US3900998A

US3900998A - Expansion anchors

Info

Publication number: US3900998A
Application number: US426652A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard A Hubbard
Original assignee: W T IND Inc
Current assignee: W T IND Inc
Priority date: 1973-12-20
Filing date: 1973-12-20
Publication date: 1975-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 1992-08-26

Abstract

Expansion anchors formed from continuous extrusions which may be cut in desired lengths. An inner wedge member is formed from one extrusion which is adapted to nest within the second outer extrusion comprised of a pair of yieldable arms with roughened areas adjacent to the free ends thereof, which frictionally engage the walls of an opening for anchoring therein, when a threaded bolt and nut unit extending between the inner outer members imparts relative movement therebetween. Any desired structural elements may be clamped between the outer extrusion and threaded unit.

Description

United States Patent Hubbard Aug. 26, 1975 EXPANSION ANCHORS Primary Examiner-J. Karl Bell Armrney Agcnl 0r FirmSumuel Lebowitz {57] ABSTRACT Expansion anchors formed from continuous extrusions which may be cut in desired lengths. An inner wedge member is formed from one extrusion which is adapted to nest within the second outer extrusion comprised of a pair of yieldable arms with roughened areas adjacent to the free ends thereof, which frictionally engage the walls of an opening for anchoring therein, when a threaded bolt and nut unit extending between the inner outer members imparts relative movement therebetween. Any desired structural elements may be clamped between the outer extrusion and threaded unit 12 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures EXPANSION ANCHORS This invention relates to expansion anchors and more particularly to anchoring devices for fixing trim shapes of all types, lintel plates and other structural members to building structures of masonry, concrete and other building materials.

It is the object of the present invention to provide expansion anchors which may be fabricated economically and which are capable of adaptation to varying loadings, in dependence upon special needs.

It is a further object of the invention to provide expansion anchors which are particularly adaptable to the anchoring of trim shapes and other structural units within building openings of different dimensions but with substantially parallel walls, with the anchoring member securely affixed to substantial areas of said walls, so that the attaching forces are distributed effectively to withstand the loadings without causing the deterioration of the surfaces of masonry, concrete, wood, plastic or any other material which delineate these openings.

It is a further object of the invention to provide anchor assemblies of extrudable aluminum alloys which are found in continuous lengths and which are severable into units of suitable size to adapt the units to diversified applications requiring clamping areas of different dimensions.

Other objects and purposes will appear from the detailed description of the invention following hereinafter, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing the principal elements of the invention severed from continuous extrusions for application to a structural wall formed of cinder blocks with openings therein;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the masonry wall with an expansion anchor in an opening thereof, preparatory to the clamping of a structural unit thereto for support by said anchor;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the expansion anchor within an opening in the masonry wall as the same is inserted therein, as shown in FIG. I; and

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3, following the expansion of the anchor within the opening.

In FIG. 1 of the drawings is shown the essential elements of an expansion anchor assembly in accordance with the invention which is severed from cooperating continuous extrusions E and F, which preferably are fabricated from an extrudable material such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy. These extrusions may be severed in coincident segments of any desired lengths, L, depending upon the special application of the expansion anchors.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the anchoring assembly is inserted within an opening in a cinder block B which constitutes a component of a structural wall by the laying up of such blocks with intermediate groutings G. The openings are provided with opposed substantially parallel walls 1 and 2 which, in conventional standardized blocks, may be displaced from each other approximately two inches. The openings may be delineated in many other different ways, such as by spaces between building panels, walls or partitions, and these may be of different dimensions in length and width. The extrusion may vary in size to accommodate large variances in the latter.

The invention makes possible the secure mounting of trim shapes, lintel plates and other structural members to the wall by fastening the trim shapes to the expansion anchor, in most instances after the latter is positioned within the opening 0. These structural members may be supported by the anchor assembly as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, or may be suspended thereby as indicated in FIG. 2.

