Title of Invention: FOUNDATION ANCHOR

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a foundation anchor. In particular, exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to metal plates that are bent and bolted together, which can then be inserted into the ground and used as a foundation anchor.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Conventionally, various types of structural loads may be supported through the use of foundations inserted into the ground. Foundations may be used to support communication towers, transmission and utility poles, roadway signs, retaining and sound walls, and the like. Foundations may be subject to four testing forces comprising compression, uplift, lateral, and torsional. The effect of the testing forces may be understood by moment and shear stress calculations deduced by measuring deflection, rotation, settlement, and uplift of the foundation. Foundations may be subject to shear and bending stresses to measure settlement, uplift, rotation, and deflection before installation.

[0003] One type of foundation is a concrete caisson, where a hole is drilled in the ground and cast concrete fills the drilled hole. Structural reinforcement, such as steel rebar, may be disposed in the concrete. However, there are some disadvantages to concrete caissons, such as associated construction costs. For instance, it may be necessary to build roads leading to the installation site for the caisson so a truck can pour concrete therein. Construction costs may quickly escalate since multiple trucks carrying concrete may be needed to fill a single caisson. Further costs and time delays associated with caisson formation may be from rebar, rebar piers, machinery such as excavators, front loaders, and cranes, fuel, grounding wire, and labor.

[0004] There may also be a lengthy construction period for forming concrete caissons, including site selection, equipment deployment, hole excavation and dewatering, rebar installation, and concrete pouring. Concrete caissons may require strength testing between 14 and 28 days, and only after the concrete has set may the top load then be installed. There is also the potential for delays due to weather, further increasing the construction period.

[0005] Displacement pile foundations, which may be made of steel or other metal, may be used instead of concrete caissons. However, conventional displacement pile foundations may not be suitable for accommodating loads subject to the forces mentioned above, without requiring specialized structures that may make them large and expensive. One type of displacement pile foundation is disclosed in WO 2013/044125, where plates are welded to each other to form fins extending from a center point. However, there are structural drawbacks to using welding in pile foundations, such as when the foundation is installed in the ground, because if the welded foundation hits rock or other obstruction, structural integrity of the welds themselves may be compromised. Also, welding may have a negative impact on the environment and human health. Welding can produce carbon monoxide, hydrogen fluoride, and nitrogen oxide, exposure to which may affect the brain, nervous system, and other organs, on both a short and long term basis.

[0006] Another type of displacement pile foundation is the metal fin pipe foundation, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2005/0232707, where metal fins are welded to a central metal tube or pipe. However, the metal fin pipe foundation may require the ground into which the foundation is to be installed to be pre-drilled, adding time and cost to the installation process.

[0007] Foundations may be galvanized in order to protect them from oxidation and rust. In foundations that are welded, the galvanization may be done after welding. If welding is performed after galvanization, the welding process may harm the zinc plating applied previously during galvanization and decrease the effectiveness thereof. However, if welding is performed prior to galvanization, then the metal fin pipe foundation may either need to be pre-formed before transportation to the installation site, or otherwise the galvanization and welding materials may be brought to the installation site to fabricate the metal fin pipe foundation on-site. In either instance, the cost and complexity of fabricating and installing the metal fin pipe foundation may be undesirably increased.

[0008] A conventional method of protecting a bridge or overpass is by using a bridge barrier, such as the Jersey, F-Shape, Constant Slope, or Texas Barrier poured within a concrete moment slab. The purpose of the bridge barrier is to protect the integrity of a bridge or overpass should a vehicle strike the bridge barrier. The bridge barrier may serve as a protective guard for the bridge or overpass. A concrete moment slab may include a predetermined length, width, and volume of reinforced concrete. The current method of installation for a concrete bridge barrier and moment slab may be a lengthy and costly process. Furthermore, existing bridges that were built using this conventional method of forming bridge barriers may be deteriorating in functionality, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in costs for replacement or upgrading.

[0009] The conventional method of installing the bridge barrier may begin with the Department of Transportation closing a section of roadway or marking off traffic lanes for a lengthy period of time. The traffic patterns are re-routed and the cost of this closure may be massive to the state and to the public. Once traffic has been closed off, an excavator is brought to the site to remove a certain width, length, and depth of soil. Several large trucks remove the soil from the site. Laborers prepare the ground, which requires grading and compacting after the excavations. Rebar is brought on site, lifted by crane off of flat bed trucks and lowered to the ground for laborers to tie cages while simultaneously forming the perimeter of the concrete pier or caisson. Thus, preparing the site for forming the bridge barrier may be a very time consuming and labor intensive act.

