Hydraulic post setting and wire dispensing apparatus

An apparatus for driving fence posts or the like into the ground, said apparatus comprising a support framework, a weighted driving member carried by said framework for generally vertical reciprocation, lift means connected to said driving member for raising said driving member to an elevated position and permitting free fall of said weighted driving member to engage the upper end of a post for driving it into the ground, said lift means including a hydraulic motor adapted to be operable in either a motor mode when lifting the driving member or a pump mode when permitting the driving member to free fall, said driving member including an elongated member, said framework including a sleeve slidably guiding said elongated member, an elongated chain mounted alongside of said elongated member and having the ends thereof anchored to the respective ends of the elongated member, drive sprocket means on said hydraulic motor engaged with the chain for moving the chain and elongated member generally vertically when the sprocket gear is driven by the hydraulic motor when in a motor mode, said elongated member including a laterally extending plate member having a weight associated therewith for engaging the upper end of a fence post, said guide sleeve being vertically elongated, said sleeve including a longitudinally extending slot therein enabling movement of the lower end of the chain, and post receiving and guiding means associated with said sleeve for retaining the post in substantially vertical position and guiding the post during its downward movement, said framework including a pair of arms rigid with the sleeve, a supporting assembly adapted to be connected with a threepoint hitch of a tractor, said supporting assembly including a pivot connecting means for the arms to enable the arms and sleeve to swing laterally about substantially a vertical axis to enable the fence post driver to be oriented in overlying relation to the upper end of a post oriented alongside of a tractor for enabling a fence to be strung in a position laterally of the tractor, said supporting assembly including a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly utilized between the lower arm and lift arm on one side of the three-point hitch to adjust the framework about an axis longitudinally of the tractor and a hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly as the upper arm in a three-point hitch assembly to adjust the framework in a fore-and-aft direction about a transverse axis thereby enabling the guide sleeve to be positioned vertically for driving a post vertically into the ground regardless of the uneven terrain on which the tractor may rest, said framework including an upstanding supporting plate generally paralleling the sleeve and elongated member and located between the connection to the three-point hitch and the sleeve, a plurality of hydraulic fluid motors mounted on the supporting plate, each of said motors including a drive shaft and being operable in either a motor mode or a pump mode, reel means drivingly connected to each of said fluid motor drive shafts for storing and dispensing wires or the like, first and second hydraulic fluid manifolds communicating with said motors and adapted to be communicated with a fluid pressure source whereby fluid flow into a fluid motor from said first manifold is effective to operate said motor in a motor mode and fluid flow in an opposite direction being effective to operate the fluid motor in a pump mode, said fluid motors being connected in parallel to each other relative to said first and second manifolds whereby said fluid motors are independent of each other to assure constant tension on any one wire independently of the other wires when the motors are in motor mode or pump mode.