Post Pulling Apparatus

Abstract

A fence post pulling apparatus is constructed of a pair of members, each member having an aperture for receiving a post therethrough with the end portions of the members extending outwardly in opposite directions, and flexible means such as a chain interconnecting the opposite end portions of the members, whereby an upward force on the chain will cause the members to grip the post and pull it axially upwardly, and the transverse forces will be substantially opposed and balanced.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an apparatus for pulling posts, such as standard metal fences post which have been driven into the ground. The apparatus is designed for use in connection with standard lifting equipment such as a crane hoist having a cable and a wench with a hook for engaging the post pulling apparatus.

The apparatus has particular application in the removal of standard fence posts and is especially useful in the dismantling of snow fences where many fence posts must be removed and efficiency is important. Standard fence posts are usually about 7 feet in length and are driven approximately 3 feet into the ground. Heretofore, when removing these fence posts from the ground, it was the practice to wrap a chain several times around the post and then attach the chain to the hoist. This was a rather slow process because the chain had to be wrapped securely around the post, and, even then, there was a tendency for the chain to slip and for workmen to be injured by the chain which was being pulled upwardly with a substantial force in the post removal operation.

When this "wrapped chain" procedure was utilized, frequently the post would be bent or otherwise damaged by the unequal force of the chain acting on the post. Moreover, when using this procedure and equipment, it was possible to pull a maximum of about sixty posts in an eight hour day. In addition, this procedure and equipment requires a substantial part of the post to extend above the ground, and, while this is usually true in the case of fence posts such as those used in connection with a snow fence, there are occasions when only a very short length of the post is exposed above the ground. This may, for example, be the case where the post is broken off or where shorter posts are employed in anchoring guy wires or the like. Heretofore, it has been very difficult to remove such a post from the ground.

The present invention provides an inexpensive apparatus for removing fence posts from the ground. The apparatus, quickly and easily attaches to the fence post and provides a balanced pull on the post when attached to a hoist which is exerting a vertical pull on the apparatus. With this apparatus the forces in other than the vertical direction are substantially opposed and balanced. The apparatus avoids damage to the fence posts and so facilitates the removal of the fence posts, that nearly three times as many (i.e., about 170 fence posts) can be removed during an eight hour day. The apparatus utilizes a minimum number of parts, is inexpensively constructed and is adapted for use in connection with existing hoisting equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a post pulling apparatus is provided which includes a pair of post gripping members which are apertured adjacent their respective one ends with the apertures being of a size and shape to receive the post, and when they are placed on the post and positioned in superposed overlying relationship with respect to each other, the other or distal ends of the members will extend outwardly in opposite directions from the longitudinal axis of the post. A flexible member, such as the chain, interconnects the distal ends of the members and provides a means for attachment of the power hoisting device thereto. When the flexible member is pulled upwardly by the hoist, the gripping members will be tilted angularly with respect to the post and with respect to each other so that the post will be gripped by the post gripping members and the pulling forces will be balanced on the post. That is to say transverse bending or twisting forces applied to the post will be substantially opposed and balanced by the two oppositely positioned gripping members.

It is preferred that the apertures in the post gripping members be of substantially the same shape as the cross sectional profile of the fence post being pulled so that the members will not rotate about the longitudinal axis of the post but will remain in their proper position with their distal ends oppositely disposed with respect to one another.

It is preferred that the gripping members be in the form of metal plates having substantially planar faces and, in the preferred embodiment, the flexible member interconnecting the distal ends of the gripping members is a link chain. The edge of the plate member adjacent the aperture is rectilinear and preferably is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the plate and to the plane of the member so that when the members are assembled on the post in superposed relationship and an upward force is exerted against the flexible member to tilt the members upwardly at approximately right angles with respect to each other, the edge portion of the upper plate member will flatly engage the top surface of the lower plate member and the two plate members will form a unitary assembly for lifting the fence post out of the ground.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fence post pulling apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus after it has been positioned on a fence post and attached to a hoist for pulling the fence post out of the ground;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a portion of the fence post and the gripping members of the apparatus showing the relationship of these members to one another and to the fence post as the fence post is being pulled out of the ground by the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a fence post showing one of the plate-like post gripping members being positioned thereon; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the plate-like post gripping member illustrated in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With further reference to the drawing in FIG. 1, there is shown an apparatus 10 for pulling fence posts 12 (see FIGS. 2-5). The particular apparatus shown in the drawing is one for pulling fence posts of standard construction; such fence posts are substantially T-shaped, each having a leg portion forming a first flange 12a, and a transverse portion forming a pair of opposited disposed flanges 12b and 12c. Extending in the opposite direction from the flange 12a are a plurality of hooks 14 which extend outwardly and upwardly, as best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The flanges 12a, 12b and 12c, and the hooks 14, extend radially outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the fence post.

