GB2316056A - Dislodging Posts from the Ground - Google Patents

Abstract

A tool for dislodging a post (10) from the ground has a draw head (16) suspended from the shorter end (36) of an unequal lever (14) which is pivoted on a support (12) standing on the ground. The draw head may be fork-shaped, with an open side through which it is introduced to the post, or ring-shaped. Opposed sharp edges (52, 54; 53, 55) of the draw head then engage on either side of the post with the draw head inclined on the post. The other end of the lever is forced down, and the post, grasped by the draw head (16), is dislodged. Preferably, the draw head is serrated and may have a tether (74, Fig 7) for gripping a broken post to pull it out. Preferably the support (12) has a base (18) with a recess (26) to abut and accommodate the post (10).

Description

DISLODGING POSTS FROM THE GROUND This invention relates to the dislodging of posts, such as fence posts or gate posts, from the ground.

Fence posts and gate posts are usually embedded in the ground very securely, and are typically fixed in a mass of buried concrete. When removal of the post is required, it is sbmetimes possible to deploy excavators, or other suitable mechanical equipment attached to a tractor or other machine, to grip the post and dislodge it or even pull it out entirely.

There are however numerous occasions when either such equipment is not available, or it is inconvenient or impossible to use it, for reasons of confined space, unavailability of access, expense, and so on.

Use of mechanical equipment for removing posts such as fence or gate posts is, in short, the exception rather than the rule. It is believed that the only alternative method currently available is the one which is used almost universally, namely to dig the post out by hand, using ordinary tools such as spades, forks and picks, so as to excavate around the post and down to a depth at which the post can be loosened and then dragged out. This method is tedious, time-consuming and labour-intensive. This is particularly so when there are many posts to be removed, as for example when a long fence is to be taken out, a not uncommon requirement in agriculture for example. Again, if only one person is available to do the job, as is often the case in a domestic situation, the physical effort involved mat be too much, and may even be dangerous to that person's health.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple tool which can be operated manually by one person to dislodge a post very rapidly from the ground, i.e. to loosen it so that it can then easily be removed, without the need for digging.

According to the invention, a tool for dislodging a post from the ground comprises an unequal lever (i.e. a lever having its fulcrum nearer one end than the other, so that it consists of a longer arm extended by a shorter arm) movable in a generally-vertical plane about a fulcrum supported on the ground, and a draw head articulated on the shorter arm of the lever for deflection of the draw head, in the said plane, into a position inclined with respect to the post, the draw head defining gripping means for engaging the post with the draw head in a said inclined position, whereby when the lever end is raised, the draw head grasps by its gripping means, and applies an upward force to, the post.

The tool according to the invention can be made light enough to be carried by one reasonably able-bodied person, a particular advantage if a large number of posts require to be removed. At the same time it is of very simple construction, and all of its components can be made very robust.

This description and the Claims are written with reference to a horizontal ground surface, so that the plane in which the lever and draw head are displaceable is then vertical. Use of the tool on uneven, or slightly sloping, ground is not precluded, and in such cases words such as "vertical" are to be construed accordingly.

One embodiment of a tool incorporating features of the invention, for dislodging a post from the ground, with some variants within the scope of the invention, will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the tool, in partial cross section taken on the line I-I in Figure 2 and shown in position for dislodging a fence post which is to be removed; Figure 2 is a view from the left hand side of Figure 1 with the post omitted; Figure 3 is a plan view on the base of the tool; Figure 4 is a scrap view showing a modified form of the draw head; Figure 5 shows the same modified draw head, seen in the direction of the arrow V-V in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a scrap view on the line VI-VI in Figure 1, showing another form of draw head; and Figure 7 is a scrap view showing a further modification.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a fence post 10 is fixed in the ground and is to be removed by means of the tool shown, which essentially comprises three components, namely a support 12, an unequal lever 14, and a draw head 16.

