Post Driver Guide Collet and Method of Using the Same
AssigneeRhino Tool Company
InventorsHerbert W. Whitmer, Robert J. Conner, James V. Martin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A guide collet for a post driver having a main body configured to partially receive a post therein is attachable to the main body of the post driver and comprises a plurality of parts that collectively form a collet opening when the parts are attached to the main body of the post driver. The collet opening is configured and adapted to slideably receive a post. The parts of the guide collet are separable from each other without tools when the guide collet is detached from the main body of the post driver such that the guide collet is capable of being separated from a post that previously extended through the collet opening without sliding an end of the post through the collet opening.
Claims15
A post driver comprising:
- a main body having an axial end and a cavity, the axial end having an axial opening configured and adapted to allow a post to be inserted partially in the cavity of the main body therethrough;
- an anvil positioned within the cavity of the main body and configured to be movable axially between first and second positions;
- a hammer positioned within the cavity of the main body and configured to be movable axially in a manner such that the hammer can impact the anvil when the anvil is in its first position;
- a motor configured and adapted to axially reciprocate the hammer within the main body in a manner such that the hammer can intermittently impact the anvil when the anvil is in its first position;
- a guide collet comprising first and second separable parts, the guide collet being removably attached to the axial end of the main body in a manner such that the guide collet is at least partially positioned within the cavity of the main body and in a manner such that the first and second separable parts are fixed in position relative to each other, the guide collet comprising a collet opening that is aligned with the axial opening of the main body, the collet opening being configured and adapted to allow a post to be inserted partially in the cavity of the main body therethrough in a manner such that the post can contact the anvil when the anvil is in its first position, the first and second parts of the guide collet being separable from each other when the guide collet is detached from the main body in a manner such that the guide collet can be separated from a post passing through the collet opening without axially withdrawing said post from the collet opening.
A guide collet for a post driver having a main body configured to partially receive a post therein, the guide collet being attachable to the main body of the post driver and comprising a plurality of parts that collectively form a collet opening when the parts are attached to the main body of the post driver, the collet opening being configured and adapted to slideably receive a post, the parts of the guide collet being separable from each other without tools when the guide collet is detached from the main body of the post driver such that guide collet is capable of being separated from a post that previously extended through the collet opening without sliding an end of the post through the collet opening.
A method comprising:
- inserting a post partially into a post driver, the post driver comprising a main body having a cavity and guide collet attached to an end of the main body, the guide collet comprising a plurality of parts that collectively form a post opening, the insertion including passing an end of the post through the post opening of the guide collet and into the cavity in a manner such that post extends through the collet opening;
- removing the post from the post driver by detaching the guide collet from the main body and separating the parts of the guide such that the removal of the post occurs without passing the end of the post through the opening of the guide collet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.