Adjustable and/or reusable brace and kicker method and apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of an adjustable and reusable brace and kicker apparatus are disclosed herein. Various embodiments may include a brace holder and an adjustable kicker. The brace holder may be configured to removably and/or adjustably receive and hold a brace in support of a form for forming a concrete structure. The brace holder may include complementary secure features configured to removably secure the brace holder, and holding features that provide a number of holding positions for selectively holding the brace in one of the holding positions. The kicker may be removably and/or adjustably mated to support the brace with at least three degrees of freedom, including a first angular degree of freedom, a second linear degree of freedom, and a third degree of mating freedom.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a brace holder configured to receive and hold a brace in support of a form for forming a concrete structure, wherein the brace holder includes a base plate having features configured to enable the brace holder to be removably secured, and a substantially U-shaped end coupled to the base plate, and configured to removably and/or adjustably receive and hold the brace, wherein the U-shaped end includes features configured to provide a plurality of holding positions for holding the brace in a selected one of the plurality of holding positions; and   an adjustable kicker configured to adjustably mate and support the brace, wherein the adjustable kicker includes a base plate having features configured to enable the adjustable kicker to be removably secured, a linearly adjustable arm having two ends and an end piece, wherein the linearly adjustable arm is angularly and flexibly coupled to the base plate of the adjustable kicker at one end, and the end piece is linearly and adjustably coupled to the linearly adjustable arm at the other end, wherein the end piece comprises features configured to provide a plurality of mating positions to removably and adjustably mate with the brace in a selected one of the mating positions.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the U-shaped end of the brace holder comprises two arms, and each arm comprises a plurality of rows of plurality of openings configured to enable the U-shaped end to be removably mated with a wooden brace. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the brace holder further comprises a tube coupled to the U-shaped end, and configured to complement and assist the secure features of the base plate in removably securing the brace holder. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the tube and the base plate of the brace holder define an angle greater than 90 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the tube and the base plate of the brace holder define an angle of approximately 95 degrees to 105 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the tube of the brace holder is configured to receive a soil nail, an earth anchor or a concrete stake. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base plate of the brace holder includes a plurality of openings or a plurality of complementarily angled tubes, each configured to receive a soil nail, an earth anchor, or a concrete stake. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the linearly adjustable arm of the adjustable kicker is configured to be pivotally coupled to the base plate of the adjustable kicker. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the linearly adjustable arm of the adjust kicker comprises a first and a second arm, configured to linearly and adjustably coupled to each other, and a turnbuckle configured to be linearly and adjustably coupled to the second arm and the end piece. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second linearly adjustable arms of the adjustable kicker comprises a plurality of extensible or retractable telescopically nested tubes or a plurality of openings configured to enable the first and second linearly adjustable arms to be coupled together with screws and different amounts of overlap, for defining different amounts of total length. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the end piece comprises an elongated member with a threaded end configured to adjustably mate with the turnbuckle. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the end piece comprises an angled plate having a plurality of openings configured to enable the end piece to be mated with the brace with nails through a subset of the openings. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein either the brace holder or the adjustable kicker is constituted with material or materials that enable the brace holder and the adjustable kicker to be reusable to support different forms for forming different concrete structures. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the concrete structure is a foundation of a residential structure. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus comprising:
 a base plate having features configured to enable the brace holder to be removably secured;   a substantially U-shaped end coupled to the base plate, and configured to removably and/or adjustably receive and hold a brace in support of a form for forming a concrete structure, wherein the U-shaped end includes features to provide a plurality of holding positions for holding the brace in a selected one of the plurality of holding positions; and   a tube coupled to the U-shaped end, and configured to complement and assist the secure features of the base plate to secure the brace holder.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the U-shaped end comprises two arms, and each arm comprises a plurality of rows of plurality of openings configured to enable the U-shaped end to be mated with a wooden brace with nails through a subset of the openings. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the tube and the base plate define an angle of approximately 95 degrees to 105 degrees. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the tube is configured to receive a soil nail, an earth anchor or a concrete stake, and the base plate includes a plurality of openings, each configured to receive a concrete stake. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus comprising:
 a base plate having features to enable the adjustable kicker to be removably secured; and   a linearly adjustable arm having two ends and angularly flexibly coupled to the base plate of the adjustable kicker at one end, and an end piece linearly adjustably coupled to the linearly adjustable arm at the other end, with features configured to provide a plurality of mating positions to removably and/or adjustably mate with a brace in a selected one of the plurality of mating positions, wherein the brace is configured to support a form to form a concrete structure.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the adjustable arm is pivotally coupled to the base plate. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , the adjustable arm comprises a first and a second arm, linearly adjustably coupled to each other, and a turnbuckle linearly adjustably coupled to the second arm and the end piece;
 wherein each of the first and second linearly adjustable arms comprises a plurality of extensible or retractable telescopically nested tubes, or a plurality of openings configured to enable the first and second linearly adjustable arms to be coupled together with screws and different amounts of overlap, for defining different amounts of total length; and   wherein the end piece comprises an elongated member with a threaded end to adjustably mate with the turnbuckle.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the end piece comprises an angled plate having a plurality of openings configured to enable the end piece to be mated with the brace with nails through a subset of the openings. 
     
     
         23 . An apparatus comprising:
 means for removably and/or adjustably receiving and holding a brace in support of a form for forming a concrete structure, wherein the holding means include complementary secure features configured to removably secure the holding means, and holding features that provide a plurality of holding positions for selectively holding the brace in one of the holding positions; and   means for adjustably mating and supporting the brace with at least three degrees of freedom, including a first angular degree of freedom, a second linear degree of freedom, and a third degree of mating freedom.