Abstract:
A method for moving a wall from a first position to a second position and anchoring the wall in the second position, according to which a portion of an elongated assembly is placed through an opening in the wall. An auger is provided on one end portion of the assembly and torque is applied to the assembly to cause the auger to penetrate the ground, and a nut is advanced along the assembly to engage the wall and force the wall from the first position to the second position.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    This invention relates to a post construction alignment and anchoring system and method for a building.  
           [0002]    After a building has been constructed, vertical walls often deviate from a true vertical alignment in time, due to changes in soil conditions, age, poor construction, etc. This problem is especially acute in connection with basements, since any deviation of a load-supporting basement wall can cause significant problems in connection with the remainder of the building supported by the wall. Many techniques for correcting this involve major reconstruction and an expenditure of significant time, effort and expense.  
           [0003]    Therefore, what is needed is a post construction alignment and anchoring system and method according to which a deviated wall can be moved back into a true vertical alignment and anchored in the latter position at a relatively low expenditure of labor and expense. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]    [0004]FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a building employing an anchoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0005]    [0005]FIG. 2 is an enlarged isometric view depicting several components of the anchoring system of FIG. 1.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged isometric views depicting two alternate assemblies for connecting components of the anchoring system of FIG. 1.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0007]    Referring specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the reference numeral  10  refers, in general, to a building having an underground basement  12  formed, in part, by a vertical front wall  14 , a floor, or horizontal, wall  16 , and a vertical side wall  18 . The front wall  14 , and a portion of the floor  16  rest on a horizontal footer  20 . Although a rear wall and another side wall are not shown, in a normal installation they also would be provided. The footer  20  extends underneath all of the vertical walls, including the front wall  12  and the side wall  18 . The walls  14 , and  18 , the floor  16 , and the footer  20  all are formed of concrete.  
         [0008]    It is understood that the remaining portion of the building  10  extends above the basement. This remaining, above-ground, portion of the building  10  is not shown in FIG. 2 with the exception of a portion of a floor  22  and a front wall  23 , it being understood that the building would also include a rear wall, and two side walls. In most installations of this type, the exterior walls, including the wall  23 , of the above-ground portion of the building  10  would normally be aligned with, and supported by, the front wall  14 , the side wall  16 , and the aforementioned rear wall and other side wall of the basement  12 , respectively.  
         [0009]    The system of the embodiment of FIG. 1 is designed to realign any vertical wall of the basement  10  that has deviated, or tilted, from a true vertical position. For the purpose of example, it will be assumed that the front wall  14  of the basement has deviated or tilted inwardly as shown by the phantom lines in FIG. 1, which depict the inner surface of the wall  14 . In this case the system of the present invention functions to realign the wall  14  back to a true vertical position, and anchor the wall in the latter position.  
         [0010]    To this end, the system of the embodiment of FIG. 1 includes an assembly of cylindrical members connected in an end-to-end relationship and referred to in general by the reference numeral  24 . The assembly  24  includes an auger section  26 , a connecting section  28 , and two intermediate sections  30   a  and  30   b . The auger section  26  includes a tubular member  26   a  and a helical auger, or earth screw,  26   b  mounted at one end of the tubular member. Both of the intermediate sections  30   a  and  30   b  are in the form of tubular members, and the connecting section  28  includes a hollow tubular member  28   a  and an externally threaded shaft  28   b  extending from one end of the latter member. The corresponding ends of the intermediate section  30   a  and the auger section  26 ; the corresponding ends of the intermediate sections  30   a  and  30   b ; and the corresponding ends of the intermediate section  30   b  and the connecting section  28  are connected together in a manner to be described. The assembly  24  extends through a opening  14   a  extending through the wall  14   a  at an angle to the plane of the wall, with the auger  26  penetrating the ground outside the wall  14  and the threaded shaft  28   b  extending inside the wall in the interior of the basement  12 .  
         [0011]    Referring to FIG. 2, a plate  32 , having a central opening  32   a  formed therethrough and two horizontally extending raised portions  32   b  and  32   c , is provided for connecting the assembly  24  to the wall  14  (FIG. 1) in a manner to be described. A tapered anchor washer  34  having a central opening  34   a  formed therethrough is provided for engaging the plate  36 , along with a nut  36  sized to engage the threaded shaft  28   b  of the section  28 .  
         [0012]    Referring to FIG. 3, an apparatus for connecting the corresponding ends of the intermediate section  30   a  and the tubular member  26   a  of the auger section  26  is referred to, in general, by the reference numeral  40 . The apparatus includes two ring-shaped fasteners  42  and  44  each of which are both internally threaded and externally threaded. The corresponding end portions of the intermediate section  30   a  and the tubular member  26   a  are internally threaded so as to receive the fasteners  42  and  44 , respectively in a threaded engagement. An externally threaded rod  46  is provided which is sized to threadedly engage the latter threaded surfaces of each of the fasteners  42  and  44 .  
         [0013]    To connect the intermediate section  30   a  to the tubular member  26   a , the fasteners  42  and  44  are threadedly engaged in the corresponding end portions of the intermediate section  30   a  and the tubular member  26   a , respectively, and thus advance into the sections until the respective faces of the fasteners at least extend flush with the respective ends of the sections. Then the respective end portions of the rod  46  are threadedly engaged in the fasteners  42  and  44 . This can be done in sequence by initially inserting one end of the rod  56  in one of the fasteners  42  or  44  and rotating the rod relative to the fastener, or vice versa, to advance the rod into the fastener, and then inserting the other end of the rod in the other fastener and rotating the rod relatively to the latter fastener, or vice versa. The amount of rotation is such that each end portion of the rod  46  extends through the fasteners  42  and  44 , respectively, for an axial length sufficient to permit the corresponding ends of the latter sections to abut in the assembled condition shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0014]    It is understood that the corresponding ends of the intermediate sections  30   a  and  30   b , as well as the corresponding ends of the intermediate section  30   b , and the tubular member  28   a  of the connecting section  28 , are connected together in the same manner.  
