Ground Anchor Assembly with Break-away Fasteners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for embedding anchor bolts in concrete foundations struggle with maintaining proper orientation and alignment, leading to misalignment issues that complicate the installation of support posts, often requiring additional labor and potential replacement of foundations.
Innovation Solution
A ground anchor assembly featuring threaded studs, an anchor plate, and break-away fasteners that secure the studs in place during concrete pouring and hardening, with a break-away shank designed to fail at a single stress point to allow easy removal and minimize surface area for reduced movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional J-bolts are embedded in concrete foundations, then the foundation can support posts, but the anchor bolts frequently move and become misaligned during concrete pouring and tamping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-assembling the anchor bolts onto a support structure with positioning features (such as a grid or framework) before concrete pouring. This support structure maintains precise alignment and position of the anchor bolts during the concrete pouring and tamping process, preventing movement and misalignment. The support structure acts as a temporary fixture that holds components in their correct positions until the concrete sets.
2Manufacturing precision
If support devices are used to maintain anchor bolt alignment, then alignment is improved, but extra labor is required to remove and clean the support device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the disposable principle by using a support structure that is discarded after serving its alignment function. Rather than designing for reuse, the support structure is intentionally made to be left in place or easily removed without cleaning requirements. This eliminates the labor-intensive removal and cleaning processes associated with reusable support devices, while still providing the necessary alignment function during concrete pouring.
3Manufacturing precision
If anchor bolts are misaligned after concrete sets, then installation difficulty increases, but enlarging bolt holes and shimming is required to correct alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prevents misalignment issues by establishing correct anchor bolt positions before concrete pouring through the use of a support structure with built-in positioning features. This preliminary positioning action ensures that when the concrete sets, the anchor bolts are already in their correct aligned positions, eliminating the need for post-pour correction procedures such as enlarging holes or installing shims.
Data Source
AI summary
A ground anchor assembly includes at least two threaded studs, an anchor plate having at least two openings sized and shaped to receive the at least two threaded studs. The assembly further includes a first fastener for each of the at least two threaded studs attached to the respective stud and bearing against a first side of the anchor plate, and a break-away fastener for each of the at least two threaded studs and attached to the respective stud on an opposite side of the anchor plate. Each break-away fastener cooperates with the corresponding first fastener to retain the corresponding stud in position relative to the anchor plate and the other of the at least two studs.