Patent Publication Number: US-6219973-B1

Title: Structure stabilizing system and method

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to building stabilizing systems and more particularly to a structure stabilizing system and method wherein the structure stabilizing system includes a length of cabling and a number of joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides; each of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides including an L-shaped joist securing plate assembly, a rafter securing plate, and a cable guide tube assembly; the L-shaped joist securing plate assembly including a vertical joist contact plate and a horizontal joist contact plate integrally formed with and orthogonally oriented with respect to the vertical joist contact plate; the vertical joist contact plate having two fastener apertures provided therethrough; the rafter securing plate being integrally formed with and orthogonally oriented with respect to a side edge of the horizontal joist contact plate and lying in a plane parallel to a plane defined by the vertical joist contact plate; the cable guide tube assembly including a tube support plate and a cable guide tube; the tube support plate having a cable passage aperture formed therethrough and being integrally formed with and extending from a side edge of the rafter securing plate perpendicularly oriented to the horizontal joist contact plate and having a bottom edge collinear with a fold line defining the edge between the horizontal joist contact plate and the rafter securing plate; the cable guide tube having a first open end defined by a tube end rigidly secured to the tube support plate such that a cable passage formed through the cable guide tube is in connection with the cable passage aperture and a longitudinal axis of the cable guide tube is oriented in parallel with a plane defined by the horizontal joist contact plate; and wherein the structure stabilizing method includes the steps of a) providing a number of joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides as described above; b) attaching one each of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides to a number of sets of ceiling joists and rafters along each side of the building; c) threading a length of cabling through each of the cable guide tubes of each of the attached joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides; and d) anchoring the ends of the cable to the foundation of the structure to be stabilized. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Each year storms tear the roofs off many building because the buildings have not been adequately constructed or stabilized. It would be a benefit, therefore, to have a structure stabilizing system that could be used to stabilize new and old buildings so that the likelihood of damage from storms is reduced. 
     GENERAL SUMMARY DISCUSSION OF INVENTION 
     It is thus an object of the invention to provide a structure stabilizing system that includes a length of cabling and a number of joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides; each of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides including an L-shaped joist securing plate assembly, a rafter securing plate, and a cable guide tube assembly; the L-shaped joist securing plate assembly including a vertical joist contact plate and a horizontal joist contact plate integrally formed with and orthogonally oriented with respect to the vertical joist contact plate; the vertical joist contact plate having two fastener apertures provided therethrough; the rafter securing plate being integrally formed with and orthogonally oriented with respect to a side edge of the horizontal joist contact plate and lying in a plane parallel to a plane defined by the vertical joist contact plate; the cable guide tube assembly including a tube support plate and a cable guide tube; the tube support plate having a cable passage aperture formed therethrough and being integrally formed with and extending from a side edge of the rafter securing plate perpendicularly oriented to the horizontal joist contact plate and having a bottom edge collinear with a fold line defining the edge between the horizontal joist contact plate and the rafter securing plate; the cable guide tube having a first open end defined by a tube end rigidly secured to the tube support plate such that a cable passage formed through the cable guide tube is in connection with the cable passage aperture and a longitudinal axis of the cable guide tube is oriented in parallel with a plane defined by the horizontal joist contact plate. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a structure stabilizing method that includes the steps of a) providing a number of joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides as described above; b) attaching one each of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides to a number of sets of ceiling joists and rafters along each side of the building; c) threading a length of cabling through each of the cable guide tubes of each of the attached joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides; and d) anchoring the ends of the cable to the foundation of the structure to be stabilized. 
     Accordingly, a structure stabilizing system and method is provided. The structure stabilizing system includes a length of cabling and a number of joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides; each of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides including an L-shaped joist securing plate assembly, a rafter securing plate, and a cable guide tube assembly; the L-shaped joist securing plate assembly including a vertical joist contact plate and a horizontal joist contact plate integrally formed with and orthogonally oriented with respect to the vertical joist contact plate; the vertical joist contact plate having two fastener apertures provided therethrough; the rafter securing plate being integrally formed with and orthogonally oriented with respect to a side edge of the horizontal joist contact plate and lying in a plane parallel to a plane defined by the vertical joist contact plate; the cable guide tube assembly including a tube support plate and a cable guide tube; the tube support plate having a cable passage aperture formed therethrough and being integrally formed with and extending from a side edge of the rafter securing plate perpendicularly oriented to the horizontal joist contact plate and having a bottom edge collinear with a fold line defining the edge between the horizontal joist contact plate and the rafter securing plate; the cable guide tube having a first open end defined by a tube end rigidly secured to the tube support plate such that a cable passage formed through the cable guide tube is in connection with the cable passage aperture and a longitudinal axis of the cable guide tube is oriented in parallel with a plane defined by the horizontal joist contact plate. 
     The structure stabilizing method includes the steps of a) providing a number of joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides as described above; b) attaching one each of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides to a number of sets of ceiling joists and rafters along each side of the building; c) threading a length of cabling through each of the cable guide tubes of each of the attached joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides; and d) anchoring the ends of the cable to the foundation of the structure to be stabilized. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are given the same or analogous reference numbers and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guide of the structure stabilizing system of the present invention showing the L-shaped joist securing plate assembly, the rafter securing plate, and the cable guide tube assembly; the L-shaped joist securing plate assembly including a vertical joist contact plate and a horizontal joist contact plate integrally formed with and orthogonally oriented with respect to the vertical joist contact plate; the vertical joist contact plate having two fastener apertures provided therethrough; the rafter securing plate being integrally formed with and orthogonally oriented with respect to a side edge of the horizontal joist contact plate and lying in a plane parallel to a plane defined by the vertical joist contact plate; the cable guide tube assembly including a tube support plate and a cable guide tube; the tube support plate having a cable passage aperture formed therethrough and being integrally formed with and extending from a side edge of the rafter securing plate perpendicularly oriented to the horizontal joist contact plate and having a bottom edge collinear with a fold line defining the edge between the horizontal joist contact plate and the rafter securing plate; the cable guide tube having a first open end defined by a tube end rigidly secured to the tube support plate such that a cable passage formed through the cable guide tube is in connection with the cable passage aperture and a longitudinal axis of the cable guide tube is oriented in parallel with a plane defined by the horizontal joist contact plate. 
     FIG. 2 is a side plan view of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guide of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of two of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides and a length of cable in use structurally reinforcing a representative section of ceiling joists and rafters supported on a representative top plate. 
     FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view showing the end of the section of steel cable anchored through the sill plate into the building foundation. 
    
