HUNTING LADDER ANCHOR

• US 20110100752A1
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kevin Louis Donlon
• Original Assignee: Kevin Louis Donlon
• Inventors: Donlon, Kevin Louis
• Granted Patent: US 8,418,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 182/107
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 7/42 Ladder feet; Supports therefor for scaffold elements E04G5/02
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 7/46 Non-skid equipment

Abstract

A device for anchoring a ladder to the ground and a method for setting up a ladder against a standing object is disclosed. The device comprises of two anchoring members, each having a brace member configured for containing and securing one of the ladder legs, adapted for engaging with the ground and adapted for pivoting from a front side to a back side of the anchoring members. In another embodiment, each of the brace members is configured for containing the bottom rung of a ladder for situations where the legs cannot be secured by the brace member. The method for setting up a ladder against a standing object such as a tree comprises of bracing the legs or the bottom rung by the brace members and anchoring the device to the ground while the ladder is laying flat on the ground, then raising the ladder toward the standing object.

Claims

1. A device for anchoring a ladder onto a ground surface comprising a first anchoring member having a front side and a back side and a second anchoring member having a front side and a back side, said ladder having a first leg and a second leg, said each of the first and second anchoring member comprising:

a channel bracket having a bottom, a first sidewall and a second sidewall, said bottom having an undersurface and an oversurface;

a ground-engaging member having a first end, a second end and a length portion, said first end of said ground-engaging member being attached to the bottom of said channel bracket, said second end and said length portion being adapted for engagement with the ground;

a pivot rod having a first end and a second end, said first end being affixed to a spot on the first side of the channel bracket and the second end being affixed to the second side of the channel bracket; and

a brace member having a first sidewall, a second sidewall, an open bottom, a front wall and a back wall, said pivot rod being threaded though an opening in the first sidewall and an opening in the second sidewall in a manner that said pivot rod supports the brace member and in a manner that said brace member is adapted for pivoting around the pivot rod in a direction from the front side of the anchoring member toward the back side of the anchoring member and vice versa.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the ground-engaging member of the first anchoring member and the ground-engaging member of the second anchoring member each comprises a straight post adapted for insertion into the ground.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein, in a position of the ground-engaging member of the first anchoring member being engaged with the ground, the brace member of the first anchoring member is adapted for pivoting from at least a position wherein the front wall of the brace member is substantially parallel with the ground at the front side of the first anchoring member wherein the back wall of the brace member of the first anchoring member is substantially parallel with the ground at the backside of the first anchoring member.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein, in a position of the ground-engaging member of the second anchoring member being engaged with the ground, the brace member of the second anchoring member is adapted for pivoting from at least a position wherein the front wall of the brace member is substantially parallel with the ground at the front side of the second anchoring member wherein the back wall of the brace member of the second anchoring member is substantially parallel with the ground at the backside of the second anchoring member.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the ground-engaging member of the first anchoring member and the ground-engaging member of the second anchoring member each comprises a corkscrew shape post having a pointed ground-engaging end.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the straight post further comprises a securing attachment.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the first leg of the ladder is adapted to fit inside the brace member of the first anchoring member and the second leg of the ladder is adapted to fit inside the brace member of the second anchoring member.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first sidewall of the brace member is notched.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the brace member has a rectangular shape.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the brace member has a cylindrical shape.

