Pan puller for removing forming pans between joists of a concrete floor

1. An apparatus for removing a forming pan from a concrete slab having integral joists, the apparatus comprising:

a rotatable wheel comprising a plurality of teeth configured to directly engage and pull the forming pan from the slab; and

a basket coupled to the wheel, the basket configured to receive and contain the forming pan.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable shaft extending through the wheel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a motor and a gearbox coupled to the shaft.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising two vertically extending support members, each support member supporting an end of the shaft, and two horizontally extending coupling members, each coupling member connected between one support member and the basket.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising two tubular guides coupled to the coupling members and adapted to receive forks of a forklift, whereby the apparatus is moveable by the forklift.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising bracing coupled between the vertically extending support members.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising one or more stiffening flanges coupled between one of the vertically extending support members and one of the horizontally extending coupling members.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wheel comprises an outer surface from which the teeth extend; and wherein each tooth has a front face defined relative to a direction in which the wheel rotates and oriented such that an angle between the front face and the outer surface is acute.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the basket comprises a plurality of horizontally extending posts and a plurality of vertically extending posts coupled thereto.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each adjacent pair of the horizontally extending posts are spaced apart a distance through which the forming pan cannot pass.

11. A system for removing a forming pan from a concrete slab having integral joists, the system comprising:

a forklift powered by a power supply; and

a pan puller supported thereon, the pan puller comprising:

a motor receiving power from the power supply;

a wheel driven to rotate by the motor, the wheel comprising a plurality of teeth adapted to engage and remove the forming pan from the joint; and

a basket configured to receive and contain the removed forming pan.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the pan puller further comprises two tubular guides, each guide receiving therein a fork of the forklift.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the wheel comprises an outer surface from which the teeth extend; and wherein each tooth has a front face defined relative to a direction in which the wheel rotates and oriented such that an angle between the front face and the outer surface is acute.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the basket comprises:

a plurality of horizontally extending posts, each adjacent pair of the horizontally extending posts spaced apart a distance through which the forming pan cannot pass; and

a plurality of vertically extending posts coupled thereto.

15. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:

a rotatable shaft extending through the wheel; and

a gearbox coupled between the motor and the shaft.

16. A method for removing a forming pan from a concrete slab having integral joists, the method comprising:

(a) rotating a wheel comprising a plurality of teeth;

(b) directly engaging the forming pan with at least one of the teeth during (a); and

(c) pulling the forming pan from the slab with the rotating wheel during (b).

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

positioning a basket proximate the wheel; and

receiving the pulled forming pan in the basket.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

coupling at least one support member between the wheel and the basket; and

lifting the support member with the wheel and the basket coupled thereto proximate the forming pan.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein lifting the at least one support member with the wheel and the basket coupled thereto comprises:

inserting forks of a forklift into two tubular guides coupled to the support member; and

raising the support member with the forklift.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein rotating the wheel comprises:

coupling a motor and a gearbox to a rotatable shaft;

extending the shaft through the wheel;

providing power to the motor from a source also providing power to the forklift; and

rotating the shaft with the motor and the gearbox.