MOISTURE BARRIER HOLD-DOWN DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD

Abstract

A hold-down nail includes two portions, a stake and a washer, that function in combination to secure a sheet or cover over some type of material, such as an earthen material, and thereby protects the material from the elements and prevents movement of the material due to wind, rain, snow, etc. or foot or other type of traffic over the material.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application claims the benefit of copending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/220,805, filed Jun. 26, 2009, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to devices for securing a cover in place over some object to be protected by the cover.

BACKGROUND

Situations arise in a variety of different contexts where some object, such as a pile of dirt or some other material, is located outdoors and is to be protected from the elements, namely wind, rain, snow, etc. Standard hold-down or anchoring systems for the material consist of sandbags lined or connected together in a daisy-chain fashion with rope and placed at 8-10 foot centers across some sort of cover placed over the material to be protected. This sandbagging method requires: i) bags, rope, sand, and labor to fill and tie the bags; ii) labor to transport the heavy bags to the proper location; and iii) labor to tie the bags together to prevent the bags from sliding off the sometimes steep sides of the stockpile of material being protected. When the stockpile of material being protected is ready to be uncovered and used, the sandbags and cover are removed or disposed of due to ultra violet degradation. Typically at this point, however, the sandbags will have holes which make them unusable on another job during their time spent in position on the cover or due to wooden stakes being driven through them to hold them in position. Thus, the sandbags must typically be disposed of after only one use. Accordingly, improved methods and devices are needed to more easily and economically protect stockpiles of material.

SUMMARY

A hold-down nail includes two portions, a stake and a washer, that function in combination to secure a sheet or cover over some type of material, such as an earthen material, and thereby protects the material from the elements and prevents movement of the material due to wind, rain, snow, etc., or foot or other type of traffic over the material.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a hold-down nail includes a stake including a shaft having a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the shaft. The shaft also has a head end and a penetrating end and has at least one adjustment tab extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the length of the shaft. A hold-down washer includes an opening having at least one adjustment slot formed at a periphery of the opening. The hold-down washer receives the penetrating end of the shaft through the opening and slides along the longitudinal axis of the shaft towards the head end. Each adjustment slot of the hold-down washer engages or disengages a corresponding adjustment tab at defined points along the shaft and thereby enables the hold-down washer to be locked in multiple longitudinal positions along the shaft. Other embodiments include systems utilizing such nails in combination with a cover and methods of securing such covers to a material to be protected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are 3-D projections of a moisture barrier hold-down nail according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating use of a number of the moisture barrier hold-down nails of FIG. 1 in combination with a protective cover to protect a stockpile of a material from the elements.

FIG. 3A is a top view of the washer portion of the moisture barrier hold-down nails of FIGS. 1 and 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the stake and washer portions of the moisture barrier hold-down nail in position in the material being protected in the protective system of FIG. 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3C is a simplified cross-sectional diagram of the moisture barrier hold-down nail of FIG. 3B showing the washer secured in a first position at the second ends of the adjustment tabs and security and a second position at the head portion.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a stake portion of a moisture barrier hold-down nail according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a more detailed cross-sectional view of stake of a moisture barrier hold-down nail according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a 3-D projection of a washer portion of a moisture barrier hold-down nail according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a 3-D projection illustrating several stake portions of moisture barrier hold-down nails according to further embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1A and 1B are 3-D projections of a moisture barrier hold-down nail 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The moisture barrier hold-down nail 100 includes two portions, a stake 102 and a hold-down washer 104, that function in combination to secure a sheet or cover (not shown) over some type of material to be protected, such as an earthen material. FIGS. 1A and 1B show different views of the moisture barrier hold-down nail 100 to better illustrate both the stake 102 and hold-down washer 104. FIG. 1A shows the top side of the washer 104 and also shows that the stake 102 includes a head portion 106 against which the washer 104 presses when the washer is in the position shown in the figures. FIG. 1B shows the bottom side of the washer 104 and illustrates adjustment tabs formed on the stake 102 that fit into corresponding adjustment slots on the washer. These adjustment tabs on the stake 102 and adjustment slots on the washer 104 function in combination to allow the washer to be fixed in different positions along the stake to thereby effectively adjust the length of the stake, as will be described in more detail below.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a protective system 200 including a number of the moisture barrier hold-down nails 100 of FIG. 1 in combination with a protective cover 202 to protect a stockpile of material 204 from the elements, which are depicted in FIG. 2 through the arrow 206. In operation, a washer 104 is positioned on each stake 102 at the desired position and each stake is thereafter inserted through the cover 202 and into the material 204 being protected, which may be an earthen material such as dirt or sand. The cover 202 may have suitable holes (not shown) formed in the coverthrough which the stake 102 is inserted or may be made from a material, such as plastic, that allows the stakes to be pushed through the cover and into the material 204. As shown in a cross-sectional diagram of FIG. 2, a number of moisture barrier hold-down nails 100 are inserted in this way at various locations on the cover 202 to secure the cover in place over the material 204 and protect the material. The washer 104 of each moisture barrier hold-down nail is secured in place against the cover 202 by the head portion 106 of the stake 102 (when the washer 104 is positioned as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B) and provides a relatively large surface securing the cover in place so that the cover does not easily rip when a force, such as wind, acts on the cover in a direction that would remove the cover from the material if the washer and stake were not in place.