    
     EXEMPLARY MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows an exemplary one of the number of identical joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides, generally designated  10 , of the present invention. Each of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides is of steel construction and includes an L-shaped joist securing plate assembly, generally designated  12 ; a rafter securing plate, generally designated  14 ; and a cable guide tube assembly, generally designated  16 . L-shaped joist securing plate assembly  12  including a vertical joist contact plate  18  and a horizontal joist contact plate  20  integrally formed with and orthogonally oriented with respect to vertical joist contact plate  18 . Vertical joist contact plate  18  has two fastener apertures  22  provided therethrough. 
     Rafter securing plate  14  is integrally formed with and orthogonally oriented with respect to a fold line side edge  24  of horizontal joist contact plate  20  and lies in a plane parallel to a plane defined by vertical joist contact plate  18 . 
     Cable guide tube assembly  16  includes a tube support plate  28  and a cable guide tube  30  (FIG.  2 ). Tube support plate  28  has a cable passage aperture  32  formed therethrough and is integrally formed with and extends from a side edge  34  (shown in dashed lines) of rafter securing plate  14  that is perpendicularly oriented to the horizontal joist contact plate  20  and has a bottom edge  40  collinear with a fold line side edge  24  between horizontal joist contact plate  20  and rafter securing plate  14 . 
     Cable guide tube  30  has a first open end defined by a tube end rigidly secured to tube support plate  28  such that cable passage  42  (shown in dashed lines FIG. 2) formed through cable guide tube  28  is in connection with cable passage aperture  32  and a longitudinal axis  46  (shown in dashed lines) of cable guide tube  30  is oriented in parallel with a plane defined by horizontal joist contact plate  20 . 
     An exemplary structure stabilizing method is now described with general reference to FIGS. 1-4. The structure stabilizing method includes the steps of a) providing a number of joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides  10  as described above; b) attaching one each of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides  10  to a number of sets of ceiling joists  50  and rafters  52  (FIG. 3) along each side of a structure to be stabilized; c) threading a length of cabling  54  through each of the cable guide tubes of each of the attached joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides  10 ; and d) anchoring the ends  58  (one shown in FIG. 4) of cabling  54  to the foundation  60  of the structure to be stabilized. The cabling  54  is torqued or tightened to a desired degree before securing cable end  58  to foundation  60 . In existing structures, cable end  58  is preferably secured to a tie down structure secured to the ground. 
     It can be seen from the preceding description that a structure stabilizing system and method has been provided wherein the structure stabilizing system includes a length of cabling and a number of joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides; each of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides including an L-shaped joist securing plate assembly, a rafter securing plate, and a cable guide tube assembly; the L-shaped joist securing plate assembly including a vertical joist contact plate and a horizontal joist contact plate integrally formed with and orthogonally oriented with respect to the vertical joist contact plate; the vertical joist contact plate having two fastener apertures provided therethrough; the rafter securing plate being integrally formed with and orthogonally oriented with respect to a side edge of the horizontal joist contact plate and lying in a plane parallel to a plane defined by the vertical joist contact plate; the cable guide tube assembly including a tube support plate and a cable guide tube; the tube support plate having a cable passage aperture formed therethrough and being integrally formed with and extending from a side edge of the rafter securing plate perpendicularly oriented to the horizontal joist contact plate and having a bottom edge collinear with a fold line defining the edge between the horizontal joist contact plate and the rafter securing plate; the cable guide tube having a first open end defined by a tube end rigidly secured to the tube support plate such that a cable passage formed through the cable guide tube is in connection with the cable passage aperture and a longitudinal axis of the cable guide tube is oriented in parallel with a plane defined by the horizontal joist contact plate; and wherein the structure stabilizing method includes the steps of a) providing a number of joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides as described above; b) attaching one each of the joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides to a number of sets of ceiling joists and rafters along each side of the building; c) threading a length of cabling through each of the cable guide tubes of each of the attached joist and rafter reinforcing cable guides; and d) anchoring the ends of the cable to the foundation of the structure to be stabilized. 
     It is noted that the embodiment of the structure stabilizing system and method described herein in detail for exemplary purposes is of course subject to many different variations in structure, design, application and methodology. Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept(s) herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiment herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.