Patent ID: 7823348

Claim:
A support system for a column comprising: a level surface; two anchor blocks located on the level surface, each anchor block having a top face which is co-level with the top face of the other anchor block, the anchor blocks being spaced apart from each other and defining a gap therebetween; at least one tie rod securely mounted on the top faces of the anchor blocks and spanning the gap between the two anchor blocks when the tie rod is in use, the tie rod having two equal length legs and a bight section connecting the legs together, each leg having a rim spaced apart from the bight section of the tie rod, the rims of the legs of the tie rod being abuttingly supported on the top faces of the anchor blocks when the tie rod is in use, the legs of the tie rod being oriented to be vertical with respect to the level surface whereby all of the legs of the tie rod are parallel to each other, the tie rod having a first surface of one leg located in a plane that is positioned adjacent to a predetermined location with respect to a reference plane; at least one cross rod attached to the tie rods when the cross rod is in use, the cross rod having two equal length legs and a bight section to which the legs of the cross rod are attached, each of the legs of the cross rod having a rim that is spaced apart from the bight section of the cross rod and which are abuttingly supported on the bight sections of the tie rod when the cross rod and the tie rod are in use and which are oriented to be vertical with respect to the level surface, the cross rod having a first surface that is located at a predetermined position relative to a reference location; a column located between the anchor blocks and between the tie rod and adjacent to the cross rod, the column having surfaces that are oriented vertically with respect to the level surface when the column is set up, with one surface of the column being abuttingly engaged by the first surface of the tie rod and a second surface of the column being abuttingly engaged by the first surface of the cross rod when the cross rod and tie rod are in use; the vertical legs the tie rod and the cross rod all being parallel with respect to each other and all being vertically oriented so the abutment between the first surfaces of the tie and cross rods and corresponding surfaces of the column causes the column to be automatically supported in a vertical orientation by the rods and automatically positioned in a desired position with respect to the reference location and the reference plane.