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Title: Expansion joint sealing strip assembly for roadways, bridges and the like
Claims: Claims:
I claim: 1. An expansion joint seal assembly for sealing a roadway gap and the like, comprising a pair of spaced apart elongated anchoring channel extrusion members to be secured in structural slab portions oppositely bounding the gap, each of the anchoring channel members including a generally rectangular cross-section channel-shaped body having an anchoring cavity extending the length thereof opening toward the gap shaped to define a constricted entrance throat portion opening to the gap through a front face of the channel member and communicating with a transversely enlarged, rearwardly spaced inner retaining chamber portion, the constricted throat portion being bounded below by a rounded toe formation, the retaining chamber portion having a generally oval vertically elongated cross-sectional configuration whose major axis lies in an inclined plane declining in downwardly convergent relation forming a small acute angle with a vertical center plane of the gap and providing a flat back wall paralleling said inclined plane between opposed concave recessed troughs forming the upper and lower bounding surfaces of the retaining chamber, an elongated resilient sealing strip member for sealing the gap between said anchoring channel members including an intermediate diaphragm web portion bounded along each longitudinal edge by enlarged anchoring bead formations of like cross-section, the web portion having a folded cross-section configuration providing distortable fold portions for maintaining sealing of the gap while accommodating expansion and contraction of the width thereof, and said anchoring bead formations each forming substantially a hollow triangle in cross-section comprising a generally flat back wall portion forming one side of the triangle and bottom and front wall portions forming the other sides of the triangle and generally converging toward the center of the gap to intersect and form an apex located below a horizontal reference plane extending through the vertical midpoints of said back wall portions, said back wall portion joining upper and lower convex salient promontories whose exterior surfaces conform in cross-section to the surfaces of said recessed troughs and back wall to intimately interfit in said retaining chamber portion and anchor the sealing strip therein, said web portion joining said bead formations at said apexes and forming with said bottom wall portions a shallow concave trough immediately subjacent each said apex receiving said lower rounded toe formation in nested relation therein as a fulcrum about with the bead formation pivots to insert the bead formation into the anchoring cavity. 2. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said channel member includes a generally triangular cross sectioned nose formation with rounded corners forming the upper boundary surface of said constricted entrance throat portion providing a flat ramp-like surface declining along a ramp plane disposed nearly perpendicular to said inclined plane providing a ramp against which the uppermost of said convex salient promontories moves as the anchoring bead formation is fulcrumed about said rounded toe formation. 3. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said intermediate diaphragm web portion includes connecting portions extending the length thereof between said fold portions and said anchoring bead formations extending from the apex of the juncture of said bottom and front wall portions of the bead formations along upwardly convex arching membrane portions of substantially the same thickness as said fold portions and said wall portions of the bead formations merging into upwardly diverging portions of the web portion extending from downwardly convex fold portions, said upwardly arching connecting portions extending in upwardly convergent relation to said ramp surface when said anchoring bead formations are fully seated in said anchoring cavities. 4. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said anchoring channel member includes a rearwardly declining downwardly facing and rearwardly angled inclined ramp surface outwardly adjoining the narrowest portion of the constricted entrance throat forming a progressively converging guide surface relative to said toe portion for the uppermost salient promontory of the anchoring bead formation to compressively guide the interlocking portions of the bead formations defined by said promontories into said retaining chamber portion of the anchoring cavity. 5. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein said intermediate diaphragm web portion includes connecting portions extending the length thereof between said fold portions and said anchoring bead formations extending from the apex of the juncture of said bottom and front wall portions of the bead formations along upwardly convex arching membrane portions of substantially the same thickness as said fold portions and said wall portions of the bead formations merging into upwardly diverging portions of the web portion extending from downwardly convex fold portions, said upwardly arching connecting portions extending in upwardly convergent relation to said ramp surface when said anchoring bead formations are fully seated in said anchoring cavities. 6. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said anchoring bead formations include a rib-like, generally planiform tab formation extending the length thereof projecting toward the vertical midplane of said web portion in upwardly converging relation along a plane forming a slightly sharper angle with said vertical midplane than the plane of said ramp surface whereby said tab formation is flexibly stressed downwardly somewhat from its normal elastic memory position to lie flat against said ramp surface when the bead formations are seated fully in said anchoring cavities. 7. