Anchor socket system for posts
View Patent ↗An anchor socket system for vertically supporting a post includes external and internal, open-ended cylinders, wherein the external cylinder includes first and second semi-cylinder halves each having mirroring tapers and semi-annular upper rims on each respective inner facing wall. Tightening bolts in communication with the internal and external cylinders are rotated to raise the internal cylinder relative to the external cylinder, thereby causing tapered wedges on the outer facing surface of the internal cylinder to exert pressure against the corresponding tapers on the inner facing surface of the external cylinder. As the diameter of the internal cylinder contracts, pressure is exerted against a post by the inner facing walls of the internal cylinder while the outer facing walls of the external cylinder halves simultaneously exert pressure against the inner facing surface of a core-drilled hole, thereby locking the anchor socket and post into place within the core-drilled hole.
1. An anchor socket device for supporting a post in a core-drilled hole in a ground surface, and said anchor socket device comprising:
an internal cylinder having an inner facing wall defining a passage between top and bottom open ends of said internal cylinder and including at least one annular tapered wedge, an outer facing wall and a plurality of vertically aligned slits extending between the inner and outer facing walls and said vertically aligned slits beginning at the bottom end of said internal cylinder and terminating at a location below the top end of said internal cylinder, and the passage being sized and configured for engaged receipt of the post through the top open end;
an external cylinder comprising first and second external semi-cylinder halves each having an inner facing wall and an outer facing wall, and each of said first and second external semi-cylinder halves including at least one taper extending from an inner facing wall, and said first and second semi-cylinder halves being sized and configured to fit around said internal cylinder when said first and second semi-cylinder halves are connected to form said external cylinder, and wherein each one of the at least one taper is above a respective one of the at least one tapered wedges; and
at least one tightening member being structured and disposed for raising said internal cylinder relative to said external cylinder and causing the at least one annular tapered wedge to exert pressure on the at least one taper to force the inner facing wall of said internal cylinder to contract against the outer surface of the post while simultaneously forcing the outer facing wall of said external cylinder to expand against the inner facing surface of the core-drilled hole.
2. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said external semi-annular cylinder halves further comprises a semi-annular upper rim that is sized and configured to extend over the top open end of said internal cylinder when said external semi-cylinder halves are connected, and each of said semi-annular upper rims having an opening.
3. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 2 wherein said at least one tightening member comprises a first and second tightening bolt each having a threaded distal end sized for passage through the opening on a respective one of said semi-annular upper rims.
4. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 3 further comprising:
a first and second non-circular nut each having a threaded inner passage that is sized and configured for threaded receipt of the threaded distal end of a corresponding one of said first and second tightening bolts;
said first and second semi-cylinder halves each including a non-circular window extending between the inner and outer facing walls, and each of said non-circular windows being sized and configured for fitted, engaged receipt of at least a portion of one of said first and second non-circular nuts for impeding rotation of said first and second non-circular nuts when the corresponding one of said first and second tightening bolts is rotated;
said internal cylinder including a first and second slotted ridge extending therefrom, and each of said first and second slotted ridges being sized and configured for fitted, engaged receipt of at least a portion of a respective one of said non-circular nuts for impeding rotation of said first and second non-circular nuts when the corresponding one of said first and second tightening bolts is rotated; and
wherein rotation of said first and second tightening bolts in one direction causes said first and second non-circular nuts to move upwards along the threaded distal end of the respective one of said first and second tightening bolts and press against a top surface of the respective one of said first and second slotted ridges for raising said internal cylinder relative to said external cylinder and causing the at least one annular tapered wedge to exert pressure on the at least one taper to force the inner facing wall of said internal cylinder to contract against the outer surface of the post while simultaneously forcing the outer facing wall of each of said external semi-cylinders to exert pressure against the inner facing surface of the core-drilled hole.
5. The anchor socket device as recited inn claim 4 wherein said internal cylinder further comprises a first and second groove each being sized and configured for guided receipt of a respective one of said first and second tightening bolts between the opening on a respective one of said semi-annular upper rims and said first and second slotted ridges.
6. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 1 wherein the outer facing wall of said internal cylinder has a threaded top end.
7. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 6 wherein said at least one tightening member is a nut having an upper rim and a threaded interior surface extending between an open top end and an open bottom end, said threaded interior surface being sized and configured for threaded engagement with the threaded top end of said internal cylinder, and said upper rim being sized and configured to extend over a top end of said external cylinder; and
wherein rotation of said nut in one direction causes said internal cylinder to move upwards within the threaded interior surface of said nut and the upper rim to press against the top end of said external cylinder for raising said internal cylinder relative to said external cylinder and causing the at least one annular tapered wedge to exert pressure on the at least one taper to force the inner facing wall of said internal cylinder to contract against the outer surface of the post while simultaneously forcing the outer facing wall of each of said external semi-cylinders to exert pressure against the inner facing surface of the core-drilled hole.
8. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
an open slot extending between the inner and outer facing walls of one of said external semi-cylinder halves; and
a protrusion on the outer facing wall of said internal cylinder that is sized and configured for engaged receipt within the open slot for aligning said internal cylinder and said external semi-cylinder halves when connected.
9. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a brass connector that is structured and disposed for grounding an electrical current that passes through the post.
10. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 1 wherein said internal cylinder and said first and second external semi-cylinder halves are made from plastic.
