# US 11,306,453 B2 · One-piece metal plate foundation with integral offset plate for guardrails and other structures and guardrail system utilizing same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,306,453 B2 - Document ID: US11306453B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/837,368 - Filed: 2017-12-11 - Published: 2018-12-13 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-11 - Assignees: Gary L. Reinert, Sr. - Applicants: Safe Foundations Global, LLC. - Inventors: Gary L Reinert - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11306453B2 ## CPC - E01F 15/0476: {Foundations} - E01F 15/0423: {Details of rails (E01F15/0415 takes precedence)} - E01F 15/0461: {Supports, e.g. posts (roadside posts in general E01F9/60)} - E01F 15/0438: {Spacers between rails and posts, e.g. energy-absorbing means (E01F15/0415 takes precedence)} - E01F: ADDITIONAL WORK, SUCH AS EQUIPPING ROADS OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PLATFORMS, HELICOPTER LANDING STAGES, SIGNS, SNOW FENCES, OR THE LIKE ## Abstract A one-piece metal plate foundation suitable for guardrails and other structures includes a longitudinally extending main plate body; a rear flange extending at an angle from at least a longitudinal portion of the main plate body in a first direction at a rear edge of the main plate body; a front flange extending at an angle from a longitudinal portion of the main plate body in a direction opposite the first direction at a front edge of the main plate body; an integral offset spacing plate coupled to a front edge of the main plate body above the front flange and extending laterally forward of the front flange; and a mounting flange extending at an angle from at least a longitudinal portion of the offset spacing plate at a front edge of the offset spacing plate, wherein the mounting flange is configured for mounting of a guardrail. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A one-piece metal plate foundation formed from a one piece metal plate, comprising: A main plate body extending the longitudinal length of the foundation from a top to a bottom of the foundation; A rear flange extending at an angle from at least a longitudinal portion of the main plate body in a first direction at a rear edge of the main plate body and not extending beyond the main plate body in a direction opposite the first direction; A front flange extending at an angle from a longitudinal portion of the main plate body in a direction opposite the first direction at a front edge of the main plate body and not extending beyond the main plate body in the first direction; An integral offset spacing plate extending from the front edge of the main plate body above the front flange and extending laterally forward of the front flange and with no mechanical fasteners coupling the offset spacing plate to the main plate body; and A mounting flange extending at an angle from at least a longitudinal portion of the offset spacing plate at a front edge of the offset spacing plate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The one-piece metal plate foundation according to claim 1 wherein the rear flange and the front flange extend substantially perpendicular to the main plate body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The one-piece metal plate foundation according to claim 2 wherein the offset spacing plate is substantially co-planar with the main plate body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The one-piece metal plate foundation according to claim 3 wherein the mounting flange extends substantially perpendicular to the offset spacing plate and wherein the mounting flange is configured for mounting of a guardrail. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The one-piece metal plate foundation according to claim 4 wherein the rear flange extends for the entire longitudinal length of the main plate body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The one-piece metal plate foundation according to claim 5 wherein the mounting flange extends for the entire longitudinal length of the offset spacing plate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The one-piece metal plate foundation according to claim 6 wherein the bottom of the main plate body is beveled. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The one-piece metal plate foundation according to claim 7 wherein the bottom of the main plate body is beveled in both a lateral direction of the main plate body and across a thickness of the main plate body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The one-piece metal plate foundation according to claim 7 wherein a bottom of the rear flange and the front flange are beveled. ### Claim 10 A guardrail system comprising: A plurality of one-piece guardrail supporting posts, each one-piece post formed from a one piece metal plate and including; i) A main plate body extending the longitudinal length of the one-piece post from a top to a bottom of the one-piece post; ii) A single rear flange extending at an angle from at least a longitudinal portion of the main plate body in a first direction at a rear edge of the main plate body and not extending beyond the main plate body in a direction opposite the first direction; iii) A single front flange extending at an angle from a longitudinal portion of the main plate body in a direction opposite the first direction at a front edge of the main plate body and not extending beyond the main plate body in the first direction; iv) An integral offset spacing plate extending from the front edge of the main plate body above the front flange and extending laterally forward of the front flange and with no mechanical fasteners coupling the offset spacing plate to the main plate body; and v) A single mounting flange extending at an angle in one direction from at least a longitudinal portion of the offset spacing plate at a front edge of the offset spacing plate and not extending beyond the offset spacing plate in a direction opposite the one direction; and at least one guardrail section secured to each mounting flange of each guardrail supporting post. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The guardrail system according to claim 10 wherein in each guardrail supporting post the rear flange and the front flange extend substantially perpendicular to the main plate body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The guardrail system according to claim 11 wherein in each guardrail supporting post the offset spacing plate is substantially co-planar with the main plate body. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The guardrail system according to claim 12 wherein in each guardrail supporting post the mounting flange extends substantially perpendicular to the offset spacing plate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The guardrail system according to claim 13 wherein in each guardrail supporting post the rear flange extends for the entire longitudinal length of the main plate body. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The guardrail system according to claim 14 wherein in each guardrail supporting post the mounting flange extends for the entire longitudinal length of the offset spacing plate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The guardrail system according to claim 15 wherein in each guardrail supporting post the bottom of the main plate body is beveled. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The guardrail system according to claim 16 wherein in each guardrail supporting post the bottom of the main plate body is beveled in both a lateral direction of the main plate body and across a thickness of the main plate body. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The guardrail system according to claim 16 wherein in each guardrail supporting post the bottom of the rear flange and the front flange are beveled. ### Claim 19 A one-piece plate foundation formed from a one piece metal plate and comprising: A main plate body extending the longitudinal length of the foundation from a top to a bottom of the foundation; A single rear flange extending from at least a longitudinal portion of the main plate body in a first direction at a rear edge of the main plate body and not extending beyond the main plate body in a direction opposite the first direction; A single front flange extending at an angle from a longitudinal portion of the main plate body in a direction opposite the first direction at a front edge of the main plate body and not extending beyond the main plate body in the first direction, wherein the front flange is substantially parallel to the rear flange; An integral offset spacing plate extending from the front edge of the main plate body above the front flange and extending laterally forward of the front flange and with no mechanical fasteners coupling the offset spacing plate to the main plate body; and A single mounting flange extending at an angle in one direction from at least a longitudinal portion of the offset spacing plate at a front edge of the offset spacing plate and not extending beyond the offset spacing plate in a direction opposite the one direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The one-piece plate foundation according to claim 19 wherein the rear flange and the front flange extend substantially perpendicular to the main plate body, and wherein the mounting flange extends substantially perpendicular to the offset spacing plate and wherein the bottom of the main plate body is beveled.