Post support

• US 4,874,149 A
• Filed: 09/15/1988
• Issued: 10/17/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gordon Companies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gordon Companies Inc.
• Inventors: Miceli, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOTKOWSKI, KAREN
• Application Number:
  US07/244,951
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 248/545, 248/533, 248/530, 248/532, 248/156, 248/85, 248/310, 248/508, 248/74.4, 52/155, 52/165
• US Class Current: 248/530
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/2215 driven into the ground ground anchors E02D5/80

Abstract

A post support for securing a post in the ground in a generally vertical position, which post support comprises an elongated ground-engaging spike to be driven vertically into the ground and a post support hollow container which comprises a pair of fixed, right angle vertical wall sections which form a part of the hollow container and which have tapered hemmed edges and a pair of right angled wedge end caps which also have tapered hemmed edges, with the wedge end caps adapted to have their edges fit in an overlapping relationship with the hemmed edges of the fixed vertical wall section and to be driven downwardly on the installation of the post to force the fixed wall sections inwardly so as to wedge and engage the post within the hollow container section thereby providing the support and securing of a post in the post support.

Claims

1. A post support for securing a post in the ground in a generally upright, vertical position which post support comprises:

(a) an elongated, ground-engaging means to be driven vertically into the ground;

(b) a post support section means secured to the ground-engaging means and forming a hollow, post-receiving section to receive and support a post therein in a generally vertical position which includes at least one upright, vertical wall section having top and a pair of spaced apart, upright side edges and which form part of the hollow post receiving section;

(c) wedge means in a slidable, wedging relationship with the spaced apart side edge of the fixed wall section to force the outer sides of the fixed vertical wall sections inwardly into a wedging, securing relationship with the post within the hollow section; and

(d) wherein the wedge means is characterized by a hole therein for the driving of a nail into the supported post to secure the wedge means in place.

2. The post support of claim 1 wherein

(a) the post support section means comprises:

a pair of generally upright, vertical, fixed wall sections to form a substantial part of the wall of the hollow post receiving section, each of said wall sections having a top edge and tapered side edges with edge folds, the side edges spaced apart from the sides edges of the other section; and

(b) wherein the wedge means comprises;

a pair of wedge caps each having a top edge and tapered side edges, each side edge having a tapered edge fold, adapted to fit in a snug slidable relationship with the edge folds of the said wall sections

whereby the wedge caps on being driven downwardly force the said wall sections into a pinching, secure relationship with the post in the hollow section.

3. The post support of claim 1 which includes a drive plate means on top of the ground engaging means to permit a short post section to be used to drive the ground engaging means into the ground.

4. The post support of claim 2 wherein the fixed wall sections are right angled sections to form a rectangular hollow post receiving section, and the wedge means comprise right angled wedge end caps which complete the wall section and are adapted to be driven downwardly with the top edge of the wedge caps generally flush with the top edge of the said wall section when the post is in a secure position.

5. The post support of claim 2 wherein the said wall section and said wedge cap comprise arcuate sections to form a round hollow section to receive a round post.

6. The post support of claim 2 wherein the tapered folds are tapered at an angle of about 1°

to 3°

.

7. The post support of claim 1 which includes a post supported in the post receiving section and a nail through the nail hole in the wedge means to secure the wedge means in a pinching, secure position.

8. A post support for securing a post in the ground in a generally upright, vertical position which post support comprises:

(a) an elongated, ground-engaging means adapted to be driven vertically into the ground;

(b) a post support section means secured to and generally axially aligned with the ground-engaging means and forming at least one generally rectangular, hollow, post receiving section to receive and support the one end of a rectangular post therein in a generally vertical position which includes at least one upright, vertical wall having a top and a pair of spaced apart, upright side folded edges; and

(c) angled wedge means having a generally V-shaped cross section for being placed in a slidable, wedging relationship with the spaced apart folded edges of the wall section to force the outer sides of the vertical wall sections inwardly into a wedging post securing relationship with the end of the post within the hollow section when the wedge means is driven generally vertically downwardly.

9. The post support of claim 8 wherein

(a) the post support section means comprises:

a pair of generally upright, vertical wall sections, each of said wall sections having side edges, the side edges spaced apart from the side edges of the other section and each side edge having a folded edge; and

(b) wherein the wedge means comprises;

a pair of angled wedge caps each having side edges, each side edge having an edge fold, adapted to fit in a snug, slidable relationship with the edge folds of the said wall sections whereby the wedge caps on being drive downwardly force the said wall sections into a pinching, secure relationship with the end of the post in the hollow section.

