Abstract:
A rod puller apparatus and method includes an extended lever. A roller pad is connected to the extended lever. A releasable grab attachment is connected to the roller pad. In a preferred embodiment, a foot leverage platform is connected to the roller pad. In a further preferred embodiment, a replaceable guide roller is provided so as to accommodate rods of various diameters. Other grab attachments are provided for rods with mushroomed heads and for square posts and/or metal fence posts.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   The applicants hereby claim the benefit of the earlier filing date of Apr. 25, 2002, of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/375,541, under 35 U.S.C.§ 119 (e). 

   TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a rod puller apparatus and method. In particular, the invention relates to a rod puller apparatus and method for removing rods, posts and the like from the ground without bending or breaking the rods or posts. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Many situations exist wherein rods, posts, pilings and the like are driven into the ground to serve a temporary purpose. By way of example only, and not limitation, in the construction industry it is necessary for steel rods, many feet in length, to be sunk into the ground at the construction site. The rods can serve any purpose, but, for example again, often are used as electrical grounding devices. Certainly, many other needs are served by such temporary rods, such as for surveying purposes, locating cement car stops in parking lots, metal, wood, and cement fence and sign posts and the like. 
   In any event, once installed, it is often necessary to remove these “rods”. This has proven to be a difficult, time-consuming, and destructive process. That is, for example only, heretofore, the removal of long, metal, rods which have been driven deep into the earth, often results in the rods being bent beyond reusable form. One prior art method is to tie a chain to the rod and use a back hoe, or the like, to yank the rod out of the ground. Even if this is successful, the rod is generally so bent and deformed as to be of no possible further use. 
   In some cases, the rod has been driven into ground so hard and to such a depth that removal is, for all practical purposes, impossible. In this case, the prior art solution is to cut the rod off as close to the ground level as possible and then drive the stub below grade and leave the rest of the rod forever buried at the construction site. 
   By way of further example, these metal rods are generally made of steel, are eight to ten feet long, and vary in diameter from one-half to three-quarter inches. Additionally, utility companies, construction firms, and the like, invest a large amount of money in maintaining a supply of such rods. Companies use other rods as well such as four foot long curb pins and two to four foot long grading stakes. Any rods, whether metal, wood, cement, or the like, that can be reclaimed and reused helps reduce the costs to such companies. 
   Thus, there is a need in the art for providing an apparatus and method for pulling sunken rods or posts that leaves the rods and posts intact and reusable. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the rod puller apparatus and method of the present invention includes an extended lever. A roller pad is connected to the extended lever. A releasable grab attachment is movably connected to the roller pad. In a preferred embodiment, the releasable grab attachment is removable and adjustable for various sized rods. In another preferred embodiment, the roller pad includes a foot leverage platform. In another preferred embodiment, the roller pad includes an attachment for a replacement guide roller. 
   In yet another preferred embodiment, a method of pulling rods includes the step of providing an extended lever. A roller pad is attached to one end of the extended lever. A releasable grab attachment is connected to the roller pad. A portable support is placed next to a rod which has previously been driven into the ground. The roller pad is placed on the portable support. The extended lever is moved toward the rod and the releasable grab attachment is placed over the rod. The lever arm is moved away from the rod resulting in the rod being pulled a small distance out of the ground. The steps are repeated until the rod is completely removed from the ground. 
