Metal Plate Foundations with Integral Planar Fins

Abstract

A metal foundation includes a plurality of metal plate bodies coupled together forming the metal foundation, each metal plate body being comprised of lateral ends with integrated planar fins, wherein each of the lateral ends overlap a lateral end of an adjacent metal plate body, wherein the plurality of the metal plate bodies are configured for forming a closed perimeter of a geometrical shape having an open interior and wherein the integrated planar fins of each metal plate body extends away from the perimeter of the closed geometric shape along the plane of the planar fin, wherein each planar fin has a thickness substantially the same as a thickness of the portion of the metal plate body forming the closed perimeter of the geometrical shape, and wherein each planar fin extends substantially along a single plane from the perimeter of the closed geometric shape.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A metal foundation comprising:
 a plurality of metal plate bodies coupled together forming the metal foundation, each metal plate body being comprised of lateral ends with integrated planar fins, wherein each of the lateral ends overlap a lateral end of an adjacent metal plate body;   wherein said plurality of said metal plate bodies are configured for forming a closed perimeter of a geometrical shape having an open interior and wherein the integrated planar fins of each metal plate body extends away from the perimeter of the closed geometric shape along the plane of the planar fin, wherein each planar fin has a thickness substantially the same as a thickness of the portion of the metal plate body forming the closed perimeter of the geometrical shape, and wherein each planar fin extends substantially along a single plane from the perimeter of the closed geometric shape.   
     
     
         2 . The metal foundation according to  claim 1  wherein a longitudinally lower end of at least a plurality of the metal plate bodies is angled relative to a normal to a longitudinal axis of the metal plate body. 
     
     
         3 . The metal foundation according to  claim 1  wherein each metal plate body is comprised of sides forming an obtuse angle, wherein the closed geometrical shape is a polygon. 
     
     
         4 . The metal foundation according to  claim 3  wherein the polygon has sides of equal widths. 
     
     
         5 . The metal foundation according to  claim 3  wherein the polygon is an octagon. 
     
     
         6 . The metal foundation according to  claim 1  wherein each metal plate body is arced along a portion thereof forming a cylindrical perimeter geometric design. 
     
     
         7 . The metal foundation according to  claim 1  wherein each metal plate body on one said lateral end is comprised of a long integrated fin and on a second opposed said lateral end is comprised of a short integrated fin having a length measured from the closed perimeter of the geometrical shape along the single plane less than the long integrated fin. 
     
     
         8 . A metal foundation comprising:
 a plurality of metal plate bodies coupled together forming the metal foundation, each metal plate body being comprised of lateral ends with integrated planar fins, wherein each of the lateral ends overlap a lateral end of an adjacent metal plate body;   wherein said plurality of metal plate bodies are configured for forming a closed perimeter of a geometrical shape having an open interior and wherein the integrated planar fins of each metal plate body extends away from the perimeter of the closed geometric shape along the plane of the planar fin, wherein each planar fin has a thickness substantially the same as a thickness of the portion of the metal plate body forming the closed perimeter of the geometrical shape, and wherein each planar fin extend substantially along a single plane from the perimeter of the closed geometric shape, wherein each metal plate body on one said lateral end is comprised of a long integrated planar fin and on a second opposed said lateral end is comprised of a short integrated planar fin having a length measured from the closed perimeter of the geometrical shape along the single plane less than the long integrated planar fin, and wherein each long planar fin of one metal plate body is adjacent a short planar fin of an adjacent metal plate body.   
     
     
         9 . The metal foundation according to  claim 8  wherein a longitudinally lower end of at least a plurality of the metal plate bodies is angled relative to a normal to a longitudinal axis of the metal plate body. 
     
     
         10 . The metal foundation according to  claim 9  wherein each metal plate body is comprised of sides forming an obtuse angle, wherein the closed geometrical shape is a polygon. 
     
     
         11 . The metal foundation according to  claim 10  wherein the polygon has sides of equal widths. 
     
     
         12 . The metal foundation according to  claim 10  wherein the polygon is an octagon. 
     
     
         13 . The metal foundation according to  claim 9  wherein each metal plate body is arced along a portion thereof forming a cylindrical perimeter geometric design. 
     
     
         14 . A radial fin metal plate foundation comprising:
 a plurality of radial fins formed of metal plates, wherein each radial fin includes a central lateral end and a distal lateral end, and wherein a portion of each central lateral end of each radial fin overlaps with a portion of a central lateral end of adjacent radial fins, wherein the distal lateral end of each radial fin is a radial distance from the overlapped central lateral ends and wherein each radial fin extends along a plane from adjacent the overlapped portion to the distal lateral end.   
     
     
         15 . The metal foundation according to  claim 14  wherein the radial fin metal plate foundation is comprised of exactly three fins. 
     
     
         16 . The metal foundation according to  claim 14  wherein the radial fin metal plate foundation is comprised of exactly four fins. 
     
     
         17 . The metal foundation according to  claim 14 , wherein a longitudinally lower end of at least a plurality of the radial fins are angled relative to a normal to a longitudinal axis of the radial fin.