Post driver

• US 4,971,479 A
• Filed: 12/14/1987
• Issued: 11/20/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verve LLC
• Original Assignee: Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brooks, Clayton F., Byers, Alvin H. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Dennis L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McBee, J. Russell
• Application Number:
  US07/141,383
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 405/231, 405/232, 52/155, 52/165, 173/90, 173/128, 173/129, 173/130, 173/131, 173/132, 173/133
• US Class Current: 405/232
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/608 for guiding, warning or controlling traffic, e.g. delineator posts or milestones
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 7/04 Hand (-actuated) pile-drivers
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 17/261 for post and wire handling

Abstract

A post driver for inserting or removing marker posts into the ground. The driver comprises two components, the hammer and the bracket, which cooperate in a safe and efficient means for installing and removing marker posts. The hammer locks around the post and the bracket attaches to the vertically aligned holes which are located on the face of the post.

Claims

1. A device for installing and removing U-shaped posts, said device comprising:

(a) a bracket with securing means for removably mounting the bracket on a post having a periphery, said bracket including a surface which substantially surrounds and extends outwardly from the periphery of the post; and

(b) a hammer adapted to be reciprocally movable along the post, said hammer having a striking surface substantially surrounding the post so as to contact the surface of said bracket.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said bracket includes a front plate and a back plate.

3. The device according to claim 2, further comprising hinge means for connecting said front plate to said back plate.

4. The device according to claim 3, further comprising a locking bolt for holding said front plate and back plate.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein said post includes a series of vertically aligned holes and one of said back plate and front plate includes at least one pin for insertion in a corresponding hole.

6. The device according to claim 5, one of said back plate and front plate comprising a series of vertically aligned pins corresponding to said series of vertically aligned holes.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the other of said front plate and back plate includes at least one hold that corresponds to said at least one pin.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein said bracket includes a protrusion adapted to fit into a channel of the U-shaped post.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said at least one pin is mounted on said protrusion.

10. The device according to claim 2, wherein said post includes a series of vertically aligned holes and one of said back plate and front plate includes at least one bolt for insertion in a corresponding hole.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the other of said back plate and front plate includes at least one hole to receive a corresponding bolt.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein said hammer includes a hollow center section and an opening extending along the entire longitudinal length of said hammer, said opening comprising means for allowing the post to extend into said hollow center section.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein said hammer includes at least one handle.

14. A method for installing and removing a U-shaped post, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) substantially surrounding and affixing a bracket to the post, wherein said bracket presents a surface extending outwardly from the periphery of the post;

(b) substantially surrounding the post with a hammer having a striking surface adapted to contact said surface of said bracket; and

(c) striking said bracket with said hammer.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the bracket is affixed to said post by placing a front plate and a back plate on opposite sides of the post.

16. The method according claim 15, wherein said post includes a series of vertically aligned holes, and at least one pin on one of said front plate and back plate are inserted into at least one of said holes.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of connecting said front plate and back plate with a hinge.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein said post includes a series of vertically aligned holes, and at least one bolt on said front and back plate is inserted into at least one of said holes.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein said hammer includes a hollow center section and an opening extending along the entire longitudinal length of said hammer, said method further comprising passing the post through the opening into the hollow center section.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the width and thickness of the post have different dimensions, the width of the opening being slightly larger than the smaller dimension, said method further comprising rotating the hammer about a vertical axis after the post is in said hollow center section.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein said striking surface of said hammer strikes said surface of said bracket.