Patent Application
20100236803
This invention relates to cap like devices used for the forcible driving of wooden stakes into the ground, the beginning of every building construction project.
All building construction projects require stakes to be driven into the ground in order to support building line boards and pull strings to layout the building. Other projects such as surveying and landscaping also require wood stakes to be used. Usually this is accomplished by driving 2″×4″ wooden stakes into the ground using a sledgehammer. Unfortunately, by the stakes are deep enough to support your work, they are at the least mushroomed on the top and at worst destroyed by splitting, making them no longer usable. The destroying of wood stakes waste a considerable amount of time, spent to cut the stakes, and money because of having to replace them. Having been in or around construction most of my life and in the construction retail industry for the last 17 years, I have neither seen or heard of any tool that addresses these issues. After creating my stake driving cap I learned of similar existing art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,006 issued to Harding (1993). This is a light weight tool with levels and small enough to be carried on a work belt. In my opinion, this tool would not and could not withstand the forces encountered by being struck with a sledgehammer or even a claw hammer.
The object of this apparatus is to make the driving of wooden stakes into the ground easier by spreading the force of the sledgehammer blows across the wood stake evenly allowing all of the force to be transmitted to the stake. This apparatus will greatly reduce, if not eliminate the mushrooming and splitting of wood stakes generally associated with driving wood stakes by force with a heavy hammer. This apparatus also allows the re-use of wood stakes, because the stakes will not be destroyed when initially used. This apparatus also allows a second person to guide the wood stake safely while it is being driven utilizing a handle on the backside of the apparatus.
Item#1 is made of tubular steel of various widths and depths to accommodate different sizes wood stakes, (nominal sizes) from 2″×4″ to 2″×2″ to 1″×2″. The vertical sleeve is approximately 10″ long.
Item#2 is a flat piece of sheet steel of sufficient thickness (depending on the size of the stake) to withstand hammer blows. The flat sheet steel overhangs the vertical steel tubing by approximately 12″ on each side.
Item#1 is made of tubular steel of various dimensions to accommodate different sizes of wood stakes, (nominal sizes) from 2″×4″ to 2″×2″ to 1″×2″. The vertical sleeve is approximately 10″ long.
Item#2 is a flat piece of sheet steel of sufficient thickness (depending on the size of the stake) to withstand hammer blows. The flat sheet steel overhangs the tubular steel approximately ½ on each side.
Item#3 is a handle made of steel that is welded to the back side of the apparatus to allow a person to control the stake as it being driven.
