Foundation support for manufactured homes

Abstract

The present invention relates primarily to a foundation support for use with manufactured homes, such as mobile homes and trailers, as well as the more conventional prefabricated home. Using a tube-in-tube construction, where sleeves of rubber lay compressed, one adjacent the other, intermediate an inner and outer tube, provides an earthquake resistant support. The elastomeric portion of the foundation support provides isolation from vibrations produced from ground movement, wind forces or from traffic vibrations. A screw jack located centrally within the inner cylinder permits the ideal adjustment in providing and maintaining support for the manufactured building at a dead level. A ball swivel joint facilitates the installation and adjustment. As a protective safety device, to prevent the over extension of the screw jack, there is a stop at the distal end of the threaded jack rod to maintain sufficient thread engagement when the jack is fully extended.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 ) A foundation support apparatus for use with trailers, manufactured and prefabricated homes, comprising: 
 a tube assembly with a lower portion mounted on a base plate and an upper portion articulating with a clamp frame; and, means for isolating a manufactured home from ground movement, wind forces and ground vibrations.    
     
     
         2 ) The foundation support according to  claim 1 , the tube assembly further comprising an adjusting means for correcting elevation up to an underside of the manufactured home.  
     
     
         3 ) The foundation support of  claim 2 , further comprising a means for aligning the clamp frame to avoid any misalignment of the clamp frame.  
     
     
         4 ) The foundation support according to  claim 3 , the tube assembly comprising a tube in a tube vibration insulator comprising a first outer cylindrical tube surrounding a second inner cylindrical tube, with an at least one elastomeric element compressed intermediate the two tubes to absorb aberrant energy produced by undesirable external forces and to provide a damping effect for such forces.  
     
     
         5 ) The foundation support according to  claim 4 , said at least at least one elastomeric element comprising two adjacent sleeves of an elastomeric material compressed between the tubes for abatement of vibration which may emanate either from below or above the foundation support.  
     
     
         6 ) The foundation support according to  claim 5 , the elastomeric material comprising rubber, whereby the foundation support provides isolation from ground movements, wind forces and traffic vibrations.  
     
     
         7 ) The foundation support according to  claim 6 , wherein the outer cylindrical tube is welded to, and in axial alignment with, a central axis of the mounting plate.  
     
     
         8 ) The foundation support according to  claim 7 , wherein the inner cylindrical tube extends above and is in axial alignment with the outer cylindrical tube; said tubes comprising a cylindrical facade to provide a universal orientation of the foundation support for optimal strength regardless of a direction from which a wind load is applied.  
     
     
         9 ) The foundation support according to  claim 8 , further comprising a threaded cap press fitted into a top section of the inner cylindrical tube and a hex lock nut located above the cap to set an elevation adjustment of the foundation support.  
     
     
         10 ) The foundation support according to  claim 9 , further comprising a jackscrew bolt with first and second ends, threads along its entire length, and culminating with a spherical ball at the second end, the jackscrew bolt located centrally within the inner cylindrical tube and threaded into the threaded cap and hex lock nut thereof to permit a desired ideal adjustment in providing and maintaining support for a manufactured home at a dead level.  
     
     
         11 ) The foundation support according to  claim 10 , further comprising a stop at the first distal end of the threaded jackscrew bolt to maintain sufficient thread engagement when the jack is fully extended as a protective safety device, to prevent an over extension of the jackscrew bolt.  
     
     
         12 ) The foundation support according to  claim 11 , the spherical ball comprising a swivel joint to facilitate installation of the foundation support by correction of any misalignment thereof.  
     
     
         13 ) The foundation support according to  claim 12 , said clamp frame supported by a swivel assembly which comprises a spherical cap seated on the spherical ball, a collar surrounding the cap and ball, and a jam nut on the jackscrew bolt, wherein the clamp frame is fixed by the jam nut.  
     
     
         14 ) The foundation support according to  claim 13 , said clamp frame comprising an I-beam clamp assembly comprising a clamp base and a pair of strap clamps each having a pair of bolts, a washer and hex nut respective to each bolt, for placement of a support beam on the clamp base with each strap clamp on top of a lower flange of the beam, bolted and secured to clasp the I-beam in clamp assembly.  
     
     
         15 ) The foundation support of  claim 14 , further comprising a fastening means associated with said base plate for securing the foundation support to an anchor mount.  
     
     
         16 ) The foundation support of  claim 15 , wherein the fastening means comprises a plurality of mounting holes to receive a mounting bolt and securely fasten the foundation support to a foundation anchor mount.  
     
     
         17 ) The foundation support according to  claim 16 , wherein the foundation support is directly securable to an anchoring system without any tie down or anchoring straps.  
     
     
         18 ) The foundation support according to  claim 17 , the support having a small footprint, thereby permitting the installation of the foundation support in close proximity to the edge of a trailer being supported.  
     
     
         19 ) The foundation support according to  claim 18 , further comprising a weatherproof crown positioned over the rubber sleeves to prevent the collection of water and dust to increase the useful lifetime of the support by protecting the support apparatus from violent or severe weather conditions.  
     
     
         20 ) A method of stabilizing a manufactured home using a plurality of foundation supports each secured to anchor mount, wherein each foundation support comprises a base plate, a tube in tube assembly connected to the base plate, rising vertically, and including an elastomeric element compressed between two tubes comprising a vibration insulator, the tube in tube assembly containing a threaded jackscrew with a spherical head and a swivel assembly in articulation with an adjustable clamp carriage to clasp an undercarriage component of the manufactured home, comprising the steps of: 
 securing the base plate to an anchor mount;    elevating the jackscrew to a desired vertical height to clasp the undercarriage component;    adjusting the clamp carriage on the swivel assembly for alignment with the undercarriage component; and,    securing the undercarriage component in the clamp carriage.    
     
     
         21 ) The method of stabilizing a manufactured home according to  claim 20 , each foundation support further comprising a lock nut threaded on the jackscrew immediately above the tube in tube assembly and a jam nut threaded on the jackscrew immediately below the swivel assembly, comprising the additional step of: 
 tightening the lock nut and the jam nut to fix the desired vertical height of the jackscrew and the alignment of the swivel assembly.    
     
     
         22 ) The method of stabilizing a manufactured home according to  claim 21 , wherein the elastomeric element comprises a viscoelastic material, comprising the additional step of: 
 isolating the manufactured home from vibrations by a vibration absorbtion of the viscoelastic material compressed between the tubes.    
     
     
         23 ) The method of stabilizing a manufactured home according to  claim 22 , wherein the elastomeric material is minutely displaced by a manufactured home shear load upon the foundation support, comprising the additional step of: 
 dampening vibrations transmitted from both ground forces on the base plate and wind forces against the manufactured home by a hysteretic effect of the elastomeric material under the shear load.