Abstract:
The present invention provides an apparatus and method to selectively adjust and temporarily retain a vertical beam in a desired position quickly and with a high accuracy, while not damaging an outer surface of the beam.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to bracing of vertical beams in the construction industry.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     In the construction industry, vertical beams are used to support structural elements of a building such as walls, floors and trusses. Prior to permanently connecting the surrounding structural elements that a vertical beam is intended to support, it must be plumbed. Obtaining a true vertical orientation is important to the structural integrity of the overall final building or structure.  
         [0005]      FIG. 1  shows a prior art brace system  10  commonly used to plumb a beam  12 . The brace  10  has a top rod  11  and a bottom rod  13 . Fastener plates  14  and  16  are coupled to the respective top and bottom rods  11 ,  13 , usually at a predetermined angle, typically 45°. In use, construction workers typically fasten the plate  14  to the beam  12  and the plate  16  to a floor  18  of the construction project, or into a wooden block (not shown) which is mounted to the floor  18 . Turnbuckles  20  are used to either shorten or extend the length of the brace  10  and thereby plumb the beam  12 , namely, straighten the beam, so it is exactly vertical in all directions.  
         [0006]     The brace  10  is fastened using any acceptable technique to the worker that is compatible with the beam  12  and the floor  18 . For example, if the beam  12  is made of wood, the plate  14  is usually nailed or set with screws into the beam  12 . If the beam is made of metal, the plate  14  is welded to the beam  12 . If it is made of other materials, then other techniques are used, under the selection of the worker who has the task of plumbing the beams  12 .  
         [0007]     Once the brace  10  is affixed to the beam  12  and to the floor  18  as described above, and the length of the brace  10  can be adjusted, via the turnbuckles  20 , to position the beam  12  in a desired vertical position. The brace  10  remains in place to retain the beam  12  until construction workers have had an opportunity to permanently connect the structural elements supported by the vertical beam  12 . Often times, however, due to weather or construction project scheduling needs, it may be a number of days or even weeks after the brace  10  has been installed before workers permanently attach the remaining structural elements supported by the beam  12  to hold it fixed in the correct position so that the temporary braces may be removed. During this time, other work taking place near the construction site may disturb the vertical orientation of the beam  12 . Thus, it may be necessary to further adjust the vertical orientation of the beam  12  by turning the turnbuckles  20  and/or by changing the location at which the bottom portion  13  of the brace  10  is adhered to the floor  18 . After the structural elements attaching to the beam are securely fastened, the brace  10  used to plumb the beam  12  is removed.  
         [0008]     The prior art brace  10  has several disadvantages. First, it is time consuming and costly to install. For example, when the beam  12  is made of steel, welders are often subcontracted and summoned to the construction site to weld or bond the plate  14  to the top portion of the beam  12 . Hiring additional skilled laborers costs money, takes time to schedule and perform the work, and often causes project timeline delays.  
         [0009]     Second, welding, nailing, or otherwise fastening the brace  10  to the top portion of the beam  12  leaves holes and weld marks in the outer surface of the beam  12 . Often times, very expensive and aesthetically beautiful pieces of wood or steel columns are used in construction projects, and the architectural design of the overall project is such that the top portion of the beam  12  is intended to remain visually exposed throughout the life of the finished project. Thus, holes and weld marks on the outer surface of the beam  12  are undesirable as they detract from the overall beauty of the beam.  
         [0010]     Third, due to the rigid top and bottom portions  11 ,  13  of the brace  10 , a miscalculation during a first installation attempt can result in a situation where the top portion  11  of the brace is welded or nailed too high on the beam  12  such that the bottom portion  13  of the brace  10  cannot be securely fastened to floor  18  without the use of a shim, or without requiring that the top portion  11  of the brace be repositioned.  
         [0011]     Yet another shortcoming is that the brace  10  is fastened according to the skill and care of the individual worker assigned to the task. Some workers may not take proper care in the task or may mar a high quality beam. Other workers must then repair the beam or replumb the beam because the first worker did not have sufficient skill or training for the task, or did not take sufficient care.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     The present invention provides an apparatus and method to selectively adjust and temporarily retain a vertical beam in a desired position quickly and with a high accuracy, while not damaging an outer surface of the beam. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a prior art brace system commonly used to plumb a beam;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of one embodiment of a system to plumb and temporarily retain the position of a vertical beam according to the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged isometric view of the portion indicated with a  3  from  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0016]      FIGS. 4 and 5  are enlarged isometric views of the region indicated with a  4 ,  5  from  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]      FIG. 2  shows one embodiment of a bracing system  50  to plumb and temporarily retain the position of a vertical beam  52 . A first brace assembly  54  is used to adjust and retain the vertical orientation of the beam  52  in the “x” direction and thereby plumb the beam  52  in that direction, and a second brace assembly  56  is used to adjust and retain the vertical orientation of the beam of the beam in the “z” direction and thereby plumb the beam  52  in that direction.  
