Stabilizing apparatus for securing anchor bolts

Abstract

A stabilizing apparatus for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour includes a stabilizer and a wrench. The stabilizer has a leg and a base. The leg has an elongate planar member which, in turn has a first leg distal end and a second leg distal end. The base is comprised of an elongate tube. The elongate tube is comprised of a first tube distal end and a second tube distal end, a top half and a bottom half. The first leg distal end is affixed to the bottom half of the base. The wrench is comprised of a wrench member and a wrench orifice. The wrench member is an elongate tube with a first wrench distal end and a second wrench distal end. The wrench orifice is disposed at the second wrench distal end. The first wrench distal end is sized to fit into the elongate tube of the base.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates with the construction industry and more particularly pertains to a system and apparatus for the purpose of securing anchor bolts and rebar.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the main concerns with respect to the construction of any home, building, or other man-made structure is the foundation upon which it is built. The relative strength or structural integrity of the foundation of a structure is acutely problematic in earthquake-prone areas. Poorly fashioned foundations can result in collapsed structures, lost property damage, injuries and even death. World-renowned cosmopolitan cities such as San Francisco have seen first-hand the devastating consequences of poorly built foundations.

Three of the cornerstones of any structural foundations is the anchor bolt, rebar, and concrete. One of the principal materials used in any construction project is concrete. Concrete is cost effective, moldable to virtually any shape desirable, scaleable, and simple to use and implement. Moreover, its intrinsic compressive strength is virtually unmatched.

However, whereas concrete can be compressed with great force, its tensile strength is only negligible by comparison. For this reason concrete must be compositely strengthened with steel reinforcing bars (or “rebar”) to resist tensile forces. The use of rebar acts as an internal skeleton by which the concrete can congeal around and bond with. Whereas anchor bolts are generally used to affix vertical walls with concrete slabs or foundations, or to affix horizontal framing to vertical concrete or masonry walls; rebar is generally used to connect concrete slabs, walls or foundations with other concrete elements.

The importance of anchor bolts may be most readily illustrated in an earthquake. In the event of an earthquake the vertical walls of a structure resisting the forces are swayed horizontally in-plane. This movement, in turn, creates great tension between the interface of the ends of the walls with the concrete. Without the anchor bolts the wall would quickly detach from the concrete slab and may potentially result in the collapse of the structure.

For these reasons, many building codes specify that anchor bolts must be positioned in its final place before pouring concrete. This leads to increased strength in the foundation. If anchor bolts are placed or positioned in the concrete after a pour, the strength of the resulting foundation is lessened quite considerably.

Unfortunately, in operation, the placement of anchor bolts before a pour of concrete is difficult and cumbersome. Strong winds, movement of heavy equipment, construction workers, etc. all risk moving or displacing anchor bolts which are tenuously disposed in their respective positions. Most often, these anchor bolts are positioned using flimsy tools which are bound to become undone by the forces mentioned above. And in particularly egregious cases, anchor bolts are placed into the concrete after the pour despite the contravention of the applicable building codes.

Therefore, what is clearly needed in the art is a system and apparatus to be used for securing anchor bolts in its final resting position before a concrete pour.

This placement should be secure and should be robust enough to withstand strong winds, etc. Moreover, the system should also provide a means to further buttress a structure by tying in its anchor bolts to the nearby rebar.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to increase the foundational strength of a construction project by securing anchor bolts in its final resting position before a concrete pour. By reinforcing the slab or footing through its anchor bolts and rebar network the foundation may become tolerant of strong earthquakes.

Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to further reinforce the foundation by tying the anchor bars to the nearby rebar network. This reinforced foundation may prevent the anchor bolts from being pulled out of a slab in the event of a very strong earthquake.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a unique system and apparatus are used to stabilize an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour. The present invention is described in enabling detail below.

FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention. A stabilizing apparatus 100 for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour includes a stabilizer 101 and a wrench 102. The stabilizer has a leg 103 and a base 104. The leg is an elongate planar member 105 which, in turn has a first leg distal end 106 and a second leg distal end 107. In some preferred embodiments the leg may further incorporate at least one leg orifice 131 for the purpose of allowing a nail or other fastener secure it to a form board, batter board, or the like. The base 104 is comprised of an elongate tube 108. The elongate tube is comprised of a first tube distal end 109 and a second tube distal end 110, a top half 111 and a bottom half 112. The first leg distal end is affixed to the bottom half of the base. In some preferred embodiments the base may further comprise a base orifice 128 and a fastener 129. The fastener is sized to fit into the base orifice. In some preferred embodiments this fastener may be either a screw or a thumb screw.