The expansion anchor is constituted by four parts, namely, an outer member 10 with laterally yieldable arms, an inner wedge member 20, and a bolt and

nut

36 and 39, respectively, for effecting relative movement between

members

10 and 20. The structural plate P may be fastened to the expansion anchor assembly, as shown in FIG. 3, before the latter is inserted within the opening 0, or may be clamped thereto following the placement of the anchor assembly within the opening, as indicated in FIG. 2. The former expedient may be used in the case when the plate is of relatively small area.

The outer member 10 is formed with a bridging element 11 which is reenforced at its mid-portion by the greater thickness 11 and wherefrom diverges the laterally

yieldable arms

12,12 disposed symmetrically relative to the longitudinal medial plane of the member.

Notches

14,14 at the junction points of the arms with the bridging member enhance the yieldability of the former.

Roughened

areas

15,15 are provided on the outer surfaces of the

arms

12,12 adjacent to the

free ends

13,13, respectively. These roughenings may be parallel serrations of a depth of about 0.032 inch.

Projections

16,16, in the form of wings, extend outwardly from the external surfaces of the

arms

12,12, respectively, in an opposite direction from the free ends of the latter, at an acute angle relative to the outer surfaces of the yieldable arms. These wings form an integral part of the extrusion. Also, inwardly directed

shoulders

17,17 extend from the inner surfaces of the yieldable arms at approximately the

same junctures

18,18 of the arms as the

projections

16,16. This arrangement results in a strong and flawless extrusion.

The companion inner wedge member 20 is likewise severed from a continuous extrusion F, preferably in a length coincident with that of the outer member 10. The member 20 is rigid, and to that end the

arms

22,22 diverging symmetrically from the bridging element or cap 21, are relatively short and may be of the same or greater cross-section than the corresponding parts of the outer member. The angularity of the outer surfaces of the

arm

22,22 correspond to that of the inner surfaces of the

arms

12,12, respectively, as clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. A rectangular channel 34 is formed within the inner face of the bridging element 21 along the longitudinal median thereof and the lateral boundaries of this channel are preferably increased by pointed fillets 34' which enhance the secure retention of the polygonal faces of a threaded unit to prevent the rotation thereof.

A groove 40 is formed in the longitudinal median plane at the base of channel 34, and another groove 41 is formed in the outer face of the bridging element 21 in alignment with groove 40. These grooves, which may be of about 0.01 inch in depth, serve as guide lines for the punching or drilling openings 35 along the center line of the extrusion for the reception of threaded units in the form of bolt and nut assemblies. A groove 42,

along the center line of the bridging member 11, is formed similarly in the extrusion E for guidance in the punching or drilling of cylindrical openings 45 in extrusion E for the accomodation of the threaded unit. This unit may consist of a bolt 36 provided with a polygonal head 37 at one end thereof and threads 38 at the opposite ends thereof for engagement with a threaded nut 39.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the head 37 of the bolt is retained within the channel 34 of the inner wedge member which is positioned between the arms of the outer member preparatory to the advancing movement of the former within the latter which is effected by the bolt extending through the

openings

35 and 45. The bolt also passes through an opening 47 in a structural element P which may be a trim plate, lintel plate and the like, for the reception of a threaded nut 39 with or without any desired washers. The opening 47 may be cylindrical or elongated to permit adjustment of the plate P with respect to the anchor assembly, and the retention between these two components may be en hanced by the provision of roughenings such as parallel pointed serrations 43 in the outer surface of the bridging element 1 1 which may grasp frictionally the undersurface of the plate for attaining a more secure clamping. The structural element P may be formed with cooperating serrations so that these may interlock with serrations 43 of the bridging element to attain a more secure connection between the anchor and the structural unit. These serrations 43 may be similar to those at 15,15, of a depth of about 0.032 inch.

