GB2253582A

GB2253582A - Tent pegging machine

Info

Publication number: GB2253582A
Application number: GB9105026A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Glenn Williams; Barry Thomas Jones
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-03-09
Filing date: 1991-03-09
Publication date: 1992-09-16
Also published as: GB9105026D0

Abstract

A machine containing specially designed tent pegs 3 in a spring loaded magazine 2 which, by the action of a foot pedal 11 up and down, will place a tent peg 3 in the ground or remove it from the ground and return it automatically into the magazine 2. The pedal 11 moves roller-chains 8 to drive a hammer 6 mounted on the chains to hammer the pegs into the ground. The machine is adaptable to place tent pegs, other than the specially designed ones, in the ground and remove them. To enable pegs to be driven into or removed from hard ground the pressure applied to the peg can be increased by means of a variable gear contained within the mechanism of the machine. <IMAGE>

Description

TENT PEGGING MACHINE In camping and caravanning leisure activities, tents and caravan awnings are secured to the ground with pegs, usually either plastic or shaped from stiff wire. Driving these pegs into the ground and removing them is often a difficult and irksome task which the present invention is designed to alleviate.

The present invention will carry a suitable number of specially designed pegs in a magazine and drive them into the ground or retrieve them.

According to the invention there is provided a machine for driving tent pegs into the ground, the machine having a magazine for storing a quantity of tent pegs and a mechanism for driving the pegs into the ground. Preferably the mechanism can also withdraw the pegs from the ground. Preferably the mechanism is operated by a foot pedal. The invention also extends to a tent peg for use in the machine set forth above.

A specific embodyment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Drawing 1 Figure 1 shows the plan of the machine Figure 2 shows the side elevation of the machine Figure 3 shows the front elevation of the machine Figure 4 shows the elevations and cross section of the tent peg for use in the machine.

Drawing 2 Figure 1 shows the mechanism of the machine in plan Figure 2 shows the mechanism of the machine in side elevation Figure 3 shows the mechanism of the machine in front elevation Drawing 3 Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the machine in use Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a peg in use Referring to drawings 1 and 2, the machine consists of an oblong body 1 containing a spring-loaded magazine 2 in which the specifically designed tent pegs 3 lay at the angle in which they are to be driven into the ground. At the front of the body is a face-plate 14, sloping back towards the top. The pegs are pressed against the rear surface of this plate by the action of a spring-loaded slide 5.

Sliding up and down at the rear of the face plate is a hammer 6 which has the same cross-section as the pegs. Extending downwards on each side of the hammer are prongs 7, the ends of which are shaped to fit into carved indents in the sides of the pegs which also take the tent or awning guy ropes or securing rings.

The hammer is attached to continuous belts,i.e. roller-chains 8 on each side which pass round small guide wheels 9 at the top and bottom of the body and round larger sprocket wheels 10 which are the driving wheels of the mechanism. These driving wheels are turned by pressing down on the foot pedal 11 which is attached by means of pivoted arms 12 to joined crank rods 13 which have spindles at their lower ends sliding in radiused slots cut in the driving plates 14.

The driving plates turn on the driving wheel spindles with the action of the crank rods and, depending on where the ends of the crank rods are positioned in the radius slots, high or low gear and forward or reverse drive can be obtained.

The drive from the driving plates to the driving wheels is carried through ratchet wheels 15, locked by ratchets 16. These ratchets provide forward and reverse motions and are activated by the upward pressure of the crank rod spindles on the ratchet arms which are shaped to coincide with the slots cut in the driving plates, these ratchets swivel round spindles set in the driving plates. When the foot pedal is at rest all the ratchets are disengaged leaving the drive in neutral.

The hammer has attached to its front face a pivoted lever 17, this protrudes through a slot cut in the face plate. With the hammer at the top of the face plate a peg will automatically move forward beneath it ready to be driven into the ground. With the machine placed in the position in which a peg is required and the crank spindle placed in one of the forward positions on the drive plate, pressure on the foot pedal will cause the crank rods to rise, engaging the forward ratchets and thus turning the driving wheels. As the driving wheels turn, the chains move the hammer downwards, forcing the peg into the ground, the pedal is operated until the peg has been fully driven into the ground when the machine can be removed. When a peg has been driven into the ground and the machine removed the hammer is returned to the top of the face plate by pulling upwards on the knob of this lever.

In the 'up' position the next peg in the magazine is pressed forward beneath the hammer, ready to be used.

If the hammer is in the 'up' postion and it is required to remove a peg from the ground, the knob is pushed down, causing the lever to pass through the slot in the face plate thereby pushing the pegs back into the magazine. This enables the hammer to pass in front -of the pegs and further downward pressure on the knob will cause the hammer to slide to the bottom of the face plate.

When the front of the machine is now slid over a peg in the ground the prongs of the hammer will engage in the indents in the peg. On placing the crank rod in the reverse position and pressing down on the foot pedal the hammer will rise, drawing the peg from the ground and replacing it in the magazine.

Although the machine is designed for use with the special pegs shown many campers will already have pegs of a different type which they may not want to change. As the machine would still be of use in those cases adaptor plates will be available to fit the various pegs currently on the market. This will be secured to the hammer and will operate outside the face plate, the magazine not being used when this adaptor is in use.

Claims

1. A machine for driving tent pegs into the ground, the machine having a magazine for storing a quantity of tent pegs and a mechanism for driving the pegs into the ground.

2. A machine as claimed in Claim 1 for withdrawing tent pegs from the ground.

3. A machine as claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 2 which is operated by a foot pedal.

4. A machine as claimed in any preceding Claim in which the pressure applied to the tent peg on insertion or removal from the ground can be adjusted by means of variable gearing within the mechanism of the machine.

5. A machine as claimed in any preceding Claim in which tent pegs are stored in a magazine within the machine.

6. A machine as claimed in Claim 5 in which tent pegs when removed by the machine from the ground are automatically returned to the magazine.

7. A machine as claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 2 which can be adapted to place tent pegs which are already in use or which may come into use at a later date to be placed in the ground or removed.

8. A machine substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings 1-3.

9. A tent peg for use with a machine as claimed in any preceding Claim.

10. A tent peg substantially as herein described with reference to drawing 1, figure 4.