11. A device for anchoring a ladder onto a ground surface comprising a first anchoring member having a front side and a back side and a second anchoring member having a front side and a back side, said ladder having a first rung, said ladder also having a first vertical side attached to a side of the first rung and a second vertical side attached to another side of first rung, said each of the first and second anchoring member comprising:

a channel bracket having a bottom, a first side and a second side, said bottom having an undersurface and an oversurface;

a ground-engaging member having a first end, a second end and a length portion, said first end of said ground-engaging member being attached to the bottom of said channel bracket, said second end and said length portion being adapted for engagement with the ground;

a pivot rod having a first end and a second end, said first end being affixed to a spot on the first side of the channel bracket and the second end being affixed to the second side of the channel bracket;

a brace member having a first sidewall, a second sidewall, an open bottom, a front wall and a back wall, said pivot rod being threaded though an opening in the first sidewall and an opening in the second sidewall in a manner that said pivot rod supports the brace member and in a manner that said brace member is adapted for pivoting around the pivot rod in a direction from the front side of the anchoring member toward the back side of the anchoring member and vice versa, said brace member being adapted for supporting a first rung of a ladder;

a lateral extension tab attached to an upper portion of the brace member front wall; and

a lateral extension tab attached to an upper portion of the brace member back wall.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the first sidewall of the brace member is notched and the second sidewall of the brace member is notched.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the first rung is adapted to fit inside the brace member of the first anchoring member and the second anchoring member.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the first vertical side of the ladder is adapted to fit between the lateral extension tab attached to the upper portion of the front wall of the brace member of the first anchoring member and the lateral extension tab attached to the upper portion of the back wall of the brace member of the first anchoring member.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the second vertical side of the ladder is further adapted to fit between the lateral extension tab attached to the upper portion of the front wall of the brace member of the second anchoring member and the lateral extension tab attached to the upper portion of the back wall of the brace member of the first anchoring member.

16. A method for anchoring a ladder onto a ground surface and setting up said ladder against a standing object, using a device comprising a first anchoring member and a second anchoring member, said each anchoring member containing a channel bracket, a ground-engaging member and a brace member having an interior, said brace member containing a pivot rod traversing the interior of the brace member, said brace member being pivotally attached to the channel bracket, said brace member being adapted to pivot from a front position to a rear position, said ladder having a first leg, a second leg and a top side, said method comprising:

pre-selecting a ground location for anchoring the first leg and the second leg of the ladder;

setting up the ladder in a flat position on the ground, said legs being positioned a short distance from the respective preselected ground location for anchoring the first leg and the second leg of the ladder, said top of the ladder being situated away from the standing object;

with the brace member of the first anchoring member situated in an essentially vertical position relative to the ground-engaging member of the first anchoring member and the first anchoring member in an essentially horizontal position relative to the ground, positioning the first anchoring member in a manner that a bottom portion of the first leg of the ladder is disposed inside the brace member of the first anchoring member, in a manner that said first leg of the ladder is in contact with the pivot rod inside the brace member of the first anchoring member;

with the brace member of the second anchoring member situated in an essentially vertical position relative to the ground-engaging member of the second anchoring member and the second anchoring member in an essentially horizontal position relative to the ground, positioning the second anchoring member in a manner that a bottom portion of the second leg of the ladder is disposed inside the brace member of the second anchoring member, in a manner that said second leg of the ladder is in contact with the pivot rod inside the brace member of the second anchoring member;

with the bottom portion of the first leg of the ladder disposed inside the brace member of the first anchoring member, lifting the first leg of the ladder above ground and pivoting the ground-engaging member of the first anchoring member in a manner that said ground-engaging member of the first anchoring member positions essentially vertically relative to the ground;

engaging the ground-engaging member of the first anchoring member with the ground at the preselected ground location for anchoring the first leg of the ladder;

with the bottom portion of the second leg of the ladder disposed inside the brace member of the second anchoring member, lifting the second leg of the ladder above ground and pivoting the ground-engaging member of the second anchoring member in a manner that said ground-engaging member of the second anchoring member positions essentially vertically relative to the ground;

engaging the ground-engaging member of the second anchoring member with the ground at the preselected ground location for anchoring the second leg of the ladder;

pivoting the top end of the ladder from a position on the ground toward the standing object.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the ground-engaging member comprises a straight post.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein engaging with the ground comprises applying pressure onto the anchoring member, said pressure resulting in embedding the post into the ground.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the standing object comprises a tree.