Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to post drivers for driving a wedged anchor into the
ground and particularly relates to a post driver having an inner and outer shaft
adapted for slidable relative movement therebetween so as to accurately align the
wedged anchor into the ground.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most homes in North America have fences which delineate the property line.
Such fences include fence posts which are either driven into the ground or which
include drilled holes which are filled with concrete or the like which are adapted to
receive such wooden fence posts.
Recently wedged anchors which are made of steel or the like have been used
for insertion into the ground so as to serve as anchors for the wooden posts which are
secured thereto. In particular, a wedged anchor sold under the trade mark of "MET"
post has been appearing on the market place which consist of approximately a three
foot long metal anchor having a rectangular socket on one end thereof adapted to
20 receive a wooden post and a wedged spike at the other end which is adapted to be
driven into the ground. Once the "MET" post is driven into the ground the wooden
post is secured into the rectangular socket.
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The '`MET" post have normally been inserted into the ground by inserting a
short wooden piece of fence and pointing the wedged anchor into the ground and
hammering the short wooden piece. Such procedure has normally proved
unsatisfactory as it is difficult to maintain the relative vertical position of the "MET"
post so as to present a fence having accurately aligned fence posts.
Although the inventor herein is not aware of any apparatus which has
heretofore been used to drive such "MEr' post into the ground various apparatus and
procedures have heretofore been used to drive wooden or metal fence posts into the
ground. For example United States Patent No. 4,790,533 teaches apparatus for setting
bases at selected locations on a baseball or softball field comprises a base anchor
socket designed to be complimentary engagable with stud members associated with the
undersides of bases.
Moreover, United States Patent No. 2,098,146 discloses a post driver for driving
metallic posts into the ground.
Yet another arrangement is disclosed in United States Patent No. 4,252,472
which discloses a Peg device and method of fLxing posts into the ground.
Yet another arrangement is shown in United States Patent No. 299,344 which
describes apparatus for driving piles or planks into the ground.
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Finally, United States Patent No. 299,986 describes a post driver for driving
posts into the ground.
These and other prior art devices are relatively complicated devices which are
difficult to utilize in association with wedged anchor or "MEI" posts.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved post driver to be used
in association with wedged anchors and to particularly provide a post driver which is
casy to use and which is used to accurate~ vertically a~ign the wedged anchors into the
I0 ground.
The broadest aspect of this invention relates to a post driver for driving an
wedged anchor into the ground, wherein said wedged anchor is adapted to receive a
post at the top end thereof, comprising: an elongated inner shaft having a rectangular
cross section said inner shaft having one end of which is adapted to be received by said
wedged anchor; a plate coextensive with said rectangular cross section and fixedly
secured at said one end of said elongated inner shaft; a hollow elongated outer shaft
having spaced first and second open ends said first open end of said hollow elongated
outer shaft adapted to receive another end of said inner shaft for relative slidable
20 movement therebetween; mass presented at said second open end extending
interiorially into said outer shaft, said mass adapted to strike said other end of said
inner shaft when said outer shaft is slidingly moved to an impact position and to be
spaced from said other end of said inner shaft when said outer shaft is slidingly moved
relative said inner shaft to an open position; said hollow outer shaft including first
aperture and said mass including second aperture in the region interiorially of said
outer shaft for alignment with said first aperture; a handle having two spaced ends
secured to said outer shaft, one of said ends of said handle projecting through said first
aperture of said outer shaft and into said second aperture of said mass interiorially of
said outer shaft so as to retain said mass and said outer shaft together, said handle for
moving said outer shaft relative said inner shaft between said open and impact
positions.
