GB2356645A

GB2356645A - Ground anchor

Info

Publication number: GB2356645A
Application number: GB9926926A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Edwards
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-11-16
Filing date: 1999-11-16
Publication date: 2001-05-30
Also published as: GB9926926D0

Description

2356645 Retentio Device This invention relates to a retention device and

in particular, though not exclusively, to a retention device for insertion in ground surface material, such as grass or earth, to provide a ground anchor point.

For the safe use of outdoor play equipment such as swings and climbing frames it is commonly recommended that the equipment is secured to the ground. The recommendation often is either that parts of the equipment be embedded in concrete or that long stakes be driven into the ground to provide anchorage. It is found, however, that the time and effort needed to proved a concrete anchorage results in it not being employed. In the case of long stakes, there is an unacceptable tendency to loosen Wth time. In either case there is a consequential risk to long-term safe use of the equipment.

The present invention seeks to provide a retention device suitable for use in acting as a ground anchorage and which is more convenient, safe and easy to use than hitherto known devices.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a retention device comprising:- - a ground insertion portion comprising a helically extending formation; - a rotation portion for rotating the ground insertion portion whereby the helically extending formation thereof enters the ground; - a neck portion which extends between and interconnects the ground insertion and rotation portions whereby they are rotatable in unison, said neck portion lying substantially aligned with the major longitudinal axis of the helically extending formation, and - a retainer rotatably positioned about said neck portion and held captive between the neck and ground insertion portions, said retainer comprising an anchor zone to which an above-ground member may be secured.

The invention teaches that a rotatable assembly comprising said ground insertion portion, neck portion and rotation portion preferably is of a unitary construction. That rotatable assembly preferably is formed from a substantially rigid but deformable material such as steel wire, and which may be galvanised or otherwise provided with a protective finish for long term durability. Other materials such as high strength plastics also may be employed to form the rotatable assembly.

2.

The retainer similarly may be formed from a substantially rigid but cleformable material such as steel wire and which may be bent to encircle the neck portion of the rotatable assembly. Preferably it encircles the neck portion for at least two turns. Preferably it encircles the neck portion no more than seven turns. The material of the retainer may be bent in situ about the neck portion, or it may be pre-shaped and then positioned about the neck portion prior to at least final shaping of at least one of the rotation and ground insertion portions, Yvith the final shaping of the rotation and or ground insertion portions resulting in the retainer being held captive about the neck portion.

Other suitable materials for the retainer include moulded plastics and cast or extruded materials such as aluminium.

More generally, the retainer may be formed from a length of elongate material, or it may be of another form, such as a plate or disc-like form.

The retainer may comprise only one operational zone ( which may lie wholly to one side of a diametrical plane which contains the axis of rotation of the helical formation). Alternatively it may comprise at least two zones, one of which lies substantially, or effectively, diametrically opposite the other(s) as considered about the axis of rotation of the rotatable assembly. One zone, in use, may serve as the anchor zone and the other zone may be a counterbalance zone to bear against the ground surface and resist leverage forces arising in use when an above ground member exerts an upward force on the anchor zone.

Optionally a counterbalance zone may be shaped to provide an anchor facility of a shape different from that of the aforementioned anchor zone, with said anchor zone likewise being adapted to act also as a counterbalance zone. Thus one type of retainer may provide two types of anchor facility. One might be shaped to overlie a horizontal tube of a climbing frame whilst the other might be shaped to provide a vertical pin that can extend downwards through a hole in a flat, horizontal plate at the base of a climbing frame.

The retainer may comprise more than two zones. It may have, for example, three zones and each may provide a different anchor facflity. In the case of three zones, the zones may be uniformly spaced and two zones will act as counterbalance zones with an effective counterbalance position which is substantially diametrically opposite the anchor zone.

More generally, for many applications it is envisaged that preferably the retainer comprises a first section that extends radially outwardly in a direction away from the axis of rotation, and a second section which is radially spaced from the axis of rotation by said first section and which 3.

extends in a direction parallel with the axis of rotation, towards the ground insertion portion and away from the rotation portion.

The rotation portion preferably is shaped to provide an eye or tubular opening in which, for ease of use, a rod or like device, such as a screwdriver shaft, can be inserted to act as a lever and assist in ease of rotation as the helical formation is turned.

The helical formation preferably is of uniform shape along the whole of the length that is to be inserted into the ground. Thus preferably it all or substantially all lies at the same radial distance about the axis of rotation. At an upper end it may be integral with a portion that extends radially inwards to the neck portion. At the distal end, to avoid unnecessarily disturbing the ground material and causing a possible reduction of ground retention capability, it is preferred that the distal end also terminates at a position which is at the same radial distance as the major part of the length of the helical formation. It is also preferred that the helical formation is of uniform pitch. Thus, when inserted in the ground, the helical formation lies about a core of ground material that has not been disturbed during the insertion operation and which remains in undisturbed association with much of the surrounding and underlying ground material.

The invention does not, however, exclude the option for the distal end to terminate at a position aligned with the axis of rotation, or at a position between that axis and the radial position of the main part of the helical formation. Likewise, the invention does not exclude the option for the helical formation to be of a non-uniform pitch. These options may be suitable for light duty applications and/or in situations in which the ground material displays a high degree of integrity and strength.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of an example only, with reference to the accompanying dravving which is a side view of a retention device in use to anchor two above-ground structures.

