Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6390734
-
Patent Number
6,390,734
-
Date Filed
Thursday, January 4, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, May 21, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
- Bagnell; David
- Lagman; Frederick L.
Agents
- Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 405 229
- 405 230
- 405 231
- 405 232
- 405 244
- 405 249
- 405 251
- 405 252
- 052 1251
- 052 1699
- 052 296
- 052 297
- 052 292
- 052 2931
- 052 2932
- 052 2933
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A device and method are provided for leveling and supporting a slab foundation on a column of piling sections. A vertical hole is bored through the slab foundation and an anchoring cylinder is inserted in the hole. An adhesive is used to adhere the outer surface of the anchoring cylinder to a portion of the foundation. The cylinder has a plurality of downward-facing load shoulders which are engaged by upward-facing shoulders of a reacting member positioned across and above the hole. Piling sections are inserted into the anchoring cylinder and forced into the earth with a driving device that reacts against the reacting member. The anchoring cylinder is then supported on the piling sections to maintain the desired level of the foundation.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the leveling of a foundation and specifically relates to the leveling of a foundation using a column of piling sections located in a central portion of the foundation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Columns of piling sections are installed under the interiors of buildings using several techniques. Tunnels can be dug under buildings for piling sections to be installed therein, or holes can be cut into the foundations for piling sections to be inserted into the holes from above. The holes must be large enough to permit the passage of piling sections and brackets for fastening the piling sections to the foundations and to provide for working room. To install a six-inch diameter concrete piling through an excavation typically requires a hole measuring 2 feet by 2 feet. When steel piling sections are installed through brackets, the piling sections are cut and welded to the brackets after a foundation is lifted to the desired level.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A device and method are provided for leveling and supporting a slab foundation on a column of piling sections. A vertical hole is bored through the slab foundation and an anchoring cylinder is inserted in the hole. An adhesive is used to adhere the outer surface of the anchoring cylinder to a portion of the foundation. The cylinder has a plurality of downward-facing load shoulders which are engaged by upward-facing shoulders of a reacting member positioned across and above the hole. Piling sections are inserted into the anchoring cylinder and forced into the earth with a driving device that reacts against the reacting member. The anchoring cylinder is then supported on the piling sections to maintain the desired level of the foundation.
Use of the present invention allows the size of excavations to be greatly reduced. The size of the hole bored in the foundation will be approximately equal to the piling diameter plus 3 inches, reducing the damage caused by interior excavations. Because the assembly for driving a piling section is attached within the anchoring cylinder, no external apparatus is required, reducing the size of the required bore. For steel or concrete piling sections, the present invention allows for piling sections to be adjusted after installation.
Additional objects, features, and advantages will be apparent in the written description that follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The novel features believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1
is a partially-exploded perspective view of a driving assembly of a piling anchor constructed in accordance with this invention.
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of a support assembly of a piling anchor constructed in accordance with this invention.
FIGS. 3
,
4
,
6
, and
7
are sectional views showing successive steps in the method of installation of.
FIG. 5
is a top sectional view showing a piling anchor constructed in accordance with this invention and adhered to a beam of a foundation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIGS. 1 and 2
show an apparatus for leveling and supporting a slab foundation on a column of piling sections. The apparatus can be secured to a slab or to the slab and a strengthening beam. The invention comprises two assemblies: a driving assembly, shown in FIG.
1
and used to drive the piling sections and to lift the foundation; and a support assembly, shown in FIG.
