U.S. patent application number 12/700749 was filed with the patent office on 2011-08-11 for cast-in shear wall anchor.
Invention is credited to Craig Binder, Dennis Palatov, Sam White.
Application Number | 20110192111 12/700749 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44352583 |
Filed Date | 2011-08-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110192111 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
White; Sam ; et al. |
August 11, 2011 |
Cast-in Shear Wall Anchor
Abstract
A kit for enabling rapid and efficient installation of cast-in
shear wall anchors is disclosed. The kit comprises a
pre-manufactured base plate, a threaded rod segment of a
predetermined length, a threaded coupler and a plug with a marker
feature. The threaded rod segment is installed into the base plate
and a threaded coupler is installed onto the threaded rod segment.
The plug is installed into the threaded coupler. The plug features
a marker feature that is preferably flexible, intended to protrude
above the poured concrete surface to aid in locating the anchor
after the concrete is cured, while the rest of the assembled anchor
remains below the surface. The flexible nature of the marker
feature prevents it from interfering with finishing equipment. The
threaded rod segment is of a length predetermined to position the
top of the threaded coupler just below the poured concrete surface
in a typical installation. A range of on-site adjustment is
possible by moving the threaded coupler up or down on the threaded
rod segment.
Inventors: |
White; Sam; (Hillsboro,
OR) ; Binder; Craig; (Vancouver, WA) ;
Palatov; Dennis; (Portland, OR) |
Family ID: |
44352583 |
Appl. No.: |
12/700749 |
Filed: |
February 5, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/699 ; 52/704;
52/742.15 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B 1/4121
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/699 ; 52/704;
52/742.15 |
International
Class: |
E04B 1/41 20060101
E04B001/41; E04G 21/00 20060101 E04G021/00 |
Claims
1. A Shear Wall Anchor kit, comprising: a base plate having a means
of structurally retaining a threaded rod and further having a means
of being attached to the floor of a concrete form; a threaded rod
segment of a predetermined length; a threaded coupler; and a plug
configured to be installed in said threaded coupler.
2. The Shear Wall Anchor kit of claim 1 wherein said plug comprises
a marker feature.
3. The Shear Wall Anchor kit of claim 1 wherein said means of
structurally retaining a threaded rod is a flange nut.
4. The Shear Wall Anchor kit of claim 3 wherein said base plate is
formed from plastic by means of injection molding.
5. The Shear Wall Anchor kit of claim 2 wherein said marker feature
is at least a plastic whisker.
6. The Shear Wall Anchor kit of claim 2 wherein said marker feature
is a plurality of plastic whiskers.
7. A method of installing a Shear Wall Anchor comprising the steps
of: (a) positioning a threaded coupler in the concrete form
entirely below the level of the finished concrete surface by means
of a support, (b) installing a plug in said threaded coupler, said
plug having a marker feature, said marker feature being positioned
at least in part above the level of the finished concrete surface,
(c) pouring, curing and finishing the concrete and subsequently
removing the form, (d) locating the anchor by means of said marker
feature and exposing said threaded coupler for access by removing
said plug.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein said support is a threaded rod
section of a predetermined length, coupled to a base plate.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein said support, said threaded
coupler and said plug are supplied as a kit.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to structural reinforcement in
the construction of buildings and in particular to anchoring of
shear walls to concrete foundations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In the construction of buildings it is common practice to
structurally anchor walls to post-tensioned foundations and floors.
One method of doing so is by means of tie downs. A tie down system
typically consists of several threaded steel rods arranged
vertically, with the lower end structurally anchored to the
foundation and the upper end coupled to a structural member of a
wall by means of a load bearing plate and a threaded nut. The
threaded rods serve to prevent movement of the wall in adverse
conditions such as high winds or earthquakes. As the wall begins to
move in response to wind or earthquake loads, the threaded rods are
placed in tension and exert a clamping force between the foundation
and a wall structural member, preventing or limiting the movement.
