Outdoor mechanical equipment mounting system

Abstract

An air conditioning or heat pump condenser assembly has a base mounted on a molded plastic pad. The pad is mounted on four, auger-type stabilizer rods screwed into the ground. Nuts threaded onto upper ends of the rods in recesses in the top of the pad, fix the pad to the rods. The condenser assembly base is positioned on the pad to cover the nuts on the stabilizer rods to make the nuts inaccessible once the condenser base is in place on the pad. Vibration isolators are disposed between the pad and the base. A portion of the pad, usually centrally located thereon, is provided with extra thickness to receive security screws installed from above through the base of the condenser assembly and into the pad. The security screws are a thread cutting type enabling installation by the installer at a plurality of possible locations above the security area, some or all of which may be obscured enough by equipment on the condenser base to obscure and delay or prevent removal thereof by a thief. Alarm provisions are also made.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A mounting apparatus comprising: 
 a ground anchor rod having at least two auger blades spaced along its length, and the rod having a tool receiver on one end portion for reception of a tool facilitating rotation about the rod axis to screw the anchor into the ground, the rod having screw thread on said end portion;    a platform having at least one aperture with some of said end portion extending through said aperture from one face of said platform to another face of said platform, and with at least some of the thread extending out of said another face; and    a fastener threaded onto said rod adjacent said another face and securing said platform to said rod.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  and wherein: 
 said another face is in a pocket in said platform.  
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  and wherein: 
 said platform is sandwiched between said fastener and said tool receiver adjacent said aperture.  
 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  and further comprising: 
 a washer on said tool receiver;  
 the platform having a bottom face resting on said washer;  
 said platform having a pocket in a top face; and  
 said fastener is a nut received in said socket.  
 
     
     
         5 . Mounting and stabilization apparatus for outdoor mechanical equipment and comprising: 
 a plurality of ground anchors;    a platform supported on said anchors so that predetermined surfaces on the platform are level;    fasteners securing said platform on said anchors;    an equipment base; and    additional fasteners securing said base to said platform.    
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  and wherein: 
 said anchors are vertically oriented, parallel rods with helical auger blades and a tool receiver in fixed location thereon and oriented for reception of a tool facilitating rotation about the rod axis to screw the anchor into the ground.  
 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  and wherein: 
 said rods have threaded upper end portions received through apertures in said platform into cups in the top of said platform; and  
 said fasteners are nuts threaded onto said rods above the bottoms of said cups and securing said platform to said anchors.  
 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  and further comprising: 
 washers resting atop said tool receivers and engaging the bottom of said platform and supporting said platform on said rods.  
 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 5  and wherein: 
 said platform comprises a shell portion and a central portion of one homogeneous body of molded material, the shell portion being of a predetermined height, and the central portion being of substantially the same height but solid molded material throughout substantially the entire area of the central portion.  
 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  and wherein: 
 said base covers the fasteners in the cups; and  
 said security fasteners are screwed through the base into the central portion to anchor the base to the central portion.  
 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  and wherein: 
 said security fasteners are self-tapping threaded screws with the shanks thereof extending through the base and into at least one and three-eighths inches into the central portion of said base whereby said security screws are permanently and securely anchored in said central portion of said platform.  
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  and wherein: 
 the material of said platform is high density polyethylene molded in one piece to form said platform.  
 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  and further comprising: 
 a secured property indicator supported by said platform.  
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12  and further comprising: 
 refrigeration equipment including a refrigerant condenser mounted on said base; and  
 vibration isolators mounted on top of said platform and supporting said equipment base.  
 
     
     
         15 . A method of installing and supporting an assembly of mechanical equipment at an outdoor site and comprising: 
 screwing support rods into the ground at the site;    placing a pre-fabricated pad on the support rods;    tightening support rod fasteners onto the rods and sandwiching portions of the pad between the fasteners and stops on the rods;    placing a base of the mechanical equipment assembly on the pad;    installing security fasteners through the base and into the pad and thereby anchoring the base to the pad.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  and further comprising: 
 placing the base on the pad in a position covering the support rod fasteners with the base of the equipment assembly.  
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  and further comprising: 
 using self-tapping screws for security fasteners and piercing the base of the equipment assembly with the screws during installation thereof and screwing the screws into the pad a substantial distance to retain the base on the pad.  
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  and further comprising: 
 providing a refrigerant condenser on the base;  
 installing vibration isolator members between the pad and the condenser base before installing the screws through the base and in the pad.  
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  and further comprising: 
 the step of locating the security fasteners in various positions obscured by components of the equipment assembly mounted on the base.  
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  and further comprising: 
 providing a portion of the pad of reduced material content, and a portion of maximum material content centered within the area of reduced material content, and installing the security fasteners in the portion of maximum material content.