Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ANCHOR AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to hardware. More
specifically, the
invention relates to an anchor particularly suited as an anchor for concrete
and to a kit and
methods making use of the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Many different anchors and anchoring systems have been proposed,
some of
which are particularly suited to providing an anchor that may be embedded in
concrete and to
which other structure(s) may be attached. See, for example, EPC application
published as No.
0029354 on May 27, 1981: Canadian patent application No. 2,703,627 published
May 14, 2009,
and US Patents Nos. 2,771,746; 4,339,217; 4,393,638; 4,770,580; 4,789,284;
4,968,200;
5,531.535; 5,352,077; 5,921,733; and 6,851,492; and US Patent Publications:
2008/0310930;
2011/0062617; and 2012/0192404.
[0003] The common theme in these anchoring systems is to provide some
form of
undercut in the bore hole in which the anchor is to be secured and expand a
part of the anchor to
substantially fill the undercut area. In some cases, the anchor itself is
provided with some form
of cutter that forms the undercut. In others, the expanding part of the anchor
is simply forced
into the surrounding medium, so the anchor itself substantially fills and/or
blocks off the
entrance to the undercut area so as to stop flow of material past the expanded
portion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided
an anchor for
embedding into a substrate. The anchor having a shaft; a head adjacent to one
end of the shaft
and extending laterally from the shaft; a sleeve axially surrounding the
shaft; an adjustable clamp
juxtaposed to the sleeve for moving the sleeve along the longitudinal axis of
the shaft; and a
deformable plate positioned on the shaft between the head and the sleeve so
that movement of
the sleeve along the shaft towards the head deforms the plate from a
configuration where the
plate is substantially confined to an area within the perimeter of the head
into a substantially
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planar configuration where the perimeter of the plate extends at least
partially beyond the
perimeter of the head.
[0005] In one embodiment, the shaft is at least partially threaded and
the clamp is a bolt.
[0006] In another embodiment, the deformable plate is rectangular having
a major and
minor axis, the said plate having a substantially V-shape, the apex of which
being substantially
parallel to the minor axis, and the plate having a central hole through which
the shaft passes,
where movement of the sleeve along said shaft towards the head deforms said V-
shape into a
substantially planar configuration with the ends of the plate on the major
axis extending laterally
beyond the perimeter of the head. In one configuration, the apex is adjacent
to the sleeve.
[0007] In a further embodiment, the anchor also has a cover having a
central passage for
receiving the shaft. The cover can have an inlet for receiving a resin and/or
an outlet for venting
gas. When present, the outlet can be associated with a venting tube extending
away from the
cover and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.
Alternatively, a groove can
be positioned along the longitudinal surface of the shaft extending from one
end of the shaft to a
position adjacent the other end of the shaft.
[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a kit for
embedding an anchor into a substrate. The kit having an anchor as described
above; a cutting
tool having a shaft and one or more cutter disks adjacent to one end of the
shaft and extending
laterally from the shaft; and a set of instructions for use.
[0009] In one embodiment, the kit also has a container of resin,
preferably an epoxy
resin.
[0010] In another embodiment, the kit also has a second drill bit for
generating a bore
hole in the substrate. For example, a masonry drill bit.
[0011] In a further embodiment, the kit also has a cover having a central
passage for
receiving the shaft of the anchor and a locking mechanism for securing the
cover to the shaft of
the anchor.
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[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a method
for installing the anchor as defined above in a substrate. The method
involving: drilling a bore
hole in the substrate; cutting an undercut in the bore hole between an open
end and a closed end
of the bore hole; inserting the anchor into the bore hole and moving the
sleeve along the shaft
towards the head to deform the plate into a substantially planar position that
occupies a portion
of the undercut; and filling the bore hole and undercut with a resin.
[0013] According to further aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a method
for installing the anchor as defined above in a substrate having a bore hole.
The method
involving: cutting an undercut in the bore hole between an open end and a
closed end of the bore
hole; inserting the anchor into the bore hole and moving the sleeve along the
shaft towards the
head to deform the plate into a substantially planar position that occupies a
portion of the
undercut; and filling the bore hole and undercut with a resin.
