Apparatus for selective placement of auger or rod type anchors

Abstract

An apparatus and method for selectively placing either an auger type or a ground rod or rod type anchor into the earth includes a machine frame that supports an elongated housing. The housing has upper and lower end portions. An anchor holder is positioned at the lower end of a tubular member rotatably mounted in the housing for holding an auger type anchor and rotating it during placement. If a ground rod or rod type anchor is selected, a drive that is offset from the housing central longitudinal axis drives the rod into the earth and without rotating the rod.

Claims

1. An apparatus for selectively placing auger type anchors or rod type anchors beneath the surface of the earth, comprising: a) a machine frame; b) an outer elongated housing having a longitudinal bore, the housing supported by the frame; c) an elongated inner pipe carried within the housing bore, the pipe having upper and lower ends; d) an anchor holder positioned at the lower end of the pipe for removably attaching to an auger type anchor to be placed; e) a housing drive mechanism that includes a plurality of wheels carried by the frame for transporting the housing between upper and lower positions, including at least some wheels that frictionally grip the housing outer surface; f) an elevating mechanism for moving the housing, the pipe, and anchor holder into an inclined position; g) a first motor drive for rotating the pipe and an attached auger type anchor; and h) a linear drive that is offset from said first motor drive and attached to said outer elongated housing, said linear drive including a mechanism that imparts hammer blows to a top portion of a ground rod to be inserted into the earth.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the linear drive includes a lower opening or socket having a diameter greater than the diameter of the ground rod to be installed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a laterally extending member or bracket holds the linear drive away from the elongated housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the laterally extending member or bracket has a clamp that clamps to the outer elongated housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the bracket clamps to said linear drive.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer elongated housing is a square tubing.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a rotary motor drive carried at an upper end of the elongated housing for rotating the inner pipe.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the laterally extending member or bracket is attached to the outer elongated housing below the housing drive mechanism.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein upper idler wheels are on opposite sides of the housing.

10. An apparatus for selectively placing an auger type anchor or a rod type anchor into the earth, comprising: a) a machine frame; b) an elongated outer housing supported by the machine frame, the outer housing having an upper end and a lower end; c) a tubular anchor holder contained within the housing, the anchor holder enabling an auger type anchor to be positioned at the lower end of the housing and in general alignment therewith; d) a drive mechanism that includes one or more drive wheels carried by the frame and in general alignment therewith, enabling the housing to be transported between upper and lower positions; e) a first motor drive for rotating the tubular anchor holder and the attached auger type anchor; and f) a linear drive that is offset from said first motor drive and that is removably connectable to a rod to be installed, said linear drive imparting hammer blows to a top portion of a ground rod to be inserted into the earth.

11. An apparatus for placing an auger type anchor into the earth, comprising: a) a machine frame; b) a housing carried by the frame, the housing having an upper end portion and a lower end portion; c) an anchor holder positioned at the lower end of the housing, the anchor holder including a disconnectable connection for connecting to an anchor that is to be placed into the earth; d) a first drive that enables force to be applied to the anchor holder along a line generally collinear with the auger; e) a rotary motor drive for rotating the anchor holder during simultaneous linear insertion of the anchor with the first drive; and f) a linear drive that is offset from said first drive and attached to said housing, said linear drive including a hammer blow mechanism that impacts a top portion of a ground rod to be inserted into the earth.

