Wall anchor

• US 6,318,941 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2000
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Torbett B. Guenther
• Original Assignee: Dolores Guenther, Torbett B. Guenther
• Inventors: Guenther, Torbett B.
• Primary Examiner(s): WILSON, NEILL R
• Application Number:
  US09/620,699
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 411/21, 411/340, 411/341, 411/342, 411/344, 411/345, 411/346
• US Class Current: 411/342
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 13/0808 by a toggle-mechanism

Abstract

A fastening anchor assembly and manual method for fastening an object to a hollow wall. In most embodiments a generally U-shaped mounting strap of the assembly has a central bight and parallel first and second legs extending longitudinally from the bight through a first mounting hole in the wall. A strap foot portion or separate mounting flange extends perpendicularly to the legs for engaging the wall exterior side surface. One or two anchoring blades are operably pivotally coupled to the strap for swinging motion in a single plane defined by the longitudinal axes of the blades and strap and between a collapsed position nested adjacent the strap and a swung-out expanded position wherein the blade(s) clamp-engage the wall interior surface while the leg feet or flange clamp-engages the wall exterior surface. The position and orientation of the now wall-hidden blade remains visibly indicated to the installer by the orientation of the strap exposed to view of the installer. Preferably an operating screw-bolt is disposed between the strap legs and threadably drivingly engages the blade(s) such that screw rotation forces the blade(s) toward the wall interior surface for positioning the blade for mounting the anchoring assembly on the wall. The object is fastened to the wall with a separate load-carrying fastener member(s) that extends through a second mounting hole(s) in the wall and threadably engage the blade(s) so that the operating screw bolt is isolated from object-imposed forces and heavy loads can be reliably carried on the hollow wall via the overall anchoring assembly structure.

Claims

1. A fastening anchor assembly adapted for fastening an object to a first side surface of a wall or other support member having an open area on a second side surface of the wall opposite said first side surface, the wall having a hole therethrough opening at each of said surfaces and of a first specified diameter for receipt therethrough of at least a portion of said anchor assembly, said assembly comprising in combination a generally U-shaped mounting strap having a central bight portion and generally parallel first and second legs extending longitudinally from said bight portion and each terminating in a foot portion extending longitudinally generally perpendicularly from the associated leg portion in a direction away from the legs and adapted for engaging said wall first side surface, elongated anchoring blade means operably pivotally coupled to said legs for swinging motion-between a wall-hole-installation collapsed position nested against the legs adapted to enable insertion of the legs and blade means through the wall hole and a swing-out wall-mounting expanded position adapted for said blade means to clamp engage said wall second side surface with said leg feet clamp engaging said wall first side surface, and an operating threaded member operably disposed between said legs and operably threadably drivingly engaged with said blade means, said operating member having a distal end disposed for reactive force abutment with said strap bight and a head end configured for imparting rotational torque to said member such that rotation in a first direction while said distal end abuts said strap bight, after said strap legs and bight have been inserted into the wall hole to position said blade means in the open area adjacent the wall second surface, draws said blade means toward said strap feet for clamping the wall therebetween to thereby mount the anchoring assembly on the wall.

2. The anchor assembly of claim 1 wherein said blade means comprises first and second anchoring blades and a pivot nut disposed between said strap legs and pivotally hinging said blades together, said operating member being threadably engaged with said pivot nut to thereby provide the operable driving engagement with said blade means.

3. The anchor assembly of claim 2 wherein spring means are carried by said pivot nut and have oppositely extending portions in yieldable biasing engagement with said first and second blades tending to swing said blades from their collapsed position to their swung apart expanded posit ion adapted for clamping against the second side surface of the wall.

4. The anchor assembly of claim 3 wherein said U-shaped mounting strap comprises a sheet metal stainless steel strap of uniform thickness, and wherein said first and second blades each comprise a sheet metal member formed as a C-cross section channel having a center web bounded by two parallel flanges and oriented with said web facing toward said foot portions of said strap.

5. The anchor assembly of claim 4 wherein said spring means comprise a hairpin spring having multiple center convolutions encircling said pivot nut and having oppositely extending straight ends divergent therefrom and in yieldably stressed biasing engagement with said first and second blades.

6. The anchor assembly of claim 5 wherein said pivot nut is provided with diametrically opposite trunion studs journalled in cooperative pivot holes formed in said flanges of said first and second blades in portions of mutually adjacent ends thereof, said hairpin spring center convolutions encircling one of said trunion studs and being entrapped between a body of said nut and one of said blade flanges.

7. The anchor assembly of claim 2 wherein each said strap foot has a mounting hole formed therein adapted to receive a mounting screw therethrough adapted to extend through a mounting screw hole that extends between the first and second sides of the wall.

