Abstract:
The present invention provides a pedestal for use in raised access flooring, such as for magnetic resonance imaging rooms and computer rooms. The pedestal includes a base, a head, first and second support members, a threaded support shaft, and first and second threaded nuts. The invention is easy to install and can be made of all non-metalic parts. The base and the head can be constructed identically to minimize the type of parts needed for manufacturing and inventory. The first and second support members can also be constructed identically, further minimizing the parts needed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is related to and claims priority from earlier filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/176,402 titled Adjustable Locking Spacer, filed May 7, 2009. 
     
    
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to an adjustable leveling pedestal to support raised access flooring, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an adjustable leveling pedestal that allows for infinite height adjustment of the floor by moving stopping members along a shaft. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Adjustable pedestals for flooring are well known in the art, but suffer from significant drawbacks. For example, prior art adjustable spacers have limited vertical positioning, limited ability to adjust the vertical positioning during loading, and are cumbersome to work with and install. Typical adjustable pedestals are provided with a base, a slotted or notched shaft and a top plate. The shaft is received within, and moves in and out of, the base and locks into position with a clip, rod, cotter pin, or similar mechanism. The spacer is only positionable at heights which correspond to the slots or notches on the shaft. 
         [0004]    Also, typical adjustable pedestals are not adjustable while a load is applied. The downward force of the load precludes vertical adjustment of the adjustable pedestal unless something is provided to support or lift the applied load. Prior art pedestals are also difficult to install and cumbersome to work with. 
         [0005]    Therefore, a need exists for an adjustable leveling pedestal that is selectively adjustable when a load is applied. Simple installation and minimal types of part are also desirable. It is to such an adjustable leveling pedestal that the present invention is directed. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention provides a pedestal to support access flooring. The pedestal includes a base, a head, first and second support members, a threaded support shaft, and first and second threaded nuts. The first support member is inserted into the base and the second support member is inserted into the head. The threaded support shaft is removably inserted into the first and second support members. The first and second threaded nuts are rotatably attached to the support shaft. The first threaded nut abuts the second support member and the second threaded nut abuts the first threaded nut. The first threaded nut can be rotated to move the second support member. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1A  is a front elevational view of a portion of an adjustable leveling pedestal in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1B  is a front elevational view of the adjustable leveling pedestal of  FIG. 1A  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a plurality of floor panels having the adjustable leveling pedestals of  FIG. 1B  disposed at each corner thereof. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a plurality of floor panels having the adjustable leveling pedestal of  FIG. 1B  disposed at the adjoining corners. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4A  is a side elevational view of aligned pair adjustable leveling pedestals of  FIG. 1B . 
           [0012]      FIG. 4B  is a side elevational view of the misaligned pair of adjustable leveling pedestals of  FIG. 4A  before alignment. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of another presently preferred embodiment of an adjustable leveling pedestal. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , shown therein is an adjustable leveling pedestal  10  for raising and leveling access flooring panels (see  FIGS. 4A and 4B ) away from a surface  18 . The adjustable leveling pedestal  10  is provided with a top engaging member  22 , a bottom engaging member  24 , a first adjustable stop  26 , a second adjustable stop  30  and a support shaft  34 . 
         [0015]    In a presently preferred embodiment, the top engaging member  22  is fabricated to interface with a head  14 . The top engaging member  22  preferably has a generally square cross sectional area, although it may have many different geometries that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. It will be understood that the geometry of the top engaging member  22  should cooperate with the head  14  to provide a substantially secure interface, which can preferably be assembled without tools by inserting the top engaging member  22  into the head  14 . The top engaging member  22  is preferably constructed of a plastic or fiberglass material, but can be fabricated out of any suitable material, such as a resin, other plastic polymer, natural material(s) such as a wood or fiber based material, metal (such as steel, titanium, aluminum or blends thereof) and combinations thereof. The top engaging member  22  is provided with an interface  42  which is fabricated to connect the top engaging member  22  with the support shaft  34 . In a presently preferred embodiment, the interface  42  is a bore fabricated such that the support shaft  34  fits snugly within the interface  42 , preferably without using tools. 
