Earth anchor system
AssigneeBetter Bilt Products, Inc.
InventorsMark Remke, Frank Camp, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An earth anchor that can be driven into the ground to a desired anchoring depth and which has a tie rod extending therefrom for connection to an above-the-ground structure to be supported. The anchor is in the form of a stamped plate having a substantially flat co-planar body portion with a tapered ground entry end and with planing wings formed at a trailing end which are angled out of the plane of the body portion for guiding the anchor plate into a substantially horizontal anchoring position upon tensioning of the tie rod. The anchor plate is formed with a stepped drive rod receiving notch in the trailing end which is engageable by the head of the drive rod and which maintains the anchor plate in coaxial relation to the drive rod as it is being driven into the ground.
Claims16
An earth anchor for supporting an above the ground structure comprising an anchor plate having a substantially flat co-planar body portion with a leading ground entry end and a trailing end, said anchor plate being drivable into the ground in substantially upright condition to a desired anchoring depth by compacting a drive rod engageable with said trailing end of the anchor plate and extending upwardly therefrom out of the ground for connection to the above ground structure to be supported, said anchor plate having wing means at the trailing end angled out of the plane of said body portion for guiding said anchor plate into a substantially horizontal anchoring position upon tensioning of the tie rod following driving of the anchor plate to a desired anchoring depth, said anchor plate being formed with an aperture intermediate its ends on a longitudinal axes of said anchor plate, said tie rod being pre-formed with a first section disposed in substantially parallel outwardly spaced relation to said one side of said anchor plate, an inclined section extending from the end of said first section through said anchor plate aperture, and a terminal end section disposed in parallel relation to said opposite side of said anchor plate, means securing said terminal end section to said opposite side of said anchor plate, and said inclined tie rod section being deformable upon movement of said anchor plate to said anchoring positioning in response to tensioning of said tie rod.
An earth anchor installation system comprising an anchor plate having a tie rod connected thereto, a drive rod engageable with a trailing end of said anchor plate which upon impacting of an upper end thereof is adapted for driving the anchor plate into the ground in substantially upright condition to a desired anchoring depth, said anchor plate having a substantially flat co-planar body portion with a leading ground entry end and a trailing end, said tie rod being connected intermediate the ends of said anchor plate and extending upwardly therefrom out of the ground for connection to the above ground structure to be supported, said anchor plate having wing means at the trailing end angled out of the plane of said body portion for guiding said anchor plate into a substantially horizontal anchoring position upon tensioning of the tie rod following driving of the anchor plate to a desired anchoring depth, said anchor plate being formed with a drive rod engagement notch in said trailing end for engagement by said drive rod during driving of said anchor plate into the ground, said anchor plate notch including a first relatively narrow width notch section extending into said plate from the trailing end thereof for defining a first bearing ledge and a second relatively wider notch section for defining second and third bearing ledges disposed on opposite sides of said first notch intermediate said first bearing ledge and a trailing edge of said anchor plate, and said drive rod having a drive head formed with a first bearing ledge engageable with the first bearing ledge of said anchor plate and a second and third bearing ledges disposed upwardly from said first ledge for engagement with said second and third anchor plate bearing ledges for maintaining said anchor plate in substantial alignment with said drive rod during driving movement of the anchor plate into the ground.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.