The structural unit may be fitted loosely within the opening by virtue of the spread between the

outer arms

16,16 which approximate the width of the opening 0. The preliminary assembly of the components of the anchor assembly is facilitated by the provision of

grooves

50,50 on the inner surfaces of the

arms

12,12 as shown in FIG. 3, which may be the starting point for the movement of the inner wedge member as the same is moved from the position shown in FIG. 3 whereat the lower edges of the diverging

arms

22,22 coincide with the

grooves

50,50 to the position shown in H6. 4. in the latter position the wedge member has moved upwardly to effect the spreading of the

arms

12,12 to bring the roughened

areas

15,15 of the latter into desired frictional engagement with the walls of the opening. The

shoulders

17,17 provide a definite limit stop for the movement of the wedge member so that the desired frictional force may be attained without undue mutilation of the roughened

areas

15,15. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, the structural plate P is securely clamped to the building wall through the intermediary of the anchor.

The anchor may be positioned within the opening in a reverse direction, as indicated in FIG. 2, and is adapted to receive an apertured lintel plate for clamping of the latter to the wall by'means of a threaded unit extending from the interior of the anchor to the exposed face of the lintel plate.

It is understood that the threaded unit may be reversed so that the channel 34 may receive a threaded nut therein which permits a threaded bolt to extend therethrough as the head thereof is rotated on the exposed surface of the structural plate P. When a V4 inch bolt is used, the openings therefor may be 5/16 inch and the channel 34 may have a width of 7/16 inch.

Anchor assemblies in accordance with the invention are preferably fabricated from aluminum or aluminum alloys either extruded or heat tempered. Plastic extrusions may be used in the case of light loadings.

The lengths of the extrusions may be varied and a plurality of holes may be punched in the individual lengths when these are greater than two inches. Other variations may be made within the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

1 claim:

1. An expansible anchor comprised of a pair of cooperating nested segments severed from continuous extrusions, for mounting within a structural unit having an opening therein with widely spaced substantially parallel walls, said anchor comprising a. an outer member of solid symmetrical crosssection relative to the longitudinal axis of the extrusion, having a medial bridging element with laterally yielding arms extending transversely from the outer edges of said bridging element and diverging angularly therefrom in widely spaced planes and terminating in substantially parallel external gripping surfaces,

b. an inner wedge member having a medial bridge substantially parallel to, and at a substantial displacement from said first-mentioned bridging element, with laterally diverging legs extending outwardly from the outer edges of said bridge in the same angular directions as said arms and in close adjacency to the internal surfaces of the latter remote from said bridging element, and

threaded means extending between said innerwedge member and bridging element to control the relative movement therebetween in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of the extrusion, thereby to impart transverse movement to said laterally yieldable arms in consequence of the diverging contours of the outer surfaces of the legs of said inner wedge member and corresponding diverging internal surfaces of said yieldable arms to force said external gripping surfaces of the latter into tightly binding engagement with the parallel walls of said opening.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said threaded means is disposed in the longitudinal axis of the extrusion and is constituted by a threaded bolt having a polygonal head at one end and a polygonal nut in engagement with the threads of the bolt on the opposite end, with both said outer and inner members having guide grooves therein at said longitudinal axis for indicating the axes for the openings required for said threaded means.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lengths of said outer and inner members are substantially equal.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bridging element of said outer member is of greater thickness at its midportion, wherefrom the yieldable arms diverge, and whereat are provided longitudinal grooves to facilitate the flexing of the yieldable arms relative to said bridging element.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the outer surface of said bridging element is roughened to enhance the frictional resistance between it and a structural element adapted to be placed in contact therewith.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the roughenings in the bridging element are formed of parallel serrations adapted to interengage corresponding parallel serrations in the contacting surface of said structural element.

7. An expansible anchor for mounting within a structural unit provided with an opening therein defined at least in part by a pair of opposed substantially parallel walls, said anchor comprising a. an outer member of the same cross-section in the direction of the longitudinal medial plane thereof, said member being comprised of a medial bridging element and laterally yieldable arms diverging symmetrically from portions thereof on opposite sides of said medial plane, said bridging element being integral with said arms which are adapted for movement in lateral directions relative to said longitudinal medial plane,

b. a roughened area on the outer surfaces of said arms adjacent to the free ends thereof remote from said bridging element, for engaging said opposite substantially parallel walls of said opening in said structural unit,

