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The disclosure and prior art relates to protection devices and more particularly pertains to a new protection device for protecting wood supports from water damage.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a tube that defines an interior space. The tube has a top and a bottom. The top is open. The top is complementary to a lower end of a wood support. A plurality of rods is coupled to and extends substantially perpendicularly between opposing sides of the tube. A plurality of slots is positioned in the tube adjacent to the bottom. The top is configured to insert the lower end of the wood support into the interior space. The rods are configured to retain the wooden support above the bottom of the tube. The slots are positioned in the tube such that the slots are configured to drain water from the interior space. The wood support is protected from damage and rot caused by exposure of the lower end of the wood support to water.
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
The tube 12 has opposing sides 20 and opposing ends 22. In one embodiment, the opposing sides 20 are separated by from 19 to 286 millimeters and the opposing ends 22 are separated by from 19 to 286 millimeters. In another embodiment, the opposing sides 20 are separated by 38 millimeters and the opposing ends 22 are separated by 89 millimeters. In yet another embodiment, the opposing sides 20 are separated by 38 millimeters and the opposing ends 22 are separated by 140 millimeters. In still yet another embodiment, the opposing sides 20 are separated by 38 millimeters and the opposing ends 22 are separated by 184 millimeters. In still yet another embodiment, the opposing sides 20 are separated by 89 millimeters and the opposing ends 22 are separated by 89 millimeters.
A plurality of rods 24 is coupled to and extends substantially perpendicularly between the opposing sides 20 of the tube 12. The rods 24 are configured to retain the wooden support above the bottom 18 of the tube 12. In one embodiment, the rods 24 are positioned substantially equally distant from the top 16 and the bottom 18. Each rod 24 has an upper face 26. In one embodiment, the upper face 26 is rounded. In another embodiment, the rods 24 are circular when viewed longitudinally. In yet another embodiment, the plurality of rods 24 comprises from one to four rods 24.
A plurality of slots 28 is positioned in the tube 12 adjacent to the bottom 18. The slots 28 are positioned in the tube 12 such that the slots 28 are configured to drain water from the interior space 14. In one embodiment, the slots 28 are substantially rectangularly shaped. In another embodiment, the slots 28 are positioned in the opposing sides 20 of the tube 12. In yet another embodiment, the slots 28 are substantially evenly spaced between the opposing ends 22 of the tube 12. In still yet another embodiment, the plurality of slots 28 comprises from six to fourteen slots 28 evenly distributed in each of the opposing sides 20 of the tube 12.
In one embodiment, the device 10 comprises a base 30. The base 30 has a recess 32 that is positioned in an upper surface 34 of the base 30. The recess 32 is complementary to the bottom 18 of the tube 12. The recess 32 is positioned in the base 30 such that the recess 32 is positioned to insert the tube 12. The base 30 also comprises a lower surface 36 and an annular wall 38. In one embodiment, the upper surface 34 and the lower surface 36 are substantially rectangularly shaped. The annular wall 38 extends from a perimeter 40 of the lower surface 36 to a circumference 42 of the upper surface 34. The lower surface 36 is dimensionally larger than the upper surface 34, such that the annular wall 38 is tapered.
The present invention anticipates the tube 12 and the rods 24 comprising a metal, such as steel, a plastic, such as polyvinylchloride, or a combination of steel and plastic.
In use, the top 16 is configured to insert the lower end of the wood support into the interior space 14. The slots 28 are positioned in the tube 12 such that the slots 28 are configured to drain water from the interior space 14. The wood support is protected from damage and rot caused by exposure of the lower end of the wood support to water.
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.
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Number | Date | Country |
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WO2009021997 | Feb 2009 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20180058089 A1 | Mar 2018 | US |