10. The post support of claim 8 wherein the ground-engaging means comprises an elongated cruciform element.

11. The post support of claim 8 wherein the ground-engaging means includes one or more outwardly projecting tab means on the elongated ground-engaging means to permit the ground-engaging means to be driven vertically into the ground, but which projecting tab means retard the vertical withdrawal of the ground-engaging means from the ground.

12. The post support of claim 8 which includes a drive plate means on top of the ground-engaging means to permit a short post section to be used to drive the ground-engaging means into the ground and to receive and retain the end surface of post to be supported in the post support section means.

13. The post support of claim 12 wherein the ground-engaging means comprises a cruciform element, and the drive plate means comprises a flat plate secured to the top of the sides of the cruciform with the plate edges within the post receiving section.

14. The post support of claim 8 wherein the wedge means are characterized by a hole therein for the driving of a nail into the supported post to secure the wedge means in place.

15. The post support of claim 9 wherein the fixed wall sections are right angled sections to form a square hollow post receiving section, and the wedge means comprises generally right angled wedge end caps which complete the wall section and are adapted to be driven downwardly with the top edge of the wedge caps generally flush with the top edge of said wall section when the post is in a secure position.

16. The post support of claim 9 wherein the spaced apart outer edges of the wall sections are slightly tapered from the top to the bottom of the wall edge sections so that the width of the edge opening at the bottom is slightly greater than the top.

17. The post support of claim 16 wherein the side edges are tapered from about 0.5 to 10 degrees from the vertical axis of the post support.

18. The post support of claim 9 wherein the post-receiving section and the wedge means include generally uniformly folded edges with the opening between the folded edges of the side walls of the section tapered.

19. The post support of claim 12 which includes a short section of a post section therein to permit the post section to be hammered to drive the ground-engaging means into the ground.

20. A supported post which comprises the post support of claim 8 with a supported post wedgingly secured in the post support section means and the ground-engaging means vertically driven into the ground.

21. The post support of claim 8 which includes:

(a) a post secured in the post support section, each wall section having a top and bottom edge and side edges, the side edges of each wall section spaced apart from the opposing side to form a slightly tapered opening between the opposing side edges, the wall sections forming a substantial part of the peripheral wall of the hollow section, the side edge slightly tapered from the top edge to the bottom edge; and

(b) a pair of wedge means which comprise wedge end cap elements each having a top and bottom edge and side folded edges, the side edges adapted to fit in a slidable, snug relationship with the folds of the wall sections so that when the wedge end caps are slidably positioned and driven downwardly, the wedge end cap elements force the sides of the said wall sections into a secure, wedging relationship with a post in the hollow post receiving section.

22. A post support for securing a post in the ground in a generally vertical, upright position which post support comprises:

(a) an elongated cruciform, ground-engaging element adapted to be driven generally vertically into the ground;

(b) a flat drive plate element secured to the top of the cruciform ground-engaging element to permit the use of a short section of the post to drive the ground-engaging element into the ground;

(c) a pair of upright, vertical wall sections each having side edges with edge folds, the opposing side edges spaced apart a slight distance, the wall sections forming a square, hollow, post-receiving section to receive the end of a square post to be supported; and

(d) a pair of generally right angled wedge end caps each having folded edges and adapted to fit in a slidable, wedging relationship with the edge fold of the wall sections so that when the wedge end caps are driven downwardly, the side of the pair of wall sections are forced inwardly into a post securing relationship with the end of the post.

23. A post support for securing a round post in the ground in a generally upright, vertical position, which post support comprises:

(a) an elongated, ground-engaging means adapted to be driven vertically into the ground;

(b) a post support section means secured to and generally axially aligned with the ground-engaging means and forming at least one generally round, hollow, post-receiving section to receive and support the one end of a round post therein in a generally vertical position which includes at least one upright, vertical wall having a top and a pair of spaced apart, upright side folded edges, the space between the folded edges slightly tapered from the top to the bottom of the wall section so that the width of the space at the bottom is slightly greater than at the top; and

(c) angled wedge means having folded edges to form an angular wedge cap and adapted to be placed in a slidable, wedging relationship with the spaced apart folded edges of the wall section to force the outer sides of the vertical wall sections inwardly into a wedging, post-securing relationship with the end of the post within the hollow section when the wedge means is driven generally vertically downward.

24. The post support of claim 23 wherein the edge folds of the section and wedge means are generally uniform in width.