Turn Plastic waste into something people want to use

Dale E. Van Cor info@keyedbrick.com

I have developed a technology that will use some of the 400 million tons of global plastic waste to make a product line of construction components that is easy for people to build with. Similar parts will be made out of concrete.

See short YouTube video on Keyed Bricks: https://youtu.be/lPVaUMURkm0

See table on plastic waste stream composition: plasticwaste.png

A summary of the Keyed Bricks connections:techsummary.html

Overview
The new connection technology is called a Key Thread. My software engineers these threads and applies them to construction components that can be 3D printed. There will be 3D printed molds. Both part and mold files will have machining software that generates the Gcode for 5-axis tool movements. This is the foundation for making many of the parts, molds and machinable applications. The part files are be uploaded to Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for optimizing their design. I have done all of this before on three other new threads that I could not commercialized.

There will be a series of keyed bricks make with minimum tech for the purpose of making basic building components all over the world. Currently there are are bricks being made with six parts sand, one part used plastic that are mixed, heated and pressurized. see https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/kenyan-woman-recycles-plastic-into-bricks-that-are-stronger-than-concrete/ I believe that Keyed Bricks can be made with muti-part molds by such a business. This will have the biggest impact on carbon capture by making it accessible everywhere.

There are three types of construction components: Keyed Brick^TM Keyed Cell^TM and Keyed Ply^TM. The Keyed Brick builds walls with horizontal connections. The Keyed Cell is a multi layer component that assembles into flat or dome Keyedcombs^TM. The Keyed Ply is a sandwich layer that assembles into flat Keyed Panels^TM or curved Keyed Tubes^TM. The goal is to make plastic injection Keyed Brick construction components that include wall intersections and corners; window and door frames; Keyedcomb joist will make the floor and ceiling covered with Keyed Panel subfloor and ceiling.

There are US patent pending; PCT patent filing in Canada and EPO.

Basics
The Key Thread profile has a front or back wedge shape that adds a unique “hook” with a more spherical resistance. Because of that hook, Key Threads can be applied to cylinder, cone or disk shapes; and follow the curves of a convex, concave and other surfaces. The Key Thread constantly increases in size. When engaging, it is loose and then all surfaces engage at that the same instant. The difference between the male and female surfaces is fabrication tolerance.

See article in the American Fastener Journal: https://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?m=7618&i=748416&p=42&ver=html5

A 4 minute video: https://keyedbrick.com/Basic Keyed Brick 4.5.mp4

Key Threads are grouped in a set with a common axis of rotation. While a part can have multiple sets, it can have only turn on sets with one axis of rotation. Other sets have to be engaged with the rotation of a different parts. The effect is each part locks the last part in place. When at least two different sets engage with three parts, they form a Keynection^TM. Key threads and multi-axail rotation are two interlocking fastening systems that eliminate cement, adhesives or welding.

The starting product lines are the Keyed Bricks, Keyed Cells and Keyed Plys. The Keyed Bricks have disk threads on the top and bottom; and cylinder threads on the ends. Keyed Cells make honeycomb-like structures using cylinder or cone threads. Keyed Plys are layers of disk threads similar to plywood. It has a base and finished layer with multiple sandwich layers between.

A standard Keyed Brick can be modified for a vertical curve or horizontal curve to build arched or rounded walls.

The standard Keyed brick rotates on an XY Plane. Other configurations rotate on an XZ plane and YZ plane. These are either aesthetic design choices or configured where the standard Keyed Brick does not fit, is hard to assemble or needs more strength relative to how stresses are distributed.

Keyed Cells^TM
The Keyed Cell is similar to a honeycomb cell and so named. They assemble into Keyedcombs^TM. It looks similar to two offset honeycombs. Each cell is a full male threaded cylinder on the bottom and four partial female threaded cylinders on the top. When assembled, the quartered female sections create a whole female thread for the next layer. These can be cylinder or cones. The parts are identical, but not necessarily assembled in sequence.

Keyed Cells made from cones create a Keyed Circular Truss^TM. This is a different kind of structure similar to the cross section of a linear truss where each triangle is replaced by a cone. It distributes stress three dimensionally, not two dimensionally like a bridge truss. These have not been made yet, but will be better solution for structural framing of floors, ceiling and roofs.

A Keyed Spire^TM is a spherical type of Keyed Cell used to make multi-layered Keyed Domes, vaulted ceilings or tunnel sections. Each layer is a different Spire relative to the domes radius at that layer. Keyed Spires will have 5 partial female cylinders that generate a pentagon pattern like Geodesic domes. They are specifically designed by layer and radii. These parts are non-sequential.

A cylinder Spire is possible, but with many specialized Spires in sequence. Whereas the dome is one Spire per layers without sequence.

Keyed Plys^TM
The Keyed Plys is a sheet of disk threads that assemble into a Keyed Panel^TM. The starting layer is made relative to how it is going to be fastened. The sandwiched layers are in alternating pairs. Their number determines net strength. The finished layer can be outside siding; flooring or sub-flooring; or smooth walls ready to paint. Roof and siding will need UV treatment. The bottom is a unique base layer, then identical multiple sandwich layers, and the unique top finished layers all assembled in sequence.

Circular Keyed Plys assemble into a Keyed Tube^TM. These will reduce the time assembling large pipes in place without heavy equipment. The tunnel construction would be very close to the removal of material. These can be plastic or concrete, but the plastic will be cheaper, faster and easier to work with. They are assembled in sequence.

A plyed dome is possible, but with many specialized plys also in sequence.

