Abstract:
A support plate positioned on or within a construction block formed on the upper surface thereof a channel for the receipt and engagement of a short leg of an anchor bolt, there being two planar vertical upstanding panels adjacent the channel, said vertical upstanding panels engaging the outer circumference of the long leg of the anchor bolt in 180 degree relationship, thereby insuring its maintenance in a vertical orientation.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Applicant claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 61/198,395, filed Nov. 6, 2008. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to building construction, and more specifically, to a positioning plate cooperative with a foundation anchor bolt to allow contractors to quickly and accurately position and secure anchor bolts within the masonry construction block foundation in order to secure sill plates to the anchor bolts and hence the foundation. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Concrete blocks are used in the construction of foundations for both residences and commercial buildings. The blocks are constructed of two side walls, and two end walls, with a mid wall bisecting the block forming two hollow cores which extend in a vertical orientation when the concrete blocks are properly stacked. 
     The concrete blocks themselves are positioned on a base or footing and extend upwardly in rows, each successive row and each successive block being secured by mortar or cement, the blocks themselves being staggered over the two blocks immediately below. 
     The height of the foundation wall formed by the blocks may vary depending on whether or not the building is having a full basement or only a crawl space. Nevertheless, in all instances, the upper row of blocks must accommodate a sill plate, in the form of two by six wolmanized or treated wooden boards, or two by eight wooden boards, which are laid flat and which must be tied onto the foundation walls. This is accomplished through the use of anchor bolts which are secured into the hollow cores of the uppermost row of blocks by means of mortar or cement. The anchor bolt is generally L-shaped, having a short leg which forms its base with the long leg extending upwardly, out of the concrete, of sufficient length to pass through an aperture in the sill plate, this long leg of the anchor bolt being threaded at its end for receipt of a nut, thus securing the sill plate to the foundation. 
     Anchor bolts are required at the corners of any foundation on each side of any opening (access doors, windows) and are spaced pursuant to construction codes every several feet along a straight run of a foundation wall. Further, construction codes may allow for the anchor bolt to be secured in the uppermost row of the foundation wall, or more rigorous construction codes may require that the anchor bolt extend upwardly through two or more rows or layers of blocks. 
     Since the upper end of the anchor bolt is designed to pass through an aperture in a sill plate and be secured by a nut, and since there are multiple anchor bolts in spaced apart relationship for any one sill plate, if the anchor bolt is not properly positioned within the foundation wall, misalignment with the sill plate will occur, thus delaying construction and increasing the cost of labor. 
     Another problem associated with the prior art in the positioning of the anchor bolt was the filling of the core of the construction block. The core of the uppermost block on the top row may be in alignment with the core of blocks below it. Thus before positioning the anchor bolt, fill material of some sort must be positioned in this void defined by the cores of the construction block in order to provide support for the anchor bolt when positioned. Oftentimes scrap material, block pieces or other debris is pressed into these cores in an effort to provide a support base. This solution is haphazard at best. The contractor when positioning and securing the sill plate would often strike the anchor bolt with a hammer to determine its stableness. If the underlying support material was insufficient, then the anchor bolt would move, be displaced, or sink into the lower part of the wall and be unavailable for use in securing the sill plate. 
     Therefore there has been a need for a method and/or apparatus which allows for the accurate positioning of an anchor bolt in a foundation wall, which insures that the upwardly extending leg of the anchor bolt will be in a true orientation so that multiple anchor bolts can accurately engage and cooperate with a sill plate overlaid the upper foundation wall surface. Most importantly the bolt can no longer sink either because of gravity versus wet cement during bolt installation or when tested for strength with hammer by carpenter when installing the sill plate into the lower rows of block because the plate is beneath it. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide for an apparatus for the accurate positioning and vertical orientation of an anchor bolt in a foundation wall. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus and method in which the anchor bolt can be positioned and secured within a foundation wall prior to the anchor bolt being encapsulated with mortar or concrete. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus and method which insures the positioning and orientation of multiple anchor bolts on a foundation wall such that alignment with the apertures of a sill plate is assured. 
     A still further object of the present invention is the prevention of the bolt sinking when aligned over filled lower cores. 
