Patent Application
20240183189
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The disclosure relates to post removal devices and more particularly pertains to a new post removal device for pulling a post from the ground. The present invention discloses a post removal device comprising a Class I lever, which facilitates pulling of a post from the ground.
The prior art relates to post removal devices. U.S. Pat. No. 1,709,683 discloses a post removal device comprising a tall triangular fulcrum to which a beam is rotationally attached. A coupler comprising a biting element is hingedly attached to the beam and is used to engage a post, which then can be pulled by levering the beam repeatedly. The biting element of the coupler engages a single opposed face of the post, and the fulcrum is not freestanding. This reference does not teach a biting element that engages both opposed faces and it does not teach a freestanding fulcrum. Additionally, the post removal device of this disclosure is limited to use in removing posts that extend significantly from the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,048,368 discloses a post removal device comprising a biting element that clamps onto a post and which requires an end of the beam to be positioned above the post, thereby limiting its use to posts of a limited range of lengths which are installed at a limited range of depths into the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,994,510 discloses a post removal device wherein the fulcrum comprises a rod extending from a plate and wherein a hook is attached to an end of the beam, with the hook sequentially engaging holes in a post as the beam is levered.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a base plate, which is positionable upon the ground so that a first edge of the base plate is positioned proximate to a post that is to be pulled from the ground. A fulcrum is attached to the base plate between the first edge and a second edge of the base plate. A beam is rotatably attached to the fulcrum so that a short segment of the beam extends toward the first edge of the base plate and a long segment of the beam extends past the second edge of the base plate. The beam is rotatable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the base plate. A tether is attached to and extends from the short segment distal from the fulcrum. A coupler, which comprises at least one biting element, is attached to the tether distal from the beam and is configured to slidably attach to the post, positioning the biting element to selectively engage the post. The long segment is configured to be grasped in one or both hands of a user, positioning the user to intermittently apply a downward force to the long segment so that the biting element engages the post with each application of downward force and an upward force is applied to the post to pull the post upwardly. The biting element disengages from the post upon raising of the long segment, whereupon the coupler slides down the post.
Another embodiment of the disclosure includes a method of removing a post from the ground. A first step is providing a levering post removal device according to the disclosure above. The base plate is positioned proximate to the post, to which a coupler then is slidably attached. A downward force is applied to a long segment so that the biting element engages the post and an upward force is applied to the post to pull the post upwardly.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A cutout 20 may be positioned in the base plate 12 proximate to its first edge 16. The cutout 20 is configured for insertion of the post 18 as the base plate 12 is positioned upon the ground 14. As such, the first edge 16 of the base plate 12 is positioned past the post 18. As shown in
A fulcrum 22 is attached to the base plate 12 between the first edge 16 and a second edge 24 of the base plate 12. A beam 26 is rotatably attached to the fulcrum 22 so that a short segment 28 of the beam 26 extends toward the first edge 16 of the base plate 12 and a long segment 30 of the beam 26 extends past the second edge 24 of the base plate 12. The beam 26 is rotatable in a plane 84 substantially perpendicular to the base plate 12. The plane 84 is best visualized in
The present invention anticipates a variety of configurations for the fulcrum 22, one of which is depicted in
The fulcrum 22 also may comprise a pair of side plates 38, with each side plate 38 being attached to a respective upright 32 and to the base plate 12. The side plates 38 function to rigidify the pair of uprights 32, in particular from bending toward the first edge 16 or the second edge 24 of the base plate 12. Each side plate 38 may be triangular, as shown in
The tether 42 is attached to and extends from the short segment 28 distal from the fulcrum 22. The tether 42 comprises a chain 44, as shown in
The long segment 30 is configured to be grasped in one or both hands of a user, positioning the user to intermittently apply a downward force to the long segment 30, as shown in
The coupler 46 comprises a coupling plate 50 in which a first hole 52 is positioned. The first hole 52 is circumferentially larger than the post 18 and is configured for insertion of the post 18. The at least one biting element 48 comprises opposed edges 54 of the first hole 52, thus two biting elements 48 that bite into the post 18 upon application of the downward force to the long segment 30 of the beam 26.
A connector 56 is attached to the coupling plate 50 and to the tether 42. As shown in
In use, the levering post removal device 10 enables a method of removing a post from the ground 68. A first step 70 of the method 68 is providing a levering post removal device 10, according to the specification above. A second step 72 of the method 68 is positioning the base plate 12 upon the ground 14 with its first edge 16 proximate to a post 18 that is to be pulled from the ground 14. A third step 74 of the method 68 is slidably attaching the coupler 46 to the post 18. A fourth step 76 of the method 68 is grasping the long segment 30 of the beam 26 in one or both hands of a user. A fifth step 78 of the method 68 is applying a downward force to the long segment 30 so that the biting element 48 engages the post 18 and an upward force is applied to the post 18 to pull the post 18 upwardly. A sixth step 80 of the method 68 is raising the long segment 30 so that biting element 48 disengages from the post 18 and the coupler 46 slides down the post 18. A seventh step 82 of the method 68 is repeating the application of the downward force and the raising of the long segment 30 until the post 18 is removed from the ground 14.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
