Anchor Bolt Setter

The Anchor Bolt Setter (ABS), relates to concrete construction, and more particularly to the setting of anchor bolts for concrete foundations and concrete slabs requiring the placement of anchor bolts. The ABS is an apparatus mechanism assembly that sets anchor bolts prior to the pouring of concrete into any type of foundation forms or slabs.

The invention in this application is an improvement on the invention claimed in patent Ser. No. 16/678,487 that was issued to inventor Deron G Brunson, whom is the same applicant and inventor herein.

During the process of building homes or various other types of buildings, a footing is created with concrete. After this footing is created, foundation forms are placed onto the footing to create foundation walls which extrude upwards from the footings. Concrete is then poured into these foundation forms creating a foundation, once the concrete hardens, or cures, the foundation forms are then removed leaving behind the foundation walls. When anchor bolts are required the general practice is to place them into wet concrete before it cures or hardens, this practice is called ‘wet setting’. Wet setting anchor bolts is a practice this is widely and commonly used but discouraged be the International Building Code (“IBC”) and by Structural Engineer's Association across the country. The anchor bolts must be placed in a manner that meets certain dimensions of how high, how low, what angle, and how far from the inside of the outer wall of the foundation or slab form they must set, while insuring that the threaded part of the anchor bolt protrudes from the top of the foundation, while the rest of the anchor bolt sets inside the concrete foundation. It's in the placement of the anchor bolts before the concrete is poured where this invention of the Anchor Bolt Setter comes into play. The Anchor Bolt Setter allows anchor bolts to be properly set to the required placement before the concrete is poured, this is called ‘presetting’ and once the concrete is dry or is cured the Anchor Bolt Setter is then easily removed at the same time that the foundation forms and slab forms are removed, leaving behind a foundation slab with protruding anchor bolts.

The ABS as described herein allows the anchor bolts to be suspended and set before the concrete is poured, it properly sets them into place regardless of what forms are being used to create the concrete foundations, and it more fully satisfy the IBC code, which is adopted by must cities and counties throughout the United States, which maintain restrictions against wet setting anchor bolts.

The embodiments of the ABS comprise of a bolt holder, a top plate, a lock slider, several different sizes of compression nuts, several different sizes of bushings, and a wall plate. Depending upon the type of forms used to make foundations will depend on which embodiments are used to suspend the anchor bolt before the concrete is poured.

The embodiment of the bolt holder consists of a rectangular, elongate segment planar surface of a specific length with three circular cylindrical tube type holes that are two inches from each other from center hole to center hole all in a straight line to receive the ABS bushing, compression nut and anchor bolt. To the side of these three stated holes, there are two rectangle type curved cut outs diametrically opposing each other and are found along the side of each hole, making a total of six of these type of holes. On the bottom side of these holes and along the side of each of these holes there is a very small portion that tappers progressively downward for about a quarter of a turn. One end along the horizontal planar surface consists of vertical planar rectangular shaft protruding upwards from the planar surface with two sleeve cut-outs enabling the center piece to be flexible, and the opposite side of this shaft is open with side cut out edges to secure and connect the top plate. The top plate together with the bolt holder engaged will extend the bold holder horizontally from the inside of the outer walls of the foundation form and works in conjunction with the other embodiments presenting the anchor bolt downward into the foundation form, and uncured concrete is poured into the foundation form, enveloping the anchor bolt

The embodiment of the bushing corresponds to a specific size of anchor bolt, its color coded for quick identification to match up with a specific size anchor bolt, it consists of a tubular cylindrical slight cone shape while two diametrically opposed clips that are “J” shape protrude out the bottom to a specific length. The two clips are designed to set perfectly outside of the bottom of the holes and clip into the two diametrically opposed slits found in either of the holes of the bolt holder. The bushing also has a protruding lip circling the bushing which acts as a stopper so that the bushing cannot be placed below its designed position on the bolt holder.