[0010] Dial rods may be installed when adding the concrete moment slab to an existing road and bridge. A skilled laborer may cut the existing road out with a diamond saw and drill holes into existing concrete before rebar is placed and the concrete poured. Once the dial rods are installed, laborers apply chairs to support the rebar to further ensure that it will remain in place for the concrete pour. Once the rebar is installed, several heavy duty trucks loaded with concrete arrive to the site. If the weather permits, the concrete can be poured. If the hole fills with rain water, it may need to be de-watered before the concrete can be poured. Concrete curing oils or curing compounds may be added if necessary to expedite the curing process. After 12-28 days, the concrete cures and is tested for structural integrity. If the concrete passes the test, the forms are stripped and the site restoration begins. Finally, the road re-opens and the process is complete. If the test fails, the concrete is removed and the process repeats itself from the start. During this time period is when most traffic accidents occur due to a change in traffic patterns and landscape, such as holes being formed. Thus, the method of forming the bridge barrier may be very labor intensive, timely, and not cost effective

[0011] The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept and therefore it may contain information that does not form any part of the prior art nor what the prior art may suggest to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a foundation anchor including a foundation having wings each made of a single metal sheet and that are connected together, and having a gap between the wings forming a diamond or triangle shape.

[0013] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention also provide a foundation anchor having a tie plate connecting at least two wings of the foundation.

[0014] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention also provide a foundation anchor having a transition plate connected to the foundation.

[0015] Additional features of the inventive concept will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the inventive concept.

[0016] A foundation anchor including first and second foundations, each including first, second, third, and fourth wings, each including first and second wing portions and a bent portion. The foundation anchor further includes first and second tie plates connecting the first and second foundations to each other, first through eighth wing brackets, each wing bracket connected to an upper portion of one of the first through fourth wings of the first or second foundations, and a transition plate connected to the top plate of each of the first through eighth wing brackets, the transition plate having a greatest length extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to an extending direction of the greatest length of the first and second foundations.

[0017] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the inventive concept as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the inventive concept, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept, and, together with the description, serve to explain principles of the inventive concept.

[0019] Fig. 1 A illustrates a perspective view of a foundation anchor according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0020] Fig. IB illustrates a front view of the foundation anchor of Fig. 1A.

[0021] Fig. 1C illustrates a bottom view of the foundation anchor of Fig. 1A.

[0022] Fig. ID illustrates a side view of the foundation anchor of Fig. 1A.

[0023] Fig. 2A illustrates a front view of a wing diamond foundation of the foundation anchor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

[0024] Fig. 2B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the wing diamond foundation of Fig. 2A.

[0025] Fig. 2C illustrates a side view of the wing diamond foundation of Fig. 2 A, taken along line A- A' of Fig. 2B.

[0026] Fig. 3 illustrates a front view of a tie plate of the foundation anchor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

[0027] Fig. 4 illustrates a front view of a tie plate of the foundation anchor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

[0028] Fig. 5 A illustrates a perspective view of a wing bracket of the foundation anchor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

[0029] Fig. 5B illustrates a front view of the wing bracket of Fig. 5 A.

[0030] Fig. 5C illustrates a side view of the wing bracket of Fig. 5 A.

[0031] Fig. 5D illustrates a bottom view of the wing bracket of Fig. 5 A.

[0032] Fig. 5E illustrates a side view of the wing bracket of Fig. 5 A, taken along line A-A of Fig. 5D.

[0033] Fig. 5F illustrates a layout view of the wing bracket of Fig. 5 A. [0034] Fig. 5G illustrates a gusset of the wing bracket of Fig. 5 A.

[0035] Fig. 5H illustrates a front view of the wing bracket of Fig. 5 A.

[0036] Fig. 51 illustrates a bottom view of the wing bracket of Fig. 5 A.