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 6, wherein said intermediate diaphragm web portion includes connecting portions extending the length thereof between said fold portions and said anchoring bead formations extending from the apex of the juncture of said bottom and front wall portions of the bead formations along upwardly convex arching membrane portions of substantially the same thickness as said fold portions and said wall portions of the bead formations merging into upwardly diverging portions of the web portion extending from downwardly convex fold portions, said upwardly arching connecting portions extending in upwardly convergent relation to said ramp surface when said anchoring bead formations are fully seated in said anchoring cavities. 8. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said intermediate diaphragm web portion comprises a plurality of sinuous reverse curved fold formations curved about parallel horizontal axes of curvature defining an accordion fold diaphragm web portion. 9. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein said channel member includes a generally triangular cross-sectioned nose formation with rounded corners forming the upper boundary surface of said constricted entrance throat portion providing a flat ramp-like surface declining along a ramp plane disposed nearly perpendicular to said inclined plane providing a ramp against which the uppermost of said convex salient promontories moves as the anchoring bead formation is fulcrumed about said rounded toe formation. 10. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 9, wherein said intermediate diaphragm web portion includes connecting portions extending the length thereof between said fold portions and said anchoring bead formations extending from the apex of the juncture of said bottom and front wall portions of the bead formations along upwardly convex arching membrane portions of substantially the same thickness as said fold portions and said wall portions of the bead formations merging into upwardly diverging portions of the web portion extending from downwardly convex fold portions, said upwardly arching connecting portions extending in upwardly convergent relation to said ramp surface when said anchoring bead formations are fully seated in said anchoring cavities. 11. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein said anchoring bead formations include a rib-like, generally planiform tab formation extending the length thereof projecting toward the vertical midplane of said web portion in upwardly converging relation along a plane forming a slightly sharper angle with said vertical midplane than the plane of said ramp surface whereby said tab formation is flexibly stressed downwardly somewhat from its normal elastic memory position to lie flat against said ramp surface when the bead formations are seated fully in said anchoring cavities. 12. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said intermediate diaphragm web portion includes connecting portions extending the length thereof between said fold portions and said anchoring bead formations extending from the apex of the juncture of said bottom and front wall portions of the bead formations along upwardly convex arching membrane portions of substantially the same thickness as said fold portions and said wall portions of the bead formations merging into upwardly diverging portions of the web portion extending from downwardly convex fold portions, said upwardly arching connecting portions extending in upwardly convergent relation to said rib-like tab formation. 13. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 8, wherein said anchoring channel member includes a rearwardly declining downwardly facing and rearwardly angled inclined ramp surface outwardly adjoining the narrowest portion of the constricted entrance throat forming a progressively converging guide surface relative to said toe portion for the uppermost salient promontory of the anchoring bead formation to compressively guide the interlocking portions of the bead formations defined by said promontories into said retaining chamber portion of the anchoring cavity. 14. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 13, wherein said intermediate diaphragm web portion includes connecting portions extending the length thereof between said fold portions and said anchoring bead formations extending from the apex of the juncture of said bottom and front wall portions of the bead formations along upwardly convex arching membrane portions of substantially the same thickness as said fold portions and said wall portions of the bead formations merging into upwardly diverging portions of the web portion extending from downwardly convex fold portions, said upwardly arching connecting portions extending in upwardly convergent relation to said ramp surface when said anchoring bead formations are fully seated in said anchoring cavities. 15. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 13, wherein said anchoring bead formations include a rib-like, generally planiform tab formation extending the length thereof projecting toward the vertical midplane of said web portion in upwardly converging relation along a plane forming a slightly sharper angle with said vertical midplane than the plane of said ramp surface whereby said tab formation is flexibly stressed downwardly somewhat from its normal elastic memory position to lie flat against said ramp surface when the bead formations are seated fully in said anchoring cavities. 16. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 15, wherein said intermediate diaphragm web portion includes connecting portions extending the length thereof between said fold portions and said anchoring bead formations extending from the apex of the juncture of said bottom and front wall portions of the bead formations along upwardly convex arching membrane portions of substantially the same thickness as said fold portions and said wall portions of the bead formations merging into upwardly diverging portions of the web portion extending from downwardly convex fold portions, said upwardly arching connecting portions extending in upwardly convergent relation to said rib-like tab formation. 