2
and used to permanently lock the foundation on the piling after being lifted.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, the preferred embodiment of the driving assembly
11
comprises an anchoring cylinder
13
, two latching bars
15
, a reacting bar
17
, two connecting pins
19
, and a driving plate
21
. The anchoring cylinder
13
is a cylindrical tube. Two downward-facing load shoulders
23
are formed as the upper portion of rectangular, opposing hook slots
25
through the sidewall of the anchoring cylinder
13
. The hook slots
25
are located near an upper portion of the cylinder
13
. The anchoring cylinder
13
has two opposing shim stops
27
that have a rectangular cross-section and are affixed to an upper portion of the inner surface
29
of the anchoring cylinder
13
, the longitudinal axes of the shim stops
27
being parallel to the central axis of the anchoring cylinder
13
. The lower ends of the shim stops
27
and the lower ends of the hook slots
25
are located the same vertical distance from the top of the anchor cylinder
13
.
The latching bars
15
are part of a reacting member that also includes reacting bar
17
. Latching bars are formed from metal plates, and each has a hole
31
near an upper end and a hook
33
on a lower portion. The hole
31
is cylindrical and is perpendicular to a plane bisecting both latching bars
15
when the latching bars
15
are in their installed positions. Each hook
33
is a U-shaped member forming an upward-facing load shoulder
35
for engaging the hook slots
25
in the anchoring cylinder
13
.
The reacting bar
17
is a rectangular, metal bar having vertical slots
37
in the ends of the bar
17
, the bar also having a length sufficient for spanning the distance between the installed latching bars
15
. The vertical slots
37
are sized for receiving the upper ends of the latching bars
15
and give the reacting bar
17
an H-shape when viewed from above. Each slot
37
has a horizontal hole
39
having the same diameter and orientation as the holes
31
in the latching bars
15
and which extends through both sides of the slot
37
. The length of the connecting pins
19
is equal to the horizontal width of the reacting bar
17
, and the outer diameter of the pins
19
is equal to the inner diameter of the holes
31
,
39
in the reacting bar
17
and the latching bars
15
. The driving plate
21
is a circular metal plate having four notches
40
in its periphery, the notches
40
being sized for receiving the cross-sectional shapes of the latching bars
15
and the shim stops
27
. A lifting or driving device
41
, which may be a hydraulic ram, can be placed between the reacting bar
17
and the driving plate
21
.
FIG. 2
shows the preferred embodiment of the support assembly
43
which comprises the anchoring cylinder
13
, steel shims
45
, a locking bar
47
and two locking pins
49
. The shims
45
are 45 degree arcs and have a radial width equal to the distance that the shim stops
27
protrude into the anchoring cylinder
13
. The locking bar
47
is a rectangular metal bar having a length slightly longer than the outer diameter of the anchoring cylinder
13
. The horizontal width of the locking bar
47
is equal to the width of the hook slots
25
, and the vertical height is equal to ¾ of the height of the hook slots
25
. The locking pins
49
are also rectangular metal bars having a width equal to the width of the hook slots
25
, but their height is equal to ¼ the height of the hook slots
25
. The length of the locking pins
49
can be from ¼ to ⅓ of the outer diameter of the anchoring cylinder
13
.
FIGS. 3 through 7
show the steps in the preferred method for installation of the apparatus and the use thereof. Referring to
FIG. 3
, the anchoring cylinder
13
is installed by boring a hole
51
through the slab
53
of a foundation and into the earth
55
below, cleaning the inner surface of the hole
51
, coating the concrete portions of the inner surface of the hole
51
with a layer of adhesive
57
, and then inserting the anchoring cylinder
13
into the hole
51
. As seen in these figures, it may be necessary or desired to locate the hole
51
so that the hole
51
penetrates through a vertical side of a horizontal strengthening beam
59
of the foundation. As seen in
FIG. 5
, this encroachment creates in the beam
59
a concave recess
61
preferably having an arc of between 120 and 180 degrees. It is not necessary for all 360 degrees of the hole
51
to penetrate through a beam
59
, and it is desirable to avoid placing the hole
51
directly through a beam
59
to avoid cutting cables or reinforcing steel located in the beam
59
. After the anchoring cylinder
13
is installed, the hooks
33
on the latching bars
15
are inserted into the hook slots
25
of the anchoring cylinder
13
.
