Ratchet operated device for setting a post having an auger attached at one end

The combination, comprising:

• a post having an upper end, and a lower end with a helical auger suited for anchoring the post in the ground as the post is rotated about its longitudinal axis in a first direction, and to be removed form the ground as the post is being rotated in the opposite direction about said longitudinal axis, the post having a first pin-receiving opening spaced from the upper end of the post;
• a sleeve having a second pin-receiving opening and an opening for removably receiving the upper end of the post to a position aligning the pin-receiving openings;
• pin means receivable in the aligned pin-receiving openings for releasably connecting the sleeve non-rotatably to the post;
• the sleeve having an annular series of ratchet teeth disposed about the longitudinal axis of the post;
• shoulder means rigidly located on the sleeve and spaced from a first end of the sleeve and extending outwardly form the sleeve, said shoulder means and said sleeve having a radius, the radius of the sleeve between the first end and the shoulder means being less than the radius of said shoulder means;
• a collar having a bore with a radius large enough to allow the collar to be slidably mounted on and removed from the first end of the sleeve and to move along the sleeve from the first end to the shoulder means so as to be rotatable with respect to the sleeve about the longitudinal axis of the post, the radius of the collar bore being smaller than the radius of the shoulder means, whereby pressure on the collar in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the post presses the collar against the shoulder means;
• pawl means carried by the collar, the pawl means including a pawl receivable in the ratchet teeth to form a torque-transmitting connection between the collar and the post as the collar is being rotated in said first direction, and spring bias means carried by the collar for biasing the pawl toward the ratchet teeth, but permitting the pawl to be retracted from engagement with the ratchet teeth to a non-torque transmitting position as the collar is being rotated in the second direction so as to permit rotation of the collar with respect to the post;
• and
• handle means connected to the collar for rotating the collar about the longitudinal axis of the post in either said first direction or said second direction.