Multi-configuration pan for foundation system

Abstract

A foundation system for supporting a manufactured building from a ground surface, includes a pan to engage the ground surface and at least one bracket. The pan and brackets provide first, second, and third orientations. The first orientation includes one bracket mounted in a central area and oriented to receive two longitudinal struts couplable to a first beam and one lateral strut couplable to a second beam. The second orientation includes the central area being clear to receive a block pier and one bracket mounted longitudinally offset from the central area and oriented to receive one longitudinal strut couplable to the first beam and one lateral strut couplable to the second beam. The third orientation includes the central area for the block pier and two brackets mounted longitudinally on opposite sides of the central area and oriented to each receive one of two longitudinal struts couplable to the first beam.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 : A foundation system for supporting a manufactured building from a ground surface, comprising:
 a plurality of like configured brackets, each bracket including a plurality of bracket mounting holes arranged in a bracket hole pattern; and   a pan configured to engage the ground surface, the pan including a plurality of pan mounting holes arranged to correspond to multiple orientations of the bracket mounting holes of the brackets to provide at least:
 a first orientation wherein one bracket is mounted in a central area and oriented to receive two longitudinal struts extending in a longitudinal direction for connecting the pan to a first beam and one lateral strut extending in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction for connecting the pan to a second beam; 
 a second orientation wherein the central area of the pan is clear to receive a block pier and one bracket is mounted longitudinally offset from the central area and oriented to receive one longitudinal strut for connecting the pan to the first beam and one lateral strut for connecting the pan to the second beam; and 
 a third orientation wherein the central area of the pan is clear to receive the block pier and two brackets are mounted longitudinally offset on opposite sides of the central area and oriented to each receive one of two longitudinal struts for connecting the pan to the first beam. 
   
     
     
         2 : The foundation system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each of the brackets is a T-shaped bracket in plan view including an upwardly open long channel extending in a first direction and an upwardly open short channel extending at substantially a right angle from a mid-portion of the upwardly open long channel; and   the bracket hole pattern includes two bracket mounting holes spaced apart in the first direction by a bracket hole spacing along a bottom of the upwardly open long channel.   
     
     
         3 : The foundation system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the pan is rectangular in plan shape and includes first and second edges extending in the longitudinal direction and third and fourth edges extending in the lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and   the plurality of pan mounting holes includes:
 a first pair of pan mounting holes for mounting one bracket in the first orientation, the first pair of pan mounting holes being located within the central area and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction by a distance equal to the bracket hole spacing; 
 a second pair of pan mounting holes for mounting one bracket in the second orientation, the second pair of pan mounting holes being located in one longitudinal direction outside of the central area, the second pair of pan mounting holes being spaced apart in the lateral direction by a distance equal to the bracket hole spacing; and 
 a third pair of pan mounting holes for mounting a second bracket in the third orientation, the third pair of pan mounting holes being located outside of the central area longitudinally opposite from the second pair of pan mounting holes, the third pair of pan mounting holes being spaced apart in the lateral direction by a distance equal to the bracket hole spacing. 
   
     
     
         4 : The foundation system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 in the first orientation the two longitudinal struts are connected to the long channel.   
     
     
         5 : The foundation system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 in the second orientation the one longitudinal strut is connected to the short channel.   
     
     
         6 : The foundation system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 in the third orientation the two longitudinal struts are each connected to the short channel of different ones of the two respective brackets.   
     
     
         7 : The foundation system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the first, second, third and fourth edges of the pan are downturned edges, the downturned edges being configured to be driven downward into the ground surface to anchor the pan longitudinally and laterally relative to the ground surface; and   in any of the first, second and third orientations the brackets are bolted to the pan with bolts extending through aligned bracket mounting holes and pan mounting holes.   
     
     
         8 : The foundation system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the first, second, third and fourth edges of the pan are upturned edges;   the pan includes a plurality of spike receiving openings configured to receive a plurality of spikes to anchor the pan longitudinally and laterally relative to the ground surface; and   in any of the first, second and third orientations the brackets are bolted to the pan with bolts extending through aligned bracket mounting holes and pan mounting holes.   
     
     
         9 : A foundation system for supporting a manufactured building from a ground surface, comprising:
 at least one bracket, each bracket of the at least one bracket including a pair of bracket mounting holes; and   a pan configured to engage the ground surface, the pan including first, second, and third pairs of pan mounting holes arranged to correspond to multiple configurations of the at least one bracket to provide at least:
 a first configuration wherein the pair of bracket mounting holes of a first bracket of the at least one bracket are aligned with the first pair of pan mounting holes in a central area of the pan, the first bracket being oriented to receive two longitudinal struts extending in a longitudinal direction for connecting the pan to a first beam of the manufactured building and further to receive one lateral strut extending in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction for connecting the pan to a second beam of the manufactured building; 
 a second configuration wherein the central area of the pan is clear to receive a block pier configured to extend upwardly to the first beam and the pair of bracket mounting holes of the first bracket are aligned with one pair of the second or third pairs of pan mounting holes longitudinally offset from the central area, the first bracket oriented to receive one longitudinal strut for connecting the pan to the first beam and one lateral strut for connecting the pan to the second beam; and 
 a third configuration wherein the central area of the pan is clear to receive the block pier, the pair of bracket mounting holes of the first bracket are aligned with the second pair of pan mounting holes longitudinally offset from the central area, and the pair of bracket mounting holes of a second bracket of the at least one bracket are aligned with the third pair of pan mounting holes longitudinally offset from the central area opposite the second pair of pan mounting holes, the first and second brackets oriented to each receive one of two longitudinal struts for connecting the pan to the first beam. 
   
     
     
         10 : The foundation system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the pan is rectangular in plan shape and includes first and second edges extending in the longitudinal direction and third and fourth edges extending in the lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction;   the first pair of pan mounting holes are oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction and equally spaced from the first and second edges;   the second pair of pan mounting holes are oriented parallel to the lateral direction and positioned closer to third edge than to the fourth edge; and   the third pair of pan mounting holes are oriented parallel to the lateral direction and positioned closer to the fourth edge than to the third edge.   
     
     
         11 : The foundation system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the first, second, third and fourth edges of the pan are either downturned edges or upturned edges, the downturned edges configured to be driven downward into the ground surface to anchor the pan longitudinally and laterally relative to the ground surface; and   in any of the first, second and third configurations the at least one bracket is bolted to the pan with bolts extending through the pair of bracket mounting holes when aligned with one of the one of the first, second, or third pairs of pan mounting holes.   
     
     
         12 : The foundation system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the at least one bracket is a T-shaped bracket in plan view including an upwardly open long channel extending in a first direction and an upwardly open short channel extending at substantially a right angle from a mid-portion of the upwardly open long channel; and   the pair of bracket mounting holes of the at least one bracket are spaced apart in the first direction by a bracket hole spacing along a bottom of the upwardly open long channel.   
     
     
         13 : The foundation system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first pair of pan mounting holes are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction by a distance equal to the bracket hole spacing;   the second pair of pan mounting holes are spaced apart in the lateral direction by a distance equal to the bracket hole spacing; and   the third pair of pan mounting holes are spaced apart in the lateral direction by a distance equal to the bracket hole spacing.   
     
     
         14 : The foundation system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 in the first configuration the two longitudinal struts are connected to the upwardly open long channel of the first bracket;   in the second configuration the one longitudinal strut is connected to the upwardly open short channel of the first bracket and the one lateral strut is connected to the upwardly open long channel of the first bracket; and   in the third configuration the two longitudinal struts are each connected to the upwardly open short channel of different ones of the first and second brackets.   
     
     
         15 : A method of installing a foundation system for supporting a manufactured building from a ground surface, the method comprising:
 (a) providing at least one bracket, each bracket of the at least one bracket including a pair of bracket mounting holes;   (b) providing a pan configured to engage the ground surface, the pan including first, second, and third pairs of pan mounting holes arranged to correspond to multiple orientations of the at least one bracket;   (c) aligning the pair of bracket mounting holes of a first bracket of the at least one bracket with corresponding holes of one of the first, second, or third pairs of pan mounting holes; and   (d) coupling the first bracket to the pan.   
     
     
         16 : The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 step (c) includes aligning the pair of bracket mounting holes of the first bracket with the first pair of pan mounting holes in a central area of the pan; and   the method further includes:   coupling two longitudinal struts to the first bracket, the two longitudinal struts extending in a longitudinal direction for connecting the pan to a first beam of the manufactured building; and   coupling one lateral strut to the first bracket, the one lateral strut extending in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction for connecting the pan to a second beam of the manufactured building.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 step (c) includes aligning the pair of bracket mounting holes of the first bracket with one pair of the second or third pairs of pan mounting holes longitudinally offset from a central area of the pan; and   the method further includes:   coupling one longitudinal strut to the first bracket, the one longitudinal strut extending in a longitudinal direction for connecting the pan to a first beam of the manufactured building; and   coupling one lateral strut to the first bracket, the one lateral strut extending in a lateral direction transverse to the longitudinal direction for connecting the pan to a second beam of the manufactured building.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 receiving a block pier on the central area of the pan, the block pier configured to extend upwardly to the first beam.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 step (c) includes:
 aligning the pair of bracket mounting holes of the first bracket with the second pair of pan mounting holes longitudinally offset from a central area of the pan; 
 aligning the pair of bracket mounting holes of a second bracket of the at least one bracket with the third pair of pan mounting holes longitudinally offset from the central area of the pan opposite the second pair of pan mounting holes; and 
   the method further includes:   coupling a first longitudinal strut to the first bracket, the first longitudinal strut extending in a longitudinal direction for connecting the pan to a first beam of the manufactured building; and   coupling a second longitudinal strut to the second bracket, the second longitudinal strut extending in the longitudinal direction for connecting the pan to the first beam.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 receiving a block pier on the central area of the pan, the block pier configured to extend upwardly to the first beam.