Development
The science of creating Key Thread Profiles and Rails with the version 3 software is operational. The Profile is a forward or backward wedge shape. The Rail is a collection of base points for each profile around a given geometry like cylinder, cone or disk. A profile is generated for each base point on the Rail at an expanded size from the previous profile to render a Key Thread Train. That Key Thread Train is used to generate the female Lock Thread Train with a given fabrication tolerance. Experience has shown that it has to be easy to generate Lock Threads for different material or fabrication tolerances. The Key is fixed, the Lock makes it work.

The application is two parts. The male Key Thread Train are boundary coordinates used to make a female Lock Train offset with a given fabrication tolerance. A Thread Train is be applied to two Sets, one set has a Key and the other set has Lock created to engage that Key. Sets are one or more Thread Trains with a common access of rotation on a geometry.

Bricks, Cells and Plys are formed from these sets. A fundamental point: the sets define the geometry. In other words, a cylinder set will have the rest of the cylinder surface added to it. The Key Threads drive the design.

The same Rail can be applied to different size Profiles. A plastic brick will be larger then concrete, which will be larger then a metal one. The difference is mechanical properties of the material such as flexibility, hardness and strength. Finite Element Analysis software will be used to optimize the thread design. The focus will be on recycled plastic, but the tools will be in place for more.

Transition bricks such as concrete to plastic are another catalog. This includes attaching Keyedcombs and Keyedpanels. The stronger material will be the transition with sets from both.

This is where structural engineering starts. Material properties are known, what does the Key Thread add or change to resistance? Failure has to be predictable across different materials. <

First Products
My original plan was to invest in injection molding that could use recycled plastics. The problem is it is still an idea without a product. I can 3D print models, but that is not commercial viable. The easiest way forward is to make the molds for concrete parts. A Keyed Brick would have 4 or 5 piece mold that would unscrew the threads out of the sides. This is the development path to commercially viability by being able to make and build a Keyed Brick house.

There are other Key Thread markets such as steel truss systems for towers, buildings, and bridges could be easier and quicker to profit. The main advantage is the speed of assembly reducing labor costs. It would replace the wooden scaffolds used in curing concrete floors. Linear steel trusses are well known. What is new is adding the connection to existing parts. See bridge truss assembly video: https://www.keyedbrick.com/truss assembly 1.2.mp4 This is an example of an application someone else can develop.

Producing 4-axis CNC machining capacity will be part of this work for making parts and molds. One offshoot is a portable milling machine for that could cut stone anywhere.

Dale E. Van Cor Bio
My first career was writing 57 turn key software systems for 28 customers. The largest was distribution system for 7,000 hard goods and dated feed stock. The most complex was cost projection system used on parts with up to 34 steps, job runs up to 7 million for over 100 million in sales. Multi-state payrolls for thousands; Millions of copies of a national monthly video newspaper to thousands of stores; Tens of millions of records of the daily production of chemical in manufacturing processes; Recycling business for purchasing, processioning and shipping metals, paper and glass; and more. Every system was a graduate course on the flow of creating, timing and archiving information.

My second career was spent trying to commercialize an idea. I invented and patented new gears and transmission systems. The software included producing the Gcode for 5-axis CNC machining to make a 4-speed and 8-speed prototypes. My gears could not be cut with conventional manufacturing equipment. The transmission changed speeds within one rotation which limited it to low speed applications. The worst part was it would cost tens of millions to create the engineering tools to predict failure. That is why I used Finite Element Analysis (FEA) on my threads to prove an even distribution loads. See Van Cor Transmission: vancortransmission.png

The Key Threads are my forth thread. The Conic Thread, Concentric Thread and Wave Thread have patents issued, software systems for engineering and fabrication, and commercial applications explored. The Wave Threaded nuts and bolts software included generating Gcode for 4-axis CNC machining. The Wave Threads on the nuts and bolts could be up to 25% stronger by evenly distributing loads. But, the rest of the bolt did not have that additional strength. It was not commercially viable enough. My goal was to find a big impact. See summary on Wave Threads nuts and bolts: TitaninumWaveThreadedFastening.pdf

That file has a link to standard and wave threaded nut and bolt stl files that can be downloaded and used for Finite Element Analysis or printed for destructive testing. It is also an important view of how I make parts at a resoultion of 40 microns.

Personal info: Married 35 years to Wanda who would only marry an interesting person. We have three kids. Meggan and her husband Eric have two teenagers. Sara and Jared are single scientists. I swim 20 laps three times a week and have exercised for decades due to a family history of heart disease. My father died after his sixth heart attack. An Echocardiogram in August, 2022 showed my heart is normal.

Creating the Future
I have new connection tools with applications beyond my imagination. I want them to become available to people with a unique use for them. That includes patent ownership via partnerships and licensing. This would be better administrated through a global company that already does something similar.

I have a US patent pending and PCT patent to be filed in Canada and European Patent Office. This is at my financial limit. The PCT international patent window for the rest of the world closes at the end of March. It will take $500,000 for global patenting filing.

My Investments
I started full time in 2008 with the goal of finding commercial applications to these four threaded concepts. Each required the development of menu driven software to engineering and fabricate parts to test and evaluate its potential. I have 3 out of the last 6 patents issued, 4 software systems for engineering, 3D printing and 4-axis machining. The Van Cor Threads, LLC formed in 2014 is for accounting of over $300,000 expenditures as of Dec. 2021.

This is a summary of what I am am moving forward with my personal resources. While I believe Keyed Bricks made from plastic composites would be of global impact, I will start with cement bricks. I have 3D printed bricks, but they are not a product. I can 3D print molds to make the first cement products.

I have started a small fire. I am only interested in people who want to dump gasoline on it.