Method and Apparatus for Retaining Wall Boss

Abstract

An apparatus ( 10 ) for leveling a layer of stone dust ( 24 ) of a foundation pad for a retaining wall, having a support assembly ( 12 ) and a scraper assembly ( 18 ). A pair of leveled guide rails ( 16 ) are utilized in parallel to support the scraper assembly such that the scraper assembly is longitudinally movable therealong. Each guide rail ( 16 ) is supported at each end by a respective support post ( 30 ) and is adjustably positionable vertically with respect to each support post such that both guide rails are levelable. The scraper assembly ( 18 ) includes a crossbar ( 42 ) with linear bearings ( 44 ) supported by respective ones of the guide rails, and also includes a depending pole ( 46 ) having a scraper blade ( 26 ) adjustably affixed at a bottom end thereof, the scraper blade being adjustable to level a bottom scraper edge ( 28 ) thereof. A method is disclosed whereby support posts ( 30 ) are positionable in pairs along the foundation pad, one post of each pair on a respective side thereof, guide rails ( 16 ) are leveled by adjusting guide rail supports ( 40 ) of each post ( 30 ), the scraper assembly ( 18 ) is positionable on the guide rails, the scraper blade is adjusted to level the bottom edge ( 28 ), and the scraper assembly is movable along the guide rails for the bottom scraper edge to level the layer of stone dust ( 24 ) along the top of the foundation pad.

1 . An apparatus for leveling a layer of stone dust of a retaining wall foundation pad, comprising:
 a support frame assembly having first and second pairs of posts each of which has a guide rail support adjustably affixed thereto to be movable vertically therealong, and a pair of guide rails operatively associated with the guide rail supports of first posts and second posts of each of the first and second pairs of posts, the guide rails being generally parallel and positionable a selected distance apart one on each side of the foundation pad; and   a scraper assembly having a crossbar supportable by the pair of guide rails and extending transversely therebetween in a manner permitting longitudinal adjustment movement of the scraper assembly with respect to the guide rails, the scraper assembly including at least one depending pole concluding in a scraper blade at the bottom thereof, the scraper blade having a bottom scraper edge for engagement with the layer of stone dust of the foundation pad, and the scraper blade being vertically adjustably positionable with respect to the crossbar and also angularly adjustable with respect to the scraper assembly for leveling of the bottom scraper edge.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the posts of each pair thereof are joined together by a crossbar at least affixable adjacent top ends of the posts, thereby defining an end brace. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the posts of each pair are joined at top ends thereof by an arcuate bight section to define an end brace. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each guide rail has a rectangular cross-section selected from the group of shapes consisting of: rectangular, diamond-shaped and tubular. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each guide rail support of each post includes a set bolt to be tightenable against a guide rail positioned therein. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each guide rail support is positioned on a surface of a respective post of the first pair of posts facing a corresponding post of the second pair of posts, and the clamp assembly is longitudinally aligned with the guide rail. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each post includes a telescoping inner pole vertically adjustable with respect to an outer sleeve of the post, and the guide rail support is positioned atop the telescoping inner pole. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each post includes a base at its bottom end for securing the post in its desired position stabilized against tipping or horizontal movement, wherein each base includes at least one anchor peg to penetrate ground on which the post is positioned. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each post includes a vertical slot therethrough, and wherein the guide rail support of each post includes a clamp assembly having a sleeve extending through the vertical slot from an outer or guide rail remote post surface to an inner or guide rail adjacent post surface, and wherein the clamp assembly is lockably affixable to its respective post, whereby the clamp assembly is locatable and lockable at any vertical location within a vertical range permitted by the vertical slot. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the clamp assembly includes a geared adjusting sleeve with outer and inner gear wheels, and the respect post includes a pair of linear gears mounted to the outer and inner post surfaces adjacent the slot therethrough that are cooperable with the outer and inner gear wheels for incremental vertical movement of the clamp assembly with respect to the respective post, and wherein the geared adjusting sleeve includes an adjusting handle at an outer end thereof spaced outwardly from the outer gear wheel facilitating the vertical adjustment of the clamp assembly. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the clamp assembly further includes a bolt extending horizontally from a guide rail support of the respective post to pass through the geared adjusting sleeve for a bolt end to protrude beyond the outermost extent of the geared adjusting sleeve for a clamp member to be secured thereonto, wherein the bolt end is threaded and the clamp member includes a nut that is correspondingly threaded, and wherein the clamp assembly further includes a base clamp that is firmly pressed against the outer post surface upon actuation of the clamp member, to lock the clamp assembly and the guide rail support in position. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the crossbar of the scraper assembly includes adjacent each end a guide rail bearing adapted to be supported by and movable along a respective one of the guide rails, and wherein the crossbar is transversely movable with respect to the guide rail bearings. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one depending pole of the scraper assembly is adjustable horizontally with respect to the crossbar thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the depending pole of the scraper assembly is adjustable vertically with respect to the crossbar thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the scraper blade is secured to a horizontal beam at the bottom end of the depending pole of the scraper assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the scraper blade is secured to the horizontal beam at two spaced apart locations along the beam by clamp members, wherein at least one of the clamp members extends through an arcuate slot to pivot around the other of the clamp members, for angular movement during leveling adjustment of the bottom scraper edge. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the scraper assembly includes two depending poles spaced apart along the crossbar and joined together by a horizontal beam at least proximate their bottom ends. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the scraper blade includes a pair of upstanding poles spaced horizontally apart and each permitting vertical adjustments of respective associated ends of the scraper blade with respect to the horizontal beam, for leveling of the bottom scraper edge. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the scraper assembly includes a removably attachable and vertically positionable grade pole for a laser receiver, for leveling. 
     