         [0018]     The brace assembly  54  includes a bracing rod  58  and a clamp assembly  65 . The clamp assembly  65  includes head brackets  66 ,  68  and fastening rods  70 ,  72 .  
         [0019]     The brace assembly  54  also includes a floor plate  16  coupled to the bracing rod for connecting the bracing rod to the floor  59 .  
         [0020]     In operation, the beam  52  can be plumbed in the “x” direction by making adjustments to the bracing rod  58  of the first brace assembly  54 , and plumbed in the “z” direction by making adjustments to the bracing rod  60  of the second brace assembly  56 . Adjustments can be made to the respective bracing rod  58 ,  60  of each of the first and the second brace assembly  54 ,  56  by (1) changing the length of the bracing rod  58 ,  60  (2) pivoting a bottom portion  58   a,    60   a  of the bracing rod to change the angle α between the each bracing rod  58 ,  60  and a floor  59 , or (3) by changing both the length of the bracing rod  58 ,  60  and pivoting the bracing rod  58 ,  60 .  
         [0021]     Turnbuckles allow a user to increase the length of a rod by turning the turnbuckle  62  in a first direction, and to shorten the length of a rod by turning the turnbuckle  62  in a second direction. In the present invention, turnbuckles  62  can be used to selectively increase the length of the bracing rod  58 ,  60  and thereby push the top of the beam  52  further away from the point where each bracing rod  58 ,  60  is anchored to the floor  59 , and to selectively decrease the length of the bracing rod  58 ,  60  and thereby pull the top of the beam  52  further toward the point where each bracing rod  58 ,  60  is anchored to the floor  59 .  
         [0022]     In a first embodiment, the plate  16  for coupling to the floor  59  includes an angled portion at a 45° angle and the rod  60  has a bottom portion  60   a  coupled to the floor plate  16  with a rigid 45° connection. This may be done by welding, clamping, or any other technique currently used in and acceptable in the prior art. Since the base plate angle is set at 45°, the location for clamping the clamp assembly  61  and the length of the rod  60  are selected in order to assure a vertically oriented beam  52  that is plumb in the desired direction. In  FIG. 2 , the base plate  16  is shown only for one of the bracing assemblies, however, it will be understood that commonly the same style of base plate would be used for both assemblies, whether a preset 45° angle or a variable angle α as will now be explained.  
         [0023]     In an alternative embodiment the angle of the bracing rod  58  can be also adjusted by pivoting the bottom portion  58   a  of the bracing rod to change the angle α between the bottom portion  58   a  of each bracing rod  58  and the floor  59 . For example, when it is desired to move the top of the beam  52  closer to the point where the bracing rod  58  is anchored to the floor  59 , this is done by increasing the angle α of the bracing rod  58 . When it is desired to move the top of the beam  52  further away from the point where bracing rod  58  is anchored to the floor  59 , this is done by decreasing the angle α of bracing rod  58 . An adjustable floor bracing system  64  is used to increase or decrease the angle α of bracing rod  58 , and various embodiments for such a design are discussed further below with respect to  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Both the angle and the length can be changed at the same time, indeed, changing the length will often cause a slight change in the angle. With the rigid base plate  16  preset at 45°, there will be no change in angle or only a very slight change as force is placed on the rigid connection.  
         [0024]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the clamp assembly  65  includes head brackets  66 ,  68  and fastening rods  70 ,  72 . The first brace assembly  54  is positioned with respect to the beam  52 . The first clamp assembly  65  has a first head bracket  66  positioned adjacent to a first side  52   a  of the beam  52 , and a second head bracket  68  positioned opposite the first head bracket  66  and adjacent to a second side  52   b  of the beam opposite the first side of the beam  52   a.  First and second fastening rods  70 ,  72  couple the first head bracket  66  to the second head bracket  68 . Tightening the fastening rods  70 ,  72  puts the clamp assembly  65  in a state of compression, and thereby keeps each of the first and the second head brackets  66 ,  68  firmly positioned against the first and second side  52   a,    52   b  of the beam  52 .  
