Self-drive Support And Anchor For Supporting Elements

Abstract

A light-weight, portable, self-driving support and anchor for parasols, umbrellas, flagpoles and other substantially vertical supporting elements for temporary structures, enclosures or decorative purposes, the support and anchor being characterized by its ability to be easily fixed, driven and firmly positioned without the use of extraneous tools in soils or ground of various degrees of compactness, including sandy beaches, sun-baked compacted soil and asphaltic cement pavements. The anchor and standard of this invention includes a gravity-actuated driving pin, movably retained within a standard adapted to cooperate with a pole, picket, or other element of the structure to be erected and means for positioning and stabilizing the anchor with respect to the surface of the soil or ground.

Description

There has been a need for a device whereby a sunshade or umbrella could be easily and firmly anchored in a desired position whether on a sandy beach or on a lawn or other dense and firm ground without the use of sledges, tools, tripods or other heavy and bulky elements or space-consuming auxiliary equipment. Most women and children do not provide the weight and force necessary to permit a sharp lower end of an umbrella or sunshade pole to penetrate soil for a sufficient depth to provide stability to a parasol or umbrella; circular, metallic tables provided with an axially disposed socket have been used on lawns and in gardens, an umbrella or sunshade stem or pole being inserted through the opening in the table top into a receptacle therebeneath for holding the end of the pole in position. However, this requires a special table of considerable bulk and the arrangement can only be employed occasionally and at considerable expense. Moreover, there are many occasions wherein it is desired to set up a series of flagpoles around a stage or at the borders of a walk and again it is extremely difficult to sink the ends of the flagpoles into the ground a sufficient distance to maintain the flagpoles in a vertical position.

The present invention provides a compact, relatively light-weight umbrella or parasol standard which can be easily anchored in compacted soil, a sandy beach, or even a two-inch asphalt pavement by a 10 year old child, without the use of extraneous tools and provide a firm support for a 6 or 8 foot sunshade, parasol, flagpole, or the like. A temporary picket fence can be readily installed, provided the pickets are of a diameter or form capable of fitting into the support retainer of the device.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to disclose and provide a compact, portable, self-driving, relatively light-weight standard and anchor for umbrellas, flagpoles and other temporary structural elements for temporary structures, decoration, or the like.

A further object of the present invention is to disclose and provide a standard and anchor which can be easily driven into soils or ground varying greatly in compactness by even a child and without the use of sledges or other heavy tools, and after being used, permit the anchor to be readily removed without the necessity of exerting great force or using special tools, jacks and the like.

Other objects, advantages and uses of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of exemplary forms of the invention, reference being had to the appended drawings for the purpose of elucidating the major characteristics of the device. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 pictorially represents an ordinary beach parasol or umbrella;

FIG. 2 is a simplified side elevation of the device of the present invention for the purpose of indicating the relative size of the device to the size of a 6 or 8 foot beach parasol which the device of the present invention could firmly anchor and position;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section through one form of anchor and support made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of construction of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section taken along the plane V--V in FIG. 4.

The principal components of the device of the present invention and their relationship will be readily understood from a consideration of FIG. 2, wherein an upstanding, hollow, tubular socket or standard-receiving element 2 is firmly connected to a means for stabilizing the standard, such means being particularly useful when the device is used in loose or friable soil. This stabilizing and positioning means is indicated at 3 and may comprise a plate or disc extending in a plane transverse to the axis of the socket 2. Extending below the stabilizing plate 3 is an anvil pin 4, of a generally conical shape, terminating in a sharp lower point. The element 4 is here called an anvil pin since it is provided with a head which constitutes the bottom of the tubular socket or support element 2, such anvil head being preferably firmly connected to the stabilizing element 3 as well as the tubular socket 2. Slidably contained within the upper portion of the socket 2 is a drive pin 5. The drive pin 5 is preferably slightly longer than the length of the cylindrical standard 2.

