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United States Patent Application	20020088187
Kind Code	A1
Howard, John Earl ;   et al.	July 11, 2002

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Claims

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The invention claimed is

1. A building foundation connector brace, comprising: at least two telescoping sections of tubular steel with one disposed to slip inside another; wherein, a first end of the connector brace provides for attachment to a frame of a modular building; and wherein, a second end of the connector brace provides for attachment to an anchor buried in the ground.

2. The brace of claim 1, further comprising: a hole drilled through the telescoping sections after said first and second ends are respectively attached to said frame of said modular building and to said anchor; and a fastener disposed in the hole such that the telescoping sections are locked together; wherein, said frame of said modular building is braced against lateral movement by said anchor.

3. The brace of claim 1, wherein said ground-anchor comprises: a stem with a pointed end and an opposite machine-threaded end; a pair of arrowhead fins welded to the stem at said pointed end; a pivotable fluke attached to the stem just aft of the pair of arrowhead fins; a lateral pin that transversely hinges the fluke to the stem so that the fluke can both fold flat and fold out near perpendicular to the stem; a stabilizer vane that slips down over said machine-threaded end of the stem after the anchor has been buried in the ground, and that provides for lateral reinforcement of the top end of the anchors against side thrusts; and a cap that also lips down over said machine-threaded end of the stem and interlocks with the stabilizer vane.

4. The brace of claim 3, wherein, said ground-anchor comprises: a nut that is threaded on said machine-threaded end of the stem over the cap, and that provides a means for folding out the fluke into its perpendicular position while the anchor is buried in the ground; wherein, otherwise undisturbed and naturally compacted soil in the earth is pinched between the pivotable fluke and the cap.

5. The brace of claim 3, wherein: the stabilizing vane is oriented broadside to an expected lateral load applied to an above-ground part of the anchor.

6. The brace of claim 3, wherein said ground-anchor comprises: a rigid strut for connecting between a modular building on piers and said machine-threaded end of the stem over the cap; wherein, the stabilizing vane is buried and oriented in the ground broadside to said modular building.

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Description

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to bracing systems for modular buildings, and more particularly to rigid connectors for bracing mobile coaches to ground anchors able to secure modular buildings subject to earthquake, high winds, and floods.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] Natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes cause far more damage than is necessary when equipment, fixtures, and buildings come loose and are allowed to knock about. Floods in particular are able to float propane tanks off their foundations and carry them away. Such floating tanks can easily collide with other debris and explode. Mobile homes that would otherwise suffer relatively minor damage can be completely destroyed if they are bounced off their foundations or support jacks during an earthquake.

[0005] Of course many anchoring methods and devices exist that could be used in these and similar situations. But the prior art anchoring methods and devices available are usually expensive and/or not all that satisfactory.

[0006] Soil anchors are well-known. Some need to have a hole excavated and the anchor buried in the hole. Others screw themselves into the ground and are expected to resist being pulled out. Tents of all sizes have been anchored by tethers that are tied off to spikes driven into the ground. Such spikes are best driven in at right angles to the expected load so that they don't pull out so easily.

[0007] However, when extreme forces are applied to prior art soil anchors, they pull out because the installation loosened the soil they're embedded in, and/or too little lateral area in the soil is being loaded.

[0008] Boyce Cockman describes a screw-in type post anchor in U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,165, issued May 8, 1990. He admits that a problem occurs in loosening the soil in which the anchor is expected to grip. So the solution proposed is to squeeze the soil in a vice arrangement after the anchor is in place. The problem with trying to recompact the disturbed soil this way is the plug of recompacted soil forms a cylinder that is not well anchored to the undisturbed soil surrounding the anchor.

[0009] A drive anchor with retaining flukes was described by M. A. Jackson, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,347, issued Feb. 7, 1967. A power hammer is used to drive a ground anchor into place. A metal shaft with a pointed end has flukes welded to it to form what looks like an arrowhead. A tailpiece of each fluke is not welded to the shaft behind a radial bend-groove. The fluke tailpieces bend on the bending groove and flip out when the drive anchor is forcibly rotated or tugged. The bent pieces thereafter lock the drive anchor in essentially undisturbed compacted earth. However, a large amount of force is usually needed to get the bending grooves to fold, and the folded metal is thus weakened and exposed to rust.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a connector brace that can secure a modular building on its foundation.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a soil anchor and bracing system that is simple and easy to install.

[0012] Briefly, a connector brace embodiment of the present invention comprises at least two telescoping sections of tubular steel that fit together. One end of the connector brace is bolted to the frame of a modular building, and the other to a soil anchor buried in the ground. Once the two ends are bolted in place, the telescoping sections are drilled for a locking bolt. The connector brace secures the foundation of the modular building with a rigid strut arm thus formed. One form of anchor comprises a heavy steel rod with several inches of machine threading at a back end, and an arrowhead with a pair of wedge-shaped wings at a front end. The wedge-shaped wings are welded to the steel rod from the tips and halfway down to the trailing edges of the arrowhead wings. A pivotable fluke is hinged to the shaft with lateral pin. The whole unit is driven into the soil with an pneumatic jack-hammer until the threads at the back end are almost completely buried. A stabilizer vane and interlocking cap are then placed over the end flat on the ground. Nuts are put over the threaded end and tightened so that the whole unit is drawn back out a few inches. The fluke folds out perpendicular to the shaft and locks compacted soil between it and the cap. The stabilizing vane braces the top end of the anchor against lateral forces.

