Mobile home support stand

An adjustable support stand is disclosed for permanently supporting a mobile home above the ground. The support stand includes means for leveling the structure during initial instillation and also after the mobile home has become established. Further, means is provided whereby the stand is mechanically secured to a supporting foundation and also to the structure of the modular home thereby protecting against tip-over in the event of high winds and/or earth vibrations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to modular housing units of the type known as 
mobile homes. Such homes are typically manufactured off site on an 
assembly line and, having wheel and axle assemblies attached thereto, are 
towed over the road to a permanent residential site. 
In the past such mobile homes have been typically positioned, on site, by 
temporarily supporting and leveling the unit upon hydraulic jacks and 
after placing supporting concrete blocks and wooden shims under the 
structure the hydraulic jacks would be removed. Because of shifting and 
settling soil the mobile home would eventually shift requiring a repeat of 
the leveling process. 
Further homes installed in this manner relied upon the weight of the mobile 
home, resting upon the concrete block supports, to keep the unit in place. 
However, because of the large flat floor surface of the mobile home 
elevated above the ground, strong winds often lift or move the mobile home 
from its supporting foundation. To solve this problem, steel straps have 
been placed over top of many mobile homes and anchored to the ground, on 
either side of the mobil home, with screw-anchors physically screwed into 
the earth. Depending upon the local soil composition and condition, it is 
not unusual for such screw-anchors to be pulled out of the ground when 
large forces are applied thereto. 
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a more suitable means by which a 
modular home may be leveled and secured to a permanent supporting 
foundation so that high winds and possible earth vibrations do not lift, 
move, or otherwise upset the modular home from its supports. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,517, for a "Variable Height Stand," issued to Walter S. 
Keagle on Mar. 29, 1977 teaches a mobile home support stand consisting of 
a generally flat base resting upon the ground and having two pairs of 
diametrically opposed, vertically converging, variable length, legs each 
hingedly attached to an elevated support platform which supportingly 
engages a structural member of the mobile home thereon. Each leg is 
slidingly attached to the base such that movement of the leg pairs toward 
or away from each other raises or lowers the support platform. Once the 
Keagle support stand is positioned under a suitable structural member of 
the mobile home the leg pairs are moved to a position whereby the support 
platform supportingly engages the mobile home structure. The leg pairs are 
secured to the base by securement means. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,789, for a "Stabilizing Jack," issued to Melvin A. 
Francis on Apr. 18, 1978 teaches a manually operated mechanical 
stabilizing jack that is permanently attached to the four comers of a 
mobile recreational vehicle for stabilizing the vehicle when parked. The 
stabilizing jacks are hingedly attached to the vehicle such that they may 
be retracted when not in use. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,064, for a "Stabilizing Jack Structure for a Mobile 
Vehicle," issued to Winton J. Bennett on Oct. 19, 1971 also teaches a 
manually operated mechanical stabilizing jack hingedly attached to a 
mobile recreational vehicle for stabilizing the vehicle when parked. The 
stabilizing jack also includes means whereby it may be retracted when not 
in use. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,939, for a "recreational Vehicle Leveling and Support 
System," issued to Joseph M. Valdespino on Aug. 12, 1980 teaches a system 
of hydraulicly operated stabilizing jacks attached to the four comers of a 
mobile recreational vehicle for stabilizing the vehicle when parked. The 
hydraulic jacks are operated from one central location consisting of a 
manually operated hydraulic pump supplying hydraulic fluid, under 
pressure, to a distribution manifold that supplies the fluid to each 
stabilizing jack whereby the vehicle may be supported and leveled from a 
single control point. The stabilizing jacks are retracted when not in use. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,599, for a "Jack and Tie down System for a Vehicle 
Mounted Camper," issued to John N. Dodgen on May 25, 1971 relates to a 
slide-in camper commonly used with a pick-up type truck wherein the camper 
slides into the truck bed. Dodgen teaches a combination camper stabilizing 
jack, for use in stabilizing the camper when parked, and also serving as a 
hold down device which secures the camper to the truck bed when traveling 
over the highway. 
All of the prior art discussed above, except for the Keagle patent, relates 
to leveling devices for use on mobile recreational vehicles on a temporary 
basis. They are not intended for, nor are they suitable for, permanent, 
long term applications as in the case of modular homes. 
Although the Keagle patent discloses support stands for use with permanent 
modular home installations they are cumbersome to adjust and require that 
the structure be independently supported while the stands are being 
installed. Also the Keagle stand is not easily adjusted once the modular 
home is finally erected. Further the Keagle stand does not secure or 
otherwise anchor the modular home structure to the ground to prevent 
tip-overs in high wind conditions. 
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
The present invention overcomes the short comings of the prior art by 
providing a modular home support stand that is easy to adjust when 
leveling the structure, not only upon initial installation but also after 
the modular home is in place. Further the present invention provides for 
securement of the modular home firmly to the ground thereby preventing 
tip-over in high wind conditions and/or as the result of earth vibrations. 