8. The anchor assembly of claim 7 wherein said web portion of each of said blades has a mounting hole adapted to coaxially register with the mounting hole in the associated strap leg foot for threaded engagement with the associated mounting screw extending through said strap leg foot mounting hole and the associated wall mounting hole.

9. The anchor assembly of claim 8 wherein said mounting screws are of the self-tapping type that self tap into the associated mounting hole in the associated web of the associated mounting blade to provide threaded engagement of said mounting screw therewith.

10. The anchor assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of said strap legs is necked down near the end thereof adjacent said bight to provide at least one stop-pivot shoulder therealong, and wherein said anchoring blade means comprises only one anchoring blade constructed from sheet metal and having a C-channel cross section having a center web bounded by two parallel flanges, said one anchoring blade having a slot in said web portion receiving said one strap leg therethrough to mount said blade pivotally on said one strap leg, said blade web having a segment adapted to span between said strap legs with a small clearance when said blade is oriented with said web perpendicular to the legs, and wherein said web segment has a threaded mounting hole to provide the operably threaded engagement with said operating threaded member, said blade being pivotable to a position with said web parallel to said legs when said blade is moved to register said blade web slot with said shoulder portion of said strap to thereby position said one blade nested against said strap legs for insertion through the wall mounting hole.

11. The anchor assembly of the claim 10 wherein the one said strap foot extending from said one strap leg has a mounting hole provided therein and said one blade web is also provided with a mounting hole adapted to coaxially register with said one strap foot mounting hole in their wall clamping positions for receiving an associated threaded fastening member through said leg foot and web holes and through associated communicating hole in the wall.

12. The anchor assembly of claim 11 wherein said threaded fastening member is adapted to be coupled to a supporting structure of the object to be fastened to the wall to thereby take the load of mounting the object onto the wall by use of the anchor assembly.

14. The anchor assembly of claim 10 wherein said strap legs in the portions thereof between the strap bight and said shoulders extend parallel to one another and are more closely spaced relative to one another than the portion of strap legs between said shoulders and said feet, and wherein said strap bight has a pocket formed therein to provide a rotary bearing seat for the distal end of said threaded operating member.

15. The anchor assembly of claim 1 wherein said U-shaped mounting strap has a longitudinal dimension sufficient to maintain said operating member positioned in recessed relationship between said strap legs with the head end of the operating member recessed below flush with said strap feet in all operative positions of said operating member when said anchor assembly is mounted on the wall with the wall surfaces clamped between said strap feet and anchoring blade means.

16. The anchor assembly of claim 1 wherein substantially all of the weight loading of the object to be mounted by said anchor assembly is imposed by object-engaged fastener means also engaged with said strap feet, with said wall and with said anchoring blade means independently of said threaded operating member whereby said threaded operating member is isolated from the loading forces imposed by the mounted object on the anchor assembly.

17. The anchor assembly of claim 10 wherein the other one of said strap legs is also provided with a stop-pivot shoulder so that said strap can be reversible in manufacturing assembly of said sole anchor blade on said strap leg.

18. The anchor assembly of claim 1 wherein said strap feet are formed coplanar with one another and adapted to lay flat against the exterior first side surface of the wall.

19. The anchor assembly set forth in claim 1 wherein said strap and said anchor blade means are made of stampings from stainless steel sheet metal.

13. The anchor assembly of 12 wherein said second strap leg foot has a hardware mounting fastener fixed thereon on the surface thereof adapted to face said first side surface of said wall in the mounted condition of said anchor assembly, said hardware mounting fastener having a threaded shaft protruding from the said second foot in a direction away from the U-strap protrusion direction and being adapted for coupling to mounting hardware for fastening the object said anchor assembly when mounted to the wall.

20. A fastening anchor assembly adapted for fastening an object to a first side surface of a wall or other support member having an open area on a second side surface of the wall opposite said first side surface, the wall having a hole therethrough opening at each of said surfaces and of a first specified diameter for receipt therethrough of at least a portion of said anchor assembly, said assembly comprising in combination a generally U-shaped mounting strap having a central bight portion and generally parallel first and second legs extending longitudinally from said bight portion and each terminating at a free end portion, a mounting flange member extending longitudinally generally perpendicularly to the associated strap leg in a direction away from the legs and adapted for engaging said wall first side surface, an elongated anchoring blade operably pivotally coupled to said legs via apertures in said blade individually slidably receiving said legs therethrough for enabling swinging motion between a wall-hole-installation collapsed position nested against the legs adapted to enable insertion of the legs and blade through the wall hole and a swing-out wall-mounting position adapted for said blade to clamp engage said wall second side surface with said leg feet disposed adjacent said wall first side surface, said mounting flange member having a mounting hole adapted to receive the leading end of a through-wall mounting fastener therethrough for passage through the wall, said blade having a mounting nut means for fastening engagement with the leading end of the fastener member after passage through the wall, said flange member mounting hole and said blade mounting nut means being maintained oriented in coaxial alignment in the wall clamping condition of said blade and said mounting flange member by an operable coupling action orientation of said strap legs relative to said blade apertures and mounting flange member.