It is another aspect of this invention to provide a post driver for driving a
wedged anchor into the ground, said wedged anchor including a square opening at the
top thereof for receiving a wooden post comprising: a hollow inner shaft having a
square cross section along the axial length thereof; a plate coextensive with said square
cross section of said inner shaft and fixedly secured at said-one end of said hollow
inner shaft; an enlarged square engaging portion presented at one end of said inner
shaft for reception by said opening at the top of said wedged anchor so as to
substantially eliminate rotational movement of said wedged anchor about said axis of
said first shaft; an anvil presented at another end of said inner shaft; a hollow outer
shaft having a square cross section along the axial length thereof, said outer shaft
20 including an open end adapted to slidingly receive said inner shaft interiorially of said
outer shaft for relative slidable movement therebetween so as to substantially eliminate
rotational movement of said outer shaft with said inner shaft along the axial length of
inner and outer shafts; mass presented at another end of said outer shaft and
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extending interiorially into said outer shaft at said another end, said mass adapted to
strike said anvil of said inner shaft when said outer shaft is slidingly moved to an
impact position, and to be spaced from said anvil when said outer shaft is slidingly
moved relative said inner shaft to an open position; said hollow outer shaft including
first aperture and said mass including second aperture in the region interiorially of said
outer shaft for alignment with said first aperture; a handle having two spaced ends
secured to said outer shaft, one of said ends of said handle projecting through said first
aperture of said outer shaft and into said second aperture of said mass interiorially
of said outer shaft so as to retain said mass and said outer shaft together, said handle
10 for moving said outer shaft relative said inner shaft between said open and impact
positions; gusset connecting said outer shaft and said handle.
Finally it is an aspect of this invention to provide a method of installing a
wooden post to a wedged anchor having an opening at the top thereof adapted to
receive said post, including the steps of: positioning said wedged anchor into the
ground so as to present the opening of said wedged anchor at the top thereof;
vertically aligning an inner shaft relative said wedged anchor whereby one end of said
inner shaft is inserted into said opening of said wedged anchor; positioning a hollow
outer shaft having an opening at one end and a closed end over said inner shaft for
20 relative slidable movement therebetween; grasping handles presented along said outer
shaft so as to slidingly move said outer shaft relative said inner shaft between an open
position where said closed end of said outer shaft is spaced from another end of said
inner shaft, and an impact position where said closed end of said outer shaft strike said
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other end of inner shaft so as to drive said inner shaft and said wedged anchor into
the ground; vertically aligning said wedged anchor when driving said wedged anchor
into the ground by wrenching the handles while slidingly moving said outer shaft to said
impact positions; removing said inner and outer shafts from said wedged anchor;
inserting a wooden post into said open end of said wedged anchor; vertically aligning
said wooden post; securing said wooden post to said anchor; constructing a fence
from said secured wooden posts.
DRAWINGS:
Figure 1 is a side devational view of the pos~ driver.
Figure 2 is a side devationa1 view of the inner shaft of the post driver.
Figurc 3 is a bottom view of the inner shaft of the post driver.
Figure 4 is a side elevational view of thc outer shaft of the post driver.
Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the outer shaft of the post driver.
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The inner shaft 4 comprises an elongated shaft extending along the axial length
thereof and in the embodiment illustrated in figures 2 and 3 comprises square tubbing
having common wall thickness. It has been found that good results may be achieved
by using two inch square tubbing having 3/16th inch walls. However, it should be
undorstood that various sizes may be used without departing from the spirit of the
; invention herein.
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Onc end 16 of inner shaft 4 is adapted to be inserted into the opening 12 of
~ wedged anchor 8. In the embodiment disclosed in figures 2 and 3 end 16 includes an
l0 enlarBed engaging portion which consists of a threc inch square tube with 7/16th inch
- walls which have been welded to four sides of the inner shaft 4. Again, various other
dimensioned may be used without departing from the spirit of the in~ention. The
enlarpd~engaging portion 16 has been dimensionable so as to snugly fit within opening
12 of wedged anchor 8. The wedged opening 12 also consists of a rectangular socket
p~rtion which is adapted to receive enlarged engaging portion 16 so as to substantially
climinate any rotatlonal movement of wedged anchor 8 relative inner shaft 4 along its
axial length thereo This ensures proper vertical alinement of the wedged anchor as
it is becn driven into the ground by the post driver 2 in a manner which will be more
fully described herein.
A square platc 17 is welded at the bonom of end 16.
