CA2504362C

CA2504362C - Wall anchor

Info

Publication number: CA2504362C
Application number: CA2504362A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Christopher Graham; Donald Fraser
Original assignee: Allen Vanguard Corp
Current assignee: Med Eng LLC
Priority date: 2005-04-15
Filing date: 2005-04-15
Publication date: 2013-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 2025-04-15
Also published as: CA2504362A1

Abstract

"Hook and Line" equipment is commonly used by first responders to move suspicious packages from random locations to a safe container or location. Within buildings constructed with wallboard, wall anchors for guiding the line are typically mounted by punching through the wall board or adhering to it, either way causing considerable damage and not providing a very secure anchor. The device of the invention bores a neat circular hole in the wallboard, which is easily repaired. The device also uses pivotal grips which reach inside the hole, the wallboard being clamped between these grips and an outside adjusting ring or shoulder of the anchor. This provides a secure anchor which is easily removed when the task is complete.

Description

Wall Anchor BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Invention This invention relates to Hook and Line equipment used by first responders to remove suspicious packages from a random location into a safe container. More particularly, this device is typically used in the removal of a suspicious package from a building constructed with wallboard. The Wall Anchor is mounted into the wall and is used to create an anchor point enabling the first responder to route a line to the suspicious package and remotely lift or otherwise move the package. The Wall Anchor can be used in combination with other Hook and Line equipment in scenarios where an anchor point is needed to open doors and move obstructions from a safe distance.

2. Description of Prior Art Similar devices exist, in particular a design created by the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police). However, this design is based on a "punch" type device. Testing has shown that punch type devices can damage the wallboard, thus weakening the anchor point and reducing the weight the wallboard can support before breaking. Since the damage is not visible (i.e. the damage is typically inside the wall), the anchor point requires testing and may require multiple insertions to get an adequate anchor. A punch type wall anchor also requires the use of a hammer or equivalent mechanism to insert the anchor point; this is an additional piece of equipment the first responder must carry.
The punch type wall anchor does not have a mechanism to retract the clamping mechanism. This requires the wall to be further damaged to remove the anchor and could cause damage to the anchor itself These limitations make the punch type anchor less useful and more risky to use by first responders.
The more common type of wall anchor is based on a metal plaque with a hook or eyelet that uses double sided tape to hold it to the wallboard surface. The strength of this kind of anchor is therefore dependent on the surface adhesion. The effectiveness of the adhesive can be effected by a variety of environmental conditions including: the quality and type of wallboard, the quality and type of paint, temperature, humidity, the smoothness of the surface, dust and a variety of other items. These variables cause the strength of the anchor point to be unpredictable and vary greatly.
Removal of the adhesive anchor can cause significant damage to the wallboard.
Also, these types of wall anchors can only be used once since the adhesive is no longer effective due to contamination. For these reasons, first responders only use these types of wall anchors on wallboard when no other option is available.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an improved anchor which allows the first responder to easily mount a secure, reliable anchor point, which has consistent strength (dependant on the thickness of the wallboard) and can be easily removed without further damaging the wallboard or the wall anchor itself. Further, since the hole cut into the wall is clean (i.e. there is no damage to the surrounding wallboard) the anchor point can support more weight than wallboard damaged using punch type wall anchors.
The wall anchor preferably includes a generally cylindrical body having an integral saw at a first end, and a threaded external surface at a second end; grippers pivotally mounted within said body, said grippers having a sawing position wherein said grippers are positioned inside said body, and an installed position wherein said grippers extend outwardly from said body; an adjusting ring which matingly engages with said threaded surface on said body;
and an eyelet which is connected to said second end of said body.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a method of installation for a temporary anchor comprising the steps of: cutting a hole in the mounting surface with an integrated saw, using a centering tip to keep the saw centered while cutting; deploying integrated and pivotal grippers behind said mounting surface; and clamping said anchor in place by tightening an adjustable ring against said mounting surface.
Although designed with wallboard in mind, the device can be use on surfaces constricted with other materials. Furthermore, the device can be installed in walls, ceilings, floors, doors and any other surfaces that might require an anchor point.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the wall anchor according to the invention in open and clamped positions.
Figure 2 is an isometric view of the wall anchor of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the wall anchor of Figure 1 attached to a wall.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Scenario 1 A temporary anchor point needs to be installed into an office building wall, made of wallboard or of similar material, to lift or move a suspicious package.
In this Scenario the improved wall anchor with the integrated saw is used to manually cut a clean hole in the wallboard. The centering tip keeps the saw centered while the hole is cut. The clamping mechanism, the lock mechanism and adjustable ring are used to hold and lock the anchor point in place, independent of the wallboard thickness. A line is then connected to the anchor point and directly or indirectly attached to the suspicious package which can now be moved or lifted from a safe location.
Once the mission is complete the first responder can retrieve the Wall Anchor by manually releasing the clamping mechanism, retracting the gripper and removing the anchor. This is achieved without the need for additional tools or further damaging the wallboard or wall anchor.
As shown in the figures, the anchor 10 includes an integrated saw 20, which may be continuous or have two separate sets of teeth as shown. Using two separate sets of teeth and flattening the sides of the device as shown, provides at least two advantages: it provides two smooth surfaces through which the pins of the gripping may be installed, and it allows for the easy removal from the device of the piece of wallboard that will be sawed out use.
Various types and designs of cutting teeth may be used depending on the material that the teeth are design to cut. Such designs are well known in the art.
The two grippers 30 are pivotal within the device, and are interconnected with the eyelet 40 via pins or linkages, or simply bear against a shoulder or surface of it. The shaft 50 of the eyelet 40 has a hole that mates with the release pin 60 - when the eyelet is pressed into the clamped position, the release pin is pressed into the hole in the shaft of the eyelet, fixing the position of the grippers in the deployed position. The adjusting ring 70 has a thread that mates with a thread 80 in the body of the device; tightening the adjusting ring will clamp the drywall 90 between the grippers 30 and the adjusting ring 70. A threaded locking ring 100 is also included, which can be tightened against the adjusting ring 70, locking it in place.
While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments and in specific uses, various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A wall anchor comprising:
(a) a generally cylindrical body having an integral saw at a first end, and a threaded external surface at a second end;
(b) grippers pivotally mounted within said body, said grippers having a sawing position wherein said grippers are positioned inside said body, and an installed position wherein said grippers extend outwardly from said body;
(c) an adjusting ring which matingly engages with said threaded surface on said body; and an eyelet which is connected to said second end of said body.