CONCRETE ANCHOR

Abstract

A concrete anchor and a method of using such an anchor is disclosed where the anchor comprises a tube having a mounting flange and a retention feature. The tube is encased in concrete and a bar is subsequently secured within the tube such that an exposed end of the bar can be encased in a subsequent concrete formation. In one embodiment a plurality of concrete anchors are secured together by one or more rails forming a set.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention pertains to concrete construction, specifically in scenarios where rebar continues through a cold joint, or when a threaded rod is to be embedded in concrete for the purpose of mounting other building components.

In concrete construction it is common for adjoining sections of concrete to be poured at separate times creating a cold joint between the adjoining sections. Such cold joints may be formed where a wall or slab connects to another wall perpendicularly, where a wall or slab continues but cannot be poured continuously from one end to another, or when an elevated deck connects to a wall or column. In most cases, rebar must continue through cold joints to provide the requisite structural strength.

One such method for connecting adjoining sections of concrete is to pour the first section, then drill holes and secure rebar within the holes. Such a process can be arduous, costly and resource intensive. Another method is to drill holes in the concrete forms, allowing the rebar to extend out of the form during the pour. Such methods destroy the forms and make form removal difficult as the rebar may extend a significant distance outside of the concrete form, making the form difficult to remove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a side view of concrete anchor according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1B is a front view of concrete anchor according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1C is a rear view of concrete anchor according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2A-2E are cross-sectional views of a method of using a concrete anchor according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 3A-3C are views of a concrete anchor made from sheet metal according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of an installed concrete anchor according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 5A-5B are views of a tapered concrete anchor made from sheet metal according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a set of concrete anchors according to an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 7. is an isometric view of a set of concrete anchors according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to a concrete anchor that is useful for joining sections of concrete having a cold joint between them. While the present invention can be useful to produce a wide variety of concrete anchors, some embodiments of the invention are particularly useful for producing concrete anchors for use in adjoining sections of concrete, as described in more detail below. It is understood, however, that such a process may also be employed to create concrete anchors for other uses.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a concrete anchor 100 that may be employed in an embodiment. Concrete anchor 100 may have an elongated tube 105 having a receiving end 110 and a distal end 115 opposite the receiving end and an outer surface 120 extending between the receiving end and the distal end. Tube 105 may be of any cross-section including but not limited to a circle a square, a rectangle an octagon or a hexagon. Tube 105 may be constructed of any material including metal or plastic. In one embodiment tube 105 may be constructed of sheet metal and formed by rolling and/or stamping. In some embodiments tube 105 may have a closed distal end 115 to prevent concrete from filling the tube. In further embodiments tube 105 may also have a temporarily closed receiving end 110 to prevent concrete from filling the tube. In some embodiments receiving end 110 may be closed with a relatively thin sheet or plug that may be easily removed or penetrated before installing the rebar. In further embodiments the sheet may comprise a thin metal or plastic foil. In other embodiments the plug may comprise a metal or plastic component that may be removed by hand or with a specialized tool. Any feature that prevents concrete from entering the receiving end of tube 105 may be used.

A mounting flange 125 may be disposed proximate receiving end 110 of tube 105. Mounting flange 125 may have an outside dimension 130 that is greater than a dimension 132 of an outer surface 120 of tube 105. Mounting flange 125 may further have one or more mounting holes 140 disposed within it. In some embodiments mounting flange 125 may be an integrally formed portion of tube 105. In other embodiments mounting flange 125 may be attached to tube 105 by processes such as, but not limited to welding or gluing. In yet further embodiments mounting flange 125 may be attached to tube 105 via mechanical means such as, but not limited to, screwing, clipping, swaging and/or snapping.

At least one retention feature 145 is disposed on or integrally formed on tube 105. In some embodiments retention feature 145 has an outer dimension 150 greater than outside dimension 132 of outer surface 120 of elongated tube 105. In one embodiment, retention feature 145 may be a plate that is attached to distal end 115 of tube 105. In further embodiments retention feature 145 may be an integrally formed portion of tube 105 such as a taper, a step or a raised feature. In still further embodiments retention feature 145 may be attached to tube 105 by processes such as welding or gluing. In yet further embodiments retention feature 105 may be attached to tube 105 via mechanical means such as, but not limited to, screwing, clipping, swaging and/or snapping.

FIGS. 2A through 2E illustrate a simplified general method for using concrete anchor 100 in accordance with some embodiments. The illustrated method may be employed for single concrete anchors and ganged concrete anchors, as describe in more detail below.

