Elevated flooring system and components thereof

Abstract

An elevated flooring system having plurality of beams configured to support a respective portion of at least one flooring panel, and at least one saddle configured to support the at least one of the beams. The saddle has a generally horizontally oriented base plate with an alignment post extending generally vertically upwardly from the base plate. The beam has an alignment passage extending through a portion of the bottom of a first end of the beam, wherein the alignment passage is configured to receive a portion of the alignment post of the saddle such that a portion of the beam rests on a portion of the base plate. A method of installing the elevated flooring system includes lowering a first beam and a second beam onto the alignment post of a saddle such that respective portions of the alignment post are received by the alignment passage of the first beam and the alignment passage of the second beam.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by letters patent is as follows: 
     
         1 . An elevated flooring system comprising:
 at least two support beams configured to support a portion of at least one flooring panel, each of the at least two support beams having a first end; and   a saddle configured to support respective first ends of each of the at least two support beams, the saddle comprising a base plate and an alignment post extending upwardly from the base plate;   wherein each one of the at least two support beams includes a respective first alignment passage extending through a portion of the bottom of the first end;   wherein the alignment post is configured to be partially received by the first alignment passage of each one of the at least two support beams such that a portion of each support beam rests on a portion of the base plate.   
     
     
         2 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 1 , wherein the alignment post is configured to guide the at least two support beams into close contact with each other when the alignment post is received by respective first alignment passages of each of the at least two support beams. 
     
     
         3 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 1 , each one of the at least two support beams further comprising a first beam aperture and the saddle further comprising a respective first saddle aperture for each one of the at least two support beams;
 wherein each first beam aperture and each first saddle aperture is respectively positioned such that, when the alignment post is received within a respective alignment passage, the first beam aperture and the first saddle aperture are generally coaxially aligned.   
     
     
         4 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 3 , wherein each first beam aperture and each first saddle aperture are configured to receive a fastener when coaxially aligned. 
     
     
         5 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least two support beams comprise a first support beam and a second support beam, the respective first alignment passages of the first support beam and the second support beam being configured to receive respective first and second sides of the saddle post such that the first and second support beams are substantially aligned with respective first ends and positioned in close contact relative to each other. 
     
     
         6 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 1 , wherein the first alignment passage extends upward from the bottom of its respective support beam to between approximately one-quarter and approximately three-quarters of the height of the beam. 
     
     
         7 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 6 , wherein the first alignment passage extends upward from the bottom of its respective support beam to approximately half the height of the beam. 
     
     
         8 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two support beams includes a first end wall extending downward from the top of the beam along at least an upper portion of the first end. 
     
     
         9 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 8 , wherein a lower portion of the first end wall partially defines the first alignment passage. 
     
     
         10 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 9 , wherein an upper portion of the alignment post comprises a guide portion with a retaining recess, and wherein the lower portion of the first end wall is configured to be received in the retaining recess in close engagement when the beam engages the alignment post. 
     
     
         11 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 10 , wherein the upper portion of the alignment post further comprises a guide section configured to direct respective first ends of each of the at least two support beams into the retaining recess when the alignment post is received by respective first alignment passages of each of the at least two support beams. 
     
     
         12 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 11 , wherein the retaining recess comprises substantially vertical side walls and the guide section comprises opposing sloped side walls. 
     
     
         13 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 10 , wherein the retaining recess is generally configured to restrict horizontal travel of each one of the at least two support beams when the respective beam engages the alignment post, and wherein the retaining recess is generally configured to allow upward travel of each one of the at least two support beams when the respective beam engages the alignment post. 
     
     
         14 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 1 , wherein the base plate is generally in a horizontal orientation. 
     
     
         15 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 1 , wherein the alignment post is generally in a vertical orientation. 
     
     
         16 . The elevated flooring system of  claim 1 , wherein the alignment post is generally oriented perpendicular to the base plate. 
     
     
         17 . A method of assembling an elevated flooring system comprising:
 providing a plurality of saddles, each saddle comprising a base plate and an alignment post extending upwardly from the base plate;   providing a plurality of support beams, each support beam comprising a first end and a respective first alignment passage extending through a portion of the bottom of the first end;   installing the plurality of saddles in a substantially horizontal plane above a support surface; and   installing a first one of the plurality of support beams on a first one of the plurality of saddles by lowering the first end of the first support beam onto the first saddle such that the alignment post of the first saddle is partially received by the first alignment passage of the first support beam and a portion of the first support beam rests on a portion of the base plate of the first saddle.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first support beam further comprises a second end and a respective second alignment passage extending through a portion of the bottom of the second end, the method further comprising:
 installing the first support beam on a second saddle by lowering the second end of the first support beam onto the second saddle such that the alignment post of the second saddle is partially received by the second alignment passage of the first support beam and a portion of the first support beam rests on a portion of the base plate of the second saddle.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising installing a second support beam on the first saddle by lowering the first end of the second support beam onto the first saddle such that the alignment post of the first saddle is partially received by the first alignment passage of the second support beam and a portion of the second support beam rests on a portion of the base plate of the first saddle. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein substantially a first half of the alignment post of the first saddle is received by the first alignment passage of the first support beam and substantially the second half of the alignment post of the first saddle is received by the first alignment passage of the second support beam when the first and second support beams are installed.