Patent Grant
10968645
Embodiments of the present invention are related to anchors, clutches, and anchor-and-clutch assemblies for connecting a lifting system with a precast concrete panel.
Certain pre-installed members for transmitting force and manipulating panels or structures, such as pre-formed concrete panels, are known in the art. Such devices and systems include, for example, the MeadowBurke® Rapid Lift and Super Lift systems. Prior art systems comprise, for example, anchors and lifting clutches as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,905,063 to Kelly, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. An anchor is provided in the panel and a lifting system with a lifting clutch selectively connects to the anchor for aiding in manipulation of the panel. Such manipulation includes lifting, orienting, and positioning the panel, which is facilitated through features and devices as shown and described herein.
One issue with prior art anchors and lifting clutches is a limited shear cone of the precast concrete panel. The concrete shear cone is the portion of concrete around the insert/anchor that fails due to the concrete's inability to contain the stresses of the applied load. Generally, the shear cone starts at the distal ends of the anchor and expands toward the surface of the precast concrete panel. Another issue is that the solution of multiple anchors and multiple lifting clutches to distribute forces increases the complexity of the precast concrete panel and lifting system, and thus, increases costs and potential sources of failure.
The above shortcomings and other needs are addressed by the various embodiments and configurations of the present invention. It is an objective of the present invention to provide anchor-and-clutch assemblies that draw from a larger shear cone in a precast concrete panel to increase the overall lifting capacity of the anchor-and-clutch assembly and prevent structural failure of the panel during assembly.
One aspect of embodiments of the present invention is to provide an anchor with multiple bars, specifically an anchor comprising two bars to increase the volume encompassed by the anchor. Therefore, the anchor can pull on a larger shear cone within the panel. In some embodiments, a plurality of bars are bent and positioned adjacent to each other but unconnected in order to provide the anchor for the lifting clutch. In various embodiments, a plurality of bars are welded together along longitudinal lengths of the bars that are positioned in the lifting clutch. In some embodiments, the bars are partially bent and shaped and positioned in the lifting clutch. Then, the bars are bent where they are positioned in the lifting clutch, and the bars are welded along a longitudinal length. Ends of the arms can be deflected at perpendicular angles from the remaining portions of the arms to provide a more secure attachment to the precast concrete panel.
One aspect of embodiments of the present invention is to provide a clutch engagement portion of the anchor to increase the size of the shear cone. The clutch engagement portion of the anchor is typically the bent portion of the anchor that resides in the lifting clutch when the assembly is fully connected and bearing the load of the precast concrete panel. In some embodiments, the clutch engagement portion is a rounded portion of the bar with a constant radius of curvature. In various embodiments, the clutch engagement portion is square bar that provides additional rigidity. In some embodiments, the clutch engagement portion has a straight part that extends in a width direction to increase the size of the shear cone.
One aspect of the present invention is to provide a lifting clutch that has a wider body in a width direction to accommodate various anchors, including the novel anchors described herein. The lifting clutch has larger wing surfaces that provides space for increased anchor size so that the size of the shear cone can be increased. For instance, the clutch can accommodate an anchor with two bars where the center portions of the bars are positioned adjacent to each other, and the center portions define a single aperture through which the clutch engages the anchor. Thus, the shear cone is increased while the lifting system has only a single clutch.
One further aspect of the present invention is to provide a lifting clutch that can receive multiple clutch engagement portions of an anchor. The anchor may have multiple bars where each bar defines two or more apertures through which a clutch engages the anchor. Therefore, two adjacent bars can form a first aperture and a second aperture through which the clutch engages the anchor. The clutch may have a pin with two parts where each part extends through one aperture defined by the bars of the anchor. In addition, the clutch may have multiple recesses on a bottom portion to receive multiple clutch engagement portions or may have a single continuous recess.
One particular embodiment is a system for orienting and positioning a precast concrete panel, comprising a precast concrete panel having a surface with a void extending from the surface into the precast concrete panel; an anchor partially positioned in the void, and the anchor having a first bar with a first plurality of arms extending into the precast concrete panel and having a second bar with a second plurality of arms extending into the precast concrete panel, wherein at least one arm of the first plurality of arms and at least one arm of the second plurality of arms form a bar angle of at least 15 degrees relative to each other, and wherein the first bar and the second bar form a single aperture within the void of the precast concrete panel; a clutch having a top portion with an opening, and the top portion having a width, the clutch having a bottom portion with a recess configured to receive the first and second bars of the anchor, and the bottom portion having a width that is larger than the width of the top portion; and a pin extending through the opening in the clutch, and the pin configured to rotate within a volume in the clutch to selectively pass through the single aperture of the bars and selectively secure the clutch to the anchor.