[0037] Fig. 6 illustrates a transition plate of the foundation anchor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

[0038] Figs. 7A and 7B illustrate an angle bracket of the foundation anchor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

[0039] Figs. 8 A and 8B illustrate a spacer plate of the foundation anchor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

[0040] Figs. 9A and 9B illustrate an internal support plate of the foundation anchor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

[0041] Figs. 10A, 10B, 11 A, 11B, 12 and 13 illustrate a foundation anchor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0042] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various exemplary embodiments. It is apparent, however, that various exemplary embodiments may be practiced without these specific details or with one or more equivalent arrangements. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring various exemplary embodiments.

[0043] In the accompanying figures, the size and relative sizes of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., may be exaggerated for clarity and descriptive purposes. Also, like reference numerals denote like elements.

[0044] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it may be directly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers may be present. When, however, an element or layer is referred to as being "directly on," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. For the purposes of this disclosure, "at least one of X, Y, and Z" and "at least one selected from the group consisting of X, Y, and Z" may be construed as X only, Y only, Z only, or any combination of two or more of X, Y, and Z, such as, for instance, XYZ, XYY, YZ, and ZZ. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0045] Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, and/or section from another element, component, region, layer, and/or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, and/or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer, and/or section without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0046] Spatially relative terms, such as "beneath," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, may be used herein for descriptive purposes, and, thereby, to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the drawings. Spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of an apparatus in use, operation, and/or manufacture in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. For example, if the apparatus in the drawings is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. Furthermore, the apparatus may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and, as such, the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

[0047] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms, "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Moreover, the terms "comprises," comprising," "includes," and/or "including," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[0048] Various exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to sectional illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized exemplary embodiments and/or intermediate structures. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, exemplary embodiments disclosed herein should not be construed as limited to the particular illustrated shapes of regions, but are to include deviations in shapes that result from, for instance, manufacturing. Thus, the regions illustrated in the drawings are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shape of a region of a device and are not intended to be limiting.

[0049] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure is a part. Terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein. [0050] Fig. 1 A - Fig. ID illustrate a foundation anchor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 A illustrates a perspective view of the foundation anchor 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The foundation anchor 10 includes two wing diamond foundations 100. Each wing diamond foundation 100 may be made of galvanized steel or other metal suitable for permanent installation into the ground. Each wing diamond foundation 100 may be formed through any process that can create each single metal sheet template having the proper dimensions. The final wing form is fabricated by placing the template in a brake and bending at appropriate angles. Here, two four-wing diamond foundations are shown, which will be described in further detail below. However, exemplary embodiments of the foundation anchor may instead or also use two- or three-wing diamond foundations, as described in U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 14/683,479, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

[0051] The wing diamond foundations 100 are connected to each other using tie plates 200 and 300, as shown in Fig. 1 A and IB. The tie plates 200 and 300 will be described in greater detail below. Wing brackets 400 are connected to top portions of each of the wing diamond foundations 100, as shown in Fig. 1 A, IB, and ID. The wing brackets 400, which will be described below, provide additional strength to the wing diamond foundations 100 by increasing the thickness thereof, as well as structural support. The wing brackets 400 also include a top plate. The foundation anchor 10 also includes a transition plate 500, which is connected to the top plate of the wing brackets 400. Although not shown in Figs. 1 A-1D, structures may be connected to the top surface of the transition plate 500, which is opposite to the bottom surface connected to the wing brackets 400.

[0052] Fig. 1C shows a bottom view of the foundation anchor 10, so the bottom surface of the transition plate 500, which is connected to the wing brackets 400, is shown. Angle brackets 600 connect the tie plates 300 to the transition plate 500. The tie plates 200 and 300 may have a spacer 700 disposed between the respective tie plate and the angle bracket, or between two parallel tie plates. The wing diamond foundations 100 may also have internal supports 800. The internal supports 800 are metal pieces connected on the inside of the diamond shaped space, opposite to the wing brackets 400. The internal supports 800 further increase the thickness of the wing diamond foundations 100, thereby increasing the strength thereof. The internal supports 800 may have substantially the same length as the wing brackets 400.

[0053] According to the present exemplary embodiment, and as shown in Figs. 2A, 2B, and 2C, each wing diamond foundation 100 in the foundation anchor 10 includes four wings 110. The wings 1 10 are formed to be substantially symmetrical. By forming each wing to be symmetrical, it is possible to utilize economies of scale. Also, symmetrical wings that have not yet been assembled into each wing diamond foundation 100 may be easily transported to a construction site, since the wings 110 may be stacked on each other.

