# US 10,501,895 B2 · Concrete slab joint stabilizer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,895 B2 - Document ID: US10501895B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/045,234 - Filed: 2018-07-25 - Published: 2019-02-07 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-01 - Assignees: Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Applicants: Illinois Tool Works Inc. - Inventors: Robert P. Costa; George E. Garber; D. Michael McPhee; Phillip J. Quenzi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501895B2 ## CPC - E01C 11/14: Dowel assembly {; Design or construction of reinforcements in the area of joints (coupling devices for prefabricated units E01C5/005; combined with characteristic packings E01C11/08 - E01C11/12; removable holders E01C23/045)} - E01C 5/005: {Individual couplings or spacer elements for joining the prefabricated units (E01C5/10 takes precedence)} - E01C 7/147: {Repairing concrete pavings, e.g. joining cracked road sections by dowels, applying a new concrete covering (applying thin surface layers with other binder E01C7/35; repairing pavings in general E01C11/005; roughening by means of tools E01C11/24)} - E01C 11/04: for cement concrete paving {(E01C9/001 takes precedence)} - F16B 13/0841: {with a deformable sleeve member driven against the abutting surface of the head of the bolt or of a plug} - E04B 1/48: Dowels, i.e. members adapted to penetrate the surfaces of two parts and to take the shear stresses - E01C: CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR (forming roads or like surfaces by compacting or grading snow or ice E01H) - F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D) - E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001}) ## Abstract A concrete slab joint stabilizer including an expandable housing including a cylinder defining a slit running along its longitudinal length, the expandable housing having a housing axis extending longitudinally there through, and an expander configured to expand the expandable housing in directions perpendicular to the housing axis. The concrete slab joint stabilizer is configured to limit relative vertical displacement between two adjacent concrete slabs. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A concrete slab joint stabilizer comprising: an expandable housing including a wall defining a slit running along its longitudinal length, the expandable housing having a housing axis extending longitudinally there through; and an expander positionable in the expandable housing and configured to expand the expandable housing in directions perpendicular to the housing axis, the expander including: a compressible tube; a bolt inserted through the compressible tube and having first and second end portions, the first end portion of the bolt having a head and the second end portion of the bolt being threaded; and a nut engagable with the threaded second end portion of the bolt. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 1, where the expander is configured to expand the expandable housing uniformly in directions perpendicular to the housing axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 1, wherein turning the bolt in one direction causes the nut to move toward the head, thereby compressing the compressible tube longitudinally forcing it to expand radially, and turning the bolt in an opposite direction causes the nut to move away from the head, thereby uncompressing the compressible tube. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 1, where the expander includes at least one washer between the nut and the compressible tube. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 1, wherein the expander includes a cap configured to receive the head of the bolt and enable the bolt to rotate in the expandable housing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 1, wherein the expandable housing has an outer diameter of approximately 1.5 inches. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 1, wherein the compressible tube includes a rubber tube. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 7, wherein the rubber tube has a shore durometer hardness of 10 D or greater. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 7, wherein the rubber tube is treated. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 1, wherein the nut is rotatably fixed relative to the expandable housing, thereby preventing the nut to be rotated in the expandable housing while enabling the nut to slide longitudinally in the expandable housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 10, wherein the nut is rotatably fixed relative to the expandable housing via a pin connected to and extending transversely from the nut. ### Claim 12 A concrete slab joint stabilizer comprising: an expandable housing including a wall defining a slit running along its longitudinal length, the expandable housing having a longitudinal central opening and a housing axis extending longitudinally there through; and an expander configured to expand the expandable housing uniformly in directions perpendicular to the housing axis, the expander including: a compressible tube in the expandable housing, a cap partly in the expandable housing, a bolt positioned in the compressible tube, the bolt having a head and a threaded end portion connected to the head, a nut engagable with the threaded end portion of the bolt, the nut rotatably fixed relative to the expandable housing to prevent the nut from rotating in the expandable housing while enabling the nut to slide longitudinally in the expandable housing, a pin connected to and extending transversely from the nut to rotatably fix the nut relative in the expandable housing, and at least one washer between the nut and the compressible tube, wherein turning the bolt in one direction causes the nut to move toward the head of the bolt, thereby compressing the compressible tube longitudinally forcing it to expand radially, and wherein turning the bolt in an opposite direction causes the nut to move away from the head, thereby uncompressing the compressible tube. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 12, wherein the compressible tube includes a rubber tube. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 13, wherein the rubber tube has a shore durometer hardness of 10 D or greater. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 13, wherein the rubber tube is treated. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 12, wherein the expandable housing has an outer diameter of approximately 1.5 inches. ### Claim 17 A concrete slab joint stabilizer comprising: an expandable housing including a wall defining a slit running along its longitudinal length, the expandable housing having a housing axis extending longitudinally there through, wherein the expandable housing has an outer diameter of approximately 1.5 inches; and an expander comprising a compressible tube positionable in the expandable housing and configured to expand the expandable housing in directions perpendicular to the housing axis. ### Claim 18 A concrete slab joint stabilizer comprising: an expandable housing including a wall defining a slit running along its longitudinal length, the expandable housing having a housing axis extending longitudinally there through; and an expander positionable in the expandable housing and configured to expand the expandable housing in directions perpendicular to the housing axis, the expander including a compressible tube and a simple cam inserted through the compressible tube. ### Claim 19 A concrete slab joint stabilizer comprising: an expandable housing having a housing axis extending longitudinally there through, the expandable housing including two longitudinally extending edges that are movable relative to each other when the expandable housing is expanded; and an expander coupled to the expandable housing and configured to expand the expandable housing in directions perpendicular to the housing axis, the expander including: a compressible tube positioned in the expandable housing and having a first end and a second end, a first member positioned adjacent to the first end of the compressible tube, and a second member positioned adjacent to the second end of the compressible tube, the first member and the second member configured to co-act on the compressible tube to cause the compressible tube to be compressed. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 19, where the expander is configured to expand the expandable housing uniformly in directions perpendicular to the housing axis. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 19, wherein the compressible tube includes a rubber tube. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 19, wherein the expander includes a third member extending through the compressible tube and coupled to the first member and the second member. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The concrete slab joint stabilizer of claim 19, wherein the second member is fixed to the expandable housing.