The present invention relates to anchors for securing a manufactured building to the ground while resisting movement from forces directed against the building. More particularly, the present invention relates to stabilizer anchors for manufactured buildings, which being engaged to the ground and the building, provide resistance in tension and compression for securing the manufactured building from movement in response to forces directed against the building.
Typical manufactured buildings use a pair of spaced-apart longitudinal support beams, often steel I-beams, to underlie the frame of the building. Foundation piers positioned on the ground extend into bearing contact with the support beams to support the building above the ground for ventilation and crawl space under the building. Additionally, anchor assemblies use a strap that connects to the building and to anchors that engage the ground with helix members or helical flights that pull the anchor into the soil during installational rotation. The foundation piers and the anchor assemblies secure the manufactured building to the ground and resist movement of the building caused by loading forces such as from earthquakes and from high winds directed against the building.
Conventional anchor assemblies use an auger-type anchor having helical flights that embed the anchor in the ground lateral to one side of the support beam and a strap member that connects between a head or connector of the anchor and the support beam of the manufactured building. The helical flight provides auger characteristics for pulling the anchor into the soil. The helical fight attaches to an end portion of an elongated shaft of the anchor. The anchor is rotated as an auger to drive the anchor into the ground by action of the helical flight. U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,685 discloses a tension anchor system having a strap and connector assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,447 discloses a foundation pier system with an elongated brace between a ground pan and the I-beam of the building. The foundation piers and a plurality of spaced-apart anchor assemblies, the number and spacing of which is dependent on soil and wind conditions, hold the manufactured building in engagement to the ground and provide resistance to movement caused by loading forces, typically wind but may be earthquakes as well, directed on the building.
While conventional anchors provide ground connections and movement resistance for manufactured building, there is a need for ground anchors to have tension and compression resistance to loading on manufactured buildings while reducing installation time and labor as well as costs. It is to such that the present invention is directed.
The present invention meets the need in the art for an improved stabilizer anchor that provides tension and compression resistance for securing a manufactured building to the ground. More particularly, the stabilizer anchor assembly secures the manufactured building to the ground while providing resistance to movement thereof in response to forces directed against the manufactured building, with an anchor having an elongated rod with a helical flight at a first end and a connector at an opposing second end and a stabilizer assembly having a plate and a seating member that slidingly receives the rod for movement of the stabilizer assembly relative to the rod during installation of the anchor vertically below an elongate longitudinal I-beam on which a manufactured building is supported, the plate for engaging the ground after installation. A stabilizer member connects at a first end to the connector of the anchor and at a second end to the longitudinal I-beam thereby disposing the stabilizer member substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the I-beam, whereby forces on the manufactured building communicate therefrom through the stabilizer member to the ground through the anchor. The plate, being moved relative to the rod during installation in the ground, resists movement of the manufactured building in response to forces against the manufactured building.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for securing a manufactured building to the ground with a stabilizer anchor assembly that provides resistance to movement thereof in response to forces directed against the manufactured building, comprising the steps of:
(a) slidingly extending a rod of an anchor through a seating member of a stabilizer assembly, the anchor having a helical flight at a first end for engaging a portion of ground below a longitudinal I-beam on which a manufactured building is supported and an opposing second end having a connector;
(b) driving the anchor and the stabilizer assembly in the ground, the stabilizer assembly moving relative to the rod during installation of the anchor and the plate engaging the ground after installation; and
(c) connecting a first end of a stabilizer member to the connector of the anchor and connecting a second end of the stabilizer member to the longitudinal I-beam, thereby disposing the stabilizer member substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the I-beam, whereby forces on the manufactured building communicate therefrom through the stabilizer member to the ground through the anchor,
whereby the plate, being moves relative to the rod during installation in the ground, resists movement of the manufactured building in response to forces against the manufactured building.
Objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings and the appended claims.
