Method and apparatus for inserting dowel bars for a concrete slip forming machine

A method of inserting dowel bars while using concrete slip forming machines of a type including a frame having a longitudinal axis, said frame being adapted to be moved in a forward direction;

• pan means attached to said frame for shaping uncured concrete slab, said pan means having a front end and a rear end;
• a plurality of openings disposed through said pan means and spaced across said pan means;
• dowel bar retainer means disposed in each of said openings for holding a dowel bar in readiness to be inserted into the concrete slab;
• inserter means disposed above each of said dowel bar retainer means operatively attached to the frame for pushing a dowel bar disposed in one of said dowel bar inserting retainer means through a respective one of said openings and into the concrete slab;
• and means for independently actuating each one of said inserter means at a predetermined place in said concrete slab whereby respective ones of said dowel bars disposed in respective ones of said dowel bar inserting retainer means can be positioned in the concrete in a predetermined pattern across the concrete slab, said method comprising:
• independently actuating each respective one of said inserter means when said dowel bar retainer means is disposed directly above said predetermined place in said concrete slab where a dowel bar disposed therein is desired to be placed in said concrete slab whereby each of said inserter means can be actuated at times different than other of said inserted means so that any desired placement of dowel bars can be achieved.

A method of inserting dowel bars while using concrete slip forming machines of a type including a frame having a longitudinal axis, said frame being adapted to be moved in a forward direction;

• a pan means attached to said frame for shaping uncured concrete into a continuous concrete slab, said pan means having a front end and a rear end;
• vibrator means disposed on the front of said frame for extending into and vibrating uncured concrete placed at the front of said frame;
• a plurality of dowel bar retainer means operatively attached to said frame between said vibrator means and the rear of said pan means for holding a dowel bar in readiness to be inserted into the concrete slab;
• inserter means disposed above each of said dowel bar retainer means operatively attached to the frame for pushing a dowel bar disposed in one of said dowel bar inserting retainer means into the concrete slab;
• and means for independently actuating each one of said inserter means at a predetermined place in said concrete slab whereby respective ones of said dowel bar disposed in respective ones of said dowel bar inserting retainer means can be positioned in the concrete in a predetermined pattern across the concrete slab, said method comprising:
• independently actuating each respective one of said inserter means when said dowel bar retainer means is disposed directly above said predetermined place in said concrete slab where a dowel bar disposed therein is desired to be placed in said concrete slab whereby each of said inserter means can be actuated at times different than other of said inserter means so that any desired placement of dowel bars can be achieved.

A concrete slip forming machine of a type including a frame having a longitudinal axis, said frame being adapted to be moved in a forward direction;

• pan means attached to said frame for shaping uncured concrete into a continuous concrete slab, said pan means having front end and a rear end;
• vibrator means operatively disposed on the front of said frame for extending into a vibrating uncured concrete placed at the front of said frame prior to the time said uncured concrete enters the front end of said pan means;
• a plurality of dowel bar retainer means operatively attached to said frame between said vibrator means and the rear of said pan means for holding a dowel bar in readiness to be inserted into the concrete slab;
• means for independently actuating each respective one of said inserter means at the same or different respective time at a respective predetermined place in said concrete slab whereby respective ones of said dowel bars disposed in respective ones of said dowel bar inserting retainer means can be positioned in the concrete in a predetermined pattern across the concrete slab and whereby each of said inserter means can be actuated at times different than other of said inserter means.

A dowel bar inserting apparatus for concrete slip forming machines comprising:

• a frame having a longitudinal axis, said frame being adapted to be moved in a forward direction, said frame having a front portion, a rear portion and an intermediate portion;
• pan means attached to the front portion of said frame for shaping uncured concrete into a continuous concrete slab, said pan means having a front end and a rear end;
• vibrator means operably attached to the front portion of said frame for extending into and vibrating uncured concrete placed at the front of said frame prior to the time said uncured concrete enters the front end of said pan means;
• a dowel bar retainer means operatively attached to said frame between said vibrator means and the rear of said pan means for holding a dowel bar in readiness to be inserted into the concrete slab;
• inserter means disposed above said dowel bar retainer means, said inserter means being operatively attached to the frame for pushing dowel bars disposed in said retainer means into the concrete slab;
• and
• means for actuating said inserter means at a predetermined place in said concrete slab whereby said dowel bars disposed in said retainer means can be positioned in the concrete in a predetermined pattern across the concrete slab.