Floor pier support

Abstract

The present invention relates to a floor pier support and, in particular, to a pier support which allows for in-situ height adjustment of a floor frame mounted thereabove. In particular, the pier support includes a base adapted to be fixed to said surface, a connection member including a first and a second attachment means, the first attachment means used to fix the connection member to a frame element, and the second attachment means being connectable to the base in a configuration which facilitates height adjustment of the frame relative to the base. The pier support of the present invention provides for a strong, robust support for floor frames and is advantageous in that the height of the frame can be easily adjusted at regular intervals post-construction, for maintenance purposes, or for height re-adjustment where for example the ground has subsided over time.

1 . A pier support for maintaining a frame element a spaced distance from a surface, said pier support characterised by:
 a base including two spaced apart and parallel surfaces having coaxially aligned apertures;   a connection member between said base and frame element, said connection member including a threaded shaft adapted to extend through said coaxially aligned apertures; and   a correspondingly threaded levelling nut adapted to engage said threaded shaft between the two spaced apart and parallel surfaces, whereby tightening of the levelling nut against one of said surfaces causes said shaft to move relative to the base, and thereby enables height adjustment of said frame element.   
   
   
       2 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 1  wherein when said levelling nut is tightened in a first direction whilst bearing against a first of said parallel surfaces, the shaft moves in a first direction relative to said base, and when rotated in the opposite direction whilst bearing against said first of said parallel surfaces, the shaft moves vertically in the opposite direction relative to said base. 
   
   
       3 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 2  further including a correspondingly threaded locking nut which is also adapted to engage the threaded shaft between the two spaced apart and parallel surfaces, said locking nut adapted to lock the connection member at a desired height relative to said base by tightening said nut against the second of said parallel surfaces. 
   
   
       4 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 3  wherein said levelling nut bears against said first surface by the weight of the frame element. 
   
   
       5 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 3  wherein said levelling nut bears against said first surface by way of manual adjustment towards said first surface. 
   
   
       6 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 3  wherein the locking nut is adapted to be tightened against the second of said parallel surfaces once a desired height is achieved using the levelling nut, to thereby lock the connection member at said desired height. 
   
   
       7 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 1  wherein said base is in the form of an upright beam and said surface to which the base is fixed is a concrete footing. 
   
   
       8 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 7  wherein said first and second parallel surfaces form part of a C-section bracket mounted above said upright beam in a configuration whereby said first and second surfaces extend substantially horizontally. 
   
   
       9 . A pier support characterised by:
 a base member adapted to be fixed to a ground surface;   a frame element having a central web, an outwardly extending flange, and at least one slot extending through said flange;   a connection member associated with said base member for connecting said frame element thereto, said connection member including a T-piece comprising a base plate and an upright tab, said upright tab configured to be received in said slot whilst said base plate supports said frame element flange.   
   
   
       10 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 9  wherein said slot is configured such that once said upright tab is received, the upright tab extends parallel to and adjacent the central web for engagement therewith. 
   
   
       11 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 10  wherein said upright tab and said central web include apertures which become coaxially aligned once the tab has been fully inserted, and are engageable by way of insertion of a locking bolt. 
   
   
       12 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 9  wherein said base member further includes two spaced apart and parallel surfaces having coaxially aligned apertures, and said connection member further includes a threaded shaft adapted to extend through said base member coaxially aligned apertures. 
   
   
       13 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 12  further including a levelling nut adapted to engage said threaded shaft between the two spaced apart and parallel surfaces, whereby tightening of the levelling nut against one of said surfaces causes said shaft to move relative to the base, and thereby enables height adjustment of said frame element. 
   
   
       14 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 13  wherein when said levelling nut is tightened in a first direction whilst bearing against a first of said parallel surfaces, the shaft moves in a first direction relative to said base, and when rotated in the opposite direction whilst bearing against said first of said parallel surfaces, the shaft moves vertically in the opposite direction relative to said base. 
   
   
       15 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 14  further including a correspondingly threaded locking nut which is also adapted to engage the threaded shaft between the two spaced apart and parallel surfaces, said locking nut adapted to lock the connection member at a desired height relative to said base by tightening said nut against the second of said parallel surfaces. 
   
   
       16 . (canceled) 
   
   
       17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 15  wherein the locking nut is adapted to be tightened against the second of said parallel surfaces once a desired height is achieved using the levelling nut, to thereby lock the connection member at said desired height. 
   
   
       19 . (canceled) 
   
   
       20 . (canceled) 
   
   
       21 . A pier support as in  claim 9  wherein said frame element is a joist comprising two opposed C-section members each having a central web and a pair of flanges extending outwardly therefrom, said C-section members being joined along their central webs. 
   
   
       22 . A pier support as in  claim 21  wherein each joist forms part of a floor frame having a plurality of connecting joists and bearers, each joist including at least one slot located in a lower flange of a C-section member adjacent the central web and positioned proximate a joist-bearer connection. 
   
   
       23 . (canceled) 
   
   
       24 . (canceled) 
   
   
       25 . A pier support for supporting at least one frame element of a horizontal frame, said pier support characterised by:
 a base;   an elongate support member extending substantially vertically from the base and having a remote end opposed to the base;   a bracket mounted above the vertical support member, said bracket having two parallel surfaces extending substantially horizontally and each surface including co-axially aligned apertures;   a frame connection member including a first attachment means so that said frame connection member can be fixed to said frame element and a second attachment means in the form of a threaded rod adapted to extend through said coaxially aligned apertures; and   at least one levelling nut which when rotated in a first direction whilst bearing against a first of said parallel surfaces, causes the rod and connection member to move vertically in a first direction, and when rotated in the opposite direction whilst bearing against the same parallel surface, causes the rod and connection member to move vertically in the opposite direction.   
   
   
       26 . A pier support as characterised in  claim 25  wherein said connection member includes a locking nut used to lock the connection member at the height set by the first levelling nut by being tightened against the second of said parallel surfaces. 
   
   
       27 . (canceled)