Method and structure for an anchor rod cap

• US 7,665,941 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2006
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyson Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Wolf, Alan R., Wolf, Theodore L.
• Primary Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, GARY WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US11/460,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20070022703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 411/429, 411/430, 411/533, 411/375, 411/428, 411/910, 411/372.6, 411/377, 411/372.5, 411/431
• US Class Current: 411/431
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/4157 Longitudinally-externally threaded elements extending from the concrete or masonry, e.g. anchoring bolt with embedded head
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 5/161 Protective caps for the ends of reinforcing bars
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/20 Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/22 Foundations specially adapted for wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/00 Details, components or accessories not provided for in groups F03D1/00 - F03D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/912 on a tower
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/301 Retaining bolts or nuts
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 37/14 Cap nuts; Nut caps or bolt caps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines

Abstract

An anchor rod cap and method for protecting an anchor rod bolt/nut/lower flange assembly are provided. An anchor rod is provided having upper and lower tubular elements connected by a shoulder. The upper element is disposed about the anchor rod threads and has an interior surface defined on a radius smaller than an anchor rod thread outer radius. The lower tubular element has an interior radius larger than an anchor nut outer dimension and is configured to define an air gap between the lower tubular element inner surface and an anchor nut encompassed thereby. A lower tubular element bottom edge is configured to form a physical barrier interface with the anchor rod base flange. At least one of the upper tubular element interior surface and the lower tubular element bottom edge are configured to form a sealing interface with anchor rod thread outer surfaces or an upper flange surface.

Claims

1. An anchor rod cap, comprising:

a rubber-like, deformable, flexible and resilient upper tube having an inner cylindrical surface defined on an upper tube interior surface diameter from a cap central axis and a wall thickness defined from the inner cylindrical surface, where in use the upper tube inner cylindrical surface is adapted to conform to and tightly engage and form an airtight sealing frictional interfaces friction-fit with an outer thread surface of an anchor rod bolt defined on an outer thread diameter from a rod bolt central axis, the bolt outer thread surface diameter corresponding to and greater than the upper tube interior surface diameter, the upper tube inner cylindrical surface adapted to remain spaced from an inner thread surface of the anchor rod bolt within the outer thread diameter and more proximate to the bolt central axis than the outer thread surface;

a ventilation hole defined through the upper tube resilient wall and located near a top of the upper tube, the ventilation hole adapted to admit or expel ambient air from the upper tube and thereby reduce air pressure resistance or vacuum resistance to a sliding application or a sliding removal of the resilient upper tube inner cylindrical surface from the airtight sealing friction-fit about the anchor rod bolt outer thread surfaces;

the resilient wall upper cylindrical tube ending in a resilient wall conical transitional shoulder disposed radially outward from the main cylindrical tube relative to the cap central axis and at an angle with the cap central axis;

the resilient wall conical transitional shoulder transitioning into a resilient wall bottom tube having an inner cylindrical surface defined by a bottom tube interior surface diameter from the cap central axis and larger than the upper tube interior surface diameter, the bottom tube inner cylindrical surface adapted to encompass but not engage an anchor nut threaded onto the anchor rod bolt by defining an air gap between the bottom tube inner cylindrical surface and the anchor nut; and

a resilient wall bottom tube edge located at a bottom of the resilient wall bottom tube;

where in use the resilient wall bottom tube and the resilient wall bottom tube edge are disposed circumferentially encompassing but not engaging the anchor nut, and the friction-fit of the upper tube inner cylindrical surface about the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface is adapted to hold the anchor rod cap in place relative to the threaded anchor rod bolt without any other vacuum, threaded anchor rod bolt or anchor nut engagement means.

2. The anchor rod cap of claim 1 wherein the upper tube resilient wall is a flexible PVC and the wall thickness is about 0.110 inches.

3. The anchor rod cap of claim 2 wherein the shoulder angle is about 30 degrees.

4. The anchor rod cap of claim 3 wherein the ventilation hole has an opening diameter of about ⅛

inch.

5. The anchor rod cap of claim 3 further adapted to circumferentially encompass but not engage the anchor nut when the upper tube is friction-fit about the anchor rod bolt outer thread surface at a total insertion length dimension of the anchor bolt rod relative to the bottom tube edge of about 10.75 inches, the ventilation hole located a placement distance dimension from the bottom tube edge of about 11.5 inches.

6. The anchor rod cap of claim 4 wherein the resilient wall bottom tube inner cylindrical surface is further adapted to engage an anchor washer disposed between the anchor nut and a lower base flange by forming a sealing washer interface along a washer outer side wall.

7. The anchor rod cap of claim 4 wherein the resilient wall bottom tube edge is further adapted to form a physical barrier interface with a lower base flange disposed below the anchor nut when compelled against the lower base flange by the upper tube positioned in the friction-fit about the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface.

8. An assembly, comprising:

a threaded anchor rod bolt having an outer thread surface located on an outer thread diameter relative to a central bolt axis and an inner thread surface within the outer thread diameter and more proximate to the bolt central axis than the outer thread surface;

a threaded anchor nut tightened about the threaded anchor rod bolt into a forceful engagement with an anchor flange assembly; and

an anchor rod cap upper tube having a rubber-like, deformable, flexible and resilient inner cylindrical surface defined on a upper tube interior surface diameter from a cap central axis and a wall thickness defined from the inner cylindrical surface, the rod bolt outer thread diameter corresponding to and greater than the upper tube interior surface diameter, the upper tube inner cylindrical surface conforming to and tightly engaging and forming an airtight sealing frictional interface friction-fit with the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface and spaced from the threaded anchor rod bolt inner thread surface;

