Patent Application
20240401368
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
Fence post ground engagement supports used to secure fence posts into the ground typically employ a hollow upper section to receive the post and a ground engagement spike extending therefrom. These supports usually employ a driving block that is temporarily inserted into a hollow post receiver and then driven in to the ground. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,709,366, 4,874,149, 4,923, 164 and 5,340,065 which show various post engagements.
Installing fence posts can be difficult to do accurately and quickly. Two installers are needed to measure, level, align and support the fence posts. Also the installers repeatedly need to adjust the position of the posts during installation.
A need exists to facilitate fence post installation using a device that may enable a single installer to accurately and quickly install fence posts with minimal effort.
The present disclosure relates to a fence post guide assembly that includes a fence post and a fence post guide for use in the installation of the fence post in a desired orientation. The fence post guide includes a housing member that is configured to encircle the fence post and a plurality of support members attached to the housing member. Spikes on the bottom surface of the support members extend into the ground to hold the housing member and fence post therein in a desired vertical orientation without additional parts and with no or minimal physical effort by an installer of the post member. The fence post guide includes: an open-ended housing member for receiving a post member. The housing member may have a circular cross section such as a cylindrical cross section or a multi-sided cross section such as quadrilateral cross sections, including square and rectangular cross sections.
A plurality of support members is attached to the housing member and extends outwardly from the sides of the housing member. Each support member has an upper surface and a lower surface wherein one or more spikes, typically four spikes, extend downwardly from the lower surface of one or more support members. The spikes are configured so that a portion of one or more of the spikes extends below ground level. The cross section of the housing member corresponds with the cross section of the post member so that the housing member may slide over the post member and positioned at ground level so that the post member guide supports the post member in a desired orientation with no or minimal physical effort by an installer of the post member.
The fence post guide assembly disclosed herein includes a fence post and a fence post guide that employs a housing member having an upper and lower opening, a plurality of support members joined to the housing member proximate to the lower opening of the housing member, wherein each support member has an upper surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surfaces of a plurality of the support members include a plurality of vertically extending, elongated spikes.
The support members are parallel to and substantially coplanar with the lower opening of the housing member. One skilled in the art can determine the extent to which support members should be parallel to and coplanar with the lower opening in order to hold the housing and any fence post therein in a desired orientation such as a vertical orientation when the housing member is at the base end of the fence post without additional parts or equipment and with no or minimum physical effort by an installer of the fence post.
The parts of the guide may be made of various materials such as metals and plastic material. Specific characteristics and dimensions of the guide can be determined by one skilled in the art depending on several factors, including but not limited to, its use, the characteristics of the fence post, and the environment in which the guide is used.
When the guide is used in a typical outdoor environment, a hole is formed in the ground so that a fence post can be inserted to a desired depth. The fence post is inserted in the hole and the housing member is placed so that the housing member encircles the fence post.
The housing member and attached support members are placed at or near ground level so that the spikes on the bottom surface of the support member extend into the ground in a manner sufficient to hold the housing member and fence post therein in a desired vertical orientation. The length of the spikes on each of the support members may be adjusted to obtain a desired vertical orientation of the fence post. Typically, bubble levels on the surface of the housing member may be used to achieve a desired vertical orientation. Once the desired vertical orientation is achieved, a filling material such as concrete may be placed in the hole to hold the fence post in place when the guide is removed.
The housing member has a horizontal cross section concentric to the fence post being installed. The housing member may have a cylindrical shape or a shape formed from a plurality of intersecting wall members. The housing member includes an upper opening and a lower opening. An embodiment wherein the housing member is formed from intersecting walls configured to hold a quadrilateral fence post is shown in
The support members are joined to the sides and/or intersections of the sides of the housing member and are configured as arms that extend radially proximate to the lower opening of the housing member. The support members are parallel with and substantially coplanar with the lower opening of the housing member at or close to ground level wherein the support members are configured to support the housing member and any fence post therein without additional parts or equipment and with no or minimal effort by an installer. Preferably, the lower opening of the housing member and the bottom surface of the support members are substantially coplanar at ground level to support any fence post therein with no or minimal physical effort by an installer of the fence post.
The dimensions and number of support members can be determined by one skilled in the art so that they are sufficient to hold the housing member and fence post therein in a vertical orientation with no or minimal physical effort by an installer of the fence post depending on several factors, including but not limited to, the characteristics of the fence post, and the environment in which the post assistant is used.
In the embodiment shown in
The bottom surfaces of the support members include a plurality of vertically extending, elongated spikes configured to anchor the guide to the ground. The spikes on bottom surfaces of the support members extend vertically into the ground in a manner sufficient to hold the housing member and fence post therein in a vertical orientation.
The dimensions and number of spikes depend on several factors, including but not limited to, the characteristics of the fence post and the environment in which the guide is used. One skilled in the art can determine appropriate dimensions, number and other characteristics of the spikes so that they hold the housing and any fence post therein in a vertical orientation with no or minimal physical effort by an installer of the fence post
The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.