         [0016]    The bottom engaging member  24  is preferably similar in construction and function to the top engaging member  22  with a generally square cross sectional area, but can also have any number of differing geometries that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. It will be understood that the geometry of the bottom engaging member  24  should cooperate with, for example, the geometry of a base  46  to provide a substantially secure interface, preferably without using tools. The bottom engaging member  24  is preferably constructed of a plastic or fiberglass material, but can be fabricated out of any suitable material, such as a resin, other plastic polymer, natural material(s) such as a wood or fiber based material, metal (such as steel, titanium, aluminum or blends thereof) and combinations thereof. The bottom engaging member  24  is provided with an interface  50  which is also made to connect the bottom engaging member  24  with the support shaft  34 . In a presently preferred embodiment, the interface  50  is also a bore fabricated such that the support shaft  34  fits snugly within the interface  50 , preferably without using tools. The lengths of both the top engaging member  22  and the bottom engaging member  24  should be of sufficient size and the length of their respective bores should be of sufficient depth to receive portions of the support shaft  34 . 
         [0017]    The support shaft  34  of the adjustable leveling pedestal  10  is provided with a first end  58  and a second end  62 . The support shaft  34  is preferably made of fiberglass and threaded along its entire length (all threading not shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B ). The support shaft  34  should be of a size that can be snugly fit into interfaces  42  and  50  of the top engaging member  22  and the bottom engaging member  24 , respectively, but can be removed with minimal force, preferably without using tools. The support shaft  34  is constructed so as to cooperate with both the first adjustable stop  26  and the second adjustable stop  30  to provide height adjustability for the adjustable leveling pedestal  10 . The support shift  34  includes threads  66  that are operable to engage the first adjustable stop  26  and the second adjustable stop  30 . Other shaft configurations (such as partially threaded) that allow the support shaft  34  to engage the first adjustable stop  26  and the second adjustable stop  30  may likewise be utilized. 
         [0018]    The first adjustable stop  26  is preferably a plastic flanged nut (flange not shown) for receiving an end of the support shaft  34 . The flange of the first adjustable stop  26  is preferably oriented such that the flange abuts the top engaging member  22 . The first adjustable stop  26  may be fabricated out of any suitable material, for example, a resin or plastic polymer, natural material(s) such as a wood or fiber based material, metal (such as steel, titanium, aluminum or blends thereof), fiber or glass based materials and combinations thereof. As mentioned above, the flange of first adjustable stop  26  is constructed so as to engage with at least a portion of the top engaging member  22  in order to hold the top engaging member  22  in a fixed configuration relative to the bottom engaging member  24 . In operation, the first adjustable stop  26  is secured against a bottom surface  78  of the top engaging member  22  by turning the first adjustable stop  26  until it abuts the bottom surface  78  of the top engaging member  22 . 
         [0019]    The second adjustable stop  30  is preferably a standard nut similar in construction and operation to the first adjustable stop  26 . The second adjustable stop  30  is positioned below the first adjustable stop  26  and operates to substantially preclude downward movement of the first adjustable stop  26  along the support shaft  34  after the second adjustable stop  30  has been tightened against the first adjustable stop  26 . 
         [0020]    In operation, the first adjustable stop  26  and the second adjustable stop  30  are threaded onto the support shaft  34 . The first end  58  of the support shaft  34  is inserted into the interface  42  of the top engaging member  22  and the second end  62  of the support shaft  34  is inserted into the interface  50  of the bottom engaging member  24 , preferably without using tools. To secure the top engaging member  22 , the first adjustable stop  26  is turned until the flange contacts the bottom surface  78  of the top engaging member  22 . To lock the first adjustable stop  26  and therefore top engaging member  22 , the second adjustable stop  30  is turned until it contacts the bottom of the first adjustable stop  26 . The cooperative use of the first adjustable stop  26  and the second adjustable stop  30  allow for infinite adjustability and fine adjustments to the overall length of the adjustable leveling pedestal  10 . 
         [0021]    To selectively increase the height of the top engaging member  22 , the top engaging member  22  is moved upwardly along the support shaft  34  by turning the first adjustable stop  26  to raise the top engaging member  22 . To lock the first adjustable stop  26  and therefore top engaging member  22 , the second adjustable stop  30  is turned until it contacts the bottom of the first adjustable stop  26 . To selectively lower the height of the top engaging member  22  the second adjustable stop  30  is turned in the opposite direction, moving the second adjustable stop  30  downwardly along the support shaft  34 . Next, the first adjustable stop  26  is turned in the opposite direction moving the first adjustable stop  26  downwardly along the support shaft  34 . The top engagement member  22  is then moved downwardly along the support shaft  34  until the bottom of the top engagement member contacts the first adjustable stop  26 . The first adjustable stop  26  and the second adjustable stop  30  can be turned by hand or using a wrench or other suitable tool. 