[0014] In one embodiment, prior to filling the bore hole and undercut
with resin, a cover
having a central passage for receiving the shaft is positioned over the shaft
to cover the open end
of the bore hole and secured into place. Preferably, the bore hole is filled
with resin through an
inlet in the cover.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present
invention will
become better understood with regard to the following description and
accompanying drawings
wherein:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an anchor according to an embodiment
of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the anchor plate for holding the anchor
in position in a
bore hole with the plate expanded shown by dash lines;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a side elevation of an embodiment of the cutter used to
cut the undercut
in the bore hole in which the anchor is to be mounted;
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[0019] FIG. 4 is a view showing a cross section of a bore hole and an
anchor inserted
therein according to an embodiment of the present;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but with the anchor in position
with the plate
expanded into the undercut; and
[0021] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but with the bore hole filled
with resin and
showing the vent pipe in position to permit air to be driven from the bore
hole as it is being filled
with resin when the bore hole is in an inverted position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] As shown in FIG. 1 the anchor 10 of the present invention is
composed of three
main parts, namely: a main shaft 12, which normally will be a threaded shaft;
a sleeve 14
telescoped over and concentric with the shaft 12; and, a deformable plate 16
positioned on the
shaft between a head 20 and the sleeve 14. In most cases, the deformable plate
16 will have a
central passage 18 to accommodate the shaft 12 (see FIG. 2).
[0023] An adjustable clamp or pressure applicator 22 is juxtaposed to the
sleeve 14 for
moving the sleeve 14 along the longitudinal axis of the shaft 12. In this
case, an adjustable
clamp 22 can be any physical element that: can move along the longitudinal
axis of the shaft 12;
can apply enough pressure to the sleeve 14 to cause deformation of the plate
16; and, can be
locked into place along the shaft 12 to prevent movement of the sleeve 14.
When the shaft 12 is
threaded, the adjustable clamp will, in most cases, be a correspondingly
dimensioned nut.
However, it is also possible that the sleeve 14 or at least a portion thereof
can act as the
adjustable clamp 22 by being able to satisfy the criteria described above. For
example, a
coupling nut could be used as the sleeve 14 and the adjustable clamp 22.
[0024] For the purposes of the present discussion, the adjustable clamp
22 is in the form
of a nut. However, as mentioned above, other clamps are contemplated and thus
the description
provided herein should not be limited to only nuts. In operation, the nut 22
is turned clockwise
or counter-clockwise with respect to longitudinal axis of the shaft 12. When
moved towards the
head 20 of the anchor 10, the nut 22 applies pressure to the sleeve 14 causing
it to move along
the longitudinal axis of the shaft 12, which in turn distorts the deformable
plate 16.
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[0025] In its initial condition (before distortion into the expanded
position shown in dash
lines 24 in FIGS. 1 and 2) the plate 16 is substantially confined to an area
within the perimeter of
the head 20. This allows the anchor 10 to be easily inserted into the bore
hole 40. The shape of
the plate 16 is typically rectangular, however, any shape that allows for
distortion of the plate 16
from a configuration where the plate 16 is substantially confined to an area
within the perimeter
of the head 20 to a configuration where the plate 16 is substantially planar
and the perimeter of
the plate extends at least partially beyond the perimeter of the head 20 will
work. In one
embodiment, the plate 16 is V-shaped with the apex 26 of the V-shape, which
acts as a hinge, is
positioned adjacent to the sleeve 14, as shown, but it may be inverted if
desired. The plate 16
has a major axis (longitudinal axis) as indicated at 28 and a mutually
perpendicular minor axis
30. The major axis 28 in effect depicts the longer length of the plate 16
after deformation of the
plate 16 into its expanded condition as indicated by the dash lines at 24 of
FIGS. 1 and 2. The
apex 26 extends parallel to the minor axis 30 and is centrally positioned mid
way between the
axial ends 32 and 34 of the plate 16. In another embodiment, the deformable
plate 16 is U-
shaped having three sections with the intersections between the center section
and the two end
pieces acting like hinges.