With reference to the drawings in which like parts have like reference numerals,
The auger device 17 of the anchor 16 comprises an elongated rod 22 having at least one helical flight 24 rigidly attached at a first end. The helical flight 24 facilitates turning the anchor 16 through the ground 14 during engagement of the anchor with the ground. A connector 26 defines an opposing end of the rod 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the connector 26 comprises a threaded distal end 28 having a first nut 30 and a second nut 32 threadably engaged to the distal end. The threaded distal end 28 may be a threaded portion of the rod 22 that receives the nut 30 and nut 32. The nut 30 seats at an inward extent of the threaded portion and is preferably rigidly connected thereat such as by welding. In an alternate embodiment, the threaded end is defined by a bolt 33 disposed coaxially with the rod 22 and welded rigidly with the head of the bolt at an end of the rod.
As best illustrated in
The stabilizer member 18 comprises a first elongated tube 54 that telescopically receives a second elongated tube 56. A fastener 58, such as a threaded screw or bolt and nut extending transverse into or through the joined tubes 54, 56 secures the telescoped tubes together. The first tube 54 attaches to the connector 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the first tube 54 has a flanged end 60 defined by pressing and flattening an end portion of the tube. The flanged end 60 defines a through opening. The threaded end of the rod 22 extends through the opening to seat the first tube 54 on the anchor 16. The flanged end 60 seats on the first nut 30, and the second nut 32 bearing thereon secures the flanged end 60 therebetween to the rod 22.
The stabilizer member 18 connects with a beam clamp 70 to the I-beam 12. The I-beam 12 is conventional having an upper flange plate 72 and a spaced-apart lower flange plate 74. A web 76 connects between the pair of opposing flange plates 72, 74. In the illustrated embodiment, the second tube 56 defines a flattened end 78 and a through opening 80 spaced longitudinally from the end 78. The beam clamp 70 comprises a plate 82 having a central portion 84 and opposing end portions 86, 88. The central portion 84 defines a beam contact surface to sit on the upper flange plate 72 of the I-beam 12. The end portion 86 defines a reversed angled hook 90 for engaging a lateral edge of the upper flange plate 72 distal from the anchor 16. The opposing end portion 88 angles at an oblique angle from a planar surface of the central portion 84. The end portion 88 defines an opening 92. A bolt 94 extends through the openings 92, 80 and a nut 96 secures the beam clamp 70 to the stabilizer member 18. The flattened end 78 bears against an under surface of the upper flange plate 72 on the opposing side of the web 76 from the side engaged by the hook 90.
The stabilizer anchor 100 uses an alternate beam clamp 120 having a top plate 122 and opposing side walls 124 that define a slot 126 for receiving a portion of the upper flange 72. Each side wall 124 defines an opening that aligns with the opposing opening. In the illustrated embodiment, the side wall defines the opening lateral and spaced vertically lower than the slot 126. A distal portion of the top plate extends beyond the lateral edge of the flange plate 72. The distal portion defines an opening. A bearing plate 130 defines an opening and seats at an oblique angle relative to the plate 122 to bear against an under surface of the flange plate 72. The aligned openings receive a bolt 134 and a nut secures the plate 122 forcibly against the flange 72. The side walls 124 receive therebetween the distal end of the tube 114 with the opening therein aligning with the openings in the side walls. A bolt 136 extends through the aligned openings in the side walls 124 and the through opening in the tube 114. A nut attaches to the bolt to secure the tube 114 to the beam connector 120.
With reference to
The anchor 16 is held substantially perpendicular to the ground 14 with the end having the helical flight 24 on the ground. The anchor 16 is rotated and the helical flight 24 pulls the rod 22 into the ground. The anchor 16 may be rotated with a lever or tool such as a wrench or power driver that engages the nut 30 or bolt head. The rotation of the rod 22 and the digging of the helical flight 24 may also move the stabilizer assembly 19 into the ground. Alternatively, after contact of the lower edge 41 with the ground, the stabilizer assembly 19 may be hammered to drive the stabilizer assembly into the ground. In many installations, the passage of the helical flight first into the ground 14 is sufficient to allow the rotating flight to also move the stabilizer assembly 19 into the ground. The V-shaped lower edge 41 facilitates the passage of the stabilizer assembly into the ground. The anchor 16 is driven until the upper edge of the stabilizer assembly 19 is at or below, or flush with, the surface of the ground 14.