[0013] An advantage of the present invention is that a connecting brace for a mobile coach is provided that is effective and useful where extreme lateral loading may occur.

[0014] Another advantage of the present invention is that a soil anchor is provided that is simple and easy to insert into the ground and that does not loosen the naturally compacted soil it needs to anchor within.

[0015] The above and still further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 is an end view diagram of a rigid connector brace embodiment of the present invention installed between the foundation of a modular building and a typical deadman anchor;

[0017] FIGS. 2A and 2B are plan and end view diagrams of a modular building, like that of FIG. 1, and showing the placement of several anchors and their connection with rigid struts;

[0018] FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective and exploded assembly views of a ground-anchor like that of FIG. 1;

[0019] FIG. 4 is an exploded assembly diagram of two telescoping sections of box-tubular steel in a rigid connector brace embodiment of the present invention like that of FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B;

[0020] FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are top, side, and end view diagrams of a U-channel connector used to attach the telescoping sections of box-tubular steel of FIG. 4 to the foundation of the modular building and the deadman anchor of FIG. 1; and

[0021] FIGS. 6A and 6B are top and side view diagrams of a J-connector used to attach the I-beam girders in the foundation of the modular building to the U-channel connector of FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates a rigid connector brace embodiment of the present invention for a modular building, and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral 100. A pair of box-tubular sections of steel 102 and 104 are fit one inside the other to telescope during installation. An upper end is bolted to a U-channel connector 106 secured to an I-beam girder 108 under a mobile coach or modular building. A flatbar J-hook 110 is slipped over the top and fastened to the U-channel connector 106 with a bolt and nut 112. Similarly, the bottom end of the telescoping sections 102 and 104 are fastened with another U-channel connector 114 to a buried-in-the-ground anchor 116. A square cap 118 interlocks over a stabilizing vane 120 set broadside to the expected lateral forces. A nut is threaded over these on a stem 122. A pivotable fluke 124 extends out sideways from an arrowhead 126 and a pointed end 128. Once all the other hardware is firmly in place, a pair of bolt holes 130 and 132 are drilled through the telescoping sections 102 and 104. Bolts are installed here to lock the telescoping sections 102 and 104 together to form a rigid brace.

[0023] FIGS. 2A and 2B show the floor system of a modular building 200 and the placement of several anchors 201-206. On the left, a first row of piers are represented by a pier 208. A second row by a pier 210. A middle row under a main girder is represented by a pier 212. A fourth row, right of center, is represented by a pier 214. A farthest-right row of piers is represented by a pier 216. Each of the six anchors 201-206 has a rigid bracing strut of box-tube steel that diagonally connects down to a buried anchor like those illustrated here in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, and 4A-4C. The bracing struts are preferably constructed with telescoping sections that have been pinned together by bolts after both ends have been secured in their final positions. The stabilizing vanes of the respective anchors are oriented for maximum advantage, e.g., broadside to the building.

[0024] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate one form of anchor 300. The anchor 300 comprises a steel shaft 302 with a threaded top end 304 and a sharpened pointed end 306. A pair of knife-edge fins 308 and 310 are meant to cut through the soil as the anchor is pounded into the ground with a jack-hammer. A corresponding pair of bevel edges 312 and 314 are ground on the fins. A pivotable fluke 316 is hinged to the shaft with a pin 318. A pair of trailing edge bevels 320 and 322 are cut on the same side so that the fluke 316 will flip out and lock perpendicular to the shaft 302 if the anchor is driven down into the ground and tugged back up. A nut 324 is threaded down on end 304 and covered, e.g., with a large washer 326. A couple more nuts 328 and 330 are provided to fasten above-ground hardware to the anchor. A stabilizer 332 is locked into the upper end of the anchor by a cap 334. A system of interlocking slots 336, 338, 340, and 342, keep the stabilizer in place.

[0025] FIG. 4 shows a rigid connector brace embodiment of the present invention, and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral 400. An inner telescoping section of box-channel steel 402 is sized to just slip inside an outer section 404. A bolt hole 406 allows attachment to a anchor. Another bolt hole 408 allows attachment, for example, to a building foundation or mobile coach floor girder. A hole 410 is used to pilot a drill to put a hole through a corresponding part of section 402 after both ends of the brace 400 are already installed.

[0026] FIGS. 5A-5C show a U-channel connector 500 with a hole 502 for fastening to an anchor or I-beam girder clip. A hole 504 provides for fasteners to the telescoping sections 402 and 404 of brace 400.

[0027] FIGS. 6A-6B show a J-clip for fastening the U-channel connector 500 to the I-beam girder 108 (FIG. 1), for example. A hook end 602 captures one side, and fasteners through bolt holes 604 lock down the other side.

[0028] Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, such is not intended to limit the invention. Modifications and changes will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is intended that the invention only be limited by the scope of the appended claims.

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