An anchoring device, adapted to be driven into the ground, is used to tether a floating vessel along a shore area, an animal or child, or an inanimate object. It includes an elongated hammer element and an elongated stake element in axial alignment and preferably assembled in a manner to enable relative axial and rotational movement between the hammer element and the stake element. Consequently, without disconnecting the assembled hammer and stake elements, the user axially raises and lowers the hammer element to strike with force the stake element to drive the stake element into the ground.

This application is a utility application based on U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/220,106, entitled “Anchoring Device & Methods Of Use,” filed Jul. 21, 2000. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     There are many situations that require tethering an inanimate object, an animal, or a vessel in a desired location. For example, if one wishes to anchor a vessel such as a boat or personal watercraft near a shore area, one would typically drive a stake into the shore area adjacent the vessel and attach a line from the vessel to the stake. This requires the use of a hammer or other heavy object to drive the stake into the ground. Another problem is that the tide rises and falls, but the stake has a fixed length and could be pulled from the ground with a rising tide. Furthermore, the vessel tends to move sideways along the shoreline and the stake does not rotate in response to this sideways movement. It is also desirable to secure an animal, a child, or an inanimate object such as, for example, an airplane in particular locations. Again, the same problem presents itself, namely, that a hammer or other heavy object is needed to drive the stake into the ground. Moreover, the stake does not accommodate movement around the stake other than wrapping around the stake the line securing the animal or child. In some situations this results in the line becoming entangled. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of this invention to provide an anchoring device comprising a single unit containing a hammer element and a stake element that cooperate with each other, allowing the entire unit to change length, and at least in the most preferred embodiment, allowing for rotation of the hammer element with respect to the stake element driven into the ground. 
     This invention has several features, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of this invention as expressed by the claims that follow, its more prominent features will now be discussed briefly. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled, “DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS,” one will understand how the features of this invention provide its benefits, which include, but are not limited to, ease of manufacture, low cost, convenience of use, a variable length of the anchoring device, and rotation movement between the stake and hammer elements. 
     The first feature of the anchoring device of this invention is that it includes a hammer element and a stake element, each having a longitudinal axis and connected together with their respective longitudinal axes aligned and at least partially coextensive. The hammer element comprises a tubular member with opposed and closed top and bottom ends. The bottom end has an opening therein that allows an upper portion of the stake element to pass through it and allows the hammer and stake elements move axially relative to each other. There is at least one stop element fixedly attached to the upper portion of the stake element. This stop element upon engaging an end of the hammer element prevents further axial movement in a selected direction. 
     The second feature is the use of two stop elements and alignment bushings. The stake element has a distal end that is pointed and a proximal end that serves as a second stop element for engaging the top end of the hammer element. The tubular member has a predetermined inside cross-sectional size and configuration and there are a pair of spaced apart bushing members fixedly attached to a section of the upper portion of the stake element. The bushing members each have a cross-sectional size and configuration that is substantially the same as the inside cross-sectional size and configuration of the tubular member. This enables the hammer and stake elements to move relative to each other and maintain the alignment of their longitudinal axes. Preferably, the hammer element and stake element are mounted to rotate relative to each other. This is achieved when the inside cross-sectional size and configuration of the tubular member and the bushings are circular. Specifically, the tubular member is a hollow cylinder and the bushings are cylinders with diameters slightly less than the diameter of the tubular member. 
     The third feature is that the hammer element and stake have certain preferred characteristics. Preferably, the hammer element has at least one handle member extending therefrom, and at least one attachment member extending therefrom. The attachment member may simply be an eyelid or loop to which a line is attached. Preferably, the stake element has at least one side with a barb element thereon. This barb element assists in holding the stake element in the ground. 
     The fourth feature is the dimensions of the anchoring device. The hammer element and the stake element are able to move relative to each other a minimum distance of at least about 5 inches, preferably from about 7 to about 24 inches. Preferably, the tubular member has the shape of a hollow cylinder with an inside diameter of from about 1½ to about 6 inches. The hammer element has a length of from about 8 to about 30 inches, and the stake element has a length of from about 8 to about 36 inches. 
     This invention also includes methods of using the anchoring device to tether a floating vessel along a shore area, to tethering to ground an animal or a child, and to tether to ground an inanimate object. 
