GB2417515A

GB2417515A - Fence post driving apparatus with dual hopper

Info

Publication number: GB2417515A
Application number: GB0511230A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hubert Charles John Elworthy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-06-02
Filing date: 2005-06-02
Publication date: 2006-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 2025-06-02
Also published as: GB0511230D0; GB2417515B; GB0412326D0

Abstract

A fence driving post apparatus comprises a hopper having two compartments one for receiving stakes the other for posts. Also provided are delivery means 2 or 17 for delivering either a post or a stake to a feeder and means to convey the post/stake from the feeder to a location where it can be driven into the ground. The apparatus may have a telescopic arm with a terminal post/stake clamp 3 which conveys the post/stake to its driving position. A hydraulic hammer may be provided to drive a post/stake held by the clamp into the ground. Preferably a swing gate 17 and a stake pusher (12) allow stakes to move into a stake feed area. Stake feeders (14, fig 1) preferably feed the stakes from the stake feed area into a position for engagement by the post/stake clamp. The apparatus may be attached to a tractor. In use, the apparatus is able to drive large posts into the ground for major fence support and drive smaller stakes into the ground in intermediate sections where less support is required.

Description

FENCE POST DRIVING APPARATUS

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to fence post driving apparatus and is particularly concerned with the provision of an improved form of apparatus for agricultural purposes.

Agricultural fencing typically comprises a plurality of posts, that are located at each end of a line of fencing and at selected positions along the line of fencing, and stakes that are smaller in diameter than the posts and form the majority of the length of the fencing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved form of fence post driving apparatus that can be used for the driving of both posts and stakes.

Summarv of the Invention l According to the present invention there is provided a fence post driving apparatus comprising a hopper having a first compartment for the reception of posts, a second compartment for the reception of stakes, delivery means for the selective delivery of either a post or a stake to a post/stake feeder and means for the transfer of a delivered post or stake from the posVstake feeder into a position in which it can be driven into the ground.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, from the rear, of a hopper of a fence post driving apparatus, Figure 2 is a view corresponding to Figure 1, but also showing the post feeding mechanism and a posVstake clamp, Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus, showing a telescopic loading arm in its "transport" position, Figure 4 is a plan view of the apparatus, showing the telescopic loading arm in a working position, Figures 5, 6 and 7 are schematic views showing parts of the apparatus, namely a posVstake clamp, a hydraulic hammer and an uprighting mechanism in different relative positions, Figure 8 is a plan view of the apparatus, showing the telescopic loading arm in a number of alternative working positions, and Figure 9 is a side view of the apparatus.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The machine shown in the drawings has been designed to erect posts and stakes of various lengths and diameter, ranging from posts of 120 mm. to 300 mm. diameter, up to 2.5 meters long, and stakes of 70 -150 mm. diameter, up to 2.5 meters long.

The machine makes use of mechanical and hydraulic power, which is controlled by electronic microchip circuits and by manual operators. The machine can be towed and running on its own wheels and axle, or can be mounted on the 3-point linkage of an agricultural tractor of suitable size.

The assembly 9 comprising the axle and wheels 9 of the machine is pivoting from the centre with a hydraulic cylinder attached to one side. This enables the machine to be tilted over on sloping land The machine has two distinct compartments, one for holding and carrying the posts and the other for holding and carrying the stakes.

Whilst using the machine, the operator has no need to leave the tractor cab for any reason as all controls are operated from the tractor cab.

The machine has two distinct positions, i.e. "TRANSPORT" and "WORKING". The "TRANSPORT" position is used whilst loading the machine with posts and stakes and while moving along the roads to the area that requires fencing.

When the user wants to erect a post or stake, he aligns the tractor and machine so that they are positioned approximately parallel to the line of fence that is to be erected at a distance of between 2.5 and 3.5 meters to the right of the machine.

The machine works by the operator swinging a telescopic loading arm 1 through approximately 200 into the "WORKING" or loading position, carrying with it, on the end of the telescopic arm 1, an automatic up-righting mechanism 4, a hydraulic hammer 5 and a posVstake clamp 3.