It should be noted here that the wrench is adjustable in its length. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the wrench may be extended to several different lengths or distances to accommodate a plurality of distances or positions in which the anchor bolt is to be placed or secured.

The wrench is comprised of a wrench member 113 and a wrench orifice 114. The wrench member is an elongate tube 115 with a first wrench distal end 116 and a second wrench distal end 117. In some preferred embodiments the elongate tube may also include at least one blaze mark 127. The purpose of the blaze mark is to indicate a particular distance. Oftentimes, the anchor bolts are secured away from a form at pre-determined distances. These blaze marks indicate these pre-determined distances in order to make the particular length of the wrench easier to find without having to measure it. And in other preferred embodiments the elongate tube may further incorporate other indicia 130 such as trademarks, instructions, warnings, specifications, building codes, laws, and the like. The possibilities are endless. The wrench orifice is disposed at the second wrench distal end. The first wrench distal end is sized to fit into the elongate tube of the base.

In some preferred embodiments the present stabilizing apparatus 100 may further include a cradle 118 as shown in FIG. 10. The cradle comprises an elongate planar member 119 and at least one orifice 120. The elongate planar member has a first cradle distal end 121 and a second cradle distal end 122. In some preferred embodiments the elongate planar member is bent at the second cradle distal end. And in some preferred embodiments the second distal end is prong-shaped in order to secure rebar. In addition, in some preferred embodiments the cradle may further include cradle orifices 123. The first orifice is disposed at the first cradle distal end. The second orifice is elongated to receive either rebar or an anchor bolt

In some preferred embodiments the stabilizing apparatus may optionally include an anchor bolt 124. The anchor bolt has a first anchor bolt distal end 125 and a second anchor bolt distal end 126. The anchor bolt is secured by the wrench orifice at the first anchor bolt distal end. The cradle mentioned above may be disposed around the anchor bolt through its orifices.

FIG. 11 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the present invention used in applications where a column or light pole is to be constructed or erected. A system 200 for securing a plurality of anchor bolts in a final position before a concrete pour for a column base or light pole includes a plurality of base forms 201 and a plurality of bridges 202.

The base forms are comprised of an R-member 203 and a receiver 204. The R-member is an elongate member with a first R-distal end 205 and a second R-distal end 206. The first R-distal end is curved and abuts the receiver. The receiver has a first receiver distal end 207 and a second receiver distal end 208, a top side 209 and a bottom side 210. In some preferred embodiments the R-member may further incorporate an R-orifice 216. The R-orifice may enable the R-member to be affixed or secured to batter board or form board by allowing a fastener such as a nail or screw to pass through it.

The base forms are connected to each other with the bridges. The bridges comprise a first bridge distal end 211 and a second bridge distal end 212. Each distal end is affixed to the receiver of each base form. In some preferred embodiments the bridge may further incorporate bridge orifice 216.

In some preferred embodiments the system 200 may further incorporate a thumb screw 213 and a complementary receiver orifice 214. The thumb screw is sized to fit into the receiver orifice. In other preferred embodiments the system 200 may also include bridge indicia 215. The function of the bridge indicia is to indicate pre-determined lengths of the bridges in order to determine where the anchor bolts are to be disposed or positioned. And in some other preferred embodiments, the bridges may further include a plurality of bridge orifices which enable a user several different options of where to dispose an anchor bolt, or alternatively to secure several anchor bolts with the same bridge.

FIG. 12 illustrates a preferred embodiment where the system 200 further includes a rebar stabilizer 217. The rebar stabilizer comprising a first rebar end 218 and a second rebar end 219. In some preferred embodiments the second rebar end is prong shaped. And in other preferred embodiments the rebar stabilizer 217 may further include at least one rebar orifice 218 for the purpose of securing or stabilizing the rebar.

It must be noted here that although the anchor bolt is mentioned here as being part of the present invention, the scope of the present invention should not be construed to include or utilize an anchor bolt in all preferred embodiments. The present invention was designed to be used in a fashion to supplement the anchor bolt. However, other preferred embodiments may optionally include the anchor bolt as part of the claimed invention.

