Point drive stake system

• US 20040206293A1
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Willard D. Carroll Jr
• Original Assignee: Willard D. Carroll Jr
• Inventors: Carroll, Willard D. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 6,832,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 116/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/02 Means for marking measuring points
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/4933 by separate, deformable element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/4966 Deformation occurs simultaneously with assembly

Abstract

A stake can be driven into a surrounding terrain using a point drive system. The stake body is formed of a durable material such as plastic with a pointed bottom end and a top end which can carry a bundle of colored filaments. The stake body has a hollow interior bore extending from a top end opening downwardly to a bottom end in the vicinity of the pointed bottom end of the stake. The hollow interior bore allows the stake to be driven into a surrounding terrain by an extended tool which is received within the interior bore in point drive fashioin.

Claims

1. A stake having an integral point drive system, comprising:

a stake body formed in one piece of a synthetic, polymeric material, the stake body having a bottom pointed end integrally formed of the synthetic, polymeric material, an intermediate sidewall portion and a top end which terminates in an exposed end surface;

wherein the stake body has a hollow interior bore which terminates in an end opening in the top end thereof, the interior bore being sized to receive a driving tool for driving the stake into the ground, the hollow interior bore also terminating in a closed bottom end which is arranged oppositely to the top end opening;

wherein a distance is defined between the top end opening and the closed bottom end which distance extends for a predetermined length which places the bottom end of the hollow interior bore in the vicinity of the bottom pointed end of the stake.

2. The stake of claim 1, wherein the distance defined between the top end opening and the closed bottom end extends for more than 50% of the overall length of the stake body.

3. The stake of claim 2, wherein the distance defined between the top end opening and the closed bottom end extends for more than 75% of the overall length of the body.

4. A marker stake having an indicator flag, comprising:

a stake body formed in one piece of a synthetic, polymeric material, the stake body having a bottom pointed end integrally formed of the synthetic, polymeric material, an intermediate cylindrical sidewall portion and a top end which terminates in a planar exposed end surface;

a first filament bundle of stiff, resilient strands which form an indicator flag, the first filament bundle having an attachment region which is attached to the top, planar exposed end surface of the stake body;

wherein the stake body has a hollow interior bore which terminates in an end opening in the top end thereof, the interior bore being sized to receive a driving tool for driving the marker stake into the ground; and

wherein the cylindrical sidewall portion of the stake body is joined to the top end by a frusto-conical wall region and wherein the top, planar exposed end surface has an outer periphery which slopes evenly downward to the cylindrical sidewall portion of the stake body, the outer periphery being of a larger relative diameter than the diameter of the cylindrical sidewall portion of the stake body.

6. The marker stake of claim 4, further comprising an additional filament bundle attached to the top, planar exposed end surface of the stake body, a selected one of the first and additional filament bundles extending upwardly from the exposed end surface to a greater relative height than the other of the filament bundles.

7. The marker stake of claim 6, wherein the filament bundles are colored differently.

8. The marker stake of claim 4, further comprising:

an attachment means for attaching the filament bundle to a recess provided in the exposed end surface of the stake body, the attachment means comprising a metal strip which overlays the attachment region of the filament bundle when the bundle is received across the recess in the top surface, whereby bending the metal strip by forcing it into the recess on top of the filament strands serves to retain the filament bundle within the recess provided in the top surface of the stake body.

5. (Canceled)

9. A method of attaching an indicator flag to a stake body formed of a synthetic, polymeric material, the stake body having a bottom pointed end, an intermediate cylindrical sidewall portion and a top end which terminates in a planar exposed end surface having at least one recess formed therein, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a filament bundle of stiff, resilient strands which form an indicator flag, the filament bundle having an attachment region which is attached to the top, planar exposed end surface of the stake body; and

providing an attachment means for attaching the filament bundle to said recess provided in the exposed end surface of the stake body, the attachment means comprising a metal strip which overlays the attachment region of the filament bundle when the bundle is received across the recess in the top surface;

forcing the metal strip into the recess on top of the mid region of the filament strands, whereby the filament strands are doubled into a U-shape, the metal strip being bent to fit within the recess to retain the attachment region of the filaments within the recess.

10. (Canceled)

11. A method of installing a stake into a surrounding terrain using an integral point drive system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a stake body formed in one piece of a synthetic, polymeric material, the stake body having a bottom pointed end formed of the synthetic, polymeric material, an intermediate sidewall portion and a ton end which terminates in an exposed end surface;

providing the stake body with a hollow interior bore which terminates in an end opening in the top end thereof, the interior bore being sized to receive an installation tool for driving the stake into the surrounding terrain the hollow interior bore also terminating in a closed bottom end which is arranged oppositely to the ton end opening, wherein a distance is defined between the top end opening and the closed bottom end which distance extends for a predetermined length which places the bottom end of the hollow interior bore in the vicinity of the bottom pointed end of the stake;

installing the marker stake into the surrounding terrain by placing a cylindrical shaft into the hollow interior bore provided in the stake body and forcing the cylindrical shaft downwardly in the direction of the terrain; and

wherein the installation tool which device is provided for installing the marker stake into a surrounding terrain comprises a solid bar received within a hollow tube, the hollow tube terminating in an exposed end region comprising a cylindrical shaft which is sized to be received within and temporarily engaged within the hollow interior bore of the stake body, opposite relative movement between the solid bar and the hollow tube serving to exert a downward force on stake body to drive the stake body into the surrounding terrain.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the cylindrical sidewall portion of the stake body is joined to the top end by a frusto-conical wall region and wherein the top, planar exposed end surface has an outer periphery, the outer periphery being of a larger relative diameter than the diameter of the cylindrical sidewall portion of the stake body.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the pointed end of the stake body comprises a steel insert which is molded within the synthetic, polymeric material of the stake body.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising an additional filament bundle attached to the top, planar exposed end surface of the stake body, a selected one of the first and additional filament bundles extending upwardly from the exposed end surface to a greater relative height than the other of the filament bundles.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the filament bundles are colored differently.

12. (Canceled)