In some embodiments, the first plurality of arms has two arms that are oriented at a first angle relative to each other, and the second plurality of arms has two arms that are oriented at a second angle relative to each other, wherein the first angle and the second angle are each between 15 and 60 degrees. In various embodiments, a top surface of the top portion has a first radius of curvature, and a bottom surface of the bottom portion has a second radius of curvature, and the second radius of curvature is larger than the first radius of curvature.
In some embodiments, a center portion of the first bar defines a first clutch engagement portion having a first radius of curvature and a second clutch engagement portion having a second radius of curvature, wherein the first clutch engagement portion at least partially defines the single aperture, and the second clutch engagement portion at least partially defines a second, single aperture. In various embodiments, the first clutch engagement portion and the second clutch engagement portion are positioned in the recess, and wherein the pin extends through the opening and a second opening in the top portion to rotate within the volume in the clutch to selectively pass through the single aperture and the second, single aperture and selectively secure the clutch to the anchor.
In some embodiments, the first plurality of arms extends from a center portion of the first bar, and the second plurality of arms extends from a center portion of the second bar, wherein the center portions define the single aperture. In various embodiments, the center portion of the first bar and the center portion of the second bar are welded together. In some embodiments, the center portion of the first bar forms an angle with at least one arm of the first plurality of arms that is half of the bar angle, and the center portion of the second bar forms an angle with at least one arm of the second plurality of arms that is half of the bar angle. In various embodiments, the clutch has a first wing and a second wing extending outwardly to define the width of the bottom portion.
Another particular embodiment is an anchor for providing an increased shear cone in a precast concrete panel, comprising a first bar having a first plurality of arms extending from a first center portion, wherein the first plurality of arms has two arms that are oriented at a first angle relative to each other, and the first angle is between approximately 15 and 60 degrees; and a second bar having a second plurality of arms extending from a second center portion, wherein the second plurality of arms has two arms that are oriented at a second angle relative to each other, and the second angle is between approximately 15 and 60 degrees, wherein at least one arm of the first plurality of arms and at least one arm of the second plurality of arms form a bar angle of at least 15 degrees relative to each other; and a common aperture at least partially defined by the first center portion and the second center portion.
In various embodiments, the first center portion has a first radius of curvature and the second center portion has a second radius of curvature. In some embodiments, the first center portion forms an angle with at an arm from the first plurality of arms that is half of the bar angle, and the second center portion forms an angle with an arm of the second plurality of arms that is half of the bar angle. In various embodiments, the first center portion comprises a first clutch engagement portion having a first radius of curvature and a second clutch engagement portion having a second radius of curvature, wherein the first clutch engagement portion defines the common aperture with the second center portion, and the second clutch engagement portion defines a second common aperture with the second center portion. In some embodiments, the first center portion comprises a spacing section between the first clutch engagement portion and the second clutch engagement portion.
A further particular embodiment is a lifting clutch for selectively engaging and receiving a lifting anchor embedded in a precast concrete panel, comprising a top portion at least partially defining an opening, wherein a top surface of the top portion has a first radius of curvature, and the top portion has a width; a bottom portion defining a recess configured to receive an anchor, wherein a bottom surface of the bottom portion has a second radius of curvature, and the second radius of curvature is larger than the first radius of curvature; and a first wing and a second wing of the bottom portion extend outwardly to define a width of the bottom portion that is larger than the width of the top portion.
In various embodiments, the second radius of curvature is at least 10% larger than the first radius of curvature, and the width of the bottom portion is at least 10% larger than the width of the top portion. In some embodiments, the clutch further comprises a pin extending through the opening in the clutch, the pin positioned in a volume at least partially defined by the top portion and the bottom portion, wherein the pin is configured to rotate between an open position to allow an anchor to be positioned in the recess and a closed position to secure an anchor in the recess. In various embodiments, the clutch further comprises an aperture extending through at least one of the width of the bottom portion or the width of the top portion, and the aperture configured to receive a bail to secure the pin within the volume. In some embodiments, the recess is a single recess in the bottom portion.
The Summary of the Invention is neither intended nor should it be construed as being representative of the full extent and scope of the present invention. The present invention is set forth in various levels of detail in the Summary of the Invention as well as in the attached drawings and the Detailed Description of the Invention and no limitation as to the scope of the present invention is intended by either the inclusion or non-inclusion of elements or components. Additional aspects of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the Detailed Description, particularly when taken together with the drawings.
The above-described embodiments, objectives, and configurations are neither complete nor exhaustive. As will be appreciated, other embodiments of the invention are possible using, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.
