Patent Publication Number: US-2007104555-A1

Title: Replacement stud and setting tool for machine screw anchors

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      This invention relates generally to studs, and more particularly to a replacement stud that can also serve as a setting tool for an existing machine screw anchor.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Many existing hurricane shutter systems employ sidewalk bolts or truss head bolts. Sidewalk bolts are particularly popular due to their aesthetic feature of being unobtrusive and substantially flush fitting when using embedded machine screw anchor systems. Such sidewalk bolt can even provide a fair water resistant barrier when painted over as is done in many newly built homes. Unfortunately, when a hurricane approaches, homeowners typically use handheld drills or driver tools that tend to over-drive sidewalk bolts in either the removal or replacement of the bolt back with the embedded anchor. The embedded anchor systems used with the sidewalk bolt are typically machine threaded. The process of removing and then placing back the sidewalk bolt (particularly using a handheld driver or drill tool) will typically cause stripping of threads and further cause any sealing function to become ineffective. In many instances, the act of removing the existing sidewalk bolt or truss head bolt will result in ineffective anchor systems that will fail to anchor to the wall they are intended to mate with.  
      Existing Tapcon Studs used to mount hurricane shutters to wood surfaces on homes use a wood screw thread and have machine screw threading on an external portion for convenient and easy placement and removal of shutters using a wing nut that threads on and off the machine screw threads. Unfortunately, the existing Tapcon studs cannot mate with existing machine screw anchor systems used in masonry that are typically used with sidewalk bolts and truss head bolts.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Embodiments in accordance with the present invention can provide a stud that can be used to quickly and conveniently replace existing bolt systems that use machine screw anchors.  
      In a first embodiment of the present invention, a stud can include a shaft having an integrated stop washer, helical threading on opposing sides of the integrated stop washer, and an integral driver mechanism on a first end of the stud having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the shaft. The stud can further include an integral fluted thread cleaning feature on a second end of the stud and a compressible washer (such as a neoprene washer) abutting against the integrated stop washer. The stud can further include a spacer abutting against the compressible washer when under compression. The stud can mate with a wing-nut that can be placed over the integral driver mechanism on the first end which threads towards the integrated stop washer and a cap can cover at least a portion of the shaft on the first end. The stud can further include a chemical threadlocking agent towards a portion of the second end of the stud. Note, the second end can mate with a masonry machine screw wedge anchor and the stud can serve as a setting tool for the machine screw anchor. The stud can be made from any number of materials including for example zinc, stainless steel, Galvanized metal, and carbon steel. The shaft can essentially be any length or diameter and the pitch on the threading can also vary as needed in accordance with the embodiments herein although a typical arrangement can have a ¼ inch diameter and a 20 pitch helical or machine screw threading.  
      In a second embodiment of the present invention, a replacement stud system for use with a machine screw anchor can include a shaft having an integrated stop washer, machine screw threading on opposing sides of the integrated stop washer, an integral driver mechanism on a first end of the shaft having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the shaft, an integral fluted thread cleaning feature on a second end of the shaft, and a compressible washer (such as a neoprene washer) abutting against the integrated stop washer. The system can further include a spacer abutting against the compressible washer when under compression. The system can also include a wing-nut for placement over the integral driver mechanism on the first end threading towards the integrated stop washer. The system can further include the machine screw anchor that mates with the second end of the shaft such that the replacement stud system serves as a setting tool for the machine screw anchor.  
      In a third embodiment of the present invention, a method of replacing an existing machine screw threaded bolt (such as a sidewalk bolt or truss head bolt) that mates with a machine screw wedge anchor, can include the steps of setting the machine screw wedge anchor with a stud having a shaft with an integrated stop washer and machine screw threading on opposing sides of the integrated stop washer and cleaning machine screw threading on the machine screw wedge anchor using an integral fluted thread cleaning feature on a second end of the shaft as the shaft is threaded into the machine screw threading on the machine screw wedge anchor. The method further includes the step of sealing a hole formed in masonry by the machine screw wedge anchor using a compressible washer that abuts against the integrated stop washer as the stud is driven into the machine screw wedge anchor. The method can further include the step of driving the stud into the machine screw wedge anchor using an integral driver mechanism on a first end of the stud having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the shaft. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a stud replacement system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating a method of replacing a an existing machine screw threaded bolt that mates with a machine screw wedge anchor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of embodiments of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward.  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exploded view of a replacement stud system  10  is shown including a stud  20  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The stud  20  can include a shaft  24  having an integrated stop washer  26 , helical threading  23  and  25  on opposing sides of the integrated stop washer  26 , and an integral driver mechanism  22  on a first end  11  of the stud having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the shaft. The diameter of the driver should be smaller than the diameter of the shaft to enable a wing-nut  18  or other type of nut to thread over threads  23 . The stud  20  can mate with the wing-nut  18  that can be placed over the integral driver mechanism  22  on the first end which threads towards the integrated stop washer  26 . The system  10  can further include a cap  19  that can cover at least a portion of the shaft  24  on the first end  11 .  