With the moisture barrier hold-down nail, the only tool required to install the cover 202 is a 2-pound hammer or other suitable tool that can be utilized to pound the stake 102 into the cover 202. The two-piece design of the moisture barrier hold-down nail 100 allows a large quantity of stakes 102 and washers 104 to be easily transported in a burlap or similar bag. Each moisture barrier hold-down nail 100 is easily installed with a few blows of the hammer. Removal of the moisture barrier hold-down nails 100 is also quick and easy, with the moisture barrier hold-down nails being pulled out and placed into the transport bags for easy transport to the next location or to a storage area for subsequent use. In this way, the moisture barrier hold-down nails 100 may be reused numerous times.

FIG. 3A is a top view of the washer 104 of the moisture barrier hold-down nail 100 of FIG. 1 and is positioned adjacent FIG. 3B, which is a cross-sectional view of the stake 102 and washer of the moisture barrier hold-down nail of FIGS. 1 and 2 in position within the material 202 of FIG. 2 being protected, according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B, the stake 102 includes a shaft having a first diameter D1 and a longitudinal axis LA extending along a length L of the shaft. The shaft 300 also includes a head end at which a circular head portion 302 having a second diameter D2 is formed, and a penetrating end 304 opposite the head end. The penetrating end 304 is tapered in the embodiment of FIG. 3B so that the stake 102 can be easily inserted into the material 204 being protected. The second diameter D2 of the head portion 302 is greater than a third diameter D3 of an opening 305 formed in the center of the washer 104, as will be discussed in more detail below.

The stake 102 further includes a number of adjustment tabs 306 formed on a shaft 300 and extending longitudinally along a portion of the length L of the shaft. As seen referring back to FIGS. 1A and 1B along with FIG. 3B, the adjustment tabs 306 are rectangular projections formed on the shaft 300. In other embodiments the adjustment tabs 306 have different shapes, with any suitable shape being within the scope of embodiments of the present invention. The adjustment tabs 306 are circumferentially spaced on the shaft 300 and have a fourth diameter D4 relative to the longitudinal axis LA of the shaft 300. The fourth diameter D4 of the adjustment tabs 306 is less than the second diameter of the head portion 302 in the embodiment of FIG. 3B. In this embodiment the adjustment tabs 306 have first ends adjoining the head portion 302 and second ends 308 opposite the first ends, with the second ends 308 being tapered extending towards the penetrating end 304 of the shaft 300.

The hold-down washer 104 includes opening 305 and also has at least one adjustment slot 307 formed at the periphery of the opening The adjustments slots 307 are circumferentially spaced around the periphery of the opening 305 such that each of the adjustment slots 307 can be aligned with a corresponding adjustment tab 306 on the shaft 300. The hold-down washer 104 receives the penetrating end 304 of the shaft 300 through the opening 305 and slides along the longitudinal axis LA of the shaft towards the head portion 302 of the shaft. In the embodiment of FIG. 3B, prior to the washer 104 reaching the adjustment tabs 306 the washer may be rotated freely about the shaft 300. The adjustment slots 307 of the hold-down washer 104 are said to engage the adjustment tabs 306 on the shaft when not aligned with the adjustment slots such that the washer no longer longitudinally slides towards the head portion 302. Instead in this situation the washer 104 “engages” the tapered second ends 308 of the adjustment tabs 306. The diameter D3 of the opening 305 is less than the diameter D4 of the tabs 306 and thus the tabs engage or stop the washer 104 at this position.