The embodiment of the compression nut, is also color coded to match with a specific anchor bolt matching the same color as the compression nut, and is designed to be placed over the bushing, it compresses the bushing against the anchor bolt thus holding the anchor bolt securely in place before the concrete is poured, this suspends the anchor bolt. The inside of the compression nut matches the outside of the bushing while offering a diagonal cone shape in a downward position so that when the compression nut is pushed downward it compresses the bushing against the anchor bolt, and the compression nut has two diametrically opposed clips that are “J” shape for securing it to the bolt holder as the compression nut is turned in a clockwork position less than a half a turn, and the bottom clips help lock it into position and pulls the compression nut in a downward position.

In one embodiment the top plate is designed to sit on top of either a steel or wood foundation form. The top of steel forms has two very small lip diametrically opposed to each other running on the edges of the length of the steel form. The flat planar bottom portion of the top plate has a lip that is designed to sit outside of the inner top lip of the steel form while the rest of the top plate sits on top of the steel form. When used for the top of steel foundation forms the top plate is held into place by the ABS lock slider. The lock slider top portion length is designed to fit into position of the top plate and locks into place when it is pushed into the top plate groves found diametrically opposing each other in the inside bottom portion of the top pate, these groves guide the lock slider into place, and the lock slider locks into place by the end lip that snaps into place along with the lip that is found on the bottom circular portion of lock slider. The end of the long planar upper top side of the lock slider is a protruding knob that is used to push down on it to release it from the top plate and then the lock slider is pushed out of the way thus releasing the top plate from the top of the steel form. There are two holes on both sides of the top plate representing nail holes where nails can be put into it in order to secure it to the top of wood foundation forms.

In one embodiment the ABS wall plate is used with the concrete is not poured to the top, or close to the top of foundation forms. The wall plate is used by attached it to the side of the foundation form so that the back planar side sits flush against the form wall, it's attached by nailing it into place. The two cut outs slits found on the bottom side are used as guiding notches so that the wall plate can easily be placed precisely along the marking line to where the concrete is to be poured up to this line. Once in place that rectangle protruding orifice that has sleeves cut out on each side is for the blot holder to slide into place while the small lip locks into the rectangle hole that is on the top of the of protruding rectangle orifice.

In most any setting, all the embodiments before mentioned are designed to suspend the anchor bolt before the concrete is poured and is designed to release the anchor bolt after the concrete has cured and can be used over and over again.

The various illustrated accompanying figures described herein are merely exemplary of the various embodiments and are not meant to be limiting in scope of the ABS's purpose and functions. It is to be appreciated that numerous variations of the invention have been contemplated as would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art with the benefit of this disclosure. Rather, the scope and breadth afforded this document should not be limited by the claims provided herein while applying either the plain meaning found in the claims or the meaning clearly and unambiguously provided in this specification and drawings.

The following descriptions in some cases are given in an instruction style on setting up the ABS along with a description of each of the ABS mechanisms. In this manner the reader, or one whom is skilled in the art, may be given a better understanding of the invention, its purposes and functions. A limited illustration of the anchor bolt is also given to show how it installs into the ABS bushing and compression nut. With these descriptions and illustrations, a person who has a basic understanding of the art will understand how the ABS sets and suspends the anchor bolt prior to the concrete being poured into foundation forms and or slabs.

Concrete foundation forms are used for the creation of concrete foundations for homes and various buildings. There are different types of foundation forms found in the industry. The different types include a steel framed foundation form, which is described as a steel frame wrapped around wood walls that come in different sizes. There are wood foundation forms formulated to a certain size which also come in different sizes. There are also developed wood foundation forms, and custom-made wood foundation forms usually built by private builders for their own buildings. When these forms are set and ready for concrete, concrete is then poured into these forms to create the foundation, it might be noted that not always is the concrete poured to the top of these forms. Nonetheless, just before the pouring of the concrete is to take place the ABS is an apparatus mechanism assembly used to set the required anchor bolts in its proper position before the concrete is poured, this eliminates the practice of wet setting anchor bolts that the IBC frowns upon. The ABS apparatus mechanism assembly fits the different sizes of anchor bolts and the different types of commonly used concrete foundation forms and slab forms found in the industry, and the ABS is also formulated to be used when the concrete is not poured to the top of any foundation forms.