[0054] The wing 110 has connection holes 120 disposed therein, and according to the present exemplary embodiment, four wings 110 may be connected together using connectors (not shown) disposed through the connection holes 120. Although not shown, the wings 110 may have holes variously disposed therein. The connectors may include mechanical fasteners such as bolts, rivets, clips, studs, and clamps. That is, the wings 110 are not welded together since connectors are used instead. Further, only four pieces of metal (excluding connectors) are required to form each wing diamond foundation 100, thus reducing the amount of work necessary to form the foundation compared to the conventional art.

[0055] The wing diamond foundation 100 having wings 1 10 that are connected using the connectors may also have improved strength compared to conventional metal fin pipe foundations. Bolts, such as A325 galvanized steel, may generally have a 3 : 1 ratio of strength compared to a weld, so it is more difficult to break a bolt than a weld. The welds in a metal fin pipe foundation may be formed only along the connection point between each fin and the center pipe. However, the connectors may be spaced along the metal wings to connect them together. Each wing diamond foundation 100 in the foundation anchor 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment may be held together by at least one connector on either side of the diamond portion of the foundation, in the width direction.

[0056] When torsional, compression, lateral, and uplift forces act upon the metal fin pipe foundation, stresses may be focused on the welds. Since the wing diamond foundation 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment has wings 110 that are made of a continuous piece of metal across the device, torsional, compression, uplift, and lateral forces may be dispersed along the wings and the diamond portion of the foundation. Further, because the wings 110 each have a large overlapping surface area, each wing diamond foundation 100 may be able to withstand substantially greater torsional, compression, uplift, and lateral forces than a conventional metal fin pipe foundation without incurring structural damage thereto. Forces acting on one wing are dispersed into the other wing, and into the diamond portion of the foundation. The metal, such as A50 steel, comprising the wings also doubles in thickness along the wings, further increasing resistance to torsional, compression, uplift, and lateral forces.

[0057] Since each wing diamond foundation 100 of the foundation anchor is designed to be installed in the ground, there is friction between the installed foundation and the ground surrounding it. Thus, downward axial and uplift forces are countered by friction plus the weight of the foundation, preventing the foundation from being pushed in or pulled out of the ground. Further, since the wings 110 may have a large surface area, friction with the ground may be increased.

[0058] Fig. 2A illustrates a front view of a wing 110 of one wing diamond foundation 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The wing 110 is symmetrical about an axis C running between first and second bent portions on the y-z axial plane. Although not shown, each wing diamond foundation 100 is also symmetrical about an axis running on the x-y axial plane. The wing 110 has a length LI that is substantially perpendicular to the top portion, and has a tapered length extending towards the bottom portion. The wing 110 may have a top row of connection holes 120 spaced apart by a total distance SI, which are spaced a distance from the top edge of the wing 110. These top row connection holes 120 may have a smaller diameter than the remainder of connection holes 120. There may be second rows, etc., of connection holes 120 spaced apart from each other by distance S2, the second row being spaced apart from other rows by a distance of S3. In the present exemplary

embodiment, LI is about 276.0 inches, SI is in a range of 20.0 to 30.0 inches, S2 is about 8.0 inches, and S3 is about 18.0 inches. By increasing the number of connection holes 120 in the top row of the wing 110, the resistance to forces concentrated near the intersection of the wing 110, wing brackets 400, and top plate of wing brackets may be better dispersed by the corresponding increased number of connectors.

[0059] Fig. 2B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the wing 110 of the wing diamond foundation 100, according to the present exemplary embodiment. The various dimensions of the wing 110 are presently indicated. The metal forming the wing 110 has a thickness tl . According to the present exemplary embodiment, the metal forming the wing 110 may have a thickness tl in a range of 0.5 to 1.0 inches. Width Wl is the width of a first wing portion, and width W2 is the width of second wing portions on either side of the first wing portion. The widths W2 are substantially the same. Widths Wl and W2 may be in the range of 10.0 to 27.0 inches.

[0060] Because the first wing 110 is made of a single sheet of metal, there are various bend points 140. A bend point 140 is located between the first wing portion and each second wing portion. The bend points 140 may each form the same obtuse angle between the first wing portion and the second wing. Accordingly, angle Θ1, measured from the plane extending along the first wing portion to the each second, is an obtuse angle. In the present exemplary embodiment, Θ1 may be 135 degrees.

[0061] Fig. 2C illustrates a side view of Fig. 2A, taken along line A- A' of Fig. 2B. Connections holes 120 are spaced close together near the top surface of the wing 110 to increase connection strength, as described above. The closely-spaced connection holes 120, of which there are five as shown in the present exemplary embodiment, are spaced apart from the top surface of the wing 110 by about 48.0 inches. The connection hole furthest from the top surface of the wing 110 is spaced apart from the last connection hole 120 close to the bottom surface of the wing 110 by a distance S4, which is about 216.0 inches. Connection holes 120 are spaced apart from the side surface of the wing 110 by distance S5, which is about 7.0 inches. The last connection hole close to the bottom surface of the wing 110, which is along the tapered portion thereof, is offset from the main line of connection holes 120 by a distance S6, which is about 4.0 inches.

[0062] Since the wings 110 of the wing diamond foundation 100 of the foundation anchor 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment are held together by bolts, rivets, etc. along the horizontal and vertical extent thereof, the wing diamond foundation 100 and foundation anchor 10 may be better able to withstand various forces acting on it after installation in the ground, compared to the conventional art. For example, unlike a pipe with fins welded thereto, there is no similar weak point at the corresponding bend points, since each one of the wings 110 of the wing diamond foundation 100 is formed of a single sheet of metal. Accordingly, the wing diamond foundation 100 and foundation anchor 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment may be less susceptible to torsional, compression, uplift, and lateral forces.

[0063] Fig. 3 illustrates a tie plate 200 of the foundation anchor 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The tie plate 200 includes connection holes 220 spaced apart by distance S10 along width W3 thereof. The tie plate may have multiple connection holes 220 along length L2 thereof, the connection holes 220 corresponding to connection holes 120 along sides of the wing diamond foundations 100, as shown in Figs. 1 A and IB. Accordingly, the tie plate 200 connects two wing diamond foundations 100 together to form the foundation anchor 10. According to the present exemplary embodiment, W3 may be about 40 inches, L2 may be about 47 inches, S7 may be about 24 inches, S8 may be about 11.5 inches, S9 may be about 4 inches, and S10 may be about 32 inches. The tie plate 200 may be about .75 inches thick, and have connection holes 220 that are about 1.56 inches in diameter.

[0064] Fig. 4 illustrates a tie plate 300 of the foundation anchor 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The tie plate 300 is substantially similar to the tie plate 200, except it may include additional connection holes 320 compared to the number of connection holes 220 in the tie plate 200. Further, the tie plate 300 may also include connection holes 330 each having a larger diameter than connection holes 320. The diameter of connection holes 330 may be about 2.06 inches. Accordingly, the tie plate 300 connects two wing diamond foundations 100 together, to form the foundation anchor 10. Further, the tie plate 300 may also connect wing brackets 400 to respective wing diamond foundations 100, as shown in Figs. 1 A and IB. The same connector may connect a wing diamond foundation 100, wing bracket 400, and tie plate 300 together through aligned bolt holes.

[0065] The tie plate connection holes 330 are spaced apart from the sides of the tie plate 300 by spacing S9, which is about 4.0 inches, and spaced apart from a top side of the tie plate 300 by spacing S12, which is about 3.0 inches. The connection holes 330 and 320 along each side of the tie plate 300 have a spread SI 1 of about 36.0 inches. The connection holes 320 along the top side of the tie plate 300 are spaced apart from the top side by spacing S13, which is about 2.5 inches. These connection holes are spaced apart from each other by spacing S14, which is about 5.0 inches. The tie plate 300 has a length L2 of about 47.0 inches and a width W3 of about 40.0 inches.

[0066] Fig. 5 A illustrates a wing bracket 400 of the foundation anchor 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The foundation anchor 10 includes eight total wing brackets 400, four wing brackets per wing diamond foundation 100. Each wing bracket 400 includes wings 410, which overlap each wing 110 of respective wing diamond foundations. Accordingly, connection holes 420 and 430 correspond with and overlap connection holes 120 and 130 of the wing diamond foundations 100. Each wing bracket 400 also includes a top plate 440 and may include gussets 450. The top plates 440 of four wing brackets 400 together constitute a circle, as shown in Fig. 1C.