   In another aspect of this embodiment, the releasable grab attachment includes a replacement guide roller conformed to fit rods with different diameters. In another aspect of this embodiment, a foot leverage platform is provided on the roller pad and a user&#39;s foot is used to assist in the movement of the roller pad by means of the extended lever formed by the foot leverage platform. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a side view illustration of the rod puller apparatus according to one embodiment at the start of the first pull cycle; 
       FIG. 2  is a side view illustration of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  near the middle of the first pull cycle; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view illustration of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  at the end of the first pull cycle; 
       FIG. 4  is a side view illustration of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  at the start of the second pull cycle; 
       FIG. 5  is a side view illustration of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  near the middle of the second pull cycle; 
       FIG. 6  is a side view illustration of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  at the end of the second pull cycle; 
       FIG. 7  is a side view illustration of the detail of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 8  is an enlarged side view illustration of the detail of the releasable grab attachment and replaceable guide roller according to one embodiment of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a top view of the apparatus of  FIGS. 1 and 8 ; 
       FIG. 10  is an enlarged side view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  illustrating the placement of the reserve replaceable guide roller; 
       FIG. 11  is an exploded view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  showing the replaceable guide roller and a replacement guide roller; 
       FIG. 12  is a bottom view of another embodiment of the releasable grab attachment of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 13  is a top view of the grab attachment of  FIG. 12 ; 
       FIG. 14  is a side view of the apparatus with the grab attachment of  FIGS. 12 and 13 ; and 
       FIG. 15  is a top view of another embodiment of the releasable grab attachment of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example  FIGS. 1–15 . With specific reference to  FIG. 1 , the rod puller apparatus  10  of the present invention includes extended lever  12 . Roller pad  14  is connected to one end  16  of extended lever  12 . A releasable grab attachment  18  is connected to the front  20  of roller pad  14 . 
   In a preferred embodiment, releasable grab attachment  18  moves slightly so as to allow parallel alignment of the grab attachment  18  with, and in relation to, rod  22 . In a preferred embodiment, a replaceable guide roller  24  is connected to the front of roller pad  14  as more fully disclosed and described hereafter. In another preferred embodiment, roller pad  14  includes foot leverage platform  26 .  FIG. 1  also illustrates the use of portable support  28  located close to rod  22  and utilized to provide a supporting surface  30  for roller pad  14  above ground  32 . 
   In operation, portable support  28  is placed on the ground  32  in close proximity to rod  22 . Extended lever  12  is grasped by a user&#39;s hand  34  and roller pad  14  is placed on supporting surface  30  and rotated in the direction of dotted arrow  36  which is in the direction of rod  22 . At that point, releasable grab attachment  18  fits snugly over rod  22 . The user then places his/her foot  38  on foot leverage platform  26  and pulls extended lever  12  with his/her hand  34  away from rod  22  in the direction of solid arrow  40  as shown in  FIG. 2  and pushing down on foot leverage platform  26  with his/her foot  28 . This pinches rod  22  between grab attachment  18  and the front  20  of roller pad  14  or, in a preferred embodiment, replaceable guide roller  24 . When roller pad  14  reaches the limit of its travel in the direction of solid arrow  40  as shown in  FIG. 3 , the process is repeated again as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 , and  6  until the rod  22  is pulled completely from the ground  32 . 
   Rod puller apparatus  10  accomplishes the extraction of rod  22  from ground  32  by a series of cycles. The “first” cycle is illustrated by way of example in  FIGS. 1–3 . The “second” cycle is illustrated by way of example in  FIGS. 4–6 . Importantly, however many cycles are required to fully extract rod  22  from the ground, rod  22  is extracted essentially without damage, bending, or deformation of any kind. 
   By way of further explanation, with reference to  FIGS. 1–6 , roller pad  14  is comprised of a curved, “curvate”, lower section  42  and a top section  44 . As illustrated, extended lever  12 , in a preferred embodiment, extends through top section  44  such that end  16  of extended lever  12  is connected to curved lower section  42  of roller pad  14 . Certainly, any appropriate confirmation for the connection of extended lever  12  with roller pad  14  is suitable for purposes of the invention. 
   Again, by way of additional explanation, releasable grab attachment  18  is connected to the front  20  of roller pad  14 . Releasable grab attachment  18 , in a preferred embodiment consists of stationery extension  46  and rotatable section  48 . Rotatable section  48  is rotatably connected to stationery extension  46  by any means known in the art such as pin  50 . As clearly shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , this configuration enables releasable grab attachment  18  to connect with rod  22  in a manner approximately perpendicular to rod  22 . Additionally, as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  5 , and  6 , the ability of rotatable section  48  to rotate ensures, in combination with the short cycles of the invention, that rod  22  is not bent or deformed as it is being pulled from ground  32 . 
