US3534751A - General purpose stake - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent 72] lnventor Derek W. A. Peters 10 Cressy Parkway, Bel Air, Maryland 21014 [211 App]. No. 814,005

[22] Filed April 7, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 20, 1970 [54] GENERAL PURPOSE STAKE 2,156,021 4/1939 Little 135/15 FOREIGN PATENTS 22,461 10/1909 Great Britain 135/15 1,315,552 12/1962 France 135/15 Primary ExaminerPeter M. Caun Attorneys-Harry M. Saragovitz, Edward J. Kelly, Herbert Berl and Robert P. Gibson ABSTRACT: A general purpose stake for anchoring lightweight tents, or the like, in sandy or muddy soil and consists of a combination of a main stake, which is similar to a conventional tent peg, and which is provided with a ring fixed to its upper portion, and a pair of pins which are inserted through the ring. The main stake and pins are driven into the soil at selected angles whereby a tripod arrangement is formed.

GENERAL PURPOSE STAKE Conventional tent pegs have been found to afford little or no anchorage of tents when the soil is sandy or muddy since the pegs would not hold and worked loose to cause collapse of the tent.

One example of the problem is found in a lightweight tent that is used by the troops in Viet Nam for emergency medical purposes. Since much of the terrain there is swampy, it was hard to keep this tent erected. Due to the high degree of mobility of the troops, this tent had to be set up and taken down frequently. The use of longer pegs was not feasible since they took longer to drive into the soil and were harder to remove. Also longer pegs were more difficult to transport due to their longer length and weight.

The present invention is designed to overcome the aforesaid difficulties by the arrangement of the main peg and pins which form a tripod.

it is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a general purpose stake for anchoring tents in sandy or muddy soil.

it is another object to provide a tripod arrangement of a main stake having a ring fixed in its upper portion and a pair of pins which are inserted through the ring and the peg and pins driven into the soil to produce a tripod arrangement.

It is still another object wherein the driving angle of the main peg and pins may be varied to accommodate varying type of soils.

in the drawing:

H0. 1 is a perspective view showing the general purpose stake of this invention as driven into the soil;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main peg;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the bracing pins;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ring member;

HO. 5 is a front view of the upper portion of one of the bracing pins; and

FIG. 05 is a side view of the main peg, the upper portion being broken away to show the mounting of the ring member.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein reference character 1 indicates the main stake of this invention and consists of a length of angle iron which tapers towards its lower end as at 2 and terminates in a point 3. A hole 4 is located at the apex of its angular cross section and disposed in its upper portion as shown, as best seen in H6. 2.

A pin retainer, indicated generally by 5 is provided and consists of a rod which includes a ring member 6 at one of its ends and a downwardly extending angular extension 7 at its other end. The angular extension is inserted through hole 4 and is welded as at 8 whereby ring a is somewhat upwardly inclined with respect to the main stake l, as seen in FIG. 6.

ln Fit}. 3, there is illustrated one of the bracing pins and is designated generally by 9 and consists of a length of rod defining a ring ll at its upper portion and a point l3 at its lower end. The end of ring ll may be welded to rod 10 as shown. A top 14 is welded to the uppermost part of ring it as at 15. Top 14 is formed ofa length of angle iron.

ln assembly, as seen in FIG. l, main stake l is driven into the soil R6 at a selected angle. Now, two bracing pins 9 are inserted through ring 6 and are driven into the soil at opposite angles relative to one another and to the main stake 1 so that a tripod arrangement is formed. A guy rope, not shown, ofa tent may then be looped over angular extension 7. Main stake ll will be of sufficiently sturdy material to be driven into the soil, while top 14 will serve as a surface for driving the pins 9.

No less than two bracing pins will be used, but more pins could be used if desired. The angle at which main stake l and pins Q are to assume will depend upon the type of soil in which they are driven.

Where a tool for driving the stake and pins is not available, a rock or the like may be used.

lit is to be understood that this application is not to be limited to the exact details of construction shown or described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

l claim:

l. in a general purpose stake for anchoring a tent in sandy or muddy soil, the combination comprising, a main stake having an opening in its upper portion, and being adapted to be driven into the soil at a selected angle, a retaining member fixed in said opening, and at least two bracing pins adapted to be inserted through said retaining member and driven into the soil at opposite angles with respect to each other and to said main stake whereby a tripod arrangement is effected.

2.. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said main stake comprises a length of angle iron defining a tapered lower portion and a point at the lower end of said tapered portion. 3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said retaining member comprises a continuous length of rod defining a ring at one of its ends and an angular, downwardly depending portion at its other end.

5. A. device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said bracing pins comprises a continuous length of rod defining a ring at its upper end and a point at its lower end and a length of angle iron secured in a horizontal position on the uppermost portion of said ring whereby a surface for driving said pin into the soil is provided.

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