11. An anchor socket device for supporting a post in a core-drilled hole in a ground surface, and said anchor socket device comprising:
an internal cylinder having an inner facing wall defining a passage between top and bottom open ends of said internal cylinder and including at least one annular tapered wedge, an outer facing wall and a plurality of vertically aligned slits extending between the inner and outer facing walls and said vertically aligned slits beginning at the bottom end of said internal cylinder and terminating at a location below the top end of said internal cylinder, and the passage being sized and configured for engaged receipt of the post through the top open end;
an external cylinder comprising first and second external semi-cylinder halves each having an inner facing wall and an outer facing wall, and each of said first and second external semi-cylinder halves including at least one taper extending from an inner facing wall, and said first and second semi-cylinder halves being sized and configured to fit around said internal cylinder when said first and second semi-cylinder halves are connected to form said external cylinder, and wherein each one of the at least one taper is above a respective one of the at least one tapered wedges;
a semi-annular upper rim on each of said first and second external semi-cylinder halves, said semi-annular upper rim being sized and configured to extend over the top open end of said internal cylinder when each of said external semi-cylinder halves are connected, and each of said semi-annular upper rims having an opening;
a first and second tightening bolt each having a threaded distal end sized for passage through the opening on a respective one of said semi-annular upper rims;
a first and second non-circular nut each having a threaded inner passage that is sized and configured for threaded receipt of the threaded distal end of a corresponding one of said first and second tightening bolts;
said first and second semi-cylinder halves each including a non-circular window extending between the inner and outer facing walls, and each of said non-circular windows being sized and configured for fitted, engaged receipt of at least a portion of one of said first and second non-circular nuts for impeding rotation of said first and second non-circular nuts when the corresponding one of said first and second tightening bolts is rotated;
said internal cylinder including a first and second slotted ridge extending therefrom, and each of said first and second slotted ridges being sized and configured for fitted, engaged receipt of at least a portion of a respective one of said non-circular nuts for impeding rotation of said first and second non-circular nuts when the corresponding one of said first and second tightening bolts is rotated; and
wherein rotation of said first and second tightening bolts in one direction causes said first and second non-circular nuts to move upwards along the threaded distal end of the respective one of said first and second tightening bolts and press against a top surface of the respective one of said first and second slotted ridges for raising said internal cylinder relative to said external cylinder and causing the at least one annular tapered wedge to exert pressure on the at least one taper to force the inner facing wall of said internal cylinder to contract against the outer surface of the post while simultaneously forcing the outer facing walls of each of said external semi-cylinders to exert pressure against the inner facing surface of the core-drilled hole.
12. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 11 further comprising:
an open slot extending between the inner and outer facing walls of one of said external semi-cylinder halves; and
a protrusion on the outer facing wall of said internal cylinder that is sized and configured for engaged receipt within the open slot for aligning said internal cylinder and said external semi-cylinder halves when connected.
13. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 11 further comprising a brass connector that is structured and disposed for grounding an electrical current that passes through the post.
14. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 11 wherein said internal cylinder and said first and second external semi-cylinder halves are made from plastic.
15. An anchor socket device for supporting a post in a core-drilled hole in a ground surface, and said anchor socket device comprising:
an internal cylinder having an inner facing wall defining a passage between top and bottom open ends of said internal cylinder and including at least one annular tapered wedge, an outer facing wall having a threaded top end, and a plurality of vertically aligned slits extending between the inner and outer facing walls and said vertically aligned slits beginning at the bottom end of said internal cylinder and terminating at a location below the top end of said internal cylinder, and the passage being sized and configured for engaged receipt of the post through said top open end;
an external cylinder comprising first and second external semi-cylinder halves each having an inner facing wall and an outer facing wall, and each of said first and second external semi-cylinder halves including at least one taper extending from an inner facing wall, and said first and second semi-cylinder halves being sized and configured to fit around said internal cylinder when said first and second semi-cylinder halves are connected to form said external cylinder, and wherein each one of the at least one taper is above a respective one of the at least one tapered wedges;
a nut having an upper rim and a threaded interior surface extending between an open top end and an open bottom end, said threaded interior surface being sized and configured for threaded engagement with the threaded top end of said internal cylinder, and said upper rim being sized and configured to extend over a top end of said external cylinder; and
wherein rotation of said nut in one direction causes said internal cylinder to move upwards within the threaded interior surface of said nut and the upper rim to press against the top end of said external cylinder for raising said internal cylinder relative to said external cylinder and causing the at least one annular tapered wedge to exert pressure on the at least one taper to force the inner facing wall of said internal cylinder to contract against the outer surface of the post while simultaneously forcing the outer facing wall of each of said external semi-cylinders to exert pressure against the inner facing surface of the core-drilled hole.
16. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 15 further comprising:
an open slot extending between the inner and outer facing walls of one of said external semi-cylinder halves; and
a protrusion on the outer facing wall of said internal cylinder that is sized and configured for engaged receipt within the open slot for aligning said internal cylinder and said external semi-cylinder halves when connected.
17. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 15 further comprising a brass connector that is structured and disposed for grounding an electrical current that passes through the post.
18. The anchor socket device as recited in claim 15 wherein said internal cylinder and said first and second external semi-cylinder halves are made from plastic.