[0026] Turning to FIG. 3, a cutting tool 100 is used to produce the
undercut 42 in the
bore hole 40 in which the anchor 10 is to be mounted (see FIGS. 4, 5 and 6).
The cutting tool
100 is formed by a shaft 102 having a plurality of equally spaced cutter disks
104 mounted
concentrically thereon and projecting radially therefrom. The peripheries of
the cutting disks
104 will preferably be formed with abrasive or cutting teeth suitable to cut
the substrate 48 in
which the undercut 42 is to be formed. Preferably the cutter disks will have a
thickness td
(measured axially of the shaft 102) of less than 3/32 inches and preferably
between 1/8 and 3/16
inches and the spacing between adjacent disks 104 as indicated at 106 will
have a thickness ts
(measured axially of the shaft 102) of more than 1/8 inches and preferably
between 1/8 and 1/4
inches.
[0027] In operation, the circumference of the cutting disks 104 will be
less than the
circumference of the bore hole 40 to allow the cutting tool 100 to be easily
inserted into the
bottom of the bore hole 40. Once inserted, the shaft 102 of the cutting tool
100 travels along the
circumference of the bore hole 40 to form the undercut 42.
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[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the anchor 10 is inserted in the bore hole 40,
as indicated by
the arrow 46, formed in the substrate 48. In most cases, the substrate 48 is
concrete. However, it
is possible that the substrate 48 could be any other building material, such
as wood or stone.
After the anchor 10 has been positioned in the bore hole 40 with the plate 16
at the level of the
undercut 42, the adjustable clamp 22 is moved along the shaft 12 to force the
sleeve against the
plate 16, which generates a distorting pressure against the plate 16 between
the sleeve 14 and the
head 20. The distorting pressure causes the plate 16 to form a substantially
planar configuration
where the extended ends 50 and 52 are positioned in the undercut 42 (see FIG.
5).
[0029] In the inverted application shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the ends 50
and 52 of the
plate 16 are automatically (by gravity) positioned against the wall 54 of the
undercut 42 adjacent
to, but spaced from, the open end 56 of the bore hole 40. In an upright or
horizontal bore hole
other means are used to hold the plate edges 50 and 52 against the wall 54
adjacent to the open
end 56. Preferably the wall 58 of the undercut 42 opposite the wall 54 will be
spaced from the
closed end 60 of the bore hole 40 to accommodate the head 20 of the shaft 12.
[0030] In one embodiment, after the anchor 10 has been positioned as
described above,
the bore hole 40, including the undercut 42, is filled with a suitable resin
as indicated at 62 (see
FIG. 6). For example, an epoxy resin, or any other resin that may be set in
situ, can be used to
fill the bore hole 40 and surround the anchor 10 completely or partially, thus
more securely
locking the anchor 10 in position.
[0031] When the bore hole 40 extends down into a substrate 48 i.e. when
the hole 40 is in
an upright position or in the same direction as the force of gravity, such as
on a floor, filling the
bore hole 40 is a relatively routine procedure that is accomplished by merely
filling the borehole
40 with resin. However, when the bore hole 40 is in an opposite position, i.e.
in an inverted or
horizontal position (in the opposite direction or perpendicular to the force
of gravity,
respectively), such as on a ceiling or wall, filling the bore hole 40 with
resin is more complicated
(see FIGS. 4, 5 and 6). As shown in FIG. 6, when filling the inverted bore
hole 40 with resin a
suitable cap or cover 70 is used to close the open end 56 of the bore hole 40.
