Support ring for lifting anchor

Abstract

An apparatus for strengthening a lifting anchor includes a ring configured to be disposed within concrete around a concrete anchor. The ring includes an inner wall facing the concrete anchor, an outer wall opposite to the inner wall, a lower lip protruding from the outer wall, and an upper lip protruding from the inner wall.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, the system comprising:
 a concrete anchor configured to be positioned within concrete; and   a ring configured to be disposed within the concrete around the concrete anchor, the ring comprising:
 an inner wall facing the concrete anchor; 
 an outer wall opposite to the inner wall; 
 a lower lip protruding from the outer wall; and 
 an upper lip protruding from the inner wall. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ring has a diameter, in a virtual plane substantially perpendicular to a length of the concrete anchor, of not less than a maximum width of the concrete anchor in the virtual plane and not greater than six times an effective height of the concrete anchor. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the diameter is not greater than four times the effective height of the concrete anchor. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the concrete anchor comprises a base and a stem extending away from the base toward a top of the concrete; and   the ring is oriented with the upper lip towards the top of the concrete and the lower lip away from the top of the concrete.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein a top of the stem is configured to be attached to a lifting apparatus. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ring is configured to be disposed around the concrete anchor such that the concrete anchor is substantially centered with respect to the ring. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ring is cylindrical and oriented with a length of the cylinder positioned substantially parallel to a length of the concrete anchor. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ring comprises at least one of: a hollow, open cylinder; a hollow, open rectangular prism; a hollow, open triangular prism; an open prismoid; an open, oblong prism; and an open, oval prism. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a length of the ring is substantially equal to a length of the concrete anchor. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ring is configured to be disposed around the concrete anchor to maintain an inner volume of the concrete between the inner wall and the concrete anchor. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , the inner wall and the outer wall having a wall length substantially parallel to a length of the concrete anchor. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a length of the lower lip, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the wall length, is not greater than one fourth of the wall length and/or a length of the upper lip, in the direction substantially perpendicular to the wall length, is not greater than one fourth of the wall length. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a recess plug removably attached to the concrete anchor and configured to create a recess around a top of the concrete anchor when the recess plug is removed to facilitate connection to the top of the concrete anchor. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an interlocking member connecting the concrete anchor to the ring, the interlocking member configured to maintain a position of the concrete anchor with respect to the ring while the concrete is poured around the concrete anchor and the ring. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the concrete anchor comprises a base and a stem extending from the base, wherein the base comprises a lip extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the stem. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 a ring configured to be disposed within concrete around a concrete anchor, the ring comprising:
 an inner wall facing the concrete anchor; 
 an outer wall opposite to the inner wall; 
 a lower lip protruding from the outer wall; and 
 an upper lip protruding from the inner wall. 
   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the ring has a diameter, in a virtual plane substantially perpendicular to a length of the concrete anchor, of not less than a maximum width of the concrete anchor in the virtual plane and not greater than six times an effective height of the anchor. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the diameter is not greater than four times the effective height of the concrete anchor. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the ring is configured to be disposed around the concrete anchor such that the concrete anchor is substantially centered with respect to the ring. 
     
     
         20 . A system, the system comprising:
 a concrete anchor configured to be positioned within concrete, the concrete anchor comprising:
 a base; and 
 a stem extending away from the base toward a top of the concrete, the stem comprising a top configured to be attached to a lifting apparatus; and 
   a ring configured to be disposed within the concrete around the concrete anchor such that the concrete anchor is substantially centered with respect to the ring, the ring comprising:
 an inner wall facing the concrete anchor; 
 an outer wall opposite to the inner wall; 
 a lower lip protruding from the outer wall and positioned at a bottom of the ring; and 
 an upper lip protruding from the inner wall and positioned at a top of the ring, 
   wherein the ring has a diameter, in a virtual plane substantially perpendicular to a length of the concrete anchor, of not less than a maximum width of the concrete anchor in the virtual plane and not greater than six times an effective height of the concrete anchor, and   wherein the ring is oriented with the upper lip towards the top of the concrete and the lower lip away from the top of the concrete.