Foundation stabilization system for manufactured housing

Abstract

A foundation system for bracing a manufactured home on its foundation is disclosed comprising a plurality of vertically stacked blocks stacked on footings, and a plurality of elongated braces connected to the mobile home and a foundation footing. A plurality of elongated braces comprising unitary brace tubes, flexible joints, and footing anchor tabs at first ends of the brace tubes, and adapted to connect to an I-beam of the home at a second remote end of the brace tube. Each footing anchors including a major leg and a minor leg, the major and minor legs being flattened to form an anchor tab intersecting the longitudinal axis of the brace tube at an acute angle of inclination. The flexible joint provides a degree of rotation of the brace tube relative to the anchor tab so that the angle of inclination may be changed.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A foundation system for bracing a manufactured home on its foundation comprising: a plurality of vertical piers spaced in first and second directions relative to a longitudinal axis of said home which support the home above the ground, said piers including a plurality of vertically stacked blocks; a plurality of elongated braces connected to the mobile home and a foundation footing, said foundation footing having an upper pier supported surface on which said pier is supported; said pier support surface of said foundation footing having a first anchor area and a second anchor area defined on each side of a pier base block of said pier; a plurality of elongated braces comprising unitary brace tubes and footing anchors at first ends of said brace tubes, said brace tube adapted to connect to an I-beam anchor at a second remote end of said brace tube, and said footing anchors and I-beam anchors being secured to said footing and I-beams, respectively; each said footing anchor including a major leg and a minor leg having a shorter length than said major leg, said major and minor legs being flattened to form an anchor tab intersecting the longitudinal axis of said brace tube at an acute angle of inclination, said anchor tab adapted for attachment to said footing; and a flexible joint including concave indentures formed on opposing sides at the intersection generally formed at intermediate said brace tube, and said flexible joint providing a degree of rotation of said brace tube relative to said anchor tab so that said angle of inclination may be changed;
 Whereby said anchor footing of a brace tube may be attached to said footing, and said brace tube may be rotated to change the angle of inclination for proper alignment and attachment to the I-beam of said manufactured home in a minimum of space and without the need of separate pivot bracket hardware. 
 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  including a first footing anchor being secured to said first anchor area, and second and third footing anchors being secured to said second anchor area. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  including a non-anchor area defined at the ends of said base block on said base black. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said concave indentures include a metallic indentation formed in opposing sides of said brace tube. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein said flexible joint is further defined by said minor leg terminating generally about a hinge line about which said brace tube may generally be rotated when said anchor footing is secured to said footing, and a curved transition merging from said hinge line to an upper side of said brace. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein said flexible joint is further defined by said major leg extending past said hinge line in a generally straight fashion and terminating at a curved transition which merges into a lower side of said brace tube. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein said acute angle of said brace tube about said rotating joint is adjustable generally in a range of 10 to 45 degrees. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 18  wherein said brace tube is formed to have a reference angle of inclination wherein said metallic concave indentations are in an initial configuration, and said concave indentations deform generally to a more vertical configuration when the angle of inclination increases and to a more horizontal configuration as said angle decreases. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 14  including wherein said anchor tabs include an opening for receiving a fastener securing said footing anchor to said footing. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  including ground anchors having an insert sleeve secured within said footing and a threaded bolt securely threaded through said anchor tab opening into said insert sleeve. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said flexible joint is created by forming indentations in opposing side walls of said brace tube, pressing upper and lower sides of said brace tube together so that said indented side walls are flattened and sandwiched between said upper and lower sides to form said anchor tab while said reference angle is formed. 
     
     
         25 . A method for bracing a manufactured home on its foundation of the type which includes a plurality of vertical piers supported on footings space in longitudinal and lateral directions relative to a longitudinal axis of said home which support the home above the ground, and at least one elongated brace connected between the mobile home and a foundation footing contacting the ground with the pier supported on the footing; and said method comprising:
 providing a one-piece brace comprising a brace tube, a flexible joint, and an anchor tab formed at a first end of said brace tube for attachment to said footing so that said brace tube may be rotated about the flexible joint in a vertical plane for adjusting an acute angle of inclination between said brace tube and the footing when said brace tube is attached to said footing;   attaching said anchor tab to said footing;   adjusting the angle of inclination to properly align with an adjacent longitudinal I-beam; and   affixing a second end of said brace tube to said adjacent I-beam.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein said footing anchor is formed by a bending process which includes forming indentations in opposing side walls of said brace tube, pressing upper and lower sides together causing said side walls to deform inwardly and be pressed together flat with said upper and lower sides to form a flattened anchor tab, and forming a reference angle of inclination relative to said flattened tab. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said flexible joint is formed to provide a range of angles of inclination of about 10° to 45°. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25  including attaching said anchor tube to a foundation footing with at least one pier block stacked on top of said footing in a manner that anchor areas are formed on opposing sides of said block but not at the end of said block, and attaching said anchor tabs only at said anchor areas. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said tubular braces have a rectangular cross-section. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 24  wherein said tubular braces have a rectangular cross-section.