     FIG. 7  is a further illustration of the basic elements of the invention including the releasable grab attachment  18  of the present invention. Grab attachment  18  includes teeth  52  for a better purchase on rod  22 . Grab attachment is moveably connected to rotatable section  48  by a pin  50  and is prevented from full rotation by another pin  50  at the end  54  of rotatable section  48 . 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the replaceable guide roller  24  of the present invention is illustrated. In  FIG. 8 , no rotatable extension  48  is used and only stationary extension  46  is provided. Even if rotatable extension is used the function is the same. That is, for purposes of example only and not by limitation, as shown in  FIG. 9 , a pair of support arms  51  with a first end  53  and a second end  55  are attached by pin  50  at the first end  53  to the front  20  of top section  44  of roller pad  14 . The tubular shaped replaceable guide roller  24  is attached by pin  50  in between support arms  51  closer to front  20  of top section  44  than is grab attachment  18  such that a rod receiving space  57  is formed by the rectangular shaped grab attachment  18 , guide roller  24  and support arms  51  for rod  22 . In use, rod  22  is slipped in-between them into space  57  for pulling as described above. The applicants have found that a snug fit is preferable. As a result, different sizes of rods may be accommodated by removing and replacing the guide roller  24  with one with a smaller or larger diameter as required.  FIG. 9  also shows support  56  in top section  44  for supporting a replacement guide roller  24  of a different diameter while another guide roller  24  is in use as more clearly illustrated in  FIG. 10 . 
     FIG. 10  shows support  56  in the form of a pin of a diameter smaller than the inside diameter of guide roller  24  such that guide roller slips over support  56  and is retained in position on support  56  by use of a cotter pin  58  (see  FIG. 11 ) in hole  60 . Support  56  has a larger head  62  than the body of support  56  that prevent support  56  from slipping through the hole  64  in the top section  44 . In this manner, extra roller guides are on hand, and out of harms way in operation, whenever a different size of rod is encountered. 
     FIG. 11  illustrates the connection of reserve guide roller  24  by means of support  56  and also the use of pin  50 , also with large head  62 , and cotter pin  58  to rotatably secure guide roller  24  to stationary extension  46  and rotatable extension  48 . This same pin  50  and cotter pin  58  combination is used to secure grab attachment  18  (not shown) to rotatable extension  48 . 
     FIGS. 12 and 13  illustrate the bottom and top, respectively of another preferred embodiment of the grab attachment  18  of the present invention. In situations where the top of the item to be pulled is too large for the grab attachment  18  to slip over it, as described above, side loading jaw  66  is used. For example, when the head of a rod  22  is mushroomed out by repeated blows of a sledge hammer, side loading jaw  66  is attached to the front  20  of the invention for use as described above.  FIG. 14  shows the attachment of side loading jaw  66  to rotatable extension  48  which is in turn connected to stationary extension  46  by pins  50  as discussed above. In this embodiment, however, side loading jaw  66  is attached to the pin  50  nearest the end  54  of rotatable extension  48 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 15 , a grab attachment  18  that is conformed to pull posts and other non-round objects is disclosed. The grab attachment  18  in this embodiment includes a stationary arm  68  and slidable arm  70 . Slidable arm  70  is moved toward stationary arm  68  so as to snug up against the post to be removed (not shown) on three of the four sides of the post. Thereafter the operation of the invention is as previously described. This grab attachment  18  is also useful in pulling metal fence posts. 
   The description of the present embodiments of the invention have been presented for purposes of illustration but are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. As such, while the present invention has been disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood that there may be other embodiments which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed herein and as defined by the following claims.