Bracket assembly for lifting and supporting a lightweight foundation

Abstract

A bracket assembly rests upon a pile or deep foundation pier set adjacent to a lightweight structure or foundation element such as a porch. The bracket slides upon a pile or deep foundation pier and adjusts from the side of the pile or deep foundation pier. The bracket assembly has a weldment with bearing and guide members. The bearing member supports the lightweight structure or foundation element while the guide member raises the bearing member on the pile or deep foundation pier. The guide member has a sleeve and U-shaped bolt to grasp the pile or deep foundation pier. A cap plate atop the pile or deep foundation pier connects to the guide member through rods. Turning nuts on the upper end of the rods pulls them and thus the lightweight structure or foundation element upwards. The bracket assembly is lightweight and supports approximately five thousand pounds.

1 . A bracket assembly for lifting and supporting a lightweight structure or foundation element, said bracket assembly rests upon a pile or deep foundation pier adjacent to a lightweight structure or foundation element, said bracket assembly compensating for misalignment of the pile or deep foundation pier, wherein the improvement comprises: 
 a weldment having a bearing member joined to a guide member and at least one planar gusset joined to said bearing member and said guide member;    said guide member having a sleeve through which said pile or deep foundation pier passes and two holes perpendicular to said sleeve;    said sleeve having a tube of greater width than said pile or deep foundation pier, said sleeve being centered in one leg of said guide member;    a bolt having two parallel stems and a base perpendicular to and joining said stems, said bolt having a general U shape;    said bolt wrapping around said pile or deep foundation pier, said base contacting said pile or deep foundation pier beneath said sleeve, said stems entering said holes in said guide member, and said stems extending through said guide member generally perpendicular to said pile or deep foundation pier, and said stems being secured upon one leg of said guide member thus drawing said base and said pile or deep foundation pier to the leg of said guide member, wherein said stems are secured from the side of said weldment thus preventing rotation of said bracket assembly while allowing lifting of said weldment to position a lightweight structure or foundation element;    a cap plate adapted to be positioned upon said pile or deep foundation pier; and,    a means to lift said weldment when bearing a lightweight structure or foundation element.    
   
   
       2 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 said bearing member having two perpendicular legs forming a generally L shape;    said guide member having two perpendicular legs forming a generally L shape, said guide member positioned so the legs of said guide member and said bearing member are within 5°, and said guide member being offset below said bearing member; and,    said gusset having a generally triangular shape where the hypotenuse spans from said guide member to slightly above said bearing member.    
   
   
       3 . The bracket assembly of  claim 2  wherein said weldment has two gussets mutually parallel, spaced apart, and adapted to be located away from said pile or deep foundation pier.  
   
   
       4 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1  wherein said tube is a round cylinder.  
   
   
       5 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1  wherein said tube has a rectangular cross section.  
   
   
       6 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 said cap plate having a generally rectangular shape, two longitudinal edges, reinforcement upon both of said longitudinal edges, and two locating members spanning between said reinforcement generally perpendicular to said longitudinal edges and spaced apart to admit the top of said pile or deep foundation pier.    
   
   
       7 . The bracket assembly of  claim 6  wherein said cap plate is a C shaped channel.  
   
   
       8 . The bracket assembly of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 said lifting means having at least one threaded rod, said at least one rod spanning from said guide member to said cap plate, and said at least one rod extending through holes in said guide member and secured by a nut beneath a leg of said guide member and said at least one rod extending through holes in said cap plate and advanced by a nut above said cap plate wherein turning the nut pulls said rod, then said weldment, and thus the lightweight structure or foundation element upwards.    
   
   
       9 . A bracket assembly for lifting and supporting a lightweight structure or foundation element, said bracket assembly resting upon a pile or deep foundation pier adjacent to a lightweight structure or foundation element, said bracket assembly compensating for misalignment of the pile or deep foundation pier, comprising: 
 a weldment having a bearing member joined to a guide member and at least one planar gusset joined to said bearing member and said guide member;    said bearing member having two perpendicular legs forming a generally L shape;    said guide member having two perpendicular legs forming a generally L shape, being member positioned so the legs of said guide member and said bearing member are generally within 5°, being offset below said bearing member, and having a sleeve of greater width than said pile or deep foundation pier through which said pile or deep foundation pier passes and two holes perpendicular to said sleeve;    said gusset having a generally triangular shape where the hypotenuse spans from said guide member to slightly above said bearing member.    a bolt having two parallel stems and a base perpendicular to and joining said stems forming a generally U shape; said bolt encircling said pile or deep foundation pier, said base contacting said pile or deep foundation pier beneath said sleeve, said stems entering said holes in said guide member and extending through said guide member generally perpendicular to said pile or deep foundation pier;    said stems being secured upon one leg of said guide member thus drawing said base and said pile or deep foundation pier to said guide member;    wherein said stems are secured from the side of said weldment thus preventing rotation of said bracket assembly while allowing lifting of said weldment to position a lightweight structure or foundation element,    a cap plate adapted to be positioned atop said pile or deep foundation pier, having a generally rectangular shape, two longitudinal reinforced edges, and two stiffeners spanning between said reinforced edges generally perpendicular to said longitudinal edges and spaced apart to admit the top of said pile or deep foundation pier; and,    at least one threaded rod, said at least one rod spanning from said guide member to said cap plate, said at least one rod extending through holes in said guide member and secured by a nut beneath a leg of said guide member, and said at least one rod extending through holes in said cap plate and advanced by a nut above said cap plate wherein turning the nut pulls said rod, then said weldment, and thus the lightweight structure or foundation element upwards.    
   
   
       10 . A bracket assembly for lifting and supporting a lightweight structure or foundation element, said bracket assembly rests upon a pile or deep foundation pier adjacent to a lightweight structure or foundation element, said bracket assembly compensating for misalignment of the pile or deep foundation pier, wherein the improvement comprises: 
 a guide member having a sleeve through which said pile or deep foundation pier passes and two holes perpendicular to said sleeve;    said sleeve having a tube of greater width than said pile or deep foundation pier, said sleeve being centered in one leg of said guide member;    a bolt having two parallel stems and a base perpendicular to and joining said stems, said bolt having a general U shape, said bolt wrapping around said pile or deep foundation pier, said base contacting said pile or deep foundation pier beneath said sleeve, said stems entering said holes in said guide member, and said stems extending through said guide member generally perpendicular to said pile or deep foundation pier, and said stems being secured upon one leg of said guide member thus drawing said base and said pile or deep foundation pier to the leg of said guide member, wherein said stems are secured from the side of said bracket assembly thus preventing rotation of said bracket assembly while allowing lifting of said bracket assembly to position a lightweight structure or foundation element;    a cap plate adapted to be positioned upon said pile or deep foundation pier; and,    a means to lift said bracket assembly when bearing a lightweight structure or foundation element.    
   
   
       11 . The bracket assembly of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 said guide member having two perpendicular legs forming a generally L shape said legs joined at a union; and,    at least one brace spanning at an angle between said legs away from the union of said legs.    
   
   
       12 . The bracket assembly of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 said lifting means having at least one threaded rod, said at least one rod spanning from said guide member to said cap plate, and said at least one rod extending through flanking holes in said guide member located outside said sleeve and secured by a nut beneath a leg of said guide member and said at least one rod extending through holes in said cap plate and advanced by a nut above said cap plate wherein turning the nut pulls said rod, then said bracket assembly, and thus the lightweight structure or foundation element upwards.