Ground screw adaptor for solar panel support structure

An adaptor for connecting an anchor to an upright beam of a racking assembly subject to upward forces, downward forces and moment forces, comprising:

• a hollow connector having an open anchor receiving bottom end and a top end, the hollow connector having an inner surface that is shaped complementary to an outer surface of the anchor with dimensions slightly larger than that of anchor so that the anchor may be received in the bottom end of the hollow connector in a telescoping fashion, and at least two sets of bolt holes, each set of bolt holes including at least three bolt holes uniformly distributed about a perimeter of the hollow connector at an axial level, and the at least two sets of bolt holes being axially distanced from one another and positioned to align with a continuous portion of the top end of the anchor when the adaptor is installed in a telescoping fashion over the top end of the anchor;
• an intermediate plate having a top surface and a bottom surface fixed to the top end of the hollow connector;
• and
• an upright beam connector fixed to the top surface of the intermediate plate and extending upward from the intermediate plate;
• whereby the at least two sets of bolt holes being axially distanced from one another causes a connection between the adaptor and an anchor to have greater development length, which enables the connection to adequately transfer bending moments from an upright beam connected to the upright beam connector to the anchor;
• and
• wherein an inner surface of the hollow connector has a diameter that is about ½ inches larger than a diameter of an outer surface of the anchor;
• thereby permitting gimballing for making an upright beam connected to the upright beam connector plumb during installation.