Method and structure for an anchor rod cap

Abstract

An anchor rod cap and method for protecting an anchor rod bolt/nut/lower flange assembly are provided. An anchor rod is provided having an upper tubular element adapted to be disposed about anchor rod threads and having an interior surface defined on a radius smaller than an anchor rod thread outer radius. A lower bottom enclosure is adapted to be spaced from an anchor nut located on the bolt.

1 . An anchor rod cap, comprising:
 an upper tube having an inner surface defined on an upper tube inner surface radius from a cap central axis, where in use the upper tube inner surface is adapted to tightly engage and form a frictional interface friction-fit with an outer thread surface of an anchor rod bolt defined on an outer thread radius from a rod bolt central axis, the bolt outer thread surface radius corresponding to and greater than the upper tube inner surface radius, the upper tube inner surface adapted to remain spaced from an inner thread surface of the anchor rod bolt within the outer thread radius and more proximate to the bolt central axis than the outer thread surface;   the upper tube ending in a transitional shoulder disposed outward relative to the cap central axis;   the transitional shoulder transitioning into a bottom enclosure having an inner surface adapted to be spaced from and encompass but not engage an anchor nut threaded onto the anchor rod bolt;   a bottom edge located at a bottom of the bottom enclosure; and   where in use the bottom enclosure inner surface and the bottom edge are disposed circumferentially encompassing but not engaging the anchor nut, and the friction-fit of the upper tube inner surface about the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface is adapted to hold the anchor rod cap in place relative to the threaded anchor rod bolt.   
     
     
         2 . The anchor rod cap of  claim 1  wherein the upper tube inner surface is deformable, flexible and resilient; and
 wherein the upper tube inner surface is adapted to conform to the outer thread surface of the anchor rod bolt tightly engaged.   
     
     
         3 . The anchor rod cap of  claim 2 , further comprising a ventilation hole defined through the upper tube and located near a top of the upper tube, the ventilation hole adapted to admit or expel ambient air from the upper tube and thereby reduce air pressure resistance or vacuum resistance to a sliding application or a sliding removal of the upper tube inner surface from the friction-fit about the anchor rod bolt outer thread surface. 
     
     
         4 . The anchor rod cap of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the transitional shoulder is a conical transitional shoulder disposed radially from and at an angle with the cap central axis; and   the bottom enclosure is a bottom tube having a bottom tube inner surface defined on a bottom tube inner surface radius from the central axis, the bottom tube inner surface radius larger than the upper tube inner surface radius.   
     
     
         5 . The anchor rod cap of  claim 4  wherein the bottom edge is further adapted to form a physical barrier interface with a lower base flange disposed below the anchor nut when compelled against the lower base flange by the upper tube positioned in the friction-fit about the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface. 
     
     
         6 . The anchor rod cap of  claim 1  where in use the upper tube inner surface is adapted to hold the anchor rod cap in place relative to the threaded anchor rod bolt without any other vacuum, threaded anchor rod bolt or anchor nut engagement means. 
     
     
         7 . An assembly, comprising:
 a threaded anchor rod bolt having an outer thread surface located on an outer thread radius relative to a central bolt axis and an inner thread surface within the outer thread radius and more proximate to the bolt central axis than the outer thread surface;   a threaded anchor nut tightened about the threaded anchor rod bolt into a forceful engagement with an anchor flange assembly; and   an anchor rod cap upper tube having an inner surface defined on an upper tube inner surface radius from a cap central axis, the rod bolt outer thread radius corresponding to and greater than the upper tube inner surface radius, the upper tube inner surface tightly engaging and forming a frictional interface friction-fit with the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface and spaced from the threaded anchor rod bolt inner thread surface;   the anchor rod cap upper tube ending in a transitional shoulder disposed outward from the rod cap central axis; and   the anchor rod cap transitional shoulder transitioning into an anchor rod cap bottom enclosure having an inner surface and a bottom edge both adapted to be spaced from outer surfaces of the anchor nut and to encompass but not engage the anchor nut;   wherein the bottom enclosure inner surface and bottom edge encompass but do not engage the anchor nut, and the frictional interface friction-fit of the upper tube inner surface about the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface holds the anchor rod cap in place relative to the threaded anchor rod bolt.   
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 7  wherein the upper tube inner surface is deformable, flexible and resilient; and
 wherein the upper tube inner surface conforms to the outer thread surface of the anchor rod bolt tightly engaged.   
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 8  further comprising a ventilation hole defined through the upper tube and located near a top of the upper tube, the ventilation hole adapted to admit or expel ambient air from the upper tube and thereby reduce air pressure resistance or vacuum resistance to a sliding application or a sliding removal of the upper tube inner surface from the friction-fit about the anchor rod bolt outer thread surface. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 7  wherein:
 the transitional shoulder is a conical transitional shoulder disposed radially from and at an angle with the cap central axis; and   the bottom enclosure is a bottom tube having a bottom tube inner surface, the bottom tube inner surface and the bottom edge defined on a bottom tube inner surface radius from the central axis, the bottom tube inner surface radius larger than the upper tube inner surface radius.   
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 10  wherein the bottom edge is further adapted to form a physical barrier interface with a lower base flange disposed below the anchor nut when compelled against the lower base flange by the upper tube positioned in the friction-fit about the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly rod cap of  claim 7  where in use the upper tube inner surface is adapted to hold the anchor rod cap in place relative to the threaded anchor rod bolt without any other vacuum, threaded anchor rod bolt or anchor nut engagement means. 
     
     
         13 . A method for protecting an anchor rod assembly, comprising:
 disposing an anchor rod cap about an anchor rod assembly, the anchor rod assembly comprising a threaded anchor rod bolt having an outer thread surface located on an outer thread radius relative to a central axis of the threaded anchor rod bolt and an inner thread surface within the outer thread diameter and more proximate to the bolt central axis than the outer thread surface, and an anchor nut threaded about the anchor rod bolt into an engagement with an anchor flange assembly at a bottom end of the threaded anchor rod bolt;   the anchor rod cap comprising an upper tube having an inner surface defined on an upper tube inner surface radius from a cap central axis less than the bolt outer thread radius, the upper tube ending in a transitional shoulder disposed outward relative to the cap central axis, the transitional shoulder transitioning into a bottom enclosure having a bottom edge and an inner surface defined on a bottom enclosure radius from the cap central axis greater than the upper tube inner surface radius;   the upper tube inner surface tightly engaging and forming a frictional interface friction-fit with the anchor rod bolt outer thread surface and remaining spaced from the bolt inner thread surface, thereby holding the anchor rod cap in place relative to the threaded anchor rod bolt; and   the bottom enclosure inner surface encompassing and spaced from and not engaging the anchor nut threaded onto the anchor rod bolt.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the upper tube inner surface is deformable, flexible and resilient; and
 the upper tube inner surface conforming to the outer thread surface of the anchor rod bolt tightly engaged.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the anchor cap upper tube further comprises a ventilation hole defined through the upper tube and located near a top of the upper tube;
 the ventilation hole admitting or expelling ambient air from an interior region defined by the upper tube inner surface;   the admitting or expelling ambient air reducing air pressure resistance to a sliding application or a sliding removal of the upper tube inner surface from the friction-fit about the anchor rod bolt outer thread surface.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein:
 the transitional shoulder is a conical transitional shoulder disposed radially from and at an angle with the cap central axis; and   the bottom enclosure is a bottom tube having a bottom tube inner surface defined on a bottom tube inner surface radius from the central axis, the bottom tube inner surface radius larger than the upper tube inner surface radius.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the bottom edge forming a physical barrier interface with a lower base flange disposed below the anchor nut when compelled against the lower base flange by the upper tube positioned in the friction-fit about the threaded anchor rod bolt outer thread surface. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the upper tube inner surface holding the anchor rod cap in place relative to the threaded anchor rod bolt without using any other vacuum, threaded anchor rod bolt or anchor nut engagement means.