In FIG. 2A concrete anchor 100 is secured to a first concrete form 205 by affixing mounting flange 125 to the form with one or more fasteners 210. In FIG. 2B concrete 215 is poured within first concrete form 205, around concrete anchor 100 and retention feature 145 and cured. In FIG. 2C first concrete forms 205 are removed. In some embodiments a foil, sheet or plug may placed in receiving end 110 of tube 105 before the tube is installed on the concrete form. The foil or plug may then be removed from the receiving end of the concrete anchor, exposing an opening that can receive a bar. In some embodiments the bar may be a reinforcement bar known in the art as “rebar”. In further embodiments other types of bars, dowels, bolts or screws may be used.

In FIG. 2D, an adhesive 220 has been disposed within concrete anchor 100 and cured, securing bar 225 within the concrete anchor. In some embodiments bar 225 may be secured to anchor 100 with an epoxy or other bonding agent. In an embodiment, for example, an epoxy such as DBA700 from Superior Industries Incorporated may be used. In further embodiments bar 225 may be mechanically attached to anchor 100 with threads or other means. In still further embodiments bar 225 may be placed in anchor 100 without being secured creating a uniaxial sliding joint. As further illustrated in FIGS. 2D and 2E, at a later point in time a second concrete section 230 can be attached to first concrete section 215 by placing a second form 227 around an exposed portion of bar to define the shape of the second concrete section. Concrete may then be poured into second concrete form 227, around the exposed portion of bar 225 and cured, forming a cold joint between first and second concrete sections, 215, 230, respectively. In FIG. 2E second concrete form 227 has been removed and second concrete section 230 is attached by the bar to the first concrete section.

In other embodiments concrete anchors may be employed with different construction methods. For example, one or more forms may be required to form a concrete section such as a wall. In one embodiment one or more concrete anchors may be attached to a first form and the first form may then be secured in place followed by one or more subsequent forms. In another embodiment a first form may be secured in place and one or more concrete anchors may be secured to the first form. Subsequent forms may then be put in place. In another embodiment a first form and a second form may be put in place and one or more concrete anchors may be secured to the first or second forms. The particular sequence of installation of the concrete anchors and the forms may occur in myriad ways.

In FIGS. 3A and 3B an embodiment of a concrete anchor 300 is illustrated that may be manufactured from sheet metal. In one embodiment a contiguous piece of sheet metal is used while in other embodiments two or more pieces of sheet metal may be used. In this embodiment, mounting flange 305 may comprise one or more sections 310. The sections may be designed such that they can be produced from a single piece of sheet metal. Elongated tube 315 may be formed by rolling or any other suitable process such as stamping. Tube 315 may be joined together using a weld or other feature such as a formed joint 320. In one embodiment joint 320 may be rolled while in another embodiment the joint may comprise swage features. In further embodiments retention feature 325 may also be formed from sheet metal. In one embodiment retention feature 325 is formed at the distal end of the tube and includes formed sheet metal as further illustrated in FIG. 3C. In other embodiments the retention feature may be disposed at any location between the receiving end and the distal end. In further embodiments more than one retention feature may be disposed on the tube.

As further illustrated in FIG. 3B, some embodiments may include an identification 330 on mounting flange 305. Identification 330 may include information such as a part number and/or a configuration of the concrete anchor such as, but not limited to, its depth, diameter and/or rebar compatibility.

Now referring to FIG. 4, a partial cross-section of one embodiment of a concrete anchor 400 in an installed condition is illustrated. In this embodiment tube 405 may be crimped 410 and adhesive 415 may be used to secure bar 420 within concrete anchor 400.

In FIGS. 5A-5C another embodiment of a concrete anchor 500 is illustrated having an outer surface 505 that has a first outside dimension 510 proximate receiving end 515 and a second outside dimension 520 proximate distal end 525. In this embodiment first outside dimension 510 proximate receiving end 515 is smaller than second outside dimension 520 proximate distal end 525. In some embodiments this may result in tube 505 having a tapered cross-section as illustrated, however in other embodiments the transition may not be tapered and may result in one or more discontinuities in the outer surface of the tube. In some embodiments such a change in cross-sectional diameter may create a retention feature that retains concrete anchor 500 within the cured concrete. In further embodiments additional retention features may be disposed on tube 505 as disclosed elsewhere herein and as depicted in FIGS. 5A-5C.

In FIG. 6 another embodiment of a set 600 of concrete anchors is illustrated having a plurality of concrete anchors disposed along and attached to a first rail 605. Two concrete anchors are illustrated in FIG. 6, however in other embodiments 3, 4, 5 or more anchors may be attached to first rail 605. In this embodiment flange 610 extends from distal end 615 of tube 620 and first rail 605 passes through a hole in the flange. Other methods may be used to secure first rail 605 to concrete anchors 600. Each concrete anchor also has a retention feature 625 disposed proximate a center of tube 620. In one embodiment the retention feature 625 is a crimp that is formed in tube 620, while in other embodiments the retention feature may comprise a ring that may be secured to the tube.

