Hydraulic and earth engineering – Foundation – Columnar structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2002-12-17
Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3671)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Foundation
Columnar structure
C405S232000, C052S749100, C052S165000, C052S298000, C256S001000, C248S156000, C248S530000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06494643
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a fastening system and a method for fastening an object in the form of a stake or post projecting from a surface, with an anchoring portion which can be introduced into an underlying structure bounded by the surface and can be removed again from it, or can be releasably fastened on the surface, and with a holding portion for receiving the object.
The erection of masts, posts, poles or stakes, for example for signs or fences, usually takes place directly by ramming them into the earth or by means of a foundation introduced into the earth for this purpose. With this procedure, the required vertical alignment entails considerable expenditure and requires the use of additional aids, which is laborious and, in particular, time-consuming. If it is concreted in, alignment of the object is no longer possible at all once the concrete has set.
In many cases, a mast or the like is not to be erected permanently but only for a time, for instance depending on the season, for example warning signs for hazards in winter or posts for setting up nets for ball games and the like. With the usual fastening methods mentioned above, a releasable connection is either not possible at all or requires additional measures.
In addition to ramming in, burying or concreting in an object, it is known to erect an object by means of a fastening system anchored in the earth. The anchoring device, which can receive the object to be erected at its upper, free end, includes at its lower end for example a screw or auger, which is screwed into the earth like a screw. The object to be erected is then inserted or screwed into the anchoring device or is screwed onto it. In the case of such arrangement as well, similar difficulties with regard to the use of additional aids exist regarding the alignment of the anchoring device in relation to the vertical and, in particular, when releasing the connection, and time-consuming additional measures are required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the problem of providing a device and a method for fastening an object in the form of a stake or post projecting from a surface, in particular from the ground, with an anchoring portion which can be introduced into the underlying structure and can be removed again from it, or can be releasably fastened on the surface, and with a holding portion for receiving the object, with which device or method the object to be fastened can be aligned simply and in a short time and which permit sufficiently durable fixing of the object, even over prolonged periods, as well as comparatively quick and easily performed removal of the object.
The problem is solved according to the invention by a fastening system for an object in the form of a stake or post which includes a filler portion.
It is provided according to the invention that the holding portion has a cup-shaped or tubular filling portion, provided with a filling opening, for receiving a filler. The fastening system according to the invention therefore allows quick, easy-to-perform and exact alignment and positioning of the object in the form of a stake or post in relation to the holding portion, creating a durable fixing which needs no readjustment and can be easily released again. The components in the form of stakes or posts to be fastened may be variously designed, i.e. both cylindrical and conical components can be securely fixed, the conicity of the component also being formed in a frustoconical widening of the lower region of the component and/or in a conical tapering of the lower region of the component, thereby forming a relatively narrow annular gap. The system according to the invention and the method according to the invention can consequently be used for the secure fixing of a large number of components in the form of stakes or posts.
According to the invention, the filler is of such a nature that movement of the object in the holding portion is virtually ruled out. For this purpose, the filler expediently comprises a hard material in the form of sand, loose chippings or rock and/or a flexible plastic, such as granular material in particular. The invention is based on the surprising effect that filler which is, in itself, loose and to a certain extent “free-flowing” indeed permits a fastening of the object that is mechanically adequately stable, without the effect of the mechanical connection subsiding over time. In this case, on the one hand easy-to-perform corrections in the alignment of the object are possible, and on the other hand simple release of the connection is made possible by removing or taking out the filler. Tests with coarse-grained, hard loose chippings, as are used in road construction for example, have shown that secure fixing is possible just by the force of gravity of the filler introduced and the mechanical pressure of the filler acting on the object. After introducing the filler, the object is securely held, even under the effect of external vibrations, and does not exhibit any, or in any event any appreciable, positional changes. The coarse-grained material of the filler assumes a physically stable, essentially unchanging position after filling and securely holds the object. Not only coarse-grained rubble is possible for the material of the filler, although such a material appears to be particularly well suited (since canting of such a material achieves particularly great rigidity and positional stability of the filler, which is retained even under relatively great loading), but also rounded or even spherical rock material, such as pebble stones or the like, for instance.
A further aspect of the present invention is therefore that of providing filling material for the fastening of objects in the form of stakes or posts which has a rough, irregularly formed surface. With such irregular, but nevertheless approximately equal-sized filling-material elements, the advantageous effect of the device according to the invention is brought out particularly distinctly.
An additional aspect of the present invention is to fill the annular gap between the component in the form of a stake or post and the anchoring device only with individual particles or elements of the filling material in order to mount the component in the form of a stake or post in a secure and stable manner. This utilizes the effect that even just a few, but at least two, particles or elements of the filling material are sufficient in the relatively narrow annular gap between the component in the form of a stake or post and the anchoring device to bring about an adequate wedging effect to mount the component in the form of a stake or post securely and stably, in particular with respect to vertical forces. It must be ensured here that the annular gap is not greater than the diameter of the particles or elements of the filling material. It has therefore proven to be advantageous if the base region of the anchoring device has a cone in which the component in the form of a stake or post is centered and the annular gap enclosing the component in the form of a stake or post opens in the upward direction.
Also particularly suitable is a flexible plastics material, for instance a coarse- or fine-grained granular material, which can be produced in particular from recycled materials, for instance from scrap rubber (scrap tires) or other suitable reusable plastic waste products. One special advantage of using a flexible filling material exclusively or in addition to other material, apart from an improved fastening effect that is more stable on a long-term basis, is in particular the vibration-damping and stress-retaining properties of such flexible filling material.
The filler is preferably filled into the filling opening by means of a funnel-like filling tube that reaches at least partly around the circumference of the filling opening.
A major advantage of the invention is that there is simple and accurate positioning of the object to be fastened. Not only can the axial position of the object be easily set, but any desired position of the objec
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Krinner Innovation GmbH
Mayo Tara L.
Will Thomas B.
LandOfFree
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