Rigid connector for bracing a mobile coach to a ground-anchor

Abstract

A connector brace comprises at least two telescoping sections of tubular steel that fit together. One end of the connector brace is bolted to the frame of a modular building, and the other to an anchor buried in the ground. Once the two ends are bolted in place, the telescoping sections are drilled for a locking bolt. The connector brace secures the foundation of the modular building with a rigid strut arm thus formed. The anchor comprises a heavy steel rod with several inches of machine threading at a back end, and an arrowhead with a pair of wedge-shaped wings at a front end. The wedge-shaped wings are welded to the steel rod from the tips and halfway down to the trailing edges of the arrowhead wings. A pivotable fluke is hinged to the shaft with lateral pin. The whole unit is driven into the soil with an pneumatic jack-hammer until the threads at the back end are almost completely buried. A stabilizer vane and interlocking cap are then placed over the end flat on the ground. Nuts are put over the threaded end and tightened so that the whole unit is drawn back out a few inches. The fluke folds out perpendicular to the shaft and locks compacted soil between it and the cap. The stabilizing vane braces the top end of the anchor against lateral forces.

The invention claimed is  
     
         1 . A building foundation connector brace, comprising: 
 at least two telescoping sections of tubular steel with one disposed to slip inside another;    wherein, a first end of the connector brace provides for attachment to a frame of a modular building; and    wherein, a second end of the connector brace provides for attachment to an anchor buried in the ground.    
     
     
         2 . The brace of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a hole drilled through the telescoping sections after said first and second ends are respectively attached to said frame of said modular building and to said anchor; and    a fastener disposed in the hole such that the telescoping sections are locked together;    wherein, said frame of said modular building is braced against lateral movement by said anchor.    
     
     
         3 . The brace of  claim 1 , wherein said ground-anchor comprises: 
 a stem with a pointed end and an opposite machine-threaded end;    a pair of arrowhead fins welded to the stem at said pointed end;    a pivotable fluke attached to the stem just aft of the pair of arrowhead fins;    a lateral pin that transversely hinges the fluke to the stem so that the fluke can both fold flat and fold out near perpendicular to the stem;    a stabilizer vane that slips down over said machine-threaded end of the stem after the anchor has been buried in the ground, and that provides for lateral reinforcement of the top end of the anchors against side thrusts; and    a cap that also lips down over said machine-threaded end of the stem and interlocks with the stabilizer vane.    
     
     
         4 . The brace of  claim 3 , wherein, said ground-anchor comprises: 
 a nut that is threaded on said machine-threaded end of the stem over the cap, and that provides a means for folding out the fluke into its perpendicular position while the anchor is buried in the ground;    wherein, otherwise undisturbed and naturally compacted soil in the earth is pinched between the pivotable fluke and the cap.    
     
     
         5 . The brace of  claim 3 , wherein: 
 the stabilizing vane is oriented broadside to an expected lateral load applied to an above-ground part of the anchor.    
     
     
         6 . The brace of  claim 3 , wherein said ground-anchor comprises: 
 a rigid strut for connecting between a modular building on piers and said machine-threaded end of the stem over the cap;    wherein, the stabilizing vane is buried and oriented in the ground broadside to said modular building.