c. an inner wedge member having a pair of diverging outer surfaces of an angularity comparable to the diverging surfaces on the interior of said yieldable arms adjacent to the free ends thereof remote from said bridging element,

d. threaded means extending between said inner wedge member and bridging element to control the relative movement therebetween in a direction parallel to said medial plane, thereby to impart transverse movement to said laterally yieldable arms in consequence of the diverging contours of the outer surfaces of said inner wedge member and corresponding diverging surfaces on the interior of said yieldable arms, to force the roughened areas on the outer surfaces of the latter into tightly binding engagement with said parallel walls of said opening, and

e. a projecting wing extending outwardly from the outer surface of each arm, with the outer portions of said wings spaced from each other a distance approximating that between said opposed walls of said opening for maintaining the alignment and preventing turning movements of the outer member within the opening in the course of effecting the spreading of said yieldable arms by said threaded means.

8. A device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said outer portions of said wings are spaced from each other a distance slightly less that that between the opposed walls of said opening.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the free ends of said wings are rounded and are directed at an acute angle from the free ends of said arms towards said bridging element.

10. A device as set forth in claim 7, including a shoulder projecting inwardly from the inner surface of each arm at a predetermined distance from said bridging element to provide a limit stop for the inner wedge member.

11. A device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said wing and shoulder project from approximately the same intermediate portion of each yieldable arm.

12. A device as set forth in claim 11, wherein said intermediate portion is closer to said bridging element than the free end of each arm.

* ii i 1'

Claims

1. An expansible anchor comprised of a pair of cooperating nested segments severed from continuous extrusions, for mounting within a structural unit having an opening therein with widely spaced substantially parallel walls, said anchor comprising a. an outer member of solid symmetrical cross-section relative to the longitudinal axis of the extrusion, having a medial bridging element with laterally yielding arms extending transversely from the outer edges of said bridging element and diverging angularly therefrom in widely spaced planes and terminating in substantially parallel external gripping surfaces, b. an inner wedge member having a medial bridge substantially parallel to, and at a substantial displacement from said firstmentioned bridging element, with laterally diverging legs extending outwardly from the outer edges of said bridge in the same angular directions as said arms and in close adjacency to the internal surfaces of the latter remote from said bridging element, and c. threaded means extending between said innerwedge member and bridging element to control the relative movement therebetween in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of the extrusion, thereby to impart transverse movement to said laterally yieldable arms in consequence of the diverging contours of the outer surfaces of the legs of said inner wedge member and corresponding diverging internal surfaces of said yieldable arms to force said external gripping surfaces of the latter into tightly binding engagement with the parallel walls of said opening.

7. An expansible anchor for mounting within a structural unit provided with an opening therein defined at least in part by a pair of opposed substantially parallel walls, said anchor comprising a. an outer member of the same cross-section in the direction of the longitudinal medial plane thereof, said member being comprised of a medial bridging element and laterally yieldable arms diverging symmetrically from portions thereof on opposite sides of said medial plane, said bridging element being integral with said arms which are adapted for movement in lateral directions relative to said longitudinal medial plane, b. a roughened area on the outer surfaces of said arms adjacent to the free ends thereof remote from said bridging element, for engaging said opposite substantially parallel walls of said opening in said structural unit, c. an inner wedge member having a pair of diverging outer surfaces of an angularity comparable to the diverging surfaces on the interior of said yieldable arms adjacent to the free ends thereof remote from said bridging element, d. threaded means extending between said inner wedge member and bridging element to control the relative movement therebetween in a direction parallel to said medial plane, thereby to impart transverse movement to said laterally yieldable arms in consequence of the diverging contours of the outer surfaces of said inner wedge member and coRresponding diverging surfaces on the interior of said yieldable arms, to force the roughened areas on the outer surfaces of the latter into tightly binding engagement with said parallel walls of said opening, and e. a projecting wing extending outwardly from the outer surface of each arm, with the outer portions of said wings spaced from each other a distance approximating that between said opposed walls of said opening for maintaining the alignment and preventing turning movements of the outer member within the opening in the course of effecting the spreading of said yieldable arms by said threaded means.