12. A method of selectively installing a selected screw type anchor or a rod into the earth, comprising the steps of: a) providing a machine that includes a chassis supporting a moving frame portion having an outer surface and having with a rotary motor drive, a first drive that grips the outer surface of the moving frame portion during use and wherein the first drive has a housing drive axis, an anchor holder having a pair of anchor engaging portions for forming a disconnectable connection with either a selected screw type anchor or a selected rod to be installed; b) if a screw type anchor is selected, forming a connection between the screw type anchor and the anchor holder; c) after step b, moving the frame relative to the chassis so that the anchor holder supports the screw type anchor in a selected inclined position before installation; d) simultaneously rotating a selected anchor holder and thrusting it with a linear drive toward the earth so that the anchor enters the earth while rotating and while oriented in a selected inclined position; e) if a screw type anchor is not selected, selecting a ground rod; and f) thrusting the ground rod into the earth using the linear drive wherein the ground rod has an axis that is laterally offset from the housing drive axis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are given like reference numerals, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a partial side view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a partial front elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

(7) FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

(8) FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

(9) FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

(10) FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;

(11) FIG. 10 is a top, fragmentary view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention; and

(12) FIGS. 11-13 are fragmentary views showing the bracket/support that holds the impact driver.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(13) FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, designated generally by the numeral 10. Anchor placing apparatus 10 can be used to install either of two types of anchors/ground rods. These anchors can include an auger type anchor 27 and a rod or ground rod 37. FIGS. 1-10 show anchor setting apparatus 10 that can be mounted on a vehicle 11 such as a truck, marine vessel, amphibious marsh vehicle or the like. The vehicle 11 typically provides a chassis 12 and a plurality of wheels or tracks 13. Vehicle 11 can be an amphibious craft such as having spaced apart pontoons, endless tracks over the pontoons and cleats attached to the tracks (e.g., see the John Coast U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,395; U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,260; U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,882; which are each hereby incorporated herein by reference).

(14) A superstructure 14 is shown provided on vehicle 11. Superstructure 14 can be a welded structural frame, for example, to which the apparatus 10 of the present invention is mounted. A telescoping cylinder 15 mounts upon frame 14 for moving elongated housing 24 in between a horizontal storage position and an inclined position. Plate 16 on superstructure 14 provides trunion or pivot 17 to which telescoping hydraulically powered cylinder 15 is anchored. The end of cylinder 15 opposite pivot 17 provides a telescoping or extendable pushrod 18 that preferably extends and retracts responsive to hydraulic, controlled fluid as shown by arrow 19 in FIG. 3, and for raising elongated housing 24 as shown by curved arrow 23 in FIG. 2. Pushrod 18 attaches to drive 20 at gusset plate 21 and pivot 22 so that gusset plate 21 pivotally connects to pushrod 18.

(15) A linear housing drive 20 is provided for thrusting the elongated outer housing or square tube housing 24 downwardly. A rotary drive 34 can simultaneously rotate anchor 27. The linear drive 20 can be comprised of a plurality of support rollers and driven sheaves with a gear mechanism such as the one shown and described herein or the one shown and described in prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,811,741, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

(16) In FIGS. 1-5 and 13, housing 24 provides and upper end portion 25 and a lower end portion 26. An auger or screw type anchor 27 is thrust into the earth 30 using a combination of rotational force provided by rotary motor drive 34 (with optional gear box 41) and linear force applied by the downward movement of elongated housing 24 driven by linear housing drive 20.

(17) Auger type anchor 27 can have a square drive end at 28. It can be connected to elongated housing 24 at a square drive block 48 (see arrow 31 in FIG. 9). The square drive block 48 can provide a transverse opening 29 through which locking pin 33 (see arrow 32 in FIG. 9) can be placed. Before such an assembly of auger type anchor 27 to elongated housing 24, the square drive block 28 portion of auger type anchor 27 is preferably connected to square shaped drive 48. Once the square drive block 28 of auger type anchor 27 has been connected to square drive 48, locking pin 33 can be placed through transverse openings 29, 53 of the screw type anchor 27 and square tubing drive member 48 as shown in FIG. 9. A cotter pin can preferably be used to retain locking pin 33 in its locked position. Arrow 32 illustrates that locking pin 33 can be placed through aligned openings 29, 53 of square drive block 28 and square drive 48 of housing 24.