     A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel apparatus and method which allows for the positioning and securing of anchor bolts as are commonly used in the trade without the requirement of any modification to the anchor bolts. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A support plate positioned on or within a construction block formed on the upper surface thereof a channel for the receipt and engagement of a short leg of an anchor bolt, there being two planar vertical upstanding panels adjacent the channel, said vertical upstanding panels engaging the outer circumference of the long leg of the anchor bolt in 180 degree relationship, thereby insuring its maintenance in a vertical orientation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent, particularly when taken in light of the following illustrations wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of the support plate of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the support plate of the present invention with L-shaped anchor bolt; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the support plate of the present invention with L-shaped anchor bolt; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of a second embodiment of the anchor plate of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of a second embodiment of the support plate of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of a second embodiment of the support plate of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of an alternative stop member for preventing rotation of an anchor bolt; 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of a third embodiment of a stop member for preventing rotation of an anchor bolt; and 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional side view of the support plate of the present invention with the anchor bolt secured thereto positioned between foundation blocks. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a top view of the support plate of the present invention,  FIG. 2  is a side view of the support plate of the present invention with an anchor bolt, and  FIG. 3  is a front view of the support plate of the present invention with an anchor bolt. Support plate  10  is generally rectangular in shape having an upper surface  12 , a lower surface  14 , and four peripheral edges  16 ,  18 ,  20 , and  22 . The dimensions of the support plate are such that when positioned between an upper and lower foundation block, opposing lateral edges will be sandwiched between the lower surface and upper surface of the respective blocks as more fully illustrated and discussed hereafter. 
     The upper surface  12  of support plate  10  is formed with a channel member or clip  24  which is preferably arcuate and dimensioned to slidably receive the short leg  42  of anchor bolt  40 . An anchor bolt  40  whose short leg  42  has been slidably inserted through channel member or clip  24  is thus secured to the support plate  10 . 
     Channel member or clip  24  is preferably formed by two parallel cuts  13  and  15  in support plate  10 , the support plate  10  then being subjected to heat and a die punch in order to form that portion of support plate  10  between the cuts  13  and  15  into the channel member or clip  24 . Alternatively, channel member or clip  24  may be formed separately from support plate  10  and secured thereto by spot welds  19  or the like. 
     In the preferred embodiment, anchor bolt  40  would be secured to support plate  10  by means of channel member or clip as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , and positioned as indicated in  FIG. 9  within the core  63  of a foundation block. Mortar or the like would then immediately be poured into core  63  so as to cover the channel member or clip  24 , the short leg  42  of anchor bolt  40  and a portion of the longer leg  46 , thus maintaining the anchor bolt in a substantially vertical position for receipt of a sill plate  67 . 
     In some instances, the mortar may be unavailable to fill the core  63  after the anchor bolt has been so positioned. If the channel member or clip  24  is formed properly, the frictional engagement with the short leg  42  of anchor bolt  40  will be sufficient to maintain the anchor bolt in a vertical orientation until mortar is available. 
     In some instances the anchor bolt may rotate about the horizontal axis  44  of short leg  42 , and thus the long leg  46  of the anchor bolt  40  may not be oriented in a vertical position. Support plate  10  may therefore be formed with two leg or rotation stops  48  and  50  which engage the long leg  46  of anchor bolt  40  at its lower end (see  FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  6 ). The engagement of opposing sides of the lower end of anchor bolt  40  by leg or rotation stops  48  and  50  prohibits the anchor bolt  40  from twisting or rotating within channel member or clip  24  and insures that the longer leg  46  of anchor bolt  40  and its threaded upper end  52  are positioned in a vertical orientation. Thus anchor bolt  40  is secured to support plate  10  and insured a vertical orientation by leg or rotation stops  48  and  50  and support plate  10  is secured between an upper and lower block until mortar is applied. Stops  48  and  50  are preferably formed from support plate  10  by parallel cuts  21  and  23  and cross cut and then punched to their angular position as shown. However, they may be spot welded to support plate  10 . 
     An alternative method of securing the vertical orientation of anchor bolt  40  may also be achieved by a notch cut  27  in channel member or clip  24  along cut edge  13  which would partially surround the circumference of long leg  46  of anchor bolt  40  (See  FIG. 7 ). Alternatively, generally U-shaped opposing cuts  29  and  31  could be made in support plate  10  as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , forming two tabs  33  and  35  which could be bent upwardly and towards each other as illustrated in  FIG. 8  to form two upstanding stops engageable with opposing sides of the long leg  46  of anchor bolt  40  to prevent any such rotation. 