         [0025]     In one embodiment, first and the second fastening rods  70 ,  72  may be positioned to firmly retain a respective third and fourth side  52   c,    52   d  of the beam within the first brace assembly  54 . For this embodiment, the first fastening rod  70  is adjacent to and in contact with the third side  52   c  of the beam  52  and, the second fastening rod  72  is adjacent to and in firm contact with the fourth side  52   d  of the beam  52 . To advantageously accommodate differently sized beams  52 , each of the first and the second fastening rods  70 ,  72  are slidably mounted within a first opening  74  in the first head bracket  66  and a second opening  76  in the second head bracket  68 , such that the distance between the first and the second fastening rods  70 ,  72  can vary.  
         [0026]     In the example shown in  FIG. 3 , the first and the second openings  74 ,  76  are elongated slots. The slots  74 , 76  allow a user to selectively position each of the first and the second fastening rods  70 ,  72  firmly adjacent to the beam  52  on opposite sides of the beam  52 . However, this function can be achieved in a number of ways and the configuration of the first and the second openings  74 ,  76  is not limited to that of slot openings. For example, a series of holes along the side of each first and second fastening rod  70 ,  72  can also provide a means to selectively adjust the distance between the first and the second fastening rod  70 , 72 , and thereby achieve the goal of positioning each of the fastening rods  70 , 72  against beams of varying dimensions.  
         [0027]     It is not necessary for the fastening rods  70 ,  72  to be in contact with the beam  52 . Generally, the compression force of the clamp  65  will hold the beam in position and the fastening rods  70 ,  72  will be adjacent to, but spaced some short distance away from, the beam  52 . Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the fastening rods  70 ,  72  do not contact the beam  52 .  
         [0028]     An adjustable locking system  80  is used to easily maintain the desired position of each of the fastening rods  70 ,  72  firmly against the beams  52 . The example provided in  FIG. 3  shows the use of a retaining nut  81  in one instance, and a cam lock  83  in another instance. The fastening rod  70  can be a simple carriage bolt with the square head portion held in the slot  74  and the other end having threads to which an internally threaded nut  81  is attached to a desired tightness. Alternatively, a cam lock is advantageous as it can be threaded by hand onto the rod  70  to a snug position and then closed tight by a lever. The lever is preset to provide the user with a predefined small distance of movement or a certain level of torque upon closure. Thus, no tools need be used. Any number of adjustable and easily removable locking systems  80  can be used and are considered equivalent. The adjustable locking system  80  used in the present invention is not limited to that of retaining nuts and cam locks but includes any acceptable or interchangeable substitutes.  
         [0029]     In operation, as the bracing rod  58  of the first brace assembly  54  is moved in the “x” direction, the top portion of the beam  52  also moves in the “x” direction and this movement enables a worker to plumb the beam  52 . This is because the beam is clamped by clamp  65  and the connection between the bracing rod  58  and the first brace assembly  54  is rigid. Thus, as the bracing rod  58  is moved in the “x” direction, the clamp assembly  56  moves, as to the first and the second fastening rods  70 ,  72 , causing the beam  52  positioned between them to also move in the “x” direction.  
         [0030]     The second brace assembly  56  is composed of the same components as the first brace assembly  54 , however, the orientation of the second brace assembly  56  on the beam  52  is such that the first head bracket  66  is positioned adjacent to the third side  52   c  of the beam  52 , and the second head bracket  68  is positioned opposite the first head bracket  66  and adjacent to the fourth side  52   d  of the beam. Thus, the first and the second fastening rods  70 ,  72  are positioned adjacent to the first and the second side  52   a,    52   b  of the beam  52 , respectively. In this way, as the first and the second sides  52   a,    52   b  of the beam  52  are clamped by the clamp assembly  65  and positioned between the first and the second fastening rods  70 ,  72  of the second brace assembly  56 , when the bracing rod  60  of the second brace assembly  56  is moved in the “z” direction, the top portion of the beam  52  also moves in the “z” direction. Thus, by moving the bracing rod  60  of the second brace assembly  56  in the “z” direction, a worker can plumb the beam  52 .  
         [0031]      FIGS. 2 and 3  further shows that, if desired, a protective material  57  can be positioned between the beam  52  and each of the first and the second head brackets  66 ,  68 , and between the beam  52  and each of the first and the second fastening rods  70 ,  72  to protect the outer surface of the beam  52  from scratches or gouges that could potentially result from each bracket assembly  54 ,  56 . This may be desirable in cases where the beam  52  is made of a particularly expensive and/or beautiful piece of material and the architectural design of the overall project is such that the top outer surface of the beam will remain exposed, such as when used to support particularly high ceilings. The protective material  100  can be of any number of materials that will serve the purpose of providing a barrier between the beam  52  and the various components of each brace assembly  54 ,  56 . For example, the protective material  86  can include, but is not limited to, cloth, paper, rubber, corrugated cardboard, and/or plastic.  
