Support Assembly for a Building Structure

This application claims priority of United States provision patent application Ser. No. 63/352,818 filed on Jun. 16, 2022 and Ser. No. 63/451,018, filed on Mar. 9, 2023, which are incorporated by reference herein.

The invention relates to a support assembly for building structures, and in particular to a support assembly for buildings such as manufactured homes.

Some building structures such as manufactured homes, also known as trailer homes, park homes, or mobile homes, are prefabricated (i.e., constructed offsite) and then moved to a desired location. To be able to move the structure while preserving its structural integrity, the structures are usually built over a horizontally extending metal frame which includes one or more I-beams, or a wood or timber frame which include one or more wood beams.

Different types of foundations can be provided for manufactured homes. Some manufactured homes are secured to cement or concrete blocks which rest on a concrete slab. The I-beams are then secured to the cement blocks using braces and metal straps. This type of foundation can be expensive and time-consuming, because it requires workers to make repeated visits to the site while the concrete is poured and cures over several weeks, and time is required to install the cement blocks on the cured concrete slab. This also delays the installation of the manufactured home, and can be subject to additional delays if the weather is not suitable for pouring concrete or installing cement blocks.

Some manufactured homes are mounted on piles, and specifically screw piles (sometimes called “helical piles”), which are driven and anchored in a ground surface. In this configuration, a pile head is provided on top of the pile and secured thereto to prevent unwanted removal, and the manufactured home is secured to the pile head. The pile and properly installed pile head provide stability in tension by anchoring the structure to the ground, as well as in compression by supporting the weight of the structure. Various devices and techniques have been proposed to secure the metal frame of the manufactured home to the pile head, such as the ones disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,487,469, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This approach is faster and less expensive to install than a concrete slab. However, this approach may not provide sufficient structural support for some used manufactured homes, which rely on the foundation to help stabilize their frame and prevent rocking and other undesirable movement of the building when their frame is not sufficiently sturdy. Furthermore, in many instances, contractors do not properly secure the pile head to the pile, which results in the pile assembly working vertically only in compression rather than both in tension and compression. This may prove problematic in extreme high wind and/or flood conditions (e.g., as during tropical storms or hurricanes) because the manufactured home may be lifted away for the cement blocks or screw piles.

There is therefore a need for a device which would overcome at least one of the above-identified drawbacks.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a support assembly for a manufactured home that can be quickly and easily installed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a support assembly for a manufactured home that provides structural support and stability to the manufactured home.

According to a broad aspect, there is provided a pile assembly for supporting a building structure having first and second beams extending in a first direction, the pile assembly comprising:

In one feature, the pile head further comprises a platform having a surface for receiving at least one vertical support member thereon, the vertical member supporting the portion of the first beam of the building structure thereon.

In another feature, the at least one bracket extending in the first direction is mounted to the platform.

In still another feature, the at least one bracket extending in the second direction is mounted to the platform.

In yet another feature, the pile assembly further comprises at least one vertical support member supported by the top surface of the platform, the at least one vertical support member having the top surface for receiving the beam of the building structure thereon.

In a further feature, the at least one vertical support member includes at least one cement block. In a different feature, the at least one vertical support member includes at least one metal tube.

In yet a further feature, the pile is a helical pile.

In one feature, the first direction is a longitudinal direction and the second direction is a lateral direction.

According to another broad aspect, there is provided a support assembly for supporting a building structure including first and second beams extending in a first direction, the support assembly comprising:

In one feature, the pile head further comprises a platform having a surface for receiving at least one vertical support member thereon, the vertical member supporting the portion of the first beam of the building structure thereon.

In another feature, the at least one bracket extending in the first direction is mounted to the platform.

In still another feature, the at least one bracket extending in the second direction is mounted to the platform.

In yet another feature, the support assembly further comprising at least one vertical support member supported by the top surface of the platform, the at least one vertical support member having the top surface for receiving the beam of the building structure thereon.

In still another feature, the at least one vertical support member includes at least one cement block. In a different feature, the at least one vertical support member includes at least one metal tube.

In another feature, the first beam has a first end and a second end, and the first attachment member connects the at least one bracket extending in the first direction to the first beam at an intermediate location situated between the first and second ends of the first beam.

In still another feature, the support assembly further comprises a clamp assembly provided on the first beam at the intermediate location, the first attachment member connecting the at least one bracket extending in the first direction to the clamp assembly.

In yet another feature, the support assembly further comprises a grasping member provided on the second beam, the second attachment member connecting that at least one bracket extending in the second direction to the grasping member provided on the second beam.

In one feature, the second beam is an I-beam having a top flange and a lower flange and the grasping member comprises a J-hook, the J-hook grasping one of the top flange and the lower flange of the I-beam. In a further feature, the J-hook grasps the top flange of the I-beam.

In one feature, at least one of the piles is a helical pile.

In some feature, the first direction is a longitudinal direction and the second direction is a lateral direction.

According to another broad aspect, there is provided a method of assembling a support assembly for supporting a building structure including first and second beams extending in a first direction, the method comprising:

In one feature, the method further comprises connecting the first bracket to a first bracket of the second support assembly.

In another feature, the method further comprises:

In another feature, fastening the at least one bracket extending in the first direction of the first pile to the first beam comprises fastening the at least one bracket extending in the first direction of the first pile to an intermediate location on the first beam, the intermediate point being located between a first end of the first beam and a second end of the first beam.

In yet another feature, the method further comprises:

In still another feature, the at least one of the piles is a helical pile.

In yet another feature, the first direction is a longitudinal direction and the second direction is a lateral direction.

According to another broad aspect, there is provided a support assembly for supporting a building structure having a first beam and a second beam, the support assembly comprising:

In one feature, the attachment member is one of a metal strap and a threaded rod.

In another feature, the first pile assembly comprises a helical pile.

In yet another feature, the second pile assembly has a top surface for receiving the second beam thereon.

In still another feature, the second pile assembly is an auxiliary pile assembly.

In a further feature, the auxiliary pile assembly is anchored into the ground surface at an angle relative to the first pile assembly. In an additional feature, the angle is approximately 45 degrees.

According to another broad aspect, there is provided a support assembly for supporting a building structure, the support assembly comprising:

In one feature, the at least one attachment member comprises one of a metal strap and a threaded rod.

According to another broad aspect, there is provided a support assembly for supporting a building structure, the support assembly comprising:

In one feature, the at least one attachment member comprises:

In another feature, each of the at least one attachment member comprises one of a metal strap and a threaded rod.

According to another broad aspect, there is provided a method of assembling a support assembly for supporting a building structure, the method comprising:

In one feature, fastening the attachment member to the support assembly comprises fastening the attachment member to the pile.

In another feature, fastening the attachment member to the support assembly comprises fastening the attachment member to an auxiliary pile.

In yet another feature, the first pile comprises a helical pile.