Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – With piercing or expanding earth anchor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-14
2001-07-10
Stephan, Beth A. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
With piercing or expanding earth anchor
C052S156000, C052S166000, C052S158000, C135S118000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256942
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to stake devices and more specifically it relates to a stake system for utilization within various types of soil conditions without require various designs of stakes.
Tents and other structure often require the utilization of stake devices for retaining the structure in a desired position. There are various types of soil conditions that these stake devices are utilized within including clay, sand, gravel, heavy soil and light soil. Conventional stake devices are very suitable for the specific type of soil they are designed for.
However, conventional stake devices are not as useful for various types of soil conditions and often times pull out of the ground. Many individuals therefore carry various designs of stake devices to ensure they have the desired stake for the soil conditions at hand.
Unfortunately, carrying a plurality of stake designs consumes valuable storage pace and adds considerable weight to the material. Hence, there is a need for a stake system that is useful within various types of soil conditions and that can be adjusted accordingly to achieve the desirable ground engagement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Stake devices have been in use for years. Typically, conventional stake devices comprised a shaft having a pointed lower end and a flanged upper end. The user drives the conventional stake device into the ground surface with a hammer or other structure. The user then ties a rope or cable about the upper end of the conventional stake device and then ties the opposing end to the structure to be retained.
Conventional stake devices work fine for normal soil conditions. However, when encountering sandy, gravel or light soil conditions, conventional stake devices often times are unintentionally removed from the ground surface by forces such as wind.
Examples of attempted stake devices include U.S. Pat. No. 828,509 to Rounsburg; U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,743 to Bellette; U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,194 to Brownell; U.S. Pat. No. 1,008,323 to Gillespie; U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,983 to Lachance et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 287,156 to Sloane which are all illustrative of such prior art.
Rounsburg (U.S. Pat. No. 828,509) discloses a tent stake. Rounsburg teaches a stock having transverse apertures near the lower end, a rod for movement longitudinally through the stock connectable to the guy members, and a pair of anchor members pivoted to the opposite end of the rod for protruding through the transverse apertures when the rod is moved upwardly. Rounsburg is a suitable product for light soil conditions, however Rounsburg is undesirable within heavy soil conditions because of the extreme difficulty in removing the device from the ground surface after insertion.
Bellette (U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,743) discloses an anchorage device for use I sand or sandy soils. Bellette teaches a shank member having a spiked end and a plurality of downwardly convergent plates for capturing the sand.
Brownell (U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,194) discloses a yard swing stabilizer apparatus. Brownell teaches a lower tube having a V-shaped anchor, and a plurality of anchor rods pivotally mounted to an inner tube for projection through slots of the outer tube for securing within the ground surface.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for utilization within various types of soil conditions without require various designs of stakes. Conventional stake devices are suitable for the soil conditions they are designed for, however they are not as suitable for utilization within various types of soil conditions.
In these respects, the stake system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of utilization within various types of soil conditions without require various designs of stakes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of stake devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new stake system construction wherein the same can be utilized for utilization within various types of soil conditions without require various designs of stakes.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new stake system that has many of the advantages of the stake devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new stake system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art stake devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a shaft having a spiked end, a hook secured to the upper end of the shaft, and a pair of first prongs secured to the lower portion of the shaft. The first prongs are comprised of a bendable material for allowing adjustment of the angle with respect to the shaft. If the invention is utilized within light soil, sand or gravel, the first prongs are preferably extended at a significant angle with respect to the shaft. If the invention is utilized within heavy soil, the first prongs are preferably parallel to or slightly extended from the shaft. In an alternative embodiment, a pair of second prongs are attached to the shaft in addition to the first prongs for increasing the gripping within the soil surface.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a stake system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
Another object is to provide a stake system that can be utilized within various types of soil conditions such as sand, gravel, heavy soil, light soil and asphalt.
An additional object is to provide a stake system that eliminates the need for having various types of stakes that are suitable for a corresponding variety of soil conditions.
A further object is to provide a stake system that save valuable storage space by eliminating the need to bring various designs of stakes.
Another object is to provide a stake system that is simple and durable for utilization over extended periods of time.
A further object is to provide a stake system that is not easily removed from the ground surface.
Another object is to provide a stake system that is simple and easy to adjust for most users.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 208013 (1967-06-01), Carr-Harris
patent: 287156 (1883-10-01), Peetz
patent: 356517 (1887-01-01), Wilson
patent: 828509 (1906-08-01), Rounsburg
pa
Dorsey Dennis L.
Stephan Beth A.
LandOfFree
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