     The method of tethering a floating vessel along a shore area, comprises 
     (a) providing an anchoring device including unitary, self contained hammer and stake elements in an assembly that enables relative axial movement between the hammer and the stake elements, 
     (b) axially raising and lowering the hammer element to strike with force the stake element, driving said stake element into the shore area, and 
     (c) attaching a line from the vessel to the anchoring device. 
     The method of tethering to ground an animal or a child, comprises 
     (a) providing an anchoring device unitary, self contained hammer and stake elements in an assembly that enables relative axial and rotational movement between the hammer element and the stake element, 
     (b) axially raising and lowering the hammer element to strike with force the stake element, driving said stake element into the ground, and 
     (c) attaching a line from the animal or the child to the anchoring device. 
     The method of tethering to ground an inanimate object, comprises 
     (a) providing an anchoring device including unitary, self contained hammer and stake elements in an assembly that enables relative axial movement between the hammer element and the stake element, 
     (b) axially raising and lowering the hammer element to strike with force the stake element, driving said stake element into the ground, and 
     (c) attaching a line from the inanimate object to the anchoring device. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The preferred embodiments of this invention, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. These embodiments depict the novel and non-obvious anchoring device of this invention and methods of use thereof as shown in the accompanying drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only. This drawing includes the following figures (FIGS.), with like numerals indicating like parts: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the anchoring device of this invention, showing in phantom lines the hammer element in a neutral position prior to driving the stake element into the ground. 
     FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view taken along line  1 A— 1 A of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along line  2 A— 2 A of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line  2 B— 2 B of FIG.  2 A. 
     FIG. 2C is a side elevational view showing in phantom lines the hammer element at the top of its upstroke with the stake element in an initial position partially driven into the ground. 
     FIG. 2D is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 1, showing the hammer element at the bottom of its down stroke and the stake element driven deeper into the ground from that shown in FIG.  2 C. 
     FIG. 2E is a side elevational view, showing the hammer element at the top of its upstroke when the stake element is being removed from the ground. 
     FIG. 2F is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along line  2 F of FIG.  2 A. 
     FIG. 3 is a side view showing the anchoring device used to tether the vessel to the shore area. 
     FIG. 4 is a side view showing the anchoring device of this invention used to tether a dog. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing three anchoring devices of this invention used to tether an airplane. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2B showing a tubular member having a hexagonal cross-sectional configuration. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2B showing a tubular member with a rectangular cross-sectional configuration. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As best shown in FIGS. 1A and 2A through  2 F, the anchoring device  10  of this invention includes a hammer element  12  connected to a stake element  14  to form a single, self-contained unit. Preferably, it is made of steel and brightly colored. The hammer element  12  comprises a tubular member  12   a , preferably having a hollow cylindrical configuration with a circular cross-sectional configuration and having inside diameter d of from about 1½ to about 6 inches. An upper portion  14   a  of the stake element  14  extends into a hollow internal compartment  12   b  of the hammer element  12   b . This hollow internal compartment  12   b  is formed when a top end cap  16  and a bottom end cap  18  are welded in position. The bottom end cap  18  has an opening  18   a  therein centrally located to allow the upper portion  14   a  of the stake element  14  to extend into the compartment  12   b . Preferably, the hammer element  12  has a length of from about 8 to about 30 inches and the stake element  14  has a length of from about 8 to about 36 inches. 
     The tubular member  12   a  and the stake element  14  each have a longitudinal axis which are aligned and coextensive. A shaft section  14   b  of the stake element  14  has a pair of spaced apart bushings  20  and  22 , each being secured in a fixed position on the shaft section by pressed-fit pins  24 . Each pin  24  extends through the bushings and the shaft section  14   b . The bushings  20  and  22  thus cannot move axially along the stake element  14 . There is a washer  26  welded to the shaft section  14   b  directly beneath the bushing  22  and between this bushing and the bottom end cap  18 . This washer  26  serves as a first stop element and impacts the bottom end cap  18  upon raising the hammer element  12  to its top maximum upstroke position as best shown in FIG.  2 E. The tip  14   c  of shaft section  14   b  extends slightly beyond the bushing  20 . This tip  14   c  serves as the second stop element and impacts the top end cap  16  upon lowering the hammer element  12  to its bottom maximum down stroke position as best shown in FIG.  2 D. 
