Patents by Inventor Michael D. Wilkis

Michael D. Wilkis has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12359388
    Abstract: A coupled shaft assembly for a foundation support system includes conical-shaped inner and outer couplers with mating helical ribs and grooves, and an anti-reverse element extending through different shaped openings in the inner and outer couplers that accommodates a limited degree of relative rotation of the couplers and thereafter precludes further relative rotation and an undesirable disengagement of the inner and outer couplers when subjected to reverse rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: Pier Tech Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Publication number: 20250207343
    Abstract: A foundation support system and method includes support components having mating ends with a pair of fastener holes and a rotational interlock feature configured to partly engage one another while the rotational interlock features are misaligned, and to self-align and fully engage the rotational interlock features via a rotation of one of the ends relative to the other while also automatically aligning the pairs of fastener holes to simplify an insertion of a fastener while avoiding fastener hole deformation when the foundation support components are driven to a desired depth on a building site to support the building foundation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2025
    Publication date: June 26, 2025
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Publication number: 20250207345
    Abstract: Coupled shaft assemblies for a foundation support system include shafts provided with profiled distal end edges that may be directly engaged to one another to realize an interlocking torque transmitting relationship with one another along a curved engagement surface. A coupler sleeve may snugly receive the distal ends of the directly engaged shafts and may fasten the shafts to one another through the coupler sleeve with ease in an economical manufacture that does not require non-uniform wall thickness in the shafts to establish torque transmission capability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2025
    Publication date: June 26, 2025
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Publication number: 20250207344
    Abstract: A building foundation support system includes first and second components having a distal end formed with an outer surface and at least two spaced apart ribs or with at least two spaced apart grooves. When the ribs are respectively inserted into the grooves, a rotationally interlocked mechanical connection is established between the distal ends. One of the first and second components is an elongated pile shaft and the other is a drive tool coupler for driving the elongate pile shaft into the ground proximate the building foundation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2025
    Publication date: June 26, 2025
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Patent number: 12338599
    Abstract: Coupled shaft assemblies for a foundation support system include shafts provided with profiled distal end edges that may be directly engaged to one another to realize an interlocking torque transmitting relationship with one another along a curved engagement surface. A coupler sleeve may snugly receive the distal ends of the directly engaged shafts and may fasten the shafts to one another through the coupler sleeve with ease in an economical manufacture that does not require non-uniform wall thickness in the shafts to establish torque transmission capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Pier Tech Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Patent number: 12338598
    Abstract: Improved couplers for a building foundation support system include helical ribs and helical grooves in combination with an integrated spring retainer element that automatically snaps into place as the couplers are engaged. Rotational and axial interlocking attachment of support piles is therefore possible without utilizing separately provided fasteners such as bolts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Pier Tech Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Publication number: 20250109562
    Abstract: A foundation support system includes a hollow foundation support shaft formed with a first axial length and a first torque transmitting distal end edge including an asymmetric torque transmitting tooth. The asymmetric torque transmitting tooth includes a forward torque transmitting edge portion and a rearward force transmitting edge portion opposing the forward torque transmitting edge portion. The forward torque transmitting edge portion and the rearward torque transmitting edge portion have a respectively different shape and orientation on the first torque transmitting distal end edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2023
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Patent number: 12203231
    Abstract: A modular foundation support system includes modular foundation support components including self-aligning and torque transmitting coupler features wherein a plurality of \ elongated ribs are aligned with a plurality of elongated grooves to rotationally interlock the modular foundation support components to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Pier Tech Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Patent number: 12203232
    Abstract: A modular foundation support system includes modular foundation support components including shafts provided with integrally formed coupler features on their respective distal ends. The coupler features are configured with a non-uniform wall thickness defining a plurality of sections of respectively different diameter to matingly couple the shafts to one another in a torque transmitting relationship. The coupler features may be integrally formed and fabricated on the distal end of each respective shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Pier Tech Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Publication number: 20240035245
