Abstract:
An apparatus includes a first strap including an upper end and a lower end. A second strap is disposed adjacent to the first strap and includes an upper end and a lower end. The upper and lower ends of the second strap correspond in position with respect to the upper and lower ends of the first strap. A base portion connects the first and second straps between the respective lower ends of the first and second straps. A height adjustment system includes at least one bar disposed adjacent to at least one of the first and second straps, and a lift assist component that engages with the bar. In an orientation where the first and second straps extend vertically with respect to a horizontal plane, a distance between the horizontal plane and the respective upper ends of the first and second straps is adjustable via engagement between the lift assist component and the bar.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     A pole building or a post frame building is a building structure, made in a quick and simplified manner, which may be of multiple varieties, including barns, sheds, shops, homes, etc. Generally, the basic structure of a pole building included a framework of columns on which walls and/or an overhead shelter may be built. Traditionally, the frameworks have been formed by partially burying large poles or posts in the ground so as to make upright columns that can be framed or otherwise built up. In more recent times, in lieu of simply burying the poles, the poles or posts have been fastened to a foundation or support means, such as a concrete pad. While burying the poles provides good lateral stability, the direct exposure to soil or other stabilizing materials, such as concrete or gravel, may cause rot and decay in poles, particularly when the pole is made of wood. Therefore, instead of wood, some pole buildings implement poles cast entirely in concrete. 
     When constructing a pole building, one challenge faced by the builders is to ensure that the height of the poles is accurate according to the necessary grade. Further, in order to ensure stability and safety, the poles are generally buried to a predetermined depth to help prevent the structure from merely being blown over or ripped from the ground. Despite excavation capabilities, these factors present a challenge due to the differences in the natural land surface and content from place to place, even in a single space of land for the same building. Generally, a height adjustment is done by repeatedly performing a process to check the height until the height is correct. The process may include inserting a pole into an excavated hole, checking the height, and removing the pole from the hole to add or remove material under the pole. Thus, current methods of height adjustment are time-consuming and difficult. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The Detailed Description is set forth with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical items. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exploded isometric view of a structural support apparatus. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an assembled isometric view of the lower portion of an alternative embodiment of a structural support apparatus. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a side view of an example base portion. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an isometric view of another alternative embodiment of a structural support apparatus. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an isometric view of yet another alternative embodiment of a structural support apparatus. 
         FIG. 6A  illustrates an isometric view an example embodiment of a ground plate. 
         FIG. 6B  illustrates an isometric view an example embodiment of a base portion. 
         FIG. 7A  illustrates an isometric view of the lower portion of another alternative embodiment of a structural support apparatus. 
         FIG. 7B  illustrates a side view of the apparatus shown in  FIG. 7A . 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a side view of another example embodiment of the lower portion of a structural support apparatus. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a side view of yet another example embodiment of the lower portion of a structural support apparatus. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a side view of a different example embodiment of the lower portion of a structural support apparatus. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a side view of an example embodiment of the lower portion of a structural support apparatus where the bar is outside of the straps. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a flowchart of a method of installing the structural support apparatus. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Overview 
     This disclosure is directed to a structural support apparatus, which is well-suited for many uses, but particularly for pole buildings (also known as a post frame building). The disclosure is further directed to method for installing a structural support apparatus having the features discussed herein. A pole building is a building structure, made in a quick and simplified manner, which may be of multiple varieties, including barns, sheds, shops, homes, etc. Generally, the basic structure of a pole building included a framework of columns on which walls and/or an overhead shelter may be built. Traditionally, the frameworks have been formed by partially burying large poles or posts in the ground so as to make upright columns that can be framed or otherwise built up. In more recent times, in lieu of simply burying the poles, the poles or posts have been fastened to a foundation or support means, such as a concrete pad. While burying the poles provides good lateral stability, the direct exposure to soil or other stabilizing materials, such as concrete or gravel, may cause rot and decay in poles, particularly when the pole is made of wood. Therefore, instead of wood, some pole buildings implement poles cast entirely in concrete. However, this method is cumbersome and costly due, in large part, to the heavy weight of the pre-cast concrete pole. 
     As explained herein, a structural support apparatus according to the features depicted and described simplifies the process of adjusting the height of the support member and thus, the column thereon as well. Further, the structural support apparatus described herein improves the ease of construction and minimizes costs. Moreover, features such as the height adjustment system of the various embodiments of the structural support apparatus of this application maintain and improve the structural integrity of the pole building. 
