4 . The bracket according to  claim 3  wherein at least some of the fastener apertures are located in the flange portion. 
     
     
         5 . The bracket according to  claim 3  wherein at least some of the fastener apertures are located in the main portion. 
     
     
         6 . The bracket according to  claim 3  wherein the flange portion of the first leg portion spans a full height of the main portion between a bottom end of the first leg portion and the bridge portion. 
     
     
         7 . The bracket according to  claim 1  wherein the second leg portion comprises a main portion formed of plate material which is co-planar with the bridge portion and a flange portion protruding perpendicularly outward from the main portion along an innermost edge of the main portion that is nearest to the first leg portion. 
     
     
         8 . The bracket according to  claim 7  wherein at least some of the fastener apertures are located in the flange portion. 
     
     
         9 . The bracket according to  claim 7  wherein the flange portion of the second leg portion spans a full height of the main portion between a bottom end of the first leg portion and the bridge portion. 
     
     
         10 . The bracket according to  claim 1  wherein the first leg portion is greater in height than the second leg portion. 
     
     
         11 . The bracket according to  claim 1  wherein a bottom edge of the bridge portion spanning between the first leg portion and the second leg portion includes a first shoulder adjacent to the first leg portion and a second shoulder adjacent to the second leg portion which are co-linear with one another for abutment with a top end of the outer form wall and a top end of the inner form wall respectively. 
     
     
         12 . The bracket according to  claim 11  wherein the bottom edge of the bridge portion further comprises a central recessed portion between the first shoulder and the second shoulder which is raised upwardly in elevation relative to the first and second shoulders. 
     
     
         13 . The bracket according to  claim 1  wherein the bridge portion comprises a first member joined integrally with the first leg portion and a second member joined integrally with the second leg portion, the first member and the second member being selectively fastened to one another in a plurality of different mounting configurations corresponding to different lateral spacings between the first leg portion and the second leg portion. 
     
     
         14 . The bracket according to  claim 13  wherein each of the first member and the second member comprises a flat plate member which is co-planar with a main portion of the respective leg portion, the flat plate members of the bridge member being selectively coupled in parallel abutment with one another. 
     
     
         15 . The bracket according to  claim 13  wherein the first member and the second member are selectively coupled by a pair of pins coupled between the first and second members at laterally spaced apart positions, each pin being fixed to one of the first and second members and being laterally slidable within a corresponding track in the other one of the first and second members. 
     
     
         16 . The bracket according to  claim 15  wherein each track includes a linear portion receiving the pin therein for linear sliding in a lateral direction to vary a distance between the first and second leg portions, and a plurality of detents at spaced positions along one side of the track to receive the pin therein and retain the first and second members at a selected one of the different mounting configurations.