Anchoring system

Abstract

An anchoring device having a length of reinforcing material, a shell section attached to the reinforcing material, wherein the shell section has a hollow inner core, and a wedge located at least partially in the inner core of said shell section. In one embodiment, the wedge section is integral with the reinforcing material. In a preferred embodiment, the shell section has four segments and the wedge and the shell section have circumferential barbs on an outer portion thereof to provide greater retention properties for the anchoring system. One embodiment of the present invention also includes a method of attaching a reinforcing structure having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis to an existing substrate, the method including the steps of drilling an aperture in the substrate, inserting the first end of the reinforcing structure in the aperture, the first end containing a shell portion attached thereto, the shell portion having a hollow inner core, the shell portion further containing a wedge partially inserted in the hollow inner core. The method further includes, in one embodiment of the invention, hammering the second end of the reinforcing structure in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis and toward the aperture, wherein the hammering causes the wedge to be driven into the hollow inner core, thereby causing the end of the shell portion to flare outward and against the walls of the aperture.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.