In FIG. 7 a plurality of concrete anchors configured in a set 700, or “gang” is illustrated, according to one embodiment. In this embodiment set 700 of concrete anchors 705 may include at least a first and a second concrete anchor secured to a plurality of rails 710. Concrete anchors 705 may be of any configuration. In one embodiment, each concrete anchor 705 may include an elongated tube 715 having a receiving end 720 and a distal end 725 opposite the receiving end and an outer surface 730 extending between receiving end 720 and distal end 725. Each concrete anchor 705 may further comprise a mounting flange 735 disposed proximate receiving end 720 and at least one retention feature (e.g., a flange, a rail or other feature) disposed on tube 715 having an outer dimension greater than an outside dimension of the outer surface of the elongated tube, as discussed above. Set 700 of concrete anchors may further each have a mounting feature (e.g., a flange, a weld or other feature) 740 that is secured to one or more common rails 710. Rails 710 may extend between the plurality of concrete anchors forming a set 700, or gang of concrete anchors.

In some embodiments mounting features 740 may be secured to rails 710 at the manufacturing facility, while in other embodiments the securing may occur in a subsequent process such as at the construction site or at a staging location. In further embodiments, set 700 of concrete anchors may be manufactured with a fixed pitch between concrete anchors 705. In other embodiments the pitch may be variable. In still further embodiments set 700 of concrete anchors may be manufactured and the desired number of anchors to be used may simply be cut from a longer set. For example, in some embodiments set 700 of concrete anchors may include 20 concrete anchors 705 on a twelve inch pitch. At the construction site a set of five anchors may be trimmed from the larger set of 20 anchors.

In some embodiments rails 710 may be secured to other rebar or support structures within the area to be filled by concrete. In some embodiments mounting features 740 may allow concrete anchors 705 to slide along rails 740 such that the concrete anchors may be adjusted to fit within a particular rebar formation or other structure. In other embodiments set 700 of anchors may be prefabricated to intentionally avoid certain features within the pour area such that the set fits without modification. In some embodiments rails 710 may be employed as a rebar-type reinforcement within the concrete structure. In further embodiments rails 710 and/or mounting features 740 may be considered retention features securing the concrete anchors within the cured concrete section.

Other forms of retention features may be employed such as “L” shaped features that protrude from the outer surface of the tube, weldments such as rectangular sections, cylindrical protrusions or any other feature that extends beyond the outer diameter of the tube.

In further embodiments the concrete anchor may include plastic, metal, a combination thereof, or a different material. In some embodiments the entire concrete anchor may be fabricated from sheet metal while in another embodiment the entire concrete anchor may be fabricated from plastic.

Sets or “gangs” of concrete anchors may be fabricated in any geometry including, but not limited to rows, two-dimensional matrices such as a five by ten array, or other shapes such as circles or squares.

Having disclosed several embodiments, it will be recognized by those of skill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the disclosed embodiments. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elements have not been described to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller range between any stated value or intervening value in a stated range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included or excluded in the range, and each range where either, neither or both limits are included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included.

As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a process” includes a plurality of such processes and reference to “the dielectric material” includes reference to one or more dielectric materials and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth.

Also, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,” and “includes” when used in this specification and in the following claims are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, components, or steps, but they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, steps, acts, or groups.

Claims

1. A set of concrete anchors comprising: a first rail;a plurality of concrete anchors attached to and spaced along the first rail, each of the plurality of concrete anchors comprising: an elongated tube having a receiving end and a distal end opposite the receiving end and an outer surface extending between the receiving end and the distal end wherein the distal end is closed;a mounting flange disposed proximate the receiving end; andat least one retention feature disposed on the elongated tube.

2. The set of concrete anchors of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of concrete anchors further comprises a second rail spaced apart from and parallel to the first rail.

3. The set of concrete anchors of claim 1 wherein the retention feature is disposed on the distal end.

4. The set of concrete anchors of claim 1 wherein the retention feature is disposed on the elongated tube between the receiving end and the distal end.

5. The set of concrete anchors of claim 1 wherein the retention feature comprises the tube having a first outside dimension proximate the receiving end that is smaller than a second outside dimension proximate the distal end.

6. The set of concrete anchors of claim 1 wherein there are two or more retention features disposed on the elongated tube.

7. The set of concrete anchors of claim 1 wherein the receiving end is closed with a removable plug or foil.

8. The set of concrete anchors of claim 1 having a mounting feature configured to be securable to a rail.

9. The set of concrete anchors of claim 1 wherein a cross-section of the elongated tube is generally circular.

10. The set of concrete anchors of claim 1 wherein a cross-section of the elongated tube is generally rectangular.