[0067] Figs. 5B and 5C illustrate front and side views of the wing bracket 400. Since the connection holes 420 and 430 correspond with connection holes 120 and 130 of the wing diamond foundations 100, the spacing of the holes is substantially the same. The rows of connection holes along the first portion of the wing 410 are accordingly spaced apart by spacing S3, which is about 18.0 inches. The top row of connection holes, which has a greater number of connection holes than the other rows similar to as in the wing 110, have a spread SI, which is in the range of 20.0 to 30.0 inches. The connection holes 420 are spaced apart by distance S2, which is about 8.0 inches. The wing bracket 400 has a length L2 of about 48.0 inches.

[0068] Since the most significant portion of the forces acting on the upper parts of the foundation anchor 10 (such as the top plates 440 and the transition plate 500) are distributed into the upper parts of the wing diamond foundations 100, the wing brackets 400 each have a shorter length than the entire wing diamond foundations 100. The wing brackets 400 increase the effective thickness of the wing diamond foundations 100 along the length L3, thus mitigating forces acting on the upper parts of the foundation anchor 10.

[0069] Fig. 5D illustrates a bottom view of the wing bracket 400 and top plate 440, and shows a cross-sectional view of the wings 410, according to the present exemplary embodiment. The various dimensions of the wings 410 are presently indicated. The metal forming the wing 410 has a thickness t3. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the metal forming the wing 410 may have a thickness t3 in a range of 0.5 to 1.0 inches.

Width W4 is the width of a first wing portion, and width W5 is the width of second wing portions on either side of the first wing portion. According to the present exemplary embodiment, width W4 is about 27.0 inches, and W5 is in a range of about 10.0 to 15.0 inches. The widths W5 are substantially the same.

[0070] Because the wing bracket 400 is made of a single sheet of metal, there are various bend points 460. A bend point 460 is located between the first wing portion and each second wing portion. The bend points 460 may each form the same obtuse angle between the first wing portion and the second wing. Accordingly, angle Θ2, measured from the plane extending along the first wing portion to the each second wing, is an acute angle. In the present exemplary embodiment, Θ2 may be 45 degrees. Fig. 5F illustrates a layout view of the wing bracket 400, where the various parts are laid flat, clearly showing the wing bracket 400 as a single sheet of metal.

[0071] Fig. 5E illustrates a side view of the wing bracket 400 taken along line A- A ^' of Fig. 5D. Connections holes 420 and 430 are spaced close together near the top surface of the wing 410 to increase connection strength, as described above. The connection hole 420 furthest from the top plate 440 is spaced apart from the connection hole 430 closest to the top plate 440 by a distance S I 1. Connection holes 420/430 are spaced apart from the side surface of the wing 410 by distance S5. The connection hole 430 closest to the top plate 440 is spaced apart from the top plate by distance SI 7. [0072] Fig. 5G illustrates gussets 450 of the wing bracket 400 of the foundation anchor 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment. Gussets 450 may be connected to the wing 410 and the top plate 440 of the wing bracket 400 in order to improve

stabilization of the wing bracket 400. Gussets 450 have a length L4 that is about 17.0 inches, a width W6 that is about 8.5 inches, and a cutaway length L5 and width W7 that is about 1.0 inch each. The cutaway allows for a reinforcing weld to be made between the top edge of the wing 410 of the wing bracket 400 and the bottom edge of the top plate 440. That is, the gusset 450 cutaway may be connected to the reinforcing weld. The gusset may be welded or bolted to the wing bracket 400. The wing bracket 400 including the gussets 450 is shown in Figs. 5H and 51.

[0073] Fig. 6 illustrates a transition plate 500 of the foundation anchor 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The transition plate has a width W8 of about 168.0 inches, and a length L6 of about 72.0 inches. The wing diamond foundations 100 are connected to the transition plate 500 via the wing brackets 400, the top plates 440 of which are connected thereto via the connection holes 520. Accordingly, there are two holes in the transition plate 500 that have sides of width Wl corresponding to the width of the wings 110 of the wing diamond foundations 100. The connection holes 520 to connect the top plates 440 are spaced apart by spacing si 8, which is about 20.0 inches. The tie plates 300 are connected to the transition plate 500 using angle brackets 600, as will be described below. The connection holes 520 for connecting two angle brackets 600 are spaced apart by spacing s21, which is about 9.5 inches, and the four connection holes 520 connected to each angle bracket 600 have a spread of s22, which is about 15.0 inches. Connection holes 530 may be used to connect structure to the top surface of the transition plate. The connection holes 430 are spaced apart from the side surface of the transition plate 500 by spacing s20, which is about 12.0 inches, and the first connection hole 530 is spaced apart from the last connection hole 530 by spacing sl9, which is about 144.0 inches. The transition plate may have a thickness of about 0.5 inch.

[0074] Fig. 7A illustrates a front view of an angle bracket 600 of the foundation anchor 10 accordingly to the present exemplary embodiment. As described above, the angle bracket may be used to connect the tie plate 300 to the transition plate 500. As described in Fig. 4 with relation to the tie plate, the connection holes 620 are spaced apart from each by spacing sl4, which is about 5.0 inches. Since there are four connection holes 620, the total spacing of 15.0 inches corresponds to the spacing s22 in Fig. 6. The angle bracket 600 has a width W10 of about 24.0 inches. The connection holes 620 are spaced apart from the bottom surface of the angle bracket 600 by spacing s24, which is about 3.5 inches. A cross-sectional view of the angle bracket 600 is shown in Fig. 7B, the angle bracket having a cross-sectional width of Wl 1, a length of L8, and thickness of t4. Width Wl 1 and length L8 are each about 8.0 inches, and the thickness t4 is about 1.0 inch.

[0075] Fig. 8 A illustrates a front view of a spacer 700 of the foundation anchor 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The spacer is positioned between two tie plates 300, and forms a continuous sheet of metal between the angle brackets 600, wing brackets 400, between the wing diamond foundations 100. The connection holes 720 correspond to the connections holes 620 and 420 of the wing brackets, and accordingly have the same spacing sl4, which is about 5.0 inches. The spread of the connection holes 720 is accordingly about 15.0 inches. The connection holes 720 are spaced apart from side surfaces of the angle bracket 600 by spacing s25, which is about 1.25 inches. Accordingly, the total width of the spacer 700 is about 17.5 inches. The spacer 700 fills the width of the space between the wing diamond foundations 100, and may be directly under the angle brackets 600. The thickness of the spacer 700, as shown in Fig. 8B, is about 1.25 inch.

[0076] Fig. 9A illustrates a top view of an internal support plate 800 of the foundation anchor 10 according to the present exemplary embodiment. The internal support plate 800 is positioned on the inside of the wing diamond foundations 100 to increase the thickness thereof, in order to add support to resist forces acting on the foundation anchor 10.

Accordingly, the internal support plate 800 has equal widths Wl that match the width of the wing 110 of the wing diamond foundation 100, as shown in Fig. 2B. The sides of the internal support plate 800 are formed at angle Θ3, which is 90 degrees. Fig. 9B shows a front view of the internal support plate 800, which has connection holes 820 that correspond to the connection holes in the top portion of the wing 110 shown in Fig. 2 A. Accordingly, spacings SI, S2, and S3 are the same as described above. The internal support plate 800 has a length L2 that that is the same as that of the tie plate 300 and the wing bracket 400, that is, about 48.0 inches.

[0077] Although not shown, a foundation anchor according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a two- or three-wing diamond foundation. When a two- or three-wing diamond foundation is used in the foundation anchor, the various features of the foundation anchor 10 described above may be substantially the same. For example, with respect to using a two-wing diamond foundation, the wing bracket used may be substantially the same as the wing bracket 400 described above, except that it may have a bend line between wings (similar to wings 410) that runs vertically along with the portion of the diamond of the wing diamond foundation that does not have extending wing portions, in essence the extending wings of the wing bracket adding another gusset. Further, the wings of two wing brackets that do not overlap an extending wing of the wing diamond foundation may have a spacer plate formed therebetween so that the missing thickness of the wing diamond foundation is compensated for. These wings of the wing brackets may also have a tapered end extending away from the top of the foundation anchor.

[0078] Figs. 10A to 13 illustrate a foundation anchor 11 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figs. 10A (front view) and 10B (top view), in the foundation anchor 11, two wing diamond foundations 101 are connected together via a tie plate 301, and angle brackets 601 are used to connect the wing diamond foundations 101 to base plates 901. The foundation anchor 11 is similar to the foundation anchor 10 described above except that the angle brackets 601 and base plates 901 are used to form the surface on which structures are to be mounted. Otherwise, repeated description with that of the foundation anchor 10 is omitted.

[0079] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variation can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventive concept. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of the inventive concept provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.