In addition to tie downs, the footer of the shear wall is commonly
coupled to the concrete foundation by means of shear bolts or
similar fasteners spaced at regular intervals.
[0003] In order to structurally couple threaded rods and other
fasteners to the foundation, anchors are usually cast in place
during the construction of the foundation. This is typically
accomplished by placing a number of anchors into the form before
concrete is poured. Most typical anchor bolts protrude above the
level of the finished concrete by several inches in order to attach
the sill plate after the concrete is cured. This is not desirable
since the protruding anchor bolts interfere with, and can be
damaged by, finishing equipment.
[0004] In common practice, an anchor is installed by tying "J"
style anchor bolts to rebar placed in the form, and leaving the
straight section of the bolt protruding up above the level of the
finished surface of the concrete slab. Concrete is then poured into
the form and covers the lower portion of the installed anchors.
After finishing and cure, the form is removed and each anchor is
left above the deck for attaching the sill plate. However the
finishing is made difficult and time consuming by the protruding
portion of the anchors.
[0005] In a previous improvement by the authors of the present
invention, a submerged anchor is created by first attaching a base
plate to the bottom of the concrete form, usually by means of
common nails or screws. Such a base plate may consist of a
rectangular or round metal plate with a threaded nut welded to it.
A plurality of such plates are placed into the form at
predetermined intervals. Segments of threaded rod are then cut to
an appropriate length and threaded into the base plates. A threaded
coupler is then installed on each threaded rod segment, positioned
at such a height that its top is just below the finished surface of
the concrete. A plug is then installed in each threaded coupler to
prevent entry of concrete inside the coupler during the pour which
covers the-installed anchors. After finishing and cure, the form is
removed and the location of each anchor is determined by
measurement or other means such as detection equipment. Concrete is
then chipped away to uncover the top of the anchor and the
previously installed plug is removed so that threaded rod or other
fastener may be installed into the now exposed threaded
coupler.
[0006] With hundreds of anchors needed in a typical installation,
the commonly practiced methods are labor intensive and inefficient.
The previous improvement by the authors greatly simplifies the
finishing of the poured concrete but still requires additional
labor to install and subsequently locate and expose the submerged
anchors. What is needed is a pre-assembled anchor system, supplied
as a kit, which enables quick and efficient installation of the
anchors into the concrete form as well as efficient location and
access of the installed anchors after the concrete is cured,
without interfering with finishing equipment. The Shear Wall Anchor
of the present invention answers this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a
complete and ready kit for the rapid and efficient installation of
cast-in Shear Wall Anchors. The kit comprises a pre-manufactured
base plate, a threaded rod segment of a predetermined length, a
threaded coupler and a plug with a flexible marker feature. The
threaded rod segment is installed into the base plate and a
threaded coupler is installed onto the threaded rod segment. The
plug is installed into the threaded coupler and prevents entry of
concrete into the coupler during the pour. The plug features a
flexible marker feature, intended to protrude above the poured
concrete surface to aid in locating the anchor after the concrete
is cured, while the rest of the assembled anchor remains below the
surface. The flexible nature of the marker feature prevents it from
interfering with finishing equipment. The threaded rod segment is
of a length predetermined to position the top of the threaded
coupler just below the poured concrete surface in a typical
installation. A range of on-site adjustment is possible by moving
the threaded coupler up or down on the threaded rod segment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The present invention is described herein with reference to
the following drawings:
[0009] FIG. 1 shows the components of the Shear Wall Anchor of the
present invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a further illustration of a base flange;
[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates the typical installation of the Shear
Wall Anchor prior to pouring of concrete; and
[0012] FIG. 4 shows the cross-section view of a typical
installation after concrete is poured.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0013] An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1.
In order to facilitate rapid and efficient installation of Shear
Wall Anchors into a form, the kit of the present invention
comprises a base flange 100, a threaded rod segment 200 which has
been cut to a predetermined length, a threaded coupler 300 and a
plug 400.