     The bushings  20  and  22  each have a cross-sectional configuration substantially identical to the cross-sectional configuration of the hollow compartment  12   b . In this case, they are both circular, with the diameter of the bushings  20  and  22  being slightly less than the diameter of the internal, circular compartment  12   b . This arrangement enables the hammer element  12  to move axially and to rotate with respect to the stake element  14  when the stake element is driven into the ground. 
     Extending outwardly from the upper end of the tubular member  12   a  is a pair of aligned handlebars  28 . Near the bottom along the exterior of the tubular member  12   a  is an attachment eyelid or loop  30  for tying a line  32  or other tethering device to the hammer element  12 . The lower portion  14   d  of the stake element  14  terminates in a pointed distal end  14   e  and along the sides are opposed V-shaped barb members  34  welded in place that facilitate holding the stake element in the ground. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the anchoring device  10 , the hammer element  12  and the stake element  14  are able to move relative to each other a minimum distance D (FIG. 2 c ) of at least about 5 inches. 
     In operation, as depicted in FIG. 2C, the user positions anchoring device  10  at the desired location with the stake element  14  being oriented vertically and the hammer element  14  in a raised position. Grasping a handlebar  28  in each hand, the user then slams the hammer element  12  into the top end of the stake element  14 , moving the hammer element downward until the tip  14   c  of the stake element  14  strikes the top end cap  16  of the hammer element. This forces the distal end  14   e  of the stake element  14  into the ground. The user then, in a more gentle manner, pulls the hammer element  12  upward until the bottom end cap  18  gently contacts the stop washer  26 . This is the maximum position of the upstroke depicted in FIG.  2 C. The user then again slams the hammer element  12  downward, with the tip  14   c  again striking the top end cap  16  of the hammer element. This action is repeated until the stake is driven into the ground to the desired depth. To remove the stake element  14 , instead of gently pulling the hammer element  12  upward, the user pulls the hammer element  12  upward quickly and forcefully so that bottom end cap  18  strikes with power the stop washer  26 . This lifts the stake element  14  from the ground as depicted in FIG.  2 E. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, one advantageous application of the anchoring device  10  is to tether a vessel  40  to a shore area. A line, for example a rope  32 , having one end attached to the bow of the vessel has its other end secured to the attachment loop  30 . As the tide rises, the hammer element  12  will be pulled upward. The distance the hammer element  12  can move upward is determined by the distance D depicted in FIG.  2 C. If the vessel moves sideways along the shoreline, the hammer element  12  will rotate with respect to the stake element  14 . Although a vessel  40  is depicted, the anchoring device  10  may find greater application with personal watercraft, which is considered a vessel for the purposes of this invention. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, the anchoring device  10  can be used to tether an animal such as, for example, a dog  42 . One end of a leash  32   a  is attached to a collar  44  on the dog's neck and the other end of the leash is connected to the attachment loop  30 . The dog  42  can move either in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, with the hammer element  12  rotating with respect to the stake element  14 . Thus, the leash  32   a  is not entangled. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, the anchoring device  10  may also be used to tether an inanimate object, for example, an airplane  50  where more than one anchoring device is used. As illustrated, there is one anchoring device  10  tethered to the end of each wing  52  and a third anchoring device  10  tethered to the tail  54  of the airplane  50 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the cross-sectional configuration of the tubular member  12   a  need not be circular. The advantage of the circular cross-sectional area is to allow the hammer element  12  to rotate with respect to the stake element  14 . In certain situations this may not be necessary, for example when tethering the airplane  50  shown in FIG.  5 . Here the tubular member could have a different configuration. For example, a hexagonal tubular member  60  as shown in FIG. 6, or rectangular tubular member  62 , for example, a square, as shown in FIG.  7 . In such cases the bushings  60   a  and  62   a  would have a complementary configuration, that is, a hexagonal bushing  60   a  used with the hexagonal tubular member  60  and a square bushing  62   a  used with the square tubular member  62 . 
     SCOPE OF THE INVENTION 
     The above presents a description of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the present invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use this invention. This invention is, however, susceptible to modifications and alternate constructions from that discussed above which are fully equivalent. Consequently, it is not the intention to limit this invention to the particular embodiments disclosed. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications and alternate constructions coming within the spirit and scope of the invention as generally expressed by the following claims, which particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter of the invention.