     Channel member or clip  24  and leg or rotation stops  48  and could be formed or positioned on the upper surface  12  of support plate  10  at any location of choice, but preferably they would be centrally located so that the upper threaded end  52  of anchor bolt  40  would extend upwardly in a uniform location and orientation as multiple anchor bolts would be used to secure a sill plate. 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional side view of support plate  10  with anchor bolt  40  positioned thereon, being positioned between foundation blocks. The foundation blocks  60  are secured to a footing by mortar or cement. They are positioned in rows atop from support plate  10  by parallel cuts  21  and  23  and cross cut and then punched to their angular position as shown. However, they may be spot welded to support plate  10 . 
     An alternative method of securing the vertical orientation of anchor bolt  40  may also be achieved by a notch cut  27  in channel member or clip  24  along cut edge  13  which would partially surround the circumference of long leg  46  of anchor bolt  40  (See  FIG. 7 ). Alternatively, generally U-shaped opposing cuts  29  and  30  could be made in support plate  10  as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , forming two tabs  33  and  35  which could be bent upwardly and towards each other as illustrated in  FIG. 8  to form two upstanding stops engageable with opposing sides of the long leg  46  of anchor bolt  40  to prevent any such rotation. 
     Channel member or clip  24  and leg or rotation stops  48  and could be formed or positioned on the upper surface  12  of support plate  10  at any location of choice, but preferably they would be centrally located so that the upper threaded end  52  of anchor bolt  40  would extend upwardly in a uniform location and orientation as multiple anchor bolts would be used to secure a sill plate. 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional side view of support plate  10  with anchor bolt  40  positioned thereon, being positioned between foundation blocks. The foundation blocks  60  are secured to a footing by mortar or cement. They are positioned in rows atop one another and the adjacent upper block is normally staggered with respect to the two blocks below it such that the upper block sits evenly divided on the seam between the two adjacent lower blocks. In  FIG. 9 , lower blocks  60 A and  60 B are topped by an upper block  60 C (Shown in cross-section). Prior to positioning block  60 C, a support plate  10  would have been positioned atop block  60 A such that edges  16 ,  18 ,  20  and  22  of support plate  10  would be sandwiched between block  60 A and block  60 C when it is positioned atop block  60 A and  60 B and secured by mortar or cement  61 . In the preferred embodiment, support plate would have a plurality of perforations  11  proximate its peripheral edges  16 ,  18 ,  20  and  22 . This would further assist in stabilizing the support plate and the resultant anchor bolt in that as mortar would be applied to the tops of blocks  60 A and  60 B, the mortar or cement would cover the peripheral edges of the support plate and seep into the perforations  11  further stabilizing the support plate  10  and resultant anchor bolt when construction block  60 C were pressed downwardly on the overlaid mortar and cement. 
     Channel member or clip  24 , with or without leg or rotation stops, and support plate  10  would be positioned within one of the cores  63  of upper block  60 C. Assuming block  60 C would be the top row of the foundation and be capped by a sill plate  67 , an anchor bolt  40  would be positioned within the channel member or clip  24  and maintained in a vertical position by leg or rotation stops  48  and  50  or the equivalent thereof such that its upper threaded end  52  extends upwardly beyond core  63  of block  60 C so as to enable threaded end  52  to pass through an aperture in the sill plate  67  and be secured by a nut  69 . 
     The support plate  10  and anchor bolt  40  assembly as illustrated in  FIG. 9  is secured to a sill plate  67  and is positioned below the top row of blocks  60 . In the other embodiment the support plate may be positioned two levels or more below the top surface of the foundation wall. Building codes in areas where hurricanes or tornadoes are prevalent might require such a positioning. The only difference is that the long leg  46  of anchor bolt  40  would have a longer extension in order to be able to be inserted through sill plate  67  and secured by nut  69 . In all other respects, the positioning of the support plate and its securing between upper and lower rows of block  60  and the positioning of the anchor bolt  40  on the support plate  10  are identical to that as described heretofore. 
     Therefore, while the present invention has been disclosed with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore manifestly intended that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalence thereof.