U.S. patent application number 10/626805 was filed with the patent office on 2005-01-27 for masonry block anchor bolt assembly.
Invention is credited to Thompson, Ronald D..
Application Number | 20050016114 10/626805 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34080495 |
Filed Date | 2005-01-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050016114 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Thompson, Ronald D. |
January 27, 2005 |
Masonry block anchor bolt assembly
Abstract
An anchor bolt assembly includes a bolt having an elongate
portion and an arcuate end portion integral therewith. The arcuate
end portion is positioned within a hollow core of a masonry block
with the elongate portion extending outwardly thereof. The assembly
further includes a toggle member positionable along the elongate
portion and adjacent the arcuate end portion so that the toggle
member becomes disposed within a hollow core of a masonry block
after being positioned along the elongate portion. The toggle
member preferably has a front surface engageable with an interior
surface of the masonry block. A nut is threadably positionable at
the elongate portion and opposite to the toggle member so that the
nut becomes disposed at an exterior of the masonry block.
Inventors: |
Thompson, Ronald D.;
(Sacramento, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ASHKAN NAJAFI, P.A.
6817 SOUTHPOINT PARKWAY
SUITE 2301
JACKSONVILLE
FL
32216
US
|
Family ID: |
34080495 |
Appl. No.: |
10/626805 |
Filed: |
July 25, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/698 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04C 5/16 20130101; F16B
35/04 20130101; F16B 13/0833 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/698 |
International
Class: |
E04C 005/00 |
Claims
What is claimed as new and what is desired to secure by Letters
Patent of the United States is:
1. An anchor bolt assembly comprising: a bolt including an elongate
portion and an arcuate end portion integral therewith, said
elongate portion having an outer surface including a plurality of
threads formed therein, said arcuate end portion being positioned
within a hollow core of a masonry block with said elongate portion
extending outwardly thereof; a toggle member being positionable
along said elongate portion and adjacent said arcuate end portion
so that said toggle member becomes disposed within a hollow core of
a masonry block after being positioned along said elongate portion,
said toggle member having a front surface engageable with an
interior surface of said masonry block; and a nut threadably
positionable at said elongate portion and opposite to said toggle
member so that said nut becomes disposed at an exterior of said
masonry block.
2. The anchor bolt assembly of claim 1, further comprising a washer
removably positionable between a ledger member attachable to a
masonry block and said nut.
3. The anchor bolt assembly of claim 1, wherein said toggle member
includes a plurality of end portions, said plurality of end
portions being movable towards each other when said toggle member
is moved towards a compressed position, said plurality of end
portions being positioned further away from said arcuate end
portion of said bolt when said toggle member is moved towards a
compressed position than when said toggle member is at a relaxed
position.
4. An anchor bolt assembly for use in the construction industry and
comprising: a bolt including an elongate portion and an arcuate end
portion integral therewith, said elongate portion having an outer
surface including a plurality of grooves formed therearound, said
arcuate end portion being positioned within a hollow core of a
masonry block with said elongate portion extending outwardly
thereof, said arcuate portion having an end portion disposed at a
substantially perpendicular position to said elongate portion and
generally medially within a hollow core of a masonry block; a
toggle member being threadably positionable along said elongate
portion and adjacent said arcuate end portion so that said toggle
member becomes disposed within a hollow core of a masonry block
when positioned along said elongate portion, said toggle member
having a front surface engageable with said masonry block and being
disposed within a hollow core thereof; and a nut threadably
positionable along said elongate portion and opposite said toggle
member so that said nut becomes disposed at an exterior of said
masonry block and spaced therefrom.
5. The anchor bolt assembly of claim 4, further comprising a washer
removably positionable between a ledger member attachable to a
masonry block and said nut.
6. The anchor bolt assembly of claim 4, wherein said toggle member
includes a plurality of end portions, said plurality of end
portions being movable towards each other when said toggle member
is moved towards a compressed position, said plurality of end
portions being positioned further away from said arcuate end
portion of said bolt when said toggle member is moved towards a
compressed position than when said toggle member is moved to a
relaxed position.