The support, or stand, 12 comprises a base 18 which rests on the ground, and which carries an upstanding hollow column 20, in which a solid or tubular vertical support bar 22 is secured. The support bar carries at its top end a saddle 24. The base 18 in this example is circular, with a peripheral recess 26 (Figures 1 and 3) defining an abutment edge 27 for abutting against the post 10 as shown. The base may however take any desired form, and may for example be square or rectangular, with or without a recess. The support bar 22 is here secured to the column 20 by means of a bolt 28 and nut, and may have several bolt holes 30 so that the height of the saddle 24 above the ground can be adjusted.

The lever 14 is pivoted in the saddle 24 for up and down movement, in the generally vertical plane I-I (Figure 2), between two extreme positions, shown in Figure 1 in full lines for its lower position and in phantom lines 14' for its upper position. This pivot, or fulcrum, is here provided by a bolt 32 passing through a hole 34 in the lever, close to the free or working end 36 of the lever, and secured by a nut.

Again, the lever 14 may optionally have several of these holes 34 as shown, so that the length of the shorter lever arm, extending between the pivot axis and the working end 36 can be adjusted if desired. The lever 14 has a spigot 38 at its other end, for attachment of any suitable removable extension handle 40, which in this example is a long, stout tube such as a scaffold pole.

The draw head 16 is a robust, rigid member in the form of a fork or stirrup, consisting of an upper arm 42, a lower arm 44, and a yoke 46 joining the two arms together at one end. In this example the two arms 42 and 44, which extend generally horizontally, are parallel to each other and of rectangular cross section.

The upper arm 42 carries a pair of lugs 48 by which the draw head 16 is articulated on the lever end 36, for free swinging movement in this example. More particularly, the draw head 16 can be deflected with respect to the lever 14, about an axis 47 parallel to the axis of the lever pivot 32, so that this deflection takes place in the same plane I-I as that of the lever 14, between rest position (in full lines in Figure 1), and positions such as those indicated at 16' and 16", in which it is inclined to the vertical, and more especially inclined with respect to the post 10. The means of articulation may take any form, and in Figure 2 it is shown at 49 in the form of a transverse bar, the ends of which are upset in the manner of a rivet, though it may of course take any other suitable form, for example that of a bolt and nut like the bolts 28 and 32.

The draw head has an open side 50. In use, the tool is placed close to the post 10, and the draw head 16 is raised about the axis 47 so that the tool can then be manoeuvred to bring the post through the open side 50 of the draw head and between the arms 42 and 44.

Keeping the arms either side of the post, the tool is then moved so that the abutment edge 27 of the base recess 22 is engaged against the post as shown in Figure 3. The tool is now in position for dislodging the post.

The draw head 16 now lies in the inclined position shown at 16' in Figure 1, in which the leading inner edge 52 of the upper arm 42 and the rear inner edge 54 of the lower arm 44 are engaged transversely with respective opposite sides of the post 10, being held in that position, in gripping engagement, by the weight of the draw head 16.

The edges 52 and 54 thus together constitute a gripping means of the draw head. The draw head may take any form which provides gripping means that engage the post in this general way. For instance, the fork-shaped draw head may be in the form of a U or a horseshoe.

Figure 6 shows an example of a draw head which is not fork-shaped. In this case it consists of a ring 66, the gripping means of which are defined by the front and rear inner edges, 53, 55 respectively, of the ring.

The ring 66 again has lugs 48 for articulation on the lever end 36 on the axis 47. It will be noted that Figure 1 represents the draw ring 66 as well as the draw fork 16, with Figure 6 showing the ring 66 in the position 16".

The ring 66 is slipped over the post 10, and this can be done before the razing is attached to the lever 14 (in which case, a suitable detachable fastener is used, in place of the rivet 49 of Figure 2, to provide the pivot on the axis 47). Alternatively, the whole tool may be raised for this purpose, or partially dismantled, for example by removing the bolt 32 or the bolt 28.

At least the upper element of the gripping means of the draw ring (in whatever version of the latter) (corresponding to the edge 52 or 53) may for example consist of a separate, attached component (not shown), which may be spiked or otherwise suitably configured in order to become embedded in the post 10 if the latter is of a suitable material such as timber. Any of the edges 52 to 55 may be serrated.

