US20240084543A1

US20240084543A1 - Retaining wall anchoring system

Info

Publication number: US20240084543A1
Application number: US17/944,152
Authority: US
Inventors: Mark Rabuck
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-09-13
Filing date: 2022-09-13
Publication date: 2024-03-14

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.

Description

(b) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

(c) STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

(d) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

(e) INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

Not Applicable

(f) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

(g) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to retaining wall systems and more particularly pertains to a new retaining wall system for securing a retaining wall by coupling it to an anchor member via a plurality of coupled pieces of rebar.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to retaining wall systems which utilize rebar or rods to secure a retaining wall to a quantity of soil. This includes devices which anchor the wall by setting a plurality of rods at an angle through the quantity of soil and devices which couple the retaining wall to an anchoring member by use of the plurality of rods. However, these devices rely on attaching the rods by fastening them via threaded fastener means to the retaining wall or hooking an end of the rod onto an engaging surface of the retaining wall or an intermediate member. The prior art does not disclose a retaining wall system that relies on encasing a series of coupled pieces of rebar with a filling material inside a channel defined by the retaining wall, nor does it disclose attaching the other end of the rod by encasing it with another filling material inside of an anchoring member. This sort of retaining wall system is advantageous in facilitating the securement of a retaining wall without specialized equipment.

(h) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising 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.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

(i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of components of a retaining wall anchoring system according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of components of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

(j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 3 thereof, a new retaining wall system embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 , the retaining wall anchoring system 10 generally comprises a wall structure 12 formed of a plurality of blocks 14. Each block 14 has a front side 16 and a back side 18 opposite the front side 16, and each block 14 has a top side 20 and a bottom side 22 opposite the top side 20. Each block 14 also has a lip 24 extending from the bottom side 22 adjacent the back side 18 and a passage 26 extending from the top side 20 to the bottom side 22. Each block 14 is equal in size and shape to each other block 14. The plurality of blocks 14 is stacked such that except for a bottommost block 28 of the plurality of blocks 14 the bottom side 22 of each block 14 abuts the top side 20 of an adjacent block 14 of the plurality of blocks 14 and the lip 24 abuts the back side 18 of the adjacent block 14. The passage 26 of each block 14 aligns with the passages 26 of each other block 14 to define a channel 30. A block hole 32 extends between a back side 18 of one block 14 of the plurality of blocks 14 of the wall structure 12 and the passage 26 of the one block 14.
An anchor member 34 is rigid and is formed of an anchor form 36 and an anchor fill 38. The anchor form 36 is a hollow cylinder, and the anchor fill 38 is positioned within and coupled to the anchor form 36, filling the anchor form 36.
A plurality of pieces of rebar 40 comprises a wall piece 42, an anchor piece 44, and a middle piece 46. The middle piece 46 extends between and is coupled to the wall piece 42 and the anchor piece 44. The middle piece 46 also extends through the block hole 32 of the one block 14. The wall piece 42 is positioned within the channel 30, extending downward and away from the anchor piece 44. The anchor piece 44 extends downward into and is coupled to the anchor member 34. The middle piece 46 is longer than each of the wall piece 42 and the anchor piece 44. Each piece of rebar 40 has a pair of ends 48, each of which is externally threaded.
Each of a pair of couplers 50 is coupled to the middle piece 46 and an associated one of each of the wall piece 42 and the anchor piece 44. Each coupler 50 has a pair of coupler ends 52 and a pair of coupler holes 54. Each coupler hole 54 is positioned at each coupler end 52 and is internally threaded. Each coupler hole 54 is also elongate and is complementary in shape to each end 48 of each piece of rebar 40.
Each coupler 50 has a pair of portions 56, with each portion 56 including an associated coupler end 52 and an associated coupler hole 54. Each portion 56 has a surface 58 opposite the associated coupler end 52 and angled relative to the associated coupler end 52. The pair of portions 56 includes a first portion 60 and a second portion 62, wherein the surface 58 of the first portion 60 is flush with the second surface 58 and is rotatably coupled to the second portion 62. The surface 58 of the first portion 60 remains flush with the second surface 58 when the first portion 60 rotates. The first portion 60 is rotationally positionable such that a central longitudinal axis of the coupler hole 54 of the first portion 60 is positioned along a range of angles to a central longitudinal axis of the coupler hole 54 of the second portion 62, including an alignment angle 64 wherein the central longitudinal axis of the first portion 60 and the central longitudinal axis of the second portion 62 align and the coupler hole 54 of the first portion 60 faces opposite the coupler hole 54 of the second portion 62.
A wall fill 66 fills the channel 30 and couples to the wall structure 12. The wall fill 66 encases the wall piece 42. The wall fill 66 is rigid, securing the wall piece 42 to the wall structure 12. A quantity of a soil 68 encases each of the anchor member 34, the anchor piece 44, and a portion 56 of the middle piece 46 without the wall structure 12. The quantity of the soil 68 also abuts the back side 18 of each block 14. The anchor member 34 secures the wall structure 12 to the quantity of the soil 68.
In use, the quantity of the soil 68 abuts the back side 18 of each block 14 in the wall structure 12 and also encases the anchor member 34, the anchor piece 44, and the portion 56 of the middle piece 46 without the wall structure 12. Any force exerted by the quantity of the soil 68 on the wall structure 12 due to the weight of the quantity of soil and the weight of any structure on the quantity of soil is counteracted by the anchor member 34 securing the wall structure 12 to the quantity of soil.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

Claims

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;

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.