The ABS consists of several different parts that work in conjunction with each other in order to suspend an anchor bolt and there is no specific systematic way in which they can be used. The top plateis placed on top of either a steel or wood foundation form. If used on a steel foundation form the lock slideris used to lock the top plate into place. If placed upon a wood foundation form the nails holesare used by placing nails into these holes to nail down the top plate against the wood foundation form. If the concrete is not poured to the top of any foundation form then the wall plate is used by attaching it to the side of the foundation forms, and then it is lined up by the two notches found on the bottom of the wall plate that line up with the chalk marked used to identify how high the concrete is poured inside the foundation forms.

When concrete is poured close to the top of any foundation form, the top plateis used and secured into place by sliding the lock sliderinto the grove stubsof the top plate. The lock sliderlocks into place when the lipslides underneath past the most inner grove stubsreceivers of the top plate and then snaps into place when both the end lipand inside lipboth snap into place. The inner lipis designed to snap into position form the most outside underside inside lip of concrete forms. Those individuals with experience with steel forms will be quite knowledgeable to the understanding of how the steel slider locks into place. To release the lock slider, it is done by pushing downwards on the upward stuband then pushing the slider outward away from the top plate until it is completely removed.

The purpose of the top plateis to hold the bolt holderthis is done by sliding the bolt holder onto the top plate tonguethrough the guiding grovesuntil the lippops into the hole receiverof the top of the top plate. Once the bolt holder is in place the bushing is placed into one of the bolt holder holesthat is measured at″ from the center of the hole to the foundation was, the second hole is 4″ center from the form wall, and the 3hole is 6″ from the center of hole to the form wall. Once the bolt holder is in place by connecting it to the top plate, the busing, which come in various sizes and colors, each color representing the size of the anchor bolt, for example, a red bushing and compression nut would match up with a ½ anchor bolt and so on. The bushing is then placed into one of the receiving holes of the bolt holder and then locks into place by the two protruding clipsat the bottom of the bushing that correspond with the two cut outsof the bolt holder. The threaded part of the anchor bolt that matches the inner cavity of the bushing is then pushed through the cavity of the bushing and bolt holder from the bottom upwards until it reaches the desired position as deemed by the worker who places the anchor bolt. Once the desired position is reached then the cavity of the compression nut is pushed over the threaded part of the anchor bolt and onto the bushing until the two prongsofconnect to the receiver of the bolt holder and then the compression nut is twisted to secure and compress the anchor bolt into place on the bolt holder. Once the ABS is in place with all of its corresponding parts and the concrete is poured and cured, the ABS is removed in the same manner as it was installed by reversing the steps, and once removed they can be used again.

When concrete is not poured to the top of foundation forms, the wall plateis used to hold the bolt holder in place which suspends the anchor bolt. The back sideis placed flat against the concrete form by nailing it, the leveling of the wall plate is achieved by placing the two bottom align notchesso that they align with a chalk line that is place horizontally along the form wall to mark how high the concrete will be poured. The align notches allow the worker to see the chalk line and to align the wall plate so that it barely sits above the chalk line and is level. Once the wall plate is set in place, the bold holder is then attached to the wall plate, this is done by sliding the bolt holder onto the wall plate extended rectangular protruding box that extends forward with two groveswhich are designed to receive the bolt holder by sliding it into the said groves until the lipand snaps into cut out holeof the wall plate. The placing of the anchor bolt into the bolts holder is done the same way when it is attached to the top plate.

A person with skills in the art will understand that the figures and discussion represent examples of practice of the invention and are not limiting to the scope of the invention.