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Another end 18 of the inner shaft presents an anvil portion 20 which consists
of a solid metal cap which is angled 15 degrees to the top and includes a protrusion
22 which is inserted into the end of the inner shaft 4. The anvil portion 20 is welded
along four sides of the inner shaft 4 so as to properly secure same. However, other
means of fastening may be utilized such as utilizing screws or dimensioning the anvil
20 to other end 18 so as to produce a press fit therebetween.
The outer shaft 6 is hollow and presents a square cross section. Good results
have been achieved by utilizing two and a half inch square tubbing having 3/16th inch
10 common wall. Again, other dimensions may be used without departing from the spirit
of the invention described herein. One end 24 of outer shaft 6 is hollow and is
adapted to receive therein the other end 18 of inner shaft 4 for telescoping slidable
relative movement therebetween. The other end 26 of outer shaft 6 is closed and in
particular presents a solid mass of steel 2B which includes a portion 29 which is
adapted to be inserted interiorally of outer shaft 6. In the embodiment shown in
figures 4 and 5 the solid mass of steel 28 comprises two and a half inch square solid
mild steel cap which is milled to 2 and 1/16th inch square for protrusion into the other
end 26 of outer shaft 6. The mass 28 may be welded to outer shaft 6.
Outer shaft 6 also includes handles 30 which are welded at lower end 32.
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The upper end of outer shaft 6 includes drilled holes 34 which are also drilled
into the portion 29 of mass 28 and are adapted to receive the other end 36 of handles
30. The other end 36 of handles 30 are welded at 38 to the outer shaft as shown.
The operation of the post driver 2 shall now be described in relation to figure
1. The wedged anchor is positioned so that the spike portion 14 is facing the ground
and the open end 12 is at the top thereof.
Thereafter, inner shaft 4 is vertically aligned relative the wedged anchor by
inserting the enlarged portion 16 into the open end 12. Thereafter, the outer shaft 6
is telescopingly mounted over the inner shffl 4 along a cornmon axis. Alternatively,
the inner shaft 4 may be placed in anteriority of outer shaft 6 and then the post driver
2 may be aligned with the wedged anchor as described above.
Thereafter, the user would grasp handles 30 of outer shaft 6 and raise the outer
shaft 6 relative inner shaft 4 to an open position whereby the closed end 26 of outer
shaft 6 is spaced from anvil 20 of inner shaft 4. Thereafter, the user would pull down
on handles 30 so as to telescopingly slidingly move outer shaft 6 relative inner shaft
4 to a second impact position whereby the mass 28 would strike anvil portion 20 of
20 inner shaft 4 so as to transfer the force along inner shaft 4 into the open end 12 of
wedged anchor 8 so as to drive the wedged anchor 8 into the ground.
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: It should be noted that it has been found that the wedged anchor 8 is more
accurately vertically aligned into the ground by utilizing the post driver 2 as described
above. More particularly, handles 30 of post driver 3 allow the operator to drive the
wedged anchor or fence post holder down perpendicularb to the horizontal while at
the same time driving the fence post holder 8 parallel to a fence line~ The handles 30
act as a wrench whereby adjustments can be made while driving the wedged anchor
into the ground.
Furthermore, it has been found that by utilizing a hollow inner and outer shaft
: 104 and 6 respecbvely while having anvil portion 20 and mass portion 28 a light weight
yet affective force transfer mechanism has been accomplished which eases the accurate
insertion of wedged anchors 8 into the ground~
Figure 6 discloses a second embodiment of tbe invention which includes gussets
40 that connect outer shaft 6 to handles 30 so as to reinforce and strengthen same~
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Finally, once the wedged anchor 8 has been driven sufficiently into the ground
: thc inner and outer shafts 4 and 6 may be removed from the wedged anchor 8 and a
wooden post 40 inserted into the open end of wedged anchor 8
Although the preferred embodiment as well as the operation and use have been
specifically described in relation to the drawings, it should be understood that
variations in the preferred embodiment could be achieved by a person skilled in the
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trade without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention
should not be understood as to be limited to the exact form revealed by the drawings.
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