21. The anchor assembly of claim 20 wherein said mounting flange member comprises at least one foot portion of at least one of said strap legs and is rigidly joined thereto.

22. The anchor assembly of claim 20 wherein said mounting flange member consists of a generally planar member formed separate from said U-strap and having a pair of spaced apertures slidably receiving said strap legs individually therethrough, one leg through one and the other leg through the other of said apertures.

23. The anchor assembly of claim 20 further including an operating threaded member operably disposed between said strap legs and operably threadably drivingly engaged with said blade, said operating member having a head end configured for imparting rotational torque to said operating member such that rotation thereof in a first direction, after said strap legs and bight have been inserted into the wall hole and manipulated to position said blade in the open area adjacent the wall second surface, is adapted to force said blade toward said strap wall second surface for clamping the wall between said blade and said mounting flange member to thereby at least initially mount the anchoring assembly on the wall.

24. The anchor assembly of claim 23 wherein said through-wall mounting fastener is adapted to be coupled to a supporting structure of the object to be fastened to the wall to thereby take the load of mounting the object onto the wall by use of the anchor assembly independently of said operating member.

25. The anchor assembly of claim 24 wherein said U-shaped mounting strap has a longitudinal dimension sufficient to maintain said operating member positioned in recessed relationship between said strap legs with the head end of said operating member recessed below flush with said strap feet in all operative positions of said operating member when said anchor assembly is mounted on the wall with the wall surfaces clamped between said mounting flange member and said anchoring blade.

26. The anchor assembly of claim 24 wherein the weight loading of the object to be mounted by said anchor assembly is carried by the object-engaged mounting fastener along with said wall and said anchoring blade as engaged by said fastening member and independently of said operating member whereby said operating member and said U-strap legs are substantially isolated from the loading forces imposed by the mounted object on the anchor assembly.

27. The anchor assembly of claim 21 wherein each strap leg has an associated one of said strap feet portions, and wherein said strap feet portions are formed coplanar with one another and extend away from one another and are adapted to lay flat against the exterior first side surface of the wall.

28. Thee anchor assembly of claim 22 wherein said U-strap comprises a flexible length of plastic material forming said bight and legs and having free end portions extending through the apertures in said mounting flange member.

29. The anchor assembly of claim 28 further including an operating threaded member operably disposed between said strap legs and operably threadably drivingly engaged with said blade and said mounting flange member, said operating member having a head end configured for imparting rotational torque to said operating member such that rotation thereof in a first direction, after said strap legs and bight have been inserted into the wall hole and manipulated to position said blade in the open area adjacent the wall second surface, is adapted to draw said blade toward said strap wall second surface for clamping the wall between said blade and said mounting flange member to thereby at least initially mount the anchoring assembly on the wall.

30. The anchor assembly of claim 29 wherein said mounting flange member has a central well adapted to nest in the wall hole, and wherein said U-shaped mounting strap has a longitudinal dimension sufficient to maintain said operating member positioned in recessed relationship between said strap legs with the head end of said operating member recessed below flush with said strap feet and within the flange member well in all operative positions of said operating member when said anchor assembly is mounted on the wall with the wall surfaces clamped between said mounting flange member and said anchoring blade by screwing the operating member down tight.

31. The assembly of claim 28 wherein said U-strap has teeth along an edge of each strap leg to engage an associated edge of the associated aperture in said mounting flange member to thereby adjustably hold each strap leg against retrograde feed through the aperture when said strap is tightened to clamp said blade against said second wall surface.

32. The assembly of claim 28 wherein said U-strap comprises a conventional cable tie having a strap-like ribbed or slotted element that extends from a feed-through locking head of said cable tie that in turn contains a resilient locking pawl selectively engageable with any one of the ribs or slots of said strap like element, said cable tie strap element serving to form the legs and bight of said U-strap.

33. The assembly of claim 20 wherein said blade is of channel cross-section and carries a pair of plastic insert nuts, one disposed at each longitudinal end of the channel, providing said block nut means and adapted for self-threaded individual engagement with wood screw or metal screw threads of an associated pair of said fastening members.

34. The assembly of claim 33 wherein said plastic insert nuts are laterally captured within said blade by channel section lips of said blade.

35. The assembly of claim 34 wherein each said insert has boss means yieldable engaging a detent recess in at least one of said lips to hold said insert against sliding longitudinally of said blade.