US20100223862A1

US20100223862A1 - Multi-purpose auger-type anchoring system

Info

Publication number: US20100223862A1
Application number: US12/399,919
Authority: US
Inventors: Jacobus Nicolaas Smit
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-03-06
Filing date: 2009-03-06
Publication date: 2010-09-09

Abstract

This anchoring system is specifically designed to be used in soft, sandy-like earth to anchor a variety of objects, including recovering of 4×4 vehicles stuck in sand or soft material, that need to be winched out without having a fixed object to anchor it to. In other words no fixed object like a tree or a pole, or another vehicle, is necessary to attach the anchor to. This anchoring system can easily be used by one person. What differentiates this auger from other kinds of augers is that the point of strength is underground and connected to a cable. If the cable is pulled it provides the anchor point to which a tensile load can be applied in a direction oblique to the longitudinal axis of the auger. It can be used in a variety of applications, like anchoring tents and poles, and recovering vehicles etc.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a multi-purpose auger-type anchoring system (hereinafter referred to as an anchoring system) that creates an anchor point to be used in soft earth.
Throughout history earth auger anchors have been used to anchor and support many objects, including tents, umbrellas, poles and so forth.
These augers usually have several common physical characteristics, including a central solid or hollow shaft which mounts a helical flight on one end that functions to auger into the earth when the shaft is rotated. The other end of the shaft can be mounted to a handle or lever from which you can attach a rope or cable. With these kinds of augers it is very easy to pull them out of soft sand because the pull strength is only applied to the top section of the auger. These kinds of auger shafts bend easily.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an anchoring system including:
a peg defining a longitudinal axis, the peg having an upper end and a lower end and being operable to be driven into the ground, the peg including an attachment formation defined at a lower end region of the peg; and
a flexible elongate connecting element which has a first end and a second end and which is attached to the attachment formation of the peg at its first end and which has an anchor point defined at its second end; the peg being driven into the ground, in use, so that the first end of the connecting element is below the ground surface and the second end is above the ground surface thereby to provide the anchor point to which a tensile load can be applied in a direction oblique to the longitudinal axis of the peg.
The elongate connecting element may be releasably attached to the attachment formation of the peg.
The anchoring system wherein the connecting element is hingedly attached to the attachment formation of the peg.
The peg may comprise a shank which defines said longitudinal axis and said upper and lower ends of the peg; and a screw formation which surrounds at least a lower end region of the shank for use in screwing the shank into the ground.
The shank may define a longitudinal seat formation in which part of the connecting element can be seated when screwing the shank into the ground, in use.
The anchoring system may include one or more holding formations for releasably holding the connecting element in the seat formation.
The elongate connecting element may be in the form of a flexible cable.
The anchoring system may include a handle formation which is connected to the upper end of the shank for applying a rotational force to the shank for screwing the shank into the ground, in use.
The invention extends to the peg of the anchoring system as defined hereinabove.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of providing an anchor point to which a tensile load can be applied for anchoring an object, the method including:
providing an anchoring system as defined hereinabove in accordance with the first aspect of the invention;
driving the peg of the anchoring system, into the ground in an arrangement wherein the first end of the elongate element is below the ground surface and the anchor point at the second end of the elongate connecting element, is above the ground surface; and
connecting the object to the anchor point so that the tensile load can be exerted on the anchor point in a direction oblique to the longitudinal axis of the peg.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features of the invention are described hereinafter by way of a non-limiting example of the invention, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an anchoring system in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a peg of the anchoring system of FIG. 1, with the shank partly sectioned to illustrate the seat formation thereof;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a cable of the anchoring system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the anchoring system of FIG. 1, showing the peg of the anchoring system driven into the ground; and