The user then chooses to erect either a post or stake. If a post is chosen, the user operates a post gate 2, which rotates approximately 90 . This will lift a post and allow it to be ejected to the right of the machine and fed into the posVstake clamp 3. When a sensor detects that a post or stake has been received in the posVstake clamp 3, the telescopic loading arm 1 will retract carrying with it the hydraulic hammer 5 until the hammer head 8 has come into contact with the post or stake and has pushed the stake or post on to a sensor. At this point, the posVstake clamp 3 will rotate and take hold of the post or stake maintaining a constant grip on it.

When all of the posts in a post ramp area 2b have been used, the post holder 2a can be rotated by up to approximately 50 to enable further posts to roll down into the post ramp area 2b.

The telescopic loading arm 1 is now lifted by a hydraulic ram 6 and swung around by between 70 and 120 into the required position for the post or stake.

By raising or lowering the telescopic loading arm 1, the user can now position the post anywhere between up to 1.5 meters below ground level to 2 meters above ground level (i.e. in a ditch or on a bank or hedge). The user can position a post so that it is upright or can incline a post by as much as 25 in any direction by the use of the automatic up-righting mechanism 4.

The post or stake can now be driven into the ground by the hydraulic hammer 5 whilst being held in the desired position by the posVstake clamp 3. A spring arrangement 7 allows the post clamp 3 to move up and down by approximately 30 mm. independently of the hammer head 8 whilst keeping the post or stake in the same plane as the hammer 5. As the post or stake is driven into the ground, the telescopic arm 1 will automatically maintain a downward pressure on the top of the post or stake, thus ensuring that the hammer head 8 is in constant contact with the post or stake. At the same time, the length of the telescopic arm 1 will be adjusted automatically or manually so as to enable the post or stake to be driven into the ground without being pushed away or pulled in, by the changing radius resulting from lowering of the telescopic arm.

The user can now automatically, or manually return the machine to the "LOADING" condition.

The hopper into which the stakes are loaded is sub-divided into two compartments by a hydraulically controlled swing gate 17. The gate 17 has two uses. First it reduces the width of the stake hopper by half of its total size, which will ensure that the stakes are loaded and carried relatively parallel to the side of the machine. In addition, the gate 17 is hinged from the top and is hung at approximately 6 to the vertical. This makes the hopper wider at the bottom than the top, which will help to prevent bridging or jamming. Secondly, when, in use, the stakes in the compartment on the left side of the machine are used first, the gate 17 is swung across to the left of the machine to allow the stakes in the second compartment to fall into a stake feed area 13. As can be seen, this also ensures that the bottom of the second compartment is now wider than the top.

When the user'chooses to erect a stake he operates a stake pusher 12. This will cause a number of stakes (depending on their diameter) to move into the stake feed area 13. Should the stakes try to bridge or jam, there is an anti-bridging beam 16 which is spring-loaded and will move away from the stakes allowing them to flow into the stake feed area 13.

The operator then operates a first stake feeder 14, which automatically travels horizontally to the right and left of the machine, and causes the stake to move to the right of the machine. As the stakes move to the right, second and third stake feeders 15 and 1 5a speed up this movement by travelling horizontally left and right, and by lifting and lowering at the end of each stroke. The stakes are now fed out singly onto the right side of the machine into the post/stake clamp 3. As soon as a stake has been fed into the posVstake clamp 3, the automatic stake feeding sequence will cease. From this point, the stake is handled in the same way as a post.

The user now moves the tractor forward to the next post or stake position.

To achieve an accurate measurement of the spacing between adjacent posts or stakes, a sensor on a wheel of the machine or tractor detects the distance travailed and displays it on a display in the cab of the tractor. It is also possible to record the total number of posts and stakes erected since the last re-setting.

Claims

Claims: 1. A fence post driving apparatus comprising a hopper having a

first compartment for the reception of posts, a second compartment for the reception of stakes, delivery means for the selective delivery of either a post or a stake to a post/stake feeder and means for the transfer of a delivered post or stake from the posVstake feeder into a position in which it can be driven into the ground.
2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, which includes a telescopic arm on the end of which there is a posVstake clamp.
3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, which includes a hydraulic hammer for driving a post or stake held by the posVstake clamp into the ground.
4. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, which includes a stake pusher for pushing stakes into a stake feed area.
5. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, which includes stake feeders for feeding the stakes from the stake feed area into a position for engagement by the posVstake clamp.
6. A fence post driving apparatus constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.