It will be apparent to the skilled artisan that there are numerous changes that may be made in embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. As such, the invention taught herein by specific examples is limited only by the scope of the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A stabilizing apparatus for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour comprising:

a stabilizer and a wrench;

the stabilizer comprises a leg and a base;

the leg is comprised of an elongate planar member having a first leg distal end and a second leg distal end;

the base is comprised of an elongate tube;

the elongate tube is comprised of a first tube distal end and a second tube distal end, a top half and a bottom half;

the first leg distal end is affixed to the bottom half of the base;

the wrench is comprised of a wrench member and a wrench orifice;

the wrench member is an elongate tube with a first wrench distal End and a second wrench distal end;

the wrench orifice is disposed at the second wrench distal end;

the first wrench distal end is sized to fit into the elongate tube of the base.

2. The stabilizing apparatus for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour of claim 1 further comprising a cradle;

the cradle comprises an elongate planar member and at least one orifice;

the elongate planar member having a first cradle distal end and a second cradle distal end.

3. The stabilizing apparatus for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour of claim 2 wherein the cradle comprises a bent elongate planar member.

4. The stabilizing apparatus for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour of claim 3 wherein the second distal end of the cradle is shaped in a prong configuration.

5. The stabilizing apparatus for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour of claim 4 wherein the cradle comprises at least two cradle orifices; the first orifice is disposed at the first cradle distal end; the second orifice is elongated to receive either rebar or an anchor bolt.

6. The stabilizing apparatus for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour of claim 1 further comprising an anchor bolt; the anchor bolt has a first anchor bolt distal end and a second anchor bolt distal end; the anchor bolt is secured by the wrench orifice at the first anchor bolt distal end.

7. The stabilizing apparatus for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour of claim 5 wherein the orifice of the cradle is disposed around the anchor bolt.

8. The stabilizing apparatus for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour of claim 1 wherein the elongate tube further comprises a blaze mark.

9. The stabilizing apparatus for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour of claim 1 further comprising at least one base orifice and a fastener; the fastener is sized to fit into the base orifice.

10. The stabilizing apparatus for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour of claim 9 wherein the fastener is a screw.

11. The stabilizing apparatus for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour of claim 1 further comprising indicia; the indicia is disposed on the elongate tube.

12. The stabilizing apparatus for securing an anchor bolt in a final position before a concrete pour of claim 1 further comprising at least one leg orifice.

13. A system for securing a plurality of anchor bolts in a final position before a concrete pour for a column base or light pole comprising: a plurality of base forms and a plurality of bridges;

the base forms are comprised of an R-member and a receiver;

the R-member is an elongate member with a first R-distal end and a second R-distal end; the first R-distal end is curved and abuts the receiver;

the receiver has a first receiver distal end and a second receiver distal end, a top side and a bottom side;

the base forms are connected to each other with the bridges;

the bridges comprise a first bridge distal end and a second bridge distal end; each distal end is affixed to the receiver of each base form.

14. The system for securing a plurality of anchor bolts in a final position before a concrete pour for a column base or light pole of claim 13 further comprising a thumb screw and a complementary receiver orifice; the thumb screw is sized to fit into the receiver orifice.

15. The system for securing a plurality of anchor bolts in a final position before a concrete pour for a column base or light pole of claim 14 further comprising bridge indicia.

16. The system for securing a plurality of anchor bolts in a final position before a concrete pour for a column base or light pole of claim 13 wherein the bridge further comprises a bridge orifice.

17. The system for securing a plurality of anchor bolts in a final position before a concrete pour for a column base or light pole of claim 13 wherein the R-member further comprises at least one R-orifice.

18. The system for securing a plurality of anchor bolts in a final position before a concrete pour for a column base or light pole of claim 13 further comprising a rebar stabilizer; the rebar stabilizer comprising a first rebar end and a second rebar end.

19. The system for securing a plurality of anchor bolts in a final position before a concrete pour for a column base or light pole of claim 18 wherein the second rebar end is prong shaped.

20. The system for securing a plurality of anchor bolts in a final position before a concrete pour for a column base or light pole of claim 18 further comprising at least one rebar orifice.