Patent Application
20180223562
The present invention relates to devices used in cooperation with a jack to remove the post which are embedded in the ground. Posts are used for many applications, but may be for purposes herein can be of the type to support a fence. Overtime, it is at many times necessary to remove them from the ground.
While the prior devices for removing post are considered to be useful, often they are inconvenient to use, expensive to manufacture, and in some instances even dangerous to the individual using them. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved post puller, that is easy to transport, effective, simple to use and is safe.
Posts are commonly made of metal or wood, but may be of plastic or other material. A concrete footing is commonly employed to secure the post in the ground. Many times such posts are required to be removed. The removal of such post can be quite difficult.
Unsuccessful removal of a post by hand can result in a broken portion of the post and footing remaining secured in the ground. This necessitates digging around the footing to remove the concrete and attached post portion.
Further, posts come in a variety of cross-sectional shapes and diameters. The cross-section may be round or rectangular shaped, for example. Accordingly, prior post pulling tools are designed to remove a particular cross sectional shape.
Further, prior post pullers typically must be placed over the top of the post or post and brought down to the proper position before removal. This requires the user to remove nails or other obstructions before the device can be used. Such a requirement increases the overall time and work required.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device which can quickly remove a post with minimal effort. Further, there is a need for a post puller that can remove posts of varying cross-sectional sizes and shapes. There also remains a need for a post puller which can remove post with an attached concrete footing thereto.
While the above described devices have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences reveal advantages over the prior devices.
The present invention relates to a portable post puller device which applies substantially lineal force to pull a post from the ground by operating the jack vertically.
In view of the current disadvantages inherent in the known post puller arts, the present invention provides a novel jack tower, removable jack, and post gripper. The general purpose of the present invention is to provide ease and convenience of use and portability of the post puller device. According to the prior art, prior post puller devices require that the operator complete the operation in a forward leaning position to get proper balance of the unit and proper leverage when extracting the post, resulting in back strain and related back injuries. Many puller devices apply a load from the side of the post or utilize a pulling force with a large lateral component relative to the axis of the post, making the post difficult to extract. However, the present invention allows for a portable, safe, and flexible post puller which applies a pulling force primarily along the axis of the post.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention has a jack tower including a pair of parallel columns, a tower bridge, and a tower bridge jack receiver. The tower bridge jack receiver being on the top of the tower prevents the jack bar from being bent by jack arm's force. The present invention also provides a post puller capable of exerting a pulling force directly on the axis of the post.
In another preferred embodiment, a jack noze is attachable and detachable from the head of the jack runner to assist in setting and keeping the post at a vertical coextending distance from the unit generally parallel to the shaft. The jack noze also prevents the top of the post from contacting the jack bar during the withdrawal of the post from the ground and from having a pinch hand when extracting and transporting the post.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention is to provide a portable post puller device with a cross member which may pivotably secured on the jack bar in order to loosen the jack from the jack tower.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the post gripper includes a tong jaws but not limited to a self-tightening clamp gripper, a clamp tightened on the stake, or post using fasteners. The present invention provides a post gripper that is able to removably grip a partially buried post for extracting from hard packed soil or concretes. Those with ordinary skill in the art will now appreciate that by understanding the art of self-tightening clamp grippers as described herein, methods of use will be understood by those knowledgeable in such art.
The jack tower assembly is preferably made from steel or any other metal alloy. A pair of wheels may be mounted to the tower base footing plate for portability permitting the post puller to be easily transported by hand, without the need for a vehicle to transport the puller.
The present invention holds significant improvements and serves as a post puller system. For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with anyone particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference the following drawings and detailed description.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a description of the several embodiments as set forth in the following description and drawings.
The following description includes the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.
Referred to
A pair of support plates 17 which serve as retaining support members for the post, which can also be steel, extend generally perpendicular to the tower base footing plate 18 and diagonally outward as seen in
Still in
The V-shaped tower base footing plate 18 is a size such that the opening defined between the arms typically is large enough to enable the post with an associated predetermined amount of concrete to be pulled out of the ground without having to disjoin the same. Once positioned, the tong jaw 16 grips the post and the jack is then operated to cause the jack sleeve 13 in turn the post to be vertically displaced from its planted position.
As shown in
Referred to
Still
Having illustrated and described the principles of the present invention in a preferred embodiment, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiment can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. Any and all such embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