    Abstract: A coupled shaft assembly for a foundation support system includes inner and outer couplers with mating helical ribs and grooves, and spring element that resiliently interlocks the inner and outer couplers in an axial direction. Built-in anti-reverse rotation elements in each coupler accommodates a limited degree of relative rotation of the couplers and thereafter precludes further relative rotation that could otherwise negatively impact the spring element and lead to an undesirable disengagement of the inner and outer couplers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Publication number: 20240026627
    Abstract: A coupled shaft assembly for a foundation support system includes conical-shaped inner and outer couplers with mating helical ribs and grooves, and an anti-reverse element extending through different shaped openings in the inner and outer couplers that accommodates a limited degree of relative rotation of the couplers and thereafter precludes further relative rotation and an undesirable disengagement of the inner and outer couplers when subjected to reverse rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Publication number: 20240018734
    Abstract: Coupled shaft assemblies for a foundation support system include shafts provided with profiled distal end edges that may be directly engaged to one another to realize an interlocking torque transmitting relationship with one another along a curved engagement surface. A coupler sleeve may snugly receive the distal ends of the directly engaged shafts and may fasten the shafts to one another through the coupler sleeve with ease in an economical manufacture that does not require non-uniform wall thickness in the shafts to establish torque transmission capability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Publication number: 20230235523
    Abstract: A modular foundation support system includes modular foundation support components including shafts provided with integrally formed coupler features on their respective distal ends. The coupler features are configured with a non-uniform wall thickness defining a plurality of sections of respectively different diameter to matingly couple the shafts to one another in a torque transmitting relationship. The coupler features may be integrally formed and fabricated on the distal end of each respective shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Publication number: 20230175226
    Abstract: A modular foundation support system includes modular foundation support components including self-aligning and torque transmitting coupler features wherein a plurality of\elongated ribs are aligned with a plurality of elongated grooves to rotationally interlock the modular foundation support components to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Patent number: 11525232
    Abstract: A modular foundation support system includes modular foundation support components including self-aligning and torque transmitting coupler features wherein a plurality of axially elongated ribs are aligned with a plurality of axially elongated ribs to rotationally interlocke the modular foundation support components to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Publication number: 20210254298
    Abstract: Improved couplers for a building foundation support system include helical ribs and helical grooves in combination with an integrated spring retainer element that automatically snaps into place as the couplers are engaged. Rotational and axial interlocking attachment of support piles is therefore possible without utilizing separately provided fasteners such as bolts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Publication number: 20210071381
    Abstract: A modular foundation support system includes modular foundation support components including self-aligning and torque transmitting coupler features wherein a plurality of axially elongated ribs are aligned with a plurality of axially elongated ribs to rotationally interlocke the modular foundation support components to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Patent number: 10844569
    Abstract: A modular foundation support system includes modular foundation support components including self-aligning and torque transmitting coupler features wherein a plurality of axially elongated ribs are aligned with a plurality of axially elongated ribs on a second distal end to rotationally interlocked the modular foundation support components to one another. First and second pair of fastener holes are self-aligning with one another to receive a fastener therethrough such that the fastener is mechanically isolated from rotational torque transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Patent number: 10294623
    Abstract: A self-aligning and torque transmitting coupler assembly includes an outer coupler coupled to a first shaft of and an inner coupler coupled to a second shaft. The outer coupler comprises an inner surface having primary and secondary alignment and torque transmitting features, and the inner coupler comprises an outer surface having primary and secondary alignment features. The primary and secondary alignment features are configured to interlock and facilitate alignment of the first and second shafts along a common axis in an exemplary application of a foundation support system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: PIER TECH SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis
  • Publication number: 20190127940
    Abstract: A modular foundation support system includes modular foundation support components including self-aligning and torque transmitting coupler features wherein a plurality of axially elongated ribs are aligned with a plurality of axially elongated ribs on a second distal end to rotationally interlocked the modular foundation support components to one another. First and second pair of fastener holes are self-aligning with one another to receive a fastener therethrough such that the fastener is mechanically isolated from rotational torque transmission.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Kevin Kaufman, Michael D. Wilkis