The apparatus 10 includes a pair of fence post gripping members, 16 and 18. In the illustrated embodiment these gripping members are elongated, and preferably rectangular steel plates, each having planar top and bottom surface portions and a proximate edge portion which is rectilinear and preferably perpendicular to the longitudinal sides or axis of the member. Thus, the rectilinear edge 18a is provided for the member 18, and the rectilinear edge 16a is provided for the member 16.

Each of the gripping members 16 and 18 is provided with an aperture for receiving the fence post. Thus, gripping member 16 has an aperture 20 and gripping member 18 has an aperture 22. The apertures are located adjacent the proximate edge portions of their respective gripping members, and these apertures are substantially the same shape as the cross sectional profile of the fence post being pulled. These apertures, however, are slightly larger than the fence post cross section so that the gripping members may be readily slid over the post in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the post. The apertures 20 and 22 are mirror images of one another, so that when positioned on the fence post 12 the distal ends 16b and 18b of the gripping members 16 and 18, respectively, will extend radially outwardly from the axis of the fence post in opposite directions.

Since in the illustrated embodiment the fence post 12 are standard and have T-shaped cross sectional profiles, the apertures 20 and 22 in the gripping members 16 and 18, respectively, are also substantially T-shaped with an extension above the transverse portion of the T to accomodate the hooks 14 of the fence post. The size and shape relationship between the gripping member aperture and the cross sectional profile of the fence post 12 is best illustrated in FIG. 4.

The fact that the apertures 20 and 22 are substantially the same shape as and just slightly larger than the cross sectional profile of the fence post 12 serves to prevent any substantial rotation of the gripping members 16 and 18 with respect to the fence post or with respect to one another after they have been placed in position on the fence post.

The transverse dimensions of the apertures 20 and 22 (i.e., the vertical dimensions as viewed in FIG. 4) are governed solely by the desideratum of sliding the gripping members easily onto the fence post. However, the longitudinal dimensions of the apertures are preferably governed not only by the desirability of easily sliding the gripping members onto the fence post, but also by the desirability of having the aperture defining portions engage and grip the corresponding portions of the fence post when the gripping members have been tilted to their predetermined gripping angles, which are preferably approximately 45 degrees with respect to the fence post, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Thus, the apertures 20 and 22 are preferably 45 degree projections of the cross sectional profile of the fence post on the planar surfaces of the gripping members 16 and 18. This will affect the longitudinal dimensions of the apertures 20 and 22, and as seen in FIG. 3, the thickness of the members 16 and 18 will also be a factor in determining the longitudinal dimensions of the apertures. The aperture-defining portions at the top surface of each gripping member will engage one side of the post, and the aperture-defining portions at the bottom surface of each member will engage the opposite side of the post when the members are tilted to their gripping angles. When the gripping members 16 and 18 are moved to their angular gripping and pulling positions, as illustrated in FIG. 3, it is preferable to have as much of the aperture defining portions as possible in gripping engagement with the fence post 12.

Since the apertures 20 and 22 are adapted to provide gripping for the fence post when the gripping members are positioned at their predetermined gripping angles, which in the illustrated embodiment are angles of 45 degrees with respect to one another, it is apparent that the gripping members themselves will, in this position, be disposed at twice this angle or 90.degree. with respect to one another. In this position the rectilinear proximate edge portion 18a of the upper gripping member 18 will engage the top planar surface of the lower gripping member 16, and the two platelike gripping members will thus form a unitary assembly for lifting the fence post out of the ground.

The distal ends 16b and 18b of the gripping members are interconnected by means of a flexible member such as a link chain 24 which forms a loop between these opposed distal end portions 16b and 18b, and provides a ready means for engagement by the hook 26 of the hoisting device 28. The hoisting device 28 may be any of the standard and well known hoists that will apply sufficient lifting force to the apparatus 10 to pull the post 12 from the ground. The opposite ends of the chain 24 may be welded or otherwise fastened to the distal ends 16b and 18b, respectively, of the gripping members so that when the hoist 28 pulls the hook 26 upwardly with the loop of the chain 24 engaged by the hook 26, the gripping members 16 and 18 will be tilted first to the position illustrated in FIG. 2 and then to their fully tilted angular gripping positions illustrated in FIG. 3. In this latter position these gripping members are at approximately 90.degree. with respect to one another, and the aperture-defining portions of these gripping members are in gripping engagement with the corresponding portions of the fence post. A further lifting force applied to the chain 24 by the hoist will result in axially upward movement of the gripping members 16 and 18, and the post will be pulled vertically upwardly and out of the ground.

In this pulling operation, the upper gripping member or plate 18, as viewed in FIG. 3 would normally tend to rotate the fence post in a clockwise direction, whereas the lower gripping member 16 would normally tend to rotate the post in a counter clockwise direction. Since the forces applied to the fence post by each of these two oppositely disposed gripping members is the same, the transverse or turning forces will be substantially opposed and balanced. The rectilinear proximate edge portion 18a flatly engages the top surface of the lower gripping member 16, and there will, therefore, be little tendency for any relative movement between the gripping members 16 and 18, and these members will act as a unitary grip for removing the post axially from the ground.

The apparatus 10 of this invention may be easily and inexpensively constructed. The gripping members 16 and 18 may be constructed of inexpensive steel plate, and the apertures 20 and 22 may be broached, drilled, sawed or burnt into these plates by standard shop equipment. If desired, the entire apparatus may be constructed on the work site where the fence posts are being pulled.

The apparatus is quickly and easily assembled on each fence post to be pulled by simply sliding the two gripping members 16 and 18 sequentially onto the fence post and then hooking the gripping member connecting chain 24 onto the hook 26 of the hoisting device. An upward pull on the chain will cause the two oppositely disposed overlying gripping members to assume a right angle position with respect to one another and their 45.degree. gripping position with respect to the fence post, thus, balancing the forces for pulling the fence post vertically out of the ground.

The apparatus 10 has been described in connection with the pulling of standard T-shaped fence posts with mirror image T-shaped apertures in the gripping members 16 and 18. This apparatus may, however, be employed very satisfactorily to pull posts of round cross section such as standard chain link fence posts or any special shapes of posts such as those employed for guard rails. The apertures in the gripping members 16 and 18 are formed to fit the particular shape of the post being pulled. In the case of a post of round cross section, the apertures 20 and 22 would be eliptical (i.e., 45.degree. projections of the circular cross section). The apparatus, moreover, may be used to pull posts of all types of construction including those made of plastic, wood, metal or the like, and these posts may be pulled even when imbedded in a base such as concrete (in which case the base would be pulled with the post).

It is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that many additional modifications and changes in various details may be resorted to without departing from the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A fence post pulling apparatus comprising a pair of separate and independent post gripping members, each member being apertured adjacent one end thereof, whereby said members may be separately, independently and sequentially placed on a post and positioned in superposed relationship with respect to one another with their respective other ends extending transversely outwardly in opposite directions from the longitudinal axis of the post, and each may be pulled to an angular position to grip the post independently of the other, and a continuous, elongated and uniform flexible member extending between and interconnecting said other ends of said members and providing means for ready engagement by a hoist and for transmission of pulling power uniformly to the two gripping members regardless of their relative position on the post.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said apparatus is adapted to be used in connection with a radially flanged fence post, said gripping members being in the form of plates with the apertures therein corresponding to the shape of the cross sectional profile of the post and being of such size that the members may be slid over the post in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the post, but said members will not rotate relative to the longitudinal axis of the post, whereby when said flexible member is pulled upwardly said gripping members will tilt to grip the fence post.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apertures in each of said gripping members are mirror images of one another and are enlarged angular projections of the cross section of the post being pulled.