[0014] The base flange 100, further illustrated in FIG. 2, serves
to secure the Shear Wall Anchor assembly to a form prior to pouring
concrete. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the base flange 100
is formed from plastic or similar material by injection-molding the
flange 120 with a steel flanged nut 110 molded in as an insert.
Molded-in inserts are well known in the art and this commonly
practiced process need not be discussed in detail herein. The
complete base flange 100 is preferably secured to the form by means
of nails, screws or other commonly available means. It is to be
noted that the purpose of the base flange is only to position and
secure the Shear Wall Anchor assembly in the form prior to and
while the concrete is poured and cured. In the disclosed
embodiment, the flanged nut 110 serves as the means to structurally
retain the threaded rod segment 200. The pull-out strength of the
installed Shear Wall Anchor is provided solely by the load-bearing
face 150 of the nut 110 bearing against the cured concrete. The
flange portion 120 of the base flange 100 plays no structural role
once concrete is cured.
[0015] In addition to the injection molding method disclosed
herein, many other methods of constructing the base flange 100
shall be apparent to those skilled in the art, including welding or
bonding of the nut 110 or similar threaded fastener to a flange 120
made of either metallic or non-metallic material. Embodiments
wherein the base flange 100 is a monolithic part are possible
without departing from the scope of the present invention, as long
as the flange is configured to receive and structurally retain a
threaded rod segment 200, provides a load bearing face 150 and is
sized sufficiently to provide stability to the Shear Wall Anchor
assembly prior to and while the concrete is being poured. One
example of such a base flange may be a monolithic cast iron unit
which is shaped and sized similar to the base flange illustrated in
FIG. 2. Many examples of such castings exist in the art.
[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates a complete Shear Wall Anchor assembly,
supplied as a kit, installed in a form prior to pouring concrete.
The base flange 100 is secured to the floor of the form by means of
nails, screws, or other similar means. The threaded rod segment 200
is supplied in the kit of the present invention pre-cut to a
predetermined length so as to create an assembly with overall
installed height substantially equal to the depth of commonly used
concrete forms. The threaded coupler 300 provides a range of
adjustment in the field, if such is found necessary, by threading
up or down on the threaded rod segment.
[0017] The plug 400 features a flexible marker feature 410. It
serves two functions within the kit of the present invention.
First, it prevents the entry of uncured concrete into the threaded
coupler while the concrete is poured and subsequently compacted. A
completed installation is further illustrated as a cross-sectional
view in FIG. 4. The second function of the plug 400 is to aid in
locating and uncovering the Shear Wall Anchor after the concrete is
cured. The flexible marker feature 410 by protrudes above the cured
surface 610 of poured concrete 600 to aid in locating the anchor.
Its flexibility prevents it from interfering with finishing
equipment that is commonly used to ensure the concrete is fully
settled during cure. The marker feature 410 preferably consists of
one or more plastic whiskers and is similar in nature to bristles
on a brush. The marker feature may be molded integral to the plug
or installed as a secondary operation. The forming of flexible
bristles is well known in constructions of brushes of various types
and therefore the details of the process need not be discussed
herein.
[0018] After concrete 600 is cured, the installed Shear Wall Anchor
is located with the aid of flexible marker feature 410 and the plug
is removed exposing the threaded portion of the threaded coupler
300. A thin layer of concrete may be chipped away or otherwise
removed in the process, as is commonly practiced in the art.
[0019] By supplying a complete, pre-configured assembly of the
Shear Wall Anchor as a kit the present invention facilitates
substantial savings in labor, cost and construction time as
compared to currently known and practiced methods.
[0020] The embodiment disclosed herein is illustrative and not
limiting; other embodiments shall be readily apparent to those
skilled in the art based upon the disclosures made herein, without
departing from the scope of the present invention.
* * * * *