The retention device 10 comprises a rotation portion 11 formed from 6mm diameter steel wire bent to form three integral portions, a rotation portion 12, a ground insertion portion 13 and a neck portion 14 which interconnects said rotation and ground insertion portions.

The ground insertion portion 13 comprises a portion of the wire bent to a helix 15 Mich is of uniform pitch and uniform radius along the whole of the length of that portion, as considered about a longitudinal axis of rotation A A. A section 16 at one end of the helix extends radially inwards to the neck portion 14. The neck portion 14 is rectilinear and lies aligned with the axis A - A.

4.

The rotation portion 12 is in the shape of an eye 18, with the end 17 of the Wre lying close to an end of the neck portion to define a closed loop.

The retention device additionally comprises a retainer 20 also formed from 6mm diameter steel wire. The retainer wire is bent at a central section 21 to closely encircle the neck portion 14 a plurality of times, and form a central support sleeve region 24.

Radially outwardly extending sections 22, 23 of the wire are supported to lie substantially perpendicular to the axis A - A by virtue of co-operation between the sleeve region 24 and the neck portion 14.

An upper 22 of the radially extending sections has an end zone 25 which extends downwards, parallel with the axis A - A, for insertion in the ground. The lower 23 of the radially extending sections similarly has a downwardly extending end zone 26. The lower section 23 is also shaped to form a D section zone 27 that extends upwardly, away from the helical portion 15.

In use of the retention device, as shown in the drawings, the upper retainer section 22 can extend over a foot plate 30 of a climbing frame 34 or other such structure, with the end zone 25 extending downwardly through a location hole 31 in that plate 30. The lower section 23 is arranged with the D section zone overlying a horizontally extending tube 33 at the base of, for example, a climbing frame.

Insertion of the retention device is achieved by pressing downwards whilst simultaneously rotating the device by means of a lever inserted through the eye 18.

Whilst the invention has been described in respect of a retention device specifically adapted to anchor two types of above ground components, it is to be understood that a radially outward section of the retainer may be of rectilinear form which merely lies over the ground surface to provide a counterbalance to upward forces exerted on the anchor section. For light duty use, a counterbalance section need not be provided, the location of the retainer on the neck portion being relied upon to resist upward movement and leverage forces exerted by the anchored structure.

EDW1 DI 5.

Claims

1. A retention device comprising:- - a ground insertion portion comprising a helically extending formation; - a rotation portion for rotating the ground insertion portion whereby the helically extending formation thereof enters the ground-, - a neck portion which extends between and interconnects the ground insertion and rotation portions whereby they are rotatable in unison, said neck portion lying substantially aligned with the major longitudinal axis of the helically extending formation, and - a retainer rotatably positioned about said neck portion and held captive between the neck and ground insertion portions, said retainer comprising an anchor zone to which an above-ground member may be secured.

2. A retention device according to claim 1, wherein the helical formation is of uniform shape along substantially the whole of the length thereof.

3. A retention device according to claim 2, wherein the helical formation is integral at one end with an end portion that extends radially inwards to the neck portion.

4. A retention device according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the distal end of the helical formation terminates at a position which lies at substantially the same radial distance from the axis of rotation of said helical formation as the major part of the length of the helical formation.

5. A retention device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the helical formation is of a uniform pitch.

6.

6. A retention device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device is devoid of any structure within a core region which lies radially inwards of said helical formation

7. A retention device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotation portion comprises an opening adapted to receive leverage means to assist rotation when inserting the helical formation into ground material.

8. A retention device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ground insertion portion, neck portion and rotation portion comprise a rotatable assembly of a unitary construction.

9. A retention device according to claim 8, wherein the rotatable assembly is formed from a material which is substantially rigid but cleformable.

10. A retention device according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the rotatable assembly is formed from a single length of steel wire.

11. A retention device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the retainer comprises only one operational zone which lies substantially wholly to one side of a diametrical plane that contains the axis of rotation of the helical formation.

12. A retention device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein retainer comprises at least two zones one of Mich lies substantially diametrically opposite the position of the other or, in the case of more than two zones, an effective position of action of the others, to provide a counterbalance effect.

13. A retention device according to claim 12, wherein said one zone is adapted to act as an anchor zone and the or each other zone is adapted to act as a counterbalance zone.

14. A retention device according to claim 13, wherein a said other zone also is adapted to act as an anchor zone, and the said anchor zone is adapted also to act as a counterbalance zone.

7.

15. A retention device according to claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the retainer comprises two zones operable as anchor zones and which are differently shaped thereby to provide two types of anchor facility.

16. A retention device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the retainer comprises an operational zone having a first section that extends radially outwards from the axis of rotation of the helical formation and a second section which extends from that first section, radially spaced from the axis of rotation, in a direction parallel with the axis of rotation, towards the ground insertion portion, and away from the neck portion.

17. A retention device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the retainer is formed from a material which is substantially rigid but deformable.

18. A retention device according to claim 17, wherein the retainer is formed from a length of elongate material.

19. A retention device according to claim 18, wherein said elongate material is steel wire.

20. A retention device according to claim 18 or claim 19, wherein said elongate material is bent to encircle the neck portion.

21. A retention device according to claim 20, wherein said elongate material encircles the neck portion, for at least two turns.

22. A retention device according to claim 20 or claim 21, wherein said elongate material encircles the neck portion for no more than seven turns.

23. A retention device according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

EDWIC1