The stabilizer member 18 is then installed. The transverse beam clamp 70 attaches to the I-beam 12. The hook 90 of the clamp overlies the edge of the upper flange 72 distal from the anchor 16. The tube 54 receives the tube 56 and telescope together. The tube 54 attaches to the connector 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the threaded end of the rod 22 extends through the opening 62 in the flanged end 60 of the tube 54. The second nut 32 attaches to the threaded rod 22. The flanged end 78 of the tube 56 is positioned under the upper flange plate 72 on the proximate side of the web 76 with the opening 80 aligned with the opening 92 of the angled portion 88 of the beam clamp 70. The bolt 94 extends through the aligned openings and the nut 96 threads to secure the tube 56 to the beam clamp 70. The nuts 32 and 96 are tightened. The tubes 54 and 56 lock together by the fastener 58 that is driven through the side walls of the tubes.
Additional stabilizer anchors 10 are installed on the manufactured building on opposing sides in spaced-apart relation. The number of stabilizer anchors 10 is based on soil and wind loading requirements of the location of the manufactured building. The wind load imposes lateral and transverse forces on the building. The loading communicates through the stabilizer member 18 to the anchor 16 and the ground 14, so that the manufactured building remains stabilized and resists movement. The plate 38 embedded in the ground 14 bears against the ground 14 to cooperatively increase the resistance of the building to movement in response to loading. Particularly, the plate 38 resists the tension or compression load forces that communicate therethrough to the ground 14.
The embodiment illustrated in
With reference to
Rotating the anchor 16 drives the anchor into the ground 14 by the helical flights 24 that dig into the ground. The stabilizer assembly 152 may cut into the ground 14 or alternatively, the rotation may stop, and the stabilizer assembly hammered downwardly to force the stabilizer plates 154, 156 into the ground. The stabilizer assembly 152 moves longitudinally relative to the anchor 16 on the rod 22. Once the stabilizer assembly 152 is flush or at grade, the anchor 16 again may be rotated to sink the anchor further into the ground 14. The transverse beam clamp 70 attaches to the I-beam 12 and the stabilizer member 18 connects between the beam clamp and the anchor 16, as discussed above. The longitudinal beam clamp 174 attaches to the I-beam 12. The tube 164 connects to the longitudinal beam clamp 174. The opening in the flattened end 168 receives the threaded portion 28 of the anchor rod 22. The nut 32 engages the threaded portion 28 and secures the stabilizer members 160 and 18 to the anchor 16. The fastener 166 secures the telescoped tubes 162, 164 together.
In an embodiment in which the anchor 16 is positioned lateral of the I-beam 12, the stabilizer member 18 is disposed perpendicular to the I-beam (horizontal plane) and the stabilizer member 164 is disposed at an oblique angle (horizontal plane) relative to the I-beam. In an embodiment in which the anchor 16 is vertically below the I-beam 12, the stabilizer member 164 is disposed substantially in alignment with a longitudinal axis of the I-beam 12. In this embodiment, the stabilizer member 18 connects to a second spaced-apart I-beam.
The wind load imposes lateral and transverse forces on the building. The loading communicates through the stabilizer members 18 (transverse loading resistance) and 160 (longitudinal loading resistance) to the anchor 16 and the ground 14, so that the manufactured building remains stabilized and resists movement. The plate 152 embedded in the ground bears against the ground at differing angles to cooperatively increase the resistance of the building to movement in response to loading.
With reference to
While the foregoing describes the invention in detail with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The specification is, accordingly, to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.
The present application is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 15/180,054 filed Jun. 12, 2016, with benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/175,116, filed Jun. 12, 2015.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62175116 | Jun 2015 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 15180054 | Jun 2016 | US |
Child | 16215220 | US |