Patent Grant
8156694
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of support pedestals for supporting an elevated surface above a fixed surface, such as for elevated floors, decks and walkways.
2. Description of Related Art
Elevated building surfaces such as elevated floors, decks, terraces and walkways are desirable in many environments. One common system for creating such surfaces includes a plurality of surface tiles, such as concrete tiles (pavers), stone tiles or wood tiles, and a plurality of spaced-apart support pedestals upon which the tiles are placed to be supported above a fixed surface. For example, in outdoor applications, the surface tiles may be elevated above a fixed surface by the support pedestals to promote drainage, to provide a level structural surface for walking, and/or to prevent deterioration of or damage to the surface tiles forming the building surface. The support pedestals can have a fixed height, or can have an adjustable height such as to accommodate variations in the contour of the fixed surface upon which the support pedestals are placed and/or to create desirable architectural features.
In many applications, the surface tiles are rectangular in shape, having four corners. Each of the spaced-apart support pedestals can therefore support the corners of four adjacent surface tiles at the tile corners. Stated another way, each surface tile can be supported by portions of four support pedestals that are disposed under each of the four corners of the tile.
One example of a support pedestal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,264 by Buzon, which incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The support pedestal disclosed by Buzon can be used in outdoor or indoor environments and is capable of supporting heavy loads applied by many types of building surfaces. The support pedestal includes a threaded base member and a threaded support member that is rotatably engaged with the base member to enable the height of the support pedestal to be adjusted by rotating the support member or the base member relative to the other. The support pedestal can also include a coupler member that can couple the base member to the support member for further increasing the height of the support pedestal, if necessary.
Support pedestals are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,685 by Kugler and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0261329 by Kugler et al., each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Many elevated building surface assemblies using support pedestals require the use of many pedestals of varying heights to accommodate variations in the fixed surface upon which the pedestals are placed, and/or to create architectural features in the elevated building surface. Most adjustable-height pedestals are designed to reach a specific maximum height. Once this height is reached, and additional height is needed, it is important for a builder or contractor to be able to quickly and safely extend the height of the pedestal through the use of couplers.
Coupler members such as the coupler member disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,264 can be used to increase the useful height of a support pedestal; however, one deficiency of threadably attached couplers is that the strength of the support pedestal and coupler(s) is dependent on the number of threads in mutual engagement in the pedestal as a whole. A second deficiency of threadably attached couplers is the time required for a builder to adequately engage the threads of the coupler with the threads of additional couplers and with the threads of the pedestal. A third deficiency of threadably attached couplers is that there are sometimes gaps in the height adjustment range that require the use of different pedestals to achieve a specific height.
Accordingly, it is one objective to provide a height-adjustable support pedestal having a coupling member for increasing the height of the support pedestal wherein the outer wall of the coupling member bears directly on the outer wall of the base member of the support pedestal so that the weight bearing capacity of the coupler and pedestal is not dependent on the amount of thread engagement.
For higher pedestal heights, it is another objective to provide a support pedestal having multiple coupling members wherein a coupling member bears directly on the outer wall of another coupling member to eliminate the dependency of the weight bearing capacity of the couplers and pedestal on the amount of thread engagement.
It is another objective to provide a coupling member to couple threaded pedestal members and increase the height of the pedestal member, that is adapted to continuously align and synchronize the threads of the coupling member and the one or more other pedestal members to eliminate gaps in the thread continuity where needed.
It is another objective to provide a coupling member that is easy and rapid for a builder to attach to a height-adjustable pedestal without the time required for threadable attachment.
Any one or more of these objectives may be met in accordance with one or more of the various embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a support pedestal for supporting an object above a surface and having an adjustable height comprises a first pedestal member, a second pedestal member and a coupling member operatively coupling the first pedestal member to the second pedestal member. The first pedestal member may include a first plate and a first cylindrical extension extending away from the first plate, where the first cylindrical extension includes a first cylindrical extension wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining a first pedestal member bore. First pedestal member threads may be disposed on the outer surface of the first cylindrical extension wall.
The second pedestal member may include a second plate and a second cylindrical extension extending away from the second plate, where the second cylindrical extension includes a second cylindrical extension wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, where the inner surface defines a second pedestal member bore. Second pedestal member threads may be disposed on the inner surface on the second cylindrical extension wall.
The coupling member may include a first cylindrical engagement portion and a second cylindrical engagement portion. The first cylindrical engagement portion may include a first cylindrical engagement portion wall having an inner surface and an outer surface. The first cylindrical engagement portion may be inserted into the first pedestal member bore. The second cylindrical engagement portion may include a second cylindrical engagement portion wall having an inner surface and an outer surface and can include coupling member threads disposed on the outer surface. The coupling member threads may be rotatably engaged with the second pedestal member threads to couple the second pedestal member to the first pedestal member.
The coupling member threads may also be operatively synchronized with the first pedestal member threads to form a substantially continuous and uniform threaded surface. In this regard, a first locking member may be disposed on the inner surface of the first cylindrical extension wall and a second locking member may be disposed on the first cylindrical engagement portion of the coupling member. The first locking member and the second locking member can cooperate to operatively synchronize the first pedestal member threads with the coupling member threads when the first cylindrical engagement portion is fully inserted into the first pedestal member bore.
A number of feature refinements and additional features may be separately applicable to the foregoing embodiment. These feature refinements and additional features may be implemented individually or in any combination. For example, in one aspect, the first locking member may include at least one elongated rib and the second locking member may include at least one elongated slot. The rib may be adapted to slidably engage within the slot when the first cylindrical engagement portion is inserted into the first pedestal member bore, and the rib may ensure that the coupling member can only be inserted into the first pedestal member bore in a position that synchronizes the coupler member threads with the first pedestal member threads. The rib and slot may also prevent rotation of the first pedestal member relative to the coupling member once the coupling member is inserted.
In another aspect, the first locking member can include a tab aperture and the second locking member can include a resilient tab member. The tab member may be adapted to engage the tab aperture when the first cylindrical engagement portion is inserted into the first pedestal member bore in a position to operatively synchronize the first pedestal member threads with the coupling member threads. The tab member and tab aperture may also prevent rotation of the first pedestal member relative to the coupling member. In one variation, the first locking member and the second locking member may be further adapted to inhibit axial movement of the coupling member relative to the first pedestal member when the first cylindrical engagement portion is inserted into the first pedestal member bore. According to another variation, the first locking member may include a pair of elongated ribs forming at least one track between the ribs, where the resilient tab member is adapted to slidably engage within the track when the first cylindrical engagement portion is inserted into the first pedestal member bore.
According to another aspect, the support pedestal may further include a third locking member that is disposed on the first cylindrical extension wall and a fourth locking member that is disposed on the first cylindrical engagement portion of the coupling member. Additional locking members can enhance the stability of the support pedestal. In one variation, the third locking member includes a tab aperture and the fourth locking member includes a resilient tab member, whereby the tab member is adapted to engage the tab aperture when the first cylindrical engagement portion is operatively inserted into the first pedestal member bore.
According to another aspect, the outer diameter of the first cylindrical engagement portion is different than the outer diameter of the second cylindrical engagement portion. In one variation, the outer diameter of the first cylindrical engagement portion can be less than the outer diameter of the second cylindrical engagement portion. According to another aspect, the inner diameter of the first cylindrical extension is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the first cylindrical engagement portion, whereby the first cylindrical engagement portion is adapted to be slidably received within the cylindrical base extension, such that the second cylindrical engagement portion wall is in load-bearing contact with the first cylindrical extension wall.
In another embodiment, a support pedestal having an adjustable height is provided. The support pedestal may include a base member, a support member and a coupling member operatively coupling the support member to the base member. The base member may include a base plate that is adapted to be placed upon a surface. A cylindrical base extension extends upwardly from the base plate and includes a base extension wall defining a base member bore. Base member threads may be disposed on a surface of the base extension wall and at least a first locking member may be formed on the base extension wall.
The support member may include a support plate having a top surface and a cylindrical support extension extending downwardly from the support plate. The cylindrical support extension may include a support extension wall and support member threads disposed on a surface of the support extension wall.
The coupling member may include a first cylindrical engagement portion and a second cylindrical engagement portion. The first cylindrical engagement portion may include a first cylindrical engagement portion wall and at least a second locking member that is adapted to engage with the first locking member. The second cylindrical engagement portion of the coupling member can include a second cylindrical engagement portion wall and coupling member threads disposed on a surface of the second cylindrical engagement portion wall. The coupling member threads can be adapted to rotatably engage with the support member threads such that the support member can be threaded onto the coupling member.
A number of feature refinements and additional features may be separately applicable to the foregoing embodiment. These feature refinements and additional features may be implemented individually or in any combination. In one aspect, the outer diameter of the first cylindrical engagement portion wall is different than the outer diameter of the second cylindrical engagement portion wall. For example, the outer diameter of the first cylindrical engagement portion wall may be less than the outer diameter of the second cylindrical engagement portion wall. In a further refinement, the inner diameter of the cylindrical base extension may be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the cylindrical engagement portion wall. In this manner, the first cylindrical engagement portion may be adapted to be slidably received within the base member bore when the first and second locking members are operatively aligned. Upon insertion of the coupling member into the base member, the second cylindrical engagement portion wall may be in load-bearing contact with the cylindrical base extension wall.
In one aspect, the engagement of the first and second locking members may operatively synchronize the base member threads and the coupling member threads, and may prevent rotation of the coupling member relative to the base member. In another aspect, the support member threads may be adapted to concurrently threadably engage with the coupling member threads and the base member threads. In this manner, the support member may be threadably engaged along the entire length of the coupling member and concurrently threaded onto the base member.
In another aspect, the first locking member may include at least one elongated rib and the second locking member may include at least one elongated slot, where the rib is adapted to slidably engage within the elongated slot when the first cylindrical engagement portion is inserted into the base member bore to operatively synchronize the base member threads. The engaged rib and slot may also prevent rotation of the base member relative to the coupling member.
In one aspect, the engagement of the first and second locking members may inhibit axial movement of the coupling member relative to the base member. In this manner, the coupling member will be fixed to the base member in a manner that enhances the stability of the support pedestal. For example, the first locking member may include a tab aperture and the second locking member may include a resilient tab member, whereby the tab member is adapted to engage the tab aperture when the first cylindrical engagement portion is inserted into the base member bore, such as to operatively align and synchronize the base member threads with the coupling member threads and to prevent rotation of the base member relative to the coupling member. In another refinement, the first locking member may also include a pair of elongated ribs forming at least one track and the resilient tab member may be adapted to slidably engage within the track when the first cylindrical engagement portion is inserted into the base member bore. In this regard, the tab aperture may be disposed within the track to engage the tab member.
According to another aspect, the length of the cylindrical support extension may be greater than the length of the second cylindrical engagement portion. In this manner, the support member can optionally be in concurrent threaded engagement with both the coupling member and the base member. According to another aspect, a second coupling member may be utilized to operatively couple the support member to the base member. The use of a second coupling member can advantageously further increase the obtainable height of the support pedestal. According to another aspect, the cylindrical base extension may include a third locking member that is disposed on the cylindrical base extension wall and the first cylindrical engagement portion may include a fourth locking member. The utilization of additional locking members can further increase the stability of the support pedestal.
In a further embodiment, a method for elevating a portion of a building surface above a fixed surface is provided. The method can include using a support pedestal that includes a base member, a support member and a coupling member. The base member may be positioned on a fixed surface where the base member includes a base extension wall extending upwardly and defining a base member bore. A first cylindrical engagement portion of a coupling member is slidably inserted into the base member bore such that the coupling member is inhibited from rotating relative to the base member and a second cylindrical engagement portion wall of the coupling member is in load-bearing contact with the base extension wall. A support member may be rotated into threaded engagement with the coupling member.
A number of refinements and additional steps may be separately applicable to the foregoing embodiment. These refinements and additional steps may be implemented individually or in any combination. In one aspect, the rotating step can include continuing to rotate the support member so that the support member is in concurrent threaded engagement with both the coupling member and the base member. According to another aspect, the coupling member may be inhibited from vertical movement relative to the base member.
According to another aspect, the method may also include the step of slidably inserting a second coupling member into a bore formed in the second cylindrical engagement portion before rotating the support member into threaded engagement with the coupling member.
According to another embodiment, a support pedestal is provided. The support pedestal may include a base member having a base plate that is adapted to be placed upon a surface. A first cylindrical extension may extend upwardly from the base plate where the first cylindrical extension includes a first cylindrical extension wall having an inner surface and an outer surface and a first cylindrical extension bore defined by the inner surface. A coupling member is included where the coupling member includes a first cylindrical engagement portion that is adapted to be slidably engaged with the first cylindrical extension bore, and a second cylindrical engagement portion having an outer diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of the first cylindrical engagement portion. The second cylindrical engagement portion wall may be placed in load-bearing contact with the base extension wall. A support plate may be disposed over the coupling member to complete the support pedestal.
According to one aspect of this support pedestal, the pedestal can further include a first locking member disposed on the first cylindrical extension wall and a second locking member disposed on the first cylindrical engagement portion, wherein the first and second locking members are adapted to inhibit axial movement of the coupling member relative to the base member.
To create a building surface that reduces or eliminates the fluctuations in the fixed uneven surface beneath it, the support pedestals 101a, 101b may have different heights. For example, the support pedestal 101a has a height that is greater than the height of the support pedestal 100b due to a slope in the fixed surface beneath the support pedestals. In this regard, the support pedestal 100a includes a coupling member 104. The coupling member 104 includes internal threads into which a support member 103 is threaded, and external threads that enable the coupling member 104 to be threaded into a base member 105. However, the use of such coupling members 104 can leave a significant gap in the height that can be achieved using that support pedestal. That is, while each coupling member 104 allows an operator to attain greater support pedestal heights than without the coupling member 104, there is a range of support pedestal height, e.g., from the greatest structurally stable support pedestal height without the coupling member 104 to the smallest support pedestal height with the coupling member 104, that is unattainable.
The surface tiles that may be supported by the support pedestals may include a variety of surface tiles fabricated from a variety of materials. For example, the surface tiles may be fabricated from concrete, stone, slate, wood, plastic, wood-plastic composites and other materials that are useful for forming a building surface.
Referring to
Referring to
The base member 106 also includes a cylindrical base extension 112 that extends upwardly from the base plate 114 when the base member 106 is operatively placed on a fixed surface. The cylindrical base extension 112 can include a base extension wall 116 having an outer surface 118, an inner surface 120, and a top surface 119. The inner surface 120 defines a base member bore 121. Base member threads 124 are disposed on the outer surface 118 of the base extension wall 116. While the base member threads 124 are illustrated as being disposed on the outer surface 118 of the base extension wall 116, it will be appreciated that in other embodiments base member threads may be disposed on an inner surface of the base extension wall.
The base member threads 124 extend outwardly from the outer surface 118 of the base extension wall 116. The base member threads 124 may be helically disposed along a length of the outer surface 118 and may be disposed along substantially the entire length of the outer surface 118. The base member threads 124 may be substantially continuous, e.g., a continuous single thread helically disposed on the surface, or can be discontinuous, e.g. such that one or more channels are formed between adjacent threads. For example, a channel 126 can be provided that intersects the base member threads 124, to indicate the amount of thread engagement of the base member 106. Drainage apertures (not illustrated) may also be provided to drain water out of the base member bore 121 and away from the support pedestal 101. Also, reinforcing flanges (not illustrated) may be disposed between the base plate 114 and the base extension 112 to provide additional strength and stability to the support pedestal 101, particularly if base member threads are disposed on an inner surface of the base extension wall.
The support pedestal 101 may also include a support member 108 that is disposed at the top of the support pedestal 101. The support member 108 can include a cylindrical support extension 138 that extends substantially transversely and downwardly from a support plate 142. The cylindrical support extension 138 includes a cylindrical support extension wall 140 having an outer surface 144, an inner surface 146, and a bottom surface 147. The inner surface 146 may define a support member bore 149. One or more reinforcing flanges 148 may be included to provide additional strength and stability to the support pedestal 101.
The cylindrical support extension 138 also includes support member threads 152 disposed on the inner surface 146 of the cylindrical support extension wall 140. The support member threads 152 may be helically disposed along the entire length of the inner surface 146 or a portion thereof. In other embodiments, support member threads may be disposed on an outer surface of the support extension wall.
The support plate 142 includes a top surface 143 and can be of any general shape that is desired such as circular or rectangular, and an object such as a surface tile can be placed directly on the top surface 143. Further, the support pedestal 101 can include a crown member (not illustrated) that may be disposed within a depression 154 in the top surface 143. In one embodiment, the crown member may be freely rotatable on the support plate 142 so that spacers (not shown) associated with the crown member can be configured as desired for supporting structural components such as pavers or the like in spaced-apart relation.
The support pedestal may be configured such that the support member threads 152 can be threadably engaged directly with the base member threads 124. The support pedestal 101 can also include a coupling member 110 that is adapted to be disposed between the base member 106 and the support member 108 to couple the base member 106 to the support member 108. The coupling member 110 may advantageously increase the height of the support pedestal 101, and it will be appreciated that more than one coupling member can be utilized to further increase the height of the support pedestal. For example,
The coupling member 110 may include a first cylindrical engagement portion 156 and a second cylindrical engagement portion 158. The first cylindrical engagement portion 156 may include a first cylindrical engagement portion wall 160 having an outer surface 162 and an inner surface 164. Similarly, the second cylindrical engagement portion 158 may include a second cylindrical engagement portion wall 178. The wall 178 may include an outer surface 180, an inner surface 182, and a bottom surface 183.
The first cylindrical engagement portion 156 may have a size that is different than the size of the second cylindrical engagement portion 158. For example, the outer surface 162 of the first cylindrical engagement portion wall 160 can have a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the outer surface 180 of the second cylindrical engagement portion wall 178. The outer surface 162 may be generally smooth for slidable insertion into the base member bore 121, as is described below. As such, the diameter of the outer surface 162 of the first cylindrical engagement portion 156 may be substantially the same or slightly smaller than the diameter of the inner surface 120 of the base extension wall 116. The first cylindrical engagement portion 156 may also have a length that is substantially the same as or less than the depth of the base member bore 121. In this manner, when the coupling member 110 is engaged with the base member 106 by slidably inserting the first cylindrical engagement portion 156 into the base member bore 121, the bottom surface 183 of the second cylindrical engagement portion 158 will be in load bearing contact with the top surface 119 of the cylindrical base extension wall 116. Such a configuration can advantageously improve the strength of the support pedestal 101 by relieving some of the stresses that are placed upon the generally weaker threaded portions of the support pedestal.
The support pedestal 101 may also include one or more locking members disposed on at least two of the pedestal members. The locking members may provide at least one of the following functions in relation to the positioning and engagement of the various pedestal members. First, the locking members may cause the threads of two of the pedestal members, such as the coupling member and the base member, to become operatively synchronized when the two pedestal members are operatively attached. Further, the locking members may cooperate to prevent rotation of one pedestal member in relation to another pedestal member when the two pedestal members are operatively attached. Further, the locking members may inhibit vertical movement of one pedestal member in relation to another pedestal member when the two pedestal members are operatively attached. That is, the locking members may prevent the pedestal members from becoming accidentally detached and may provide increased overall structural stability to the support pedestal. The locking members may include one or more of several elements, such as those that are illustrated and described below, to provide one or more of these functions.