In another modification, not shown, a torsion spring may be fitted around the pivot 49 so as to apply a return force additional to that imposed by the weight of the draw head.

Once the tool has been located as described above, the extension handle 40 is fitted and firmly pulled downwards, so lifting the lever end 36. The resultant force thereby applied by the edge 52 or 53 to the post 10 has a vertically upward major component, and a horizontal component tending to urge this edge further into engagement with the post. An upward component of force is also applied to the post by the edge 54 or 55, with the two edges 52 and 54, or 53 and 55, grasping the post. As the lever 14 is operated, the post is thus forced out of the ground by an amount corresponding to the vertical distance d (Figure 1) through which the lever end 36 rises until the lever reaches its position 14'. The post has now been loosened, its approximate position being indicated in Figure 1 at 10', that of the draw head now being the position 16". The tool can then be released and removed, and the post 10 can be removed in any suitable way.

Various attachments and other modifications can be made to the tool within the scope of the invention. For example, Figure 7 shows an attachment for dislodging the stump 11 of a broken-off post. This consists of a snare 74 at the free end of a steel cable 70 attached by any suitable form of anchorage 72 (shown diagrammatically) to the lower arm 44 of the draw fork 16, or to the draw ring 66 diametrically opposite its lugs 48.

Various other forms of draw head are possible within the scope of the invention. Figures 4 and 5 show one modification, in which a safety bar 60 is fitted in slots in the free ends of the arms 42 and 44 of the head 16. The bar 60 may if desired be secured in place, for example by pegs or thumbscrews 62 (shown in Figure 5 only). The bar 60 provides a safety feature, for instance in the event of the tool toppling, particularly if the ground is uneven or on a slope.

A tool such as that described and generally as shown in Figures 1 and 2, fabricated from mild steel and capable of being carried by one person, has been found to exert a lift of 3 tons when operated by one man using a scaffold pole as the extension handle 40.

It will be understood that any suitable materials may be used for the tool, steel being preferred. Highlystressed elements, such as the stirrup 24 and lugs 48, and the surfaces defining the gripping means of the draw head (such as the edges 52 to 55), may be given suitable hardening treatment. The bolts (or equivalent members) such as 32 and 49, may be of high tensile and/or hardened steel.

It will be realised that the angle of inclination of the draw head on the post is determined by the thickness of the post, and that a given draw head can be used with posts of any size that will pass through the open end 50 or through the ring 66.

A ring-shaped draw head such as 66 is especially suitable for use with concrete.posts, but may also be used for other posts.

Claims (12)

1. A tool for dislodging a post from the ground, comprising an unequal lever movable in a generallyvertical plane about a fulcrum supported on the ground, and a draw head articulated on the shorter arm of the lever for deflection of the draw head, in the said plane, into a position inclined with respect to the post, the draw head defining gripping means for engaging the post with the draw head in a said inclined position, whereby when the lever end is raised, the draw head grasps by its gripping means, and applies an upward force to, the post.

2. A tool according to Claim 1, wherein the draw head is generally fork-shaped, having two arms together defining the said gripping means, for engaging opposite sides of the post.

3. A tool according to Claim 2, wherein the gripping means comprise respective opposed inner edges of the draw head arms.

4. A tool according to Claim 1, wherein the draw head is in the form of a ring, having inner edges constituting the gripping means for engaging corners of the post.

5. A tool according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the said edges are sharp edges.

6. A tool according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the draw head is a single rigid member.

7. A tool according to any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the said gripping means are serrated.

8. A tool according to any one of the preceding Claims, further including a snare carried by the draw head for grasping. a stump of a broken post.

9. A tool according to any one of the preceding Claims, including a stand having a base, the lever being articulated on the stand and the base having an edge for abutting against the post.

10. A tool according to Claim 9, wherein the base has a recess to accommodate the post, the said abutting edge being defined in the recess.

11. A tool for dislodging a post from the ground, substantially as described in the foregoing description with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A tool according to Claim 11 but having its draw head substantially as described with reference to Figures 4 and 5, of Figure 6, of the accompanying drawings.