     In an example, a structural support apparatus may include a height adjustment system that quickly allows a user to adjust the height without needing to remove the pole repeatedly to add or remove matter beneath the pole. 
     Accordingly, the structural support apparatus described herein may accurately and effectively assist a user in quickly constructing a pole building. In the following paragraphs various embodiments of a structural support apparatus including a height adjustment system are described. 
     Illustrative Embodiments of a Structural Support Apparatus 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a structural support apparatus  100 . The structural support apparatus  100  may include a first strap  102  and a second strap  104  facing the first strap  102 . Each of the first and second straps  102 ,  104  may be visually divided for the purpose of the discussion in the specification (or literally divided, as in  FIG. 5 ) into an upper portion  106 , which is roughly the top half of the first and second straps  102 ,  104 , and a lower portion  108 , which is roughly the bottom half of the first and second straps  102 ,  104 . The first and second straps  102 ,  104  may be elongated, thin plates to which a column may be attached upon installation of the apparatus  100 . 
     It is noted that straps, such as the first and second straps  102 ,  104  of this application, as well as the other elements of the structural support apparatuses described herein may be made of a material resistant to deterioration when buried in soil or surrounded by another material, such as concrete, for example. Thus, the structural support apparatuses described herein may be made of a metal, such as steel, for example, or other suitable materials. 
     The first and second straps  102 ,  104  may be secured close to each other by one or more connection members. Some of the connection members may include a base portion  110 , a capped tube (“support column rest”)  126 , and a stiffener plate (shown as element  404  in  FIG. 4 ). The base portion  110  may be located at a lowermost end of the structural support apparatus  100 , and may anchor the first strap  102  to the second strap  104 . The base portion  110  may have a hole  112 . Other embodiments may not have the hole  112 , as seen in  FIG. 5 , for example. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the hole  112  may also have a threaded surface  114 . 
     Furthermore, the structural support apparatus  100  may include a height adjustment system  116 . In some embodiments, the height adjustment system  116  may include a bar  118 , a lift assist component  120 , an obstruction  122 , and a ground plate  124 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the bar  118  may be connected to the ground plate  124  and may pass through the hole  112  of the base portion  110 . The height adjustment system  116  may further include the lift assist component  120 , which may be the threaded surface of the bar  118 . Threaded surface  114  of the hole in the base plate  110  may be sized to accommodate the threaded surface on the bar  118 . A first end of the bar  118  may be attached to the ground plate  124 . Accordingly, with these components, the height of the structural support apparatus  100  may be easily adjusted by rotating the upper portion  106  of the straps  102 ,  104  about the axis of the bar  118  so that the straps  102 ,  104  are raised or lowered as desired, by engaging the threaded surface  114  with the bar  118 . 
     While not a necessity, a second end of the bar  118  may be attached to an obstruction  122 , which may help prevent the bar  118  from threading completely out of the base portion  110 . 
     The structural support apparatus  100  may also include another connection member that is a support column rest  126 . The support column rest  126  may securely anchor the first strap  102  to the second strap  104 . It is noted that the support column rest  126  is depicted as extending along the first and second straps  102 , 104  and is thus longer than the base portion  110 , however, the base portion  110  is not limited to the plate-like shape shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Moreover, the structural support apparatus  100  may include holes  128  and  130  in a corresponding pattern in the first and second straps  102 ,  104 . In particular, the patterned holes  128 ,  130  may be located in the respective upper portions of the first and second straps  102 ,  104  in such a position so as to create a specific moment, which is beneficial for the integrity of the structure. For example, in an embodiment (not drawn to scale in the Figures), there may be two ¼ inch holes, located ¾ inch below the top of the straps and ¾ inches inward from each side, respectively. Another pair of ¼ inch holes that may be found ¾ inches in from a side, may also be located 23¼ inches down from a top of the straps. Additionally, a pair of ¾ inch holes may be located in the center line of the straps, at 3 and 21 inches, respectively. 
     With respect to the portion of the structural support apparatus  200  shown in  FIG. 2 , although the height adjustment system  116  (of  FIG. 1 ), may be similar to the components height adjustment system in  FIG. 2 , the structural support apparatus  200  may include a threaded nut  202 , instead of the threaded surface  114  on the hole  112  itself, as in  FIG. 1 . Thus, similar to  FIG. 1 , the height of the structural support apparatus  100  may be easily adjusted by rotating the upper portion  106  of the straps  102 ,  104 . Additionally, despite the presence of the obstruction  122  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , it is contemplated that the bar of the structural support apparatus may be used and/or built without an obstruction  122 , as seen in  FIGS. 4-11 . 