My new and improved modular home support stand comprises a vertically 
extending, cylindrical steel post affixed to a flat base plate which is 
secured to a foundation such as a concrete pad or concrete piers. A 
hold-down assembly, comprising a pair of diametrically opposed clamping 
plates telescopingly attached to the post, is secured to a structural 
member of the modular home. Thus when installed the modular home structure 
is secured to the foundation thereby preventing tip-overs in high wind 
conditions and/or as the result of earth vibrations. 
My support stand further includes an integral "screw-jack" apparatus for 
leveling the modular home not only upon initial installation, but also 
after the modular home is established. The screw-jack apparatus comprises 
a threaded support stud threadingly received within the support post. Thus 
the modular home is easily leveled not only when originally installed, but 
may also be easily adjusted after the modular home has become established.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical modular home 10 permanently supported upon a 
multiplicity of my new leveling and hold down support stands 11. 
Referring to FIGS. 2 through 5, hold-down stands 11 generally comprises a 
vertically extending cylindrical steel post 20 affixed to a generally 
flat, steel base plate 22 by weld 23 or any other suitable means. Base 
plate 22 is secured to a concrete slab or pier 13 by anchor bolts 24, 
preferably located in the general proximity of each corner of plate 22 as 
illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5. Although my preferred embodiment 
described herein comprises steel post 20 welded to base plate 22, one 
might also, in the alternative, use a one piece casting for this assembly. 
Also one might embed plate 22, or some equivalent anchoring means 
therefore, within the concrete pad or pier if so desired. 
Affixed to the open end of post 20 is end plate 26 having a threaded bore 
28 therethrough as best seen in FIG. 3. Received within threaded bore 28 
is threaded support stud 30 having a typical hexagonal head 32. It is 
preferable to further provide a hexagonally shaped locking nut 34 threaded 
upon stud 30 and positioned above end plate 26. The function of locking 
nut 34 will be further described below. 
At this point I will describe the leveling feature of my hold-down stand. 
Referring principally to FIG. 3, post 20 is aligned and positioned 
directly beneath a typical floor supporting and longitudinally extending I 
beam 40 of modular home 10. Support stud 30 is rotatingly extended 
vertically until head 32 engages the bottom of flange 42 of I beam 40. The 
support studs of all stands may then be individually adjusted to level 
modular home 10. Once modular home 10 is leveled, locking nut 34 (on all 
support stands) is rotated so as to bear against end plate 26 thereby 
locking support stud 30 in its extended position. 
Returning to FIGS. 2 through 5, hold down assembly 50 comprises 
diametrically opposed clamping plates 52 and 54. Each clamping plate is 
configured with semicircular lower portions 56 and 58 having an inside 
radius approximating the outside radius of post 20 such that semicircular 
portions 52 and 54 may each frictionally engage post 20 throughout a 
preferred included angle A of approximately 150 degrees as best 
illustrated in FIG. 4. 
The upper portions 62 and 64, of clamping plates 52 and 54 respectively, 
are configured with inwardly extending flanges 66 and 68. When clamping 
plates 52 and 54 are assembled upon post 20, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 
4, flanges 66 and 68 are positioned so as to extend inwardly of I beam 
flange 42 in an engaging fashion as best illustrated in FIG. 3. 
Clamping plates 52 and 54 are further provided with ears 72, 73, 74, and 75 
extending radially outward from the lower curved portions 56 and 58 as 
best illustrated in FIG. 4. Ears 72, 73, 74, and 75 include appropriately 
spaced and aligned holes 51 therethrough for receiving nut and bolt 
fasteners 45 for fictionally affixing clamping plates 52 and 54 to post 20 
as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. It is preferred that, when clamping plates 52 
and 54 are assembled upon post 20, a gap 76 and 78 be provided 
therebetween so that the maximum clamping force, about post 20, may be 
obtained by securing nut and bolt fasteners 45. 
It is also preferred in the upper portions 62 and 64 of clamping plates 52 
and 54 to provide for nut and bolt assemblies 47 on either side of support 
stud 30 and extending through holes 61 of upper portions 62 and 64, as 
illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, thereby assuring that flanges 66 an 68, of 
upper portions 62 and 64, are securely attached to flange 42 of I beam 40. 
Although it is believed that the frictional engagement between post 20 and 
hold down assembly 50 is sufficient to retain mobile home 10 in place 
under normal conditions, one may also provide an aperture 35 through post 
20 aligned with slots 36 and 37 within plates 52 and 54 respectively for 
receipt of a safety pin such as nut and bolt assembly 38 therethrough. In 
the event hold down assembly 50 should tend to slip upward on post 20, 
under extreme conditions, slots 36 and 37 will limit the amount of 
slippage between post 20 and hold down assembly 50 and prevent hold down 
assembly 50 from ever sliding off post 20. The length of slots 36 and 37 
would limit the amount of permissible movement between post 20 and hold 
down assembly 50. 
In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle and 
mode of operation of my invention has been illustrated and described in 
what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it 
should be understood that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as 
specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit 
or scope.