The phrases “at least one,” “one or more,” and “and/or,” as used herein, are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B, and C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities, dimensions, conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.”
The term “a” or “an” entity, as used herein, refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more,” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein.
The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Accordingly, the terms “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof can be used interchangeably herein.
It shall be understood that the term “means” as used herein shall be given its broadest possible interpretation in accordance with 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). Accordingly, a claim incorporating the term “means” shall cover all structures, materials, or acts set forth herein, and all of the equivalents thereof. Further, the structures, materials, or acts and the equivalents thereof shall include all those described in the summary of the invention, brief description of the drawings, detailed description, abstract, and claims themselves.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the Summary of the Invention given above and the Detailed Description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of these embodiments. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the invention or that render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein. Additionally, it should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale.
Similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letter that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.
A list of the various components shown in the drawings and associated numbering is provided herein:
The present invention has significant benefits across a broad spectrum of endeavors. It is the Applicant's intent that this specification and the claims appended hereto be accorded a breadth in keeping with the scope and spirit of the invention being disclosed despite what might appear to be limiting language imposed by the requirements of referring to the specific examples disclosed. To acquaint persons skilled in the pertinent arts most closely related to the present invention, a preferred embodiment that illustrates the best mode now contemplated for putting the invention into practice is described herein by, and with reference to, the annexed drawings that form a part of the specification. The exemplary embodiment is described in detail without attempting to describe all of the various forms and modifications in which the invention might be embodied. As such, the embodiments described herein are illustrative, and as will become apparent to those skilled in the arts, may be modified in numerous ways within the scope and spirit of the invention.
Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims. To the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader, and it is not intended that such claim term by limited, by implication or otherwise, to that single meaning.
Various embodiments of the present invention are described herein and as depicted in the drawings. It is expressly understood that although the figures depict anchors and lifting clutches, and methods and systems for using the same, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.
Now referring to
As shown in
Initially, the bars 12, 14 can be a single, straight bar that is shaped and bent into the configuration shown. The bars 12, 14 may be joined at the center portions 22 using, for example, a weld. The bars 12, 14 can be joined prior to or after selective connection with a lifting clutch. Further, in some embodiments, the bars 12, 14 are provided in a lifting clutch without welding. The bars 12, 14 in
Now referring to
Now referring to
Now referring to
Now referring to
The first engagement portion 40 of the first bar 12 defines a first common aperture 31a with a corresponding engagement portion of the other bar, and the second engagement portion 42 of the first bar 12 defines a second common aperture 31b with a corresponding engagement portion of the other bar. A clutch, as described below with respect to
In this embodiment, each clutch engagement portion 40, 42 has a two straight parts oriented at a clutch angle 44 that is between approximately 45 and 90 degrees. In various embodiments, the clutch angle 44 is between 60 and 75 degrees. Each clutch engagement portion 40, 42 also defines a radius of curvature 50 that is between 0.1 and 1 inches in some embodiments. In various embodiments, the radius of curvature 50 is approximately 0.37 inches. The spacing portion 46 has parts that form a spacing angle 48 that is between approximately 45 and 135 degrees in some embodiments. In various embodiments, the spacing angle 48 is approximately 90 degrees. In addition, an anchor height 52 is between approximately 4 and 24 inches in some embodiments. In various embodiments, the anchor height 52 is approximately 8 inches. A clutch offset 54 between the peaks of the two clutch engagement portions 40, 42 is between 2 and 24 inches in some embodiments. In various embodiments, the clutch offset 54 is approximately 6 inches. Dimensions of the anchor are provided in inches, and angles between various portions of the anchor are provided. It will be appreciated that these dimensions and angles are exemplary in nature and are not to be understood as limiting in nature. The term approximately can indicate a less than 10% relative difference.
Now referring to
The radius of curvature of the bottom surface of the lower portion can be increased by at least 10% over the radius of curvature of the top surface of the top portion of the lifting clutch. In some embodiments, the radius of curvature of the bottom surface of the lower portion can be increased by at least 20% over the radius of curvature of the top surface of the top portion of the lifting clutch. In various embodiments, the radius of curvature of the bottom surface of the lower portion can be increased by at least 20% over the radius of curvature of the top surface of the top portion of the lifting clutch. Referring to
In addition, as shown in
Now referring to
The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the invention to the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiments described and shown in the figures were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention.
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. Moreover, references made herein to “the present invention” or aspects thereof should be understood to mean certain embodiments of the present invention and should not necessarily be construed as limiting all embodiments to a particular description. It is to be expressly understood that such modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention, as set forth in the following claims.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/645,352 filed Mar. 20, 2018, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
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