17. An expansion joint seal assembly for sealing a roadway gap and the like, comprising a pair of spaced apart elongated anchoring channel extrusion members to be secured in structural slab portions oppositely bounding the gap, each of the anchoring channel members including a generally rectangular cross-section channel-shaped body having an anchoring cavity extending the length thereof opening toward the gap shaped to define a constricted entrance throat portion opening to the gap through a front face of the channel member and communicating with a transversely enlarged, rearwardly spaced inner retaining chamber portion, the constricted throat portion being bounded below by a rounded toe formation, the retaining chamber portion having a generally oval vertically elongated cross-sectional configuration whose major axis lies in an inclined plane declining in downwardly convergent relation forming a small acute angle with a vertical center plane of the gap and providing a flat back wall paralleling said inclined plane between opposed concave recessed troughs forming the upper and lower bounding surfaces of the retaining chamber, an elongated resilient sealing strip member for sealing the gap between said anchoring channel members including an intermediate diaphragm web portion bounded along each longitudinal edge by enlarged anchoring bead formations of like cross-section, the web portion having a folded cross-sectional configuration providing distortable fold portions for maintaining sealing of the gap while accommodating expansion and contraction of the width thereof, and said anchoring bead formations each forming substantially a hollow triangle in cross-section comprising a generally flat back wall portion forming one side of the triangle and bottom and front wall portions forming the other sides of the triangle and generally converging toward the center of the gap, said back wall portion joining upper and lower convex salient promontories whose exterior surfaces conform in cross-section to the surfaces of said recessed troughs and back wall to intimately interfit in said retaining chamber portion and anchor the sealing strip therein, and said bottom wall portion having a shallow concave trough therein receiving said lower rounded toe formation in nested relation therein as a fulcrum about which the bead formation pivots to insert the bead formation into the anchoring cavity, said anchoring bead formations including a rib-like, generally planiform tab formation extending the length thereof projecting toward the vertical midplane of said web portion in upwardly converging relation along a plane forming a slightly sharper angle with said vertical midplane than the plane of said ramp surface whereby said tab formation is flexibly stressed downwardly somewhat from its normal elastic memory position to lie flat against said ramp surface when the bead formations are seated fully in said anchoring cavities. 18. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 17, wherein said intermediate diaphragm web portion includes connecting portions extending the length thereof between said fold portions and said anchoring bead formations extending from the apex of the juncture of said bottom and front wall portions of the bead formations along upwardly convex arching membrane portions of substantially the same thickness as said fold portions and said wall portions of the bead formations merging into upwardly diverging portions of the web portion extending from downwardly convex fold portions, said upwardly arching connecting portions extending in upwardly convergent relation to said rib-like tab formation. 19. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 17, wherein said intermediate diaphragm web portion comprises a plurality of sinuous reverse curved fold formations curved about parallel horizontal axes of curvature defining an accordion fold diaphragm web portion. 20. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 19, wherein said intermediate diaphragm web portion includes connecting portions extending the length thereof between said fold portions and said anchoring bead formations extending from the juncture of said bottom and front wall portions of the bead formations along upwardly convex arching membrane portions of substantially the same thickness as said fold portions and said wall portions of the bead formations merging into upwardly diverging portions of the web portion extending from downwardly convex fold portions, said upwardly arching connecting portions extending in upwardly convergent relation to said rib-like tab formation. 21. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein said channel member includes a generally triangular cross-sectioned nose formation with rounded corners forming the upper boundary surface of said constricted entrance throat portion providing a flat ramp-like surface declining along a ramp plane disposed nearly perpendicular to said inclined plane providing a ramp against which the uppermost of said convex salient promontories moves as the anchoring bead formation is fulcrumed about said rounded toe formation. 22. An expansion joint seal assembly as defined in claim 21, wherein said intermediate diaphragm web portion includes connecting portions extending the length thereof between said fold portions and said anchoring bead formations extending from the juncture of said bottom and front wall portions of the bead formations along upwardly convex arching membrane portions of substantially the same thickness as said fold portions and said wall portions of the bead formations merging into upwardly diverging portions of the web portion extending from downwardly convex fold portions, said upwardly arching connecting portions extending in upwardly convergent relation to said rib-like tab formation. Other info: Inventors: Bowman, William E. (Englewood, CO) Application Number: 06/164013 Filing Date: 1980-06-30 Publication_date: 1983-01-11 Assignee: BOWMAN CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY INC Primary Class(es): 404/68 404/64 Other Classes: E01D19/06; E01D19/00; E01C11/04 US Patent Ref:
Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Byers, Jr.; Nile C. Assistant Examiner: Calderon, Roberto L. Attorney: Mason, Fenwick & Lawrence Claims:
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