The steps for inserting the column of piling sections
63
are shown in
FIGS. 4 and 6
. Steel or concrete piling sections
63
are placed within the anchoring cylinder
13
and the driving plate
21
is placed on top of the uppermost piling section
63
.
FIG. 5
shows the driving plate
21
placed with notches
40
aligned to receive the corresponding shim stops and latching bars. The reacting bar
17
is attached to the latching bars
15
by inserting the upper ends of the bars
15
into the slots
37
of the reacting bar
17
and inserting the connecting pins
19
into the aligned holes
31
,
39
. The piling sections
63
are cylindrical and have an outer diameter less than the distance between the two latching bars
15
. The hydraulic ram
41
is placed between the reacting bar
17
and the driving plate
21
.
To install a column of piling sections
63
, hydraulic power is supplied to extend the ram
41
, as shown in FIG.
6
. The ram
41
applies a downward force to the driving plate
21
as the reacting bar
17
opposes the upward reaction force. This upward force is directed into the slab
53
and beam
59
by the driving assembly
11
and tends to lift the foundation. The downward force pushes the piling section
63
into the earth
55
. Once the ram
41
is fully extended, the ram
41
is retracted and removed, and the driving plate
21
is then removed. A second piling section
63
is placed in the anchoring cylinder
13
, the driving plate
21
is replaced, and the ram
41
is reinserted. The second piling section
63
is then driven into the earth
55
, and the process is repeated until the earth
55
below the piling sections
63
is compacted enough to resist further downward movement.
The top of the driving plate
21
must be located below the lower ends of the shim stops
27
to allow shims
45
to be placed between the shim stops
27
and the driving plate
21
. To achieve this, it may be necessary to remove the uppermost piling section
63
and replace it with a shorter piling section
63
.
After the column of piling sections
63
is installed, the ram
41
is used to lift the foundation to the desired level. With the ram
41
still extended and supporting the foundation at this level, shims
45
are used to fill the space between the lower ends of the shim stops
27
and the top of the driving plate
21
.
As seen in
FIG. 7
, the ram
41
is withdrawn and the driving assembly
11
is removed while the anchoring cylinder
13
is being supported by the shim stops
27
resting on the stacks of shims
45
. Additional shims
45
are used to fill the space from the top of the driving plate
21
to the bottoms of the hook slots
25
. If desired, additional shims
45
of various configurations can be placed near the center of the driving plate
21
. The locking bar
47
is then lowered into the anchoring cylinder
13
and the ends of the locking bar
47
are placed into the hook slots
25
. The locking pins
49
are placed on top of the locking bar
47
and driven into the hook slots
25
to secure the locking bar
47
in the hook slots
25
.
Several advantages are realized from the use of the present invention. The size of excavations are greatly reduced, reducing the damage caused by interior excavations. The assembly for driving the piling sections is attached within the anchoring cylinder, and no external apparatus is required, reducing the size of the required bore. For steel or concrete piling sections, piling sections can be adjusted after installation.
While the invention is shown in only one of its forms, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible to various changes without departing from the scope of the invention.
Claims
- 1. A method for leveling and supporting a slab foundation on a column of piling sections comprising:(a) boring a vertical hole through the slab foundation; (b) inserting an anchoring cylinder in the hole, the cylinder having a plurality of downward-facing load shoulders; (c) adhering an outer surface of the anchoring cylinder to a portion of the foundation; (d) engaging upward-facing shoulders of a reacting member with the downward-facing load shoulders of the anchoring cylinder and positioning the reacting member across and above the hole; (e) inserting piling sections into the hole through the anchoring cylinder and forcing the piling sections into the earth with a driving device that reacts against the reacting member; then (f) supporting the anchoring cylinder on the piling sections.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein:step (a) comprises encroaching into a vertical side of a strengthening beam of the foundation while boring the hole to create additional concrete surface area for adhering the anchoring cylinder thereon.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein:step (c) comprises applying an adhesive between the anchoring cylinder and the portion of the foundation.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises:providing the reacting member with a plurality of latching bars, each bar having a hook that forms one of the upward-facing shoulders; and inserting the hook of each bar into a hook slot, the hook slots comprising the downward-facing load shoulders of the anchoring cylinder.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein:step (e) further comprises placing a driving plate on an upper surface of an uppermost piling section for distributing a downward force across the surface.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein:step (f) further comprises inserting a locking bar under the load shoulders, the locking bar bearing against an uppermost piling section for supporting the anchoring cylinder on the piling sections.