Conversely, the adjustment slots 307 of the hold-down washer 104 are said to “disengage” the adjustment tabs 306 on the shaft when aligned with the adjustment slots such that the washer, even upon reaching the second ends 308 of the adjustment tabs, continues sliding longitudinally towards the head portion 302 and finally stops upon reaching the head portion 302. In this way the adjustment tabs 306 and adjustment slots 307 operate in combination to enable the hold-down washer 104 to be locked in multiple longitudinal positions along the shaft 300. Note that in the embodiment of FIG. 3B the stake 102 further includes tapered retaining projections 310a and 310b formed at different longitudinal positions along the shaft and function to resist removal of the stake from the material 204 being protected. Different numbers and shapes can be utilized for such retaining projections 310, and such projections are also omitted in other.

FIG. 3C is a simplified cross-sectional diagram of the moisture barrier hold-down nail 100 of FIG. 3B showing the washer 104 secured in a first position at the second ends of the adjustment tabs 306 and secured in a second position at the head portion 302. In the first position, the washer 104 is oriented such that the adjustment slots 307 (not shown in FIG. 3C) engage the adjustment tabs 306, meaning that the adjustment slots are not aligned with the adjustment tabs. As a result, the opening 305 and the washer 104 presses against the tapered second ends 308 of the adjustment tabs 306 as the washer is moved longitudinally upward toward the head portion 302 and in this way is secured in the first position. Conversely, when the adjustment slots 307 in the washer 104 are aligned with the adjustment tabs 306 the washer 104 is moved all the way up the shaft 300 until the washer presses against the head portion 302 and is thereby secured in the second position.

The adjustment tabs 306 and adjustment slots 307 in the washer 104 (FIG. 3A) may be different in number and shape in other embodiments of the present invention. For example, in another embodiment the first ends of the adjustment tabs 306 do not extend all the way up to the head portion 302. Instead, each adjustment tab 306 includes a slot 312 having a thickness T as shown through the dotted lines for the adjustment tab on the left in FIG. 3C. With this embodiment once the washer 104 is pressed against the head portion 302 the washer can be rotated so that the adjustment slots 307 are no longer aligned with the adjustment tabs 306 and in this way the washer is secured in the second position pressing against the head portion.

In another embodiment the adjustment tabs 306 extend farther down the shaft 300 and include locking slots 314 formed in selected longitudinal locations along the shaft. Once again, this is illustrated in FIG. 3C for only one of the adjustment tabs on the left side of the moisture barrier hold-down nail 100 merely to simplify the figure, with these expanded portions of the adjustment tabs being designated as 306 in the figure. The washer 104 may then be secured in position at any of the locations of the locking slots 314 to thereby provide a number of effective lengths for the stake 102. The ability to secure the washer 104 in different longitudinal positions along the stake 102 enables the effective length of the stake to vary the penetration into the material 204 being protected, which eliminates the need to have different lengths of stakes at the job site for different types of materials.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a stake 400 of a hold-down nail according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the stake 400 has an overall length L formed by three segments L1, L2, and L3 as shown. The first segment L1 includes adjustment tabs 402 extending from a head portion 404 and having tapered ends towards the tip end of these adjustment tabs. A first locking slot S1 is formed at the end of these adjustment tabs 402 and adjustment tabs 402 extend on the second segment L2 of the stake 400, and once again have tapered ends towards the tip end of these adjustment tabs. The tip end of the third segment L3 is also tapered, with the taper associated with each of the segments L1, L2, and L3 being designated through an angle θ. In the depicted example embodiment the taper angle θ is 10 degrees.

FIG. 5 is a more detailed cross-sectional view of stake 500 of a moisture barrier hold-down nail according to another embodiment of the present invention. The stake 500 has an overall length L formed by two segments L1 and L2 as shown. The first segment L1 includes adjustment tabs 502 extending from a head portion 504 and having tapered ends towards the tip end of these adjustment tabs. In this embodiment the head portion 504 includes a plurality of holes 506 extending through the head portion 504. Lines or rope can be threaded through such holes 506 to help the stake 500 secure a cover (not shown in FIG. 5) in place. The second segment L2 of the stake 500 is tapered towards the tip end of the stake. The taper associated with each of the segments L1 and L2 is again designated through an angle θ, which in the depicted example is 15 degrees.