       FIG. 3  merely shows the side view profile of the bar  118  attached to the ground plate  124 . Inasmuch as  FIG. 3  shows a side profile, it is noted that the ground plate  124  may be one of multiple shapes including circular, square, triangular, etc. 
     The structural support apparatus  400  depicted in  FIG. 4  may be distinguished from the structural support apparatus  100  in  FIG. 1 , for at least the fact that the structural support apparatus  400  includes a stiffener plate  404 . The stiffener plate  404  may anchor the pair of straps together, and may be located between above the base portion  402 . One benefit gained by including a stiffener plate  404  is that, upon filling in the hole with concrete, gravel, or another material, the stiffener plate  404  provides additional surface area over which the filler spreads so as to increase the force with which the apparatus is secured under the ground. 
     Another difference between the features in  FIGS. 1 and 4  is that the base portion  402  is depicted as being much thicker than the base portion  110 , shown in  FIG. 1 . As such, the base plate  402  includes a large surface area of threads with which the bar engages, thereby providing greater stability for the apparatus during installation. 
     Unlike the structural support apparatus  400 , the height adjustment system of the embodiment in  FIG. 5  is not located in the base portion  512 . Instead,  FIG. 5  shows a block strap connector  502 , which may include an upper part  504  and a lower part  506 . A bar  508  may be fixed in place in the lower or upper parts  504 ,  506 , or it may be loosely threaded in either as well. The threaded hole  510  depicted in the upper part  504  accommodates the bar  508 , such that the height of the structural support apparatus  500  may be easily adjusted by rotating the upper portion of the straps. 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B  illustrate variations of how the structural support apparatus may be secured to the ground surface to avoid slipping, especially if an embodiment that adjust via rotation is used. Regardless, the stabilizing projections may be able to help stabilize any of the embodiments. For example, in  FIG. 6A , a ground plate  600 A is shown with stabilizing projections  602 A extending from a bottom side of the ground plate  600 A. Similarly, in  FIG. 6B , the lower portion of a structural support apparatus  600 B is shown with similar stabilizing projections  602 B. The shape of the stabilizing projections  602 A,  602 B can vary greatly. For example, stabilizing projections may be a spike shape, a tooth shape, or a claw shape. Additionally, the position of the stabilizing projections  602 A,  602 B may be oriented toward a lateral direction that is opposite a tangential direction of the rotation used to raise a height of the apparatus so as to counteract a rotational force of raising the height of the structural support apparatus. Thus, the stabilizing projections may pierce the ground surface. Further, the stabilizing projections may extend in a direction transverse to a direction of extension of the base portion between the straps and extends away from the straps. 
       FIGS. 7A-11  depict various additional embodiments of a height adjustment system of a structural support apparatus. Note that only a portion of the respective structural support apparatuses are shown in  FIGS. 7A-11 . 
       FIG. 7A  shows a portion of a structural support apparatus  700  that has a bar  702 , which includes a plurality of through holes. The bar  702  may extend through the base portion of the structural support apparatus and the lift assist component, a pin  704 , may be sized to fit in the holes in the bar  702 . As such, the structural support apparatus  700  can be raised and lowered to a desired height by simply removing the pin  704 , placing the structural support apparatus  700  at the desired height, and inserting the pin  704  into the hole in the bar located immediately beneath the base portion of the structural support apparatus  700 . In this manner, the weight of the apparatus may rest on the pin  704  and hold the correct height.  FIG. 7B  shows a side view of the structural support apparatus depicted in  FIG. 7A . 
       FIG. 8  depicts a portion of a structural support apparatus  800  with a bar  802 . The structural support apparatus  800  may further include a lift assist component  804 , which may be a compression sleeve  804  disposed within a hole in the base member. The height adjustment system functions via a compression fit of the sleeve  804  surrounding the bar  802 . Thus, in the embodiment in  FIG. 8 , the height of the structural support apparatus  800  is adjusted by simply sliding the structural support apparatus  800  up or down along the bar  802  by forcing the bar  802  through the compression sleeve  804 . 