a ventilation hole defined through the anchor rod cap upper tube resilient wall and located near a top of the upper tube and above a top end of the threaded anchor rod bolt, the ventilation hole adapted to admit or expel ambient air from an interior region of the upper tube above the threaded anchor rod bolt top end and the anchor rod bolt outer thread surface airtight sealing frictional interface friction-fit and thereby reduce air pressure resistance or vacuum resistance to a sliding application or a sliding removal of the resilient upper tube from the sealing frictional interface friction-fit about the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface;

the anchor rod cap upper tube ending in a anchor rod cap resilient wall conical transitional shoulder disposed radially outward from and at an angle with the rod cap central axis; and

the anchor rod cap conical transitional shoulder transitioning into an anchor rod cap resilient wall bottom tube having an inner cylindrical surface and a bottom tube edge both defined on a bottom tube interior surface diameter from the rod cap central axis, the bottom tube interior surface diameter larger than the upper tube interior surface diameter and an outer diagonal dimension of the anchor nut defined by opposing intersecting corners of adjacent nut faces of the anchor nut, the bottom tube inner cylindrical surface and bottom edge encompassing but not engaging the anchor nut threaded onto the threaded anchor rod bolt and defining an air gap between the bottom tube inner cylindrical surface and the anchor nut;

wherein the bottom tube inner cylindrical surface and bottom edge encompass but do not engage the anchor nut, and the airtight sealing frictional interface friction-fit of the upper tube inner cylindrical surface about the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface holds the anchor rod cap in place relative to the threaded anchor rod bolt without any other vacuum, threaded anchor rod or nut engagement means.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the upper tube resilient wall is a flexible PVC and the wall thickness is about 0.110 inches.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the shoulder angle is about 30 degrees.

11. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the ventilation hole has an opening diameter of about ⅛

inch.

12. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the threaded anchor rod bolt is inserted into the anchor rod cap at a total insertion length dimension relative to the bottom tube bottom edge of about 10.75 inches, and the ventilation hole is located a placement distance dimension from the bottom tube bottom edge of about 11.5 inches.

13. The assembly rod cap of claim 12 wherein the bottom tube inner cylindrical surface further forms a sealing washer interface along a washer outer side wall of an anchor washer disposed below the anchor nut in the flange assembly.

14. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the bottom tube edge is compelled against the lower base flange by the upper tube positioned in the friction-fit about the anchor rod bolt and forms a physical barrier interface with a lower base flange disposed below the anchor nut in the flange assembly.

15. A method for protecting an anchor rod assembly with an anchor rod cap, comprising:

providing an anchor rod cap comprising a rubber-like, deformable, flexible and resilient upper tube having an inner cylindrical surface defined on a first interior surface diameter from a cap central axis and a wall thickness defined from the inner cylindrical surface, a ventilation hole defined through the upper tube resilient wall and located near a top of the upper tube, the upper tube ending in a resilient wall conical transitional shoulder disposed radially outward from and at an angle with the rod cap central axis, and the resilient wall conical transitional shoulder transitioning into a resilient wall bottom tube having an inner cylindrical surface and a bottom tube edge both defined on a bottom tube interior surface diameter from the rod cap central axis larger than the upper tube interior surface diameter; and

disposing the anchor rod cap about an anchor rod assembly comprising a threaded anchor rod bolt having an outer thread surface located on an outer thread diameter relative to a central axis of the threaded anchor rod bolt and an inner thread surface within the outer thread diameter and more proximate to the bolt central axis than the outer thread surface, the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread diameter corresponding to and greater than the upper tube interior surface diameter, and an anchor nut tightened about the anchor rod bolt into a forceful engagement with an anchor flange assembly at a bottom end of the threaded anchor rod bolt, an outer diagonal dimension of the anchor nut defined by opposing intersecting corners of adjacent nut faces of the anchor nut smaller than the resilient wall bottom tube inner cylindrical surface surface diameter;

wherein disposing the anchor rod cap about the anchor rod assembly comprises;

sliding the upper tube inner cylindrical surface onto the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface, the upper tube inner cylindrical surface conforming to and tightly engaging and forming an airtight sealing frictional interface in a friction-fit with the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface and remaining spaced from the inner thread surface;

the ventilation hole expelling ambient air enclosed within a top region of the upper tube defined by the upper tube inner cylindrical surface, the sealing frictional interface friction-fit with the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface and a top end of the anchor rod bolt and thereby reducing air pressure resistance to the sliding upon the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface from the expelled ambient air;

the bottom tube inner cylindrical surface encompassing but not engaging the anchor nut threaded onto the threaded anchor rod bolt and defining an air gap between the bottom tube inner cylindrical surface and the anchor nut; and

the airtight sealing frictional interface friction-fit of the upper tube inner cylindrical surface about the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface holding the anchor rod cap in place relative to the threaded anchor rod bolt requiring a sealing of the ventilation hole or any other vacuum, threaded anchor rod or nut engagement means.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the upper tube resilient wall is a flexible PVC and the wall thickness is about 0.110 inches;

the shoulder angle is about 30 degrees; and

the ventilation hole has an opening diameter of about ⅛

inch.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the ventilation hole is defined a placement distance from the bottom tube bottom edge of about 11.5 inches;

and

wherein the sliding the upper tube inner cylindrical surface onto the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface comprises inserting the threaded anchor rod bolt into the anchor rod cap a total insertion length relative to the bottom tube bottom edge of about 10.75 inches.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

the bottom tube inner cylindrical surface forming a sealing washer interface along a washer outer side wall of an anchor washer disposed below the anchor nut in the flange assembly.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

the friction-fit of the upper tube positioned about the threaded anchor rod bolt compelling the bottom tube edge against a lower base flange disposed below the anchor nut in the flange assembly; and

the compelled bottom tube edge forming a physical barrier interface with the lower base flange.