Abstract
A stake assembly provides an earth anchor and includes a stake having a longitudinal axis and an upper portion and a lower portion. The stake is attached to a cup having a sidewall defining a closed perimeter and a top wall substantially closing the sidewall, the sidewall having an open bottom end. The stake passes through the top wall with the upper portion above the top wall and the lower portion below the top wall. When the stake is pounded or screwed into the ground the cup captures soil which adds resistance to the stake being removed from the ground. One embodiment has the cup at an oblique angle to the top wall.
Claims
1. A stake assembly for providing an earth anchor, comprising: a concave portion arranged facing the earth, wherein the concave portion has a top wall and a depending sidewall below the top wall, the sidewall enclosing a perimeter and having an open bottom end; a stake portion comprising a helical shaft having a helical diameter, the helical shaft intended to be screwed into the earth, the stake portion engaged to the concave portion wherein the stake portion has a stop carried on an upper part of the shaft, and the top wall has a hole, wherein the hole is sized having a hole diameter greater than the helical diameter to allow the shaft to pass through the hole from above but not sized to allow the stop to pass through the hole; and the concave portion is arranged to capture earth therein when driven into the earth, the hole allowing the concave portion to be driven into the earth before the stake portion is installed and allows the stake portion to be removed while the concave portion remains in the earth; wherein the concave portion comprises a cup having a cylindrical sidewall closed by the top wall having the hole for passing the stake portion, and the open bottom end, and the closed top wall comprises a socket, the hole defined by the socket and the stop is formed on a plug that is sized to fit into the socket when the stake portion is driven into the ground, wherein the plug has a discontinuous, substantially circular perimeter.
2. The stake assembly according to claim 1 wherein the depending sidewall has a longitudinal axis and the longitudinal axis is arranged at an oblique angle to the top wall.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a stake assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;
(2) FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a stake assembly according to another embodiment of the invention;
(3) FIG. 2A is a sectional view taken along lines 2A-2A of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing three alternate cross sections for the stakes;
(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cup portion of either embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2;
(5) FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the cup portion of FIG. 3;
(6) FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the embodiment of FIG. 2 as installed in the earth;
(7) FIG. 6 is an elevation view of a stake assembly of a further embodiment of the invention, installed in the earth and supporting a tree;
(8) FIG. 7 is an enlarged elevation view taken from FIG. 6;
(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the stake assembly of FIG. 7 with portions removed to see underlying parts;
(10) FIG. 9 is a sectional view of an alternate embodiment stake assembly;
(11) FIG. 10 is an elevation view of a further embodiment stake assembly in a first position;
(12) FIG. 11 is an elevation view of the further embodiment stake assembly of FIG. 10 in a second position; and
(13) FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the plug taken from FIG. 10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(14) While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.
(15) While this invention has different embodiments, other forms and shapes of the stake may be used that are similar in design. The drawings show plural embodiments, including one stake with a straight main shaft and another stake with a spiral or helical shaft. It should be noted that other shapes of the stake shaft could also be used. Additionally, the bottom side of the cup is shaped as a circle. The cup's underside and topside could take any geometrical shape and have similar function.
(16) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a stake assembly 100. A stake 102 is typically fabricated from metal, such as steel, but could be made from other durable materials. The stake 102 has a shaft portion 104 that is driven into the soil, sand, clay, or other earth surface. Towards the top of the stake 102, there is a straight section 108 and either a generally flat or domed head 110 providing an impact receiving surface for the stake 102 to be pounded into the ground with a hammer. On the shaft in the straight section 108, there is a raised surface forming a stop or side ears 114. Below the ears 114 is a cup 120 formed by a cylindrical sidewall 122 and closed on the top by a plate 126. The cylindrical sidewall has an open bottom end 128. The plate 126 includes a hole 130 for receiving the shaft portion 104 therethrough. The ears 114 extend laterally to an outside dimension greater than a diameter of the hole 130 to act as a stop to prevent the straight section from passing through the plate 126. The stop 114 can be formed by stamping the metal, welding a raised surface, or any other means to create a raised surface. Alternatively, a hole could be drilled into the shaft straight section 108 and a pin inserted to form a stop.
(17) A ring, carabineer, openable chain link or other connector 134 is fit around the straight section 108 below the head 110. This connector can be engaged by a pet leash, wire, chain or other member that needs anchorage from the stake assembly 100.
(18) FIG. 2 illustrates an alternate embodiment stake assembly 140. This embodiment is identical to the embodiment of FIG. 1 except that an alternate stake 150 is used. The stake 150 is has a helical shaft 156 that is intended to be screwed into the earth rather than being pounded into the earth. The stake 150 includes the straight section 108 and the stop 114 of FIG. 1. Instead of the head 110 of FIG. 1, the straight section 108 extends upward into a loop 160. The loop 160 is sized and shaped for a user to grip with a hand and rotate the stake to drive the helical shaft 156 into the earth. The loop 160 can receive a tool or bar to assist a user in rotating the stake.
(19) FIG. 2A shows that the stakes 102, 150 can have alternate cross sections: round, square, triangular or any other sturdy cross section.
(20) FIGS. 3 and 4 show an embodiment of the cup 120. The cup 120 may be one piece formed together or two pieces attached through welding, gluing, or other method of affixing two components together. Typically the cup is made from metal, but could be plastic, nylon, or any other durable material. The plate 126 can be a flat, round metal top. The cylinder 122 may have an outside diameter ranging from the diameter as wide of the plate 126 to as narrow as slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft 104, 156. FIG. 4 shows the underside of the cup 120 with the ground, 174 captured inside the tube.
