Supports – Staff type – Stand or base
Utility Patent
2000-01-27
2001-01-02
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Staff type
Stand or base
C248S530000, C052S165000, C052S166000
Utility Patent
active
06168129
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a device for the vertical arrangement of a pole or post-like object on a fixing device located in the ground, according to the preamble of claim
1
.
When erecting poles or posts, for instance when erecting a fence, when putting up a road sign or the like, the problem always arising is to adjust the pole or post in the exactly vertical position, if possible. The vertical adjustment of a pole or post may be effected, for instance, by checking and possibly correcting the vertical arrangement by means of a water level or a plumb line when a pole or post is fixed or anchored in the ground by driving it in or embedding it in concrete. This is troublesome and time-consuming since, when for instance driving a pole or post into the ground, the driving operation has to be repeatedly interrupted in order to check and possible correct the arrangement of the pole or post. When embedding a pole or post in concrete, the exactly vertical arrangement of the same can indeed be corrected without difficulties before the concrete has set; then, however, means have to be applied to maintain this exactly vertical position until the concrete has set to such an extend that this vertical position can no longer be changed by itself. This means that the pole or post for instance has to be laterally supported or braced.
Apart from driving or digging a pole or post in or else embedding it in concrete, it is known to use fixing devices which can be anchored in the ground and which then support the pole or post-like object on their free upper end. The fixing device adapted to be anchored in the ground comprises, for example, a worm or screw which is drilled into the ground like a corkscrew, whereupon the pole or post is screwed to this fixing device or is inserted into the same. It is further known to integrally form the pole or post-like object and the fixing device adapted to be anchored in the ground like a corkscrew, so that the pole or post-like object includes at one of its free ends the fixing device which is then screwed into the ground and anchored therein. Also with this method or these possibilities of erecting a pole or post substantially the same problems arise regarding the vertical arrangement of the pole or post as when driving the latter in or embedding it in concrete. Instead of the driving operation, the screwing of the fixing device into the ground must be repeatedly interrupted in order to safeguard the later vertical position of the pole or post by appropriate measuring and possibly by correcting steps.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
DE-GM 93 13 260 suggest an adjusting device between a fixing device adapted to be anchored in the ground, for instance a ground screw, and the pole or post-like object to be fixed thereto. In accordance with an embodiment of DE-GM 93 13 260, this adjusting device substantially comprises a cylindrical longitudinally extended holding drift protruding upwards from the free upper side of the fixing device and being adapted to be inserted into a receiving bore hole in the underside of the pole or post-like object. The axial extension of the holding drift and the depth of the receiving bore hole are selected such that the former is somewhat longer than is the depth of the latter, so that, when slipping the pole or post-like object on the holding drift, the free end of it rests on the bottom of the receiving bore hole. The pole or post-like object is now adjusted in an exact vertical position—possibly with the aid of a plumb line or a water level—whereupon one or several strokes are applied to the upper end of the object, so that the free end of the holding drift penetrates the bottom of the blind bore and thus the object is fixed in its exactly vertical position vis-{acute over (a)}-vis the fixing device.
The subject matter of DE-GM 93 13 260 has extensively proved successful in practice; nevertheless, it still has the minor drawback that due to the close positive-locking surrounding of the journal by the material of the pole or post the post shoe itself must be anchored exactly vertically in the ground so as to ensure a vertical position of the pole or post held hereby. DE-GM 93 13 260 in a further embodiment indeed suggests adjusting devices between the post and the fixing device in order to position the post exactly vertically even in the case of a fixing device located in the ground in an oblique or inclined way, but these adjusting devices are quite expensive.
DE-GM 89 03 236 disclosed a device in the form of a post shoe for wooden designs and especially for wooden designs of playground climbing frames. This known device comprises a fixing device located in the ground in the from of an anchoring member to be anchored in the ground or in a foundation, and a support member arranged hereon and adapted to be positively connected with the pole or post. The support member is a vertically extending journal which is held in a recess in the underside of the post such that the post closely fits around the journal, i.e. in a practically positive-locking manner. Furthermore, a resting surface or support plate for the post is provided, from the plane of which the journal protrudes upwards and on which the underside of the post rests. The support plate further has a circumferential toothed ring which digs into the front face by strokes being applied on the upper end of the post and provides a fixing of the position in transverse direction. As an additional protection from removal or detachment, a transversely extending pin is provided which passes horizontally both through the material of the post and through the material of the journal. By the post shoe according to DE-GM 89 03 236 the post or pole is supported at a particular distance above the ground, so that it is better protected from weather influences due to rain, snow or the like, and from vermin and weed.
Although by the post shoe according to DE-GM 89 03 236 the object given there can indeed be achieved and no problems have to be expected on the whole as regards a loosening of the fixing device since the post—with the exception of the stokes applied on the upper end—is slipped onto the journal substantially without force, this post shoe or this fixing device again has the essential drawback that due to the close positive-locking surrounding of the journal by the material of the pole or post the post shoe itself must be anchored exactly vertically in the ground so as to ensure a vertical position of the pole or post held hereby. As for the rest, also the post shoe according to DE-GM 89 03 236 may cause problems with respect to a loosening of the fixing device located in the ground when the material of the post or pole is especially hard, so that a certain expenditure of energy is necessary to force the toothed ring into the front face of the post or pole. In this cased, the stroke or the strokes with which the pole or post-like object is fixed to the fixing device has/have to be fairly strong to achieve the holding forces necessary for the object. In the unfavorable case it is therefore possible that the fixing device—especially in loose soil or sand—tends to loosen due to these strokes, so that, with higher forces exerted on the object, there is the risk that the object will lose its vertical position or even fall over. A device for the vertical arrangement of a pole or post-like object on a fixing device located in the ground according to the preamble of claim
1
has become known from PCT/EP96/03704. This generic device essentially consists of a substantially cylindrical, longitudinally extended holding drift which protrudes upwards from the free upper side of the fixing device and which can be inserted into a receiving bore hole in the underside of the pole or post-like object; and a support plate which is separate from the fixing device and can be fixed onto the lower front face of the pole or post-like object, from which at least one fixing attachment protrudes upwards which forces itself into the material of the pole or post-like object, the support plate comprising a central orifice
Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP
Ramirez Ramon O.
Szumny Jon
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