         [0015]    In operation, and assuming the front wall  14  has tilted, or deviated from a true vertical position, to a position shown by the phantom line in FIG. 1, an excavation area E is formed in the ground next to the wall  14  and the above-mentioned angled opening  14   a  is drilled, or otherwise formed, through the wall  14 . The section  30   a  is passed through the opening and the auger section  26  is connected to the section  30   a  in the excavation area E in the manner described above. A torque applying device (not shown) is connected to the section  30   a  inside the basement  18  and activated to apply torque to the connected sections  30   a  and  26  so that the auger  26   b  penetrates the ground in response to the rotational movement. When the trailing end of the section  30   a  in the basement  18  approaches the opening  14   a , the section  30   b  is connected to the section  30   a  inside the basement in the manner described above and torque applied to the section  30   b . This continues with one or more additional intermediate sections (not shown) identical to the sections  30   a  and  30   b  until the auger  26  encounters sufficient resistance which can be determined in a conventional manner. The last connected intermediate section is then disconnected from the previous intermediate section, which, in the example shown, is section  30   b , and the section  28  is connected to the section  30   b  so that the section  28  extends through the opening  14   a . The assembly  24  thus formed extends at an angle to the wall  14  with the magnitude of the angle being determined by the angle of the opening  14   a.    
         [0016]    The end of the shaft  28   a  is then placed through the opening  32   a  of the plate  32  and through the opening  34   a  of the washer  34  and the nut  36  is threadedly engaged with the latter end. Torque is then applied to the nut  36  in any known manner while the auger  26  anchors the other end portion of the assembly  24  in the ground. This forces the plate  32  against the inner surface of the wall  14  and then forces the upper portion of the wall in a direction from right-to-left, as viewed in FIG. 1, so that it pivots, or tilts, about its lower end. This tilting movement continues until the wall reaches a true vertical alignment as shown by the solid lines in FIG. 1. During this application of torque to the nut  36 , the tapered washer  34  enables the nut to extend substantially perpendicular to the axis of the shaft  28   b  so that the force is directed along the axis of the latter shaft.  
         [0017]    In this connected position, the system  24  serves as an anchoring system to maintain the wall  14  in a true vertical alignment. It is understood that additional systems  24  can be placed, in a spaced relation, along the wall  14  and work together in unison to return the wall to a true vertical position and anchor the wall, in the same manner. The excavation E would then be filled in to complete the installation.  
         [0018]    It is thus seen that the system  24  of the present invention enables a wall to be returned to a true vertical position and anchored in the latter position, at a relatively low expenditure of labor and expense.  
         [0019]    A connecting apparatus according to another embodiment is shown, in general, by the reference numeral  50  in FIG. 4 and is also adapted to connect the corresponding ends of the intermediate section  30   a  and the tubular member  26   a  of the auger section  26 . The system  50  comprises two fasteners  52  and  54 , which are sized to extend in the corresponding end portions of the section  30   a  and the tubular member  26   a , respectively. The outer surface of each fastener  52  and  54  is hexagonal in shape, thus forming six planer surfaces and six angles, with the apexes of the angles between adjacent surfaces extending relative to the corresponding inner surfaces of the section  30   a  and the tubular member  26   a  respectively, with minimal clearance.  
         [0020]    The fasteners  52  and  54  are secured in the end portions of the section  30   a  and the tubular member  26   a  with the respective outer faces of the fasteners at least extending flush with the corresponding ends of the sections. This can be done in any conventional manner such as by welding the outer planer surfaces of the fasteners  52  and  54  to the corresponding inner surfaces of the section  30   a  and the tubular member  26   a . Each fastener  52  and  54  has an internally threaded bore, and an externally threaded rod  56 , identical to the rod  46  of the previous embodiment, is provided which is sized to threadedly engage the bores of the fasteners. The section  30   a  and the tubular member  26   a  are thus connected in an end-to-end abutting relationship.  
         [0021]    It is understood that the corresponding ends of the intermediate sections  30   a  and  30   b , as well as the corresponding ends of the intermediate section  30   b  and the tubular member  28   a  of the connecting section  28  can be connected together by the apparatus  50  in the same manner.  
       Variations  
       [0022]    The above embodiments are not limited to two intermediate sections  30   a  and  30   b , but rather, the number of intermediate sections can be varied depending on the depth in the ground that the auger section  26   a  has to penetrate in order to attain adequate support. Also, the wall that is returned to vertical and anchored in the above manner does not necessarily have to be below ground.  
         [0023]    The fasteners  42 ,  44 ,  52  and  54  can be fastened into the interior of the tubular members  26   a  and  28   a  and the sections  30   a  and  30   b  by other techniques utilizing other components, such as by adhesives, bolts, pins, clips, etc.  
         [0024]    The outer surfaces of the fasteners  42 ,  44 ,  52  and  54  do not have to extend flush with the corresponding ends of the tubular members  26   a  and  28   a  and the sections  30   a  and  30   b  but rather can extend in the sections a predetermined distance.  
         [0025]    Since other modifications, changes, and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention.