Retaining wall anchoring system

Abstract

A retaining wall anchoring system for securing a retaining wall by coupling it to an anchor member via a plurality of coupled pieces of rebar includes a wall structure formed of a plurality of blocks, each block having a passage that aligns with each passage of the other blocks to define a channel. A rigid anchor member is encased in a quantity of a soil. A plurality of pieces of rebar couple the anchor member to the wall structure. A wall piece of the plurality of pieces of rebar extends through the channel, and a wall fill fills the channel, encasing the wall piece and securing it to the wall structure.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A retaining wall anchoring system comprising:
 a wall structure, said wall structure formed of a plurality of blocks, each block having a front side and a back side opposite said front side, each block having a top side and a bottom side opposite said top side, each block having a passage extending from said top side to said bottom side, said plurality of blocks being stacked such that except for a bottommost block of said plurality of blocks said bottom side of each said block abuts said top side of an adjacent block of said plurality of blocks, said passage of each said block aligning with said passages of each other block to define a channel;   a block hole, said block hole extending between a back side of one block of said plurality of blocks of said wall structure and said passage of said one block;   an anchor member, said anchor member being rigid;   a plurality of pieces of rebar, said plurality of pieces of rebar comprising a wall piece, an anchor piece, and a middle piece, said middle piece extending between and being coupled to said wall piece and said anchor piece, said middle piece extending through said block hole of said one block, said wall piece being positioned within said channel, said wall piece extending downward and away from said anchor piece, said anchor piece extending downward into said anchor member, said anchor piece being coupled to said anchor member;   a wall fill, said wall fill being positioned within said channel, said wall fill being coupled to said wall structure, said wall fill encasing a portion of said wall piece, said wall fill being rigid, said wall fill securing said wall piece to said wall structure; and   a quantity of a soil, said quantity of said soil encasing a portion of said anchor member, said anchor member securing said wall structure to said quantity of said soil.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising each block having a lip extending from said bottom side adjacent said back side, said plurality of blocks being stacked such that except for a bottommost block of said plurality of blocks said lip of each block abuts said back side of said adjacent block. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising each block being equal in size and shape to each other block. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising said anchor member being formed of an anchor form and an anchor fill, said anchor form being hollow, said anchor fill being positioned within and coupled to said anchor form, said anchor fill filling said anchor form. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising said middle piece of said plurality of pieces of rebar being longer than each of said wall piece and said anchor piece. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising each piece of rebar having a pair of ends, each end of each piece of rebar being externally threaded. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , further comprising a pair of couplers, each said coupler being coupled to said middle piece and an associated one of each of said wall piece and said anchor piece, each said coupler having a pair of coupler ends, each said coupler having a pair of coupler holes, each coupler hole being positioned at each coupler end, each coupler hole being internally threaded, each coupler hole being elongate, each coupler hole being complementary in shape to each end of each piece of rebar. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , further comprising each coupler having a pair of portions, each portion including an associated coupler end and an associated coupler hole, a first portion of said pair of portions being positionable along a range of angles relative to a second portion of said pair of portions. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , further comprising each portion having a surface opposite said associated coupler end and angled relative to said associated coupler end, said surface of said first portion being flush with said second surface, said first portion being rotatably coupled to said second portion, said surface of said first portion remaining flush with said second surface when said first portion rotates, said first portion being rotationally positionable such that a central longitudinal axis of said coupler hole of said first portion is positioned along said range of angles to a central longitudinal axis of said coupler hole of said second portion, said range of angles including an alignment angle wherein said central longitudinal axis of said first portion and said central longitudinal axis of said second portion align and said coupler hole of said first portion faces opposite said coupler hole of said second portion. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising said quantity of said soil encasing each of said anchor piece and a portion of said middle piece without said wall structure, said quantity of said soil abutting said back side of each said block. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 4 , further comprising said anchor fill being constructed of cement. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising said wall fill being constructed of cement. 
     
