Improved Connector for Use in Forming Joints

Abstract

An improved connector for use in forming joints between two surfaces. The improved connector has a housing with an enlarged seal housing at a first end and a sealing screen adapted for receipt in the enlarged seal housing. The sealing screen incorporates an elastic membrane that surrounds an aperture. The aperture is adapted to sealingly engage a dowel bar. This engagement means that movement of the dowel bar laterally, vertically or telescopically is accommodated for by the elastic membrane in a manner that ensures that the dowel bar remains sealing engaged by the aperture.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An improved connector for use in forming joints comprising:
 a housing having an enlarged seal housing at a first end; and   a sealing screen adapted for receipt in the enlarged seal housing, the sealing   screen incorporating an elastic membrane surrounding an aperture,   
       where, the aperture is adapted to sealingly engage a dowel bar and where, movement of the dowel bar laterally, vertically or telescopically is accommodated for by the elastic membrane in a manner that ensures that the dowel bar remains sealing engaged by the aperture. 
     
     
         2 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to  claim 1 , where the sealing screen is substantially flat. 
     
     
         3 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to  claim 1  or  claim 2 , where the enlarged seal housing is connected to a chamber by way of a first opening, the first opening being at a position above the housing when in use, the chamber incorporating a first spigot at a position lower than the first opening. 
     
     
         4 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to  claim 4 , where the enlarged seal housing has at least one abutment, such that when the sealing screen is received within the enlarged seal housing it makes contact with the at least one abutment and thereby ensures that grout entering the chamber by way of the first opening is able to flow through to the remainder of the housing. 
     
     
         5 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to  claim 3  or  claim 4 , the improved connector having a second spigot provided in the housing remote from the first spigot. 
     
     
         6 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to any preceding claim, where the housing has at least one pair of stops provided internally therein, the stops operable to guide the positioning of the dowel bar. 
     
     
         7 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to any preceding claim, where the housing has at least one projection extending therefrom into the aperture, the at least one projection thereby operable to limit lateral movement of the dowel bar. 
     
     
         8 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to any preceding claim, where the housing has an external surface having a plurality of surface irregularities or discontinuities provided therein. 
     
     
         9 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to  claim 8 , where the plurality of irregularities or discontinuities take the form of a plurality of ribs. 
     
     
         10 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to any preceding claim, where the housing has a retainer provided in an end spaced from the enlarged seal housing, the retainer operable to receive one or more of the following: a bar chair; a prop. 
     
     
         11 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to any preceding claim, where, in use, the upper surface of the housing has a reservoir defined therein. 
     
     
         12 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to any preceding claim, where the sealing screen has at least one alignment ledge for facilitating orderly lateral movement of the dowel bar. 
     
     
         13 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to any preceding claim, where the aperture is adapted to receive a dowel cap, and the dowel cap incorporates a sealing ring for sealingly engaging the dowel bar. 
     
     
         14 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to any preceding claim, further comprising a dowel sleeve, the dowel sleeve adapted to be received within the housing at a position proximate the first end, the dowel sleeve operable to receive a portion of the dowel bar and thereby restrict vertical movement of the dowel bar. 
     
     
         15 . An improved connector for use in forming joints according to  claim 14 , where the housing has at least one cut-out provided therein proximate the first end, the dowel sleeve further comprising at least one retention strip of equal dimension to the at least one cut-out, the dowel sleeve adapted to be received within the housing when the at least one retention strip is received within the at least one cut-out. 
     
     
         16 . A dowel bar for use with an improved connector as claimed in  claim 14  or  claim 15 , the dowel bar comprising at least one ribbed section and one smooth section, the smooth section being adapted to be received within the dowel sleeve when properly positioned within the improved connector. 
     
     
         17 . A dowel bar as claimed in  claim 16 , the smooth section of the dowel bar having a diameter substantially equal to the smaller of the height or width dimension of the dowel sleeve. 
     
     
         18 . A dowel bar as claimed in  claim 16  or  claim 17 , having a length such that part of the dowel bar may be received along the full interior length of the housing and still properly place the smooth section within the dowel sleeve. 
     
     
         19 . A dowel bar according to any one of  claims 16  to  18 , where an end of the dowel bar intended not to be received within the housing has at least one threaded portion, the threaded portion adapted to allow for retention of an anchor nut. 
     
     
         20 . A method of forming a joint between a first surface and a second surface, the method comprising the steps of:
 installing an improved connector according to any one of  claims 1  to  15  in the first surface and allowing the first surface to settle;   inserting a dowel bar according to any one of  claims 16  to  19  into the aperture of the improved connector, such that at least a portion of the dowel bar protrudes therefrom; and   creating a second surface around the portion of the dowel bar protruding from the improved connector and allowing the second surface to settle.   
     
     
         21 . A method of forming a joint between a first surface and a second surface, where the first surface is a wall and the second surface is a floor slab.