In most
embodiments, the resin is injected through the cover 70 and into the bore hole
40. In this
arrangement, the cover 70 is provided with an inlet 72 through which resin is
forced into the bore
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hole 40 as indicated at 74. To allow air to escape the bore hole 40, it is
preferred to provide the
cover 70 with an outlet 76 for venting air from the bore hole 40. The movement
of air through
the outlet 76 is shown by the arrow 78. An air venting pipe 80 can be
provided, which extends
from adjacent to the closed end 60 of the bore hole 40 and connects to the
outlet 76 so that air
adjacent to the closed end 60 is expelled as the bore hole 40 is filled i.e.
air passes from adjacent
to the closed end 60 and out past the plate 16 through the outlet 76. In
another embodiment, as
shown in FIG. 1, the main shaft 12 is provided with a groove 90 positioned on
the longitudinal
surface of the shaft 12 (i.e. the threaded surface) that extends from one end
of the shaft 12 to a
position adjacent the other end of the shaft 12. Preferably, the groove 90
extends from the end of
the shaft 12 that is adjacent to the head 20 to a position that is
intermediate to the clamp 22 and
the other end of the shaft 12. In order to work efficiently, the groove 90
should terminate at a
position that is intermediate the clamp 22 and the opposite end of the shaft
12 from the end
adjacent the head, when the clamp 22 is at a position causing deformation of
the plate 16. This
arrangement allows air to escape from the cavity near the closed end 60 of the
bore hole 40 out
to the environment.
[0032] The cover 70 may be held in position via a locking mechanism 82,
such as a nut,
which engages the shaft 12. The height of the anchor 10 in a non-inverted
(upright) bore hole
40 may be adjusted by changing the axial spacing between the plate 16 and the
cap 70 using the
nut 82.
[0033] Thus in practicing the method of the present invention bore hole
40 is first made
and then an undercut 42 is produced in the bore hole 40, preferably using the
cutting tool 100.
The anchor 10 is positioned in the bore hole 40 with the plate 16 at the
required level relative to
the undercut 42. The plate 16 is then distorted by applying pressure to the
sleeve 14 to squeeze
the plate 16 between the sleeve 14 and the head 20 and thereby change the
configuration of the
plate 16 from its initial configuration where the plate 16 is substantially
confined to an area
within the perimeter of the head into a substantially planar configuration,
where the perimeter of
the plate 16 extends at least partially beyond the perimeter of the head 20.
When the bore hole
40 is inverted, such as in a ceiling application, a cover 70 is then applied
over the shaft 12 and
held into place by a locking mechanism 82. A cover 70 can also be used when
the bore hole 40
is upright. Resin 62 is then injected into the bore hole 40 through the inlet
72 provided in the
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cover 70, as indicated by the arrow 74, and air ejected from the bore hole 40,
as indicated by the
arrow 78, thereby filling the bore hole 40 and surrounding the anchor 10 with
resin that then sets
in situ.
[0034] In some cases if the space between the undercut 42 and the closed
end 60 is
sufficient, the venting of air may not be required and the trapped air simply
compressed,
provided sufficient resin can be injected to substantially fill the bore hole
40 to about the level of
the wall 58. If the bore hole 40 is in upright position, it will be apparent
that the tube 80 may be
omitted and in many cases the venting outlet for air may be provided by an
imperfect seal of the
cover 70 to the substrate in which the anchor 10 is being used.
[0035] The anchor 10 described herein can be provided as part of a kit.
Preferably, the
kit will also contain the cutting tool 100 for producing the undercut 42 in
the bore hole 40.
Replacement cutter disks 104 can also be included in the kit to replace any
disk damaged during
use. Moreover, a drill bit, such as a masonry bit, may also be included in the
kit to produce the
bore hole 40.
[0036] Depending upon the intended application, i.e. inverted or upright
bore hole, the kit
can be provided with a cover 70 as described above. In addition, the kit can
include a container,
such as a tube, of resin to be used in the bore hole 40. A set of instructions
for using the anchor
and the related components described above, can be included with the kit.
Typically the
instructions will be written instructions, however, links or codes that can be
scanned with a
smartphone and linked to a website may be provided in lieu of written
instructions.
[0037] It will be understood that numerous modifications thereto will
appear to those
skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description and accompanying
drawings should be
taken as illustrative of the invention and not in a limiting sense. It will
further be understood that
it is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention
following, in general,
the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present
disclosure as come
within known or customary practice within the art to which the invention
pertains and as may be
applied to the essential features herein set forth, and as follows in the
scope of the appended
claims.
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