One form of exemplary construction of the device is illustrated in FIG. 3. As there shown, the tubular standard 2 may comprise a piece of pipe whose lower end is externally threaded and engaged with an upstanding, internally threaded boss 3' of the stabilizing plate 3. The lower open end of pipe section 2 may be inwardly swaged as indicated at 2' and a suitable hard, strong molten metal may then be poured into the pipe 2 in quantity sufficient to cast the anvil head 4' as well as the substantially conical drive pin 4. By drilling one or more relatively small perforations in the upstanding collar or boss 3' and the lower portion of the tubular pipe section 2 (as indicated at 3") the molten metal which forms the anvil head will simultaneously act as a key firmly holding the positioning foot plate 3 and the boss 3' to the standard 2.

The device as described hereinabove can be readily positioned by placing the sharp lower end of the pin 5 at the desired location and then by partly withdrawing the drive pin 5 upwardly into a position such as is indicated by 5a and then dropping or impelling such drive pin downwardly, the blow of such drive pin upon the anvil 4' will drive the pin 4 into substantially any underlying material, whether it be compacted soil or an asphalt pavement. When the device is used in loose or friable soil, the laterally extending foot plate 3 will prevent undesired penetration and will resist displacement of the device from a desired vertical position. However, when it is desired to remove the anchor support from its position, it is only necessary to again partially withdraw the drive pin 5 into the position indicated in 5a, whereupon leverage can then be applied laterally to such extended drive pin as indicated by the arcuate arrows in FIG. 3, thereby loosening the contact between the pin 4 and its surrounding soil or pavement and permitting ready withdrawal by grasping the tubular standard socket 2 and exerting an upward pull thereon.

A somewhat modified form of device is illustrated in FIG. 4, wherein the stabilizing flange 3 is an integral part of an upstanding ring or collar 3' which receives the lower end of the tubular socket or standard section 2. A bore 7 is drilled both through the upstanding collar 3' and diametrically opposed sides of the pipe 2, and a bolt or rivet 8 may be used in holding the assembly together. Metal for the anvil head may be cast directly around such bolt or rivet and again form a conical driving point. However, in some instances it is desirable to employ a preformed point having a fluted surface or a cross section of the character indicated in FIG. 5, so as to provide greater surface area to resist displacement; points of the character illustrated in FIG. 5 are particularly well adapted for use in sandy soils, on beaches, etc.

It is to be understood that the term "tubular standard receptacle" as used herein is not limited to receptacles of circular cross section, since elements of polygonal section corresponding to the section of the standard, pole or element to be supported can be used. Moreover, although two alternate modes of connecting the elements of the device have been exemplified, other connecting methods and means, such as welding and riveting, may be employed. It is also to be understood that weights and sizes and proportions of parts may be modified as circumstances require to take advantage of gravity in anchoring the device. All changes coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

Claims

I claim:

1. A light-weight, portable, self-drive support and anchor for parasols, umbrellas, flagpoles and other substantially vertical supporting elements for temporary structures, enclosures or decorative purposes, the support and anchor being characterized by its ability to be easily fixed, driven and firmly positioned without the use of extraneous tools in soils or ground of various degrees of compactness, including sandy beaches, sun-baked compacted soil and asphaltic cement pavements, the anchor and standard comprising:

a tubular standard receptacle adapted to receive and hold a pole, staff, picket or other element of a structure to be erected;

an anchor and positioning pin having an anvil head forming the bottom of and attached to the tubular standard, the lower end of said anchor pin being conical and extending downwardly from the tubular standard receptacle;

means for stabilizing the device carried by the tubular standard receptacle including an outwardly extending flange lying in a plane passing through the anvil head of said anchor and positioning pin and a drive pin slidably contained in the tubular receptacle and removable through the upper, open end of such receptacle, said drive pin being adapted to strike the anvil head when dropped or inserted through such open, upper end of the receptacle.

2. A device as stated in claim 1, wherein the stabilizing flange is provided with a collar ring attached to said tubular standard receptacle.

3. A device as stated in claim 1, wherein the drive pin is of metal and is axially longer than said tubular standard receptacle, the upwardly extending end portion of such drive pin providing a handle permitting said pin to be used as a lever when it is desired to move the anchor pin laterally to facilitate its removal from the ground into which it has been driven.