         [0032]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show two exemplary embodiments for an adjustable floor bracing system  64  that can be used to change the relative angle α of each bracing rod  58  and thereby cause the beam  52  to easily move in a desired “x” or “z” direction. However, as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, the angle α shown in  FIG. 2  can be rigid at any angle or can also be changed in a number of other ways, and the three exemplary embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention.  
         [0033]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show that the adjustable floor bracing system  64  includes a mountable bracket  82  having a first flange member  84  with a hole  86  in the first flange member  84 , and a second flange member  88  with a hole  90  in the second flange member  88 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the bottom portion  58   a  of the bracing rod  58  has an opening  92 . The bottom portion  58   a  of each bracing rod  58  is placed between each of the first and the second flange members  84 ,  88  such that the opening  92  of the bracing rod  58  aligns with the hole  86  in the first flange member  84  and the hole  90  of the second flange member  88 . In operation, a retainer pin  94  is inserted therethrough to allow each bracing rod  58 ,  60  to pivot about the retainer pin  94  and thereby change the angle α. By moving the location of the mounting bracket  82  and changing the angle α of each bracing rod  58 ,  60 , a worker can easily move the top portion of the beam  52  in the “x” and “z” direction and fine tune the leveling and plumbing required to achieve a straight beam. When a preferred mounting bracket position  82  is determined, the mountable bracket  82  is fastened  95  or otherwise coupled to the floor  59 .  
         [0034]     The turnbuckles permit fine tune adjustment of the beam&#39;s vertical orientation. By turning the turnbuckles just a few turns, or a fraction of a turn, the vertical position can be set with high accuracy, while permitting the mounting bracket to be at a variety of possible angles and not placing stress on the rod connection. Namely, if the floor bracket angle is set to a rigid position as is the case for bracket  16  of  FIG. 2 , and the turnbuckle is rotated a large distance while the upper fastener  14  remains at the same position, additional stress will be placed on the joint between the bracket  16   y  and the rod  60 . If the movement is too much, the clamp assembly  61  can be released and moved to a new position, after which a fine tune plumbing can be done. The present invention avoids the problems of the prior art since the clamp assembly can be easily loosened or removed and then attached again without damage to the beam.  
         [0035]     Referring back to  FIG. 2 , when the mountable bracket  82  is rigidly secured to the floor  59 , the bracing rod  58  is placed in a state of compression and the selected angle α is maintained. This is because, from the floor, to the top of the beam  52 , the components of each brace assembly  54  now act as one rigid unit, and the static force carried by each respective brace assembly  54 ,  56  serves to brace the beam  52  in the selected “x” and “z” position.  
         [0036]     The example shown in  FIG. 5  is similar to the embodiment described above with respect to  FIG. 4 , but instead of using a hole  92  in each bracing rod  58 ,  60  and a removable retainer pin  94 , the bottom portion of each bracing rod  58 ,  60  employs a retractable pin  96 . In operation, a spring (not shown) maintains the retractable pin  96  in an outwardly biased position. To insert each bracing rod  58 ,  60  within the mountable bracket  82  the user manually compresses each side to retract the retractable pin  96  inwardly to cause the bottom portion  58   a,    60   a  of each bracing rod to align between each of the first and the second flange members  84 ,  88 . The user releases the compression on retractable pin  96  when the retractable pin  96  is aligned with the hole  86  in the first flange member  84  and the hole  90  of the second flange member  88 . Once each side of the retractable pin  96  is positioned within the respective holes  86 ,  90  of the first and second flange members  84 ,  88 , the bracing rods  58 ,  60  can selectively pivot, as described above with respect to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , to easily level and plumb the beam  52 . Once the beam  52  is moved to a desired position, the position is maintained by rigidly fastening or coupling the mountable bracket  82  to the floor  59 .  
         [0037]     Although the beam  52  shown in the above-mentioned figures is depicted with a square cross-section, the present invention is not limited to a particular type of beam and can be used on any number of beam types, such as round beams, I-beams, and tapered beams. In addition to a variety of beam shapes, the present invention may be used on beams made of any material, such as wooden beams, steel beams, composite beams, aluminum beams, and concrete beams.  
         [0038]     The present invention is particularly helpful when the final orientation of the beam  52  is something other than vertical. For example, some architectural plans may call for a beam to be at a 45°, 30°, or some other angle. With the present invention, the beam can be temporarily held at any selected angle in a solid position until the building structure around the beam can be completed which holds it permanently in position.  
         [0039]     From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention.