Support brace for walls and the like
United States Patent [191 Hansen et al.  
 [ Apr. 1, 1975 SUPPORT BRACE FOR WALLS AND THE LIKE [76] Inventors: Robert N. Hansen, 21W262 Crescent Dr., Glen Ellyn, 111. 60137; George T. Hempel, One Oak Brook Club Dr., Oak Brook, 111. 60521; Raymond Noesge&#39;s, 27W377 Oakwood, Winfield, 111. 60190 [22] Filed: Feb. 22, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 444,812  
 Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 259,011, June 2,  
 1972, abandoned [52] U.S. Cl. 248/354 S, 52/149, 52/703,  
  52/749, 248/357 [51] Int. Cl. E04g 25/04, F16m 11/28 [58] Field of Search 248/354 R, 354 S, 355,  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 347,211 8/1886 Towberman 52/149 1,178,641 4/1916 Henkel 52/151 1,662,152 3/1928 Logg 248/354 S 1,779,908 10/1930 Graziano 249/43 2,752,774 7/1956 Steinboeck 52/712 2,887,757 5/1959 Miles 52/703 3,006,592 10/1961 Davis..... 248/354 S 3,161,395 12/1964 Carter 248/354 S 3,330,421 7/1967 Simmons 248/354 S 3,474,997 lO/1969 Hinrichsen 248/354 R 3,625,470 12/1971 Shoemaker 249/214 3,765,543 10/1973 Thomas 52/173 3,817,006 6/1974 Williams 52/122 Primary Examiner-Henry C. Sutherland Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Olson, Trexler, Wolters, Bushnell &amp; Fosse, Ltd.  
 [5 7] ABSTRACT A support brace for freshly constructed brick walls and the like is provided, and a method for installing and using the same is described. Should the brace foot plate tend to sink into the underlying ground or to slip away from the wall, the attached buttress brace automatically extends to accommodate this movement. Wind or other forces tending to topple the wall are resisted by the stiff buttress brace and associated brace elements. The buttress brace can be extended or retracted over relatively large distances by gross adjustment means including a ratchet and rack mechanism. The buttress brace can be extended or retracted over short distances with great precision by a fine adjustment means including a turnbuckle mechanism.  
 6 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures 5. DATE SHKEI 1 BF SUPPORT BRACE FOR WALLS AND THE LIKE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED CASE This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 259,011, filed June 2, 1972, now abandoned.  
 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to temporary wall braces and more particularly concerns a wall brace apparatus which automatically adjusts itself to keep the supported wall in an upright position.  
  When brick and mortar walls are freshly erected, the component bricks and wet mortar provide relatively little lateral strutural resistance to wind or other toppling forces applied against the wall face. Consequently, these walls may be easily blown over or otherwise toppled before the mortar hardens or before the wall is laterally supported by adjacent permanent structure such as intersecting walls or roofing structure.  
  Consequently, it has long been a desirable procedure to support such freshly erected walls with temporary bracing until the wall mortar hardens or until adjacent supportive structure is constructed or installed. Such temporary bracing must be of relatively low cost, of course, and should provide continual supportive pressure upon the wall when necessary until the wall mortar has firmly set or until the additional supportive structure is completed.  
  Unfortunately, such bracing requirements are not always met by the use of scrap timber or other expedient bracing constructions. Earth work or other surrounding foundation surfaces are often wet, owing to natural causes or construction efforts, and may provide an unstable foundation for the braces. Under such conditions, footings for temporary bracing structure may slip away from the wall, or may sink into the ground upon which they are placed, thereby leaving the bracing structure simply leaning against the freshly constructed wall and providing no support.  
  Further, expedient scrap timber constructions may be expensive since the wooden supports can generally be used only once or at most a very few times. They are heavy and bulky, and it is usually not economical to transport them from job site to job site. Metal bracings previously offered have required heavy components, and have proved to be expensive, since the bracing parts were easily damaged by rough handling or by dirt and foreign objects fouling the connecting mechanisms. Several of these metal bracings, like the expedient wooden bracing devices, could not be easily adjusted to accommodate sinking or sliding brace footings.  
  The objects and the advantages of the present invention in overcoming these problems will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which FIG. 1 is an overall perspective viewing showing the novel bracing embodying the present invention supporting a newly constructed brick wall or like structure;  
  FIG. 2 is an elevational view showing the novel bracing structure and the supported wall structure;  
  FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing in further detail the supported wall structure and a typical wall anchor in exploded relation;  
  FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing the supported wall structure face and the wall anchor emplaced in and on the wall;  
  FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line 55 in FIG. 4 and showing in further de tail the wall anchor structure emplaced in and on the wall;  
  FIG. 6 is a plan view showing in further detail the brace footing or foot plate and associated structure;  
  FIG.&#39; 7 is an elevational view taken substantially in the plane of line 77 in FIG. 6 and showing in further detail the foot plate, the underlying earth or other brace foundation, and the buttress brace attached to the foot plate;  
  FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view showing in further detail the brace foundation, the foot plate, and the attached buttress brace;  
  FIG. 9 is a side elevational view showing, in cutaway, the buttress brace and an associated adjusting rack and ratchet mechanism;  
  FIG. 10 is a plan view similar to FIG. 8 but showing in further detail the arrangement of the buttress leg portions, the rack, and the ratchet;  
  FIG. 11 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 9 showing an alternate construction of the rack and ratchet mechanism;  
  FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line l21l2 in FIG. 10 showing in further detail the arrangement of extensible buttress leg portions, rack, and ratchet;  
  FIG. 13 is an elevational view showing a modified form of the bracing structure;  
  FIG. 14 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing details of the buttress brace parts;  
  FIG. 15 is a side view taken substantially in the plane of line 1515 in FIG. 13 showing the slip collar interconnecting the buttress brace and a stiff arm; and  
  FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the interconnection between the buttress brace top and the side wall.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION While the invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment and procedure, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to that embodiment or procedure. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention.  
  Turning first to FIG. 1 there is illustrated a wall structure 20 which may be of the brick and mortar type, and a surrounding horizontal surface 21, which may be considered to be of earth or other material. For supporting the wall in its erected position, there is provided a novel bracing structure 22, comprising, in general, foot plate elements 23, wall anchor structures 24, and interconnecting stiff arm members 25 and buttress brace devices 26.  
  It is a feature of the invention that the novel bracing structure may be attached to both sides of the wall, if desired. To this end, the wall anchor means 24 illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 includes a cross-wall anchor stud 28 formed and adapted to extend through the wall between adjacent bricks 29. To securely retain the anchor stud 28 in the wall, two anchor face plates 30 are provided with slots 31 formed to interlock with mating slots 32 in the anchor stud 28. Eye holes 33 are formed in the anchor stud 28 to connect the anchor means 24 with the stiff arms 25 and buttress braces 26.  
  These anchor support devices 24 are installed in a vertical array at any convenient location upon the erected wall. They may be installed during erection of the wall or they may be installed shortly after a given course of bricks have been layed by simply pushing the anchor stud 28 between the bricks and attaching the face plates 30.  
  The wall anchor structure, when installed, provides a rigid and secure supportive base for attachment of the bracing device. When the wall no longer requires the support brace, the anchor can be easily and completely removed by detaching the brace structure from the wall anchor, slipping off the anchor face plates 30, knocking out the anchor stud 28, and grouting the remaining hole with mortar.  
  Foundation support for the brace is provided by the foot plate 23, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 7. T prevent the foot plate 23 from slipping on the supporting earth or flooring, supportive effect may be provided by the illustrated deadfall pins 35, or other known groundengaging protuberances may be formed on the plate bottom. Eyes 36 are provided on upstanding lugs 37 to connect the foot plates 23 with the brace buttress 22.  
  It is a feature of the invention that support is provided to the wall by the brace 22 at a number of points. To accomplish this, stiff arms 25 are included for attachment to corresponding wall anchors 24 at intermediate points of the buttress brace 26. These stiff arms 25 comprise, as illustrated in FIG. 2, telescoping extensions 40 and 41 which can be mutually adjusted for interconnection between the anchors 24 and the buttress 22. After adjustment, stiff arm rigidity is provided by a pin-and-eye structure 42. For storage or transportation, the stiff arm extensions 40 and 41 may be telescopically collapsed, therebyproviding a compact and easily handled bundle of parts.  
  Topplin&#39;g&#39; forces which may be applied to the wall 20 are transmitted to the foot plate 23 through the buttress brace means 22. To this end, the buttress brace 20 is connected to a wall anchor 24 at its upper end, to the stiff arms 25 at intermediate points, and to the ground plate 23 at its lower end.  
  In accordance with a feature of the invention, adjustment of the length of the buttress brace means 22 can be made by an automatic adjustment means 45. In the illustrated embodiment, the buttress brace 26 includes relatively extensible leg portions 46 and 47 which may be telescopically disposed in a manner similar to the stiff arms 25. Attached or formed within the upper leg portion 46 is a rack 48 which in the illustrated embodiment includes a series of slots 49 disposed in columnar array. A ratchet member 50 having a series of slotengaging teeth 51 is pivoted upon the lower portion 47 for engaging the rack 48 through a hole 52 formed in the wall of the leg 47. In the illustrated embodiment, the rack member 50 is hinged upon the lower leg portion 47, by means of a freely operating hinge member 53 disposed at the lower end of the ratchet member 50. To increase ease of operation, a handle 54 may be provided upon the ratchet member 50, if desired.  
  In accordance with the invention, should the foot plate 23 sink into unstable soil or slide away from the wall and brace, the lower leg portion 47 attached to the foot plate 23 will simply be telescopically drawn away from the upper leg portion 46 attached to the wall. In  
 so extending, the lower leg portion 47 will draw the attached ratchet 50 over the mating rack 48, thereby causing the rack teeth 51 to release and repeatedly reengage the rack slots 49 in relatively more extended positions.  
  When wind or other forces are applied to the wall 20, they are transmitted through the wall anchors 24 and stiff arms 25 to the buttress braces 26, thereby urging the brace legs 46 and 47 into telescopic compression. This compressive action is resisted by the rack and ratchet adjustment means 45, and are thus transferred to the supporting ground plate 23. I  
  An alternate form of construction of the automatic adjustment rack and ratchet mechanism 45 is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. In the embodiment illustrated there, the upper leg 46 may be provided with rack teeth 55 which may, if desired, be stamped or otherwise formed in the leg outer surface 56. A ratchet member 58 having appropriately spaced teeth 59 is hinged by a pin 60 to the lower leg 47 of the buttress member 22, as described above, and is positioned to engage the rack and ratchet mechanism through a hole 61 in the lower leg 47.  
  Installation of the support brace may be easily accomplished by even inexperienced personnel. The wall anchors 24 may be installed during or immediately after construction of the wall, as described above. The foot plate 23 is then located upon the adjacent ground at a convenient distance from the wall 20 and in the same vertical plane as the wall anchors 24. Thereafter, the buttress brace 26 is attached first to the uppermost wall anchors 24, and to the foot plate 23. When the lower leg portion 47 is telescopically extended from the upper leg portion 46, the ratchet member 50 rides over the rack member 49, thereby adjusting the buttress brace 26 for stiff support of the wall. Next, the stiff arm members 25 are installed between the corresponding wall anchors 24 and the buttress brace 22. After the wall mortar has set, or other additional permanent support has been constructed as described above, the novel bracing can be removed, the wall anchor studs 28 withdrawn, and the remaining holes grouted.  
  Another alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 13-16, inclusive, which is especially adapted to support pre-cast concrete panels or the like in a vertical position above a horizontal ground or floor 71.  
  Here, a buttress brace 73 which comprises a first strut tube 74 and a second strut tube 75 interconnected by a gross length adjusting mechanism 76. The buttress brace 73 further includes a third strut tube member 77 which is interconnected to the second tube member 75 by a fine adjustment mechanism 78. It is a feature of the invention that the length of the buttress brace 73 can be rapidly extended or contracted by use of the gross adjustment means 76, which here includes a pin 80 adapted to engage aligned holes 81 and 82 formed in the first tube strut 74 and the second tube strut 75 respectively. To permit the pin 80 to be rapidly grasped and withdrawn from the struts 74 and 75 and subsequent gross adjustment of buttress brace length, through a finite number of length selections, the pin is adapted to protrude at least slightly from both struts.  
  Alternatively, the gross adjustment means can comprise the ratchet 50 and rack 48 described above to permit automatic extension of the buttress brace in response to appropriate foundation and wall relative movement. To permit the ratchet member 50 to be grasped and withdrawn from contact with the rack in order to provide rapid extensive or contractive relative motion between the first and second struts, the ratchet member 50 is located at least partly outside both the first and second strut members 74 and 75.  
  In orienting walls or panels 70 in a precisely vertical position, it is often desirable to extend or contract the length of the buttress 73 by relatively minute amounts over an infinitely variable range of positions. To that end, the present invention also includes a fine length adjustment means, which here comprises a bi-ended turnbuckle member 85 provided with opposite-handed threads at each end 86 and 87. These threads are adapted to mate with opposite-handed threads formed on the second and third buttress strut tubes 75 and 77. By appropriate rotation of the turnbuckle member 85, the axially aligned struts 75 and 77 can be axially drawn toward or forced apart from each other. To assist in rotating the turnbuckle collar member 85, a hole 89 can be formed in the member 85. This hole 89 accommodates a lever (not shown) which can be forced through the turnbuckle and used in turning the member.  
  At each extremity of the brace 73, anchors 90 are provided to attach the buttress brace to surrounding structure quickly and at low cost. As shown particularly in FIG. 16, this anchor member 90 includes a face plate member 91 and upstanding ears 92 and 93 which accommodate a pin 94 interconnecting the member 90 and the buttress brace 73. A bolt 95 or other convenient device extends into or through the wall 70 or the floor 71 to securely interconnect the bracing.  
  It is yet another feature of the invention that any stiff arm members 100 used with the brace can be quickly and easily attached at low cost. To this end, a slip collar 101 shown in FIG. is provided. This slip collar 101 includes a rigid collar member 102 which is provided with an internal surface congruent with the right crosssectional silhouette shape of the buttress brace 73 at the point at which the collar 102 is attached to the buttress brace 73. Protruding from the collar 102 is a pin 104 or bolt which journals the collar 102 to the stiff arm 100 through convenient mounting holes 105.  
 The following is claimed as invention:  
  1. An adjustable support brace for walls and the like, comprising foot anchor means for providing a foundation for the brace on an underlying surface, wall anchor means for attaching the brace to the supported wall including an anchor member adapted to extend through the wall and at least one face plate member for attachment to the anchor member in a position closely adjacent the wall face, thereby securing the anchor member in its position, the support brace further comprising stiff arm means attachable to the wall anchor means, stiff arm adjustment means for adjusting the length of the stiff arm means, first, second and third axially aligned struts comprising buttress brace means attachable to the stiff arm means, to the wall anchor means, and to the foot plate means, said first and second struts being telescopically interconnected, and buttress brace adjustment means for adjusting the length of the buttess brace means to place the buttress brace means in wall-supporting compression when the buttress brace means is attached to the stiff arm means, to the wall anchor means, and to the foot plate means, the buttress brace adjustment means including gross adjustment means rigidly positioning the first and second telescopically interconnected struts in any one of a finite plurality of axially spaced apart positions, and fine adjustment means positioning the second and third struts in any one of an infinite plurality of axially ranged positions.  
  2. An adjustable wall support brace according to claim 1 wherein said gross buttress brace adjustment means includes pin means adapted to engage aligned holes formed in said first and second struts to rigidly interposition them, the pin means protruding from both struts to permit the pin to be manually grasped and withdrawn from the struts.  
  3. An adjustable wall support brace according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said second strut is telescopically received inside a portion of said first strut, and wherein said gross buttress brace adjustment means includes extension means for automatically extending the length of the buttress brace means in response to relative movement of the wall anchor means and the foot plate means, and alternatively manually extending and retracting the length of the buttress brace means when desired, said extension means including a ratchet member fixed to the first strut and a rack-engaging ratchet member fixed to the second strut leg, the first strut ratchet member being positioned to release and reengage the second strut rack member in successive relatively more extended positions when tensioning extending forces are applied to the first and second struts of the buttress brace, and the first strut ratchet member being located at least partly outside both said first and second strut members to permit the ratchet member to be grasped and withdrawn from engagement with the rack member when gross adjustment of the relative positions of the first and second strut members is desired.  
  4. An adjustable wall support brace according to claim 1 wherein said fine buttress brace adjustment means includes a bi-ended turnbuckle member provided with opposite-handed threads at each end, and wherein said second and third strut members are provided with opposite-handed mating threads, the turnbuckle member, when threaded upon the struts, permitting the struts to be axially drawn toward each other or axially forces apart by appropriate rotation of the turnbuckle member relative to the second and third struts.  
  5. An adjustable wall support brace means according to claim 1 wherein said anchor means includes a slotted anchor member, and two wall face plates slotted for mutual engagement with the anchor member slots in positions closely adjacent the wall faces.  
  6. An adjustable support brace according to claim 1 including slip collar means connecting said stiff arm means and said buttress brace means, said slip collar means including a rigid collar member having arm internal surface congruent with the right cross-section silhouette shape of the buttress brace means at the point at which the collar member is attached to the buttress brace means, and pin means journalling the stiff arm means on the buttress brace means.