US2703479A

US2703479A - Portable post driver

Info

Publication number: US2703479A
Application number: US262097A
Authority: US
Inventors: James B Richardson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-12-17
Filing date: 1951-12-17
Publication date: 1955-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 1972-03-08

Description

March 8, 1955 J. B. RICHARDSON 2,703,479

PORTABLE POST DRIVER Filed Dec. 17, 1951 50 M92 44 IO I4 60 H 42 I2 I6 *6 j 0 [k -26 30 E -za James 5. Richardson 2H INVENTOR.

9 BY M L/W United States Patent PORTABLE POST DRIVER James B. Richardson, Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii Application December 17, 1951, Serial No. 262,097

4 Claims. (Cl. 61-76) This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in mechanical devices for driving posts into the ground, particularly fence posts, or the like, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a portable device of the character herein described, which may be quickly and easily applied to a post, which may be conveniently controlled so as to effect the post driving operation in a series of successive impacts, and which includes means for accommodating posts of different diameters.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its convenient and expeditious operation and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view, and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction ofi1 parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in w 1c Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention per se;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1 and illustrating the invention applied to a post, and

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 in Figure 2.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a portable post driver which is designated generally by the reference character and embodies in its construction a substantially horizontal platform 12 which is provided at opposite longitudinal edges thereof with pairs of ears 14 carrying parallel handles 16, whereby the entire device may be manually supported.

A flanged adapter 18 is secured to the underside of the platform 12 by suitable screws 20 and has a screw threaded portion 22 in which is secured the upper end of a tubular post receiving socket 24.

The post to which the invention is applied is indicated at 26, and it is to be noted that a tubular insert '28 is slidably and removably positioned in the socket 24 and is sustained therein by a set screw 30, so that by employing inserts 28 of different wall thicknesses, the socket 24 may accommodate posts of different diameters. Needless to say, if the diameter of the post 26 is substantially equal to the inside diameter of the socket 24, the insert 28 is not employed.

The platform 12 is provided with a circular aperture or opening 32 which is coaxial with the socket 24 and slidably accommodates a cylindrical anvil 34, having an enlarged head 36 provided at the lower end thereof. The upper end of the socket 24 affords an annular seat 38 which is spaced downwardly from the underside of the platform 12 and the head 36 is reciprocable in the space between the seat 38 and the platform, as will be hereinafter more fully apparent.

The upward sliding movement of the anvil 34 is limited by adjustable studs 40 which extend downwardly through the platform 12' and are provided at their upper ends with suitable lock nuts 42, the lower ends of the studs 40 being engageable with the head 36 to provide adjustable stop means for the anvil at the upper end of its stroke. At the lower end of its stroke, the head 36 of 2,703,479 Patented Mar. -8, 1955 the anvil 34 is engageable with the seat 38, as will be clearly apparent.

A suitable electric motor 44 is mounted on the upper surface of the platform 12, the armature shaft 46 of the motor being journaled in an auxiliary bearing 48 and carrying a cam 50 which is disposed immediately above the anvil 34. The cam 50 has a relatively low lobe 52 and a relatively high lobe 54 at the diametrically opposte sides thereof, and it is to be observed that when the head 36 of the anvil 34 is in abutment with the stop screws 40, the cam 50 is disengaged from the anvil, as shown in Figure 2.

When the invention is placed in use it is applied to the fence post 26 so that the latter is slidably received in the socket 24, or the insert 28, as the case may be, and with the head 36 abutting the screws 40 and the cam 50 disengaged from the anvil 34, the motor 44 is energized so as to rapidly rotate the cam. When the cam is in motion, the relatively high lobe 54 thereof will impact the upper end surface of the anvil 34 and while the inherent inertia of the entire apparatus will tend to sustain the platform 12 stationary, so to speak, in the hands of the user, the anvil 34 will be driven downwardly, thus driving the post 26 into the ground until the head 36 abuts the shoulder 38. Thereupon, continued rotation of the cam 50 will result in its disengagement from the anvil 34 and, by virtue of its own weight, the entire apparatus will descend, so to speak, relative to the post 26 and anvil 34 so that a position is again reached where, as shown in Figure 2, the head 36 abuts the stop screws 40. It will be apparent from the foregoing that continued rapid rotation of the cam 50 will result in a series of consecutive impacts being delivered to the post, thereby driving the latter in an inching manner into the ground. 3

Means are provided for conveniently controlling the operation of the motor 44, these means including a control yoke or lever 56 having a handle portion 58 at one end disposed adjacent one of the aforementioned hand grips 16, while the other end of the yoke 56 is pivoted at 60 to suitable brackets 62 on the platform 12. The yoke 56 straddles the cam 50 and is operatively connected by means of a pivoted link 64 to a repeating type electric switch which is alternately closed and opened by successive depressions of the yoke 56. This switch is mounted on the platform 12 for controlling the motor 44. The yoke 56 is urged upwardly by a pair of compression springs 68 which are interposed between the yoke and the platform 12, and when the yoke is in its upper position and the switch 66 is open, the motor 44 is stationary. However, by depressing the handle 58 in the direction of the adjacent hand grip 16 and promptly releasing the handle, the switch 66 will be closed and the motor 44 energized. It is to be noted that in this manner the same hand of the operator may be used for controlling the movement of the yoke 56 as well as for grasping the adjacent of the hand grips 16, while the slecoid hand grip, of course, is grasped by the other It is also to be noted that the yoke 56 is engageable with the upper surface of the anvil 34 at the opposite sides of the cam 50, so that when the device is at rest, downward movement of the yoke will first raise the platform 12 relative to the anvil, so that the anvil is spaced from the cam in readiness for the first impact as soon as the motor is energized by the switch 66.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A portable post driver, comprising a manually supported platform having an opening therein, a substantially cylindrical post-receiving socket provided at the underside of said platform coaxially with said opening, said socket being larger in diameter than said opening and being provided with an annular shoulder spaced downwardly from and opposing the underside of the platform, an anvil reciprocable vertically in said opening and provided at its lower end with a diametrically enlarged post engaging head disposed in the space between the platform and said shoulder, said shoulder constituting an abutment for said head when the latter is at the lower end of its stroke, adjustable stop means for said head at the upper end of its stroke, a motor mounted on said platform, and an impact delivering member actuated by said motor and engageable with the upper end of said anvil thereby imparting a downward impact to said anvil.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said motor includes a rotatable shaft, said impact delivering member comprising a cam secured to said shaft and including a ,low lobe and a high lobe, the low lobe of said cam being spaced upwardly from said anvil when said head engages said adjustable stop means.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 together with a control for said motor provided on said platform.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 together with a control for said motor provided on said platform and including a yoke pivoted to the platform and engageable with the upper end of said anvil.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS