Abstract:
A hammer hanger is useful for hanging objects off the ground. The hammer hanger includes a Slide hammer tube that impacts a stake to insert the stake into and remove it from the ground. The slide hammer comprises a slide hammer tube that is slidingly captured on the stake. A spade of the stake prevents the hammer hanger from tipping in soft or wet soil. One or more arms are pivotally held on the slide hammer tube for folding and unfolding. Objects are hangable on the unfolded arms. The arms may have hooks that are specially constructed to hang archery bows. The slide hammer may be one or more slide hammer tubes that are releasably lockable to each other for assembling and disassembling the tubes. A stop on the stake coacts with the slide hammer tube to prevent the slide hammer tube from rotating on the stake.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a divisional of pending patent application Ser. No. 10/419,010, filed 18 Apr. 2003, which claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/374,445, filed 22 Apr. 2002. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     This invention pertains to hanging objects off the ground, and more particularly to hanging apparatus that is insertable into and removable from the ground.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0005]     It is a very common practice to hold selected objects off the ground by means of posts or poles inserted into the ground. Clotheslines, telephone wires, and fences are but a tiny sample of the great variety of objects that are held above the ground by poles and/or posts.  
         [0006]     Many poles and posts are intended to be permanently placed in the ground. Others, however, are intended only for temporary use. For example, real estate sales signs are often hung from a post on the property being advertised for sale. After the transaction associated with the property has been completed, the sign and post are removed for transporting to a different property.  
         [0007]     In the past, it was an onerous chore to drive a post such as a real estate sign post into the ground. A person required a shovel or similar tool, which was difficult to use in compacted or rocky ground. It was a second chore to remove the post. That was especially true if the ground froze while the post was in place. Removing a post from frozen or otherwise hard ground risked damage to the tools as well as the post itself.  
         [0008]     Another example of temporarily hanging objects off the ground concerns archery bows. During competition or at a practice site, an archer frequently sets his bow down between shots. Since bows are expensive, archers desire to protect them from moisture and dirt. That was difficult to do when laying them on the ground. Accordingly, it is desireable to hang the bows from a support rather than lay them on the ground. However, no suitable bow hanger exists for archery use.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,873 shows a fishing pole holder that includes a stake drivable into the ground. A slide hammer on holder.  
         [0010]     In the past, it was an onerous chore to drive a post such as a real estate sign post into the ground. A person required a shovel or similar tool, which was difficult to use in compacted or rocky ground. It was a second chore to remove the post. That was especially true if the ground froze while the post was in place. Removing a post from frozen or otherwise hard ground risked damage to the tools as well as the post itself.  
         [0011]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,873 shows a fishing pole holder that includes a stake drivable into the ground. A slide hammer on the holder aids in the inserting and removing process. The holder of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,873 is unsuitable for holding such large items as signs and archery bows.  
         [0012]     Thus, a need exists for improvements in supports that temporarily hold objects off the ground.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     In accordance with the present invention, a hammer hanger is provided that is easily erected into and taken down from the ground. This is accomplished by apparatus that includes a stake and a slide hammer.  
         [0014]     The stake is comprised of a rod having a flange between the ends of the rod. A stop is fixed to the first rod end. According to one aspect of the invention, the stake stop has a rectangular outer periphery. Preferably, a spade is secured to the rod between its second end and the flange.  
         [0015]     The slide hammer comprises a tube that is captured on and slides over the stake. The slide hammer tube has an inner periphery that matches the size and shape of the stake stop outer periphery. There is a washer on the tube lower end. The slide hammer tube is slideable in a first direction until the washer strikes the flange on the stake. The slide hammer tube is slideable in the opposite direction until the washer strikes the stop on the stake. The slide hammer tube may be of any practical length. According to one embodiment of the invention, the slide hammer tube is approximately four feet long.  
         [0016]     At the upper end of the slide hammer tube is an arm. The arm is constructed to hold any of a number of different objects. According to one aspect of the invention, the arm is constructed as a hanger for signs. In another embodiment, the arm is equipped with hooks for hanging archery bows.  
         [0017]     It is a feature of the invention that the arm is foldable on the slide hammer tube. When the arm is folded, it lies alongside the slide hammer tube and thus occupies a minimum of space. When the arm is unfolded, it is generally perpendicular to the slide hammer tube in a position for hanging a sign, archery bow, or other object.  
         [0018]     The hammer hanger is used by placing the stake rod first end on the ground at the desired location. The slide hammer tube is oriented to be substantially vertical. The slide hammer tube is slid in the upward direction until the washer on its lower end approaches the stop on the stake rod. Then the slide hammer tube is slid rapidly such that the washer strikes the stake flange with an impact that drives the stake rod into the ground. The process is repeated until the stake rod and spade are at the desired depth in the ground. Then the arm is unfolded to hang the selected object off the ground. The spade on the stake prevents the hammer hanger from tipping over in soft ground. The rectangular shapes of the stake stop outer periphery and the slide hammer tube inner periphery prevent the slide hammer tube from rotating on the stake. If the stake stop and slide hammer tube have circular outer and inner peripheries, respectively, a locking device may be used to prevent the slide hammer tube from rotating on the stake.  
         [0019]     When it is desired to remove the hammer hanger from the ground, the slide hammer tube is slid very rapidly away from the stake flange until the washer strikes the stop on the stake. The impact causes the stake to move upwardly out of the ground. The process is repeated until the stake can be pulled from the ground. The arm is folded for transporting the hammer hanger to a different site.  
         [0020]     In a modified embodiment, the slide hammer is constructed with two tubes. A bottom slide hammer tube has a washer at its lower end, and it is slidingly captured on a stake. A top slide hammer tube has an arm at its upper end and a pilot at its lower end. The pilot is assembleable to and disassembleable from the bottom slide hammer tube. In that manner, different top slide hammer tubes with different arms can be used interchangeably with a single bottom slide hammer tube and stake.  
         [0021]     The method and apparatus of the invention, using one or more slide hammer tubes slideable on a stake, thus makes it an easy task to erect and take down the hammer hanger. Different arms can be used for hanging different objects, even though only a single stake is required.  
         [0022]     Other advantages, benefits, and features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]      FIG. 1  is front view of the hammer hanger ready to be erected in the ground.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a view of the erected hammer hanger.  
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is a partially broken side view on an enlarged scale of the hammer hanger.  
         [0026]      FIG. 4  is a broken view of a two-piece slide hammer according to the present invention.  
         [0027]      FIG. 5  is a view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5 , but showing the arm in the folded position.  
         [0029]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0031]     Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention, which may be embodied in other specific structure. The scope of the invention is defined in the claims appended hereto.  
         [0032]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a hammer hanger  1  is illustrated that includes the present invention. The hammer hanger  1  is particularly useful for holding selected objects off the ground  3 . However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to outdoor applications.  
         [0033]     The hammer hanger  1  is comprised of a stake  5  that is insertable into and removeable from the ground  3  by means of a slide hammer  7 . An arm  9  on the slide hammer  7  is foldable to lie alongside the slide hammer as shown in  FIG. 1 . The arm  9  is also unfoldable so as to be generally perpendicular to the slide hammer as shown in  FIG. 2 . It is preferred that the hammer hanger be made of steel components.  
         [0034]     Looking also at  FIGS. 3 and 7 , the stake  5  is made of a rod  11 . A flange  13  is welded to the rod  11  approximately mid-way between the rod bottom end  15  and top end  17 . As illustrated, the flange  13  is part of a collar  19  surrounding and welded to the rod. At the top end  17  of the rod is a stop  21 , which preferably is a short tube that fits over and is welded to the stake rod. According to one aspect of the invention, the stop  21  has a rectangular outer periphery  37 . However, a round outer periphery is also acceptable. Close to the collar  19  is a spade  23 . The spade  23  is depicted as generally diamond in shape, but other shapes are also within the scope of the invention.  
         [0035]     The slide hammer  7  includes a tube  25  having a longitudinal axis  26  and upper and lower ends  27  and  29 , respectively. A rubber cap  31  may be pressed over the slide hammer tube upper end  27 . Fixed on the slide hammer tube lower end  29  is a washer  33 . The washer  33  has an inner diameter  34  that is sized to slide easily over the stake rod  11 . The slide hammer tube  25  has an inner periphery  35  sized and shaped to slide easily over the outer periphery  37  of the stake stop  21 . The inner diameter  34  of the washer  33  is smaller than the periphery  37  of the stake stop. Consequently, the slide hammer is captured on the stake  5 , but the slide hammer is free to slide on the stake. Specifically, the slide hammer is slideable in the direction of arrow  39  until the washer  33  strikes the flange  13  on the stake. The slide hammer is slideable in the direction of arrow  41  until the washer  33  strikes the stake stop  21 . To hold the hammer hanger  1  with the washer  33  and flange in contact, the present invention further includes a connecter such as a shock cord  43 . One end of the connector  43  has a hook  45  that engages a ring  47  on the slide hammer tube  25 . The other end of the connector has a second hook  49  that is engageable with a hole  51  in the stake spade  23 .  
         [0036]     To hold the arm  9  to the slide hammer tube  25 , a clamp  53  is used. Also see  FIGS. 5 and 6 . In the illustrated construction, the clamp  53  is a channel having spaced parallel sides  55  with a bight  57  that wraps around the slide hammer tube. A fastener  59  passing through the clamp sides  55  enables the clamp to firmly grip the slide hammer tube. There is a pair of aligned holes  60  in the clamp sides near their distal ends  62 .  
         [0037]     The particular arm  9  illustrated is a rectangular tube  64  having aligned holes that receive the clamp fastener  59 . The arm tube  64  also has aligned second holes  61 , and a pair of eyes  63 .  
         [0038]     In  FIGS. 1 and 6 , the arm  9  is shown in a folded position whereat it lies alongside the slide hammer tube  25 . To unfold the arm, it is pivoted in the direction of arrow  65  until the arm holes  61  align with the clamp holes  60 . Then a pin  67 , which may be a safety pin with a conventional spring loop  69 , is inserted through the holes  60  and  61  to retain the arm in the unfolded position,  FIGS. 2 and 5 . when the arm is in the unfolded position, a sign  69  or similar object can be hung from the eyes  63 .  
         [0039]     In  FIGS. 1-3 , the slide hammer  7  has a single long slide hammer tube  25 . A preferred dimension for the slide hammer tube  25  is approximately 57 inches. Other preferred dimensions include lengths of approximately 27 inches for the stake rod  11 , and approximately 19 inches for the arm  9 .  
         [0040]     In  FIG. 4 , an alternate slide hammer  7 ′ is made with to slide hammer tubes. A bottom slide hammer tube  71  is constructed with a ring such as the ring  47  and a washer such as the washer  33  of the slide hammer tube  25  described previously. The bottom slide hammer tube  71  is captured on and is slideable along a stake  5  in the same way as the slide hammer tube  25 . The bottom slide hammer tube  71  has an upper end  73  near which is welded a nut  75 . A screw  77  is threaded to the nut  75  and passes through a hole  79  in the bottom slide hammer tube wall.  
         [0041]     The slide hammer  7 ′ also has a top slide hammer tube  81  having a lower end  83 . A pilot tube  85  is welded to the interior of the top slide hammer tube  81  and assembles into the interior of the bottom slide hammer tube  71  until the ends  73  and  83  abut. Then the screw  77  is tightened to lock the two slide hammer tubes to each other. In that manner, different top slide hammer tubes can be used with a single bottom slide hammer tube and stake  5 .  
         [0042]     In use, the arm  9  is usually folded and the cord hook  49  engages the spade hole  51  when transporting the hammer hanger  1  to the desired location. If the slide hammer  7 ′ with the two slide hammer tubes  71  and  81  is used, the two tubes may be disassembled from each other for transporting. The hammer hanger is erected by placing the stake rod end  15  on the ground  3  and orienting the slide hammer tube to be vertical. The cord hook  49  is disengaged from the spade hole  51 . The slide hammer tube  25  or  71  is slid upwardly in the direction of arrow  41  until the washer  33  approaches the stop  21 . Then the slide hammer tube is slid rapidly downwardly in the direction of arrow  39  until the washer strikes the flange  13 . That action produces an impact on the stake  5  that drives the rod  11  into the ground. The process is repeated as often as necessary until the spade  23  is fully inserted into the ground. If used, the top slide hammer tube  81  is assembled to the bottom slide hammer tube  71 . The arm  9  is unfolded and retained in place with the pin  67 . The spade prevents the hammer hanger from tipping over in soft or wet soil and also prevents the stake from rotating in the ground about the rod longitudinal axis. The coaction between the rectangular slide hammer tube  25  or  71  and the rectangular stake stop  21  prevents the slide hammer from rotating about its longitudinal axis  26  on the stake. If a stake stop with a round outer periphery and a slide hammer tube with a round inner periphery are used, the slide hammer preferably includes a locking device that prevents the slide hammer from rotating about its longitudinal axis on the stake. A suitable locking device is a nut and screw similar to the nut  75  and screw  77  described above. The nut is welded to the slide hammer tube near its lower end. The screw threads to the nut and passes through a hole in the slide hammer tube to lock against the rod  11 . In that manner, the hammer hanger having either a round or rectangular stop and slide hammer tube remains in place after it is erected until it is taken down.  
         [0043]     To take down the hammer hanger  1 , the sign  69  other object removed from the eyes  63 . The pin  67  is removed from the clamp holes  60  and arm holes  61 , and the arm  9  is folded against the slide hammer tube  25 . If the hammer hanger has the two-piece slide hammer  7 ′, the screw  77  is loosened to unlock the pilot  85  of the top slide hammer tube  81  from the bottom slide hammer tube  71 , and the top tube is disassembled from the bottom tube. After disengaging the cord hook  49  from the spade hole  51 , the slide hammer  7  is slid rapidly in the direction of arrow  41  until the washer  33  strikes the stop  21 . The impact thus produced tends to remove the stake  5  and spade  23  from the ground  3 . Depending on the condition of the ground, it make take more than one cycle of striking the stake stop with the slide hammer tube before the stake is removed from the ground. Eventually, the stake is removed, and the hammer hanger is ready for transporting to another site.  
         [0044]     Further in accordance with the present invention, the hammer hanger is eminently suitable for hanging different types of objects off the ground  3 . Turning to  FIG. 8 , a hammer hanger  87  is depicted that is used with for hanging archery bows, typically represented at reference numeral  88 , off the ground. The hammer hanger  87  is shown with a slide hammer  89  having a bottom slide hammer tube  71 ′ and a top slide hammer tube  81 ′. However, it will be appreciated that a single slide hammer tube such as the slide hammer tube  25  described previously is also acceptable for the slide hammer  87 . On the top slide hammer tube  81 ′ is a clamp  91 . According to one aspect of the invention, the clamp  91  is comprised of a pair of parallel plates  93  held together by a pair of fasteners  95 . The plates  93  extend in Opposite directions from the top slide hammer tube. Between the plates on each side of the top slide hanger tube is an arm  9 ′. The arms  9 ′ are held to the clamp by the fasteners  95 . Safety pins  67 ′ are used to retain the arms  9 ′ in the unfolded position as shown in  FIG. 8 . The arms are foldable alongside the slide hammer tube  81 ′ by removing the pins  67  as was described previously in connection with the hammer hanger  1  of  FIGS. 1-7 .  
         [0045]     On each arm  9 ′ are a number of hooks. As illustrated, there are three hooks on each arm, but that number is not critical to the invention. Two of the hooks  97  have shanks  99  that are generally perpendicular to the arm and supports  101  that are generally parallel to the arm. Another hook  103  at the free end of each arm is generally parallel to the arm for the hook full length. It will be appreciated, of course, that the construction of the hooks  97  and  103  may vary without departing from the scope of the invention. The hammer hanger  87  is erected at the site of archery practice fields and competition events to hang the expensive bows  88  off the ground between shots.  
         [0046]     The illustrated hammer hanger  87  has two arms  9 ′ on opposite sides of the top slide hammer tube  81 ′. However, if desired, only one arm  9 ′ and associated hooks  97  and  103 , together with the clamp  53  of  FIGS. 1, 2 ,  5 , and  6 , may be used instead of the two arms  9 ′and clamp  91  shown.  
         [0047]     In summary, the results and advantages of hanging various objects off the ground  3  can now be more fully realized. The hammer hanger of the invention provides both easy erection and take down of the hammer hanger as well as convenient transportation between sites. This desirable result comes from using the combined functions of the slide hammer and the arms. The slide hammer impacts the stake  5  in the directions  39  and  41  to both erect and remove, respectively, the hammer hanger. The spade  23  maintains the hammer hanger upright in soft or wet soil. The rectangular cross-sections of the slide hammer tube and stake stop  21  prevent the slide hammer tube from rotating on the stake. The arms are foldable for easy transportation. Different kinds of holding elements can be fixed to the arms for holding different kinds of objects, such as a sign  69  or archery bows  88 . The slide hammer tube may be in more than one piece, thereby even further enhancing the versatility and usefulness of the invention.  
         [0048]     It will also be recognized that in addition to the superior performance of the invention, its construction is such as to be of modest cost in relation to the benefits it provides. In fact, the hammer hanger will quickly pay for itself due to increased productivity related to hanging signs and previously unavailable protection for archery bows.  
         [0049]     Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the invention, a hammer hanger that fully satisfies the aims and advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.