(18) During insertion, linear motion is imparted to screw type anchor 27 while simultaneous rotary motion is imparted to screw anchor 27. Rotary motion is imparted to screw type anchor 27 by rotary motor drive 34 so that the combination of the linear drive 20 and rotary drive 34 moves the auger into the earth 30.

(19) In FIGS. 1-9, there can be seen a linear drive or impact driver of the present invention designated by the numeral 35. Linear drive 35 is preferably attached to elongated housing 24 with a specially configured bracket or support 36. Linear drive 35 can include an impact driver motor or vibratory motor (commercially available). The bracket 36 (see FIGS. 10-12) can be in the form of two bracket halves 42, 43. The combination of the bracket halves 42, 43, provide a clamping of housing 24 at opening 44 and a clamping of the linear drive or impact driver 35 at opening 45. For example, each of the halves 42, 43 of the bracket 36 can have a part of (e.g., one-half) of the opening 45 and a part (e.g., one-half) of the opening 44. In FIGS. 7-9, the bracket 36 clamps the drive or impact driver 35 at a circular portion thereof so that bracket half 42 has a semi-circular recess or opening 46 and bracket half 43 has a similarly configured semi-circular recess or opening 47. When bolted together, these semi-circular recesses or openings 46, 47 combine to provide a generally circular opening 45 that engages the cylindrically shaped outer surface of drive 35 as can be seen in FIGS. 6-12.

(20) The bracket halves 42, 43 preferably provide recess or opening portions at 49, 50 that combine to provide a square opening 44 that is receptive of elongated housing 24. Each bracket half 42, 43 has openings receptive of bolts 40. Bracket half 43 has cylindrically shaped openings 51. Bracket half 42 has internally threaded openings 52. Bolts or bolted connections 40 are provided for bolting the bracket half 42 to the bracket half 43 and to provide a clamping action that holds the bracket 36 to the elongated housing 24. The clamping action of the bolted connection 40 clamps the bracket halves 42, 43 to the linear drive 35 at opening 45. Each bolt 40 passes through opening 51 and preferably forms a threaded connection with opening 52.

(21) The drive 35 can provide a lower most end portion with a fitting 38 having a socket or opening or recess 39 that is receptive of an end portion of a rod 37 (for example, ground rod) that is to be thrust into the earth 30.

(22) The apparatus of the present invention thus provides an improved configuration for driving either an auger type anchor or an elongated rod 27 into the earth 30. By providing the drive 35 that is offset from the housing 24, the drive 35 does not interfere with the square drive 48 that is used to install an auger type anchor 27. Similarly, because of the offset arrangement as seen in FIG. 3, the housing 24 and square drive 48 that is used to install auger type anchors 27 does not interfere with the ability of the driver 35 to install a rod or ground rod 37 into the earth 30 as shown in FIGS. 3-5, 8-9.

(23) The following table lists the parts numbers and parts descriptions as used herein and in the drawings attached hereto.

(24) TABLE-US-00002 PARTS LIST: PART NUMBER DESCRIPTION 10 anchor setting apparatus 11 vehicle/amphibious craft/truck 12 chassis 13 track/wheel 14 superstructure 15 telescoping cylinder 16 plate 17 pivot/pivot pin/trunion 18 pushrod 19 arrow 20 housing drive/linear drive 21 gusset/gusset plate 22 pivot 23 arrow 24 elongated housing 25 upper end 26 lower end 27 auger type anchor 28 square drive block 29 opening 30 earth 31 arrow 32 arrow 33 locking pin 34 rotary motor drive 35 drive/impact driver 36 bracket/support 37 rod/ground rod 38 fitting 39 socket/opening/recess 40 bolt/bolted connection 41 gear box 42 bracket half 43 bracket half 44 opening 45 opening 46 semi-circular recess/opening 47 semi-circular recess/opening 48 square drive/square drive block 49 recess/opening 50 recess/opening 51 cylindrically shaped opening 52 internally threaded opening 53 opening

(25) Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the active concept herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirement of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

(26) The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.