(21) For the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, it is possible that the stake 102, 150 can be welded to the cup 120 at the plate 126 around the hole 130 and the stop 114 could be eliminated. In that case the cup and stake are driven or rotated as one unit. However, it may be easier to install the assembly if the hole 130 is larger than an outside dimension or diameter of the stake lower section 104, 156 such that the stake can be driven or screwed into the earth with freedom of movement with respect to the cup 120 and only impact the cup when the stop 114 reaches the plate 126.
(22) FIG. 5 shows the embodiment of FIG. 2 screwed into the earth. The assembly 100 or 140 is driven or screwed into the ground such that the cup's cylindrical wall 122 is under the ground surface 170 and the plate 126 is flush to the surface 170, while the stake is driven deep enough so the stop 114 is tight against the plate 126 holding it firmly in the ground. The cup 120 captures soil 174 within the cylindrical wall 122 beneath the plate 126, also shown in FIG. 4.
(23) FIGS. 6-8 show another embodiment stake assembly 200 of the invention secured into the ground. In this illustration the stake assembly is supporting a tree 201 (not drawn to correct proportion compared to the illustrated size of the stake assembly) through a wire 202.
(24) The stake assembly 200 is identical to the prior described embodiment of FIG. 2 except that the cup 120 is replaced by a cup 220 that has a cylindrical sidewall 222 that has a longitudinal axis 224 that is obliquely angled with respect to the plate 126. The sidewall 222 has an open bottom end 228 in a plane that is substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the plate 126. In FIG. 6, the plate 126 has a bottom side pushed flush to the ground 170 while the cup cylindrical sidewall 222 is pushed into the ground obliquely and secured in place by the spiral stake 150. As previously described, the stake fits through the hole 130 in the plate 126 and uses the stop 114 to press the plate 126.
(25) According to an exemplary embodiment, the angle (FIG. 7) between the axis 224 and the bottom surface of the plate 126 is about 35 degrees. For many applications, this will make the angle (FIG. 6) between the wire 202 and the axis 224 about 90 degrees. This will provide near the maximum pull-out resistance of the stake due to tensile force on the wire.
(26) FIG. 9 illustrates an alternate embodiment stake assembly 300 that uses the cup assembly 220 of FIGS. 6-8 with the plate 126 and the angled cylindrical sidewall 222, combined with the driven stake 102 as described in FIG. 1. The stake 102 of FIG. 1 can have modified ears 114a that are angled to be flush with the top plate 126 when the stake 102 is driven at an angle corresponding to the axis 224 of the cylindrical sidewall 222. Also, although the bottom open end 228 is shown parallel to the bottom surface of the plate 126, and the ground surface, it could be cut along the plane 228a to be perpendicular to the axis 224.
(27) FIGS. 10-12 show a further embodiment of a stake assembly 400. The spiral stake 150 of FIG. 2 is shown although the stake 102 shown in FIG. 1 could alternately be used. On the shaft in the straight section 108, there is the raised surface or side ears 114. A plastic plug 406 is mounted onto and around the ears 114 to fix the plug 406 onto the stake 150. The plug includes a top flange 408 and a lower plug body 410, formed together. The top flange 408 is a circular disk extending outward of the lower plug body 410. It is also possible that the stake and plug are formed together as a unitary piece.
(28) Below the plug 406 is a cup 420 formed by a cylindrical sidewall 422 and substantially closed on the top by a plate 426. The cylindrical sidewall has an open bottom end 428. The end 428 can have circumferentially arranged teeth 429 that allow the rotation of the sidewall 422 to cut through vegetation or earth when rotated. The plate 426 includes an opening 430 for receiving the stake 150 therethrough. Above the opening is a socket 436 having a passage 438 the same size as, and in registry with, the opening 430. The opening 430 and passage 438 are sufficiently lame to allow the spiral stake to pass through without having to be screwed through the opening. The passage 438 is slightly larger in clearance or diameter to allow the lower plug body 410 to fit into the socket 436 but small enough that the top flange 408 of the plug 406 cannot fit through the passage 438. The socket 420, the plate 426 and the cylindrical sidewall 422 can be formed as a unitary piece.
(29) FIG. 11 shows the installed position of the plug 406 into the socket 436 with the top flange 408 on top of the socket 436.
(30) FIG. 12 shows one version of the plug 406. The lower plug body 410 is not a solid cylindrical body. Instead it is comprised of a central hub 458 and crossing ribs 460, 461, 462, 463 and 464. The use of ribs 460, 461, 462, 463 and 464 is effective to reduce the amount of plastic required while still allowing the lower plug body to extend deep into the socket 436. The ears 114 are molded into the central hub 458. The top flange 408 and the lower plug body 410 can be formed as a unitary piece.
(31) Although other dimensions are encompassed by the invention, the following dimensions are useful. The length L of the lower portion of the stake 104, 156 can be about 7-12 inches long. The buried depth D1 (FIGS. 5 and 6) of the cup 120, 220, 420 can be 2-6 inches. The diameter D2 (FIGS. 4, 8 and 11) of the cylindrical sidewall 122, 222, 422 can be 2-4 inches. The diameter D3 (FIGS. 4 and 11) of the plate 126, 426 can be 3-6 inches, and larger than D2.
(32) From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred.