     
         20 . A scraper assembly for use in conjunction with a pair of horizontal parallel guide rails, for leveling a layer of stone dust of a foundation pad, comprising:
 a crossbar supportable by the pair of guide rails and extending transversely therebetween in a manner permitting longitudinal adjustment movement of the scraper assembly with respect to the guide rails, the scraper assembly including at least one depending pole concluding in a scraper blade at the bottom thereof, the scraper blade having a bottom scraper edge for engagement with the layer of stone dust of the foundation pad, and the scraper blade being vertically adjustably positionable with respect to the crossbar and also angularly adjustable with respect to the scraper assembly for leveling of the bottom scraper edge.   
     
     
         21 . A method for leveling a layer of stone dust of a foundation pad for a retaining wall, comprising the steps of:
 providing a support assembly including a pair of guide rails each supported adjacent ends thereof by respective support posts positioned alongside the foundation pad and so positioned as to orient the guide rails to be parallel to the foundation pad and each other;   providing a scraper assembly including a crossbar having guide rail bearings adjacent respective ends thereof each associated with a respective guide rail, and including at least one depending pole having a scraper blade adjustably affixed to a bottom end thereof,   leveling the pair of guide rails by vertically adjusting guide rail supports with respect to the associated posts;   leveling a bottom blade edge and lowering the bottom blade edge into leveling engagement with the layer of stone dust of the foundation pad; and   longitudinally moving the scraper blade along the pair of guide rails thereby moving the bottom scraper blade along the layer of stone dust, leveling same.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of horizontally adjusting the location of the at least one depending pole with respect to the pair of guide rails. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , by moving the scraper blade in a first pass leveling a first side portion of the layer of stone dust when the scraper assembly is in a first horizontal position between the guide rails, and then moving the scraper assembly to a second horizontal position between the guide rails and moving the scraper blade in a second pass leveling a second side portion of the layer of stone dust. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the steps of:
 removing the scraper assembly from the guide rails after leveling a first length of the layer of stone dust of the foundation pad;   removing the guide rails from the support posts;   moving a first pair of support posts from an original location, past the second pair of support posts and positioning the first pair of support posts in a subsequent location;   replacing and re-leveling the guide rails;   replacing the scraper assembly onto the guide rails; and   leveling a subsequent length of the layer of stone dust of the foundation pad.