- 7. A method for leveling and supporting a slab foundation on a column of piling sections, the slab foundation having at least one transverse beam, the method comprising:(a) boring a vertical hole through the slab foundation and into a portion of the beam, the hole creating a concave recess in the beam; (b) inserting an anchoring cylinder in the hole, the cylinder having a plurality of downward-facing load shoulders and at least one shim stop; (c) adhering an outer surface of the anchoring cylinder to the concave recess with an adhesive; (d) connecting a reacting member to the load shoulders of the anchoring cylinder and positioning the reacting member across and above the hole; (e) inserting piling sections into the hole and forcing the piling sections into the earth with a driving device that reacts against the reacting member, thereby lifting the foundation to a desired level; (f) inserting at least one shim between the shim stop and an uppermost piling section; and (g) removing the reacting member and inserting a locking bar under the load shoulders and bearing against the uppermost piling section for supporting the anchoring cylinder on the column of piling sections.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein:step (e) further comprises placing a driving plate on an upper surface of the uppermost piling section for distributing a downward force across the surface.
- 9. An apparatus for leveling and supporting a slab foundation on a column of piling sections comprising:an anchoring cylinder adapted to be inserted into a hole in the slab with an outer surface of the cylinder adhered to the slab; a plurality of downward-facing load shoulders in the anchoring cylinder; and a reacting member adapted to extend over and above the hole, the reacting member having a plurality of latching bars, each bar having an upward-facing shoulder that engages one of the downward-facing load shoulders, so that a lifting device can be placed between the piling sections and the reacting member to pull the foundation upward relative to the piling sections.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:a plurality of shim stops secured to an inner surface of the anchoring cylinder for receiving shims between the shim stops and the piling sections to enable the latching bars to be removed from the anchoring cylinder.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:a locking bar for supporting the anchoring cylinder on the column of piling sections, the locking bar being inserted under the load shoulders after the shims are installed and the latching bars are removed.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:the load shoulders comprise downward-facing surfaces of holes formed in the sidewall of the anchoring cylinder.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:a driving plate that locates within the anchoring cylinder for contact by the lifting device and for distributing a downward force across an upper surface of an uppermost piling section, the driving plate being circular and having a radius less than that of an inner surface of the anchoring cylinder.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:a plurality of shims; a plurality of shim stops secured to an inner surface of the anchoring cylinder for receiving the shims between the shim stops and the piling sections to enable the latching bars to be removed from the anchoring cylinder; and wherein the shims are arcuate and have an outer radius less than that of the inner surface of the anchoring cylinder.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:the upward-facing shoulders of the latching bars comprise outward-protruding hooks.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein:the reacting member has a cross member that extends between upper ends of the latching bars, the cross member being releasable from the latching bars.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:a plurality of shim stops secured to an inner surface of the anchoring cylinder for receiving shims between the shim stops and the piling sections to enable the latching bars to be removed from the anchoring cylinder; and a driving plate that locates within the anchoring cylinder for contact by the lifting device and for distributing a downward force across an upper surface of an uppermost piling section, the driving plate being circular and having a radius less than that of an inner surface of the anchoring cylinder, the driving plate also having notches in its periphery for receiving the cross-sectional shapes of the latching bars and the shim stops.
US Referenced Citations (9)