Patent Application
20210214943
In construction applications, columns have often been used outdoors for utilitarian and aesthetic purposed. Where those columns can be directly secured to corresponding foundations and headers, for example where the column can be bolted to the header and foundation, the columns may provide stability both for compression and tension. However, where hollow or composite columns are used, the columns may provide adequate compressive support but no tensile support. In outdoor applications, an updraft can cause the header and roof to lift away from the column. Such lifting is structurally detrimental and could be problematic for the continued position and orientation of the column.
In one aspect, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to an inter-column anchor that engages a top surface of header above a corresponding column, and the foundation below the corresponding column. The header anchor and/or the foundation anchor are adjustable to increase or decrease tension.
In a further aspect, the header anchor and foundation anchor are joined by a cable that may be grossly adjustable in length to accommodate various column heights.
In a further aspect, the elements of the inter-column anchor may be organized into a kit for distribution.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and should not restrict the scope of the claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles.
The numerous advantages of the embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which:
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein in detail, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components or steps or methodologies set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. In the following detailed description of embodiments of the instant inventive concepts, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the inventive concepts. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure that the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features may not be described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the instant disclosure. The inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As used herein a letter following a reference numeral is intended to reference an embodiment of the feature or element that may be similar, but not necessarily identical, to a previously described element or feature bearing the same reference numeral (e.g., 1, 1a, 1b). Such shorthand notations are used for purposes of convenience only, and should not be construed to limit the inventive concepts disclosed herein in any way unless expressly stated to the contrary.
Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by anyone of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).
In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components of embodiments of the instant inventive concepts. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the inventive concepts, and “a” and “an” are intended to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
Finally, as used herein any reference to “one embodiment,” or “some embodiments” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. The appearances of the phrase “in some embodiments” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, and embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed may include one or more of the features expressly described or inherently present herein, or any combination of sub-combination of two or more such features, along with any other features which may not necessarily be expressly described or inherently present in the instant disclosure.
Broadly, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to an inter-column anchor that engages a top surface of header above a corresponding column, and the foundation below the corresponding column. The header anchor and/or the foundation anchor are adjustable to increase or decrease tension.
Referring to
In at least one embodiment, the header anchor 106 passes through the header (for example, between two closely disposed beams of the header 102, through a hole in a laminated header, etc.) A flange, such as a large washer or a molded portion of the header anchor, abuts a top surface of the header 102.
In at least one embodiment, the foundation anchor 108 engages a foundation hole 112 drilled in the foundation 104. The foundation anchor 108 may comprise an expanding concrete anchor bolt; alternatively, other foundation anchors 108 are envisioned. For example, an internally threaded sleeve may be secured in the foundation hole 112, either mechanically or via an adhesive, and then an eye bolt may be screwed into the internally threaded sleeve.
In at least one embodiment, at least one of the header anchor 106 and/or foundation anchor 108 includes a tensioning element to apply a tension to the tension wire 110 and compress the header 102 onto the column 100 to prevent any lift caused by updraft.
After installation, the foundation anchor 108 and tension wire 110 are completely obscured by the column 100.
Referring to
In at least one embodiment, the tension wire 210 comprises a composite cable, made of a plurality of wire components 212. In at least one embedment, the tension wire 210 comprises a galvanized aircraft cable having a breaking strength of about seven thousand pounds.
In at least one embodiment, the foundation anchor 208 may comprise an expanding concrete anchor with a pull-out force of about four thousand pounds.
Referring to
In at least one embodiment, the header anchor 300 comprises a tension wire connection element 306 to secure the header anchor 300 to the tension wire 304. The tension wire connection element 306 may comprise a stud-end sleeve grip or other swage sleeve device including a tightening nut 312 to increase a gripping force on the tension sire 304. Alternatively, the tension wire connection element 306 may comprise an eye bolt or a threaded eye nut.
A header flange 308 and tensioning nut 310 are disposed along a header anchor shaft such that the header flange 308 abuts a top surface of a header when installed. The tensioning nut 310 allows an installer to apply tension to the tension wire 304 which tends to hold the header against a top surface of a column and prevent lift from updraft.
In at least one embodiment, the foundation anchor 302 comprises a tension wire connection element 314 to secure the foundation anchor 302 to the tension wire 304. The tension wire connection element 314 may comprise a stud-end sleeve grip or other swage sleeve device including a tightening nut 320 to increase a gripping force on the tension sire 304.
In at least one embodiment, where the foundation anchor 302 comprises an expanding concrete anchor, the expanding concrete anchor portion may include an expansion nut 318 to force the expanding concrete anchor to engage a hole in a foundation. The expanding concrete anchor portion may be connected to a foundation anchor shaft via a threaded coupler 316. In at least one embodiment, the threaded coupler 316 may be adjusted to make fine adjustments to the length of the tension wire 304 to the top surface of the header. It may be appreciated that the threaded coupler 316 may adjust tension of the tension wire 304, though in actual application, the threaded coupler may usually be unreachable as it is surrounded by a column.
In at least one embodiment, the foundation anchor 302 comprises a threaded bolt and an internally threaded sleeve. The internally threaded sleeve is secured in the foundation hole and the threaded bolt may be screwed in. Alternatively, the foundation anchor 302 may comprise a shaft portion, threaded or not, that may be fixed in the foundation hole via an adhesive. Alternatively, the foundation anchor 302 may be directly disposed in the foundation when poured.
Referring to
In at least one embodiment, the header anchor 400 comprises a tension wire connection element 406 to secure the header anchor 400 to the tension wire 404. The tension wire connection element 406 may comprise a stud-end sleeve grip or other swage sleeve device including a tightening nut 412 to increase a gripping force on the tension sire 404. Alternatively, the tension wire connection element 406 may comprise an eye bolt or a threaded eye nut.
A header flange 408 and tensioning nut 410 are disposed along a header anchor shaft such that the header flange 408 abuts a top surface of a header when installed. The tensioning nut 410 allows an installer to apply tension to the tension wire 404 which tends to hold the header against a top surface of a column and prevent lift from updraft.
In at least one embodiment, the foundation anchor 402 comprises a tension wire connection element 416 to secure the foundation anchor 402 to the tension wire 404. The tension wire connection element 416 may comprise a threaded eye nut affixed to a foundation anchor shaft.
In at least one embodiment, where the foundation anchor 402 comprises an expanding concrete anchor, the expanding concrete anchor portion may include an expansion nut 418 to force the expanding concrete anchor to engage a hole in a foundation. The expansion nut 418 may also define terminal position of the tension wire connection element 416.
In at least one embodiment, a compression sleeve 420 is used to connect the tension wire 404 to the tension wire connection element 416. Furthermore, the compression sleeve 420 allows for gross tension wire length adjustments. During installation, after the foundation anchor 402 is fixed in the foundation, the tension wire 404 may be sized to conform to the distance from the foundation to the top of the corresponding header. The compression sleeve 420, or other tension wire 404 self-connection element, secures the tension wire 404 to itself through the tension wire connection element 416. Such adjustment allows the tension wire 404 to be long enough to accommodate any column height, but still finely adjustable during installation.
Referring to
Referring to
It is believed that the inventive concepts disclosed herein and many of their attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description of embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the broad scope of the inventive concepts disclosed herein or without sacrificing all of their material advantages; and individual features from various embodiments may be combined to arrive at other embodiments. The form herein before described being merely an explanatory embodiment thereof, it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes. Furthermore, any of the features disclosed in relation to any of the individual embodiments may be incorporated into any other embodiment.
The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional App. No. 62/961,610 (filed Jan. 15, 2020), which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62961610 | Jan 2020 | US |