FIG. 6 is a 3-D projection of a washer 600 of a moisture barrier hold-down nail according to another embodiment of the present invention. The washer 600 includes an outer circumferential ring 602 at a first radial distance from center C of the moisture barrier hold-down washer and having an outer radial edge 604 defining a diameter of the hold-down washer. The outer circumferential ring 602 also includes an inner radial edge 606. The washer 600 further includes an inner circumferential ring 608 at a second radial distance that is less than the first radial distance. A plurality of radial projections 610 are equally circumferentially spaced, with each radial projection extending between the opening in the center C of the circular-shaped washer 600 and the inner radial edge 606 of the outer circumferential ring 602. This embodiment saves material required to form the washer 600. The radial projections 610 are not equally circumferentially spaced in other embodiments of the present invention, and may also have profiles that vary in the radial direction.

FIG. 7 is a 3-D projection illustrating several stakes 700a, 700b, and 700c for moisture barrier hold-down nails according to further embodiments of the present invention. As seen in these embodiments the number, length, and specific structure of the adjustment tabs and diameters of the various segments of the stakes vary in different embodiments of the present invention.

The stakes and washers of the moisture barrier hold-down nail in embodiments of the present invention may be formed from a variety of different materials, such as steel, aluminum, or impact resistant plastic or any other suitable material. Impact resistant plastic would in many situations be advantageous due to its lighter weight and lower cost, particularly relative to sandbags. Furthermore, when the moisture barrier hold-down nails are formed from impact resistant plastic they can be stored in wet locations indefinitely without significant damage to the moisture barrier hold-down nail 100. The labor savings for installation and removal are substantial compared to the sandbag method and the moisture barrier hold-down nails are reusable.

The washer 104 may be manufactured in various sizes depending on the thickness and durability of the cover 202 (FIG. 2) and the degree of wind exposure or other forces. The outside edges of the washer 104 that may come in contact with the cover have a suitable profile, such as a radiused edge profile, to reduce the likelihood of the washer tearing the cover.

Various sizes of the moisture barrier hold-down nail 100 can be formed for different applications. In one embodiment, a smaller version of the moisture barrier hold-down nail 100 is used for securing sheets of plastic of other covers in crawl spaces of homes and for “underslab” vapor barriers prior to placing rebar, insulation and concrete. The moisture barrier hold-down nail 100 in another application is used by landscapers to secure weed block fabrics or filter fabrics prior to installing topsoil or mulch. Note that the stake 102 and washer 104 may physically be two separate components as illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 1 or alternatively the washer and stake may be integrated to form a unitary embodiment of the moisture barrier hold-down nail 100.

In the present description, certain details are set forth in conjunction with the described embodiments of the present invention to provide a sufficient understanding of the invention. One skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that the invention may be practiced without these particular details. Furthermore, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the example embodiments described herein do not limit the scope of the present invention, and will also understand that various modifications, equivalents, and combinations of the disclosed embodiments and components of such embodiments are within the scope of the present invention. Embodiments including fewer than all the components of any of the respective described embodiments may also be within the scope of the present invention although not expressly described in detail herein. Finally, the operation of well-known components and/or processes has not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention.

Claims

1. A hold-down nail, comprising:

a stake including a shaft having a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the shaft, the shaft also having a head end and a penetrating end and having at least one adjustment tab extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the length of the shaft; and

a hold-down washer including an opening having at least one adjustment slot formed at a periphery of the opening, the hold-down washer adapted to receive the penetrating end of the shaft through the opening and to slide along the longitudinal axis of the shaft towards the head end, and each adjustment slot of the hold-down washer being operable to engage or disengage a corresponding adjustment tab at defined points along the shaft and thereby enable the hold-down washer to be locked in multiple longitudinal positions along the shaft.

2. The hold-down nail of claim 1,

wherein the shaft of the stake has a first diameter;

wherein each adjustment tab has a first end proximate the head end and a second end nearer the penetrating end;

wherein the stake includes a head portion at the head end of the shaft, the head portion having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter; and

wherein the opening of the hold-down washer has a third diameter that is greater than the first diameter and less than the second diameter, and wherein the hold-down washer is adapted to slide along the longitudinal axis of the shaft towards the head end and, when each adjustment slot of the hold-down washer is not aligned with a corresponding adjustment tab of the shaft, to engage the second end of each adjustment tab to lock the hold-down washer in a first longitudinal position and, when each adjustment slot is aligned with a corresponding adjustment tab of the shaft, to slide along the longitudinal axis of the shaft and engage the head portion to lock in a second longitudinal position.

