Patent ID: 6412235
Filing Date: 2002-07-02
Classification: E02D

Abstract:
A screw-type, in-ground anchor device for anchoring an above-ground upright, said anchor device comprising:a generally cylindrical drive shaft comprising: a cylindrical housing portion at an upper end of the drive shaft for supporting the above-ground upright, said housing portion having a first diameter; a cylindrical tip portion at a bottom end of the drive shaft, said tip portion having a second diameter substantially less than the first diameter; and a shallow-sloped conical portion connecting the housing portion to the tip portion, said shallow-sloped conical portion including a surface with a diameter that decreases from the first diameter to the second diameter over a longitudinal distance that provides a slope to the surface of less than 20 degrees; and a set of screw threads (flightings) attached to the tip portion, the flightings having a maximum diameter that is equal to or less than the first diameter, said flightings operating in soil to screw the anchor device into the ground when the device is rotated, thereby creating a shaft of outwardly compressed soil tightly encasing the drive shaft in the ground.