     
         13 . A retaining wall anchoring system comprising:
 a wall structure, said wall structure formed of a plurality of blocks, each block having a front side and a back side opposite said front side, each block having a top side and a bottom side opposite said top side, each block having a lip extending from said bottom side adjacent said back side, each block having a passage extending from said top side to said bottom side, each block being equal in size and shape to each other block, said plurality of blocks being stacked such that except for a bottommost block of said plurality of blocks said bottom side of each said block abuts said top side of an adjacent block of said plurality of blocks and said lip abuts said back side of said adjacent block, said passage of each said block aligning with said passages of each other block to define a channel;   a block hole, said block hole extending between a back side of one block of said plurality of blocks of said wall structure and said passage of said one block;   an anchor member, said anchor member being formed of an anchor form and an anchor fill, said anchor form being a hollow cylinder, said anchor fill being positioned within and coupled to said anchor form, said anchor fill filling said anchor form, said anchor member being rigid;   a plurality of pieces of rebar, said plurality of pieces of rebar comprising a wall piece, an anchor piece, and a middle piece, said middle piece extending between and being coupled to said wall piece and said anchor piece, said middle piece extending through said block hole of said one block, said wall piece being positioned within said channel, said wall piece extending downward and away from said anchor piece, said anchor piece extending downward into said anchor member, said anchor piece being coupled to said anchor member, said middle piece being longer than each of said wall piece and said anchor piece, each piece of rebar having a pair of ends, each end of each piece of rebar being externally threaded;   a pair of couplers, each said coupler being coupled to said middle piece and an associated one of each of said wall piece and said anchor piece, each said coupler having a pair of coupler ends, each said coupler having a pair of coupler holes, each coupler hole being positioned at each coupler end, each coupler hole being internally threaded, each coupler hole being elongate, each coupler hole being complementary in shape to each end of each piece of rebar,
 each coupler having a pair of portions, each portion including an associated coupler end and an associated coupler hole, each portion having a surface opposite said associated coupler end and angled relative to said associated coupler end, said pair of portions including a first portion and a second portion, said surface of said first portion being flush with said second surface, said first portion being rotatably coupled to said second portion, said surface of said first portion remaining flush with said second surface when said first portion rotates, said first portion being rotationally positionable such that a central longitudinal axis of said coupler hole of said first portion is positioned along a range of angles to a central longitudinal axis of said coupler hole of said second portion, said range of angles including an alignment angle wherein said central longitudinal axis of said first portion and said central longitudinal axis of said second portion align and said coupler hole of said first portion faces opposite said coupler hole of said second portion; 
   a wall fill, said wall fill being positioned within said channel, said wall fill being coupled to said wall structure, said wall fill filling said channel, said wall fill encasing said wall piece, said wall fill being rigid, said wall fill securing said wall piece to said wall structure; and   a quantity of a soil, said quantity of said soil encasing each of said anchor member, said anchor piece, and a portion of said middle piece without said wall structure, said anchor member securing said wall structure to said quantity of said soil, said quantity of said soil abutting said back side of each said block.   
     
     
         14 . A method of constructing a retaining wall comprising:
 providing a plurality of blocks, each block having a front side and a back side opposite said front side, each block having a top side and a bottom side opposite said top side, each block having a passage extending from said top side to said bottom side;   stacking said plurality of blocks to define a wall structure such that except for a bottommost block of said plurality of blocks, said bottom side of each block abuts said top side of an adjacent block of said plurality of blocks, stacking said plurality of blocks such that said passage of each said block cooperates with said passages of each other block to define a channel;   drilling a block hole in one block of said plurality of blocks from said back side of said one block to said passage of said one block;   providing a plurality of pieces of rebar, said plurality of pieces of rebar comprising a wall piece, an anchor piece, and a middle piece;   inserting said middle piece through said block hole such that a passage portion of said middle piece is positioned in said passage of said one block and an extension portion of said middle piece extends away from said block;   positioning said wall piece within said channel proximate said middle piece, said wall piece extending downward and away from said middle piece;   coupling said wall piece to said middle piece;   providing an anchor form, said anchor form being hollow;   positioning said anchor form below an end of said extension portion of said middle piece;   positioning said anchor piece within said anchor form proximate said middle piece, said anchor piece extending downward from said middle piece;   coupling said anchor piece to said middle piece;   providing an anchor fill, said anchor fill being flowable, said anchor fill being settable such that said anchor fill becomes rigid;   pouring said anchor fill into said anchor form such that said anchor fill encases a portion of said anchor piece;   providing a wall fill, said wall fill being flowable, said wall fill being settable such that said wall fill becomes rigid;   pouring said wall fill into said channel such that said wall fill encases a portion of said wall piece;   setting said anchor fill and said wall fill, thereby securing said anchor piece to said anchor form and said wall piece to said wall structure respectively, said anchor fill and said anchor form cooperatively defining an anchor member;   providing a quantity of a soil; and   positioning said quantity of said soil such that it encases a portion of said anchor member, said anchor member thereby securing said wall structure to said quantity of said soil.