         [0022]    The adjustable leveling pedestal  10  is constructed so as to be used for spacing floor panels  14  a distance away from a surface  18 . When utilized for spacing floor panels  14  a distance away from the surface  18 , the adjustable leveling pedestal  10  is preferably provided with a channel (not shown) that is bolted to the head  44 . Preferably, the channel can be slid onto the bolts connecting it to the head (or heads) without the use of tools. This can be accomplished by proper spacing of the bolt and a nut so that during installation of the flooring system the channel can be simply slid onto the nut. The channel is preferably long enough to be bolted to as many adjustable leveling pedestals  10  as are needed to support the floor panels  14  and thereby occupy the area desired for the raised access flooring. In another preferred embodiment, the channel includes a soft material such as foam rubber attached to the top side. The soft material provides an interface between the channel and the floor panels  14  that prevents the floor panels  14  from moving and prevents unwanted noise when loads are applied to the floor panels  14 . In another preferred embodiment, the base  46  is secured to the surface  18  with an adhesive, as will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art. As stated previously, the base  46  is configured to mate with the bottom engaging member  24 . In one embodiment, the base  46  is constructed having a vertical support  108  having a recess  112  for receiving the bottom engaging member  24 , and a base flange  114  for connecting the base  46  to the surface  18 . The base flange  114  is preferably of a square cross section that includes four holes. The adhesive, in addition to securing the base flange  114  (and thereby the base  46 ), extrudes through the holes to additionally secure the base  46 . The base  46  is constructed from any suitable rigid and durable material, for example, a resin or plastic polymer, natural material(s) such as a wood or fiber based material, metal (such as steel, titanium, aluminum or blends thereof), fiber or glass based materials and combinations thereof. The base flange  114  of the base  46  may also be secured to the surface  18  via a fastener such as, for example, threaded fasteners, screws, nails, rivets, in addition to the adhesive. 
         [0023]    The head  44  is substantially identical in construction to the base  46 , though only the head  44  is typically bolted, such as to the channel (not shown). In one preferred embodiment, the head  44  is constructed having a vertical support  110  having a recess  120  for receiving the top engaging member  22 , and a head flange  128  for connecting the head  44  to the channel. The head flange  128  of the head  44  is preferably of a square cross section that includes four holes (not shown) and is preferably bolted to the channel. In a preferred embodiment, the channel runs along the interface of adjacent floor panels  14  and supports the weight of the floor panels  14 . The floor panels  14  are preferably made from fiberglass, and if constructed from such material the floor panels  14  remain securely on the channel. 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , shown therein is a plurality of floor panels  14 , each of which is provided with four adjustable leveling pedestals  10 , one adjustable locking spacer  10  positioned on each corner  116 . Although a raised floor can be assembled in this fashion, the added benefit of using the channel and a fewer number of adjustable leveling pedestals cannot be realized. 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIG. 4B , shown therein is a misaligned pair of floor panels  14  (channel is not shown). When installing floor panels  14 , if the surface  124  is not level, the floor panels  14  will not be level. 
         [0026]    When floor panels  14  are uneven, the height of one or more of the floor panels  14  may be either raised or lowered to align the floor panels  14  via the adjustable leveling pedestal  10 . By way of non-limiting example, a floor panel  14  having an adjustable leveling pedestals  118 A and  118 B and abuts another floor panel  14  having an adjustable leveling pedestal  122 A and  122 B. The floor panel  14  having the adjustable leveling pedestal  122 B is positioned at a height lower than the floor panel  14  having the adjustable leveling pedestal  118 A and  118 B due to, for example, variations of the surface  124 . To adjust the height of the floor panel  14  having the adjustable leveling pedestal  122 B, the first adjustable stop  138  of the adjustable leveling pedestal  122 B is moved upwardly along the support shaft  130 , therefore moving the top engaging member  134  upwardly and in-turn, increasing the height of the floor panel  14 . When the desired height of the floor panel  14  is achieved, the second adjustable stop  126  is moved upwardly along the support shaft  130  until it abuts the bottom of the first adjustable stop  138 . This process may be repeated, extending and retracting the adjustable locking spacer  122 B until the correct floor panel  14  height is achieved (see  FIG. 4A ). 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , shown therein is another presently preferred embodiment of the adjustable leveling pedestal  200  with channel  202 . A head  204  is preferably bolted to the channel  202 . Similar to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the adjustable leveling pedestal  200  includes a first adjustable stop  208  and a second adjustable stop  216 , secured to a threaded support shaft  212 . 
         [0028]    From the above description, it is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent in the invention. While presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described for purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the invention disclosed.