7. An anchor bolt assembly for use in the construction industry and
comprising: a bolt including an elongate portion and an arcuate end
portion integral therewith, said elongate portion having an outer
surface and including a plurality of grooves formed therearound,
said arcuate end portion being positioned within a hollow core of a
masonry block with said elongate portion extending outwardly
thereof; a toggle member including a threaded bolt being threadably
positionable along said elongate portion and adjacent said arcuate
end portion so that said toggle member becomes disposed within a
hollow core of a masonry block after being positioned along said
elongate portion, said toggle member having a front surface
engageable with said masonry block and being disposed within a
hollow core thereof; a nut threadably positionable along said
elongate portion and opposite said toggle member so that said nut
becomes disposed at an exterior of said masonry; and a washer
removably positionable between a ledger member attached to a
masonry block and said nut.
8. The anchor bolt assembly of claim 7, wherein said toggle member
includes a plurality of end portions, said plurality of end
portions being movable towards each other when said toggle member
is moved towards a compressed position, said plurality of end
portions being positioned further away from said arcuate end
portion of said bolt when said toggle member is moved towards a
compressed position than when said toggle member is moved to a
relaxed position.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not Applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] 1. Technical Field
[0005] This invention relates to an anchor bolt assembly and, more
particularly, to an anchor bolt assembly including a toggle member
for effectively securing a ledger to a masonry block commonly used
in the building construction industry.
[0006] 2. Prior Art
[0007] Foundations of houses and other buildings are commonly
constructed from construction blocks which are also commonly
referred to as cinder foundation blocks or masonry blocks. These
blocks are manufactured with two hollow cores which extend through
the block in a vertical orientation when the blocks are properly
stacked. The cores are separated by a cross-member which is located
at the midsection of the block.
[0008] Anchor bolts secured in a masonry block have long been used
to secure or tie the frame of a building or house to the
construction block foundation. Recent building codes require that
anchor bolts mounted in masonry walls provide for at least one inch
of grout around the bolt on all sides. To accomplish this, a
one-inch bolt, for example, must be secured at the center of a
three-inch hole prior to pouring the grout. Additionally, code
requires that the grout extend from within the masonry wall to the
exterior face of the wall. Current practice accomplishes this by
boring mounting holes in a masonry wall; placing anchor bolts into
bolt holes in a plywood template; supporting the plywood plate
against the outers surface of the masonry block with the anchor
bolts extending into the masonry wall through the mounting holes;
pouring grout into the masonry wall to secure the bolts within the
wall; and, finally, removing the plywood template to expose the
bolts. Such practice generally does not meet specific code
requirements because the bolts do not remain centered within the
mounting holes.
[0009] Further, because the template is usually long enough to
support a line of bolts, it is placed on the wall before placing
the bolts through the mounting holes. To enable this, the bolt
holes must be large enough to accommodate the dog-leg conformation
normally found in such anchor bolts; so that they may be placed
into the template after it is mounted to the masonry wall. This
generally results in the bolts being held in a non-horizontal or
non-centered manner and, therefore, presents an appearance of
sloppy work. In addition, the plywood templates may be cupped or
have other irregularities that cause the grout to seep onto the
front face of the masonry. Recent natural disasters including
earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes have exposed the inadequacies
of the above method problems when securing an anchor bolt to a
construction block wall.
[0010] Accordingly, a need remains to overcome such shortcomings by
providing an anchor bolt assembly that is easier to center within a
masonry block hole while providing improved stability and reduced
installation time.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an
object of the present invention to provide anchor bolt that allows
a ledger to be secured to a masonry wall without requiring a
template to be attached thereto before grout is poured into the
masonry block's hollow core. These and other objects, features, and
advantages of the invention are provided by an anchor bolt assembly
including a bolt having an elongate portion and an arcuate end
portion integral therewith. The elongate portion has an outer
surface that includes a plurality of grooves formed therein. The
arcuate end portion is positioned within a hollow core of a masonry
block with the elongate portion extending outwardly thereof.
[0012] The assembly further includes a toggle member positionable
along the elongate portion and adjacent the arcuate end portion so
that the toggle member becomes disposed within a hollow core of a
masonry block after it is positioned along the elongate portion.
The toggle member preferably has a front surface engageable with an
interior surface of the masonry block. A nut is threadably
positionable at the elongate portion and opposite to the toggle
member so that the nut becomes disposed at an exterior of the
masonry block. The assembly may further include a washer removably
positionable between a ledger member attachable to a masonry block
and the nut.
[0013] The toggle member preferably includes a plurality of end
portions movable towards each other when the toggle member is moved
towards a compressed position. The plurality of end portions are
positioned further away from the arcuate end portion of the bolt
when the toggle member is moved towards a compressed position than
when the toggle member is at a relaxed position.
[0014] Advantageously, the need to temporarily attach a template to
a masonry block, as the grout is poured therein, is effectively
eliminated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0015] The novel features believed to be characteristic of this
invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims.
The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and
method of operation, together with further objects and advantages
thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following
description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an anchor bolt assembly
for attaching a ledger to a masonry block, in accordance with the
present invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1 wherein the
assembly is used in an alternate application; and
[0019] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a plurality of the
assemblies shown in FIG. 1, which are being used to secure a
footing elevation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] The present invention will now be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a
preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. This invention may,
however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather,
this embodiment is provided so that this application will be
thorough and complete, and will fully convey the true scope of the
invention to those skilled in the art.
[0021] The assembly of this invention is referred to generally in
FIG. 1 by the reference numeral 10 and is intended to provide an
anchor bolt for use in the construction industry. It should be
understood that the assembly 10 may be used in a variety of
industries and should not be construed as having limited
application to only the construction industry.
[0022] The assembly 10 includes a bolt having an elongate portion
12 and an arcuate end portion 13 integral therewith. The arcuate
end portion 13 defines an end portion of the bolt commonly known as
the bolt head. The elongate portion 12 defines the length of the
bolt and preferably includes a plurality of grooves formed along an
outer surface thereof so that a conventional screw or nut 15 can be
threadably engaged therealong. The assembly 10 further includes a
toggle member 14 including a pair of movable members engaged to one
another at respective end portions thereof. The arcuate end portion
13 preferably has a smooth outer surface for limiting the
threadable movement of the toggle member 14 along the elongate
portion 12.
[0023] The arcuate end portion 13 of the bolt is disposed within a
hollow core of a conventional cinder block or masonry block 11.
Thus, the elongate portion 12 extends outwardly from the wall of
the masonry block wherein a nut 15 is engaged therealong for
assisting to securely maintain a ledger (not shown) against the
outer surface of the masonry block 11. A washer 16 may be inserted
along the elongate portion 12 and disposed between an outer surface
of the ledger and the nut 15 for assisting to maintain same at a
stationary position, in a conventional manner.
[0024] The toggle member 14 is disposed within the hollow core of
the masonry block 11 and is at a relaxed position when it is
engaged along the inner wall thereof. When the nut 15 is not
securely fastened to the ledger, the toggle member 14 can be moved
to a stressed position. This can be achieved by moving the opposed
end portions of the toggle member 14 towards one another and away
from the arcuate end portion 13 of the bolt, as perhaps best shown
in FIG. 2. Accordingly, the toggle member 14 collapses and can be
moved through a mounting hole. Moreover, the toggle member 14
presses against the inner wall of the masonry block 11 for
assisting to maintain the ledger at a secure position. Of course,
the position of the toggle member 14 can be adjusted as needed
based upon the intended application, such as when engaged against
plywood, as shown in FIG. 3.
[0025] Advantageously, assembly 10 allows an operator to attach a
ledger (not shown) to the masonry block 11 wall prior to pouring
cement or grout into the hollow core of the masonry block. This
facilitates inspecting the elevation and alignment of the ledger
and bolt, which are embedded within the masonry block wall before
the grouting process begins. Moreover, the assembly 10 effectively
eliminates the need for using a conventional template, which often
misaligns the bolt by moving same off-center when passing through
the masonry block and thereby weakening the strength of the bolt.
Accordingly, assembly 10 simplifies the layout of the bolt relative
to the ends of the ledger.
[0026] As noted above, assembly 10 can be used to tightly secure
the bolt through a masonry block 11 until grout or concrete is
poured therein. This helps prevent the bolt from moving around when
concrete is being poured thereon because, prior to pouring the
grout or concrete, the assembly is inspected to make sure that it
is accurately positioned against the masonry wall 11 and the ledger
(not shown).
[0027] Now referring to FIG. 4, a pair of assemblies 10 are
connected to a template 17 that is disposed above a footing
elevation, well known in the construction industry. Advantageously,
the assembly 10 allows the template 17 to be set at a desired
footing elevation to ensure that the footing height is uniform.
This eliminates the need for an operator to chip or adjust the
surface of the footing to accommodate the variation in pitch cause
by nuts 16 or unleveled grout surface. Furthermore, the present
invention helps maintain the bolt plumb and, therefore, eliminates
the need to straighten the bolt, which can increase labor costs and
weaken its associated strength.
[0028] While the invention has been described with respect to
certain specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that many
modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art
without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended,
therefore, by the appended claims to cover all such modifications
and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the
invention.
* * * * *