3. The hold-down nail of claim 2,

wherein the shaft of the stake is cylindrical, and

wherein the adjustment tabs extend radially from a surface of the cylindrical shaft and have a fourth diameter that is less than the second diameter of the head portion.

4. The hold-down nail of claim 3, wherein each adjustment tab is tapered at the second end of the adjustment tab.

5. The hold-down nail of claim 3,

wherein each adjustment tab has the fourth diameter for a first longitudinal portion of the adjustment tab, and

wherein each adjustment tab has a fifth diameter for a second longitudinal portion of the adjustment tab, the fifth diameter being less than the fourth diameter.

6. The hold-down nail of claim 4, wherein the head portion of the shaft of the stake is a circular-shaped disk having a thickness, and wherein the head portion includes a plurality of holes extending through the circular-shaped disk from one end to the other, the diameters of these holes being less than the thickness of the disk.

7. The hold-down nail of claim 1, wherein the penetrating end of the shaft includes a tapered end portion.

8. The hold-down nail of claim 1, wherein the hold-down washer is circular-shaped with the opening formed in the center of the circular-shaped washer.

9. The hold-down nail of claim 8, wherein the hold-down washer comprises:

an outer circumferential ring at a first radial distance from the center of the hold-down washer and having an outer radial edge defining a diameter of the hold-down washer and having an inner radial edge;

an inner circumferential ring at a second radial distance that is less than the first radial distance; and

a plurality of radial projections, each radial projection extending between the opening in the center of the circular-shaped washer and the inner radial edge of the outer circumferential ring.

10. The hold-down nail of claim 1, wherein the shaft of the stake further includes tapered retaining projections formed at selected points along the length of the shaft.

11. The hold-down nail of claim 1, wherein the stake is formed from a single molded plastic material and wherein the hold-down washer is also formed from a single molded piece of plastic material.

12. The hold-down nail of claim 1,

wherein the hold-down washer is circular-shaped and the opening is circular-shaped and at the center of the hold-down washer;

wherein the hold-down washer includes a plurality of adjustment slots formed around the periphery of the circular-shaped opening, each adjustment slot being a rectangular-shaped slot extending through a thickness of the hold-down washer; and

wherein each of the adjustment tabs is also rectangular-shaped and adapted to fit within a corresponding adjustment slot.

13. A protection system for protecting a material from the elements, the system comprising:

a protective cover; and

a plurality of hold-down nails, each hold-down nail being adapted to penetrate through the cover to secure the cover in a desired position, and each hold-down nail comprising: a stake including a shaft having a longitudinal axis extending along a length of the shaft, the shaft also having a head end and a penetrating end and having at least one adjustment tab extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the length of the shaft; and a hold-down washer including an opening having at least one adjustment slot formed at a periphery of the opening, the hold-down washer adapted to receive the penetrating end of the shaft through the opening and to slide along the longitudinal axis of the shaft towards the head end, and each adjustment slot of the hold-down washer being operable to engage or disengage a corresponding adjustment tab at defined points along the shaft and thereby enable the hold-down washer to be locked in multiple longitudinal positions along the shaft.

14. The protection system of claim 13, wherein the protective cover includes a plurality of holes, each hole adapted to receive the stake of a respective hold-down nail to thereby allow the hold-down nails to penetrate through the cover in this way.

15. The protection system of claim 13, wherein the protective cover is placed over a material and secured in place over the material through the hold-down nails.

16. The protection system of claim 13, wherein the protective cover is plastic or other material.

17. A method of protecting a material from the elements, the method comprising:

placing a protective cover over the material to be protected;

adjusting the length of a plurality of hold-down nails; and

forcing each of the hold-down nails through the cover and into the material to thereby secure the cover over the material and protect the cover from the elements.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein adjusting the length of a plurality of hold-down nails comprises:

selecting a stake of each hold-down nail; and

inserting a hold-down washer in a desired position along the length of the stake to thereby define effective length of the stake.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein forcing each of the hold-down nails through the cover and into the material comprises applying a force to a head end of each hold-down nail via a hammer.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the elements comprise wind, rain, snow, and so on that may be present in an outdoor environment.