Referring to
Referring now to
Referring back to
As illustrated in
Referring back to
Referring to
It should be noted that the slot 170c in which the tab member 174c is disposed is a closed slot. That is, the slot 170c, does not extend all the way down to the bottom surface 163 of the first cylindrical engagement portion wall 160. In this manner, the coupling member 110 cannot be placed into the base member 106 unless the slot 170d is aligned with the ribs 130b and 132b (
The locking member 134c is adapted to engage with locking member 134a in the cylindrical base extension wall 116. As illustrated in
Further, as is illustrated in
In use, an operator may slidably insert the first cylindrical engagement portion 156 into the base member bore 121 such that slot 170d engages with the first and second elongated ribs 130b, 132b. At this point, the coupling member 110 generally cannot rotate relative to the base member 106 and vice versa. Continued insertion of the first cylindrical engagement portion 156 into the base member bore 121 eventually results in the tab member 174d engaging with the tab aperture 136b, which prevents vertical or axial displacement of the coupling member 110 relative to the base member 106. To thereafter permit vertical or axial displacement of the coupling member 110 relative to the base member 106, a user can insert a tool (e.g. screwdriver) into the tab aperture 136b to deflect the tab member 174d out of engagement with the aperture 136b.
The support member 108 is attached to the coupling member 110 by rotatably engaging the support member threads with the coupling member threads 186. Using the support pedestal 101, an operator can adjust the height of the support plate 142 relative to the base plate 114 to provide a desired height of a level surface (e.g. building surface) relative to a level or unlevel fixed surface (e.g. ground surface). More specifically, either before or after placing the base plate 114 onto the fixed surface, an operator may rotate one pedestal member relative to the other pedestal members to adjust the height of the support plate 142. The coupling member 110 can be engaged with the base member 106 either before or after the coupling member 110 is engaged with the support member 108.
As can be seen in
When a very low support pedestal height is desired, a support pedestal 101 can be assembled without the use of the coupling member 110. In this manner, the support member 108 can rotatably engage the base member 106 directly, such as until the bottom surface 147 of the support member 108 is in contact with or adjacent to the base plate 114. From this minimum height, the support member 108 can be rotated to move upwardly from the base member 106 to increase the height of the support pedestal 101 to a first height that still provides for a structurally stable support pedestal 101. Inserting the coupling member 110 into the structure, as is described above, enables taller support pedestals to be formed. In one exemplary embodiment, the pedestal can be adjusted from a total height of about 5¾ inches to a total height of about 13¾ inches, with no substantial gap in the height that can be achieved. Using an additional coupling member can further increase the height of the support pedestal, for example up to about 17¾ inches or higher.
As is noted above, the locking members may function to increase the stability of a support pedestal by inhibiting vertical movement of one pedestal member in relation to another pedestal member, such as by inhibiting vertical movement of the coupling member relative to the base member. In this regard, the pedestal member may or may not comprise threaded surfaces for attaching the various pedestal members.
The coupling member 910 includes a first cylindrical engagement portion 956 and a second cylindrical engagement portion 958 that includes a second cylindrical engagement portion wall 978 having an outer diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of the first cylindrical engagement portion wall 960. The first cylindrical engagement portion 956 is adapted to be slidably engaged within the base member bore 921. In this manner, the lower surface 983 of the wall 978 comes into load-bearing contact with the upper surface 919 of the wall 916.
A locking member 934c disposed in the wall 960 includes a tab member 974c. The tab member 974c is adapted to engage a tab aperture 936a of a locking member 934a disposed in the base extension wall 916. In this manner, the engagement of the locking members 934c and 934a inhibits axial movement of the coupling member 910 relative to the base member 906.
A support member 908 having a support plate 942 can be disposed over the base member 906 by attaching the support member 908 to the coupling member 910 to complete the support pedestal 901.
The support pedestal members can be fabricated from a wide variety of materials. Preferably, the material will be able to withstand prolonged exposure to moisture and/or ultraviolet radiation so that the support pedestal can be utilized in outdoor applications. In one particular aspect, the support pedestal members may be fabricated from a high density, durable and impact resistant polymer, such as polypropylene. However, the support pedestal elements can be fabricated from other materials, including composite materials. Further, it is not necessary that each element of the support that still be fabricated from the same material.
While various embodiments have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and adaptations of such embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. It is to be expressly understood that these and other such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the embodiments.
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