FIG. 5 shows the same side view of the anchoring system of FIG. 1, showing the peg of the anchoring system driven into the ground and the cable of the anchoring system connected to the winch cable of a vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, an anchoring system in accordance with the invention is designated generally by reference numeral 10. The anchoring system 10 comprises a peg 12 which is operable to be driven into the ground 14 and an elongate connecting element in the form of a flexible steel cable 16 which is releasably attached to the peg 12.
The peg 12 comprises, broadly, a shank 18 defining a longitudinal axis A and having an upper end 20 and a lower end 22; and a helical screw formation 24 which extends around a lower end region of the shank 18.
The anchoring system includes a handle 28 in the form of a bar 30 which is removably received in a sleeve 32 which is hingedly connected to the upper end of the shank 18 by means of a pivot pin 34. When located in the sleeve 32, the bar 30 extends transversely relative to the longitudinal axis A of the shank 26. The bar 30 includes a number of holes 34 in which split pins can be received to prevent the handle 22 from sliding out of the sleeve 32. By being hingedly connected to the shank, the sleeve 32 can be pivoted relative to the shank to permit the bar 30 to be disposed adjacent the shank in a compact space-saving configuration during transportation and stowage.
The shank 26 is in the form of a round tube defining a seat formation in the form of a longitudinally-extending groove 36 in a side thereof. The anchoring system includes three holding formations in the form of rubber clips 38.1, 38.2 and 38.3 which are fixedly located within the groove 36 and which releasably grip the cable 16 when it is seated in the groove 36. In use, part of the cable 16 is received in the groove 36 when the peg 12 is screwed into the ground 14. This prevents the cable 16 from fouling as the peg 12 is screwed into the ground.
The cable 16 has a first end 40 and a second end 42. The first end is bent so as to form an eyelet 44 which provides an anchor point to which an object can be secured. The cable 16 has an end cap in the form of a collar 46 secured to its second end, which defines an aperture 48 therethrough. The lower end 22 of the shank 18 defines an aperture 50 therethrough and has a hinge pin 52 which is receivable in the aperture 50. As such, the second end 42 of the cable 16 is hingedly attached to the lower end of the shank by introducing the collar 46 into a lower end of the groove 36. aligning the apertures 48 and 50 and passing the hinge pin 52 therethrough. The cable 16 can be released from the shank 18 by removing the hinge pin 52.
The anchoring system includes a boring attachment 54 which is attached to the lower end of the shank for boring into the ground. The boring attachment includes a pair of curved boring blades 56.1 and 56.2 which bore into the ground, in use, to form a pilot hole when the peg is caused to rotate and a downward force is applied thereto.
In use, the anchoring system 10 provides an anchor point to which a tensile load such as the pulling force exerted by of a vehicle winch cable, can be applied. The anchoring system 10 is prepared for operation by attaching the collar 46 to the shank 18 and seating the cable 16 in the groove 38. The peg 12 is then screwed into the ground 14 by applying a rotational force to the shank 18 via the handle 28, after a pilot hole has been bored in the ground by the boring attachment 54, leaving part of the cable 16 and the eyelet 44 above ground and forcing the second end 42 of the cable 16 below ground. The cable 16 is releasably held in the groove 36 by the clips 38 thereby preventing the cable 16 from fouling as the peg 12 is screwed into the ground.
With reference to FIG. 3, a vehicle 60 is illustrated, by way of example, which has a winch cable 62 hooked into the eyelet 44. The groove 36 in the shank 18 faces the vehicle 60 so that the cable 16 is pulled out of the groove 36 as the cable 16 is tensioned. As the winch cable 62 exerts a pulling force “F” on the eyelet 44, the force is transferred by the cable 16 to the lower end of the peg 12. Because the lower end of the peg is buried in the ground, the force “F” required to pull the peg out of the ground will be greater than would be of the case if the cable 16 was fixed to the upper end of the peg 12. The force “F” is applied to the peg in a direction oblique to the longitudinal axis A, which has the effect of making the cable 16 cut into the ground 14 as the force exerted by the cable on the peg increases. The eyelet 44 thus provides an above-ground anchor point to which a tensile load can be applied.
It must be appreciated that the exact configuration of the anchoring system 10 may vary greatly while still incorporating the essential features of the invention as defined and described hereinabove. It will also be appreciated that the anchoring system in accordance with the invention, may be used in a wide range of applications such as for anchoring the stays of a tent to the ground.

Claims

1. An anchoring system including:

a peg defining a longitudinal axis, the peg having an upper end and a lower end and being operable to be driven into the ground, the peg including an attachment formation defined at a lower end region of the peg; and

a flexible elongate connecting element which has a first end and a second end and which is attached to the attachment formation of the peg at its first end and which has an anchor point defined at its second end. the peg being driven into the ground, in use, so that the first end of the connecting element is below the ground surface and the second end is above the ground surface thereby to provide the anchor point to which a tensile load can be applied in a direction oblique to the longitudinal axis of the peg.

2. The anchoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongate connecting element is in the form of a flexible cable.

3. The anchoring system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the connecting element is releasably attached to the attachment formation of the peg.

4. The anchoring system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the connecting element is hingedly attached to the attachment formation of the peg.

5. The anchoring system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 4, wherein the peg comprises a shank which defines said longitudinal axis and said upper and lower ends of the peg; and a screw formation which surrounds at least a lower end region of the shank for use in screwing the shank into the ground.

6. The anchoring system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the shank defines a longitudinal seat formation, in which part of the connecting element can be seated when screwing the shank into the ground, in use.

7. The anchoring system as claimed in claim 6, which includes one or more holding formations for releasably holding the connecting element in the seat formation.

8. The anchoring system as claimed in anyone of claims 5 to 7, which includes a handle formation which is connected to the upper end of the shank for applying a rotational force to the shank for screwing the shank into the ground, in use.

9. The peg of the anchoring system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 8.

10. A method of providing an anchor point to which a tensile load can be applied for anchoring an object, the method including:

providing an anchoring system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 8;

driving the peg of the anchoring system, into the ground in an arrangement wherein the first end of the elongate element is below the ground surface and the anchor point at the second end of the elongate connecting element is above the ground surface; and

connecting the object to the anchor point so that the tensile load can be exerted on the anchor point in a direction oblique to the longitudinal axis of the peg.