     In an alternative embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 , the height adjustment system of the structural support apparatus  900  may include a bar  902  that may include notches or grooves and a lift assist component including a set screw  904  and a collar  906  in which the set screw may be inserted. The alternating short and long lines seen on the bar  902  (and similarly on the bar  1002 ) may represent either notches or grooves. The notches or grooves may be angled to a specific direction so as to be more effective for maintaining a specific desired height. The height of the structural support apparatus  900  may be adjusted by raising or lowering the apparatus  900  along the bar  902  to a desired height, and then sliding the collar  906  up to the base portion of the structural support apparatus  900 , as depicted in  FIG. 9 . Then, the set screw  904  may be tightened into the collar  906  to have the set screw  906  tightly clamp the collar  906  against the bar  902  in compression. The set screw  904  may be either inserted into a notch or a groove (or an unaltered side wall) on the bar  902  through the collar  906 , or it may clamp the collar  906  down around the bar  902 . 
     In yet another alternative embodiment of a structural support apparatus  1000 ,  FIG. 10  depicts a height adjustment system that includes a bar  1002 , having grooves or notches, and a lift assist component, which is one or more spring-loaded, hinged wedge members  1004 . As depicted in  FIG. 10 , the wedge members  1004  are angled from the base portion of the structural support apparatus  1000  so as to point downward against the notches or grooves in the bar  1002 . More specifically, the hinged wedge members  1004  open downwardly toward a ground surface and are hinged so as to close against a side of the bar  1002  and engage the notches under a force of the weight of the apparatus  1000 . In this manner, engagement between the wedge members  1004  and the bar  1002  make a height adjustment by allowing the wedge members  1004  to flex downwardly and loosely while raising the straps, and yet locking the wedge members  1004  in place against the bar  1002 , which prevents the wedge members  1004  from flexing upwardly and prevents downward movement of the straps. 
     Though not explicitly shown, the wedge members  1004  may be spring-loaded by spring that extends from the base portion of the structural support apparatus  1000  to a top side of the wedge member so as to create an upward force against the bar  1002 . 
     The height adjustment system in the embodiment of the structural support apparatus  1100  in  FIG. 11  is similar to the height adjustment system depicted in  FIG. 7 . However, in the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 11 , there are two bars  1102  (though only one may be needed), each of which has a plurality of through holes along the length of the bar  1102 . The height adjustment system may further include a central stabilizing member  1104  that extends through the base portion  1108 , and at least one pin rest (bracket)  1106 , which may be attached to either one or both sides of the straps in the structural support apparatus  1100 . The bars  1102  extend respectively through the pin rests  1106  on the outside of the straps of the structural support apparatus  1100 . Furthermore, the bars  1102  may rest against or may be fixed in position to the ground plate  1110 . Therefore, in order to adjust the height of the structural support apparatus  1100 , the apparatus may be raised or lowered along a length of the bars  1102 . Then, when located at the desired height, a pin  1112  may be inserted into the hole just beneath the pin rests  1106 , so that the pin rests sit on the pin to prevent downward movement of the structural support apparatus  1100 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, (not depicted) the height adjustment system of the structural support apparatus  1100  may function without the base portion  1108  or the central stabilizing member  1104 . Thus, the structural support  1100  may be raised or lowered and supported only by the bars  1102  sliding in the pin rests  1106  and being fixed to the ground plate  1110 . 
     Illustrative Embodiments of a Method of Installing a Structural Support Apparatus 
     In  FIG. 12 , a flowchart of a method of installing a support member  1200  is shown. In particular, a support member may be placed on a ground surface  1202 . The support member may be any of the embodiments described above. The height of the support member is adjusted  1204  by engaging the lift assist component with the bar. This may be achieved using any of the methods above. A structural support member is secured to the straps  1206 . Additionally, generally one of concrete or gravel is placed around the lower ends of the straps to fix the support member in place. In order to secure a structural support column to the straps, the support column is rested on the support column rest, and the support column is secured between the straps via fastening hardware inserted into holes in upper ends of the straps. 
     Another embodiment of a method of installing a structural support apparatus may include pouring a footing in a hole, and then bolting the base portion or ground plate of the structural support apparatus to the footing. The height may then be adjusted to set the apparatus to grade and the post or column may be fixed to the support apparatus. The footing may vary in size and the support apparatus may vary in height depending on the job. The apparatus may further have the ability to be locked to prevent turning, for example, if threaded, there may be a nut on the top and bottom. 
     In yet another embodiment, the apparatus may be used to set manufactured homes. For example, the support apparatus may be flipped upside down with no straps so that the height adjustment system is facing up. The height adjustment system may be welded or bolted to the metal frame of the manufactured home. The apparatus may also be bolted to a footing or wet set it in the ground. 
     CONCLUSION 
     Although several embodiments have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms of implementing the claimed subject matter.