| CPC E04H 12/22 (2013.01) [E04H 12/2261 (2013.01); E04H 12/2215 (2013.01); E04H 12/2269 (2013.01)] | 14 Claims |
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1. An apparatus for supporting a posted structure, the apparatus being fixable to a planked structure having planks separated by spacings, the apparatus comprising:
i. a rectangular base plate having:
a top face;
a bottom face opposite to the top face;
a perimeter extending about the base plate between the top and bottom faces, the perimeter including:
spaced-apart first and second ends; and,
spaced-apart first and second sides extending between the first and second ends;
a first axis, lying along the top face, and generally perpendicular to the first end;
a second axis, lying along the top face, and generally perpendicular to the first side, wherein the second axis intersects the first axis to separate the top face of the base plate into first, second, third, and fourth quadrants;
a first aperture being formed in the first quadrant, spaced from both the first and second axes, to extend through the top and bottom faces;
a second aperture being formed in the second quadrant, spaced from both the first and second axes, to extend through the top and bottom faces;
a third aperture being formed in the third quadrant, spaced from both the first and second axes, to extend through the top and bottom faces; and,
a fourth aperture being formed in the fourth quadrant, spaced from both the first and second axes, to extend through the top and bottom faces;
ii. an upstanding, hollow cylinder extending from, and rigidly affixed to, the top face of the base plate at the intersection of the first and second axes;
iii. first, second, third, and fourth locking bolts each having:
an elongated shank which extends along a longitudinal axis between first and second shank ends, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth apertures are each formed to allow the elongated shank to pass therethrough; and,
an elongated locking member fixed to the first shank end to be transverse to the longitudinal axis of, and extend from, the elongated shank, the locking member being sized to pass through the spacing between a pair of adjacent planks of the planked structure,
wherein, the elongated shank is threaded between the first shank end and the second shank end;
iv. first, second, third, and fourth locking nuts for threadedly mounting to the elongated shank of the first, second, third, and fourth locking bolts, respectively; and,
v. one or more struts extending between an exterior surface of the cylinder and the top face, wherein, the one or more struts are each fixed:
to the exterior surface of the cylinder at a location spaced from the top face; and,
to the top face at a location spaced from the cylinder,
wherein, each of the one or more struts bounds a triangular gap with the cylinder and the top face,
wherein the first aperture and the second aperture are collinearly aligned so as to align with a first common spacing in fixing the apparatus to the planked structure, the third aperture and the fourth aperture are collinearly aligned so as to align with a second common spacing in fixing the apparatus to the planked structure.
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