      The stud  20  can further include an integral fluted thread cleaning feature  32  on a second end  13  of the stud  20 . The feature  32  can clean the threads  14  on an existing or new anchor  17  having an inner sleeve  12  and an outer sleeve  16  as the stud  20  is being threaded into the anchor  17 . The stud  20  can further include a compressible washer  28  (such as a neoprene washer) abutting against the integrated stop washer  26 . The stud  20  can further include a spacer  30  abutting against the compressible washer  28  when under compression. The stud  20  can further include a chemical threadlocking agent  34  (such as Loctite) towards a portion of the second end  13  of the stud  20 . Note, the second end  13  can mate with the masonry machine screw wedge anchor  17  and the stud  20  can serve as a setting tool for the machine screw anchor  17  by grabbing and wedging the inner sleeve  12  towards the outer sleeve  16  as the stud  20  threads into the anchor  17 . The outer sleeve  16  on the anchor is typically made from lead and the inner sleeve  12  can be any number of materials such as pot metal, nickel alloys, zinc alloys, brass, or stainless steel. Note, the spacer  30  can assist in the wedging processes as the stud  20  threads into the anchor  17  by pushing the outer sleeve  16  towards the inner sleeve  12 . The stud  20  can be made from any number of materials including for example zinc, stainless steel, Galvanized metal, and carbon steel. The shaft can essentially be any length or diameter and the pitch on the threading can also vary as needed in accordance with the embodiments herein although a typical arrangement can have a ¼ inch diameter and a 20 pitch helical or machine screw threading.  
      The system  10  can be a replacement stud system for use with a machine screw anchor that serves as a setting tool for the machine screw anchor. In this manner, a hurricane panel or shutter can be quickly installed by removing an existing bolt such as a sidewalk bolt and utilizing an existing anchor (or a new anchor, if needed) that was used for the sidewalk bolt and replacing the sidewalk bolt with the stud  20 . The stud  20  will not only serve to set the machine screw anchor  17 , but can clean the threads  14  on the machine screw anchor  17 . A hole  50  in a surrounding wall  52  formed by the machine screw anchor  17  can also be sealed by the compressible washer  28  once the stud  20  is driven into the anchor  17 . The compressible washer will form a water resistant barrier that is likely to be better than the barrier formed by a sidewalk bolt that it replaced.  
      In one specific embodiment, the stud  20  can include a ¼ inch 20 pitch machine screw thread on the shaft  24  with approximately ½ inch integral driver  22  protruding from the end  11 . Note, the driver can also be recessed or slotted within the shaft  24  instead of protruding from the end  11 . The integral washer  26  can be bonded or integrally formed on the shaft  24  and can have a diameter of ⅝ inches to 11/16 inches with an approximate thickness of 1/16 inches. The compressible washer  28  can be approximately 11/16 inches and 1/16 inches in thickness. The spacer  30  can be optional and can have a ½ inch diameter and ⅞ inch depth. The stud  20  can be approximately ⅛ inch shorter (excluding the driver mechanism  22 ) than the bolt it is likely to replace.  
      Note, the integral driver allows the wing-nut to pull flush to a hurricane shutter panel and to pull the panel flush to a wall. The integral washer can not only serve as a stop, but can serve to cover an existing hole in the masonry while the compressible washer provides greater sealing of the existing hole from water intrusion and other elements. The spacer ensures the embedment of the machine screw anchor in the masonry while the fluted tap can ensure the cleaning of threads in the anchor. Also, an optional drill tip can clean the path in masonry behind the embedded anchor. The threadlocking agent can ensure a solid bond to the embedded anchor.  
      Referring to  FIG. 2 , a flow chart illustrating a method  100  of replacing an existing machine screw threaded bolt (such as a sidewalk bolt or truss head bolt) that mates with a machine screw wedge anchor is shown. The method  100  can include the step  102  of setting the machine screw wedge anchor with a stud having a shaft with an integrated stop washer and machine screw threading on opposing sides of the integrated stop washer and cleaning at step  104  the machine screw threading on the machine screw wedge anchor using an integral fluted thread cleaning feature on a second end of the shaft as the shaft is threaded into the machine screw threading on the machine screw wedge anchor. The method  100  can further include the step  106  of sealing a hole formed in masonry by the machine screw wedge anchor using a compressible washer that abuts against the integrated stop washer as the stud is driven into the machine screw wedge anchor. The method  100  can further include the step  108  of driving the stud into the machine screw wedge anchor using an integral driver mechanism on a first end of the stud having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the shaft.  
      In light of the foregoing description, it should also be recognized that embodiments in accordance with the present invention can be realized in numerous configurations contemplated to be within the scope and spirit of the claims. Additionally, the description above is intended by way of example only and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way, except as set forth in the following claims.