Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Footing or foundation type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-14
2001-10-09
Strimbu, Gregory J. (Department: 3634)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Footing or foundation type
C052S165000, C248S530000, C248S156000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298618
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to improvements in constructional supports of the type capable of supporting building structures.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Concrete and wooden stumps and piers are commonly used to support building structures constructed from timber beams, fabricated steel beams, aluminium beams and other structural materials. The concrete and wooden stumps and piers support a frame structure adapted to support flooring materials of various types to which internal frames constructed of various materials are in turn attached to form the complete building structure. The installation of concrete or wooden stumps or piers is labour intensive, requiring numerous holes and/or footings to be formed in the ground followed by the installation of the stumps or piers set at the required levels. Where a building is to be constructed on unstable soils, the stumps must be buried to a level where stable soil is present to provide the necessary support for the stump.
As a result of extensive testing and investigation, an alternative constructional support which performs satisfactorily in most soil types, including unstable soils or reactive clays, has been developed. The support can be installed by relatively unskilled operators, and does not require excavation or the formation of concrete footings.
The patent literature discloses several pile arrangements with angular anchor legs, such as SU949066 and SU947284, but these arrangements are not suitable for use in most domestic constructions. Similarly, New Zealand Patent 272260 discloses a driven foundation post arrangement with angled diagonally placed anchor posts. This arrangement does not lend itself to adaption from a driven foundation post arrangement to a relatively simple building stump replacement.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION AND OBJECT
It is the object of the present invention to provide a constructional support adapted to replace concrete or wooden stumps or piers in building constructions which provides at least equivalent support for a building structure and is installed with less difficulty than the known methods of installing concrete and wooden stumps or piers.
The invention provides a constructional support including a central support means for a load bearing member having a central longitudinal axis, three guide means secured to said support means and arranged in an equilateral triangular configuration, said guide means having passages with longitudinal axes extending angularly with respect to said central axis at an acute angle less than about 30°, said guide means being constructed to receive, as a snug fit, elongate substantially tubular anchor means for engaging the ground, and means for securing said anchor means in said guide means after said anchor means have been driven into the ground.
In the present specification, the term “tubular” is not restricted to circular configurations but includes oval, square, hexagonal, octagonal and other generally symmetrical configurations.
The invention also provides a method of installing a constructional support as defined above, including the steps of locating the constructional support in the required position on the ground, partially engaging the constructional support with the ground, inserting an elongate drilling means in each guide means in turn and drilling the ground along the axis of each guide means to a predetermined depth, inserting a tubular anchor means into each guide means, and securing each anchor means to each guide means or to the support.
Following the insertion of the anchor means, they are filled with a suitable grouting means. Alternatively or additionally, a further tubular means may be inserted into each anchor means to provide additional rigidity.
In one form of the invention, the central support means is adapted for engagement by said load bearing member adapted to support part of a building structure, such as a bearer support. If the bearer support is threaded, the central means may be threaded, or adjustment nuts may be fitted to the bearer support at positions above and below the central support means, to enable the bearer support to be rigidly secured with respect to the central support means. Alternatively, the bearer support may have a substantially tubular portion, in which case the central support member is configured to receive said substantially tubular portion.
The three guide means are preferably substantially tubular members and are secured together by means of an apertured plate or a threaded nut or the like defining said central support means, said tubular members being connected in the required angular orientation by bracing means, such as struts, which interconnect adjacent tubular members.
The guide means may comprise three lengths of plastics pipe held in an equilateral triangular pattern by means of a molded plastics collar or plate defining said central support means and engaging said pipes adjacent one end and holding them in an equilateral triangular pattern, said pipes also being engaged by a further molded plastic collar or plate, defining said bracing means closer to the other end of said pipes and which maintains said pipes in the required angular orientation while bracing them with respect to each other.
In a still further form of the invention, three metal tubular members defining the guide means are secured by welding to a central tubular riser defining the central support, the tubular members being skewed in a plane parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the riser so that the ends of the tubular members are accessible for drilling and for receiving the anchor means without being fouled by the central riser. Since the guide means are securely welded to the central riser, the bracing struts or bracing collar of the previous embodiments are not required.
The central riser is adapted to receive a bearer support, which is adjustable in height by telescoping the bearer support to the required level and bolting the support to the riser as required.
In the above embodiments, each of the guide means is preferably arranged at an acute angle to the central perpendicular axis or plane of the load support at an angle of about 5 to 20° to the central axis, and preferably at about 10° to 15° to the central axis.
The guide means are adapted to receive the anchor means as a snug fit within the passage. Where the pipes are plastic, they are fixed in position by a suitable plastics glue or by self-tapping screw means engaging the guide means and the anchor pipe engaged therein. If the guide pipes are metal and/or the anchor pipes are metal, screws are used to secure the anchor pipes in the guide pipes, or a blocking collar is secured in the open end of each guide means.
In use, the support is placed on the ground in the required position and at about the required level and the guide means are used to guide a drill for drilling holes adapted to receive the tubular anchor means to the required depth.
REFERENCES:
patent: 213932 (1879-04-01), Powell
patent: 919807 (1909-04-01), Bailey
patent: 3591113 (1971-07-01), Foster
patent: 4027802 (1977-06-01), Reynolds
patent: 4342179 (1982-08-01), Hill
patent: 4404780 (1983-09-01), Josephson
patent: 4706921 (1987-11-01), Paulin
patent: 5104074 (1992-04-01), Malloy
patent: 5317844 (1994-06-01), Legler
patent: 5395184 (1995-03-01), Gagliano
patent: 5791635 (1998-08-01), Hull et al.
patent: 5797226 (1998-08-01), MacKarvich
patent: 272260 (1997-01-01), None
Derwent Abstract No. J0505 K/24, SU 949066, Aug. 7, 1982.
Derwent Abstract No. H7119 K/28, SU 947284, Jul. 30, 1982.
Derwent Abstract No. S3915 D/36, SU 787552, Dec. 25, 1980.
Dennison, Scheiner Schultz & Wakeman
Strimbu Gregory J.
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